The Bath Magazine October 2013 by MC Publishing Limited

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THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CITY OF BATH

£3.00 where sold

AFTER THE DRAGONS’ DEN

THEKateMAKERY’S Smith on the reality of TV

WIN LONDON UNDERGROUND POSTERS FROM THE FIRED EARTH COLLECTION

SIMON SMITH

THE ICE MAN Prepares to get his skates on RESTAURANT REVIEW

THE OLIVE TREE by Melissa Blease FABULOUS FASHIONISTA

JEANon life,WOODS love and looking stylish in your 70s

THE GREAT BATH BUNFIGHT A month-long celebration of local food

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CALL OF THE WYLDE

B AT H

B R I S TO L

12 Northumberland Place | Bath BA1 5AR Telephone +44 (0) 1225 462826 Email bath@nicholaswylde.com

6 The Mall Clifton | Bristol BS8 4DR Telephone +44 (0) 117 974 3582 Email bristol@nicholaswylde.com

Incorporating the Wylde Flower® Diamond

Our new temporary home… 21/22 The Corridor Bath BA1 5AP

SEEK US OUT

www.nicholaswylde.com

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contents

October 2013 69

OCTOBER DIARY

Five things to do and see this month

22 BRAVING THE DRAGONS Businesswoman Kate Smith of The Makery on what it’s like to be grilled in TV’s Den

WIN

67 69

GREAT BATH FEAST

Wine tastings, Italian cuisine at Yammo! and a cheese festival – all for you to enjoy

THE WINE COLUMN Angela Mount’s choices for autumn dishes

COMPETITION £250 Jack Wolfskin clothing is the prize

Stylish retro London Underground posters to be won

FOODIE NEWS

THE WALK The romantic ruins of a 14th century castle

WIN

HALF TERM FUN Entertain the children in October

FIT & FABULOUS Bright, beautiful faces for autumn

Highlights from October’s gastro-fest

BATH @WORK Photographer Neill Menneer captures the sleight of hand of Magical Mandy

COMPETITION

MOTORING Test driving the Audi A6

ART & EXHIBITIONS A comprehensive look at what the galleries are showing this autum, with 19 shows

PROBLEM PARKING Have charges in Bath driven the beleagured motorist out of town?

Your indispensable monthly guide to Bath’s rich and diverse cultural scene

MRS STOKES The couch potatoes have all run away

WHAT’S ON

THE CITYIST The Circus chef Ali Golden shares her favourite Bath places

26 82

WEEKEND BREAK Romantic unspoiled Mousehole

CITY LANDMARK Inside the revamped No 1 Royal Crescent

PROPERTY Find your next home in the city or country

FABULOUS FASHIONISTA

Melissa Blease visits The Olive Tree

Stylish septugenarian Jean Woods talks to Mick Ringham about her life

SOCIAL DIARY

RESTAURANT REVIEW

THE BUSINESS News from Bath’s high fliers

Who’s doing what in Bath

ON LADY MACBETH Interview with actress Siobhan Redmond

6 THEBATHMAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2013

GET YOUR SKATES ON Previewing Bath on Ice, the city’s open air winter wonderland rink

ON THE COVER Still Life with Red Wine and Fruit, by Roy Hodrien, from Alexander Galllery, George Street, Bath

@ thebathmagazine www.thebathmag.co.uk

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EDITOR’Sletter

ath has really been in the national spotlight these last few weeks, what with the University of Bath team appearing on University Challenge, Sally Lunn’s buns on The Great British Bake Off and Kate Smith of The Makery facing the fiercesome panel of the Dragons’ Den. And an unlikely star was born, in the form of a 70-something granny from Bath, Jean Woods, who endeared herself to millions when she appeared on the Channel 4 documentary Fabulous Fashionistas. Jean talked to our columist Mick Ringham about how that TV appearance has affected her (see Page 26), while Kate Smith of The Makery spoke candidly to me about just how terrifying her moment in the spotlight was – but how it turned out to be great publicity for her Bath business (see Page 22). We endeavour each month to keep you informed about what’s coming up in Bath so you can make the most of your leisure time. Our What’s On pages (32 – 36) are packed with theatre, music, talks and festivals, and our Family Fun pages (69 & 70) are designed to inspire parents with ways to entertain the children, particularly with half term and Halloween in mind. We’ve managed to cram 19 different art shows into our arts collection (from Page 38) this month, our gardening writer Jane Moore advises on the best places to see autumn colour and there’s a round-up of the highlights of the month-long Great Bath Feast (Page 48), a celebration of local food and drink. Like a feast, we’ve laid out our October spread for you and now invite you to pull up a chair and tuck in.

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 Coleman sam@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Web content editor Email:

Dulcie Carey dulcie@thebathmag.co.uk

Production manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Crafting beautiful homes In and around Bath

Commercial production Lorna Harrington Email: lorna@thebathmagazine.co.uk Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Contact the advertising sales team, tel: 01225 424499 Advertising sales Liz Grey Email: liz@thebathmagazine.co.uk Advertising sales Email:

Kathy Williams kathy@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

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ZEITGEIST

things to do in October

Commemorate

Tuck in The Great Bath Feast is a month-long celebration of the best of local food, drink and cooking. There’ll be celebrity appearances from some of the biggest names in contemporay British food – Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall, Mary Berry and Prue Leith to name but three. Join the fun by buying a ticket for one of the dozens of events, which range from a £7 ticket to the Bath Chilli Festival (Saturday 5 and Sunday 5 October) to one of many gourmet themed dinners at the city’s finest restaurants. Between 12 and 20 October, call in to the Great Bath Feast Pavilion – a marquee outside the Ronan Baths – where a cookery theatre will host displays by chefs. There’ll be cocktail making, cake decorating, chillis and a pumpkin carving session for Halloween. See Page 48 for our round-up of festival highlights.

Next year we can expect a plethora of events, books and stories to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War, or the Great War as it was known by the generation of the time. But rather than wait until 2014 dawns, several big names have waded in to share their own views of the impact of the 1914-18 war by bringing out books on the subject. Topping and Company is hosting four of those authors as part of its autumn book festival. The bastion of British broadcasting journalist Jeremy Paxman is coming to Bath to talk about his new work, Great Britain’s Great War, which will be accompanied by a BBC TV series marking the 100th anniversary of the First World War. That book tells the story of the war from first hand experiences of all kinds of people, from serving soldiers to nurses, from factory workers to children. Paxman will be at St Swithin’s Church on Friday 11 October. Another much revered British journalist, Katie Adie, will speak about her new book which looks at the changing role of women in and after that war, while historian Margaret Macmillan will talk about her new book, The War That Ended Peace, offering academic

THE REAL BRITISH EXPERIENCE: journalist Jeremy Paxman has extensively researched life during the First World War

insight into that pivotal era in British history. Another academic, Professor Saul David, will also head to Bath as a guest of Topping and Co to speak on One Hundred Days to Victory, which brings the war to life through 100 key dates. For full details of dates, times and tickets, visit: www.toppingbooks.com

Crunch

Enjoy The Bonbon Cabaret – always a hit when it was staged at the Widcombe Social Club – is back with a scintillating array of talent in the recently renovated Bath Cricket Club on Thursday 24 October from 7.30pm, to raise funds for next summer’s Widcombe Rising. Mr Bonbon will host a splendiferous line-up of acts including comedy, music and the ineffable Widcombe Players. We’re reliably informed the raffle will be of unmissable quality, the seats comfy and the bar staff will be gorgeous. Three eccentric English gentlemen, the Hot Potato Syncopators, present a rip-roaring revue of 1930s jazz played on ukuleles, tea chest bass and musical saw. There will also be comic and magical turns from Gary Colman and Dave Id, respectively. Tickets are £14/£12 concessions, from www.bathcomedy.com Bonbon is brought to you by the Bath Comedy Festival and the Natural Theatre Company. 10 THEBATHMAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2013

The apple varieties of Britain are as characteristic as the vineyards of France, so it’s fitting that our national homegrown fruit gets a day of celebration. Apple Day is on Sunday 20 October, but there are celebrations on Saturday 19 October at Broadlands Orchard Share community orchards at Bathford. From 2pm to 4pm take part in apple related activities for families. Wander among the 1,100 trees which have been rescued by an army of volunteers. A plea has gone out for people to help harvest apples at the Dry Arch Growers site in Bathampton on Sundays 20 and 29 October, picking from 10.30am.

Learn

This month sees the 25th year that the museums and attractions of Bath have opened their doors to locals, waiving their admission charge, to mark Heritage Week. The Bath & North East Somerset Councilʼs Heritage Week runs from Saturday 26 October to Saturday 3 November. Visit: http://visitbath.co.uk/whats-on/heritage-open-week. Thereʼll also be a chance to handle 2,000 year old artefacts at a day school at the Roman Baths on Saturday 9 November. Places are limited. Tickets are £50 (£40 locals), tel: 01225 477773.

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THE CITY

One city . . . one month

The buzz Book Actor, comedian, writer, film producer and almost adopted Bathonian, John Cleese, is set to help boost the coffers of Dorothy House Hospice by hosting a talk at St Michael’s Without Church in Broad Street on Thursday 14 November at 7pm. Cleese has promised to talk about his life, his work and anything else that pops into his head, so it could be anything from the Ministry of Silly Walks to his classic sit com Fawlty Towers, or his portrayal of R and then Q in two James Bond films. Tickets – which are limited to just 300 – cost £20. Order tickets from: www.dorothyhouse.co.uk/cleese or tel: 01225 721480.

Watch The Ustinov theatre in central Bath is currently hosting a season of Spanish plays – three new translations of rarely seen dramas. The Spanish Golden Age Season runs until Christmas, with a company of just ten actors playing in the three plays. The trio comprises: Punishment Without Revenge, A Lady of Little Sense and Dion Gil of the Green Breeches – one tragedy and two comedies. This will be a great opportunity for Bath audiences to see these premieres, which will go on to London and Coventry once the Bath season is over. There will also be a major international conference in Bath in November with a series of lectures and talks from world experts on the Spanish Golden Age. Visit: www.bath2013.wikispaces.com.

Never Coming Back by Tim Weaver Published by Penguin, paperback £7.99 Bath thriller writer Tim Weaver has created a convincing hero/anti-hero in David Raker. The British private eye, now in his fourth adventure, is a man who won’t let things lie – even if this does end up with him facing life threatening situations that have the reader wondering if this adventure will

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BATH

We ask Ali Golden, chef and proprietor of The Circus Café and Restaurant, what she is doing this month What brought you to Bath? It was meant to be! I’d always said as a little girl, travelling through the (then rather smoke-blackened) city of Bath on the way down to holidays in Devon, that I would end up living in Bath. I have now been here for 33 years. What are you reading? The Art of the Restaurateur by Nicholas Lander (Mr Jancis Robinson) – it’s about the secrets of success in some of the world’s great restaurants and some of their failures. What is on your MP3 player? Memories of Once Known and In Tandem, both EPs by an incredibly musically gifted singer-songwriter from Brighton called Gudjohr, which sounds like a Scandinavian crispbread, but happens to be one of the pseudonyms for my youngest son, Kips/Tom. Which café or restaurant takes your fancy? I support the independent restaurants and cafés in Bath as I know how hard it is to survive with the relentless surge of chain restaurants filling the city. I’m hoping to visit Gordon Jones at his eponymous restaurant soon as he has kindly dined with us on several occasions and I’ve only heard good things about his dynamic food. Which gallery will you be visiting? The Holburne Museum has a Portraits and People show I will hopefully get to. My bestest girlfriend Rosie Hepworth/Mrs Anthony Hepworth keeps me in the loop of the modern art world and has helped me collect paintings that give me constant pleasure.

be his last. An old girlfriend from Raker’s teenage past asks him to investigate the sudden and unexplained disappearance of her sister’s family, with her two daughters, from their Devon home. A carton of spilled milk on the kitchen floor is the only sign that something untoward has happened here. The action begins to speed up as it switches between time and place – from

Your passions? What hobbies or interests will you be pursuing? Apart from eating and drinking wine I need to get out in the fresh air after being in the heat of the kitchen so I really enjoy my garden and have become a compost fetishist. All the veg waste from the restaurant goes into my two giant compost bins. What outdoor activity will you be doing? I hope to visit my mad, hippy friend Jo Edwards at Castle Farm Organics, Midford (who grows all our organic herbs and veg) to engage in some pumpkin frolics followed by carving lanterns with my energetic granddaughter Maggie Mae. Film or play? What will you be going to see this month? Sadly I don’t have time to go to the theatre much, but a lot of the thesps from the Theatre Royal come to us after hours so I get my dose of luvviness from them. The Great Bath Feast is a celebration of Bath’s culinary heritage and has attracted some great names to the city for October. We are holding a Portuguese evening on 16 October hosted by David Eyre, an expert on all things Iberian and is head chef of Eyre Brothers in Shoreditch and also helped spearhead the great British food revival when he founded The Eagle in the Faringdon Road in 1991. There will be six courses with six accompanying Portuguese wines. Tickets are £59, tel: 01225 466020.

rainy Devon to sun-scorched Los Angeles. Soon Raker is finding himself stepping into something more sinister than milk – as blood begins to get spilled. If you’ve read Weaver’s work before you’ll know he’s not shy of depicting some pretty visceral violence. But there’s a good fast-paced plot and some well drawn characters which makes this a thriller worthy of your time. GMc

We’re following @Bathmums, whose aim is to make life easier for parents in Bath. Its 3,000 plus followers share advice on where to find child-friendly services such as drama and sports clubs. Buy and sell children’s items too.

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Mrs Stokes

©www.robbiddulph.com

takes a sideways look at life in Bath . . .

Measure of pleasure is now clad in Lycra

lump pumpkins, mellow squash, sausages and mash, apple pie – now is the season of our epicurean content. As summer dims the lights and we turn the thermostat up, autumn is traditionally the time of bountiful harvest, veg gluts and custard with everything. It’s the time when we can officially start to pile on winter padding guilt-free, now that cosy, chunky knits are back in stock. We need some natural insulation after all. Except that something tells me it’s no longer de rigeur to help yourself to a second helping of slow roast lamb on Sunday, or to tuck into sticky toffee pudding in front of the fire. And that something is day glo. Or more specifically the large amount of people wearing it out on the streets these days, indicating that indulging is distinctly out of fashion. You see, the new measure of pleasure is sport – actually doing it yourself rather than just watching it.

Where once we used to discuss The ❝ Great British Bake-Off . . . we’re now discussing training and performance for the Bath Half

❞

Take my part-time job. I write in an office for part of the week just outside Bath, surrounded by folk whose lives revolve around the village, school and pub. When I started there two years ago, I felt like I’d just stepped into an episode of The Darling Buds of May (minus Catherine Zeta Jones) – it was homemade sponge for elevenses and cider with rosy cheeks all round. But over time, there’s been a sea-change in our socialising, whereby conversation has morphed from cakes to cardio. Where once we used to discuss The Great British Bake Off (and eat our experiments), we’re now discussing training and performance for The Bath Half, The Chippenham Half Marathon, The Bath Sky Ride, The Bristol & Bath-To-London Bike Ride and various five and 10K ‘fun’ runs. (Ok, everyone else is talking about it, being an old-fashioned glutton I’m yet to catch up). It’s not just the food that’s changed either (carrot baton with your cuppa anyone?), the clothes have altered too (a size smaller for most). Gone are the floral tea dresses with elasticated waists and in are the top-performance leggings, padded cycling shorts, moisture-wicking t-shirts and waterproof hoodies. Facebook updates no longer detail what was on telly last night, but about how awesome the latest run was. Everyone’s stoked and psyched that they beat their PB (personal best for those of you still sitting on the couch). Naturally I’m all for the nation eschewing sloth and pacing the pavements instead – we’ll all live longer and healthier – hurrah! But there is a negative to all this activity – and it’s not just fluro fashion. It’s that it doesn’t seem to be addressing any anger issues. I’m a part-time cyclist (my bike has a basket – go figure) and a part-time driver, so I have empathy with both kinds of road-user, but have actually been persecuted more for driving than cycling. During the summer I braked abruptly when a group of cyclists came hurtling around a corner without looking – if I’d still been driving along my right of way, things could have been nasty. But when I chided them for not stopping at a junction (I was pretty shaken up), their leader swore at me profusely as I watched his skinny rear undulate into the distance. So while I know I should surrender to the force of the mobile majority for my own good (I’ve already started to Map My Run in my head ), I am concerned that I’m going to have to get nasty to get fit. And give up comfort food. And wear Lycra. Hmm, the sofa’s looking comfy again, maybe I’ll leave the fitness kick till January 1st. Or 2nd. Or 3rd. Things are not looking so hopeful after all… ■

@mrsstokeschina

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

OCTOBER 2013

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Charges driving us out of the city centre Shoppers are put off visiting Bath city centre by extortionate parking charges and unreasonable time restrictions. Georgette McCready argues a case for the beleagured motorist

’m lucky to live only a mile and a half from Bath city centre, so most days I walk in and home from work. Sometimes, if I’m feeling lazy or tired, I’ll take the bus, but since a single fare is £2.70 from my street to Milsom Street I resent forking out too often. Occasionally I need my car to go out and interview someone (journalists don’t do all our work via email and Google, despite what you might think) and so I am then faced with trying to find somewhere I can park for a few hours without forfeiting the best part of a day’s wages. A few weeks ago I pulled into Walcot Street just after 9am and was delighted to find lots of spaces right the way along the road. Happy at my good fortune I parked, then took my wallet to pay for the half hour or so that I needed to pop into the office and out again. Call me a skinflint, but when I realised I was going to be charged £1.30 for half an hour I jumped back in the car and cruised around the city centre trying to find somewhere cheaper. I ended up paying for an hour’s parking in Broad Street car park, for £1.60, and it was as I was feeding 20p coins into the machine, that it occurred to me that the traders of Walcot Street were probably peering out of their shop windows wondering where all the cars – and shoppers – had gone. Time was when this characterful street was a busy place to visit. Contrast this scene with Larkhall, where we enjoy shopping on a Saturday morning. The fresh baked Hobbs House bread in the deli sells like, well, like hot cakes, the greengrocer and the butcher also do brisk business, and that’s despite the near proximity of the Co-op. It’s worth pointing out that parking in Larkhall is free, so shoppers come and go at will. If you get home and have forgotten to buy garlic, bacon or a daily paper, you don’t think twice before popping back down to the shops. And because you’re not watching the time on a meter you’re happy that the shopkeepers have time for a chat with their customers and still add up your bill with a pencil on the back of an envelope. The same applies to Moorland Road where residents of Oldfield Park are able to come and go to the shops. While I appreciate the green argument that we should be encouraging people to use their cars less, that doesn’t address the issue that when a mum needs to buy her children school shoes, or someone wants a new step ladder or to drop off some dry cleaning, they’re hardly likely to hop on their bike to go and get them. If driving into the city centre looks like being a headache, you’re more likely to add on a few more miles and head to an out-of-town superstore, or go online – in either case you’re depriving the high street shoe shop and the hardware store of business. The Government’s communities and local government secretary Eric Pickles recently warned councils that their ‘anti-car dogma’ was driving motorists into the arms of internet retailers and out-of-town superstores. He said their parking charges were often so high that people were deterred from visiting. During my few years away from Bath I heard first hand tales of people who had visited the city as tourists and brought away with them an abiding memory of it being a place short of car parking spaces. One woman said she and her husband had come to Bath on their honeymoon but never set foot in the city, as they drove round and round trying to find a space. It was, she added, the first row of their married life. I’m not advocating doing away with parking charges altogether but there’s got to be a happy medium. Pity the poor commuter into Bath. If they live to the east of Bath, there’s no park and ride on that side of town. There’s no railway station any more at Corsham – which is a crying shame – and bus fares are prohibitively expensive. And wherever you commute from by car there’s a diminishing amount of space left to park. The recent change in Royal Victoria Park, which prevented commuters leaving their cars there all day for free, has left the leafy avenues empty, the meters abandoned to the occasional hapless tourist and the squirrels. While we live in a period where wages are squeezed, time is precious and our consciences are urging us to support our local businesses, surely now is the time for Bath & North East Somerset Council to consider the whole picture and balance its parking income against the good of the local economy? Give us a parking break councillors, and see what happens. ■

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

AUTUMN STYLE For Less £’s

Amanda Farrell aka Magical Mandy Magician

came to Bath 22 years ago and, in no time at all, this amazing city felt as much my home as a village would. At the time I was working as an area supervisor for a Bristol bakery’s chain of shops and cafés. My job description included looking after all the staff – and testing all the cakes! A tough job, as you can imagine. The magic world entered my life when I took my dad to a magic workshop as a birthday treat; he enjoyed it but I was hooked forever. My hunger for magic grew through learning from books and I then discovered the Bristol Society of Magic – I auditioned for membership with a rope escape and swallowing razor blades, almost unknown tricks for a lady magician to tackle. With three young children, and while still working for the bakery, friends asked me to do magic shows for parties and it was then that Magical Mandy was born. It’s funny how life takes twists and turns. I joined Bath Circle of Magicians and, with support from my magical mentor Simon Lane, also known as Simple Simon, I eventually gave up working for the bakery as the demand for shows increased. As well as children’s parties I invented the Saw-in-Half-a-Gram which saw me booked to turn up to parties and saw people in half. Over the years I must have have had hundreds of victims – and the number constantly grows. As a member of the Magic Circle I was moved to proud tears to be recently endowed as a member of the Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star (for performance) – my dad would have been so proud. I was thrilled to be appointed as the representative for the south west of England too. I also travel frequently to the US to perform. I used to buy performance dresses from a little boutique in the city centre and I became friendly with the owner. It’s a long story but, I ended up owning her shop, now named Drop Dead Gorgeous, and in larger premises. I never meant to own a boutique, but 17 years on I can’t imagine being without it. I dress the women of Bath, real women who want to look drop dead gorgeous for a special occasion, whether their wedding or someone else’s, a prom or a banquet. I pride myself on knowing instinctively what will work as soon as a customer walks into my shop – her size and how to flatter her shape best. It’s why customers become friends and return over and over again. I enjoy the chase too – going to shows all over the country, finding the gowns that fashionable Bath will love. With a large basement in these new premises, I have created The Minerva Magic. The shows are very loosely based on the goddess Minerva (hence the owl, the symbol of wisdom, in Neill’s photo) and promise fun and amazement (tickets available at Bath Box Office.) So my two loves, magic and dresses, have come together under one roof and every day is another great adventure. ■ PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic www.capturethespirit.co.uk Tel: 01225 483151 WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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Moomin new adventure range ’Move’ includes biscuit jars, jug, bowl, mug and plate are illustrations of the story Moomintroll and the Comet. Moomin marvelous...

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engell

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BUSINESSprofile

Creative thinking Bath couple Nigel and Katie Smith have a successful, growing business, The Makery, employing 35 people and filling workshops with enthusiastic followers. What induced them to brave the very public grilling of the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, asked Georgette McCready

ow many of us would have the bravery to go on national television and face the wrath, and possible rejection, of the dragons on Dragons’ Den? But as Bath couple Nigel and Kate Smith of The Makery discovered, an appearance on a primetime show is good for business. Just 48 hours after the BBC show was aired I talked to Kate in The Makery Emporium, the busy shop and workshop space in Northumberland Place where she sells a range of cotton fabrics, buttons and other sewing paraphernalia. “It was the most terrifying experience of my life,” her eyes go wide at the memory of being grilled by Peter Jones. But as Kate and Nigel were being shown out of the Dragons’ Den empty handed, The Makery’s website was beseiged by online visitors, with literally thousands of viewers checking out the home-sew range. And, at the time of writing this, several leading chains had booked appointments to discuss posssible distribution of The Makery’s Make Away kits, as seen on TV. It must have helped having interior design queen Kelly Hoppen telling Kate she was ‘adorable’ – an accolade which helped to make up for Kate finding herself unable to recall the business figures she had memorised. But what might have been a public disaster turned out to be the best advert for the four-yearold business. The Makery’s first book of projects to make at home, called Makery, was due to be published the morning after Dragons’ Den – Amazon very quickly sold out and the online shop was inundated with orders. And, as Kate is quick to point out: “We didn’t apply to go on Dragons’ Den – they approached us.” Kate and Nigel’s story is an interesting one. They both worked in London, producing and editing for film, and moved down to Bath with the dream of working for themselves. Kate had always loved sewing, having made her own wedding dress, and used to run a stall in the Portobello Road. The couple opened their first premises in Walcot Street in 2009, from where Kate ran workshops teaching creative skills

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including lampshade and knicker making. “It was an interesting time as the whole craft scene hadn’t really taken off, but we’d looked at the rise in sales of sewing machines and the growing success of shops such as Hobbycraft.” The Makery was part of a movement that has since mushroomed like a great big homemade knitted fungi. Now everyone is whirring away on their home sewing machines, customising clothes and creating new pieces for themselves and their homes. Tourists and locals flock to the little shop in Northumberland Place to browse or spend time choosing from an array of decorative butttons and trims, or to pick up fabric and thread for home sewn projects, from making a simple pin cushion to elaborate dress patterns.

We didn’t apply to go on ❝ Dragons’ Den – they approached us ❞ The Great British Sewing Bee series on the BBC earlier this year took everyone by surprise, attracting 2.7 million viewers and a second series has been commissioned. It’s all a far cry from the days when domestic science, as it was known, was taught in school by fiercesome teachers who tutted when seams weren’t straight or stitches were too tight. Nowadays the vibe around home crafts is much more supportive and creative. Shoppers at The Makery are gently welcomed into a creative world where their skills are not doubted, but encouraged and nurtured. On the wave of this new found creativity in consumers, Kate and Nigel’s dream continues to grow. Following advice from Deborah Meaden the Make Away kits have been re-designed to look more glossy and covetable. They’re due to go on sale this month, from £6.50 and will form a large part of the stock at The Makery’s Christmas market stall. Despite juggling a family of two small daughters, book sales,

A PASSION FOR MAKING THINGS: Kate Smith has been sewing since she was a little girl

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CRAFT WORK: left, and right, two projects from the new book, and centre, the shop in Northumberland Place where visitors browse among accessories and fabrics like children in a sweet shop

two business premises and a new range of kits, Kate and Nigel are not resting on their laurels. Their dream is to find somewhere in central Bath where they can house their workshops and retail space into one building, where the 35strong workforce will have more space. Kate already has a vision of where the business is going, once she realises that dream of a Makery HQ under one roof. “I’d like it to to be much more experiential for visitors, with lookbook boards, chairs where you can sit and get hands-on with knitting or sewing,” she says. “I want people to be able to spend more time there. I want it to be a treat, for them to feel a bit pampered. The Dragons’ Den experience has just made us a bit more determined.” It may have felt like unfriendly fire from the Dragons, but this is certainly a case of any publicity being good publicity.

The Makery book by Kate Smith contains more than 30 projects for people to make, at different levels of skills and experience. It is published by Mitchell Beazley at Octopus Books, price £14.99. Workshops and parties are held weekly at The Makery, from beginners’ knitting classes to upholstery and dressmaking. Hen parties can choose from a variety of activities, such as making garters, bath bombs or jewellery, or even a cheeky life drawing class. Visit: www.the makeryonline.co.uk. ■

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OCTOBER 2013

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ON THE WEBSITE THIS MONTH WATERBABIES

JAMES’ FOOD

CLOSE RANGE FILMS

James has always been a passionate cook. When he tasted harissa dip he was wowed by its intensity and flavour. Intrigued, he experimented. Eventually he cracked the perfect recipe and loved it – and then found others loved it too. It was time to share.

Water Babies teach you to teach your baby to swim. Most of our teachers started by bringing their own babies to classes, so they completely understand the excitement, trepidation and joy you feel – they’ll be with you every step of the way! Through carefully structured training, babies can be taught life saving skills such as turning onto their backs or, following a sudden submersion, swimming to the nearest solid object.

James’ Food was founded in July 2012. There’s no fantabulous, exotic back story about the whys and wherefores of just how it started out. But James says: “The truth is, we started making a dip and loved it. Gradually more and more people started to love it, so we just knew it deserved a wider market.” Call: 0117 909 0402 www.james-food.com

We have lessons seven days a week in Odd Down Bath, Church Farm in Winsley and Fosseway School in Radstock. Please call our friendly office team to find out more. Tel: 0117 946 6919

Call: 07887 503890 www.closerangefilms.com

www.waterbabies.co.uk

JOHANNA BIRD OSTEOPATHY

Close Range Films produces sharp and fresh film and video content to promote your business or organisation through social media and online marketing. CRF, which is based in Bath, has worked successfully with a range of UK clients and PR agencies for over ten years to create engaging video content and promote new business, new products and promotional campaigns. Have a look at www.closerangefilms.com and watch some recent campaigns.

HINTON CHARTERHOUSE THERAPY

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Call: 07867815488 Massage, articulation, stretching, manipulation and dry needling can all help relieve pain and immobility. A caring professional environment combining hands on treatment with lifestyle and management advice to help reduce pain and immobility and promote wellbeing. Call: 07967 191 895

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Hinton Charterhouse Therapy was set up three years ago, Emma trained as a therapist and is a regulated member of the Association of Reflexologists and Federation of Holistic Therapists. Emma offers a variety of therapeutic services.

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OCTOBER 2013

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PICTURE: courtesy of Channel 4

FACEtheMUSIC

A great role model Bath’s own fabulous fashionista Jean Woods talks to Mick Ringham about life, love and what being propelled into the limelight has been like following her recent appearance on national television

ince her appearance on Channel 4’s Fabulous Fashionistas, a documentary about stylish older women, Bath grandmother of four Jean Woods has become something of a celebrity in the city, with all sorts of people who saw her on television approaching her and talking to her. Documentary maker Sue Bourne’s cutting edge film Fabulous Fashionistas followed the lives of six stylish and inspiring women who have 26 THEBATHMAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2013

an average age of 80. With her Mary Quant fringe and Doc Martin boots, 76-year-old Jean proved to be a natural in front of the camera. Not only stylish, she brought to the screen her open honesty in talking about ageing, loss and life in a way which could only be described as inspirational to women of all ages. Originally from London, Jean and her husband Paul moved to Bath in 1972 and while Paul worked in the printing industry Jean was employed as

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THESE I HAVE LOVED: left to right, Michael Bublé, Put Your Head on My Shoulder, Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders (theme music by Nick Cave) and Robbie Williams, Angels

a legal typist. After a long and loving marriage of 56 years Paul’s death was devastating. To help cope with her loss and on the advice of one of her two sons Jean applied for a job working in GAP in Bath, and so became the oldest employee in the history of the company. She later moved to the other side of Milsom Street to work in the up-market gift shop Bloomsbury where she still works today. Jean has always had an eye for fashion and that passion has carried on throughout her life and into what she calls her ‘silver hair period.’ As she says, “just because you become a little older, doesn’t mean you should give up on fashion, women can still remain fashionable well into old age – have you seen Helen Mirren or Mary Berry lately?” When Channel 4 approached her and asked if she would take part in the documentary, Jean ‘didn’t think twice’ about appearing on television. “Gosh, to be head-hunted at my age was quite a thrill and I wasn’t going to miss the chance.” The programme which was filmed in London and Bath, saw Jean at work, talking about fashion and on her three times a week runs around the countryside near her home at Larkhall. Since Fabulous Fashionistas was screened Jean has become the focus of both local and national attention, with people stopping her in the street and congratulating her, not only on her performance but also inspiring them to be free from the conventional clothes for the elderly.

To be head-hunted at my age was quite a ❝ thrill and I wasn’t going to miss the chance

❞

She says: “ I don’t think I look silly and would never be influenced by a negative comment. We were all born original, so why die a copy?” Her advice to any woman is not just to look at clothes but to try them on. She stresses, most importantly, they should stay well away from beige. Jean is a charismatic person with a positive attitude to life. Above all, she flatly refuses to conform to the high street’s perception of how the older woman should dress. A quote from Woody Allen seems to sum up her attitude to life: ‘the idea is to die young – as late as possible’.

Jean’s top ten: ● Mario Lanza – Be My Love I was just 15 years old on my first date with my future husband Paul and he took me to the Odeon in Leicester Square to see this film starring the American tenor and actor Mario Lanza. Paul was 20 years old so there was a five year difference. This song sums up my relationship with my husband, because I was his love for the next 56 years. ● Jo Stafford – You Belong to Me (See the Pyramids Along the Nile) This reminds me of the time I arranged to meet Paul on WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Christmas Eve outside The Three Tuns pub in Fleet Street, which at the time was full of journalists and printers. He came out the worst for wear and singing this song at the top of his voice. I would have been 16 by then and made it clear to him that I didn’t approve of his behaviour. How times have changed, it would have been thought as nothing these days. ● Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody I have always tried to keep abreast of music. We would go to a lot of jazz concerts when we were younger and saw some of the great names at that time. But Freddie Mercury was not just a great singer, but a wonderful showman and when he was strutting across the stage, with all the confidence of a true professional, he was unbeatable. I would have loved to have seen him perform live. ● Les Miserables – Bring Him Home I saw this production several years ago at Bristol Hippodrome and thought it was fabulous. I’ve also seen the film, which I thought was very good but not as good as the live production. It was a great night and this is a beautiful and emotional song. ● Frankie Laine – I Believe When I was in my mid-teens this singer was my idol. We went to see him at the London Palladium in the early 1950s, he was wonderful, even more so when he sang this number. I married at 18 and we went to Brixton Market and bought a little ginger cat and the man behind the stall asked what are you going to call him? So I thought of the name Frankie and the man said “that must be after Frank Sinatra.” I said: “How dare you – it’s after Frankie Laine!” ● George Michael – Kissing a Fool This is him at his very best. I’ve heard it so many times now and it never fails to make my legs go wobbly. I love it to bits – it’s heaven. ● Andrea Bocelli – Time to Say Goodbye Beautiful and heartfelt lyrics that summon up so many wonderful memories of my time with my husband Paul. This was played at the end of his funeral service with my family around me. We had a very happy life together and I still speak to him every day. ● Robbie Williams – Angels We looked after two granddaughters Lilly and Maisie when they were then seven and eight years old. They would put on a show for us and sing this particular song. It was absolutely lovely. They rehearsed it so well and if I close my eyes now, I can still picture the scene and get emotional. ● Theme music (by Nick Cave) – Peaky Blinders I don’t know why I’m so taken with this BBC TV drama, but maybe it’s the man (played by actor Cillian Murphy) riding the black horse in the series that has something to do with it. He’s really dishy and I think he’s got something to answer for! ● Michael Bublé – Put Your Head on My Shoulder Paul used to sit in the corner of our sofa and every night I would lie along that sofa in his arms and he would stroke my hair. It just goes to show that true love never dies and can happen at any age. This song sums it up beautifully for me. What could possibly be more romantic? ■ OCTOBER 2013

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CITYlife

BATH people

VIP opening for St Johnʼs

Actor Ben Miles joined his two brothers and his father in Bath to officially open the newly refurbished John Wood and Fitzjocelyn Houses, part of the almshouse accommodation in the city centre. They are pictured, left to right, George, Peter, Ben and Tim Miles with chairman of trustees Alan Gwynn and St John’s Hospital chief executive Jonathan O’Shea. They were joined for the celebrations by residents and friends. John Wood in 1726 was commissioned to redesign and develop lodgings into apartments for the wealthy who came to Bath for the season. Thanks to a £3.5 million refurbishment programme, St John’s has created top class modern sheltered accommodation for older financially disadvantaged citizens. The flats are, according to resident Peter Miles: “The Rolls Royce of almshouses provision.” The next phase of improvements is being planned, with building work due to start on Rosenberg House in the new year.

Emmaʼs back in town Artist Emma Rose, who has her studios in Wellow, has teamed up with interiors store The Bath Sofa and Curtain Company in Walcot Street to create a an informal contemporary art gallery. Visitors who might call in to Anne Fisher’s shop to choose new curtains or furniture will find their eye drawn to Emma’s vibrant, bright paintings. Upstairs Emma is setting up a gallery where she can show her own work plus pieces by other living artists. Emma Rose and Anne Fisher can be found at 78 Walcot Street.

Chefs pukka up

A charity polo match organised by the Beaufort Polo Club in aid of Hospitality Action raised more than £40,000 for the charity. Top chefs Sam Moody of The Bath Priory, Michael Stenekes of Calcot Manor, the Michelin two-starred chef Martin Burge of Whatley Manor and the Michelin-starred chef Hywel Jones of Lucknam Park served up a delicious lunch to spectators. The Solitaire Salver polo match saw Zencom crowned as champions against Cherrywhite in a memorable match of speed and agility.

Sponsors sought for pools restoration project Martin Tracy, of The Framing Workshop in Walcot Street has put his weight behind plans to restore the historic Cleveland Pools, by funding the baths’ green travel plan. The Cleveland Pools by the river in Bathwick were opened in 1815, fed by river water. Now, almost 200 years later, the site needs the support of the community to save it from dereliction and restore the swimming pools for public

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use. The Cleveland Pools Trust has a £3 million vision for the future. Plans include restoring the pool to provide swimming in a naturally treated, heated pool, a children’s splash pool, a café and a landing stage for boats. The Bath stone cubicles and cottage will be conserved, while the upper Victorian pool will be covered to provide space for events. Ann Dunlop, spokeswoman for the trust, said: “The Green

OCTOBER 2013

Travel Plan will be a valuable addition to future funding applications as well as being a requisite for planning permissions. “We are hoping other businesses will come on board too and help us bring back a vitally important open air swimming facility for the local community and visitors to our city.” Martin said: “When I moved to Bath in the mid 80s, the Cleveland Pool had just been closed to

swimmers; but you could buy trout for the years that the pools were used as

a trout farm. Even now, in the sorry state the pools are in, when I do visit I am reminded of a childhood spent swimming in wild pools and streams in places like Malaysia. I can see the huge attraction and benefits for the young and not so young of Bath, if the Cleveland Pools were to be refurbished.” For more information visit: www.clevelandpools. org.uk or contact: info@morganbrinkhurstco nsultancy.co.uk.

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FANTASTIC PRICES

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OCTOBER 2013

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THEATREprofile

What Lady Macbeth did next Scottish actress Siobhan Redmond talks to Georgette McCready about what it’s like to play one of the most powerful female characters in literature

ou thought that at the end of Macbeth that Lady Macbeth was both mad and dead, right? That after all that hand-wringing and sleepwalking – haunted by the ghosts of those whose deaths she’d engineered, that she’d throw herself off the battlements or fall on her late husband’s sword. Writer David Greig will prove you were mistaken – Lady M, or Gruach (pronounced Grew-eth) to give her first name – is very much alive and intent on ruling 11th century Scotland as queen. And if you go back to the Shakespeare text the only reports you’ll find of her dying are reported third hand. When I read about the arrival of the contemporary drama Dunsinane in Bath, Greig’s sequel to Shakespeare’s classic, it immediately caught my imagination. The queen and her people are facing an unwanted military occupation by the English. What the army see as a just fight to restore democracy to a troubled kingdom the locals see as an aggressive invasion that threatens their stability. Already we’re thinking about Iraq, Afghanistan and all those Middle Eastern countries where this situation has been reenacted with bloody and terrible consequence. Scottish actress Siobhan Redmond, who plays Gruach, says Greig has created a classic which will absorb audiences whether they know the Shakespeare story or not. “It’s written in very accessible, plain language but it’s like a rock pool, the more you look into it, the more you see,” she says, talking to me from Glasgow where the joint Royal Shakespeare Company/National Theatre of Scotland company is touring before coming south to England. Dunsinane premiered three years ago in London, with Siobhan playing Gruach. “It was only meant to run for three weeks, but such was its power that it has gone on and on. It’s why I have returned to it twice,” she says. She says this is a many faceted play; it explores what it’s like to be a boy fighting far away from home, it’s a play for anyone who’s had a neighbour who can be awkward, and it’s a play that both English and Scots audiences will engage with. “Although I think English audiences are more accepting of Malcolm at first, while the Scots see more quickly how clever and manipulating he is. There are a lot of funny lines in this, lots of humour.” It has had rave reviews in The Times, The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph. There’s an interesting short film online in which director Roxana Silbert, leading man Jonny Phillips and Siobhan each talk about the background of the play, whetting our curiosity for how the story will pan out. Visit: http://vimeo.com/71900425. Siobhan has played Titania and Lady Macduff, but she’s never played Lady Macbeth. “But this play stands alone so I don’t mind. She is very powerful, an astute politician.” The 54-year-old actress has a CV which includes a spell in the West End in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. She will be familiar for her many TV and film roles, in series such as Holby City, The Bill and the recent maverick detective series with Jackson Brodie, – Case Histories – to the hilarious 90s sitcom The High Life, a very camp comedy starring Alan Cumming, set on a minor Scottish airline. “Oh, I would love to play Shona Spurtle again,” she enthuses about that bitchy air stewardess role, “and we have talked about reviving The High Life as a musical. I’d quite like to see Shona grounded from having eaten too many airline meals.” We discuss the issue of there being a dearth of roles for mature actresses. “Yes, but there have always been fewer parts for women and we knew that when we started out. But having said 30 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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that I have been incredibly lucky with my roles. Earlier this year I played Mephistopheles – I would have been a fool to turn down the chance, but, after all, demons don’t have to be gender specific.” When the long tour of Dunsinane finishes later this month, Siobhan is going to tackle another traditional male role – she is playing God. “I’ll be working with the Scottish Symphony Orchestra on a production of Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde for Radio 3. I’m playing the voice of God. So, I’ll have played the devil and God in the same year, which is quite something. But after that, we’ll see, I am just grateful for every adventure.” ■ Dunsinane by David Greig opens at the Theatre Royal Bath on Tuesday 8 October and runs until Saturday 12 October. This is the first time the National Theatre of Scotland will have visited the Bath theatre in a joint production with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Tickets from £17 from tel: 01225 448844.

MODERN CLASSIC: Siobhan Redmond as Lady Macbeth, bewitching the English army leader Siward played by Jonny Phillips PICTURES COURTESY OF: Simon Murphy

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WHAT’S ON in October EVENTS ARE LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER To promote your event log on and get listed. wwwthebathmag.co.uk

Bath Light Opera Group presents South Pacific Tuesday 1 – Saturday 5 October Theatre Royal Bath. To book tel: 01225 448844 BLOGS makes its annual visit to the Theatre Royal with a rousing production of the Broadway hit South Pacific. Always a delight, the local company will be having fun with one of the finest musicals ever written, with numbers including Some Enchanted Evening, I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair, Happy Talk and There is Nothin’ Like a Dame.

Also at the Theatre Royal Bath this month . . . The National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Shakespeare Company present Dunsinane Tuesday 8 October – Saturday 12 October Macbeth is dead, but Lady Macbeth lives on . . . what happens when the English commander of a conquering army finds himself drawn to the power of Macbeth’s widow?

Daytona starring Maureen Lipman Monday 14 October – Saturday 19 October A family drama centred around painful memories from the Second World War, comes to Bath from its run in London. Maureen Lipman plays Elli, married to Jo for over 50 years. Their domesticity is unsettled by the arrival of Jo’s brother Billy, missing for 30 years, and secrets from the past emerge.

English Touring Opera presents: The Coronation of Poppea by Monteverdi Monday 28 October, 7.30pm Jason by Cavalli Tuesday 29 October, 7.30pm

FAMILY DRAMA: Maureen Lipman in Daytona

The story tells of the affair between Roman emperor Nero and his young mistress Poppea, who eventually triumphs to be crowned Empress. Cavalli’s comedy Jason is loosely based on the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece and was a runaway hit when it premiered in Venice in 1649.

★ Editor’s pick Sandi Toksvig Sunday 6 October, 7.30pm

DANISH DELIGHT: Sandi Toksvig

Theatre Royal Bath. Tel: 01225 448844 The multi-talented comedian, writer, actor, broadcaster and self-confessed show-off will be performing her uniquely witty evening of stand-up comedy, stories and fascinating facts. She’ll also be signing copies of her novel Valentine Grey after the show. Tickets £19.50/£21.50.

The Showcase Concert Series Friday evenings 4 – 18 October The Roper Theatre, Hayesfield School West Wing Each concert features two local groups (tickets from group members). Friday 4 October: Chandos Singers of Bath and The Bath Chorus. Friday 11 October: Jo Sercombe leads the Bath Community Gospel Choir with Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society. Friday 18 October: Sassperella and The City Sound Make Music Choir.

Vintage & Handmade Textile & Fashion Fair Saturday 5 October, 10am – 4pm Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, South Gloucestershire, BS37 6AD. Visit: www.vintageandhandmade.co.uk A cornucopia of vintage textiles, haberdashery, fashion, jewellery and accessories plus a vintage tea room to slake treasure hunters’ thirst. NOTHING LIKE A DAME: Aimi Kuhlke and Nick Feierabend in South Pacific at the Theatre Royal Visit our website for more events and things to do. To promote your event log on and get listed. wwwthebathmag.co.uk

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The Art of Denim shopping event Saturday 5 – 20 October McArthur Glen’s Swindon Designer Outlet SN2 2DY Browse the latest denim trends. 90 outlets offer up to 60% off on brands including Gap, Clarks, Hobbs and Austin Reed.

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Guided walks at Dyrham Saturday 5 October, 10.30am Battlefield and Terraces: Cotswold Wardens’ Walk Dyrham Park National Trust property, South Glos. Tel: 0117 937 2501 A three mile walk via Old Lodge to the newly available terraces, then on to the Cotswold Way to climb to the Battlefield and hill fort.

Also at the National Trust property Autumn colour in the park Tuesday 15, Thursday 17, Tuesday 22 & Thursday 24 October, 1.30-2.30pm Join a ranger guide for a walk around the park and discover the beautiful autumn colour. Meet at the Visitor Centre. No need to book.

Piaf – The Songs Saturday 5 October, 7.30pm Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath. Tel: 01225 463362 or visit: www.chapelarts.org Eve Loiseau sings the songs of French cabaret singer Edith Piaf, who remains France’s most popular singer, even almost 50 years after her death. Fired by her songs, which include La Vie en Rose, Milord and Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, Eve gives an insight into the soul of the Little Sparrow. Tickets £16 (advance), £17.50 on door.

Also at the Chapel Arts Centre Peggy Seeger Saturday 19 October, 7.30pm Box Office tel: 01225 386777 www.bath.ac.uk/icia Peggy Seeger is a songwriter, performer and inspirational feminist activist. She will be performing her own songs and traditional

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Anglo/American ballads. Tickets £14/ £12 conc. You will also be able to see Peggy play, and hear her talk on Sunday 20 October at the American Museum at Claverton.

Alex Horne Lies Saturday 5 October, 8pm The Pound Arts Centre, Pound Pill, Corsham. Tel: 01249 701628 On the back of yet another sell-out stadium tour, the triple Perrier-winning comedian, original host of Blockbusters and former Mr Universe Alex Horne presents a show packed full of jokes, impressions and lies. Note that last word . . . £12 (£11 concessions)

The Madam Thursday 10 – Saturday 12 October, 8pm The Hecate Theatre at The Mission Theatre, Corn Street, Bath. Contact: nextstagebath@aol.com Hecate Theatre first dusted off Gwen Cherrel’s lost gem earlier this year to critical acclaim, and is proud to present a revival of this tense parlourroom 1960s drama. Tickets, £10, £8 concessions.

DAMN LIES: Alex Horne at the Pound Arts Centre

WHAT’Son

Also at The Mission Thursday 24 – Saturday 26 October Lizzy, Darcy and Jane Madcap Theatre Productions at The Mission Tel: 01225 463362 To celebrate Pride and Prejudice’s 200th anniversary – a flight of fancy by Joanna Norland. Heady with love, Jane the author creates Elizabeth, but as her own romance sours, she sentences Lizzy to marry the odious Mr Collins, and herself to an equally disastrous marriage. Continued on page 34

LITTLE SPARROW: Eve Loiseau sings Edith Piaf’s classics

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WHAT’Son Bathwick Hill by Walter Rossiter, c1900

Bath Antiques and Fine Art Fair Friday 11 – Sunday 13 October The Pavilion, North Road, Bath, 11am – 5pm daily Historic paintings of Bath, including a view of Bathwick Hill dated around 1900, will be among hundreds of collectable items on display at the fair. There will be more than 40 trade stands for visitors to browse among, selling everything from Georgian furniture to silver, jewellery and 20th century boudoir art. The Bathwick Hill painting by Bath artist Walter Rossiter is expected to fetch a lot of local interest. Admission is £5.

Characters: Portraits and People from the Arts Council Collection Saturday 12 October – 7 January The Holburne Museum, Bath Painted by British artists over the last 60 years it features works by Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Paula Rego and 2013 Turner Prize nominated Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, as well as many of the other leading figurative artists of the last half-century. The exhibition compares artists and works rooted in the observable world (such as Auerbach, Freud and Uglow) with those who have invented characters or distorted actual subjects to create grotesques and monsters, from Peter Blake’s portrait of the fictional boxer Baron Kaiser and Francis Bacon’s imaginary portrait of Van Gogh to Hew Locke’s fantastical Medusa, based on the Queen.

Bath Philharmonia’s Composition Competition final and concert Saturday 12 October, 7.30pm Bath Abbey. Tel: 01225 463362 This international competition has attracted more than 60 applicants from as far away as India and Japan. Three finalists will hear their seven-minute pieces played by Bath’s own orchestra, the Philharmonia. Pianist Leon McCawley will play two Mozart concertos and Britten’s Young Apollo. Tickets from £5 – £28.

Honor Blackman Sunday 13 October, 3pm

Paula Rego, Sleeping, 1986 Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London. © The Artist

Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath. Tel: 0845 293 8480 From working as a dispatch rider in the Second World War, to playing Bond girl Pussy Galore, and being one of the Avengers, Honor Blackman has a career which spans six decades. She’ll be in conversation with colleague and friend Richard Digby Day, with her trademark allure, charm and wicked sense of humour. Tickets £15, £14 concessions.

Osiligi Maasai Warrior Troupe Concert Tuesday 15 October, 7.30pm St Michael’s Without Church, Broad Street, Bath. Tickets from tel: 01225 447103 or buy them from the church café. Visit: www.osiligi.org The tours help members of the troupe raise money for their community, some 30 miles south of Nairobi, Kenya where life is tough. Over the years, the tours have enabled the villagers to move from abject poverty, where water came from a stagnant pond some five miles away – they now have fresh clean water. The community has also benefited from solar lighting, a new church, and a new school. The show includes songs and their famous jumping. Audience participation is a part of the show. Tickets £10 adults, £8 senior citizens, £5 children.

Budapest Café Orchestra Sunday 13 October, 6.30pm

Virtuouso Leon McCawley at Bath Abbey

Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.Tel: 01225 860100 Lift the spirits with some powerful and passionate Balkan gypsy folk music – ‘the finest purveyors of Balkan music this side of a Lada scrap heap’ (The Times) The ebullient quartet play powerful and impassioned music from Eastern Europe – inspired by the fervent and flamboyant flavour of Hungarian czardas, the haunting and melancholic tenderness of Russian and Ukrainian folk songs and the exuberance of Romanian dance music. Tickets, £16 (£15), £8 under-18s

Also at the Wiltshire Music Centre The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment: Mr Corelli’s Legacy Wednesday 30 October, 7.30pm

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

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In a year that is celebrating the Britten centenary and the bicentenaries of Verdi and Wagner, we acknowledge the tercentenary of one of the Baroque era’s most important composers, Arcangelo Corelli. The orchestra will play some of Corelli’s finest orchestral works as well as those he influenced. The concert includes his popular Christmas Concerto, as well as Geminiani’s catchy La Follia variations. Showing Corelli’s influence 300 years on, is a new piece by Clare Connors. Tickets, £32 / £16 under-18s

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WHAT’Son Race War: Black American GIs in Bristol and Gloucestershire during World War II Thursday 17 October, 6pm The American Museum, Claverton Down, Bath. Tel: 01225 820866 or email workshops@americanmuseum.org Professor Neil Wynn of the University of Gloucestershire explores the experiences of African American GIs stationed in Bristol, Bath, and Gloucestershire during the Second World War Two. Hear their fascinating story. Tickets £7 (£5 members).

Also at the American Museum American Ghost Tours Wednesday 30 & Thursday 31 October, 6.30pm £10 (£7 for museum members) Take a chilling journey around the museum after dark, starting in a 17th century home in Massachusetts at the height of the Salem witch trials. Not suitable for children. Booking essential.

Panache Pictures, Box presents Friday 18 October, 8pm: Vertigo Saturday 19, 10.30am: Epic, Kids Club screening The Selwyn Hall, Box Showing Hitchcock’s classic as part of a programme which includes contemporary and classic movies. Visit: www.panachepictures.co.uk. £6 on door, £5 in advance, £2 members. Annual membership, £30. Kids Club: £4, under 3s free.

Paragon Singers Saturday 19 October, 7.30pm

St Alphege Church, Oldfield Lane, Bath. Tickets from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362 One of Bath’s premier chamber choirs performs John Taverner’s Mass Mater Christi, alongside Paul Mealor’s motet Ubi caritas, sung at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and works by three other fine contemporary composers, Jonathan Dove, Gabriel Jackson and Tarik O’Regan. Keith Bennett conducts.

Oktoberfest: Bath Racecourse Sunday 20 October, gates open noon Bath Racecourse, Lansdown Enjoy a selection of continental beers and live music from the Oompah band at the last horse racing meeting of the season.

Jazz at Gascoyne Place Sunday 20 October, 8pm Gascoyne Place, Saw Close, Bath. Tel: 01225 445854 Bath duo Tracey and Jason play their lively and melodic jazz to diners and drinkers. Their single You Only Live Twice has been attracting great reviews, with airplay on BBC Radio 2.

Jamie Cullum Wednesday 23 October The Forum, SouthGate, Bath. Tel: 0844 888 991 A rare chance to see the global contemporary jazz singer-songwriter on his old home territory as Jamie returns to Bath to wow his fans with his own energetic brand of crossover jazz and pop music. Tickets, £37.50. Continued on page 36

BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME: Jamie Cullum

SCOTTISH CASHMERE SALE www.capitalcashmere.com Swan Hotel, Bradford on Avon Wednesday/Thursday, 16/17 October

Racecourse, Bath Friday/Saturday, 18/19 October

10.00am - 4.00pm Free Entrance Probably the largest collection in the UK All at huge reductions on normal shop prices All Top Makes from Scotland

Enquiries 01952 691424 / 07980338573

✱

For more information about events and what’s happening in Bath visit our website which is updated daily. Or to promote your event, log on and get it listed.

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WHAT’Son Joanna Trollope Wednesday 23 October St Swithin’s Church, Walcot, organised by Topping & Co. Tel: 01225 428111 The Austen Project sees six contemporary novelists teamed with the 18th century writer’s novels. Best selling writer Joanna Trollope has been asked to re-tell the story of the Dashwood sisters of Sense and Sensibility. There’s an added frisson to this event as this was the church were Jane Austen’s parents were married. Tickets £7/ £8, refundable against the book.

Walk the coals firewalk In aid of the Dorothy House Hospice Wednesday 30 October, 6pm

Ambassadors Mr Woo and Mr Wang, and the visit by Tony and Cherie Blair when a salt shaker went missing. Tickets £14, £12 concessions.

Planning ahead . . . Al Murray: The Only Way is Epic Sunday 10 November Theatre Royal Bath. Tel: 01225 448844 Broken Britain may be staring into the bottom of an empty pint glass, but don’t lose hope as Al Murray the Pub Landlord is back to fill it up again. Tickets, £25.50.

Ian Rankin Monday 11 November

Dorothy House, Winsley Dare you walk over hot coals heated to 1,000F? Dorothy House has enlisted the help of experts Survivorbility which will mentally prepare participants in an hour long session before they tackle the challenge. This has to be the ultimate sponsored walk. Tel: 01225 722988 or visit: www.dorothyhouse.co.uk to find out more.

Christ Church, Julian Road, organised by Topping & Co. Tel: 01225 428111. The legions of Rebus fans will be delighted to hear that he’s back. In Saints of the Shadow Bible, he’s back on the force, having been demoted and with a chip on his shoulder. One of the country’s most popular crime thriller writers is bound to have us on the edge of our seats. Tickets £7/£8, refundable against the book.

Tea With the Old Queen Thursday 31 October, 8pm

Sylvia Rimat: If You Decide to Stay Saturday 16 November, 7.30pm

The Rondo Theatre, Larkhall, Bath Graham Woolnough’s one man show is based upon the fictitious secret diaries of old queen William Tallon, one time Page of the Backstairs to HRH Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Billy shares the secrets – Princess Anne refusing to stop smoking indoors – even after the fire at Windsor, ‘Her Maj’ welcoming Chinese

Museum of Bath at Work, Julian Road, Bath, Tel: 01225 386777. Sylvia Rimat takes a wry look at the decisions that have led her to this very point on the stage and celebrates the choice that each audience member made to join her. This is an event organised by the ICIA at the University of Bath. Tickets £12, £10 concessions.

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THE PUB LANDLORD: Al Murray

For more information about events and what’s happening in Bath visit our website which is updated daily or to promote your event, log on and get it listed.

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VERSATILE: main picture, Maison Cezanne, and below Desmond Tutu, and Canary Wharf by Brian Elwell

CHAMELEON OF CANVAS The versatile and ever evolving artist Brian Elwell is staging an exhibition and sale of his work this month as part of the artists’ collective to buy the Bath Artists Studios. Here he talks about how he works

here are some artists’ work that you can identify instantly, so distinctive is their style. Others change their subject matter and style throughout their careers, constantly surprising the viewer with their fresh take on the world. One such is well-established Bath artist Brian Elwell who, over several decades, has produced a profilic and diverse amount of work. We can see some of it at close quarters this month as Brian hosts An Evolving Vision, an exhibition and sale, over the weekend of Friday 11 to Sunday 13 October at the Bath Artists Studios, which can be found in Comfortable Place just off the Upper Bristol Road – take the turning off just before the gym, if you’re approaching on foot from Bath city centre. Brian’s subjects over the years have varied from landscapes to portraits, and from city to rural. Meetings with Remarkable People was one of his most memorable projects, in which he painted portraits of people he admired, including Bishop Desmond Tutu, actor Derek Jacobi and journalist John Humphrys. So, how does Brian set about his paintings? “I work from preparatory drawings and watercolour sketches, from photographs, and by using Photoshop as an exploratory tool to try out possibilities of interpretation. I can usually recognise what works and what doesn’t through a process of selection and elimination. I do find it better to be removed from the actual subject, in order to allow ideas to be distilled from it. “My tools range from conventional use of the brush, to basic forms of printing, stencilling and paint spray. I have evolved a way of using 38 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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materials that are conducive to the work, allowing for surprising and not entirely predictable results. I can always see if something doesn’t fit and will alter or change the painting until it feels right.” If he has to sum up his attitude to making art, he says: “All art aspires to the condition of music. In a formal sense the overall structure of the composition of the painting is the arena within which the symphony or drama can take place. The contrasts, harmonies, transitions and repetitions of colour and form, interelate to contribute to the whole work. Each work has its own mood, exploring ideas about conditions of light, space and scale. The subject is a starting point, a spring board for the imagination – something to ‘hang my hat on.’ It is a way to lead the viewer into the creative arena. “I have often been asked why I choose certain colours for one painting as distinct from another. Put simply, light equal colour. Any cursory research into colours in the world around us will reveal that the colours of objects are entirely dependant on conditions of light, and that what is thought of as naturalistic colour doesn’t exist. This is particularly true of the urban landscape, where illluminations – artificial light – for want of a better description, and the time of the day or night, can radically alter the colour of things from one time to another.” An Evolving Vision: an exhibition by Brian Elwell MA, will be open from 10am to 6pm on Friday 11, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October at Bath Artists Studios. 50% of sales wil be donated to the Futures Fund of the studios, which a group of artists are planning to buy. View the work at: www.phoenixgallery.co.uk.

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Fall into colour

JEWELLERY by LESLEY STRICKLAND Gallery Nine Margaret’s Buildings, Bath

4AD Artspace Lower Borough Walls, Bath

The Extended Line, Tuesday 15 – Sunday 20 October This is a mixed media exhibition presenting recent works by two up-and-coming Bath based artists, Anna Kot and Anna Robson.

Jewellery by Lesley Strickland London based jewellery designer Lesley Strickland has spent 35 years honing her highly specialised skills making pieces using cellulose acetate with sterling silver. Because of its vegetable origins the material will not provoke allergies and is pleasantly warm and silky to the touch. Inspired by natural forms and sculpture of the 1950s her work is elegant, fashionable and wearable. Nick Cudworth Gallery 5 London Street, Bath. Tel 01225 445221 www.nickcudworth.com

Bridging the Gap, 1 – 31 October

Where’s This Going? Anna Kot

Both have studios at 44AD and, as well as sharing a name, both also share a fascination with the role line plays in abstract art and the effects it can create. Anna Kot’s paintings are bright and lively and the lines she uses (often diagonal) add energy to the vivid colours she favours. Anna Robson also combines line with colour but in addition to this she plays with light, shadow and reflection, often combining sculpture and painting. Her playful minimalist approach draws attention not only to the nature of the materials she is using but also to how they sit within the space they are in. This exploration of space is echoed in Kot’s work and especially some of her photographic compositions which incorporate line to generate patterns in space and, as with her paintings, invite the viewer to look again. UNTITLED by BEN KELLY BATH CONTEMPORARY 35 Gay Street, Bath Tel: 01225 461230

www.bathcontemporary.com Spaces and Places: Ben Kelly Saturday 26 October – Saturday 9 November Ben Kelly returns to the gallery this autumn with greatly anticipated new works. His empathetic scenes, alive with activity and character, are rich in narrative and explore a playful take on social dynamic. Ben was born in 1974 in Manchester. In 2006 he won the Football in the Arts prize – only the second painter after Lowry to win this award. His work, exploring the every day aspect of people going about their lives, has been compared with Lowry’s and he is highly collectable. Football fans may note too that Ben was for a year the artist in residence at Manchester City Football Club. This exhibition is part of Bath Contemporary’s ongoing commitment to celebrating the work of living, 21st century artists.

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Nick’s latest show features works of imaginary, constructed interiors. Landmarks include The Circus and The Royal Crescent. Pulteney Bridge, right, includes a section of the medieval Ponte Vecchio in Florence which bridges the gap in Pulteney Bridge – the two bridges being the only segmental arch bridges noted for still having shops built on them.

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Paris, Rain, Café

Oil 32" x 46"

ALDO BALDING EXHIBITION – ‘Moments’ Opens Sunday 13th October

8 Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2EE www.alexandergallerybath.co.uk

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Tel: 01225 334623 10am – 5pm Tues to Sat art@alexandergallerybath.co.uk

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS HOME MAKER by TANYA LOCKE Tanya Locke View her work at The Barn Owl Gallery, Bradford-on-Avon

BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year competition Congratulations to Bradford-onAvon artist Tanya Lock who won two categories in the BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year 2013 competition. Seven of her paintings were shortlisted and her Moorhen – Homemaker won the world birds section while Turaco Treetops won the animals in their environment section. Her Rhino – Here Today Gone Tomorrow was a runner up in the endangered animals section while she received two commended awards for Moorhen and Chicks – Day Before the Flood and Grey Heron – The Last Tear on Hungry Hill, both in the British birds section.

ATLANTIC TIDE by REBECCA McLYNN

SOPHIE

NUDE IN BLACK DRESS by WILLIAM SCOTT

Hilton Fine Art Margaret’s Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP. tel: 01225 Tel: 01225311311 311311

Coastal Elements: work by Angela Charles and Rebecca McLynn 19 October – 9 November This exhibition brings together two artists who are inspired by the same experience of engaging with nature. Angela Charles’ paintings are largely inspired by the land and sea between her home in south Somerset and the Dorset coast. Rebecca McLynn is interested in the wilds of nature and like tototravel likes traveltotoremote, remote,unspoilt unspoilt places inland or on the coast, to collect and record details. She explores the influence that wild and powerful environments have over human emotions and feelings of well-being.

LA VIE (2008) by KENJI YOSHIDA Quest Gallery Margaret’s Buildings, Bath

William Scott: Simplicity and Subject Until 17 October Tickets £3.50; catalogue available William Scott CBE RA (1913-89) was one of the most influential British painters of the 20th century. This major loan exhibition celebrates the centenary of his birth and his close connections with Bath with 50 paintings, sculptures and drawings from all phases of his distinguished career. The exhibition also sheds new light on Scott’s role as Senior Painting Master at Bath Academy of Art at Corsham Court. Lunchtime exhibition tours, Thursdays, plus Saturday 12 October, 12.30 –1.10. Free to ticketholders.

The works of Kenji Yoshida 8 October – 30 November A chance to get close to work by Japanese artist Kenji Yoshida (1924 – 2009). A reluctant kamikaze pilot, his war experiences marked his work. 42 THEBATHMAGAZINE

Victoria Art Gallery Owned by Bath & North East Somerset Council

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‘Drama’

A one man show of new paintings by Steven Lindsay “like revisiting Vermeer in the Dutch Golden Age of painterly skill against the Colour Field of Rothko, all intertwined with an aesthetic twist of contemporary, complexsimplicity. Lindsay using his paintbrush eloquently, capturing painterly conversations between the art history giants of a bygone age and a bygone art.” Estelle Lova , art critic for the New Radio 2 Arts Show october 19th > nov 19th 2013

84 Hotwell Road, Bristol BS8 4UB tel 0117 929 2527

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www.limetreegallery.com

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS SHIPS by RONALD F SMITH Edgar Modern Bartlett Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 443746

Three Wessex Sketchers Painting the Seasons Barton Farm, Bradford-on-Avon

My Kind of Reality Edgar Modern’s 10th Anniversary Celebration 2 – 23 November

Friday 4 – Sunday 6 October 10am - 6pm, free entry

If you’re in London for the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea (23 – 27 October) you’ll be able to catch a preview of Ronald F Smith’s show before it comes to Bath. Hailed as being one of the most collectable Scottish painters of the day, Smith likes to take his viewer on a surreal journey, from the empty wilderness of Scotland to the warmth of the Mediterranean. His work takes a line between realism and the abstract, with each painting capturing a moment in time, responding to the light and colours evoked by a particular time of day and season. WITH MY SISTER by GINA BROWN Lane House Arts Nelson Place East, Bath, BA1 5DA Tel: 07767 498403 www.lanehousearts.co.uk

HOT SUMMER DAY IN BATH

SILK PAINTING by CAROLE WALLER Corsham & north Wiltshire 45 artists’ studios. Visit: peacockartstrail.co.uk

Original oil and watercolour paintings around the theme of the changing seasons. Valérie Pirlot is a Belgian oil painter who moved to Bath eight years ago, Andrew Taylor is a stained glass designer and teacher who uses mainly oils on canvas, while Bob Child prefers watercolours.

This is the second part of its Ones to Watch series, presenting work by recent graduates and current students which the gallery believes have real talent and originality. See extraordinary and hauntingly beautiful work by Hungarian Zsolt Dudas; mesmerising oil paintings from Gina Brown and exquisite new ceramics by Andrew Temple-Smith.

Peacock Arts Trail To Sunday 6 October Artists in Corsham, Chippenham and the surrounding villages are opening up their studios to welcome visitors over a nine-day Peacock Arts Trail. Watch artists at work, talk about their pieces and even buy something to take home.

OIL by AKASH BHATT Beaux Arts York Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 464850

Throughout October Anthony Scott’s beasts are inspired by Irish mythology. The animals include the horse Etain, and the dog Lomhair, both of which recently enjoyed a spell in the Royal Crescent Hotel garden. Akash Bhatt’s paintings feature New York, Cuba, India and English urban streetscapes. Ceramics are provided by Ipek Kotan.

Visit our website for more exhibitions and gallery information To promote your exhibition, log on and get it listed. wwwthebathmag.co.uk

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October and November A display of Catherine’s latest portraits. Visitors can watch the artist at work.

Bath Central Library The Podium, Bath

Bath Society of Botanical Artists Tuesday 15 – 26 October There are around 40 members, some are members of the Royal Horticultural Society and others belong to the Society of Floral Painters. Visit: www.bsba.co.uk

Wild Arum by Jan Hopkins

Throughout October: Ones to Watch

Emily by Catherine Beale

Catherine Beale Widcombe Parade, Bath Tel 07891 409490 www.catherinebeale.com

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nick cudworth gallery

Signed Giclee Print from the Original Oil on Canvas

BRIDGING THE GAP Throughout October Nick Cudworth will be exhibiting his paintings and prints of interiors juxtaposed with exterior views of Bath landscapes.

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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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS UNTITLED (LA LUNE EN RODAGE) by BRIDGET RILEY (1965) The White Room Gallery Brock Street, Bath BA1 2LN. Tel: 01225 331500

Bridget Riley 4 – 31 October This exhibition allows us to get a close look at a selection of prints by one of the key artists from the vibrant 1960s, Bridget Riley. She was responsible for the development of the Op Art movement and helped to bring it to an international audience. Riley’s visually dynamic work explores how “a viewer’s eye can

SOPHIE

travel over the surface in a way parallel to the way it moves over nature. It should feel caressed and soothed, experience frictions and ruptures, glide

and drift.” Bridget Riley remains one of Britain’s most celebrated artists and this selection of work spans her long, and award-winning artistic career.

MOMENTS by ALDO BALDING

Alexander Gallery Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 334623

Aldo Balding: Moments 13 October – 2 November Having moved from Bristol the Alexander Gallery begins its autumn exhibition programme with a solo show featuring the work of narrative figurative painter Aldo Balding.

WHY by MICHELLE THOMSON Quercus 1 Queen Street, Bath. Tuesday – Saturday, 10.30am – 5.30pm

Assembling Throughout October Work by contemporary artists who who have an interesting approach to combining materials and techniques. Artists showing include; Joan Doerr, Morgan Doyle, Mary-Jane Evans, Lauri Hopkins, Michelle Thompson and William Reardon. Ceramics by Matt Waite, 46 THEBATHMAGAZINE

jewellery by Karen Parker, Rhiannon Lewis and Flora Hely Hutchinson and textiles by Louise Rushford are also available.

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COMPETITION

WIN A FIRED EARTH LONDON UNDERGROUND POSTER

ired Earth and Transport for London have announced an exciting collaboration in the 150th year of the London Underground. Fired Earth – itself celebrating 30 years – was invited to the London Underground archive to choose the most significant and beautiful tiles originally used in stations and on the platforms. Then – using the original moulds – Fired Earth was asked to create an updated range of tiles, ceramics and even some of the signage used. To complement this special venture Fired Earth spent time at the archives of Transport for London and also chose its favourite 25 Underground posters of the 20th century. These are now available to purchase, either by ordering in Fired Earth’s Bath showroom, or from the Fired Earth website. In this exclusive competition, 10 lucky readers of The Bath Magazine will be able to win a poster of their choice, each valued at £29.95. To enter, simply tell us; Who designed the poster on the right? Clue?.... take a look at the Fired Earth website: www.firedearth.com and see the Underground 150 Collection. Please enter online at www.thebathmag.co.uk or send your answer, with your name and full contact details, by noon on Friday 25 October to Fired Earth Poster Competition, The Bath Magazine, 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED. Please also tell us which poster you would like to win. Terms and conditions: only one entry per person. Please indicate if you’re happy to be contacted by Fired Earth about future promotions and offers.

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The great Bath bunfight TAKE THREE CHEFS: Sam Moody, of the Bath Priory, Hywel Jones of Lucknam Park and Chris Staines of the Allium Brasserie cook in Bath Abbey

Organisers of the 2013 Great Bath Feast knew they were on to a winner when a one-off dinner cooked by Michelin starred chefs and served in the magnificent setting of Bath Abbey sold out within hours – but there’s still time to dig in to the rest of the festival

his is probably not the best month to be thinking about going on a diet in Bath as the city prepares to dig in for a monthlong feast – with something for every kind of palate from the happy hot dog muncher to the most discerning gourmet. And with around 100 events laid on throughout October, there’s no excuse not to tuck into the Great Bath Feast.

A chance to try . . . A brewery tour and tasting session What beer drinker could resist an invitation to enjoy a tour of the Bath Ales brewery at Warmley, with an exploration into how our local brews are made? This is followed by a fun time back at the Hop Pole, the Salamander or at Graze – depending on which date you choose – matching food with Bath Ales’ finest.

at The Bertinet Kitchen on Friday 25 October.

Dinner with Prue Leith The Allium Brasserie is hosting an evening with Prue Leith on Wednesday 9 October, when this hugely respected cook, restaurateur, food writer and novelist talks about her long and successful life in food. She has played a key role in the revolution in British cooking since the 60s and as a judge on The Great British Menu continues to influence the way we eat and how we think about what we cook.

Cookery for Young People

Lunch with Michael Caines Sit down to a delicious lunch made from Michael Caines’ recipes, while the man himself talks about his life and, of course, about food. Hosted in that most elegant of surroundings, the Bath Priory, on Thursday 17 October. Or watch the chef cook up a storm in a bookshop . . . this we have to see. Michael will be at Topping & Co on Friday 18 October.

Also on the menu Green Street will be hosting a free street party on Sundays 6 and 27 October, with freshly cooked food to buy, Waitrose will be joining in with a free French produce tasting evening on 9 October, amd there’s a Love Food Festival at Green Park Station on Sunday 20 October that’s also free. Look out for themed evenings at your favourite Bath restaurants, including The Circus, Woods, the King William, The Tasting Room, Roman Baths Kitchen and Sally Lunn’s. The Great Bath Feast has been brought to us by Bath Business Improvement District with the aim of boosting the local economy and is expected to bring a extra £1m to Bath. The Bath Abbey sellout feast wil raise funds for Foodshare, a charity which aims to alleviate food poverty in Bath and Bristol. ■

Also visiting Bath . . . Other VIP guests at the Great Bath Feast include the charming Frenchman Raymond Blanc at Brasserie Blanc, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at St Mary’s Bathwick, Nathan Outlaw at The Bertinet Kitchen and writer Tim Parks, at The Olive Tree.

Tasty treats The chefs at Yammo! team up with Raisin Wines

OCTOBER 2013

A chance to sample a five course meal, with matching wine, from former double Michelin starred chef Robert Clayton, newly installed at The Porter on George Street. The supper club evening is on Wednesday 23 October, kicking off with a Champagne and canape reception. Tickets, £70.

Bath-born Queen of Cakes returns to St Mary’s Bathwick, the church she was married in, to share tales from her recently published memoir, Recipe for Life. The event, on Tuesday 29 October, is organised by Topping & Co and the £20 ticket price includes a copy of the book.

One of Britain’s most successful chefs will give an exclusive hands-on Michelin starred masterclass

Clayton’s Kitchen Supper Club

Mary Berry talks

Masterclass with Angela Hartnett

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Head chef Tony Cassey at the Garrick’s Head will be serving a seasonal feast of local game with five matching wines, £49.90.

Bailbrook House Hotel is hosting an evening for gourmets, oenophiles and music lovers on Friday 18 October. While enjoying a four course dinner with matching wine from the Kilokanoon wineries, learn more about them and listen to the playing of this multi-talented wine expert and cellist. Tickets, £85.

Ask Italian is inviting small groups of children to attend free sessions creating their own pizza and bruschetta. Booking is essential.

A dash of celebrity . . .

A feast of local game

An evening with cellist Nathan Waks

Italian cookery for children

Cooks aged between ten and 13 get the chance to attend a day-long course at the prestigious Vegetarian Cookery School in Bath, picking up new skills and knowledge about seasonal produce.

to produce a seven course tasting menu on Tuesday 8 October, bursting with Italian sunshine, with matching wines. £39 per person.

A Neapolitan Adventure

PICTURE: David Tucker

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On the grapevine ■ Bath wine merchant Great Western Wine has beaten off stiff competition from hundreds of competitors to come runner up in the Regional Wine Merchant of the Year, at the Decanter World Wine Awards, at London’s Royal Opera House. Richard Lecoche, GWW business manager, said: “This is fantastic to be recognised as one of the top two wine merchants in the country, by Decanter Magazine. A Massive thanks to everyone who voted – this means an awful lot to us.” Great Western Wine will be showcasing over 100 of their wines at the annual Portfolio tasting at the Assembly Rooms on Thursday 24 October. Tickets, £20, tel: 01225 322810. ■ There’s another chance to sample some delicious wine at The Wine Gang Bath Christmas Fair on Saturday 2 November, from noon to 6pm in Bath’s Guildhall. Everyone with an interest in wine is welcome, be they connoisseurs or complete beginners. There will be around 300 wines to taste. Visit: www.thewineganglive.com. ■ The Bristol Wine School is teaming up with Great Western Wine Bath, on Saturday 19 October for a day delving into Italian wine and food.The day runs from 11am to 4.30pm and will explore Italy's picturesque country, wines and cuisine by tasting a hand-picked selection of some of Italy's best producers and finest wines. There’ll be wines to go with everything from seafood to pizza and there will be Italian produce to try. Tickets, £75, to include an Italian buffet lunch. The wine school is also holding other events and courses at GWW, visit: www.bristolwineschool.co.uk.

A very Berry Christmas Bath born Mary Berry has accepted an invitation to return to her home city to switch on the city’s Christmas lights. The great switch on ceremony takes place on Tuesday 12 November, starting at 5.30 pm with a warm up of community entertainment followed by the great switch on at the foot of Milsom Street. Mary Berry, the doyenne of British baking and judge on the BBC’s Great British Bake Off was a pupil at the High School in Bath where she first discovered her passion for cooking, and has gone on to write many successful cook books. She said: “I am immensely honoured to be asked to switch on the Bath Christmas Lights, I was born in the city and come back frequently. Bath has an awful lot to offer at Christmas, Milsom Street will look the finest street in the country. My father always said when walking through Bath always raise your head and look at the fine architecture.”

A cracking festival for cheese lovers Cheesemakers from all over the country will bring their wares to Bath this month for the Fine Cheese Co festival on Saturday 26 October, from 10am to 5pm, at Milsom Place. Organiser Ann-Marie Dyas, owner of the Fine Cheese Co in Walcot Street, and one of the country’s most knowledgeable experts, as well as a judge at the British Cheese awards and the World Cheese awards, has gathered 19 of the UK’s top artisan producers for the day. It provides a chance for shoppers to taste specialist cheese, meet the people who make them and learn more about Britain’s modern cheesemaking scene. Ann-Marie said: “This year the event will feature a great variety of cheese makers

ARTISAN: British cheese makers are giving the French makers a run for their money

presenting classic English cheeses and innovative new cheeses. There has been a complete renaissance of British cheese

making in recent years, using old techniques to create new and exciting cheeses. It is extraordinary that we can even hold our own against French cheese makers, reflecting the integrity and quality of these British cheese makers.” Among the medal winning line up is Dorstone goat’s cheese which took the Gold Medal at the 2013 Mondial du Fromage. Dorstone, made by Neal’s Yard Creamer and Keen’s Cheddar which won the UK Supreme Champion Cheese and Best Regional Cheese at the Global Cheese Awards 2013. The festival also provides a rare chance for the cheesemakers – many of them farmers working seven days a week – to meet each other and socialise.

A little corner of sunny Italy in Walcot Street As the dark, chilly nights of our British winter descend, there’s a place in Walcot Street that’s always a sunny little corner of Italy. Here, Yammo! (which means ‘Let’s go!’ in Italian) is serving up its unique brand of friendly, informal wining and dining. It’s run by husband and wife team Dani and Ellen, with Ellen’s brother Fred as head chef. Dani, who is from Naples and worked at Café Martini in Bath before setting up his own establishment, is passionate about ingredients. For example, he uses passata from tomatoes grown near Naples, genuine buffalo mozzarella and the finest beef for his burgers, which I can testify are among the best you’ll taste. He also stocks the popular and acclaimed Italian Minghella ice 50 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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WARM WELCOME: Yammo! has added after work Aperitivo drinks to its offering

cream from the Isle of Wight. Pop in for coffee and a piece of one of Dani’s homemade cakes, he does a very good gluten free lemon

polenta cake, or call in for supper. Prices are very reasonable, a freshly made pizza is from £6.95, one of their moreish burgers with fries is

from £9.95, and there’s a lunch deal for two courses for £9.95. There’s also a handy takeaway service and home delivery within a reasonable distance. Yammo! has also launched the after work Aperitivo, a lively Italian sociable activity, now gaining popularity in London. Order a drink and tuck into the Italian version of tapas, known as Stuzzichini, included in the price of the drink. Aperitivo runs from Monday to Friday, 6pm - 9pm, with drinks such as Aperol spritzers, espresso Martinis and Midori and Amaretto sours. Yammo! is currently standing at No 5 of Bath’s restaurants on TripAdvisor, so it’s clearly keeping its customers satisfied. Call in and say ‘Ciao’ some time. GMc

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THE WINE COLUMN Angela Mount, wine and food critic, selects wine to warm the cockles of your heart as autumn’s chill sets in

his month, it’s all about wines to ease you into the colder months – it’s time to ditch the more delicate, crisp whites, and light, red berry scented reds, and opt for wines a little richer, a little warmer and a little fuller in style – here are a few of my favourite delicious wines to accompany the richness of autumnal dishes. Alastro Greganico 2012, Planeta £12.75 at GWW I know I keep going back to wines from the Sicilian Planeta winery, but that’s because they have such a diverse and exciting range. This is a smooth, soft, fragrant white, with richness and depth, like a soft cashmere shawl on chilly autumn days. The wine is named after a small, yellow wildflower that grows in the vineyards, and is made from the Greganico, one of the most prevalent grapes in Sicily. It has texture, depth and body – bone dry, yet full, it has an intriguing warmth to it; soft, yet fresh, it has scents of peach blossom and ripe melon, with a taste of pear and baked apple with a hint of spice. Perfect as a warming aperitif or with chilli and lemony fish, spiced seafood pasta or braised chicken with roasted peppers and lemon. Cannonball Chardonnay 2010, California £16.95 at GWW California and Chardonnay have both received bad press over the last few years, but don’t give up on either, as there are some great examples of both out there – just avoid the big supermarket brands. This is one of the good ones – a rich, warm, yet balanced full bodied white from the premium Sonoma County region of California’s warm, sunshine coast. It’s a heady, smooth mix of pineapple, candied lemon peel, and hazelnut biscuits all rolled into one, with a plump, cream-laden finish, but also a refreshing citrussy tang. A great autumn white, and an absolute star with buttery roast chicken, or baked salmon in a creamy sauce. I’d also serve this with a very indulgent dish of baked camembert. Maudes 2010, Cigales, Spain £11.50 at GWW Here is the latest new discovery from Spain; pronounced ‘Mouwdes’, it’s a rich, yet soft red produced from the relatively new wine area of Cigales, nestled between the better known regions of Ribera del Duero and Toro in northern Spain. With a far more attractive price tag than its more famous neighbours, it’s made from a blend of predominantly Tempranillo, with a dash of juicy merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The warm, welcoming aromas draw you in, with spiced blackberries, nutmeg and allspice. The flavour is rich, soft and inviting, with no harsh edges, and a heady mix of dusty black fruits and a lingering, smooth finish. Snuggle up to this with oxtail soup, spiced lamb shanks, beef casserole or spicy chorizo and lentil stew. Domaine des Pres Lasses Faugeres 2010 £13.50 at GWW Expect the richness and warmth of ripe, blackberry fruit and white pepper spice in this full bodied, vibrant red. From the Languedoc region, this traditional blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre is perfect as the nights draw in, and spot on for bonfire and Halloween parties. A perfumed aroma of raspberries and fresh herbs, leads to rich, yet soft flavours, with silkily smooth tannins, velvet textured, brambly fruit and a warming, cinnamon spiced edge. Serve with hearty dishes such as roast beef or steaming bowls of beef stew, cassoulet, and steak pie. All of the above wines, plus a special mixed case can be ordered through our website. You can also enjoy a 10% Great Western Wine discount by entering the code on Angela’s wine column. Visit : ww.thebathmag.co.uk

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Russel Street, Bath BA1 2QF. Tel: 01225 447928

R E V I EW

Shaken and delightfully stirred

wonder sometimes if living in Bath encourages complacency. Bathonians (and after a dozen or so years of permanent residency here, I count myself as such) live in a bubble, built on history and tradition, augmented by the kind of contemporary cultural flourishes that make trips away from our comfortable nest all but redundant. So that’s the upside of my theory. On the downside, it’s easy to think we know all we need to know about this buzzy, busy little city, ignoring the need to revisit certain long-standing institutions because – yup, because we think we know all about them. Personally, however, I welcome being reminded that life in Bath is as subject to transition and transformation as life in any other urban metropolis may be. The city’s restaurant world is a specific case in point here. When I first visited the Olive Tree a decade or so ago, it represented the point where Fawlty Towers met the Lyons Corner Houses of days gone by: fusty food served from tarnished salvers in unloved surroundings. But not long after I’d relegated the Olive Tree to ‘stuffy old relic’ status, Laurence and Helen Beere took the helm, dumping the chintz in favour of warm-but-cool minimalist décor and capturing the collective imagination of the hip hotel brigade without excluding the old school ties. Similarly, menus combined modern innovation with well-honed tradition to great effect, and a formerly lacklustre selection transformed into an array of modern dishes sparkling with unpretentious charm. And again, I thought I had the measure of the Olive Tree ways. But when, less than a year ago, news hit the grapevine that head chef Nick Brodie had gone in search of pastures new, I experienced a moment of panic. Who was this 54 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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new chef Chris Cleghorn – and what right had he to alter perceptions that we were so comfortable with? Now I could have taken a very Bath approach and waited five years before road-testing the new kid on the block. But I have a job to do, so I sallied forth. While witty, exacting references to mentors Blumenthal and Caines are writ large throughout Chris Cleghorn’s menu, this boy is very much his own man. On my most recent foray into his prandial playground, I revisited the starter that made my heart go pitter-pat when I very first met him, initially because the playfulness of the name Chicken and Egg captured the kid in me.

if Chris puts pork in any ❝ incarnation on the menu, go after it faster than a truffle hog in search of its bounty

❞

This is, however, a very grown-up dish: a supersumptuous melange of sensual confit chicken, chicory, sweetcorn, golden egg yolk globe with jellied stock that I’d be happy to eat for all three courses. Meanwhile, on the other side of our very well-dressed table: big fat scallops, crispyskinned but sweetly moist inside, bathing in a intense shellfish reduction and scattered with flavour-bullet fireworks of Alsace bacon and powerfully fruity pea puree were equally welcomed. For our main courses, loin and shoulder of

soft, tender lamb paired with earthy, toasted quinoa (forget all you think you know about quinoa, too: in Cleghorn world, this bland superfood takes on a whole new, complex dimension) roasted globe artichoke and lashings of lively parsley puree, and a macho dish of velvety, perfect pork with sharp shards of crackling and all kinds of other delightful twists and turns that I’m not going to whet your appetite with here because menus have just moved into autumn and this exact dish is unlikely to stay the course – suffice to say, if Chris puts pork in any incarnation on the menu, go after it faster than a truffle hog in search of its bounty. I was powerless to resist the allure of chocolate ganache, the texture of fresh fudge sprinkled with shards of popcorn and bolstered by artful mounds of utterly dreamy caramel ice cream. Away from our menu choices, freshly baked bread, an amuse bouche shot of amazingly powerful gazpacho and a sliver of pre-dessert sorbet arrived unbidden, service was as good as service gets and failing to make time for a pre-dinner snifter at the chic Old Q Bar would be a crime against good taste. As regards that all-important tally, expect to pay circa £100 (with wine, coffee, etc) for a blowout such as ours. While complacency may have its comfortable benefits, I can confidently report that even the most reliably good Bath institutions can – when they get it this right – most definitely benefit from a bit of shaking and stirring. Today, the Olive Tree represents modern Bath to the max. Please, Chris: don’t ever change. ■ Melissa Blease

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THE THREE GABLES Since its opening in 2011 The Three Gables has become a popular dining destination known for its top quality food, superb wines and the warm welcome provided by manager Vito Scaduto and his team. Chef, Marc Salmon, uses the finest quality ingredients, locally sourced where possible, to create a modern British menu influenced by the classics of Mediterranean cuisine THE THREE GABLES is the ideal venue for all kinds of celebration, from private parties to corporate entertaining or a romantic dinner for two. You can reserve exclusive use of the restaurant for your private function. Book now for the Festive Season!

Christmas Party bookings now being taken

October Dinner offer: free half bottle of house wine per person ( with 3 courses set dinner or two courses Ă la carte; not to be used with any other offer or special evenings; subject to availability â&#x20AC;˘ Valid Tuesday to Thursday ) The Three Gables, St Margaret's Street, Bradford on Avon BA15 1DA Telephone 01225 781666

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

www.thethreegables.com

info@thethreegables.com

OCTOBER 2013

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Visit our website for up to date restaurant reviews, the wine column, foodie features and competitions! www.thebathmag.co.uk

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OCTOBER 2013

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CITYbusiness Award for exemplary hospitality

News in brief ■ Bath accountancy firm Richardson Swift has taken on its first apprentice as growing numbers of school leavers shun university in favour of learning on the job. Ellen Crozier, 18, joins the firm straight from Writhlington School in Radstock, with A-levels in ICT, business studies and economics. Ellen will be working towards her Association of Accounting Technicians Level 4 Diploma with White Horse Training as part of her apprenticeship. The firm has also recruited an Association of HONOURED: Harry Murray Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) trainee, Thomas Allen. Thomas, who is 21, recently graduated from the University of Exeter with a degree in maths. The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath, has been voted the 18th best ■ Fringe Arts Bath has put a call out holiday hotel in the UK by the for aspiring curators to devise and readers of Condé Nast Travel, organise a show as part of the FaB who each year pick their 100 festival 2014. The Fringe is a good test- favourite hotels in the world. bed for the new, wonderful and Readers voted via a sometimes odd. Selection is by questionnaire, rating hotels on committee and the deadline is 18 specific criteria such as service, October. Submit a 500 word proposal culture and value for money. detailing the underpinning themes Hotel manager Sharon Love with images (optional) and CV, to: said: “It is a testament to the hard fringeartsbath@ymail.com. work of the whole Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa team and I am ■ Bath writer Diana Cambridge has incredibly proud of how they all been appointed Writer in Residence for work together to achieve success” this month’s Sherborne Literature The hotel, owned by international Festival, which runs from Wednesday investment group Topland Group, 16 – Sunday 20 October. She will be is in the middle of refurbishment running a free daily workshop. Visit: that will be complete next spring. www.SherborneLiterarySociety.com.

Harry Murray MBE, Chairman of Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa near Bath, has been awarded the AA Life Time Achievement Award, 2013-14. He received the award at The London Hilton Park Lane attended by 950 leaders from the hospitality industry. The award recognises a lifetime commitment to the industry. Harry said: “I am privileged, honoured, and delighted to have been chosen for this ultimate

Lifetime Achievement Award and to join a list of previous winners that includes Raymond Blanc, Albert and Michel Roux, George Goring and Antonio Carluccio.” He acknowledged the enormous support he had received from his wife Susan and family, his mentors and all the people he had worked with during six decades managing hotels. Harry was awarded an MBE in 2005 for services to the hospitality industry.

Five star hotel voted in top 20 places in the UK

COCKTAIL MENU: the new-look Montagu and lounge

Many of the rooms have been completed, including the new Montagu bar and lounge. The restaurant will complete in November and the spa refurbishment will follow. Somerset business Jane Clayton

and Co is overseeing the interior design. Head chef at the Dower House David Campbell was awarded three AA rosettes earlier this year. Thursday 14 November sees the official unveiling of the restaurant and Montagu bar.

Best baa-none . . . Bath Tourism Plus (BTP) will be herding together its flock of venues and conference facilities and showcasing them in Knightsbridge on 15 October. Business events in the region add an estimated £24.4m to the local economy. Showcasing Bath in this way allows meetings and events suppliers from Bath to meet London buyers and event organisers. Venues from Bath attending the event – 15 in all – include the newly renovated Bailbrook House Hotel, the Royal Crescent Hotel and the

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eagerly awaited Gainsborough Hotel. Venues which provide activities such as Raising the Baa at Folly Farm which offers sheep shepherding team-building activities and Thermae Bath Spa with its natural warm waters, will be there. Nick Brooks-Sykes, Chief Executive Bath Tourism Plus said: “By hosting these showcase events in the capital it gives Bath Tourism the opportunity to highlight to the London market just how accessible Bath is as a destination and how varied our offerings are.”

‘FLOCK TO BATH’: Nick Brook-Sykes of Bath Tourism Plus and Chris Farnsworth, head shepherd of Raising the Baa, which offers team-building shepherding sessions

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LEGALmatters

ADV ERT OR I AL FEATURE

CHANCEL REPAIR LIABILITY What does the change in the law mean for property owners?

ver the last few months the residential property market has at last come to life, and it seems that solicitors and estate agents are all experiencing significantly higher levels of activity than at similar points in the previous few years during the slump. This has resulted in a significant increase in the number of transactions going through, and it is notable that solicitors locally have been recruiting conveyancers to cope with the increase in demand. To add to the happiness in the residential property market we are approaching the practical demise of an irritant in the conveyancing process. This is due to the requirement for Parochial Church Councils to register chancel repair liabilities at the Land Registry by 13th October 2013. This followed on from a well-publicised case back in 2003 where a couple (the Wallbanks) purchased a property subject to a chancel repair liability. This is a liability to fund repairs to the chancel of their local medieval-founded Church of England parish church, or Church in Wales church, (the chancel being the part of the church containing the alter and the choir). Up until that point lawyers tended to consider that the concept of chancel repair liability was medieval, had faded into the mists of time, and was no longer of general application. Unfortunately for the Wallbanks the House of Lords ruled that this was not the case, and that the Human Rights Act did not also provide them with any relief for a ÂŁ100,000 chancel repair liability. It was reported at the time that the costs to the couple including legal costs were in the region of ÂŁ350,000. The House of Lords ruled that whilst the principle was medieval, it had not been repealed, and it remained the law. The decision sent WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

shockwaves out into the legal profession. Whilst the facts of the Wallbank case were unusual, (the property had an express chancel repair liability in the deeds) what had thought to have been dead and buried was not so.

If you would like further information about a particular aspect of a property transaction or you would like to discuss buying or selling a property, please contact our Residential Property Team by telephone on 01225 487500 or via email at property@mowbraywoodwards.co.uk .

This meant that there was imposed an extra burden upon purchasers and their solicitors to make enquiries regarding any potential chancel repair liability. The costs of a full chancel search with the appropriate authorities exceeded the costs of obtaining an indemnity insurance policy to insure against what was, in reality, a remote risk. Accordingly, it must have been something of a bonanza for the insurance companies, as prudent purchasers and their solicitors would routinely insure against a risk which was highly unlikely ever to result on a claim on a policy. The coming of the 13th October does not mean that the potential liability has been repealed, it is just an obligation for the Church Authorities to register the potential liability at the Land Registry so that purchasers will only be bound by chancel repair liability where it is registered on the title entries held by the Land Registry for the property in question. If the liability is not registered by this time, then the purchaser would purchase without this liability accruing to the property. There still remains a potential problem for purchasers of land where title has not been registered, and it may well be that prudent purchasers again avail themselves of an indemnity insurance policy. Unregistered land is now very much in the minority, of transactions, so it is unlikely to be a practical issue in most transactions from 13th October 2013, and the problem will diminish as more and more title to land is registered.

Robin Phillips, Residential Property Partner at Mowbray Woodwards Solicitors

Mowbray Woodwards Solicitors, 3 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HG www.mowbraywoodwards.co.uk OCTOBER 2013

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Loans to shareholders from their companies Companies often make loans to their shareholders and where those loans are repaid within nine months of the financial year end there is no issue with corporation tax (although where the shareholder is also a director or employee there can be an income tax charge). However if the loan isn’t repaid within the timescale there is an additional tax charge equal to 25% of the loan outstanding at the year end - and if the loan increases during the next year there will be additional tax to pay on the increase – and so on. The good news - when the loan is repaid (or cancelled) the company can claim a refund of the special tax paid on the loan, this repayable 9 months after the end of the accounting period during which it was repaid. This can be a minefield and many people find the subject of drawing funds from their companies confusing. It needn’t be and we are here to help – and there are easy to understand downloads on our website dealing with dividends, director’s loan accounts and related subjects! At OCL we have been looking after SMEs for more than twenty years; we would be pleased to meet you to discuss any tax, financial and accounting matters that would help you, including how we can help you save money.. See our website for more – and download our FREE guides

“OCL Accountancy always provide an excellent level of support in an extremely straightforward and user friendly fashion. Advice is sensible and constructive. It is much more of a partnership than a traditional client relationship which is particularly helpful.” Call Marie Maggs or Mike Wilcox on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting 141 Englishcombe Lane, Bath BA2 2EL

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

GROWING FAMILY FOR WITHY KING A divorce specialist with over 20 years’ experience has joined Withy King’s rapidly-expanding Family team in Bath from Thrings.

make knee-jerk decisions. It is an essential part of my job to guide people and help them make decisions that are well considered and beneficial, not just now but with an eye to the future.”

A qualified collaborative lawyer, Gwyn is often asked to deal with disputes involving former partners finding it difficult to agree various arrangements in the best interests of their children.

Withy King’s family team has also recently welcomed on board Trina Gibson as an Associate. Trina, who also has over 20 years’ experience in family law, is an accredited Resolution specialist in Children and Substantial Assets and a trained collaborative lawyer.

Gwyn said: “There are few worse times in people’s lives than dealing with the end of a relationship. Emotions are raw and it is all too easy to

Gwyn Randolph, Partner, Withy King

wyn Randolph, who joined Withy King as a partner, has been a family lawyer for more than two decades, advising on all aspects of relationship breakdown. He specialises in the financial consequences of separation for married couples, cohabitees and civil partners. He is particularly well-known for his expertise in dealing with cases involving family businesses, trusts, inherited assets, valuable pension pots and investment properties. In the last few years, he has also been increasingly involved in helping couples settle the terms of their pre-nuptial agreements.

Mediation – putting you, not the court, in control

hen a marriage, civil partnership or long term relationship breaks down, people often brace themselves for an arduous journey fraught with legal wrangling and court cases. For many, mediation avoids all this and is an easier, quicker and more cost-effective option. Mediation puts you, rather than the court, in control by encouraging you to work with your former partner at a pace that suits you to reach a solution geared towards your personal and family circumstances. Withy King’s qualified family mediators, Sharon MacDonald, Katherine Moody and James Stonham, will support you at every stage. They understand that this is often an extremely emotional time, particularly when the break-up is one-sided or acrimonious. Although it may seem unlikely at the start, you can rest assured that they will help you overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and find a mutually acceptable way forward. People who have been through mediation often tell us they’ve been able to maintain more amicable relationships and that family members, particularly children, have coped better with the break-up.

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

WE ARE HERE TO HELP If you would like to get in touch with Gwyn Randolph to discuss a family matter, please call 01225 730100 or email gwyn.randolph@withyking.co.uk

Withy King’s qualified family mediators, Sharon MacDonald, Katherine Moody and James Stonham.

OCTOBER 2013

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BATHonICE

A new festive tradition Bath entrepreneur Simon Smith didn’t let the torrential rain last winter spoil his amibition to bring an open air ice rink to the city. He spoke to Georgette McCready about his plans to make the Bath on Ice 2013 an even bigger and brighter success

he wooden chalets of Bath’s Christmas market, firmly established as a fixture on the city’s calendar, are soon to be joined by another seasonal treat which its organiser intends to also become an annual tradition – namely Bath’s own temporary open air ice rink. Last winter was the first year for Bath on Ice and a steeping learning curve for the young Bathonian entrepreneur Simon Smith who set it up and ran it in Royal Victoria Park. Undaunted by the torrential rain that provided, shall we say, challenging conditions for its first seven-week stint in the city, Simon had sufficient positive feedback and numbers of skaters to launch a second season of Bath on Ice. The 2013 Christmas season will open on Friday 22 November and run right through to Sunday 5 January. The ice rink, using real ice, will be open air in Royal Victoria Park on the site of the tennis courts. Visitors will approach through a market of stalls selling everything from hot dogs and cake to Champagne and roast chestnuts. Simon, 26, said: “We want to make it an experience that’s more than just skating. Parents can come along and enjoy a hot drink while watching their kids who are home from university take to the ice with the younger ones – it’s a real family outing.” To avoid queues and to contain the number of people on the ice we’re being encouraged to book sessions in advance. This can be done online at www.bathonice.com and booking has already opened. Sessions last an hour, with prices being retained at the same rate as last year – from £7 for a child to £9.50 for an adult at peak times. Skate hire is included and skaters are advised to get to the rink about 20 minutes ahead of their session so they can be fitted for boots. “There was a really good atmosphere down there last year,” said Simon, whose parents run Excel Tennis at the park where he is a tennis coach the rest of the year. “The little ones have got penguins they can push around and we had a lot of couples on dates, making special requests for music. Enlightened 62 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Lighting of Bath is doing the lighting and it looks really good after dark.” Simon’s ice marshalls include international figure skaters and ice hockey players. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons between 2.30 and 3pm, these skating experts will be showing the rest of us how it’s done with dazzling displays of dance skating and the clash of muscle on muscle as the ice hockey players demonstrate their sport. “We’d encourage people to come down as spectators and just enjoy the spectacle,” added Simon, “I’m a Bathonian born and bred and I think this is a great tradition for the city, for people of all ages.” The rink will be open every day from 10am to 9pm, apart from Christmas Day when it will be closed – “But I’ll still go down on Christmas Day and check everything’s OK,” said Simon. He says he’s learned a lot from his early experiences of running an ice rink, from the technical nuances of getting the rink perfectly smooth and skaterfriendly, to the health and safety aspects of letting the public loose on the ice. He’s currently recruiting ice marshalls and Ice marshalls and mascot snowmen are recruited keeping his fingers crossed for from the ice skating world cold, crisp winter wonderland of figure skaters and ice weather for his crowds. So, what hockey players are you waiting for – get your skates on. ■

DANCING IN THE DARK: skaters enjoying Bath on Ice in Royal Victoria Park last winter – the rink will be bigger for this winter’s season

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A DVERTOR IA L FEATUR E

I’ve decided I want a separation.... now what do I do? By Clare Webb, Sharp Family Law - Bath Divorce Solicitors. T: 01225 448955 www.sharpfamilylaw.com

ow the children are back to school, you reflect on the Summer with the family and in particular how you felt. No better, you conclude. You loved spending time with the children but the time you spent with your partner/spouse was not enjoyable. You realise that you have grown apart, your lives are rapidly flying in separate directions and nothing, not even that ‘last resort holiday’, is going to repair the relationship. The crushing reality that you want a separation is one thing but the surge of questions that follow is just as overwhelming. “What do I do now? How do I start the process? Who do I need to speak to? If this sounds familiar and either you or someone you know is having these thoughts then here are a few pointers that might help you find clarity at a deeply emotional and confusing time:

In order to be able to ❝ make decisions about how you should divide assets you will need to know what assets there are in the relationship

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Talk openly… This may seem relatively straightforward but it is often the hardest thing to do. The way you have spoken to one another or the lack of interaction may be one of the reasons you’re in this position. Despite this, talking to one another is so important. There will be much to discuss, from how to tell the children to what WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

do you do with the family home. The answers to these questions will be more difficult to arrive at if you do not talk them through with each other. If the reality is that you simply cannot express your feelings in a constructive way then perhaps you need to seek the help of a relationship therapist who might help with communication issues.

Listen carefully…

options are available to you so that you can make informed choices about the key decisions in your life. One of the specialist family solicitors and mediators at Sharp Family Law will be able to help you work through the emotional, financial and legal issues so as to find the best possible outcomes for you and your family. For further information please call Clare Webb on 01225 448 955 or email clare@sharpfamilylaw.com.

There may be a lot that you want to get off your chest. However try to remember that your partner/spouse might also have much to say and if you do not listen actively you might miss something of importance that will help you move forward. Treat them in a way in which you would expect to be treated and you may find that tackling those difficult topics is not as challenging as you first fear.

Share freely… You will inevitably need to have discussions about your finances. Historically your partner/spouse has dealt with all of the money and having to understand the financial landscape is baffling. In order to be able to make decisions about how you should divide assets you will need to know what assets there are in the relationship. Share every scrap of information with each other and do not be tempted to hide anything. You should both be open and transparent so as to find workable solutions.

Choose wisely… It may be that you have tried to talk but you’re no further forward or you’ve had productive discussions and found agreement on a number of issues but there is one tricky topic left unresolved. If that’s the case then you may need to seek advice from an expert to find out what

sharp F A M I LY L A W Sharp Family Law: Helping clients to reach solutions 5, Gay Street, Bath, BA1 2PH, UK email: info@sharpfamilylaw.com m: 07766 107527 t: 01225 448955 website: www.sharpfamilylaw.com OCTOBER 2013

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The Audi A6 ‘Black Edition’ pictured in Bath. Photography by TBM

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The transporter Broader, beefier and so much sleeker than the everyday A4, the Audi A6 sits more than comfortably into the luxury saloon segment. Dara Foley takes this understated and über cool, German muscle car for a spin ason Statham, Hollywood actor and action star of films such as The Transporter, The Mechanic, Crank and many more unashamedly similar parts, has established a formula that works: sharp suit, kickass martial arts, guns, lots of explosions and a dirty job that needs to be sorted. He’s an East-End lad with all the style, usually sharing the screen with a European muscle car. His films may not be Oscar material but his anti-hero characters appeal to a loyal band of followers, who without question, just like that ‘whip their baddy butt’ sort of stuff. Okay, Statham drove a Beamer in the first Transporter film – BMW had a great range in 2002 – but in 2003 he defected to Audi. Audi was named as one of the top ten ‘world’s coolest design brands’, and ever since has been Statham’s on (and off) screen partner – it’s not quite Bogart and Bacall but Audi used this chemistry to full effect by starring Statham in a big budget commercial to launch their A6 supercharged model to the US market. It premiered during the 2009 Superbowl. The ad was a high octane, fun rework of a getaway driver through the ages, the gist being that after trying many inferior cars to make his getaway, Statham only got away when he landed the A6. Without offending Bentley, Porsche, Bugatti, or Lamborghini, Audi leads the line as the premium mainstream brand in the VW Group. Competing as a very credible alternative to the other German prestige makers, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Audi offers an enormous range, with everything from the neat A1 super-mini to the awesome R8 sports car with big sellers such as the Golf-like A3 and the ever popular, ever present A4 in between. Understandably Audis are regarded as expensive Volkswagens, since they share much of VW’s engineering and platforms, but Audi can boast its own innovative technology, and a creative team has been allowed to think out of the VW box by creating stand alone, iconic models such as the TT, which looks just as good as a Porsche. Fans may argue that it drives just as well as a Porsche too. A version of the W12 engine that powers the Bentley Continental GT has also been used in the A8. From mechanics and technology to brilliant design, if you are wary of dodgy DNA then Audi’s pedigree is (so far) without compromise. So with a tailored suit, (if Collezione by M&S counts) white shirt, plain tie and a naturally balding head, I take to Bath’s streets in the A6. While there are no Kalashnikovs in the trunk, or ninjas on my tail (that I’ve noticed); Statham would approve. This is the uber sleek A6 Black Edition, based on the S-Line sport suspension model but with menacing exterior features such as big 20-inch rotor-blade design titanium alloys, privacy glass, black grille and black trim around the windows, with equally mean Bi-Xenon all-weather headlights, LED day running lights and all LED rear lights. It’s just like the one in the movies; classy, understated, and it is as tough as they come. It looks incredible, if slightly threatening. While the A6 Black Edition might romanticise or appeal to gangland villains, the KGB or vampires, its core market are the corporates and boardroom execs. Solicitors have become chic and style savvy, accountants image conscious, architects are afficionados of design, and should exude their flair for the subject with a show of creative awareness, and what of the bankers? Well they need to do whatever they can to look credible. Audi has driven a wedge into the top tier company car segment and has used image as well as a really great car, to seduce and divide what was once a

BMW and Mercedes monopoly. Its rivals: The BMW 5 series is a great vehicle, and on spec, very similar to the A6, but simply does not cut it when it comes to coolness, and the Mercedes E class, superb that it is, has about the same appeal as the colour beige, or maybe a Blackberry? Like the designs of Jonathan Ive for Apple computers, the power of style when combined with real substance is an irresistible force. The accountants of course, will have also done the maths. There’s the tedious matter of company-car tax bands. The A6 comes with the full range of engines, the basic being the 2-litre TDi emitting just 129g/Km CO2 which means less benefit-in-kind payable to the taxman, and a bigger percentage staying in the take home. At the pumps too, Statham will not be achieving too many Tesco points as the 2-litre diesel averages around 57 mpg combined. The idle-stop in traffic means the city consumption is almost as good as the extra urban and overall this equates to more than 800 miles on a full tank. Hollywood stars and the euro boardroom elite may not be the types to collect meerkat toys, but for the record, the basic A6 is group 27 insurance. Although frugal, this car is no slacker, having a light but tough aluminium shell and a significant amount of high-tensile steel in its body construction the A6 is consequently fast, agile and sporty, its electric steering helps keep clean lines through corners, and in ordinary performance, the big tyres give the feel of a substantial, chauffeur driven ride. Where the A6 excels, and to the delight of driver and all passengers is the interior. The S-Line features bring sporty seats, the front seats have electric 4way lumbar support with manual full adjustment, and all around black Valcona leather is plentiful. Distinctive Piano black inlays add a shiny touch to the blackness. The Black Edition features a DAB digital radio and the superb Audi Music Interface (AMI) for universal connection for MP3 devices, ipods and mobile phones. The audio quality is outstanding with the upgrade to the BOSE Surround Sound system. Again, the build quality is noticeable as all the muffling and padding in the panels mean the outside noise is distant, and the audio, however loud, stays in the car. The controls feel substantial, knobs are finely engineered, and remind me of the beauty and feel of the Bentley dash. For those needing to be transported, the rear seats will take three easily, but two adults very comfortably and the boot will hold plenty of luggage for all the family – and a body, if that’s part of the job. Other optional features that were present in the test car were the pop-up satellite navigation on the 7-inch Driver Information System, light and rain sensors, the very impressive Audi drive select adaptive dynamics system, the Audi all round parking system plus and keyless start with a handy powered boot open on the key fob. Audi offers a great range of optional extras, many are very tempting and it’s quite easy to add pounds in upgrades. But the basic A6 model with S-Line or Black Edition add-ons will more than thrill anyone who is fortunate enough to make the executive decision. Great car. The Audi A6 range is available from £30,985 (OTR). The Bath Magazine’s test car courtesy of Bath Audi. For more information contact:

...It’s just like the one in the movies; ❝ classy, understated, and it is as tough as they come. It looks incredible, if slightly threatening

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Bath Audi, Roman Way, Peasedown St. John, Bath. BA2 8SG Tel: 01761 4383000 Visit: www.bathaudi.co.uk OCTOBER 2013

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A medieval meander Andrew Swift heads south of Bath to the romantic ruins of a 14th century castle, built during the reign of Richard II, and enjoys a reasonable three and a half mile country walk with plenty of interest along the way

ur October walk starts at Old Wardour Castle, one of Wiltshire’s most remarkable buildings. It was built in the 1390s for Lord Lovell, a kinsman of Richard II and one of the richest men in England. In the late 16th century, Sir Matthew Arundell converted it to a magnificent Elizabethan mansion, but less than 70 years later it was blown up during a Civil War siege. Instead of rebuilding it, Arundell’s descendants kept it as a romantic ruin and built themselves a mansion – called New Wardour Castle – threequarters of a mile away. Old Wardour Castle is now looked after by English Heritage, which has reinstalled many of the upper floors, so that it is now possible to ramble over much of one of England’s most impressive and atmospheric ruins. Although a fascinating enough destination in its own right, combining a visit with the walk described here – which also takes in New Wardour Castle – makes for an even better day out. Old Wardour (postcode SP3 6RR) is 35 miles south of Bath. It is signposted off the A350 south of East Knoyle. From the car park outside Old Wardour Castle (ST938264), head along the path to the right of the castle, alongside a lake. This leads past the Banqueting Hall and Old Wardour House, where the Tarmac ends as you bear right. As you carry on uphill, there are good views back to the old castle as well as a distant view of the new castle over to your right. After 450 metres, when you come to a fork, carry straight on, with the wood on your left. When the path forks again, bear right past a 19th century archway bearing the Arundell coat of arms (ST932261). A little further on, when the wood ends, carry straight on. At the bottom of the field, go through a gateway into woodland and carry on along a path between two lakes, largely hidden by trees. These are part of a chain of ornamental lakes created in the 18th century. After going through another gate, a clearly-marked track heads across a field to a gate. Go through it and carry straight on through woodland for 100 metres, before bearing right along a broad path at a T junction (ST925255). When you leave the wood, carry straight on for 100 metres. Just past the gates of Pale Oak Lodge, turn right into a field and head down to a gate leading into woodland (ST921254). A few metres after going through the 66 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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gate, bear right when the path forks. At the end of the woods, bear left along the left-hand side of a narrow meadow. Go past a gate at the end and carry on, with a hedge on your right, towards a farm. Cross a stile to the left of a gate and, a few metres further on, turn right across Park Gate farmyard and go through a small wooden gate on the far side. Carry on alongside a hedge and, after going through another gate, carry straight on in the same direction, keeping the hedge on your right. After 500 metres, carry on through a gateway into another field, past a stream running down from the chain of lakes (ST922264).

the building ahead with a classical ❝ portico, was an ornamental dairy, the hexagonal building next to it was a brewhouse, while the statue of St Anthony of Padua . . . was once owned by William Beckford

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Follow a track across the field, heading to the left of the house ahead. After crossing a bridge over a ditch, the track leads uphill and across a pair of stiles with a farm track between them. Carry on uphill and, when the ground levels out, head straight for a wooden stile leading into woodland (ST924269). After crossing the stile, the path bears right, and a waymark leads you into the grounds of New Wardour Castle. As you emerge into the open, you will see, on your left, a new building, based on a never-realised design for an 18th century stable block – but occupied by people rather than horses. Bear right, following a waymark, as the path forks, and carry on past a large chunk of fallen tree to the Temple Lawn. The building ahead with a classical portico was an ornamental dairy, the hexagonal building next to it was a brewhouse, while the statue of St Anthony of Padua on your left was

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LEFT, ROMANTIC SETTING: main picture, Old Wardour Castle, ruined since the 17th century SET IN STONE: above the statue of St Anthony of Padua – the saint most invoked in the search for lost things Right, a view of the lakes from the castle

once owned by William Beckford. It was bought by the Arundells at the Fonthill Abbey sale in 1822. Head to the left of the brewhouse, go down a couple of steps, carry on through a gap in a laurel hedge and cross the car park in front of New Wardour Castle – now converted to luxury apartments. At the end, carry on along a rough drive for 65 metres, before bearing right towards a gate (ST929269). Cross the stile beside it and follow a sunken pathway – originally a carriage drive linking the old and new castles – through a large field. After 600 metres, when you come to the end of the field, cross a stile and turn left up a stony track through Ark Farm to return to the car park. Before getting back into the car, take the path to the left of the castle entrance for 100 metres to see a grotto-like tunnel built when the park was landscaped in the 18th century. ■

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FURTHER INFORMATION ■ ■ ■

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Length of walk: 3½ miles Map: OS Explorer 118 Old Wardour Castle open daily til 3 November, weekends thereafter. There is an admission charge. Dogs admitted on leads. Refreshments: The Boot at Tisbury, tel: 01747 870363, or The Compasses at Chicksgrove, tel: 01722 713318. Both open lunchtimes and evenings but closed in the afternoons

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A very contemporary twist The owners of a classic listed Bath townhouse made a bold move when they chose to use their love of 21st century design and colour in the historic building at Lansdown. The finished results are striking

aking the classic move from London to the south west – as so many before them have – househunters Cedric and Joy Grosjean were looking for a home with character and good looks in Bath. They searched high and low, eventually employing the skills of a property search agent who found them No 1 Lansdown Terrace, tucked away halfway up the slopes of Lansdown Road. The couple were fortunate as the bare bones of the Grade II listed building had been repaired and modern facilities such as bathrooms and a kitchen installed by the previous owner. Those owners had also taken care to work with heritage experts to see that items that had been lost or damaged during the house’s history, such as ceiling roses, cornices, door furniture, were all restored. The house had enjoyed a chequered past as both a complete family home and, later, divided to include letting rooms, so it had suffered a bit of wear and tear. But it was lucky to escape much damage from the war-time air raids of 1942, which devastated the area opposite, where Ballance Street used to run down to Julian Road, but is now occupied by the Ballance Street flats. The Grosjeans say they were lucky that the hard work on the house had already been done for them. Frenchman Cedric, said: “We both love design, so it was great to be able to go in with our ideas. We fell in love with the house as it has such nice proportions and we loved the beautiful staircase. We also liked the fact that we could walk from here to the city centre and enjoy going out to dinner or to the cinema.” So, the classic lines of the house remain, with its big sash windows, dramatic staircase running through four floors, a stone terrace outside the front and gardens to the sides. The gardens have been laid out in formal style, with lavender bushes and potted topiary trees. From one lawn there are magnificent views 86 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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CONFIDENT APPROACH: main picture, the drawing room at No 1 Lansdown Terrace Left, the approach to the house off Lansdown Road Opposite, from top left, clockwise: magenta and black in the sitting room; a monochrome scheme in the dining room; and the very modern, well equipped kitchen

right over Bath. But on top of the history there’s 21st century design. The bold modern chandeliers and grey colour scheme in the first floor drawing room seem to enhance the original mouldings and features. The monochrome floral wallpaper in the dining room brings a sense of drama to the dinner table – and would look great by candlelight, while the spacious kitchen is fully equipped for the everyday modern lifestyle, including space for informal family meals.

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Half term: it’s crunch time With school half-term approaching we’ve got lots of ideas for activities and events to keep your little horrors happy in October and for Halloween Bath Children’s Literature Festival Runs until Friday 4 October Visit: www.bathfestivals.org.uk for full details

Malorie Blackman: Noble Conflict Friday 4 October, 6pm The Guildhall, Bath. Visit: www.bathfestivals.org.uk The Waterstones Children’s Laureate and author of Noughts and Crosses in conversation about her work. Suitable for 11s and over. £6.

Lord of the Flies Monday 1 – Friday 4 October 7.30pm The Mission Theatre, Corn Street, Bath Next Stage Box Office tel: 01225 428600, email nextstagebath@aol.com or Bath Box Office tel: 01225 463362 Next Stage Youth presents William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Evacuated from a war-torn world and marooned on a tropical island when their plane crashes, a group of pre-adolescent boys find themselves battling for survival with no adults to help them. Presented in conjunction with The Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival.

Toddlers outdoor fun Dyrham Park, National Trust property, A46 north of Bath Tuesday 1,18, 15 and 22 October, 10.45am – 11.30am Join a garden and park trails designed for toddlers; learn about shape, colour and numbers while exploring nature. Meet outside the Orangery by the house at 10.45am. Normal admission applies.

Also at Dyrham Park Halloween Trail Monday 28 October – Sunday 3 November (except Weds and Thurs), 11am – 4pm Spot the wicked witches who are hiding at Dyrham Park this Halloween. WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

World Space Week: Mars Lab At Bristol science museum, Bristol Harbourside Friday 4 – Monday 14 October Drive over the surface of Mars with your remote control buggy. Gather rock samples and analyse them in the lab. What will you discover about the Red Planet? Plus all the other inter-active science based fun and games at this popular museum.

Science Workshops for Children Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, Queen Square, Bath. £6 a session. To book, email: coolbookings@brlsi.org Saturday 12 October 12 1pm– 4pm Learn from the theories of Archimedes, Adelard, Darwin, Professors Alice Roberts and Brian Cox – how to devise, design and carry out an experiment. For enthusiastic eights and over.

The Michael Morpurgo Season at the egg The egg theatre, Bath, tel: 01225 448844 I Believe in Unicorns Friday 18 – Sunday 20 October Eight year old Tomas didn’t like books or stories, he was happier clambering in the mountains. Until he met the magical Unicorn Lady. Bewitching theatre for the over fives. Toro!Toro! Monday 21 – Tuesday 22 October Set in 1936 under the threat of civil war, young Spaniard Antonito’s peaceful life on the family farm is shattered when his favourite bull-calf is called up to fight in the bullring. Powerful story telling from the master, Morpurgo. Suitable for audiences aged eight and over.

Making Light of It The Herschel Museum of Astronomy, New King Street, Bath www.herschelmuseum.org.uk Tel: 01225 446865 Until 16 December Find out about the art and science of light in the

Exploring science: World Space Week at Bristol

18th century. The exhibition looks at William Herschel’s work on the sun, infra red and telescopes.

Halloween Spooktacular Festival Longleat Safari Park and House, Somerset Saturday 19 October – Monday 4 November All sorts of tricks and treats are being laid on to give families a thoroughly wicked day out. There’s a ghost train, a pumpkin trail, a bat cave and creepy tours of a spooky house. You can even go ghostbusting by torchlight after dark.

Bath Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons Bath Recreation Ground. Tickets from Bath Rugby ticket office, Pulteney Bridge, tel: 01225 443253 Saturday 19 October 3pm Introduce your children to the thrill and excitement of live rugby, and what better place to watch it than on the famous Rec in the heart of the city? Newport beat Bath 22:20 in the summer so this looks like being a real nail-biting clash. Adult seats in the family stand, £25, junior tickets are £10.

Heritage Open Week activities Various venues around Bath Saturday 26 October – Sunday 3 November Pick up a brochure from participating sites and local libraries in October. All events are free. Victoria Art Gallery continued on Page 70 OCTOBER 2013

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Learn to forage: Chris Westgate of Heavenly Hedgerows

Exploring nature: stags at Dyrham Park

Saturday 26 October, 11am – 3pm The Big Draw – Draw like a Greek Explore the Parthenon frieze using binoculars. Create images of people and animals to add to the wall of art. All welcome. Tuesday 29 October, 10.30am – 12pm Foody favourites Draw artistic fruit and vegetables. Wednesday 30 October, 10am– 4pm Great Heritage Hunters Enjoy the gallery trail to explore sculpture. Spot the details and claim a sticker. Thursday 31 October, 10.30am – 12pm Foody favourites Draw artistic fruit and vegetables. Friday 1 November, 10.30am – 12pm Plasticine pets Get modelling with Plasticine, invented and made by William Harbutt from Bathampton. The Fashion Museum The Big Draw Monday 28 October, Tuesday 29 October and Wednesday 30 October, 11am – 3pm Draw like a fashion designer.

Falconry demonstration and bird handling The American Museum, Claverton Wednesday 30 October Ray Prior is one of the leading falconers in the UK. His owls, eagles, hawks, and falcons will swoop over the museum grounds. Demonstrations at 12.30 and 2.30pm, with bird handling in between.

Also at the American Museum, Bath Halloween Fun Thursday 31 October, 1pm- 4pm Celebrate this most American of holidays. Join in with spooky crafts and face painting. Fancy dress welcome. Activities included with gardens only admission. 70 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Making faces: pumpkins for Halloween

Family trip: autumn at Lacock Abbey

Halloween Trail Prior Park Gardens. Tel: 0844 249 1895 Saturday 26 October – Sunday 3 November 10am – 4.30pm Take part in a spooky Halloween themed trail. Seek out the scary pumpkins and follow the clues to receive a prize. £1 per trail. Halloween craft making Thursday 31 October, 12.30 – 2.30pm Visit the Prior Park gardens summer house and make spooky cobwebs, bats and masks to take home ready for Halloween evening.

Stonework and Sculpture activity day Bath Abbey. Free event for families Wednesday 30 October, 10am – 4.30pm This day is to celebrate the restoration of its stone and sculptures since 1942. Participate in activities, such as learning to draw like a mason, clay modelling, and stone carving.

Teddy Edward’s Picnic Pound Arts Centre Corsham Tuesday 29 October, 10.30am – 11.30am Join author Krysia Chrzanowska-Hunt for storytelling, singing and outdoor activities to celebrate the launch of her new book, Teddy Edward’s Rainbow Walk. Suitable for families with children up to the age of six. Free

Also at Pound Arts Animal Artistry for eights and over Wednesday 30 October 10am – 12.30pm A workshop in graphic art to help young artists improve their drawing and illustration skills. Produce inventive characters under expert tuition. £10. Booking required.

Family Autumn Trail Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire. National Trust Tuesday 1 – Friday 25 October 10.30am – 5.30pm

City favourite: fireworks over Bath

Follow this self-led family trail around the grounds of Lacock Abbey. Explore the colours of autumn and find out why leaves change colour. Have fun collecting colours around the trail and discover what colour means to you. Normal admission applies. NT members and under 5s go free.

Also at Lacock Witches and wizards day Tuesday 29 October, 11am – 3pm Pop on your Halloween outfit and come and lurk around the abbey cloisters, join in with activities and craft making with Wiltshire Scrapstore.

Walk on the Wild Side foraging event Newton Farm Shop, Bath. Tickets tel: 01225 873707 Thursday 31 October, 10.30am – 12.30pm Award-winning forager Chris Westgate of Heavenly Hedgerows drinks near Bath will be leading a foraging adventure, which will include picking nettles – without getting stung – to make soup, and learning how to make wild berry cordial. Tickets are £10 to include a light lunch, hot chocolate and some fruit cordial.

Planning ahead . . . Bath Fireworks Display Bath Recreation Ground. Tickets on sale from Bath Building Society or Bath Rugby ticket office on Pulteney Bridge Saturday 2 November, gates open 6pm, fireworks at 7.30pm Tickets are now on sale for this year’s spectacular open air show – one of the most popular events on the city’s social calendar. Tickets are £5 adults, £3 children (in advance) and £6/£4 on the night. Money raised at this Bath Rotary Club organised event always goes to help local charities.

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Five-star spa hotel picks students’ art for walls Three students from Bath Spa University have been commissioned to produce a selection of artworks for the new five star Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel in Bath. Students Stefanie Clark (BA Fine Art), Agnese Matteini (MA Fine Art) and April George (BA Creative Arts) have been selected to produce artwork for the hotel’s restaurant, private dining room and reception room respectively. The hotel, which is owned by YTL Hotels, commissioned New

York-based Champalimaud Designs as its interior designer, who agreed to run a competition to give Bath Spa students the chance to create artwork for the hotel. The initial proposal included only one commission for the restaurant and five students were shortlisted to present their work to a 10-person panel. But the panel was so impressed with the students’ work, they decided to commission three students to produce three works of art.

Learn Polish ■ Languages in Bath is launching Polish for Beginners this autumn, a fun and practical introduction to the language, led by native Polish speaker Hanna, pictured. She will be teaching useful vocabulary for getting by in everyday situations on a visit to Poland and cultural insights. The school, which is based at St Gregory’s School near the Odd Down Park and Ride, also runs lessons in German, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese for beginners and for more advanced students. Hanna is also running classes for people who are learning English as an adult and want to improve their skills. Students will follow a structured course with clear and achievable goals. Visit: www.languagesinbath. co.uk, or tel: 07894 913322.

COMMISSIONED: work by Stefanie Clark Tickets are on sale for the Bath Young Musician of the Year 2013, a Mid-Somerset Festival event, being staged on Wednesday 6 November at 7.30pm, The Pump Room, Bath. Now in its 26th year, the competition features five young local musicians, all high achievers in the Mid-Somerset Festival. The five finalists are: Kirsty Chaplin, piano, Lizzie Daniels, violin, Matthew Davies, euphonium, Harriet Garner, soprano and Leah Long, cello. Oliver Sourbut, winner of Bath Young Musician 2012, will also perform. Many previous winners have gone on to enjoy successful careers in music. Tickets, £10 or £5 (18 and under) from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362 or visit: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk. For more details visit: www.midsomersetfestival.org.uk.

Choices for 14 – 19 year olds St Brendan’s Sixth Form College, City of Bristol and SGS, have got together with Bristol University, Bristol City Council, the National Apprenticeship Service and local employers to run a Careers Fair for Bristol and the surrounds on Tuesday 8 October, 5.30pm – 8pm, at the Council House,

Congratulations to King Edward’s School in Bath which College Green central Bristol. The has made it to the Sunday Times fair is for young people age 14-19 list of top 10 schools in the south west of England. KES was the and their parents to discover the only Bath school to feature in the options available to them. It is a group, which included some free event with representatives from apprenticeship organisations, selective grammar schools, several independent schools, and employers, FE colleges, sixth which was based on last year’s forms, and universities and there public exams results. will be talks on various topics.

Theatre schools build team work and confidence The Tracy King Theatre School in Grove Street takes children from the ages of six to 17 and teaches them how to sing, dance and act. Joining a drama group can give children the skills and confidence needed for the stage and screen, and for everyday life too. At the Grove Street sessions students learn a range of skills, including musical theatre and pop singing, drama and improvisation, jazz and street dance – with the option of taking Musical Theatre Trinity Exams. Students also take part in professional auditions and performances in theatres and at public events. Every term concludes with a performance with recent shows and projects including Annie, Fame, Seussical, and The Jungle Book. Students have also recorded a CD and are featured on the BBC Children In Need album performing with Lee Mead and Hayley Westenra. The school was established in 2001 and all staff are recognised specialist tutors from the performing arts world. To book a free trial session, visit: www.bathtkts.com or tel: 07990 527299. 72 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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● When the Curtain Up theatre school opened in Bath in 2003, brothers Thomas and Andrew Robertson were among the first youngsters who joined the Saturday workshops at St Gregory’s School. The pair attended weekly until Tom left to study drama at UWE leaving brother Andrew as a student. When Curtain Up was offered a leaving gift it decided the Tom Robertson Award for Commitment would be a fitting tribute, as Tom was always in his classes, ready and eager to learn. The award fits with the ethos of Curtain Up and will be presented to future students who show the same enthusiasm to learn as Tom Robertson always did in his classes.

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“An outstanding school”, Ofsted 2012

Oldfield School is a converter academy for boy and girls aged 11-18 We are a successful school and since 2004 designated as a High Performance Specialist School. We have three separate specilisms, Science, Art and Sport.

Year 6 Parents and Students are invited to make an appointment to visit SIXTH FORM INFORMATION EVENING - 6th November 6pm “This is an outstanding school. Students thrive in an environment that is highly conducive to excellent learning”. Ofsted 2012.

T: 01225 423582 • www.oldfieldschool.com

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THEBATHMAGAZINE THEBESTOFBATH PERFECTLYCOVERED BATHSBIGGESTMAGAZINE PERFECTLYDELIVERED TOADVERTISETEL: 01225 424499

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

OCTOBER 2013

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Beechen Cliff School is a thriving 11 – 16 boys’ school with a large mixed Sixth Form of 300 students. Set in a stunning location, the school has been the educational home to generations of children in Bath and beyond. Known not only for its excellent academic outcomes (78% 5A* - C 2013, top 20% nationally for value added), it is highly valued by parents and pupils for the extraordinary range of enriching extra curriculum opportunities. The core values of the school, aspiration, resilience, balance and compassion, underpin our work and help us to work with pupils to allow them to enhance their potential in later life. The huge level of investment in the buildings at the school has seen us create a learning environment of the very highest quality. The changes have allowed us to provide the best of traditional approaches in our impressive setting. We believe that there is no better place for a student to be educated and we invite prospective parents to take up the offer to visit us at our Open Evening. At Beechen Cliff the Sixth Form is highly rated - it is the ‘Flagship’ of the School setting the appropriate tone and offering an example which will inspire younger pupils in all areas of School life. Academically, Sixth Form students’ performance is very strong enabling the vast majority of students to go onto the universities of their choice. For example, last summer our pass rate was 99% with almost two thirds gaining grades between A* to B. Due to the size of the Sixth Form we are able to offer a very large number of A’ level qualifications and also accommodate the vast majority of subject combinations. Life in the Sixth Form extends well beyond the classroom. Sport, of course is legendary and here there are excellent opportunities both for young men and young women. In addition, there are numerous cultural opportunities – theatre visits, music, international work placements, Duke of Edinburgh debating, public speaking and so forth. The School is represented annually at the International Model United Nations. We see our Sixth Form students as leaders exercising responsibility in a variety of ways for the mutual benefit of students and school. It is a genuine community to which young people are very pleased and proud to belong. It is open to students of all abilities who are committed to their study, to the life of the Sixth Form and to Beechen Cliff as a whole.

BEECHEN CLIFF SCHOOL Headmaster: A Davies

Popular Co-Educational Sixth Form

“The sixth form provision is outstanding” Ofsted

6th Form Prospective Parents’ Evening Wednesday 6th November at 6.30pm Subject Information Evening Wednesday 13th November at 6pm

Large vibrant Sixth Form with excellent academic standards, new accommodation and boarding facilities

Exceptional extra-curricular opportunities Please view our Prospectus online: www.beechencliff.org.uk Alexandra Park, Bath BA2 4RE. Telephone: 01225 480466 Email: headmaster@beechencliff.org.uk

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FIT&FABULOUS

MAKING EYES

Dark nights provide a backdrop for this seasonʼs high drama in fashion and make-up – the look for October is opulent

4 3

What’s new . . . 1. This season chocolate is the new black: Bobbi Brown’s limited edition rich chocolate eye pallette, with seven 2

colours, a brush and built-in mirror, £39.50, from the counter in Jolly’s. . Tom Ford’s Fall Collection is now available in Jolly’s and Space NK in Bath. She Wolf eye pallette in three smouldering shades, £50. . Sisley’s fabulous Phyto Ombre glow collection for eyes is available in silver, pearl, amber or gold (pictured), £30, Jolly’s. . It’s all about seductive eyes, says designer Tom Ford of his new autumnal beauty collection, available in Jolly’s and Space NK. . Create smoky eyes with Bobbi Brown’s long wear cream shadow stick, £20, which can be used as a shadow or smudgy liner.

NEWS IN BRIEF

■ Proud Bath grandmother, journalist Bel Mooney, is the guest of honour officially opening the Bath Fertility Clinic on 11 October, which has recently moved from the Royal United Hospital in the city to a purposebuilt centre in Peasedown St John. Consultant David Walker, pictured here with his team of ‘angels’ has helped many couples over the years and has glowing testimonies from grateful patients. Bel’s daughter Kitty Dimbleby and her husband Ed became parents in 2012 thanks to treatment they received at the Bath Fertility Centre. It has the latest technology for IVF and ICSI treatments, offers complete confidentiality and a sympathetic ear for people at what can be a very stressful time.

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■ The Origins counter in Jolly’s will be among the brands supporting National Breast Cancer Awareness month throughout October, by donating £3 from the sale of every Drink Up Hydrating lip balm in Pink Guava, which retails at £16 for a 15ml tube. The lip balm is created using hydrating agents including ximenia Americana seed oil, jojoba oil and apricot kernel oil and nourishing ingredients including orange peel wax and wheat germ extract form a protective barrier while aloe vera helps soothe parched, dehydrated lips. ■ Also in Jolly’s, Bobbi Brown cosmetics is supporting Estée Lauder’s support of breast cancer awareness by selling a limited edition set featuring a Pink Ribbon embossed French Pink blush and mini face blender brush. Applied to the apples of the cheeks with the pink brush, French Pink blush gives a soft wash of colour that is fresh and pretty. Bobbi Brown will donate £5 from every sale of the £35 set.

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HEALTHCARE FEATURE

Aero-tone-ilates www.aero-tone-ilates.com s aerobic toning pilates £4.50

Royal High Junior School, Lansdown MONDAY 6.30pm-7.30pm St Luke’s Church Hall, Wellsway TUESDAY 10am-11am St. Stephen’s Church Hall, Lansdown THURSDAY 9.15am-10.15am St Bart’s Church Hall, Oldfield Park FRIDAY 10am-11am

Pilates Lansdown Grove Hotel, Lansdown mind-b o dy condit MONDAY 9.30am-10.30am ioning St Luke’s Church Hall, Wellsway TUESDAY 9.10am-10am £5.00 St Bart’s Church Hall, Oldfield Park FRIDAY 9.10am-10am

Walking Fit Club & Nordic Walking Classes 45 nt differe 1 hour walks

www.walkingfitclub.com MONDAY - 8.30am & 11am TUESDAY - 12 noon WEDNESDAY - 12 noon THURSDAY - 11.30am & 6.30pm FRIDAY - 12 noon & 2.00pm

walkingfitclub

01225 852634 • jane_braham@hotmail.com Jane is a qualified instructor in Nordic Walking and has 20 years experience & a Diploma to teach Fitness & Pilates

07866604341

Teeth Whitening

for Men & Women

UNDERSTANDING DENTAL IMPLANTS Despite the high standards of modern dental care, thousands of UK patients suffer tooth loss every year through injury, decay and gum disease. Historically, the only solutions for tooth loss were bridges and dentures. Today however, dental implants are becoming a far more common and accessible option. Implantology is the branch of dentistry that focuses on the replacement of a tooth root with a titanium pin, to secure a permanent or removable artificial tooth. We largely have pioneer in tooth replacement procedures Professor Brånemark to thank for the development of modern implantology. Today millions of Brånemark patented implants are carried out worldwide through the close collaboration of specialists in prosthodontics (dental prosthetics), oral surgery and periodontics (the branch of dentistry that studies supporting structures of teeth, diseases, and conditions that affect them). Whether a tooth needs to be replaced for eating, or for cosmetic reasons (usually front teeth), a range of materials can be used, including metal alloys, plastics and porcelains, depending on the circumstances. 20% of patients exhibit evidence of tooth grinding, which can suggest the use of stronger materials. The metal alloys available today can be matched to physical demands, whereas resins and porcelain materials achieve a more lifelike colour, but have a tendency to chip or break. Make sure you discuss the benefits and risks associated with different materials with your dentist to ensure the right choice for you. Tooth coloured restorations, porcelain veneers and crowns offer exceptional results when your dentist works closely with a dental ceramicist. A daylight environment is an absolute necessity for assessing and matching teeth colours. Even the colour of the walls of a surgery will influence the shade and colour of natural teeth, so drag your dentist outside if necessary!

October offer

£99 normally £199 £189 per couple

Implant procedures have become simpler over time, and these days any qualified dentist with an interest in offering implantology has the option to attend a postgraduate training programme to do so, without the necessity for specialist accreditation.

valid until 31st October 2013

The latest technology in teeth whitening used in America

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While minimum requirements for continued training are set out by the General Dental Council (GDC), as with any surgical procedure there are many potential complications, including infection, rejection and failure, which only a suitably trained dentist may notice. This issue is a little confusing because of the sheer number of dental surgeries advertising themselves as ‘Implant Clinics’ or ‘Implant Centres’, or offering ‘advanced restorative dentistry’ services. Play it safe – visit a specialist in restorative dentistry. Toby Talbot is one of Bath’s premier dental practitioners and a specialist restorative dentist with more than three decades of experience. He dedicates his time to caring for his patients at his Bath-based Talbot Clinic and educating the public on dentistry. Contact: Toby Talbot toby@talbotclinic.co.uk 01225 426 222 OCTOBER 2013

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do unwanted hair? Have you ever considered IPL Permanent Hair reduction? IPL Permanent Hair Reduction treatment is very effective for unwanted hair on the face and body

• Very safe • Very gentle • Very effective

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A course of 6 x chest or back treatments £399 80 THEBATHMAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2013

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Fit is the new thin The new body beautiful is inspired by the lean lines and muscle tone of our top athletes. Georgina Crawshaw has been trialling a group training programme in Bath that has great effects – but it’s not for the faint-hearted

ize zero is so last season. Sportswomen (and men) are the new body beautiful, which, as Bath based personal trainer Rob Suchet, owner of RJS Fitness in Larkhall, says: “It’s a far more realistic and healthy body image to aspire to.” While we can’t always justify the cost of a personal trainer to put us through our paces, High Performance Group Training (HPGT) – where you share the cost of a personal trainer – could be the answer. “We set up HPGT to fill a gap in the market,” said Rob, a former Royal Marine. “It gives you the benefits of a personal trainer and exclusive use of our fully-equipped studio, while exercising in a high-octane group environment.” It works out at £20 per hour and sessions run with a minimum instructor to client ratio of 1:4, although in my twice weekly class there is only me and two others. I couldn’t help being a little apprehensive at first. I had no idea what to expect and I was the only woman in the room – but I needn’t have worried. Trainer James Townsend wastes no time throwing us in at the deep end, and it’s surprising how quickly you form a bond under these conditions. From weighted squats to Spiderman press-ups, dead lifts to the dreaded sledge push each class is different, and James incorporates everything from dumbbells and kettlebells, to fitballs and tractor tyres in his routines. No chance of getting bored then. Sometimes classes are circuit based, sometimes we do reps simultaneously, and occasionally we take a drill in turns. But there’s one thing they all have in common. They’re bloomin’ hard work – and you certainly feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. This method of working out is about high quality training sessions rather than just a hard workout, James explains. “Individual performance is recorded each week, and monthly body fat measurements are also WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

included, so clients can see their improvements. It’s far more scientific and controlled than a boot camp session.” James might be a bit of a slave driver (and he seems to have eyes in the back of his head so don’t even think about slacking), but he also delivers encouragement in spades. He always explains the rationale behind each exercise and which muscle groups are being targeted. As well as a fair amount of healthy competition in the gym (the Top Gear inspired star in a reasonably priced car style rowing challenge complete with leader board is my favourite) we also enjoy regular socials. I’m not going to lie. HPGT is not for the faint-hearted. Expect to be red faced and breathless for most of the session. Sometimes I’ve woken up the following morning and barely been able to get out of bed – delayed onset muscle soreness, explains James. “Micro trauma in the muscle that results in rebuilding of muscle tissue in order to get stronger and grow.” The RJS boys also encourage the use of nutritional drinks and they practice what they preach – we don’t call them the gym Jedis for nothing. I need my weekly fix now as much as Popeye needs spinach. I’m a total gym convert thanks to HPGT. I could barely lift my own body weight when I started, now I can dead lift 90kg – one and a half of me! I managed my first chin-up a couple of weeks ago and have since progressed to the triple. My arms and legs are no longer sticks and everyone has noticed the difference in my physique. I’m not super ripped by any means, and I wouldn’t want to be, but now I’m trim and toned. I feel great too. An HPGT session doesn’t just fill you with endorphins – a dose of happy juice seems to be part and parcel of the programme too. ■ To find out more contact RJS fitness on tel: 01225 571255 or visit: www.rjsfitness.co.uk OCTOBER 2013

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WEEKENDbreak

A tribute to Mousehole Historic, unspoiled Mousehole – pronounced Mowzel – in Cornwall is an ideal destination for a short break, whatever the weather. Georgette McCready let the train take the strain and crossed the Tamar to explore this little corner of St Michael’s Bay

ou can travel the world and see sights like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco or the azure seas of the Greek Islands, but a simple train journey from Bath Spa station can deliver some jaw dropping beauties right here on our doorstep. It’s hard to beat the sight of Brunel’s magnificent Tamar Bridge which carries the trains from Devon over the border to Cornwall – with the ticket collector jokingly calling for passengers to have their passports ready – or the vision of St Michael’s Mount rising like an ethereal fairytale castle above the sea mists. During the summer, Cornwall is bustling with tourists, British and foreign, but go out of season and you’ll have space to enjoy this most beautiful of counties. Leave the worries of work behind as you board the train and head south west. Our destination for this particular weekend was an old family favourite, Mousehole, the small fishing harbour village just a couple of miles beyond Penzance. There are lots of reasons to visit Mousehole, not least that it’s a pretty and historic place largely unspoiled by the 21st century. Cottages spill down the hillside, higgledy-piggledy, and a community of cats, well nourished on fresh fish by the look of them, stalk the narrow lanes. It was The Mousehole Cat which first caused us to fall in love with this place. This charming picture book by Antonia Fraser is based on the true story of local fisherman Tom Bawcock, who braved the storms to venture out of the harbour with his nets to bring back a catch for the starving villagers. The tradition of baking Stargazy Pie, with the fish-heads poking out of the pastry, is still celebrated on Tom Bawcock’s Eve, 23 December and a procession of lights is held through the streets. To meet the modern day fishermen you’ve only got to step into the beamed and flagstoned bar of The Ship Inn, right in the middle of the harbour. They stand at the bar telling tales of broken winches, harbourside mishaps and sea rescues – dramas told first hand in the tradition of great storytelling. At the helm of The Ship is Melanie Matthews, who keeps locals and tourists happy with her ready smile. The kitchen turns out very good pub grub, from steak and chips to creamy fish pie and, of course, freshly caught 82 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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fish in the lightest of batters, with chips. Eat in the bar or the restaurant, which has sea views. The Ship is owned by the St Austell Brewery, which has pubs throughout Devon and Cornwall, but it has retained the old place’s character. Pictures of happy times past adorn the bar, as do the photographs of the crew of the ill-fated Solomon Browne Penlee Lifeboat, which in 1981 went down with all hands trying to rescue a cargo carrying coaster. The past is ever present in Mousehole. We were stopped in a wander by a bearded local – Cornishmen have the most startling blue eyes – who told us about Dolly Pentreath, the last woman to speak the Cornish language fluently, who died in 1771. Wasn’t she lonely with no one else to talk to, I asked? But it seemed Dolly could speak English, she just chose not to. He spoke about Dolly as though he had known her; that’s the way it is in a small community like this one. The Ship may be historic but its eight letting rooms have been recently and tastefully decorated with en suite facilities and the good news is that while you can go to sleep to the sound of the sea the jollification in the bar downstairs won’t disturb you. A word of warning about the breakfasts – you’ll need a good long walk to work them off. A full Cornish, comprising bacon, sausage, mushroom, beans, tomato, fried bread and two – yes two – eggs, accompanied by toast from a locally baked loaf, will set you up more than adequately for the day. Luckily for us there is one of the finest walks in the country from Mousehole’s harbour. Head up the hill to join the South West Coastal Path and enjoy the route to Lamorna Cove. It will exercise your lungs and your legs, as the path take you up and down, with some scrambling over rocks in places. On the morning in late summer when we set out, the sun was sparkling on the sea and the hedges were still full of wildflowers. We counted 33 different flowers along the way, from naturalised hardy fuchsia and monbretia to honeysuckle and convulvulous, reminding me of the childhood game of singing “Granny, Granny – hop out of bed!” as you squeeze the bottom of the white flower and out pops ‘granny’ in her

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WEEKENDbreak

Left: NATURAL BEAUTY: the harbour at Mousehole Inset, Stargazy Pie is baked on Tom Bawcock’s Eve in the village CENTRE STAGE: left to right, the view from Room 3 at The Ship Inn, an illustration from The Mousehole Cat by Antonia Fraser, and the exterior of The Ship on Mousehole’s harbourside

out of bed!” as you squeeze the bottom of the white flower and out pops ‘granny’ in her diaphanous white nightie. We passed Spaniard Point, where in 1595 a raiding party of 400 Spaniards came ashore and duly ransacked the local villages, setting fire to houses in Mousehole. A while later you round the headland, and there is Lamorna Cove, as pretty as a postcard and on the day we visited, with the clearest, bluest sea you could wish for. If you don’t have a fresh baked pasty in your backpack, as we did, you could stop and enjoy a Newlyn crab sandwich at the café before making your way up the lane to follow the footpaths inland back to Mousehole. A walk like this makes you glad to be alive. On our Sunday train journey home we played a hotly contested game of Scrabble while the south coast of Devon slipped past the windows. We quite fancy visiting Teignmouth another time, scene of a French invasion in the 17th century. We may let the train take the strain for that trip too. ■

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Fact File Mid-week breaks at The Ship Inn, Mousehole, from £70 per room, with breakfast,until the end of October. Winter breaks from £60 a night, visit: www.shipinnmousehole.co.uk tel: 01736 731234. For trains to Penzance, visit: www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk. Return tickets from Bath, from £70. St Austell Brewery has 170 pubs in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. The family business, established in 1851, produces a range of bitters and lagers. Tribute is its best selling brand. Visit: www.staustellbrewery.co.uk.

OCTOBER 2013

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CITYheritage

At home with the Georgians Historian Cathryn Spence, a trustee of the Bath Preservation Trust, looks at the £5m restoration of its flagship museum, Number One Royal Crescent and how the newly refurbished building will bring us closer to understanding life in the 18th century

he mischievous clouds over Bath on the morning of 21 June kept us guessing as we gathered outside No.1 Royal Crescent, but as the children from St Andrew’s Primary School joined Mary Berry, Julia Sawalha, Rory Bremner and “Henry Sandford” the sun came out and seemed to revel in our collective moment of glory. This was the grand opening of the enlarged No.1 Royal Crescent, a £5 million project that had taken seven years from Chairman Edward Bayntun-Coward’s first – to my mind, very ambitious – aspiration to find a benefactor to help Bath Preservation Trust reunite its flagship museum with its purposebuilt domestic wing. At the time I was an employee and thought the scheme was hair-brained at best; I’ve since become a trustee and have relished the experience of working with such a professional team of individuals from the permanent staff, to those brought in specifically for the project, the consultants, architects, researchers, volunteers, contractors, trustees and our legion of supporters. No.1 Royal Crescent, given to the Bath Preservation Trust in 1968 by Bernard Cayzer, has proved more successful than anyone could have imagined since it opened as a museum in 1970. The income generated from visitors to this unique interpretation of life 200 years ago on the world’s most famous crescent, has helped support the work the Trust has done, and continues to do, to preserve Bath now and for future generations. Despite its success No.1 was only ever able to tell half the story, its domestic wing had been sold off separately and for the past 40 years was a private residence. The Whole Story project to reunite the main house with the ‘below stairs’ narrative is based around No.1’s first resident, Henry Sandford a retired MP from Ireland who lived at this address for 20 years from 1776. Other residents are explored in the current exhibition Crescent: Residents and Restorations, 84 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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COMING HOME: main picture, the kitchen at No 1 Royal Crescent, looking as if the 18th century cook has just popped out Inset, Bathonian and British Bake Off judge Mary Berry with Bath resident Julia Sawalha at the official opening of the newly refurbished museum this summer

which runs until 8 December. Both the museum’s story and the exhibition are the result of the extensive research undertaken on the history of No.1. A very detailed description of the property that appeared in The Bath Chronicle in 1772, for instance, provided a wealth of information, as did the discovery of Sandford’s Commonplace Book (held at the National Library of Ireland). From this personal record the project team were able to add layers of interpretation including the first purposeful acquisition for The Whole Story, a late 18th century pocket refracting telescope made by Jesse Ramsden of London. It is now on display in the Gentleman’s Retreat, one of the six new rooms added to the visitor route. From the Commonplace Book we learnt that Sandford was interested in science, astronomy, travel, had a cabinet of curiosities, imported wine from Ireland and took an active part in Bath’s social life. Since the museum first opened in 1970 scholarship and appreciation of the 18th century has burgeoned. The Whole

Opposite page: main picture, the newly restored ‘bookend’ of the Royal Crescent Left to right, gaining an insight into every day Georgian life, with Henry Sandford’s study and the housekeeper’s room

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Story project has provided an opportunity to showcase this more extensive knowledge of how houses were decorated, furnished and how they functioned in the late 1700s. Advances in museology and interpretation have also been embraced, but the rooms are not full of temperamental interactivities. No.1 has retained its welcoming and knowledgeable volunteer room guides, for those who don’t like to talk there are handouts and a room-byroom guidebook. The architect, Andrew Henderson of Simon Morray-Jones, a Bath based practice, has spoken about the importance of these room guides in saving the authenticity of the interior setting. Building Control waived the requirement to have modern, bright green fire exit signs because there is always a staff member close at hand to guide visitors out in an emergency. Other details, such as the light switches hidden behind candle boxes and lighting provided just by wall lamps, rather than spot lights or tracking allow the visitor to be drawn in to the lifestyle of Henry Sandford. This fantasy is further enhanced by the welcome at the front door by a costumed housekeeper. All the administrative functions, initial orientation and shop have been moved to 1A allowing for as authentic an experience as possible within the main house. After visiting the sumptuous rooms occupied by Sandford the visitor is led downstairs to the housekeeper’s room, the scullery, kitchen and servants’ corridors; these will undoubtedly prove to be the most popular spaces for visitors. A number of original features have been brought back to life, but there are also some ingenious tricks allowing for Georgian cooking demonstrations. To convert 1A back from being a domestic home and provide the spaces the museum required took vision and fortitude. Fortunately the generosity of Andrew Brownsword did not stop at buying the property, his charitable trust also paid for the restoration of the building. This included the reinstatement of the Venetian windows on the east and south sides – personally the project

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has been worth it just to see this once ‘blind’ building retake its position as the architectural pause at the end of Brock Street, before the magnificent sweep of the Crescent. For Adrian Tinniswood, historian and chair of the Museums and Education Committee for Bath Preservation Trust: “a visit to No. 1 was a fabulous way to experience Georgian Bath” even before the project began. “Now, thanks to a lot of imagination, generosity and sheer hard work, the house brings Jane Austen’s England to life. Walk through that front door and you step into the Age of Elegance.” ■ No.1 Royal Crescent is open Tuesday – Sunday 10.30am – 5.30pm and Monday 12pm – 5.30pm. Admission, adults £8.50, seniors (65+) £6.50, children (6-16) £3.50, family (2 adults, up to four children), Bath Preservation Trust Members, free. There is a 30% discount with a B&NES Discovery Card and free during Heritage Open Week, 26 October – 3 November.

A taste of the 18th century

Events at No. 1 in October:

Wednesday 9 October, 6.30pm, No. 1 Royal Crescent: Recreating a Georgian Feast. Leading food historian Peter Brears will give a talk on how 18th century dining has helped transform the dining table and kitchens of No. 1 Royal Crescent. Tickets £8. Tuesday 15 October, 7pm, The Great British Pudding Banquet (part of The Great Bath Feast) Indulge in puddings inspired by 18th century recipes while enjoying a talk from Bath food historian Jean Seymour. To book Kate Rogers, tel: 01225 428126, email: krogers@bptrust.org.uk. Tickets £18.

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The master suite occupies the entire second floor, with a bedroom, bathroom, separate cloakroom and generous dressing room. The other five bedrooms and three more bathrooms are found at lower ground floor level and up on the third floor. Conveniently the ground floor kitchen is next to the dining room and there’s a second sitting room on this floor too, while the master – or mistress – of the house, can tuck themselves away to work behind the grand drawing room in a study on the first floor. The house also has useful vaults underneath and is a healthy one-mile bike ride, or walk, from Bath Spa Station. Many of the rooms face south, bringing natural light into the house and the view from the freestanding bath in the master suite must arguably be one of the best views that one could enjoy from a bath anywhere in the city. The agent for No 1 Lansdown Terrace is Knight Frank, tel: 01225 325999. The guide price is £1,395,000. ■

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AUTUMNcolour

Forests of fire Jane Moore is enjoying the warmth of the autumn colours with a stroll through the woods – but says if you want fiery foliage in your own garden you can’t beat a cotinus shrub

t has been a fabulous summer – a proper summer, following on from a decidedly cold winter and a definite spring. I’m feeling that all is right with the world, the seasons are following the correct order and it’s high time for leaf fall. All in all, I’m quite happy to embrace autumn now that we’ve had some sun and, what’s more, all my horticultural instincts are telling me it’s going to be a lovely one. As our dear editor rightly suggested, autumn colours are all to do “with sugars and things.” Fundamentally the plant needs to have made enough of these through the season and they need to be drawn back from the leaves with the correct triggers of lessening day length and colder temperatures to produce the blistering autumn colours we so love. So far, all the auspices look set for a brilliant autumn, although you never can tell. Wind, rain and unseasonable warmth can throw everything off course. If you’re planning an outing to an arboretum near you keep an eye on your own garden or the nearest park to gauge the best time to set off. Usually the key time is the third week of October, although I have known it stretch into November before now. It’s also looking likely that this season will be a very fruitful one after the glorious summer. All those lovely rowans and spindles, hawthorns and crab apples should be studded with bunches of brilliant fruits, making sure the birds have a good season too. I have a few plants that I regard as my autumnal indicators – important for both correctly timing my autumn ambles and for ensuring the colour is good enough to warrant an expedition. You won’t be surprised to learn that these plants are also some of my favourite autumn blazers in the Priory garden and they’re worth making room for in your own garden. The large leaves of Japanese cherries always go flaming shades in autumn but some are better than others. For example, one of my favourite flowerers, the great white cherry Tai Haku, is a wonder in the spring but reliably goes a pleasing but 88 THEBATHMAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2013

unremarkable golden yellow in autumn. Shirotae, on the other hand, is also a brilliant bloomer but also burns with fiery shades of orange and gold most Octobers. But the fieriest cherry of them all is prunus sargentii which turns a blazing scarlet, suddenly demanding attention in its corner of the garden. In a good autumn season, the smoke bush or cotinus dotted throughout the garden also start screaming ‘look at me’ from late September onwards. We have a National Collection of these show stopping shrubs and, I know I’m biased, but it surprises me that they are so underrated. If you haven’t room for a tree find space for a cotinus and you won’t regret it. They’re all good for autumn colour but Grace and Flame are truly stunning with bold blazing foliage all the colours of fire. For the smaller garden look for the dainty Young Lady with its smaller habit and leaves, although it’s worth remembering that you can prune cotinus hard, almost cutting it back to a framework and it will cope surprisingly well. The classic autumn indicator has to be the Japanese maple, available in all sorts of sizes and with an accompanying range of price tags. These are not for the faint hearted gardener as they can be tricky to establish and to place in the right spot. They especially don’t appreciate cold winds or, in fact, any wind at all but they do turn wondrous colours in the autumn. It’s best to start small with one in a pot so you can move it easily if it looks frazzled. My advice is to leave the true spectacle of autumn acers to places like Westonbirt and Batsford Arboretum. Having established that the autumn is looking promising it’s a question of deciding where best to go to see the colours. A hop and skip down the road is arguably the finest arboretum in the country at Westonbirt. Famous for its groves of Japanese, these number a staggering 2,000 specimens and 300 maple cultivars. Besides these there are cherries, euonymus and the golden yellow hickories. Perhaps the most stunning to my mind is the parrotia persica which is as statuesque a tree as the great Cedar of

IT’S ALL IN THE SUGAR: main picture, Westonbirt’s fabulous collection of Japanese trees and shrubs Inset, the Pantone colours matched to the shades of autumn leaves NATURAL BEAUTIES: opposite: left, the delicate leaves of a maple and, right, one of the groves at Westonbirt PICTURES: tree photographs courtesy of Paul Groom

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AUTUMNcolour

Lebanon at the Priory but, unlike the evergreen cedar the ironwood tree is on fire in autumn. And Westonbirt has 50 of them. You could also take a trip further into the Cotswolds to Batsford Arboretum, winner of the Cotswold Tourism Awards Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2013 and home to the country’s largest private collection of trees and shrubs. Not only does Batsford hold the National Collection of Japanese flowering cherries providing a mass of spring blossom and, of course, autumn colour but the arboretum is also home to an impressive array of acers and rowans. That sounds like all the ingredients for a spectacular autumn show – now all we need is for the weather to behave. ■ Jane Moore is the head gardener at the award-winning gardens of the Bath Priory Hotel. Follow her on Twitter @janethegardener.

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Great tree collections to visit

● Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QS. Open: 9am, Monday – Friday, all year round: 8am, Saturday and Sunday, all year round. Closing: 6pm, 1 September to 31 March. Admission: adults £9; concessions £8; children £4. Tel: 01666 880220 ● Batsford Arboretum and Garden Centre, Batsford, Moreton-inMarsh, Gloucestershire GL56 9QB (SatNav GL56 9AB) Open: Every day 10am to 5pm. Admission: adults £7; concessions £6; children (4-15) £3; family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) £17. Web: www.batsarb.co.uk Tel: 01386 701441

OCTOBER 2013

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Electricians

House & Home

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

ONEMAGAZINEONECITYONEMONTH

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Specialist Vehicle Services

OCTOBER 2013

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PROPERTYin FOCUS

rook House is a charming detached country home believed to originate from around 1720. The house is situated on the edge of Biddestone, winner in recent years of the ‘Best Kept Wiltshire Village’ title. The property has been restored and extended by the current owner to enhance the original charm of the building and to make the most of its period features. These include robust beamed ceilings, fireplaces and mullioned windows. There is beautiful flooring and French oak doors throughout the ground floor. At the heart of the house is the homely kitchen complete with large breakfast bar and Aga. The light and airy orangery has under floor heating allowing year-round enjoyment of the south facing garden. On the first floor there are five good bedrooms two with en suite bath/shower rooms and there is a large, period style family bathroom. The ground total almost three acres and include delightful wrap-around gardens with orchard trees, a meadow and a tennis court. Parking is provided by a double carport. This wonderful family home offers an appealing combination of historic charm, character and comfortable modern living. An appointment to view and full particulars are available from Bath estate agents Pritchards. Pritchards, 11 Quiet Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 466225

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

BROOK HOUSE BIDDESTONE • Desirable village location • Five bedrooms • Extensive grounds • Tennis court • Character and charm • Modern family living

Guide Price: £1.55 million OCTOBER 2013

THEBATHMAGAZINE 93

pritchard-partners.co.uk

Bloomfield Crescent

Price: ÂŁ1.325 million

An elegant & charming 5 bed G II* Listed Georgian townhouse forming part of a secluded terrace with unrivalled views. Coach House including garaging. Summer House. Total int area: 3127 sq ft/290 sq m. Kitchen/breakfast room, 3 receptions, utility, 4 bedrooms including master en suite, dressing rm/study/bed 5, 2 bath/shower rooms, 2 cloakrooms & study. Extensive & beautiful, SW facing landscaped gardens. Ample parking.

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pritchard-partners.co.uk

Marshfield High Street

Price: ÂŁ795,000

An impressive double fronted Grade II Listed Village house with an attractive level walled garden retaining a great deal of character and wonderful room proportions in the heart of this desirable village, 8 miles North of Bath. Primarily arranged over three floors with well presented accommodation. Principal bedroom with fantastic walk in dressing room & en suite shower room, 4 further bedrooms, top floor reception area/playroom, additional en suite shower room & additional bathroom, sitting room, living room, superb handmade and particularly well fitted French oak kitchen/dining room, utility room & cloakroom. Cellar. Garage.

11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

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Tel: 01225 466 225

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Belcombe Road, Bradford-on-Avon. £695,000

W E N

Impeccably situated on the very western fringes of town. We find attractive walks to the town centre’s shops & station and beautiful countryside walks to Avoncliffe. A highly sought after spot. Great reception space including two sitting rooms one leading to the conservatory. There is a fashionably lengthy kitchen family room opening onto the sun terrace – perfect for morning coffee, afternoon tea or an evening glass of something. Utility, cloaks and shower room. Four bedrooms, three with a sylvan outlook to the front of the house. The plot is reassuringly deep. A winding drive leads up to the house with parking and garage. The large rear garden is mostly lawned and gently sloped. We find beautiful trees, and another terrace. A rare opportunity in a very good location. Recommended viewing.

Winsley Hill, Limpley Stoke Valley. £595,000

W NE

South Woodlands is a detached former coach house set along a leafy lane off Winsley Hill between Bath and Bradford-on-Avon. Village pub, shop, school and amenities are available at Winsley. This individual period home offers very comfortable accommodation and a fun plot including an impressive office or studio in the garden. Space for gardeners, kids and lazy loungers alike. Internally we find a well proportioned sitting room with fireplace and separate dining room. The first floor has a broad landing, and three double bedrooms plus a smart bathroom. The master bedroom even has an attractive wrought iron bridge leading to the garden level at the rear; ideal for morning coffee in the fresh air! Essential viewing material for a variety of buyers.

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

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Lansdown Terrace This superb Grade II listed townhouse has beautifully proportioned rooms which have been carefully and sympathetically decorated by the current owners to a very high standard. Whilst the principle reception rooms give off a distinct feeling of grandeur, the house manages to retain a comfortable homely feel.

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Queens Parade, Bath

ÂŁ2,500 pcm

This immaculate two bedroom apartment is ideally located just moments away from the city centre. Situated on the lower level of this Grade II Listed Georgian townhouse this stunning apartment is light, spacious and has been finished to a beautiful standard. The open plan living/dining space leads into the well fitted modern kitchen and out to the fabulous walled garden, designed with atmospheric lighting to create a wonderful entertaining space. There are two good sized bedrooms, two bathrooms and the property is furnished beautifully throughout. Two Bedrooms | Two Bathrooms | Open Plan Living Space | Walled Garden | Central Location | Fully Furnished

Bath Office

Sales. 01225 312244 | Lettings 01225 445646

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Fidelis

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Residential Sales & Lettings

01225 421000 wwww.fidelisproperties.co.uk

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Fidelis

Residential Sales & Lettings

Midford Road

01225 421000 wwww.fidelisproperties.co.uk

£495,000

Midford

OIRO £550,000

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Email: info@fidelisproperties.co.uk

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k Mar r o l y a N

GREEN LANE, HINTON CHARTERHOUSE

ÂŁ450,000

An imposing Georgian townhouse in the heart of this popular Village just south of Bath. Grade II listed and enjoying spacious accommodation over 3 storeys. Charming south facing gardens, all make this property a must to inspect. Hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, cellar, 4 bedrooms, bathroom and shower room. Private enclosed gardens. Approximate gross internal floor area: 1,655 square feet /154 square metres.

FROME ROAD, BECKINGTON

ÂŁ399,950

This large and spacious detached home is set in the heart of this popular village. Superb country location and only a short distance from Bath. Highly recommended. Porch, hall, large sitting room, conservatory, kitchen, study/dining room, master bedroom (with en-suite shower room), 2 further double bedrooms and family bathroom with spa bath. Private manageable gardens, garage. Approximate gross internal floor area: 1,540 square feet /143 square metres.

1 Hayes Place, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 4QW

01225 422 224

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IVY BANK PARK

ÂŁ450,000

This great 1970s house has got scope for improvement and extensions if required. Absolutely fabulous westerly views which are worth the purchase on its own! Split level hallway and landings, large sitting room with balcony, separate dining room, kitchen, utility room, cloakroom/shower room, 3/4 bedrooms and family bathroom. Well established gardens, garage and car port. Approximate. gross internal floor area: 1,450 square feet /135 square metres.

KIPLING AVENUE

ÂŁ445,000

This freshly redecorated Edwardian home is certainly recommended. Wonderful tree lined location, only a short downhill stroll to Bath's City Centre and Railway Station. Entrance vestibule, hallway, sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility cupboard, 3 bedrooms and bathroom. Front and rear gardens. Approximate gross internal floor area: 1,330 square feet /124 square metres.

www.mark-naylor.com

email: homes@mark-naylor.com

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Widcombe Guide Price ÂŁ875,000 This impressive four bedroom semi detached Victorian family home has fine period features and is arranged across four floors. It benefits from an enclosed rear garden, with parking and garaging which is such a rare commodity especially in houses so close to the city. Approximate gross sq.ft. 2,196. EPC:E

Widcombe Guide Price ÂŁ850,000 This modern five bedroom home is situated in a leafy cul-de-sac on Prior Park Road and within walking distance of Bath City Centre. The spacious interior has open plan living as well as a separate dining room and study and is complemented by gardens to the front and back. Approximate gross sq.ft. 1,797. EPC:D

Bath Office

Sales. 01225 312244 | Lettings 01225 445646

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Upton Cheyney Guide Price £1.4m This stunning Grade II Listed five bedroom gabled home is located in the beautiful village of Upton Cheyney. The house stands in a wonderful acre garden and offers access to Bath’s excellent schools as well as easy access to Junction 18 of the M4. A tranquil yet practical location. Approximate gross sq.ft. 3,130.

Englishcombe Guide Price £695,000 This stunning detached cottage is located in an idyllic location in the rural village of Englishcombe. Having been thoughtfully refurbished to a high standard there are many charming features enhanced by a modern finish with versatile layout of three bedrooms with en-suite and family bathrooms. Approximate gross sq.ft. 2,024. EPC:D

Bath Office

Sales. 01225 312244 | Lettings 01225 445646

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Corsham The Garden House is a secret property, with the house set well back behind wrought iron gates, opening onto a beautiful courtyard. It is intriguing and totally unique.The building is more than 100 years old.You would never guess that the property was a commercial building in a different lifetime.The courtyard behind the double doors that open on to the street was once the workshop. Behind the wrought iron gates there is an inner courtyard with the front door into the house. Inside it is open plan and just flows through to the conservatory at the rear and the walled garden beyond.The garden is full of Italian flowers, statues, interesting terraces, and pergolas. “Our home is a great party house, and we have enjoyed some very happy times

here over the years.We can sit 16 around the table in the conservatory and in warm weather we open all the doors to bring the outside in. Our visitors are always surprised by the space and in winter the lounge is warm and cosy with the logs glowing in the burner. It is so peaceful and quiet, because although it is located in the High Street, the house is well away from the main thoroughfare.”

“We are so proud of The Garden House and it brings us pleasure to know that whoever takes up residence here will be living in a very special home.”

THE GARDEN HOUSE 3000 SQUARE FOOT • 4 BEDROOMS • 3 EN-SUITE • 3 RECEPTION ROOMS • OFF STREET PARKING • CHARMING GARDENS • EPC rating: C

Contact: 01225 320032

£825,000

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Mells Stoneleigh is a fine four double bedroom period house located in the sought after village of Mells. Dating back to the 18th century, the property is well presented throughout and offers accommodation comprising of the following; entrance hall, kitchen/breakfast room, living/dining room, downstairs W.C, utility room, four double bedrooms, family bathroom and en-suite shower room. Outside there is a gravel gated driveway, garage and gardens and the property also benefits from far reaching views over countryside and the village of Mells. A well-proportioned, spacious house, built of local stone in the 18th century. In good structural condition, set in an outstanding location with a fabulous outlook. Various renovations has taken

place, including new bathrooms a kitchen/breakfast room, the creation of a fourth bedroom and new windows throughout. Included in the flexible accommodation is a spacious hall which can be used as a study area, or for dining, and a double aspect sitting room. There is also the addition of a utility/boot room.

“We have loved everything about this village and our home, our family being born whilst living here, the many friends we have made and will take away so many happy memories.”

STONELEIGH DETACHED PERIOD HOUSE • 4 DOUBLE BEDROOMS • LIVING/ DINING ROOM • KITCHEN/BREAKFAST ROOM * VIEWS OVER MELLS AND BEYOND • GARAGE AND GATED DRIVEWAY • EPC rating = E

Contact: 01225 320032

£695,000

Paragon

Offers in Excess of ÂŁ330,000

Grade II | Georgian Apartment | Four bedrooms | Large kitchen | Private rear garden | Investment opportunity | City centre | Highly recommended This is a fantastic opportunity for INVESTORS or those looking for a project. This would make a sizeable family home with a super private garden. Alternatively the current owners have successfully rented out all the rooms to professionals and students alike. Consisting: Sitting room, four bedrooms, a bathroom, shower room and separate WC, a large kitchen opening onto the rear garden. Great location and a short level walk into the Centre of the City. One certainly to be seen and an opportunity not to be missed..

Green Park

Offers in Excess of ÂŁ280,000

Georgian apartment | Grade II Listed | Elegant living | Period features | Stylish kitchen | Luxury bathroom | Central location | Highly recommended A fabulous first floor Georgian apartment located in the highly desirable Green Park. This beautifully presented apartment has accommodation on the principle floors of this Grade II listed building comprising: spacious drawing room with feature fireplace, ornate and detailed cornice and twin sash window overlooking Green Park, a fully equipped kitchen with integrated appliances and dining area, double bedroom with period fireplace and detailed cornice and luxury bathroom with stylish travertine tiled walls and floor. A quality apartment that will generate considerable interest.

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Philip Street

Offers in Excess of ÂŁ320,000

City Centre location | Contemporary apartment | Stylish interiors | Two double bedrooms | Lift access | Close to the station | Viewing highly recommended This is a fabulous opportunity to purchase a contemporary apartment in the centre of the City. The apartment has two large double bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a spacious open plan sitting room/kitchen. The property benefits from a central lift as it is located on the top floor providing views and is also one of the largest within the development. The apartment is ideal for stylish living and is located very close to all amenities including both railway and bus stations, restaurants, shopping and theatres.

Grosvenor Place

Offers in Excess of ÂŁ250,000

Georgian apartment | Grade I listed | Two bedrooms | Spacious | Beautifully presented | Modern kitchen | Communal garden | Off street parking Located within walking distance of the City Centre. With the canal just a five minute walk away and close proximity to the popular area of Larkhall, this property would make an ideal home. The accommodation consists: elegant sitting room with views towards the garden, modern kitchen, master bedroom with ornate cornicing and ceiling rose, second double bedroom and a small study. Externally there is direct access on to a large, well maintained garden and a small courtyard to the front. The apartment further benefits from private off street parking.

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St James’s Square

£1200 pcm

Unfurnished or Part furnished | Georgian | One bedroom | Light and Airy | Sought after location | Council Tax Band D | Available Now This one bedroom apartment which has been fully renovated in recent years to an exceptionally high standard. The accommodation comprises a drawing room with views over St James’s Square, quality kitchen, double bedroom and luxury bathroom. To the rear there is also a small south facing terrace. Unfurnished or part furnished, available immediately.

Queen’s Parade

£1000 pcm

Georgian | Two bedrooms | Spacious | City Centre location | Council tax band D | Part furnished | Available now A beautifully presented two bedroomed apartment in a fabulous location in the heart of the City. The accommodation comprises: sitting room with original ornate fireplace, modern and spacious kitchen, luxury bathroom and two double bedrooms. Part furnished. Available immediately

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Beaumont House

ÂŁ950 pcm

Stylish apartment | Stunning views | Off road parking | No pets | Desirable location | Unfurnished | Available Now A stylish two bedroom second floor apartment located in a prime residential area on the Northern slopes of the city - opposite the Royal High School. The accommodation comprises large living room, superb fitted kitchen with integrated appliances and granite work surfaces, two double bedrooms and luxury bathroom. Externally there are communal grounds and an allocated parking space. Completed to a high specification this apartment is sure to generate considerable interest. Unfurnished. Available Now.

Springfield Place

ÂŁ760 pcm

One bedroom | Spacious accommodation | Parking space available | No pets allowed | Council Tax Band C | Furnished | Available immediately This is a very well presented one double bedroom apartment located in the highly desirable and convenient area of Lansdown. Being spacious and bright this apartment will be a most welcoming home. Furnished. Available immediately.

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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WinterWarmer_FP Bath:WinterWarmer_FP_Advert.qxd

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

Terms & Conditions apply - contact showroom for details.

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