The Bath Magazine February 2018

Bath_Mag_Cover_FEB2.qxp_Layout 1 24/01/2018 17:12 Page 1

thebathmag.co.uk

ISSUE 185 ♥ FEBRUARY 2018 £3.95 where sold

LET US ENTERTAIN YOU KNEES-UP: A HISTORY OF BATH’S LOVE OF LEISURE

NOISES OFF: RESTAURANTS FOR QUIET ROMANTICS

GO EXPLORING: SOMERSET’S COOLEST SEASIDE TOWN

HAPPY KIDS: GREAT FAMILYFRIENDLY IDEAS FOR PARENTS

INTERIORS: IMPRESS YOUR GUESTS WITH WOW FACTOR

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

Isle of Scilly Travel fp.qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2018 15:50 Page 1

Clearglaze fp.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:01 Page 1

Boniti DPS FEB 18.qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2018 15:52 Page 1

Boniti DPS FEB 18.qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2018 15:53 Page 2

Contents Feb.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 11:59 Page 1

44

60

82

Contents February 2018 5 THINGS

.......................................................................

10

........................................................................

12

....................

22

Sarah Ball discovers the gems of Clevedon

WHAT’S ON

THE BARBERSHOP SCENE

..........................................

28

Our guide to the top events happening around the city

LITTLE BATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 IT’S PARTY TIME

...........................................................

80

Magicians, science labs and pizza parties – Jessica Gage tracks down the best kids parties in town

.......................................................

38 BRILLIANT BOLT HOLES

A snapshot look at the line-up of this year’s Bath Festival

............................................

ART FOR ART’S SAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Vishaka Robinson seeks out the best romantic escapes within hitting distance of Bath

Original pieces from the city’s galleries

THE WALK

ENTERTAINING BATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

....................................................................

82

90

A ramble through Englishcombe’s past

GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

A closer look at Victoria Art Gallery’s latest exhibition

HOUSE OF CARDS

62

Sophie Woodrow of Sleepy Doe picks her family favourites

....................................................................

FESTIVAL TEASER

60

Crystal Rose meets the brains behind stylish 1950s-style salon Fine and Dandy in Widcombe

Sophia Clifford-Sanghad, owner of Bath Holistic Massage

SOMERSET’S COOLEST SEASIDE TOWN

.....................................................

The man behind The Colombian Company’s first café

Your essential events to look forward to this month

MY BATH

THE COFFEE GURU

.........................................................

46

Catherine Pitt looks back at the colourful history of gaming in Bath

It’s time to dust off your gardening gloves says Jane Moore

HOT PROPERTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 The finest homes to buy or rent

SNAPSHOT OF THE PAST

.............................................

48

A look at Di Cole’s collection of historic postcards of Bath

LISTEN TO LOVE

.........................................................

56

Melissa Blease goes in search of the best intimate restaurants for whispering sweet nothings

Even more great content and updates online: thebathmag.co.uk

6 TheBATHMagazine

|

FebrUarY 2018

|

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

iSSUe 185

ON THE COVER

Arguably the most recognisable face around Bath, Martin from the Jane Austen Centre has been shortlisted for VisitEngland’s national Tourism Superstar Award. Vote for him on the Daily Mirror website before 14 March. © Visit England/Jane Austen Centre/Luke Rogers

Like us: Facebook.com/ thebathmagazine

Follow us on Instagram @thebathmagazine

TR Hayes Sale.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:03 Page 1

Editors Letter febv3.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:15 Page 1

LIFE IN PICTURES

from the EDITOR

W

ith January (and some truly hideous weather) behind us, February holds the promise of bright spring days and new beginnings. It’s also the perfect time for planning the year ahead. Start by booking tickets for this year’s Bath Festival (there are more than 160 events planned), before flipping forward to Jane Moore’s brilliant garden to-do list, Get Set For Spring on page 98.

We’re also in a deliciously decadent party mood. Jessica Hope has the scoop on the new Entertainment in Bath exhibition at Victoria Art Gallery, which unveils the city’s raucous and sometimes seedy past; on page 46, Catherine Pitt unpicks the history of gambling in the city in House of Cards (did you know that Bathonians loved nothing more than taking bets on sedan chair races and whistling matches in the 1700s?); and events producer Jessica Gage rounds-up the best professionals for children’s celebrations for Let’s Party! on page 80. For a home that’s worthy of indulgent soirées look no further than the design advice of Jo Berryman, an interiors guru who has just upped sticks from London to Frome. Read all about her laidback decorating tips on page 92.

With spring on the horizon we’re plotting adventures far and wide. Taking a road trip to Clevedon with photographer Kym Grimshaw – who took the gorgeous shot above – to search out the best this stylish little town has to offer (discover its art deco cinema, cool interiors shops and where to buy the best rocky road in Somerset on page 22). If you’re plotting an overnight escape turn to page 82 to read about three of the most divine boltholes – all less than an hour away from Bath.

There’s also a bumper nine-page family section this month (I have two girls under five so need all the entertainment ideas I can get). Read all about new kids’ fashion opening Happyology, get a masterclass in taking better family photos and much, much more – did you know the café at The egg has just reopened with a three-metrewide sandpit and now does prosecco by the glass? I’ll high-five to that!

Vishaka Robinson, Guest Editor

When it comes to spas and spectacular suppers no one does it better than The Gainsborough Bath Spa – the five-star hotel recently picked up the prize for Best Hotel in the UK at the Condé Nast Traveller Awards. I’m coveting their Time Together Valentine’s package: a couple’s treat that includes 90 minutes in the bath house, a 30-minute massage, plus a choice of either a two-course lunch or afternoon tea, all for £250. Call 01225 355320 to book. Here the hotel shows us behind the scenes.

You’ll find it on Instagram: @thegainsboroughbathspa The spa village is fed by thermal springs and has 11 treatment rooms plus traditional and infrared saunas

Head Chef Dan Moon’s salmon, beetroot, quinoa and horseradish dish is a feast for all the senses

The cool lavender ice chamber in the spa village

The dramatic staircase at the Gainsborough goes up six floors and was formerly a lift shaft

PS Last month I was a bit gloomy at the news that the Cleveland Pools restoration campaign had shuttered. But – hurrah! – we’re now told that the battle is far from over and the team are working with B&NES and the Heritage Lottery Fund to push through approval (expect a crowd-funding campaign later in the year to get them over the fundraising finish line). The next bee in my bonnet is the planned merger of the One Stop Shop with Bath’s lovely central library. Recent plans suggest that library space will be halved and a police desk, social services, housing advice and all other manner of council services will be plonked in the centre. To get the latest on the campaign to stop that happening join the Save Bath Library Facebook group.

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.

8 TheBATHMagazine

|

February 2018

|

iSSue 185

A beautiful sky over Bath, as seen from the rooftop pool at Thermae Bath Spa which sits next to the Gainsborough

TR Hayes V Spring.qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2018 15:58 Page 1

5 things feb v2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 17:24 Page 1

ZEITGEIST

5

things to do in

Winter warmers Tuck into Malaysian delicacies like popiah (rice paper rolls filled with braised sweet potato, bean sprouts, sweet soy and peanut) and roti canai (a delicious folded and fried bread) at chef Pravin Nayar’s pop-up dinner inside the newly expanded Castle Farm Café in Midford. Saturday 17 February, 7pm. £35 per person. Visit: castlefarmcafe.co.uk

A monster celebration

Show time

Mary Shelley’s infamous creation, Frankenstein turns 200 this year. The author’s seminal book was published in 1818, when she was just 20-years-old.

Cultural historian and award-winning broadcaster Professor Sir Christopher Frayling will tell the fascinating story of Frankenstein’s birth and how Shelley turned her short story into a novel during five tumultuous months in Bath. Takes place on Tuesday 27 February, 7.30 pm. Tickets: £6 for non-members, £4 for BRLSI members and students. Visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk

Fusing together circus, cabaret and burlesque the Ministry of Burlesque Cabaret’s February show at Komedia is set to be a memorable night. In the line-up is Mr B, the gentleman rhymer (pictured left) who does his own hilarious take on posh hip hop, and foxy Vaudeville artist Lena Mae Lenman. You can also eat dinner while you enjoy the performance.

Friday 23 February, 8pm. Tickets from £18. Visit: komedia.co.uk

Say I love you Parade Gardens has a big love-in planned for 14 February. From 10am–8pm entry is free and the park will be packed with seductive diversions. Get in a romantic mood by ordering up some canapés from The French Kitchen and lounging with a glass of champagne at the Field Good Bar before heading off to snap a couples selfie in one of the many photo sets dotted around the grounds. The bandstand will be transformed into a dedicated proposal area for those ready to pop the question and even the book-shaped tribute to Jane Austen will have a Valentine’s twist – its normal flowers will be replaced by a huge heart-shape of blooms.

Good egg The popular kids café at The egg has just reopened under the management of Charlie and Amanda Digney (who run The King William Pub and Dining Rooms and The Garrick’s Head). So it’s all change, with a fabulous three metre wide sand pit in the centre, revamped interiors and a menu that takes it up a notch with dishes like roasted squash, chicory and butter bean salad. Even better you can now buy prosecco and wine by the glass and get slabs of gateau from the Organic Cake Company.

10 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

DIS

LE P S C OV E AL R U T R THE NA

Avonvale Cavalier Feb 18 FINALS .indd 1

N

R DOU

O F WO O L .. .

25/01/2018 14:25

My Bath feb.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:07 Page 1

ist

THE CITY

My BATH

THE BUZZ THE BUZZ Visit

Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park is known for its adorable sheep – it’s home to three different rare breeds. This half term the centre will be holding its first Lambing Live event. With 20 ewes ready to lamb every day over the week and a team on hand to give talks, this will be a runaway hit with little animal lovers. The event runs from Friday 9 to Sunday February.

Visit: avonvalley.co.uk.

The owner of Bath Holistic Massage Sophia Clifford-Sanghad lives in Oldfield Park with her boyfriend and three children. We find out what’s on her mind this month

If I was the Major of Bath my first decree would be more street parties. When I was growing up Walcot Nation Day was always a firm favourite in everyone’s calendar. The whole street would be cordoned off for the day and there would be live music, sound systems blaring, street food, and dancing in the street.

The Dress Agency in Widcombe is my new addiction. It’s a great little consignment shop, run by Bath local, Natalie Young. She has a brilliant eye and has stocked her shop full of swish designer labels: Alice Temperley dresses, colourful Cos jumpers, Whistles jeans, APC shirts…it’s chocka with amazing pieces that are a fraction of the normal price.

Dine The monthly dinners of the Sion Hill Place Supper Club are now sold out weeks in advance. So you’re just in time to book in for the next on Sunday 11 March.

Your host is Paula Foulser who lives in an immaculately restored Grade I townhouse in Lansdown. She teams with Petersham Nurseries chef, Alex Dome, to lay on spectacular four-course feasts. On the menu for March are hearty plates of garganelli with purple spouting broccoli, chilli, garlic and anchovies and a pud of cannoli with ricotta, candied blood orange, chocolate and hazelnuts. £40 per person. To book email: sionhillplacesupperclub@gmail.com

My job is a workout in itself, but if I got a chance I would love to do more pilates with Laura Louise Thomas and also try one of the Funky Monkey Studio aerial silk classes.

Wild Café on Queen Street is the best place in town for a Sunday brunch. Their food is simple, fresh and flavoursome. I love the fact that it’s run on 100% renewable energy too.

I’m also a regular at The Green Bird Café on Margaret’s Buildings. Their American-style pancakes with maple syrup and bacon are a dream way to start a lazy weekend.

I’m a huge supporter of Julian House. It plays such a huge role in so many people’s lives.

Their Big Bath Sleep Out is happening next month on Friday 9 March, and is a great way to get involved in fundraising.

My favourite thing about this city is simply the way all the buildings look. When that really low winter sun shines pink on Bath stone, it’s simply breathtaking. If I could live in any street it would be Bay Tree Road. I love that part of Larkhall and how the houses overlook the fields, plus it would be superconvenient for the school run!

Win

If we are having a date night. I’m torn between Acorn Vegetarian and Hudson Steakhouse (two extremes!). If I had to choose one it would be Hudson Steakhouse though. I always go for the same cut in there: a ribeye super marbling steak, cooked rare.

I left California and moved in with my grandparents in Bath when I was five, went to school here, left for uni and then came back when I had kids, so in total I’ve lived here for about 23 years.

This month it’ll be four years since I started Bath Holistic Massage. I was a single mum at the time and couldn’t go back to long days in London and travelling all over the country for my job as a clothing buyer, so decided to follow my passion and qualify as a massage therapist. It was the best decision I ever made.

We love going to The egg. I’ve got tickets for the whole family to see The Little Mochi Man, it’s the tale of a rice ball who escapes the pan because he’s bullied for being small.

It sounds brilliantly obscure and funny.

I can’t wait for The Foodie Bugle on Abbey Green to reopen. It’s just been taken over by close friends of ours and I’m excited to see what they have in store. I hear whisperings of deli-style food, natural wine and workshops.

At the weekend we normally make a beeline for the countryside. I’m a National Trust member so anywhere sporting their logo is usually a hit. Failing that I would make my way over to Bristol, maybe Stokes Croft or the waterfront – I love Bristol’s quirkiness and sense of fun.

If I need a haircut my go-to place is Mack Daddy’s on Broad Street. I’d like to think my style is a bit edgy and my hairdresser Katy is amazing at doing quirky crops. Her colouring skills are also out of this world. n

Congratulations to Andrew Butterworth who has won the treasure hunt from our December issue. He’ll receive a complimentary afternoon tea for four at The Pump Room.

12 TheBATHMagazine

|

February 2018

|

issue 185

Project1_Layout 1 19/01/2018 16:10 Page 1

P14.qxp_Layout 22 24/01/2018 15:11 Page 1

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

See more online www.thebathmag.co.uk

Contact us: Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Editor Tel: Email:

Vishaka Robinson 01225 424592 vishaka@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Financial Director Email:

Jane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production/Web Assistant Crystal Rose Email: crystal@thebathmagazine.co.uk Web Editor Email:

Jessica Hope jess@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

Liz Grey liz@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Advertising Sales Email:

Jake Horwood jake@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

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

2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Telephone: 01225 424499. Fax: 01225 426677 www.thebathmag.co.uk Š MC Publishing Ltd 2018 Disclaimer: Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Bath Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers.

14 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

issUe 185

P15.qxp_Layout 23 25/01/2018 10:20 Page 1

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 15

Roving reporter February.qxp_Layout 1 24/01/2018 15:10 Page 1

OUT-OFOFFICE BATH

Our roving reporter on the pros and cons of remote working and hot-desking in Bath

I

Oversize Run Away sunglasses. The sophisticated sunglasses reveal the versatile and fun side of the Maison’s new F in Fendi logo

Ellis & Killpartrick Optometrists 18 New Bond Street, Bath, BA1 1BA Tel: 01225 466954

16 TheBATHMagazine

|

febrUarY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

’ve been working from home for a spell and have inadvertently stumbled on a whole hidden community in Bath consisting of selfemployed and remote workers, ie. those whose bosses can’t be bothered to invest in a proper office with heating, lights or chairs, or whose bosses trust them to put in the graft even if they’re not working right under their beady eyes.

These remote, or self-employed, workers are by-and-large a friendly bunch, happy to share tips on claiming back tax on heating at home, or how to buy a fellow independent worker coffee and claim it on expenses. I’m not sure yet how much of the advice I’ve been given is legit, but it’s all very welcome.

Some of these remote workers, like me, set up their workstations at home, perhaps cramped into a corner of the spare bedroom, their desks tucked neatly under the clothes airer, with the full ironing basket deployed as a footrest. We might miss the hustle-and-bustle of the old workplace, but can happily replace office banter with a break midmorning to catch Popmaster on Radio 2. The downside is that it’s always our turn to make the tea, but then again, we always get to pick what variety of biscuits we have for our mid-mornings.

Other self-employed workers feel the need to go out to work each day (perhaps to avoid excessive biscuit consumption), so book themselves a desk in town. The Guild hub next to Bath’s Guildhall is a dynamic creative community, I hear from people who hotdesk there.

But I worry that I’d turn up and see other people at work, suffer a bout of serious shiny kit envy and end up in a certain megastore in SouthGate purchasing more techno-gadgets from an instore genius blinding me with science. But working from a rented desk does have the advantage that you’re not constantly being distracted (is that actually a giant ball of grey fluff under the bed? Oh, there’s just time to peg the washing out/brush away those cobwebs/make some soup).

The third option for the self-employed lone wolf is to visit your neighbourhood café and set up your laptop there. There is a brilliant scene in the award-winning and hilarious BBC Three comedy series Fleabag, by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who plays a struggling independent café owner in London. A man enters her café and immediately sets up his laptop, plugging it into a wall socket and taking over an entire table designed to seat four. He then gets his phone out and plugs that in to re-charge alongside his laptop. He proceeds to work. At this point the café owner asks brightly if she can get him anything else.

“Oh, some tap water. Er, thanks.”

I’ve lost count of the cafés – in Bath, Bristol and London – I’ve entered in recent months to find almost every table taken by a single worker, laptop open, books spread out, a lonely coffee cooling in front of them and a distinctly chilly ‘keep away, I’m busy’ aura emanating around them.

It’s no wonder that the coffee-drinking community has recently – thanks to quiet encouragement from the independent Society Café – entertained the notion of sharing tables, of budging up and letting someone else sit alongside you in companiable studious silence. There’s no need to share your life stories, but a grunted good morning wouldn’t harm.

It would also be appreciated by Bath’s business owners if customers viewed the table they’re using a little more like a hot desk and from time to time purchased a slice of cake or a bowl of soup in lieu of rent.

Let’s face it, that would still work out much cheaper than paying rent on an office.

In an ideal world we would interrupt our work with a bit of chit-chat. A friend of mine has a theory that we’re all so busy WhatsApp-ing, texting and emailing each other that our thumbs are developing and that in time we’ll evolve, replacing speech entirely with keyboard conversations as our mouths and tongues forget how to form articulate sounds. Please, let’s keep the chatter alive. n

P17.qxp_Layout 23 19/01/2018 17:07 Page 1

The Framing Workshop has been trading as an independent family run business on Walcot Street for over 28 years. We treasure you, our client, and spend time helping you to ďŹ nd the best way to display and protect your cherished objects, artworks and memorabilia. Creativity and respect for each artwork are core to what we do.

Every picture tells a story. Come and share yours.

80 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BD Tel: 01225 482748 www.theframingworkshop.com framing@theframingworkshop.com

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 17

Wish List V2.qxp_Layout 2 26/01/2018 15:30 Page 1

SHOPPING

Valentine’s WISH LIST

CELEBRATE IN STYLE

Treat yourself or a loved one to something special this Valentine’s Day

PINK LADY

ROSE GOLD

Rolex stainless steel Lady Datejust 28mm, £4,650.

Mallory, Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AP Tel: 01225 788800 Web: mallory-jewellers.com

Rose gold rings with soft textures, shapes and a little bit of sparkle, starting from £295.

Gold & Platinum Studio Ltd, 19 Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR. Tel: 01225 462300 Web: goldandplatinumstudio.co.uk

DIAMOND CLUSTER Halo cluster diamond ring set in Platinum, £7,400.

Mallory, Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AP Tel: 01225 788800 Web: mallory-jewellers.com

BIRTHSTONE BEAUTY Silver cup necklace, set with purple and lavender amethyst, £210.

Tina Engell, 29 Belvedere, Bath BA1 5HR. Tel: 01225 443334 Web: tinaengell.com

MULTI GECKO EMERALD ENVY

9ct white gold multi-stone earring and necklace set.

Multi Gecko Set, necklace, £470 and earrings, £455.

Jody Cory Goldsmiths, 9 Abbey Churchyard, Bath BA1 1LY Tel: 01225 460072 Web: jodycory.co.uk

18ct yellow and white gold, emerald and diamond nine stone large ring from the Cascade Collection, £4,650.

Nicholas Wylde, 12 Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR Tel: 01225 462826 Web: nicholaswylde.com

DID YOU KNOW...

The origins of Valentine’s Day and its romantic traditions are a little mysterious. At least three Catholic martyrs have a claim to be the St Valentine associated with the day, all of whom the Catholic church recognises as different saints that were martyred on 14 February. The most popular candidate is a third-century Roman priest who performed secret marriages against orders from Emperor Claudius II, who believed single soldiers were more likely to join his army.

According to the legend, Valentine sent a note to a jailer’s

18 TheBATHMagazine

|

february 2018

|

issue 185

daughter signed ‘From Your Valentine’ before he was executed on 14 February 270 AD. This date was thenceforth named in honour of St Valentine by Pope Gelasius as the saint of lovers. In 1969, Pope Paul VI dropped it from the calendar. However, Valentine’s Day, whether inspired by a Christian martyr or not, had by now captured the public’s imagination and the day continues to be a celebration of love, traditionally acknowledged with cards, red roses and a thoughtful, romantic gift.

P19.qxp_Layout 23 25/01/2018 16:18 Page 1

CLAVA DINE IN MATT WHITE

BY VITA COPENHAGEN

LIGHTING SPECIALIST

8 BATH STREET, FROME. TEL: 01373473555 WWW.FIATLUX.CO.UK TUESDAY – FRIDAY 9.30AM – 5.30PM, SATURDAY 9.30AM – 5.00PM

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 19

clevedon market v2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:53 Page 1

TRAVEL | EXPLORE

SUPER STALLS

Clevedon’s Sunday market is fast becoming a destination event. It’s time to put the date in your diary and plot a visit

S

omerset has a long-standing reputation for its brilliant artisanal markets. The new one to watch is Clevedon’s Sunday Market, which was started by local volunteers two years ago. With more than 40 stallholders and an easy-going seaside vibe it’s worth making a special trip for. Arrive early to nibble on delicate salted caramel meringues from Westonsuper-Mare bakers, Mayringues, or snap-up coconut milk and lavender bath dust from Bristol beauty purveyors, Lolly and Moo. Turn to page 22 to read about the town’s other highlights. n The market runs on the first Sunday of each month from April until September (10am – 2pm).

Visit: theclevedonsundaymarket.co.uk All images: @clevedonsundaymarket

20 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

The Circus Lunch fp.qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2018 15:59 Page 1

clevedon v2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:52 Page 1

TRAVEL | EXPLORE

CLEVEDON GETS COOL

With fantastic restaurants, a stunning pier and a thriving culture of independent shops, there’s never been a better time to visit Somerset’s hippest seaside town. Sarah Ball picks the seven places you need on your to-visit list. Photography Kym Grimshaw

O

nce described by Sir John Betjeman as “the most beautiful pier in England” and constructed with sections from one of Brunel’s railways, many know Clevedon for its spectacular pier – its most recent claim to fame is as the backdrop for One Direction’s You and I music video, or you might recognise the town’s picturesque streets from ITV’s award-winning drama Broadchurch, much of which was filmed in Clevedon. But the town is so much more.

There’s the Victorian architecture, a vibrant mix of independent boutiques, bakeries and coffee shops plus a brilliant artisan market on the first Sunday of the month (April – September). So it’s little surprise that the town notched-up a huge 11.6% house price rise in 2017 (the biggest increase in the whole of the UK, according to property website Zoopla).

So earmark a weekend to drive down from Bath (it’ll take under an hour) for some fresh sea air, a great meal (or two) and some serious shopping.

We’ve also done the legwork for you by cherrypicking the seven best spots to visit.

1

FOR: HOMEMAKERS

This quaint store on the corner of Alexandra Road – founded by design gurus Katherine Midgley and Seamus Green – has an air of oldworld charm, stocking timeless, functional products for the home. Shop for intricate foxprint cushions from Dorset’s Bonfield Block Printers; there’s Japanese-style pottery hand-made

by Carmarthenshire potter Tim Lake; and chunky beeswax candles that make the perfect suits-all gift. They’ve also done a one-off collaboration with Wild Grove, a lavender and patchouli hand soap made in Bristol exclusively for the store.

FIND IT: Midgley Green, 26 Alexandra Road, Clevedon, BS21 7QH Tel: 01275 871989; visit: midgleygreen.com

22 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

clevedon v2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 10:29 Page 2

TRAVEL | EXPLORE

2

FOR: MOVIE BUFFS Since opening its doors in 1912, The Curzon cinema has hosted mainstream and art house films, live comedy and music performances and generally become a centre for creativity and the community.

Now known as one of the oldest continually running purpose-built cinemas in the world, even a trip to see the most recent sequel to the latest blockbuster franchise is a cultural affair. Sit amongst original 1920s design and munch on popcorn surrounded by an

internationally recognised piece of cinema history. Families can enjoy earlier child-friendly showings and film aficionados will be in their element at the 35mm film screenings.

FIND IT: Curzon Community Cinema, 46 Old Church Road, Clevedon, BS21 6NN Tel: 01275 879 115; visit: curzon.org.uk

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018 | ThEBATHMAgAzinE 23

clevedon v2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 10:31 Page 3

TRAVEL | EXPLORE

3

FOR: SEASIDE NOSTALGIA

Delicately dramatic, the pier is the jewel in the crown of Clevedon, cementing its charm as a Victorian seaside resort with a front that has not been defaced by chip shops and amusement arcades.

It was first opened in 1869 to receive paddlesteamer passengers from Devon and Wales and now has a museum, gift shop and smart little restaurant sporting unparalleled views across the Bristol Channel. The modest entrance fee of a few pounds is well worth it.

FIND IT: Clevedon Pier, The Toll House, The Beach, Clevedon, BS21 7QU Tel: 01275 878846; clevedonpier.co.uk

24 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

clevedon v2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:20 Page 4

TRAVEL | EXPLORE

4

FOR: FOODIES

The best of British and Italian fare sit side by side at Murrays of Clevedon, a family-run deli and restaurant which has been open for more than 30 years. The atmosphere is confident and informal, the staff are welcoming and knowledgeable and the food is freshly prepared and fairly priced. Arrive hungry and feast on dishes like Tuscan pork and fennel sausages with spiced Umbrian lentils, cremini mushrooms, candied mustard fruits and rocket. The team also cranks out spot-on pizzas with toppings like caramelised tropea onions and Ortiz tuna. Before you head home swing by the deli which is packed to the rafters with delectable balsamic vinegars, Italian wines and quirky pasta.

FIND IT: Murrays of Clevedon, 91 Hill Road, Clevedon BS21 7PN Tel: 01275 341555; visit: murraysofclevedon.co.uk

5

FOR: ARTISANS

Elegantly curated for a cool and ruggedly handsome home, Nineteen is a perfect marriage of interiors store and workshop studio. It sells everything from locally illustrated prints to vintage antique furniture and has lots of one-off pieces: you’ll find specially commissioned mono-print Clevedon pier mugs in the store this month. It has a reputation for running brilliant workshops too. In the line-up for this month is lampshade making (Friday 16 February, £39) and screenprinting with Kathy Hutton (Saturday 24 February, £45) but whatever your crafty passion, be it macramé, leather goods or hand lettering, you’ll find a class to fit you here.

FIND IT: Nineteen, 19 Alexandra Road, Clevedon BS21 7QH Tel: 01275 340563; visit: 19alexandraroad.co.uk

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 25

clevedon v2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 10:39 Page 5

TRAVEL | EXPLORE

6

FOR: COFFEE & CUTS

At 67 Barista Barber you can get a short back and sides alongside a perfectly poured flat white (tea drinkers can sup on a loose tea brew from Tea Pigs). This brilliant coffee-shop-meets-barber hybrid opened last November on Hill Road and has been an instant hit. Owners Sue and Steve Copper wanted to create a laid-back pub atmosphere. But they’ve done even better than that; the place brims with personality thanks to décor rooted out from Wells Reclamation, orginal formica café tables and superb coffee (they get their fairtrade beans from Devon-based roaster Voyager). Sue does all the baking herself and is known for her moreish ginger cake. They also organise bike rides that set off from the salon and popular dads and lads Saturday morning cutting sessions for fathers and sons – boys get a marshmallow-topped hot chocolate with their cut.

FIND IT: 67 Barista Barber, 67 Hill Rd, Clevedon BS21 7PD Tel: 01275 217740

7

FOR: THE BREAD SET

Pullins Bakery is true Clevedon institution. It was founded in 1925

by Mr T G Pullin, a local farmer who turned his hand to baking. He was known to keep pigs at the back of the bakery – they got to eat all the leftover cakes and bread so were famously happy. It remains a family business, run by the fourth generation and is still in the same street where its founder once lived, Hill Road, which winds down the hill almost to the sea front.

Their bakes are inventive and always noteworthy, with a hefty selection for gluten-free types. Order thick-crusted circles of sourdough rye and plump cheddar plaits, or ditch the diet with a Balboa Bar (gooey squares of Belgian chocolate, cherries, marshmallow and home-made gluten-free digestive biscuits).

It’s unsurprisingly a popular lunch spot (the most-ordered sandwich is a Ploughman’s on the bakery’s own granary bread). Save some room for a few award-winning lemon macaroons too – the handiwork of the resident patisserie chef who uses all-natural ingredients.

FIND IT: Pullins Bakery, 55 Hill Rd, Clevedon BS21 7PD Tel: 01275 872974; visit: pullinsbakers.co.uk n

26 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

The Circus Dinner fp.qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2018 16:00 Page 1

whats on february.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 12:14 Page 1

WHAT’S ON in February ENGINEERED EQUANIMITY: STEVEN PIPPIN Open until Saturday 3 February, opening times vary n Andrew Brownsword Galleries, The Edge, University of Bath Your last chance to see one of Britain’s best and most inventive artists. Steven Pippin shows his skill in technological manipulation, which reveals the inter-relationship between objects, mechanisms and the universe. Engineered Equanimity offers audiences new perspectives on everything from Newtonian mechanics to the production of renewable energy. Free admission. Visit: edgearts.org.

Leading violinist Tasmin Little joins Bath Philharmonia at The Forum

ENTERTAINMENT IN BATH Open until Wednesday 14 March, daily 10.30am – 5pm n Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge Street, Bath In the 18th century Bath was second only to London as party central, offering its fashionable visitors and residents all manner of entertainment and diversions. This exhibition tells the story of the actors, musicians and artists of Georgian Bath and the venues where they performed, covering everything from the sleazy to the sophisticated. It will also cover the Victorian period, leading up to the modern day. Entry to the exhibition is free to residents with a Discovery Card, £4.50 adults, £4.50 students and seniors.

Purple silk chiffon dress belonging to Alexandra, Princess of Wales (1910), at the Fashion Museum

MATTHEW JUKES’ TOP 100 AUSTRALIAN TASTING Thursday 1 February, 7 – 9pm n St Michael’s Church, Broad Street, Bath A rare opportunity to taste in excess of 50 exceptional wines personally selected by wine writer Matthew Jukes from his top 100 Australian wines. Hosted by Great Western Wine. Tickets: £25.

Visit: greatwesternwine.co.uk to book.

NOW YOU SEE IT Thursday 1 February, 7.30pm n Bath Spa University Theatre, Newton St Loe, Bath Antonia Grove, artistic director of dance theatre company Probe, presents her brand new solo – a powerful work of dance theatre packed full of evocative imagery. Tickets: £6 – £12, via Bath Box Office, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk.

POP UP OPERA: HANSEL AND GRETEL Friday 2 February, 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon Innovative touring opera company Pop-up Opera performs Engelbert Humperdinck’s popular operatic fairy tale in a semi-staged production. Hansel and Gretel are drawn into the idyllic yet dangerous world of the forest, where they encounter the Sandman, Dew Fairy and, most frightening of all, the Witch. Sung in German with English subtitles. Tickets: £20 adults, £10 concs.

Tel: 01225 860100 or visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk.

ROYAL WOMEN Opens Saturday 3 February, continues until April 2019 n Fashion Museum A new exhibition exploring the fashions worn by successive generations of women in the royal family including Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret. The exhibition will feature exquisite items of dress from the Fashion Museum collection, as well as a major loan from the Royal Collection, generously lent by Her Majesty The Queen. Visit: fashionmuseum.co.uk/royalwomen.

WINTER TREE ID WALKS Sunday 4 February, 2 – 3pm n Dyrham Park Learn a new skill this spring by joining a tree expert at Dyrham Park to identify native British trees through bark and buds. Advance

Steven Pippin at The Edge

28 TheBATHMagazine

|

FebrUarY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

whats on february.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:34 Page 2

booking essential. Some parkland may be steep and uneven. £5 per person. Tel: 03442 491895, or visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/dyrham-park to find out more.

FESTIVALS: SUSTAINABILITY, SURVIVAL AND THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY Tuesday 6 February, 6 – 8.30pm n The Michael Tippett Centre, Bath Spa University Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis will be joined by a panel of creative industry heavyweights to discuss the future of the festival and events sector. This will be an opportunity for industry professionals to explore the challenges and opportunities they face.

To register for the event, visit: bathspa.ac.uk.

CENTENARY OF THE VOTE FOR WOMEN Tuesday 6 February, 7pm n St Michael’s Without Church, Broad Street, Bath A service of commemoration and reflection. Contact: sibath.soroptimists@gmail.com.

STUDENT PERFORMANCE: THE MOVING EXHIBITION Tuesday 6 – Wednesday 7 February, 1 – 4pm n The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath Dancers and composers from Bath Spa University will present a series of short original performance works in response to the displays and spaces of the museum. Free admission. Visit: holburne.org.

COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS TOUR Wednesday 7 February, 1 – 1.45pm n Victoria Art Gallery Discover the stories behind the treasures on display at Victoria Art Gallery with Dr Chris Davies. Free, no need to book, just drop-in.

JOIN SONGWAYS Wednesday 7, 21 and 28 February, 7.15 – 9.15pm n St Swithin’s Church, The Paragon Discover vibrant songs from a wide range of harmony singing traditions. Develop your voice and singing styles. Adult singers of all ages welcome. Tel: 07894 205255 or visit: songways.co.uk.

AFTER HOURS: LOVE Thursday 8 February, 6.30 – 10pm n We The Curious In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, this adult-only event takes on a romantic theme and promises to be a different kind of night out for lovers, and friends. The science centre will come alive after dark with music, stargazing, cocktails, and some intriguing games and activities exploring the science connected with this most wonderful of emotions. Get yourselves a drink, enjoy two floors of exhibits without the kids around, and see the beauty of the winter’s night sky in the Planetarium. Tickets: £8.95, £7.95 concs.

Visit: wethecurious.org.

EDITOR’S PICK TAMSIN LITTLE AND BATH PHILHARMONIA Friday 9 February, 7.30pm n The Forum, Bath Leading international violinist Tasmin Little joins Bath Philharmonia for a benefit concert in support of the city’s professional orchestra to perform Britten’s Violin Concerto.

The talents of the ensemble are also showcased in Britten’s virtuosic The Young Person’s Guide performed at this concert without narrator. Copland’s ballet music to Appalachian Spring forms the second half to this programme and is infused with the music of the people of the Appalachian Mountains including the Shaker hymn Lord of the Dance.

Tickets from £25, under 18s £5. Visit: bathphil.co.uk / bathboxoffice.org.uk or tel: 01225 463362.

Continued page 30

➲ THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FebrUArY 2018

|

TheBATHMAgAzine 29

whats on february.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 12:14 Page 3

WHAT’S | ON TALK: NORTON OF EVEREST Thursday 8 February, 7.30pm n BRLSI Biographer Hugh Norton explores the life of Edward Norton, the pioneering Himalayan climber, famed for his exploits on the 1924 Everest Expedition with Mallory and Irvine. Tickets: £4, £2 for members and students. Visit: brlsi.org or tel: 01225 312084.

The Scummy Mummies at Komedia

WILLE & THE BANDITS Thursday 8 February, doors 7.30pm, show 8pm n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Wille and the Bandits is a classic blues rock three-piece who have a similar sound to Cream or The Jimi Hendrix experience.

Tickets: £12 advance, £14 on the door. Standing gig. Chapel Arts Café will be open beforehand, last orders 7pm.

Visit: chapelarts.org or tel: 01225 461700.

JERWOOD DRAWING PRIZE EXHIBITION Saturday 10 February – Thursday 29 March, opening times vary n The Edge, The University of Bath The largest and longest-running UK annual open exhibition for drawing returns to Bath for a second year. Works by 65 artists selected from 2,811 submissions from across the UK will be on display featuring hand-drawn, digital and three-dimensional works.

Free admission. Exhibition preview on Friday 9 February, 5 – 7pm.

Visit: edgearts.org.

Clare Martin OBE at Wiltshire Music Centre

HOLISTIC WELLBEING FAYRE IN AID OF HORSEWORLD Saturday 10 February, 10.30am – 9pm n The Guildhall, Bath Leading equine charity HorseWorld is holding a fundraiser with holistic therapists, psychics and craft stalls as well as workshops, demonstrations and healing sessions throughout the day. There will be several raffles and an evening concert at 7pm featuring singers from Bath Opera and local musicians. Organised by author, professional therapist and reiki healer Lady Anara Durand. Entry by donation, kids free. Visit: holistichorsewelfarefundraiser.webs.com.

KRATER COMEDY CLUB Saturday 10 February, doors 6.30pm, show 8pm n Komedia Live comedy from Peter White, Steve Gribbin, Jen Brister, with MC Sally Anne Hayward. Ages 18+. Tickets: VIP £48, meal deal £30.50, auditorium: £20, balcony £16.50. Ticket holders can get free entry without needing to queue for the sell-out club night Motorcity afterwards. Visit: komedia.co.uk.

Steve Knightley at Chapel Arts Centre

VALENTINE’S DAY CONCERT: CLAIRE MARTIN OBE AND LIANE CARROLL Wednesday 14 February, 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon Renowned jazz artist Claire Martin OBE joins multi-award-winning singer-pianist Liane Carroll for a new show, Double Standards.

Together they will perform Gershwin, Porter and Berlin in an intimate night of world-class music and song in celebration of Wiltshire Music Centre’s 20th anniversary. Tickets: £20, £10 under 18s and students. Tel: 01225 860100 or visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk.

BLUEGRASS AND COUNTRY SESSIONS Wednesday 14 February, 8pm n The Barley Mow, Bathwick Street, Bath The Barley Mow puts on a live music evening of bluegrass and country every second Wednesday of the month. Free admission.

Tel: 01225 464845, visit: thebarleymowbath.co.uk / foxymusic.net.

COMMUNION – A VISUAL RESPONSE TO THE PSALMS Wednesday 14 February – Monday 2 April n Bath Abbey A series of 12 pictures by Bath-based artist Marco Cazzulini that recollects the final journey of Christ to his death in Jerusalem. The

An image from the Entertainment in Bath exhibition at Victoria Art Gallery

30 TheBATHMagazine

|

FebrUarY 2018

Continued page 32

|

iSSUe 185

➲

P31.qxp_Layout 23 19/01/2018 16:29 Page 1

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 31

whats on february.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:35 Page 4

Ps//23:5a, digital artwork

by Marco Cazzulini from the Communion exhibition at Bath Abbey

pictures are based on Psalms from the Old Testament. To coincide with this, evening talks will be held every Wednesday from 21 February to 21 March, 7.15 – 9pm. Visit: bathabbey.org.

BATH OPERA’S JENUFA Thursday 15 – Saturday 17 February, times vary n Roper Theatre, Upper Oldfield Park, Bath Sung in English, Bath Opera’s next main production will be Jenufa

by Leoš Janáček. Conducted by Peter Blackwood. Tickets from £25 adults, £10 students, available from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk.

LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION YEAR OF THE DOG Sunday 18 February, 12 – 4.30pm n The Museum of East Asian Art, Bennett Street, Bath Celebrate the Year of the Dog and explore the museum’s collections at this annual event featuring storytelling, Lunar New Year activities and museum trails. Booking required for storytelling, £2.50 per person. Visit: meaa.org.uk.

VISION TO REALITY: 20TH ANNIVERSARY LECTURE Sunday 18 February, 3pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon Phillip Scott, founder trustee, reveals how Wiltshire Music Centre first came to be – from the initial idea to the crucial National Lottery bid that brought the centre to life. Phillip’s illustrated talk will also delve into how the building was designed. Ever wondered what is hidden under the stage? Go along and find out.

WORLD AFFAIRS THROUGH OUR EYES: SIMON J.H. SMITS Tuesday 20 February, 7.30pm n BRLSI The ambassador of The Netherlands Simon J.H. Smits will cover the most critical aspects of world affairs from the Dutch perspective and will explore key current and future policies.

Tickets: £6, £4 for members and students. Visit: brlsi.org or tel: 01225 312084.

STEVE KNIGHTLEY SONGS & STORIES TOUR Thursday 22 February, doors 7.30pm, show 8pm n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Steve Knightley’s highly anticipated 2018 solo tour. As the frontman and songwriter of British folk heavyweights Show of Hands, Steve Knightley boasts an impressive back catalogue. This solo tour will feature a set list of some of his classic gems, as well as covers of artists who have inspired his career including Dylan, Carthy, Bowie and Springsteen. Tickets: £18 advance, £20 on the door. Visit: chapelarts.org or tel: 01225 461700.

Continued page 34 32 TheBATHMagazine

|

FebrUarY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

➲

P33.qxp_Layout 23 19/01/2018 16:32 Page 1

Jenůfa

Julia O’Connor

Kostelnička Judy Davis

Laca Phillip Borge Števa Luke Daniel

This fine work by Leos Janáček is now recognised as a masterpiece, and its powerful and beautiful arias reflects the tragic but ultimately uplifting story. Bath Opera is proud to maintain its reputation for bringing forward special works with a great cast and orchestra.

“Julia O’Connor had the stillness and self-possession to set Ellen Orford apart from the crowd, and her warm voice and fluent acting made her fractured relationship with Grimes all the more poignant” - ‘Opera’ magazine on Bath Opera’s ‘Peter Grimes’

Thursday 15th Feb - £20 (students £10) Friday 16th Feb - £25 (free pre-show talk by directors 6.30pm)

Saturday 17th Feb - £25 (*Gala tickets £40) *Gala: best seats, prosecco reception with canapés + 6.30pm talk by Isobel Buchanan (international soprano and our Honorary Patron)

BathOpera ticket hotline 01935 475219 Bath Box Office 01225 463362

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 33

whats on february.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:44 Page 5

Richard Herring: Oh Frig, I’m 50! at Komedia

BATH BACHFEST Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 February, times vary n City centre locations Now in its seventh year, Bath Bachfest is a three-day festival featuring five concerts dedicated to Bach, as well as other great masters such as Vivaldi, Handel, Corelli and Telemann. The evening concerts feature the period-instrument ensemble Florilegium, the renowned Academy of Ancient Music, and The English Concert with the Erebus Ensemble and a starry cast of soloists. Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani and recorder-player Michala Petri will perform a remarkable lunchtime concert, and Rachel Podger’s Brecon Baroque offers a Saturday morning treat with a programme devoted to the Red Priest.

Visit: bathbachfest.co.uk to see the full programme.

For tickets, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk to tel: 01225 463362.

HOLBURNE UP LATE Friday 23 February, 5 – 9pm n The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath Enjoy after-hours access to the Holburne’s galleries including Anthony Fry: A Retrospective. In the Garden Café, sample a cocktail or two and chill out to tunes from resident DJ Cowboy Beatbop.

We deliver to over 20,000 addresses every month. But if you live outside our distribution area or would like us to send a copy to friends or family then we are able to offer a mailing service for only £15.00 (6 issues) or £40.00 Euro zone; £30.00 (12 issues) or £70.00 Euro zone World Zone 1 £95.00 World Zone 2 £120.00 To subscribe to receiving the magazine go to our website; www.thebathmag.co.uk and scroll to the bottom of the page where you can click to an instant link Alternatively send a cheque payable to MC Publishing Ltd 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED or Telephone 01225 424 499 for card payment

Subscription FORM Mr/Mrs/Ms ................Forename ..............................................

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

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

Daytime telephone No ..............................................................

34 TheBATHMagazine

|

FebrUarY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

WELSH SINFONIA AND SAKI KOTA Friday 23 February, 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon The Welsh Sinfonia, Wales’ leading chamber orchestra, will play a concert of favourites including Rodrigo’s Guitar Concerto and Beethoven’s 7th Symphony. Conducted by Mark Eager with award-winning young Japanese guitarist Saki Kato as soloist.

Tickets: £24, Under 18s £5. Visit: welshsinfonia.co.uk.

THE MINISTRY OF BURLESQUE: CABARET Friday 23 February, show 8pm n Komedia Fusing the wild, weird and witty traditions of circus, Ministry of Burlesque Cabaret unfolds as a bold and daring, ever-evolving new-variety experience. Enjoy a myriad of musical comedy masters, provocative prima donnas and glittering enigmatic exotic dancers. Tickets from £18. Visit: komedia.co.uk.

BATH VINTAGE AND ANTIQUES MARKET Sunday 25 February, 8.30am – 4pm n Green Park Station, Bath An exciting opportunity for vintage, antique and art lovers to find a gem from the past from a variety of stallholders. Free entry.

RAISE THE BAR Monday 26 February, doors 7.30pm, show 8pm n Komedia Raise The Bar runs spoken word events across the south west, bringing performance poetry to life on stage. The event puts the spotlight on Bath’s emerging talent pool, providing a relaxed and welcoming environment for anybody looking to perform their work. Tickets: £3 on the door. Ages 14+, under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. Visit: komedia.co.uk.

Continued page 36

➲

P35.qxp_Layout 23 26/01/2018 12:06 Page 1

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 35

whats on february.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:41 Page 6

WHAT’S | ON

The Ministry of Burlesque: Cabaret at Komedia

La Place, 19th century Dutch display cabinet and French canapé at Bath Decorative Fair

TALK: THE BIRTH OF FRANKENSTEIN Tuesday 27 February, 7.30pm n BRLSI Historian and award-winning broadcaster Professor Sir Christopher Frayling will give an illustrated lecture that will revisit the birth of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which was written in Bath and published 200 years ago. Tickets: £6, £4 for members and students.

Visit: brlsi.org or tel: 01225 312084.

IFORD ARTS YOUNG ARTISTS: OPERA SHOWCASE Wednesday 28 February, 1pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon In association with Iford Arts Festival, this lunchtime recital will showcase the opening scene from The Marriage of Figaro, a selection of bel canto arias and songs by Sondheim and Bernstein in anticipation of Iford Arts’ 2018 production of Candide. Features soprano Rhiannon Llewellyn, baritone Frederick Long and pianist Oliver Gooch. Tickets: £10, £5 under 18s and students. Tel: 01225 860100 or visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk.

GYPSY JAZZ Wednesday 28 February, 8pm n The Barley Mow, Bathwick Street, Bath Every fourth Wednesday of the month The Barley Mow puts on an evening of jazz. Free admission. Tel: 01225 464845, visit: thebarleymowbath.co.uk or foxymusic.net.

NEXT MONTH...

RICHARD HERRING: OH FRIG, I’M 50!

Thursday 1 March, doors 6.30pm, show 8pm n Komedia Star of Radio 4’s Relativity, Richard Herring gets to the half century and looks at how his life has changed in the last decade – from irresponsible, single kidult, to married father who is mid-way to the telegram from the Queen. Ages 16+. Tickets: meal deal £28.50, auditorium £17.50. Visit: komedia.co.uk.

THE SCUMMY MUMMIES SHOW Friday 2 March, doors 7pm, show 8pm n Komedia The Scummy Mummies, Helen Thorne and Ellie Gibson, are a comedy duo whose wildly popular podcasts are a sanity-saving must for parents. This live stand-up show will cover a wide range of topics, from pelvic floors and play-dates to farting and fish fingers.

Ages 18+. Advanced auditorium tickets: £20. Visit: komedia.co.uk.

WESTON COFFEE MORNING AND SEED POTATO DAY Saturday 3 March, 10.30am – 1.30pm n All Saints Centre, High Street, Weston, Bath Weston Village Garden Club is hosting a coffee morning where there will be a sale of up to 40 varieties of seed potato, onion and shallot sets, planting garlic, heritage seeds, kitchen garden plants and much more. 50p entry per person.

36 TheBATHMagazine

|

FebrUarY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

BRIDGEMEAD CHARITY AUCTION Wednesday 7 March, 6 – 8pm n The Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel Charity auction to raise funds for Bridgemead, a not for profit care home on St John’s Road, Bathwick. Auction lots include tea on the terrace and a tour of the House of Commons with Bath’s Wera Hobhouse, and a week in Marbella for eight. The auction is inviteonly, but online bidding for the public closes on 7 March at 1pm, visit: bridgecare.org.uk. Sponsored by Fine & Country.

BATH DECORATIVE ANTIQUES FAIR Friday 9 – Sunday 11 March n The Pavillion, Bath After 29 years, the Bath Decorative Antiques Fair is still the leading regional event to beat, where you can find rustic to refined English country house pieces, mid-century design, Swedish period painted furniture, period portraits and fashionable iron garden furniture, and much more. Visit: bathdecorativeantiquesfair.co.uk.

TALK: THE CHANGING FACE OF WOMEN IN BUSINESS Tuesday 13 March, 7.30pm n BRLSI Julie Cooper, chair of the Bath Business Women’s Association, looks at the ways work has changed for women in business over the past century, and discusses the challenges that still lie ahead. Tickets: £4, £2 for members and students. Visit: brlsi.org or tel: 01225 312084.

10K FUN RUN Sunday 18 March, 10am – 2pm n Bowood House & Gardens, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0LZ A mix terrain 10K fun run/walk with beautiful scenery.

Visit: bowood.org to sign up, entries close on 15 March.

THE BATH ORCHESTRAL GALA CONCERT Tuesday 20 March, doors 6.30pm, performance 7pm n The Guildhall, Bath Marking the centenary of the end of the First World War, this will be an evocative evening of orchestral music and readings heralding the arrival of peace. Featuring Bath Philarmonia and King Edward’s School. Tickets: £14 adults, £5 children. Tickets available from KES, tel: 01225 464313 or email: boxoffice@kesbath.com.

BATH COMEDY FESTIVAL Tuesday 27 March – Sunday 15 April, times vary n Various locations Bath Comedy Festival will have you laughing your socks off as big and upcoming names arrive in the city. Star of Live At The Apollo and 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Jon Richardson will be at The Forum on Tuesday 27 March – this is sure to be a sell out, so be quick to get your tickets, and Have I Got News For You and Radio 4’s News Quiz regular Mark Steel will be popping up at St Margaret’s Hall in Bradford on Avon on Friday 13 April. Visit: bathcomedy.com to see the full programme and to book tickets. n

Bath Philharmonic fp.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2018 10:00 Page 1

The Bath Festival 18.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:46 Page 1

CITY | CULTURE

THE HOTTEST TICKETS IN TOWN The Bath Festival returns for its 70th anniversary as a 17-day multi-arts celebration – here’s a taste of what’s in store

here’s a scintillating programme of more than 160 events at The Bath Festival. From 11 to 22 May, the festival vibe is writ large, with music, literature, discussions, performances, tastings, workshops and entertainment. You can see international artists, authors and speakers as well as those just starting out – here’s eight of the best to whet your appetite.

T

LUCY MANGAN From Narnia to Judy Blume and Charlotte’s Web, Lucy Mangan’s childhood was coloured by the stories she read. In her witty and nostalgic memoir, Bookworm, Lucy revisits her best-loved children’s books and the lessons they still teach us.

Saturday 19 May, 5pm, Assembly Rooms.

ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT AND CHOIR

DAVID OLUSOGA Historian David Olusoga talks about his award-winning book Black and British: A Forgotten History, which shone a light on this country’s hidden history from Roman Britain to the present day. Now, alongside Simon Schama and Mary Beard, he presents the BBC’s Civilisations. Monday 21 May, 7pm, Assembly Rooms.

OF CLARE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE Haydn’s ever-popular Nelson Mass is one of the finest of all choral works, performed by four brilliant young soloists under the direction of awardwinning director, John Butt. Friday 11 May, 7.30pm, the Guildhall.

SINCLAIR MCKAY To find their top codebreakers, Bletchley Park put mathematicians, musicians, chess masters and linguists through their paces with mind-twisting puzzles. Bletchley Park Brainteasers author Sinclair McKay will share these ingenious riddles and astonishing stories from the centre of Second World War intelligence. Saturday 12 May, 1pm,

VOCAL SAMPLING Acclaimed Latin Grammy nominated a capella band with an extraordinary talent for creating an entire grand orchestra using only their six voices and a microphone. Expect intricate, rhythmic compositions with a distinct Cuban flavour. Theatrical, imaginative and fun. Wednesday 23 May, 8pm, Komedia.

Masonic Hall, Old Theatre Royal.

38 TheBATHMagazine

|

february 2018

|

issue 185

BEN FOLDS & A PIANO Singer-songwriter Ben Folds has spent more than a decade sharing the stage with the world’s greatest symphony orchestras. Ben’s solo tour delivers a unique power rock performance of his new songs and classic hits.

Thursday 24 May, 7.30pm, The Forum.

RODDY DOYLE AND HUGH BUCKLEY Novelist Roddy Doyle reads from his new book, Smile – a searing portrayal of a man’s lifelong struggle with boyhood events. Doyle’s readings will be accompanied by jazz guitarist Hugh Buckley. Friday 25 May, 7pm, Assembly Rooms.

ROBERT PLANT AND THE SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS Almost 50 years after Led Zeppelin performed at the Bath Blues Festival (1969), their former lead singer and lyricist Robert Plant returns with his new album Carry Fire. Sunday 27 May, 2pm – 10pm. n To book tickets to the festival, visit: bathfestivals.org.uk or call: 01225 463362.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: historian David Olusoga, Roddy Doyle’s new book Smile, a capella band Vocal Sampling, singer-songwriter Ben Folds, author and puzzle specialist Sinclair McKay, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, and Lucy Mangan are all appearing at the festival

P39.qxp_Layout 23 19/01/2018 16:48 Page 1

nick cudworth gallery

Lecture Series 2017/18

White Gold from Saxony: A History of Meissen lecturer: Anne Haworth at

Unlocking the secrets of porcelain from the beginnings of the golden age.

1.30pm on Monday 5th February 2018

Caterpillar Sunset

FEBRUARY EXHIBITION 1 – 28 February

The Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street Bath

An exhibition of paintings and prints reflecting Nick interest in rural views around Bath

www.theartssocietybath.com

5 London Street (top end of Walcot Street), Bath BA1 5BU tel 01225 445221 / 07968 047639

Celebrating 50 years of the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies

gallery@nickcudworth.com www.nickcudworth.com

Visitors welcome £10 at the door (No Booking required)

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAziNE 39

Art February.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:48 Page 1

ART | EXHIBITIONS

NEW BEGINNINGS

February marks the opening of numerous new and exciting exhibitions, as well as the continuation of some absolute gems you must see before they come to an end Images © The Trustees of the British Museum

MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN ART Bennett Street, Bath Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm, Sunday, 12 – 5pm Web: meaa.org.uk

Chinese couple playing a flute. Unsigned, Japan, about 1700

Sleeping rat, Masanao of Kyoto, Japan, late 1700s

Japanese pond turtle, Kikugawa, Japan, late 1800s

DRESSED TO IMPRESS: NETSUKE AND JAPANESE MEN’S FASHION Until Saturday 22 April In 1645 Japan’s Tokugawa shogunate directed laws at daimyō (feudal lords) and the samurai warrior aristocracy, stating: “Do not have a liking for useless articles and do not indulge in personal extravagance.” This was a moral code of conduct emphasising the need for frugality in all aspects of life, including dress. During the Edo period (1615–1866), men and women wore a traditional long wrap-over kimono with a sash (obi) that was tied around the waist.

Kimonos were made of dark silk or cotton with simple patterns.

No wriggle room here, you’d think, but that’s where the netsuke came in. These were intricately carved toggles made of wood, ivory and porcelain that were used to hang personal objects, called sagemono, from a sash.

There were strict design parameters: the toggles needed to incorporate two holes through which silk cord could be passed and to have smooth edges so as not to damage the kimono fabric.

Concealed beneath the folds of the kimono, they allowed merchants to flout the restrictions and express their sartorial taste and sense of humour. Both the netsuke and the sagemono would have been coordinated depending on the owner’s mood, the season or the occasion.

This exhibition, a collaboration between the British Museum and the Museum of East Asian Art, also features examples of Japanese swords, which were tucked into the obi, and tsuba (sword hand guards). These were another opportunity to indicate the owner’s social status and sense of style. It’s a small exhibition but a precious snapshot of 17th century Japan.

VICTORIA ART GALLERY

By Pulteney Bridge Open: daily, 10.30am – 5pm Tel: 01225 477233 Web: victoriagal.org.uk MO LANCASTER: LINOCUTS Until Wednesday 14 March Mo has always been fascinated by printmaking and has specialised in reduction linocut for several years, producing small hand-printed limited editions. She draws and observes women together and is amused by the camaraderie and the way they interact and form groups. She is interested in shape line and blocks of colour, and the women’s dresses give the artist an opportunity for overprinting and highlighting tone.

ENTERTAINMENT IN BATH Until Wednesday 14 March Based on works in the gallery’s collection, as well as loans from the National Portrait Gallery and Royal Collection Trust. The exhibition depicts the creative stars of Georgian Bath and the venues where they performed, and touches upon some of the less obvious pastimes in the city, from gambling and prostitution to learned societies and fashionable chapels. The gallery will also bring the story right up to the present day, covering concerts at the Pavilion, Royal Victoria Park and WOMAD among others.

40 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

Ladies Day by Mo Lancaster

Art February.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2018 16:46 Page 2

ART | EXHIBITIONS

NICK CUDWORTH GALLERY London Street, top of Walcot Street, Bath Closed on Mondays Tel: 01225 445221 Web: nickcudworth.com Throughout February This month Nick Cudworth will be exhibiting his paintings and prints of Bath and surrounding areas. They reflect Nick’s interest in the changing colours of the seasons.

Bathford Skyline by Nick Cudworth

THE EDGE The Edge, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm Tel: 01225 386777 Web: edgearts.org JERWOOD DRAWING PRIZE Saturday 10 February to Thursday 29 March The Edge is hosting Jerwood Drawing Prize for the second year, including hand-drawn, digital and three-dimensional works from 65 emerging and established UK artists. As the largest and longest-running open exhibition of drawing in the UK, the Jerwood Drawing Prize is committed to championing excellence and celebrating the breadth of contemporary drawing practice. Free admission.

Rock Pool Bowl I by Tamsyn Trevorrow

AXLE ARTS Gary Lawrence, First Prize, Jerwood Drawing Prize, photographed by Anna Arca

THE ARTS SOCIETY BATH LECTURE SERIES 2017/18 WHITE GOLD FROM SAXONY: A HISTORY OF MEISSEN PORCELAIN BY LECTURER ANNE HAWARTH The Assembly Rooms, Bennet Street, Bath Monday 5 February, 1.30pm After years of experiments, the secret of making white porcelain was finally unlocked by the scientist and would-be alchemist Johann Friedrich Bottger in laboratories in the Albrechtsburg at Meissen in 1710. Despite attempts to keep the recipe secret, travellers left Meissen, taking the secret of porcelain manufacture with them to Vienna and Venice, and to the far-flung courts of Europe. The delicate vases and figures of Europe’s ‘porcelain century’ reflect the courtly pastimes and elegance of the 18th century when the possession of a porcelain factory was a mark of princely prestige. This lecture traces the course of porcelain development and the characters involved. Visitors welcome, £10 at the door, no booking required. For more information, visit: theartssocietybath.com.

Leighton Road, Weston, Bath Tel: 01225 461230 Web: axlearts.com Email: info@axlearts.com Open: Moday to Saturday, 10am – 5pm by appointment TAMSYN TREVORROW Throughout February Cornish artist Tamsyn Trevorrow draws an endless source of inspiration from her native coastline, building pots and sculptural forms from heavily grogged stoneware. She uses coiling and the slab process to cut, shape, re-shape and sculpt the clay into organic and geologically inspired forms and textures. Drawing inspiration from the restless energy of the sea and its perpetual interaction and erosion of the land, Trevorrow is also interested in the development, growth and interconnectedness between rock pools, the spiral structure of the shell formation and the energy and pull of the tide and currents. A sophisticated melding of different slips and glazes, which are multi-fired at various stages, create richly coloured and textured surfaces, referencing not only Trevorrow’s beloved Cornish coastline, but the many coastlines, shores, rock pools and coral reefs that she has explored across the world. ➲ THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRuaRy 2018

|

ThEBATHMagazinE 41

Art February.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:49 Page 3

ART | EXHIBITIONS

BATH DECORATIVE ANTIQUES FAIR The Pavilion, Bath Open: Friday 9 – Sunday 11 March, opening times vary Trade preview Thursday 8 March Visit: bathdecorativeantiquesfair.co.uk After 29 years, the Bath Decorative Antiques Fair is still the leading regional event to beat, where you can find rustic to refined English country house pieces, mid-century design, industrial chic, Swedish period painted furniture, period portraits and perennially fashionable crusty iron garden furniture. Also on show are farm tables, marine and advertising ephemera, pub signs, expertly re-upholstered antique sofas and large-scale library furniture, all re-imagined by a new generation of decorators and collectors.

Complimentary tickets available online.

King Prawn by Anthony Fry © Private Collection / Permission kindly granted by the estate of Anthony Fry

THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM Great Pulteney Street, Bath Tel: 01225 388569 Open: daily, 10am – 5pm (11am Sundays) Admission is free, but for special exhibitions there is a £10 entrance charge Web: holburne.org ANTHONY FRY: A RETROSPECTIVE Friday 9 February to Sunday 7 May The first museum retrospective of the painter Anthony Fry (1927–2016), who lived and worked near Bath for 60 years, but who made pictures that expressed his principal inspiration of travel. His early work, dominated by dancing figures, reflects the landscape of Tuscany. From the late 1980s his painting is characterised by strong, intense colour, influenced by the landscapes and culture of India, Morocco, the Sahara Desert, and Andalucía.

LIGHTING UP THE STAGE: STARS OF THE GEORGIAN THEATRE Friday 2 February to Sunday 3 June Somerset Maugham’s collection of theatrical portraits was acquired by the Holburne in 2010 and contains key works by Johan Zoffany, including portraits of David Garrick, and the 18th-century small scale portraitist Samuel de Wilde. The theatrical portraits immortalise stars of the 18th and 19th century stage in character and often in moments of high drama.

DAVID SIMON CONTEMPORARY 3 – 4 Bartlett Street, Bath Tel: 01225 460189 Visit: davidsimoncontemporary.com Open: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm, closed Wednesday and Sunday IMPRESSIONS ON PAPER Friday 2 – Monday 26 February Now an annual tradition, the gallery presents an exhibition devoted to works of art on paper through watercolour, drawing, etching and linocut prints. The show incorporates paintings by David Brayne RWS, who has completed a series continuing themes of figures in land and waterscapes; paintings of architectural manuscripts and stately interiors by one of Gate to the Wood by David Brayne RWS, pigment on paper Britain’s finest contemporary watercolourists, charcoal drawings by Peter Brown NEAC RWA, Hugh Buchanan; watercolour with pen and ink by Lydia Corbett; Jeremy Gardiner has developed a series exploring the west country; linocut prints by Steven Hubbard focusing on nostalgic household objects; acrylics and collage by Neil Murison. Coinciding with this exhibition the gallery will also be showing geometric white porcelain ceramics by Keith Varney.

42 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

EMMA ROSE Upstairs at 78 Walcot Street, Bath (above Bath Sofa and Curtain Company) Visitors welcome Open: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm Tel: 07885235915 or 01225 424424 Web: emmaroseartworks.com Throughout February Original contemporary paintings, limited edition giclée prints and cards of Emma Rose’s award-winning landscapes and abstracts are on view in this lovely gallery on Walcot Street. With an emphasis on deep, heartfelt colours and emotions, the highlight painting is Heart’s Desire. Her unique work is a mix of Indian inks, and acrylics with gold, copper and silver leaf.

Heart’s Desire by Emma Rose

P43.qxp_Layout 23 23/01/2018 14:18 Page 1

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 43

entertainment in bath exhibiiton.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2018 14:21 Page 1

ENTERTAINMENT | IN BATH

44 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRuaRy 2018

|

issue 185

entertainment in bath exhibiiton.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2018 14:22 Page 2

ENTERTAINMENT | IN BATH

AMUSING THE MASSES

Jessica Hope takes a close look at the latest exhibition to open at Victoria Art Gallery and discovers how Bathonians were kept entertained in centuries gone by PUTTING ON A SPECTACLE: Opposite page, clockwise from top left, Johann Christian Fischer by Thomas Gainsborough, 177480. Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018; John Nixon, The Gallery at the Theatre, Bath; a 20th century railway poster promoting Bath’s prominent residents and visitors from history; Assembly Rooms Ball by Thomas Rowlandson; Beau Nash by William Hoare, 1761 This page, top left, Fish Market by Thomas Rowlandson; right, Sydney Gardens bandstand Images courtesy of Victoria Art Gallery / Bath and North East Somerset Council

A

t the height of the Georgian era, Bath was second only to London as a centre for all things fun and frivolous. While wealthy tourists flocked to the city to take the waters and enjoy the supposed health benefits of the thermae baths, there was in fact an undercurrent of drinking, gambling and prostitution taking hold of this genteel city.

Victoria Art Gallery’s latest exhibition Entertainment in Bath explores these themes, highlighting the fun-loving decadence that went on in the 18th century, while celebrating the city as a cultural hotspot from the Georgian era up to the present day.

While many were drawn to Bath for its elegant exterior, the exhibition begins by counteracting this ideal, revealing the level of prostitution in the city in the 18th century. Avon Street was once a centre for such illicit activities, and the exhibition suggests that Thomas Rowlandson’s illustration of The Fish Market, pictured top left, showing women selling produce could in fact be a pretence for group of prostitutes.

As Bath began to gain a reputation for these less than upright activities, those who opposed them were drawn to the city to denounce them. As depicted in an extraordinary illustration on display, John Wesley – one of the founders of Methodism – once had an almighty row with the Master of Ceremonies Richard ‘Beau’ Nash in the 1730s, scorning him for his encouragement of the shameless behaviour of the social elites. This illustration details Wesley, towering above Nash in a pulpit, condemning

him for his depraved activities.

The gambling, partying and drinking that Nash championed – and consequently made his fortune from – didn’t stop Bath from attracting the biggest names from the world of Georgian music, theatre and art. One of the prized pieces from the exhibition is Thomas Gainsborough’s exquisite full-length portrait of German composer Johann Christian Fischer, pictured opposite, which is on loan from the Royal Collection.

Fischer is an example of one of the ground-breaking musicians who came to Bath in the Georgian period who courted a dedicated local following and increased the city’s credibility as a prominent place for upcoming and renowned musicians.

The exhibition also explores examples of popular culture that aren’t too dissimilar to what we might get up to in our free time nowadays, such as catching up with friends at a bustling coffee house, listening to buskers around the city centre, and shopping on Milsom Street. More unusual pastimes featured include witnessing a camel in a travelling menagerie (these were very popular among Victorians), or watching stonemasons transporting Bath stone along a private railway beside Ralph Allen’s Prior Park.

After the Lower Assembly Rooms burned down in the 1820s (you can see a remarkable depiction of this in the exhibition) Bath had lost its appeal as a pleasure city – those who had frequented Bath in its Georgian heyday had decided to retire here, so younger generations moved on to alternative, more buzzing cities like THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Brighton. Now with a more respectable social scene, Victorian Bath opened public parks where people of all classes could enjoy the green space – Sydney Gardens changed from an exclusive place for the social elite to a popular spot for outdoor entertainment.

The finale of the exhibition explores new forms of entertainment introduced in the 20th century such as cinema-going, as well as the more recent establishment of Bath Festivals, and performances at venues around the city from big contemporary names like Tears For Fears, Bay City Rollers and The Who. Arguably the most striking of images in this section are photographs of the Bath Historical Pageant from 1909 where residents re-enacted scenes from Bath’s history including King Bladud discovering the therapeutic hot springs that cured his pigs. For those who may remember when the Roman Baths were once open to the public for bathing, photographs from the Roman Rendezvous of 1978 are also on display, adding a touch of nostalgia to a pastime now long-gone. n Entertainment in Bath is on at Victoria Art Gallery until Wednesday 14 March, open daily from 10.30am – 5pm. Admission to the exhibition is £4.50, and free for Discovery Card holders. The exhibition will be brought to life by special performances by Bath Spa University drama students on Saturday 24 February and Saturday 3, 17, 24 March, 12 – 2pm.

Visit: victoriagal.org.uk.

|

FEBRuaRy 2018

|

ThEBATHMagazinE 45

gambling historyv4.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2018 17:02 Page 1

CITY | HISTORY

HOUSE OF CARDS

As the opening of a new 20,000 square-foot casino on Saw Close expands the entertainment options on offer to the city’s residents and visitors, Catherine Pitt looks back at the colourful history of gaming in Bath

T

o bet, to back, to wager or to have a flutter, gambling is an impulse that is part of human nature, appealing to rich and poor, male and female.

Although Bath was renowned as the playground of London’s upper and middle classes in the 18th century, gambling has a much longer history in the city.

To put gaming in context, the oldest board game was discovered in Turkey and dates back 5,000 years; the earliest six-sided dice dates back to Mesopotamia 3,000 years ago; and the first playing cards appear in China in the ninth century. The Romans enjoyed dice and board games and would place bets on gladiatorial games and chariot races.

Betting on sporting events and fighting animals (or humans) was also a popular 46 TheBATHMagazine

|

february 2018

|

ancient pastime. Cock-fighting is believed to be the world’s oldest spectator sport, dating back 6,000 years. In medieval Bath there is archaeological evidence of a cock-fighting pit at Timber Green (Saw Close). Public houses often had their own rings or pits for fights.

We know that in 1724 a great cock-fighting match took place at the White Lion Inn in Bath, so a ring may well have existed at this (now long-gone) public house well before the 18th century.

Bear-baiting was another popular form of entertainment and gambling opportunity in the middle ages. Itinerant bear-masters would arrange baitings in tavern courtyards as they passed through the towns and cities, so it’s possible Bath may have hosted such events.

Certainly those with a thirst for that kind of entertainment in the 1600s could make their

iSSue 185

way to Bristol where it took place in what is now known as Queen Square.

While King Henry VIII (1509–1547) banned gambling during his reign, his Royal Court was exempt from such measures, and Henry himself frequently played dice, cards and a version of backgammon called “tables”. It seems that Henry’s motivations in restricting gaming were driven by his belief that gambling was a distraction from his army’s weapons training.

By the time his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), was on the throne, gambling was once again a strong feature of everyday life. She introduced the first lottery in Britain, a state-run venture that raised tax revenues.

It wasn’t until 1994 that the first official public lottery, The National Lottery, in Britain was introduced.

gambling historyv4.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:32 Page 2

CITY | HISTORY

❝

The great error lies in imagining every fellow with a laced coat to be a gentleman – BEAU NASH –

❝

The zenith of gambling in England, and in Bath, was during the decadent 18th century when Bath was the ideal location for this leisurely pursuit. There was a ready, often invalided, audience, who, apart from hours spent drinking or bathing in the healing waters, had time on their hands and money to spend. It was the ever-opportunistic Richard “Beau” Nash who took advantage of this situation and became the city’s ultimate promoter of Bath as a gambling centre. Nash, as Master of Ceremonies, took control of Bath’s social calendar as well as its rules and regulations. He took a cut from the gambling tables of the Assembly Rooms to support his lavish lifestyle, and was astute enough to invent a game called Even/Odds to bypass the prohibitive gambling acts of the period.

Men and women pursued the gaming tables of the 18th century – it was one activity that was acceptable for both sexes to enjoy together, and where everyone was on an equal footing. Stakes were high for the upper classes, and fortunes were lost and won on the mere toss of a dice. In 1768 the playwright Samuel Foote lost £1,700 (around £150,000 in today’s money) in one night at the tables in Bath.

Nash was aware of the toll that the highstake losses had on those who played at his tables, occasionally giving losers some of his own money, or offering words of advice to gaming novices such as, “The great error lies in imagining every fellow with a laced coat to be a gentleman.” He also kept an eye out for the sharpers and gamesters who descended on the city to profit from the gambling opportunities.

It wasn’t just at the Assembly Rooms that the rich could have a flutter. At coffee houses, such as Morgan’s in Orange Grove, betting was a popular pastime. Local newspapers report of bizarre bets, from whistling matches (1711) to sedan chairmen races (1761). The lower classes were no better off, as gambling and betting went on everywhere and anywhere: in the street, at local fairs, and in drinking dens. It was probably one of the few things that enlivened the drudgery of their often short, hardship-ridden lives.

The government tried to control what was happening, but their efforts were almost fruitless. On the banning of games such as Faro, Cribbage and Bassett in 1711, old games were resurrected and new games swiftly invented. The gambling craze must have been at a high level in the city, for the Gaming Act of 1739 specifically singled out Bath in one clause whereby the illicit playing or arranging of banned games resulted in a fine of £20 going towards the city’s hospital.

Bath’s enthusiasm for gambling survived all attempts to control and suppress it. In 1777 the Assembly Rooms were extended when the Octagon Room no longer provided sufficient space, and the Card Room was then added.

As Bath eased into the 1800s and the Regency period, gambling was still part of society. However Bath itself was beginning to lose favour with the upper classes and the royals, although there were still plenty of stories about the notorious behaviour of George, Prince of Wales, and Frederick, Duke of York at the city’s gaming tables.

By the mid-19th century during the austere

reign of Queen Victoria, the government had begun to get to grips with the majority of commercialised gambling with the introduction of the 1845 Gaming Act and the 1853 Betting Act. During this period betting frauds, corrupt lotteries, and stories of loose morals and destitute families as a direct result of gambling encouraged a strong anti-gambling sentiment among the Victorian population.

The problem hadn’t disappeared though, and the lower classes still amused themselves gambling. Street betting was common, and local newspapers reported loiterers in Bridewell Lane, caught there for the “purpose of betting”, while in Snow Hill bookmakers’ runners (who went between people and the betting shop) were prosecuted after being found with betting slips in their pockets. Gambling was then either driven underground or took place in private members-only clubs, like the Bath and County Club on Queen Square.

Demand encouraged entrepreneurial folk to open illegal gambling dens in their homes or at their places of work. In August 1897 four men were charged with running an illegal betting shop from a room in 23A Stall Street and in August 1911 Ellen Gaston was charged with running such a business out of her place of work – the City Dining Rooms on Upper Borough Walls.

The ‘sport of kings’, horse racing, was exempt from these 19th-century gambling laws. This was considered a gentlemanly sport. The first record of horse racing in Bath is in 1721 at Claverton Down. It became so popular that in 1777 there is a record of 800 carriages and 10,000 riders and people on foot descending on the Down to watch the racing. Today the course is at Lansdown, where it relocated in 1784.

Illegal gambling continued through the 20th century until the Betting and Gaming Act of 1960 was introduced. The Act permitted commercial bingo halls and casinos (members only) to be opened. It also legalised betting shops and gaming machines in pubs.

Within six months of the act being passed, 10,000 betting shops were opened in Britain.

Bath’s first known official casino, the Monaco Rooms in Bladud Buildings, opened its doors in 1963. In 1966 the proprietors of the Rooms, John Richardson and Vito Centamore, gained an extension on their licence to operate it “all night” – providing late-night cabaret, refreshments and gaming tables. Soon, other establishments were following suit, such as Hadrian’s Club (or Georgy’s) on George Street.

The new casino development in Saw Close hails a new era in Bath’s entertainment scene.

It will extend the range of evening entertainment in the city and invest in the local economy with the creation of 80 new full-time jobs. Fitting comfortably alongside the ever-popular culture of the National Lottery and boosting the city’s economy, it seems likely that both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I may have approved. n­

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBruary 2018

|

ThEBATHMagazinE 47

postcardsfeb V2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:37 Page 1

CITY | HISTORY

POSTCARDS FROM THE PAST W ith a collection of more than 200 postcards of Frome and Bath, Di Cole has amassed a sizeable chunk of local history. “I started collecting postcards of Frome more than a decade ago and it snowballed from there,” says Cole, who lives in Frome and spends between £1 and £30 on cards that span more than a century – her oldest dates back to 1902. “I started to collect Bath cards when I ran out of Frome ones, but my favourites are those that are written on, which really capture a slice of history. In the early

1900s there were multiple postal pickups and deliveries a day, so people would sometimes send a postcard about their evening plans in the morning. In a way they were the social media of their day.”

A spell spent working at the RUH in Bath during the 1980s also gave Cole an enormous affection for the city. “It’s so historical and beautiful with such rich pickings as far as vintage postcards go. I’ve really only just started this collection.” Here she picks some of her favourites of Bath.

FACING PAGE: The view up Milsom Street taken in the 1970s THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: A spooky figure strolls down the Royal Avenue by Royal Victoria Park in this postcard sent in 1919; The Guildhall in the city centre; Northumberland Place shopping arcade looks bright and colourful in this 70s’ era picture; a tinted Christmas card from the early 1900s showing the Old Bridge linking the city centre to Widcombe; the front and back of a tinted postcard sent in 1907, the back reads: “Dear Grandma, Arrived quite safe with love, Teddy”; the back of another 1907 postcard

48 TheBATHMagazine

|

february 2018

|

iSSue 185

postcardsfeb V2.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2018 13:54 Page 2

CITY | HISTORY

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 49

postcardsfeb V2.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 10:51 Page 3

CITY | HISTORY

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The weir and Pultney Bridge; a festive view of Milsom Street; a 1970s shot looking towards the Holburne Museum; a summertime view of Bath Abbey taken in the 1960s; a shot of the mineral water fountain taken in the 1960s. You can see more vintage postcards of the city by following @bathpostcards on Instagram. n

50 TheBATHMagazine

|

february 2018

|

iSSue 185

P51.qxp_Layout 23 24/01/2018 09:11 Page 1

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 51

Bath at Work feb colin jonesv2.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2018 10:41 Page 1

Bath at Work feb colin jonesv2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:58 Page 2

Want to become a better leader?

BATH @ WORK

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

Come along to our Open Evening on Wednesday 21 March between 6-8pm to find out more.

Colin Jones

Founder of Bath Hypnotherapy and guide for Mad Max Tours

I

started off life as an actor, doing my training at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London and then spent a colourful decade working in fringe theatre throughout the 80s. I appeared in shows like YOU – The City by Fiona Templeton, an intimate play with an audience of one where the audience member is taken through a series of encounters around London, including answering the phone in a curry house, and being taken for a ride by a cheeky cockney taxi driver. I was so convincing in my role of vagrant that police were called and the director had to explain that I was Act 3 in a piece of compelling internationally acclaimed theatre.

The 90s heralded the birth of my son and the need for a regular income, so I retrained and worked as a counsellor in The Bethlem and Maudsley Hospital School in south London.

I became an addiction specialist, which was immensely interesting and rewarding, if sometimes challenging. I worked in prisons, rehabilitation clinics and residential treatment centres, helping people to make major changes to their lives. A rewarding memory was witnessing an ex-client – who had made his way through recovery in prison – go on to work for ‘RAPt’ (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust), where he started his journey of change, even bravely addressing MPs in the House of Commons in support of this organisation, which helps transform many addicted prisoners’ lives.

I have always loved trips to Bath and our frequent visits to see my Bathonian partner’s family. Like many London dwellers I dreamt of leaving the grimy city for a more fulfilling, healthy life.

Now this was about to happen with my wife and new baby.

Having completed my PGDip in addictions counselling at King’s College London, I was offered the position of senior counsellor in Bristol. Near Bath, it felt brilliantly human-sized with so much happening and reams of festivals spanning arts, music, literature, film and comedy – it was an easy choice!

In recent years, I have established a successful counselling and hypnotherapy practice in Larkhall. Here I can make best use of my many years of experience, skills and learning in the service of others. The days I am not in the office, I lead, guide and drive for Mad Max Tours. Taking people to Stonehenge, Avebury (my personal favourite) and other local beauty spots. This is a great way to connect with people from all over the world, quench my thirst for local history and flex my old thespian sensibilities. It’s a joy to receive a hand-written note from Canada or America from someone saying the tour was one of the highlights of their trip.

The tours are also a lovely contrast to my career as a therapist.

I guess that essentially I’m a people person. I like to help people have a great holiday experience or support the changes people want to achieve – like quitting cigarettes, losing weight, curing fears, or just feeling great – so that life can be enjoyed to the full.

Designed for busy managers to fit around a demanding management role, this part-time programme will help you to:

• enhance your impact as a leader • understand organisational complexity and issues affecting success • improve your ability to manage change and uncertainty • make better choices about growth and strategic direction

Email Cheralyn Dark at efim-scl@bristol.ac.uk or Tel: 0117 954 6694 for details www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/2018/ssl/msc-strategy-change-leadership/ Come along to our Open Evening on Wednesday 21 March 2018 between 6-8pm.

To register, please email Cheralyn at efim-scl@bristol.ac.uk

PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic.

Visit: capturethespirit.co.uk, tel: 01225 483151 THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FebRUARY 2018

|

TheBATHMAgAzine 53

P54.qxp_Layout 22 26/01/2018 14:25 Page 1

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

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

“The food was exceptional, probably the best Chinese food I had in all the UK”

@PekingBath

Peking Restaurant Bath

54 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

issUe 185

1 – 2 New Street Kingsmead Square Bath BA1 2AF Tel: 01225 466 377 pekingrestaurantbath.co.uk

P55.qxp_Layout 23 26/01/2018 16:07 Page 1

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

Looking to make a change for the year ahead? Try organic!

F

or many, a new year is all about change and new beginnings, especially around eating and exercise habits. We go at it gung ho at the beginning of January, but often our good intentions are beginning to fade by now.

Part of the problem is the conflicting advice in the media about the best diet to follow. But the goal of eating well is a good one: all experts agree that it will help you keep to a healthy weight and reduce your risk of chronic diseases. Good nutrition also helps create a healthy gut, and there’s growing evidence that this can positively impact mental health. And when you eat well, you really feel that you’re caring for yourself, which is so important in our hectic world. Of course we should eat well all year round – not just at new year, but it is helpful for some people to use January as a kick-start to get their food habits back on track!

Small changes are enough to make a significant difference. An easy way to get more vegetables into your diet is to have a regular veg box delivered to your door. Riverford Bath delivers seasonal, organic vegetables, recipe boxes and other organic groceries, direct to people’s homes in and around Bath. Unlike many other box schemes, Riverford are the farmers – they’ve been growing organically for 30 years and grow the vegetables themselves so it’s picked and packed in a very short time, it’s super fresh, and there are no middle men. The produce is grown for maximum flavour and you really can taste the difference.

They believe in a simple approach to eating well – eat more veg, cook from scratch as much as possible, reduce the processed stuff. In fact this

is in line with the current trend for plant-based diets, but it’s an oldfashioned approach really. There’s nothing there that your granny wouldn’t have told you. They recommend adding extra portions of fruit and vegetables throughout your day – try a savoury breakfast with tomatoes or mushrooms, or add berries to your usual cereal. Go for salad or a veg-based soup for lunch. Choose an apple or a carrot for a snack instead of crisps and chocolate. Add an extra portion of veg at dinner. 10 portions a day sounds huge – but they soon add up if you keep adding fruit and veg here and there throughout the day.

Recipe cards are included in every box, and there’s a Riverford recipe channel on YouTube to inspire your cooking. New for 2018 is an organic juicing bag – a quick, tasty way to get some extra goodness. The bag provides a different juice each week – for example kale, apple, celery and cucumber, or carrot, apple, orange and turmeric.

If one of your other new year’s resolutions is to be kinder to the environment, a veg box will significantly reduce the packaging that comes into your home: Riverford works hard at sustainable packaging solutions and boxes are reused up to 10 times.

Riverford Bath is run by husband and wife team, Alan and Vicki.

They’re based in Bath and you can deal with them directly – there’s always someone available at the end of the phone. Call 01225 437438 or visit: riverford.co.uk for boxes, recipe inspiration and more.

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 55

Listen to love V2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:53 Page 1

SPECIAL | REPORT

LISTEN TO LOVE Melissa Blease goes in search of the best intimate restaurants in Bath for whispering sweet nothings

A

ccording to research by the British Hospitality Association, 14 February is the most booked date of the year for restaurants. In the build-up to the big day itself, restaurants across the land go into a seating plan rearrangement frenzy. Tables for two dominate the dining area, menus are rewritten to include the obligatory cutesy cocktails, sharing platters and ingredients that supposedly offer magical aphrodisiacal qualities, and swathes of red roses are broken down into single stems in readiness for an end-of-the-evening flourish. For many people, Valentine’s Day is the ultimate date night – and if the way to your paramour's heart is through his or her stomach, then you'd better book the restaurant of your choice today. But bear in mind that if you want to actually hear the sweet nothings that may possibly be whispered into your ear between courses, you'd better choose that restaurant very, very carefully indeed.

NOISES OFF Too much noise can destroy the intimate table-for-two experience. Cue background music that's loud enough to make the cutlery rattle; open-plan, echoing spaces with minimalist décor; and shared tables.

Then there are tables adjacent to a busy bar, staff shouting orders into the kitchen, and the crash-bang-wallop of open kitchens.

Technology adds to the noise build-up: a cacophony of ringtones and text alerts, wall-mounted TV screens, fellow diners who 56 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

are using the restaurant as a backdrop for their personal photoshoots. Seriously, kids, this is not just the opinion of an old fuddy duddy who’s failing to move with the times – it's a worrying issue. More than 11 million people in the UK live with some form of hearing loss (an estimated 31 per cent of these under the age of 40), which makes coping with noisy environments problematic to the point of painful. Many more who are blessed with excellent hearing actively dislike noisy restaurants too.

A recent study published by the charity Action on Hearing Loss found that 81 per cent of respondents – the majority of whom were 18 to 54 – had experienced difficulty holding a conversation while eating out, so much so that they’d left the restaurant in question earlier than planned.

Cynical folk may deduce that this is exactly what a noisy restaurant is aiming for: surely high turnover equals bigger profits? But against the backdrop of a hospitality industry climate that’s competitive to say the least (and highly relevant in Bath), such a deliberately anti-social strategy represents a short-term advantage. If you felt shouted out of your favourite local independent eaterie last time you visited, you wouldn’t hurry back would you? Long-term loyalty and positive word-of-mouth reviews are as important to such restaurants as any amount of tourist footfall.

Valentine’s Day and all year round. So if you’re searching for a quiet, romantic spot you are spoilt for choice. The smart but cosy Circus Restaurant (Brock Street) has an intimate, candlelit vibe in the evenings and you’ll find love writ large on the menu – from diver-caught scallops with Jerusalem artichoke purée to blood orange rosemary sorbet – and all manner of opportunities to whisper sweet nothings without fighting against a barrage of boisterousness.

When that much-loved, authentic dolce vita hotspot Martini (George Street) is buzzing with customers, backstage kitchen commotion is kept to a minimum and background music subtly enhances the vibe rather than dominating your affaire del cuore. The Olive Tree (Russel Street) encourages sophisticated whispers and Chez Dominique (Argyle Street) proves that the thrum of a proper, Parisian-style bistro doesn’t have to be dominated by the blare of an accordion. In Daniel Moon’s dining room at the Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel (Beau Street) the very notion of commotion while indulging a romantic whim would meet a response akin to the one that Guns ’N Roses would get if they performed live and loudly in Bath Abbey.

TRANQUIL ZONES TURN IT DOWN We’re lucky that many of the best restaurants in Bath know, from longstanding experience, that environment is as crucial as good service and great food – on

issUe 185

Supplementing our grown-up institutions, a handful of new kids on the Bath foodie block are blazing a trail for quiet zones, perhaps indicating that tranquil is becoming a trend. Noya’s Kitchen (St James’ Parade),

Listen to love V2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:55 Page 2

SPECIAL | REPORT

Degustibus (Gay Street) and the second branch of Corkage (Chapel Row) have all cleverly managed to bury the blaring, glaring shock of the new beneath layers of relaxed bonhomie. This softer approach to furnishing allows the promise of fabulous food and sophisticated good times to shout for itself.

Meanwhile, there is a clear indication that times could be changing in terms of interior makeovers. Plush banquette seating, swathes of velvet drapes and luxuriously thick carpets have started to replace the hard wooden benches, roller blinds and laminated floors that have been popular of late and create an echo chamber for every single sound, from the tinkle of a teaspoon to the roar of the kitchen’s extractor fan. This bodes well for those who crave a side order of peace, so, bring the new-look, old-fashioned amorous restaurant vibe on! It can’t happen quickly enough.

So, as the most romantic day of the year fast approaches, seek out the places that turn down the volume in readiness for you to turn up the heat on your love life. As Shakespeare said in Love’s Labour’s Lost, “when love speaks, the voice of all the gods makes heaven drowsy with the harmony”... You don’t want to miss out on that experience because the noise of the dishwasher is drowning it out, do you? n

cartoonstock.com

MELLOW INTERIORS

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 57

Project2_Layout 1 19/01/2018 17:11 Page 1

winetristanfeb.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 12:18 Page 1

TRISTAN DARBY Our resident sommelier takes us on a South African Safari

F

lanked by two oceans and set against a backdrop of soaring mountains, South Africa is home to some of the world’s most picturesque vineyards. The Cape Winelands spread from the rugged mountains and slopes of the coastal regions to the plains of Klein Karoo. The interaction of valley slopes, ancient geology, mountains and cooling coastal breezes create a diverse environment that supports many grape varieties and styles. Add to that a new generation of dynamic young quality-conscious winemakers and you have one of today’s most exciting, dynamic and talked about wine countries. South African wines also offer impressively good value, with a range of styles that combine elegance and power. Here’s a few from Great Western Wine I recommend you try...

Not many women in the world had their own wine made for them as a wedding gift (setting the bar high, chaps), but the deliciously fruity and flinty La Barry Sauvignon Blanc (£11.75, GWW) was named after winemaker Martin Meinert’s wife-to-be, Leigh Anne Barry, who prefers white wines over the reds for which Martin has an established and well-deserved reputation in Stellenbosch. The Sauvignon grapes are sourced an hour east of Cape Town, in the coolclimate Elgin district. Traditionally an apple growing area, Elgin is now prized for its elegant Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Zesty and citrusy, mineral and flinty, this is a much fresher and more restrained Sauvignon than you might have tried from SA, more in line with the elderflower, nettle and gooseberry style of the Loire. Mouthwatering and zippy with a fantastically flinty finish.

Chenin blanc is the most widely planted grape in South Africa, partly owing to the wide range of styles it can produce, from dry to sweet, into sparkling and even sherry styles. Not always known for producing the highest calibre wines, a quality revolution was lead by the now legendary winemaker Ken Forrester (aka The King of Chenin). The grapes for the Ken Forrester Reserve Chenin Blanc (£11.95, GWW) are hand-picked from 37-year-old Stellenbosch vines, with a fermentation in both tank and barrel before a further nine months maturation in French oak. It’s elegant, round and creamy, full of baked apple fruit flavours and a hint of spice.

Unique to South Africa, the Pinotage grape is a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Adaptable to different climates, Pinotage produces wines in a variety of styles but it has divided opinions in terms of quality potential. Fortunately, there’s an ever-increasing number of wines like Thinius Kruger’s excellent FRAM Pinotage (£25, GWW) that are helping to show its potential.

Produced from one vineyard of bush vines in the Citrusdal Mountain district of Olifants River, this wine is dense, ripe and fruity with a surprising grace and elegance.

Join Tristan for a South African Tasting at Great Western Wine on Wednesday 28 February, 7pm.

Visit greatwesternwine.co.uk/events for tickets

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 59

columbiancoffeeV2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 16:03 Page 1

FOOD | AND | DRINK

PHOTOGRAPHY: PAOLO FERLA

THE COFFEE GURU

Bath’s caffeine scene just got even better with the arrival of The Colombian Company’s first café on Abbeygate Street.

Melissa Blease has a flat white with the man behind the brand

C

hemex or cold drip, aeropress or V60, reverse osmosis filtration systems and single origin beans... and that’s before you’ve even decided whether you want a flat white or a triple venti half-sweet non-fat caramel macchiato. On thing’s for sure, going for a coffee these days is nowhere near as simple as it was a decade ago. Back then there were fewer than 10,000 coffee shops in the whole of the UK (and a third of them belonged to the big three chains: Starbucks, Costa and Caffè Nero). Ten years on, and that figure has more than doubled, with one in five people visiting a coffee shop on a daily basis and speciality coffee shops seeing the biggest growth spurt.

Bath, meanwhile, is particularly blessed with cool caffeine outlets – anybody who claims to be unable to find a decent expresso in the heritage city is just being silly. But there’s a new kid on the coffee block that’s bringing a uniquely South American twist. The Colombian Company’s founder, Jhampoll Gutierrez moved to England from Colombia almost 20 years ago. Today his lively, welcoming coffee shop in Abbeygate Street, which opened in November, showcases and celebrates the very best of the produce he grew up with. “My passion for coffee started very early on,” says Gutierrez. “For me, coffee represents a happy childhood. I was born in Colombia and used to love watching the coffee farmers walking around their farms with such love and care, the pickers choosing the best berries and the smell of the coffee drying under the sun. I would admire those huge trucks full of sacks leaving the farm and wonder how far that coffee would travel.”

But did he ever imagine, back in those days, that he too would 60 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

issUe 185

travel thousands of miles... to Bath? “I came to England in my early teens to continue my studies but started working with coffee in my early twenties, which is what I really enjoyed,” he recalls. “Then, just over a year ago I decided to start my own company importing the best speciality green coffee I could find in Colombia. I only buy from small farmers and have direct contact with the producers, their families and the people who work for them, who swiftly become like family. I believe in paying a good price for my coffee, which helps the farmer invest in the farm and train his workers. Growing coffee is very difficult, and it should be appreciated.”

Many in-the-know Bathonians will already be familiar with Jhampoll’s wares as he’s a regular face at Bath Artisan Market, Bath Brunch Market and Chandos Deli. He’s recently expanded his product range to include Colombian chocolate and Panela (sugar cane) too.

I confess to him my love of instant coffee at home, which could have easily have finished off our interview early, but Jhampoll, it seems, is a very patient man. “Instant coffee? I think we need to have a good chat about how to enjoy good coffee at home. It really isn’t difficult to make a good cup of coffee, and it doesn’t take very long either. If you start to take a real interest, as to where the coffee you’re drinking comes from, how it was dried and roasted, and who made it, you’ll start to taste it differently. It's always a good idea to try different methods of coffee making until you find the one that works best for you, but I’m a great believer in letting people enjoy their coffee however they want to enjoy it. There really are no rights or wrongs. But in general, in the UK, I think people are starting to be

columbiancoffeeV2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 16:05 Page 2

FOOD | AND | DRINK

more knowledgeable about coffee, developing an ability to differentiate good coffee from bad coffee and wanting to know all about the coffee’s journey to Britain. I can offer total traceability of all my beans, which is the main ethos on which my company is based.”

It’s also the aspect of Gutierrez’s business of which he is most proud. “Small Colombian coffee farms struggle to compete with big farms that are producing tons of coffee beans to sell to big companies,” he tells me. “I choose to buy only from the very small farms, which in fact produce amazing coffee and are run by whole families who are trying to make a living in a very competitive market. We pay a little extra to help the farmer invest back into the farm to produce even better coffee the next crop.

“My company is based on quality, traceability and a direct relationship with the farmer; to allow those small farmers in Colombia to proudly show what incredible coffee they grow is really important to me. My objective is to keep growing and add another coffee house to my portfolio; as we grow, the farmers will grow with us.”

Gutierrez’s customers have proved to be open to new ways to take their coffee, with the Bombon (espresso and condensed milk) created by his Spanish wife Veronica proving to be a big hit right now (“It’s a little messy to make but people seem to enjoy it!”). Gutierrez is keen to get out and about in Bath as often as he can too, citing Society Café as one of his favourite caffine pit stops and Olé Tapas as his eaterie of choice.

But does he ever miss his home? “I’d love to be able to go to Colombia twice a year to visit the farms and keep learning about the amazing world of specialty coffee,” he says. “I still have family there too, so I’d say they are what I miss about home the most. I also miss the way of life in Colombia in general. No matter how poor people are, they're always happy, and will always share the little they have with you.

And, of course, I miss the weather!” n The Colombian Company, 6 Abbeygate Street, BA1 1NP Tel: 07534 391 992; visit: thecolombiancompany.com

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

February 2018

|

TheBATHMagazine 61

Fine&Dandyv3.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 16:11 Page 1

A MODERN VINTAGE Bath’s barbershop scene is booming with more than a dozen to choose from. Crystal Rose meets the man behind Fine and Dandy, who is fast gaining a reputation as the best pair of scissors in town. Photography by Nell Mallia

I

n the heart of Widcombe, behind a chic, white-painted shop front you’ll find Bath’s coolest barbershop. Clients lounge in wooden theatre seats, or make themselves a cup of coffee while they await beard trims and hair cuts from salon owner Robbie Emm. Emm opened Fine and Dandy in 2014 after spying the empty storefront during a visit to one of his favourite record stores, Raves from the Grave (now closed), a few doors away. He thought it would be the ideal spot for a barbershop, close to the station but in an area with a community feel (popular pub The White Hart is just across the street). He set about creating an exceptionally laid-back vibe; there are just three chairs, no appointments, and if you want an espresso you can knock it up yourself at the self-serve coffee station.

Bath-born Emm started his career at Gary Henri in Clifton, Bristol, moved to Chop in Wells for two years and then onto Hair Razor in Radstock. But his dream was always to set up his own space. With his own savings he transformed 4 Prior Park Road (once secondhand clothes shop, Roundabout). Taking a hands-on approach to the interior Emm designed the entire space himself, leaving one wall bare brick and adding oversized circular metal-framed mirrors. Being on a tight budget he sourced furniture from eBay, reclamation yards, and even raided friend’s lofts, adding touches like scaffolding poles and crate shelving to nail an urban, undone feel.

Being a self-confessed vinyl nut it seemed fitting to have a record

62 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

issUe 185

player in the barbershop. Robbie has a collection of more than 100 records and an ear for classic sixties music. The Kinks, The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds all get regular spins on the decks along with northern soul, reggae, ska and funk.

Emm sees more requests for longer styles from local clients, with less of a focus on Peaky Blinders-style, military cuts, short hair and skin fades. On the flipside he thinks thick, heavy beards are a waning trend being replaced by a far shorter, forgotten-to-shave stubble beard. He has a great eye for off-the-radar grooming products and it’s worth stocking up when you visit. From Dear Barber (who do an incredible beard oil containing argan, coconut and almond oils) to Uppercut an Aussie brand inspired by 1950s barbershops.

And if you have to wait in line for the next appointment there’s a stack of great reads on the coffee table with Proper Magazine vying for your attention alongside pictorial tomes like I am Dandy: The Return of the Elegant Gentleman a fascinating history of men’s grooming and the art of dandyism. If you get peckish you can raid Emm’s jars of chocolates on the counter.

With more than 25 customers a day, there are plans to add in another chair and include wet shaves on the menu. Aside from future plans, Emm is focused on “keeping the standard good”. We would expect no less from Fine and Dandy Barbershop. n Fine and Dandy, 4 Prior Park Road, Widcombe, Bath BA2 4NG Tel: 01225 461848. Visit: fineanddandybarbers.com

Fine&Dandyv3.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 15:25 Page 2

MENS | GROOMING

IN NUMBERS 3

Shampoo times a week and condition and manage your hair with whatever suits you.

Fine and Dandy is located at

4 Prior Park Road.

The recommended time between haircuts is every weeks.

4

Fine and Dandy has a collection of more than

100 records.

Since opening its doors in 2014, the salon has notched-up over appointments.

80,000

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

February 2018

|

TheBATHMagazine 63

Business February v2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 16:24 Page 1

CITY | PEOPLE

CITYNEWS Excellent rating

Tom Chiffers (left) and David Hill (right)

Clare Webb from Sharp Family Law

New partners

Congratulations!

Mogers Drewett has promoted two of its associate solicitors to partners, taking the number of partners to 16. David Hill, Head of Private Client, and Tom Chiffers, Head of Tax and Trusts, are based in the firm’s Bath office.

David joined in 2001 and became Head of Private Client in 2017. He has experience in all aspects of estate administration but specialises in complex estates, tax planning, wills, lifetime gifts and variation of estates post death.

Tom joined in 2011 and has specialised in tax and trusts within the private client team since 2013. He assists clients with the use of trusts for tax planning, succession planning and for the protection of assets, and also specialises in working with agricultural clients.

Steven Treharne, managing partner at Mogers Drewett, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to promote David and Tom to partner. Our Private Client services including tax and trusts are a really important part of what we do. We pride ourselves on building lasting relationships with clients founded on quality of service, and both David and Tom have proved outstanding in this regard.”

Sharp Family Law has announced the promotion of Clare Webb to partner. Since joining the firm in 2011, Clare has been committed to finding constructive ways to address the challenges resulting from divorce and separation and developed her practice to help clients resolve current issues and shape their futures to ensure long-term security. “We are pleased to acknowledge Clare’s dedication to clients and commitment to this firm. A welldeserved promotion for a truly valued member of the Sharp Family Law team,” said the firm.

Amid reports that law firms are falling behind other industry sectors when it comes to client satisfaction levels, Bath law firm Mowbray Woodwards has bucked the trend with an overall excellent rating in its latest client feedback survey.

Last year, experts warned that the legal sector needs to respond to the customer service challenge and advised that the ‘clocks are ticking’ for law firms that fail to focus on their clients. The clarity of advice given by Mowbray Woodwards has been rated by 93% of their clients as ‘excellent’. Nine out of 10 respondents said that the firm has an excellent understanding of their needs, and 97% of clients were very positive about their speed of response to phone calls and correspondence.

Jo Stevens, marketing manager at Mowbray Woodwards, said: “Historically, too many law firms have kept their clients at arm’s length. We have always made a conscious effort to put our clients at the heart of everything we do. Our clients’ feedback is important to us, it enables us to do what we do better.”

Sharp Family Law, tel: 01225 448955, web: sharpfamilylaw.com

Mowbray Woodwards, tel: 01225 485700, web: mowbraywoodwards.co.uk

Team at the Apex

Mogers Drewett, tel: 01225 750000, web: mogersdrewett.com

Bath law firm Royds Withy King recently hosted a ‘meet the team’ event in the Apex Hotel conference centre for over 100 guests to thank them for their support in 2017.

Managing partner Graham Street’s welcome speech reflected on the successes of the previous year and the growth of the firm.

He also introduced Stuart Brazington who has been appointed regional lead partner for Bath. Stuart, who has worked at Royds Withy King in Bath for over 10 years, talked

about the city’s prospects, the regeneration projects that are underway and his role in helping to develop new market opportunities and build on the firm’s community links.

Kate Morton, chief executive of Bath Mind, the firm’s current local charity, spoke about their work and how businesses can collaborate to tackle community issues.

Royds Withy King, tel: 01225 459999, web: roydswithyking.com

BATH BUSINESS BAROMETER

Did you Know?

Bath After 5 (until 8pm) Footfall Increased in December by

UPDATE: DECEMBER 2017

High Street Footfall

provided by

49%

(Month on month % change)

n December was a remarkable month for Bath, where footfall increased by 14.4%. The Christmas market attracted many visitors and Saturday 9 December saw the largest growth in visitors that month. With the arrival of cold weather, there was a significant decline mid-month in visitor numbers, although the last shopping days saw a 12% increase in retail sales.

Bath BID collaborated with VisitBath on Discover the Magic of Bath. This Christmas campaign which promoted businesses throughout the period and our own Dickensian evenings in The Corridor and Northumberland Place were a welcome addition to the programme.

Bath

+14.4%

South West UK

+12.7%

+2.7% Springboard Research Ltd.

64 TheBATHMagazine

|

febrUarY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

Project3_Layout 1 25/01/2018 16:41 Page 1

P66.qxp_Layout 22 26/01/2018 16:19 Page 1

BATH | IN BUSINESS

What if your insurance claim is unfairly turned down?

I

nsurance can bring you great peace of mind. Whether it is life insurance, critical illness, home insurance, car insurance or anything else – you feel that, if the worst happens, at least you are covered.

So if your claim gets turned down, it can come as a great shock. If a loved one has died or you have been diagnosed with a serious illness, for example, it can make a very painful situation even worse.

Many people will contest a rejected claim for a while with their insurance company – and then give up the fight as they feel they can’t take it anymore or they have no chance of winning.

But the reality is that there are people that can help.

At Mogers Drewett, we have a Dispute Resolution team who are experienced at representing clients in disputes with other parties, including insurers.

We will sit down with you and go through your case from the beginning, looking at all the forms that were filled in, the terms of the policy, the details surrounding the claim, and the response from the insurance company.

This can often reveal grounds for contesting the insurer’s decision. For example, insurers will sometimes turn down a claim for ‘non-disclosure’ of information at the time of taking the policy out – but this information may not actually have been asked for, or the questions asked at inception could have been ambiguous. Often, an insurer might decline a claim on improper grounds or their agents might have waived the insurer’s right to do so.

If you used an insurance broker, it may be that the fault lies with them and not the insurer. If you bought your policy online via a comparison website, their questions may not match those asked by the insurer.

It can be hard fighting your corner against a big insurance company. It feels like they can just ignore you or reject you out of hand and there is nothing you can do.

But having a law firm like Mogers Drewett on your side can put a very different complexion on things. Having effective, cost-efficient advice means that you know where you stand and what options are available to contest your insurer’s decision; whether that be court proceedings or a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman service – we are experienced in dealing with all types of insurance disputes.

So, if you have had a claim rejected and don’t know where to turn, get in touch with us and we will be very pleased to talk with you about your case. For more information visit www.mogersdrewett.com or call 01225 750000.

Jake Stacey is an Associate Solicitor and part of the of Dispute Resolution team at Mogers Drewett.

By Allison Herbert BID General Manager, Bath Business Improvement District.

T

he new year always brings new beginnings and here at the Business Improvement District we are celebrating 2018 with some new faces and new projects.

Following my recruitment as the permanent General Manager at the Bath BID, I am looking forward to supporting the team and our partners to keep the city clean, safe and welcoming. With footfall a key priority for our levy payers, we are also planning to bring forward and support a great programme of events.

We start the new year with two new rangers on the team and a programme of deep cleans using our specialist hot washing equipment.

If you happen to be about at 5.30am, you may see our rangers hard at work. We clean before the city wakes up, so that it can be seen at its best as the new day dawns.

On the event calendar we are looking forward to a couple of new initiatives. First this year will be the new Valentine’s celebration in Parade Gardens. If you have been looking for the perfect location to pop the question, there will be set-ups in the gardens which will make it easy to create memorable images for sharing and looking back on.

We are hoping that many hats will be needed after this February’s fun celebration.

In March, the Bath Half Marathon welcomes the speedy amongst us to pound the city’s streets, but we have been working on something much more leisurely. Do join us for our first ever Comedy Shopalong as part of the Bath Comedy Festival. Look out for the hilarious trail of funnies which will lead you through the streets of Bath and join in our competition to find the best new joke of the year. The trail will be suitable for families, students, visitors and anyone who likes a bit of a giggle.

For May we are looking forward to Bath Festival and can’t wait for the festival weekender at the Rec. How marvellous to be welcoming Tears for Fears back to the city for the Festival’s 70th birthday celebrations. The BID will be supporting both parts of the festival programme and encouraging businesses and residents to get involved and make the most of what is on our doorstep.

On the safety side, our night marshals are being fitted with new body cameras. This will make it easier to improve enforcement in the city. We know that the night marshals provide a safe and reassuring presence, but when incidents do occur, it is good to know that evidence can be gathered using the latest technology.

Finally, as we look forward to an exciting year, I am constantly reminded how much more effective we can be when we collaborate.

The BID represents over 700 businesses who work together to create a welcoming and clean city centre environment of which we can all be proud. We are very grateful to all our partners who support the BID to achieve this and look forward to a productive and successful year together. n To keep up to date with all of our news please sign up for our weekly newsletter: www.bathbid.co.uk/subscribe

66 TheBATHMaGazIne

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

IssUe 185

Richardson Swift fp.qxp_Layout 1 24/01/2018 14:20 Page 1

P68.qxp_Layout 22 25/01/2018 13:32 Page 1

ocl A C C O U N TA N C Y

141 Englishcombe Lane, Bath BA2 2EL

A.L.F.A.

Tel: 01225 445507

www.oclaccountancy.com

Restrictions for tax relief on finance costs began in 2017/18 and get worse from 6 April 2018.

Is there anything you can do to lessen the impact?

The tax relief restriction came into effect on 6th April 2017 and affects residential landlords if they are individuals, trusts or partnerships - but doesn’t affect companies. It doesn’t affect you if you’re the landlord of a furnished holiday let, a property developer or dealing in land and property.

The rules affect mortgage interest on buy to let property and from 6th April this year, the proportion of interest you will be allowed to deduct from your property income falls to 50% (from 75% last year). The other 50% will only give you basic rate tax relief. The changes will significantly affect landlords with high borrowings.

Unfortunately there is no easy way around the rules unless you transfer the properties into a company. This will avoid the finance cost restriction and can ring fence your profits at the corporation tax rate (due to fall) so avoiding income tax rates (which can be as high as 45%). However, the transfer can bring other tax charges and might not be tax efficient overall.

A more direct way to mitigate the negative impact is to reduce the interest you pay, by using your own savings to reduce the borrowing.With current rates, the interest you save on borrowing is almost certainly going to be higher than you are receiving on savings; and if you want access to your savings you could switch to an offset mortgage.

LANGUAGE SCHOOL FRANCE

HOST FAMILIES REQUIRED Would you like to host French students? Ages 11-17 Saturday 14th July – Friday 3rd August One Student – £525 Two Students in Room Share – £995 Two Students in 2 Rooms – £1050

For further information please contact Mrs Susie Houston on 0777 379 2866 or email: susie.houston.alfa@gmail.com

For tax saving tips contact us – call Marie Maggs, Hannah Pettifer or Mike Wilcox on 01225 445507 for a no-obligation meeting.

We look forward to meeting you - and see our website for more, including FREE download guides.

What our clients say: “We are a small, but very busy, independent restaurant in Bath…We couldn't have reached this stage without the help of OCL. I would thoroughly recommend OCL accountants to any small to medium sized business.”

“The biggest recommendation would be that my daughter has just started up in business and I told her to go to OCL, I don’t think you can get a better recommendation than that.”

We provide Bath Airport transfers to and from all major airports in the uk. We use only HI spec vehicles and give a near on chauffeur experience at less than regular taxi prices.

- Airport transfers - City to city travel - Hi spec vehicles - 1-8 seat vehicles available - Account work considered - Free Wifi in selected vehicles - Card payments taken with Izettle - Prices start from as little as £37 Call or email us for a quote now!

Web: romanbathprivatehire.co.uk Email: Info@romanbathprivatehire.co.uk Tel: 01225 484346

Call Marie Maggs, Mike Wilcox or Hannah Pettifer on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting 68 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

issUe 185

@Romanbathprivatehire

Mowbray Woodwards fp.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2018 11:01 Page 1

Books Bath.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 16:29 Page 1

CITY | READING

VOTE OF THANKS

Charlotte Pope picks out some fabulous feminist reads to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act 1918 BAD GIRLS THROUGHOUT HISTORY

By Ann Shen, hardback, rrp £12.99, Chronicle From queens to warriors, activists to astronauts, Bad Girls Throughout History has them all. Featuring 100 incredible women who changed the world in various ways, this is Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls for grown-ups. There’s Lilith, the lesser known first wife of Adam, rejected from the Bible for refusing to be subservient to her husband; the revolutionary Anita Garibaldi who rode into battle on horseback while pregnant; the daring Annie Edson Taylor who became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls, at the age of 63; and Helen Keller, the first deaf-blind person to receive a bachelor’s degree. These amazing women and more – beautifully and colourfully illustrated by Anna Shen – are in this book for daring to be bad and fighting back against the status quo.

WOMEN & POWER

By Mary Beard, hardback, rrp £5.99, Profile Books Adapted from two lectures given by the author, this book may be only 115 pages long but it packs one hell of a punch. Beard traces the roots of misogyny right back to Ancient Rome and Greece, to Homer’s Odyssey with young Telemachus effectively telling his mother to “shut up”.

Beard highlights how the silencing of women is a common theme in ancient literature, therefore arguing that the practice of revoking power from women by keeping them mute has been dictating human lives for thousands of years. She theorises that if the entire concept of power has been so ingrained and tailor-made for male voices, that it may be the concept of power itself that needs to change in order for women to take their place there. Women & Power is an insightful, thought-provoking and eye-opening read, for men and women alike.

70 TheBATHMagazine

|

February 2018

|

issue 185

THE BRISTOL SUFFRAGETTES

By Lucienne Boyce, paperback, rrp £11.99, Frances Lincoln

Bristol author Lucienne Boyce was rummaging in the Corn Exchange market in Bristol when she came across a photograph of a group of local women standing under a women’s suffrage banner. She has been researching and writing about the Bristol suffragettes ever since, and has produced an excellent book documenting the fight for women’s right to vote in the city – a side of social history that is relatively unknown. Did you know about the colourful demonstrations on the Downs, and the stone-throwing in the city centre?

Included is a short guided walk around Bristol detailing interesting locations around the city.

From the homes of many prominent suffragettes to the Victoria Rooms, where the Bristol and West of England Society for Women’s Suffrage held its meetings.

LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG DREAMS: EMMELINE PANKHURST

By Lisbeth Kaiser and Ana Sanfelippo, hardback, rrp £10.92, SilverWood Books

When she was a girl, Emmeline Pankhurst read all about heroes who fought for others and was utterly entranced. One night she heard her father saying it was a shame that she wasn’t a boy: as a girl, she’d never be able to go to university or even vote. Emmeline began researching women’s rights and went on to become one of its leading activists in the UK, inspiring women to fight back in a way that had never been seen before. This gorgeously illustrated book is just the thing to teach little ones about the 100th anniversary of such an important part of British history. Simply written and carefully curated for younger readers – the perfect addition to any young egalitarian’s library.

OPAL PLUMSTEAD

By Jacqueline Wilson, paperback, rrp £4, Corgi Childrens When her father is imprisoned for embezzlement, 14year-old Opal must give up her highly prized scholarship and instead go to work at Fairy Glen sweet factory.

Alienated for her upper class education, Opal finds a saviour in factory owner Mrs Roberts – a suffragette.

Opal becomes inspired to fight for women’s rights and begins attending suffragette meetings, much to the disapproval of her mother. Many of the people around her reject the suffragettes, calling such ideas foolish and silly but Opal remains convinced of the importance of the mission. Before long, she is consorting with Mrs Pankhurst and learns the suffragette motto of deeds, not words. But will getting newspaper headlines be enough to win the fight? This excellently written novel – Wilson’s 100th book – is a great introduction to the women’s suffrage movement for readers aged nine to 12.

Continuum fp.qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2018 16:02 Page 1

family fun feb.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 16:30 Page 1

FAMILY | EVENTS

FAMILY DIARY IDEAS FOR THINGS TO DO WITH THE CHILDREN THIS MONTH SUPERPIRATES TAKEOVER Friday 2, Friday 9, and Friday 23 February, 10am n Komedia SuperPirates will be transforming Komedia’s huge dancefloor into a fun-packed pop-up play area for under fours. There will be dens, giant inflatable bouncy snakes, crazy games, dancing, and the opportunity to generally have a wild time – plus there’s free face painting. There will also be entertainment for babies with playmats and toys, and plenty of space for buggies and feeding. £3 for children, adults and newborns go free. No advance tickets needed, tickets available on the door. Visit: komedia.co.uk.

FROST LAB Weekdays 10am – 4pm, weekends and holidays 10am – 5pm n We The Curious, Harbourside, Bristol Wrap up warm visitors, the clever people at We The Curious are investigating chilly things, hot things and other snowy wonders in the frost lab. Get stuck in to some icy investigations, chat to the Live Science Team, make up your own experiments, or have a go at one the science centre has tried out before.

Drop in session, included in general admission. Visit: wethecurious.org.

THE LITTLE MOCHI MAN Friday 9 – Sunday 11 February, times vary n The egg It’s almost New Year and little Mochi Man, tired of being bullied because of his small size, decides to run away. Join him on his adventures as he travels from the snowy mountains of Hokkaido to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, meeting many wondrous characters along the way. Tickets: £8.50, £7.50 children. To book, tel: 01225 823409 or visit: theatreroyal.org.uk.

TOGAS AND TUNICS Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 and Saturday 17 – Sunday 18 February, 10am – 12.30pm and 1.30 – 4pm n Roman Baths Discover how the Romans dressed and try your hand at wearing a toga. Included in admission price, no need to book. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

GREEN HEARTS Saturday 10 – Sunday 18 February, 10am – 4.30pm n Prior Park Landscape Garden The whole family can explore the garden in search of natural hearts, great views and hidden surprises. Free event, normal

72 TheBATHMagazine

|

February 2018

|

SuperPirates is taking over the dancefloor at Komedia

admission charges apply. Dogs on leads are welcome. Visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/priorpark-landscape-garden.

LUNAR NEW YEAR CRAFTS Saturday 10 February, 2 – 3.30pm n The Museum of East Asian Art, Bennett Street, Bath Take part in the museum’s New Year activities by learning how to make fans, money packets, masks, and more. Free event, booking required. Tel: 01225 464640 or visit: meaa.org.uk.

ELEPHANTS ON PARADE Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 February, 10.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30 – 3.30pm n The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath Make a colourful hanging decoration with elephants and camels – inspired by the paintings in the museum’s exhibition Anthony Fry: A Retrospective. Free drop-in session, no need to book.

HIS DARK MATERIALS PARTS 1 AND 2 Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 February, times and dates vary for Parts 1 and 2, see online n The Mission Theatre, Corn Street, Bath This is a brilliant adaptation by Nicholas Wright of Philip Pullman’s best-selling trilogy: Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Essentially a love story, His Dark Materials revolves around Lyra and Will, two young teenagers from different worlds. The pair join forces and share adventures beyond their wildest imaginings. Presented by Next Stage Youth.

Tickets: £12.50, 10.50 concs. Visit: missiontheatre.co.uk.

issue 185

MAKE Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 February, 9am – 4pm n Art Studio, The Edge, University of Bath Kids can go on an artistic adventure at these action-packed workshops, playing games, getting messy with arts and craft activities and creating colourful stories and characters.

Both days will be a special mix of imaginative fun exploring themes from The Edge’s exhibition programme. Suitable for seven to 11 years. £35 per child, per day.

Book both days and get £10 off.

Visit: edgearts.org to book.

VALENTINE’S CRAFT Wednesday 14 February, 11am – 1pm n Dyrham Park Children can learn how to make a wild Valentine’s Day card inspired by the trees at Dyrham Park. All materials provided, children should dress for the outdoors.

Free event, no booking needed.

HATS OFF TO BATH Wednesday 14 February, 10.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30 – 3.30pm n Victoria Art Gallery Children can dress up like a Georgian with hats and headgear. Suitable for ages three to seven. Free, no need to book. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

TOP IT OFF Thursday 15 February, 10.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30 – 3.30pm n Fashion Museum Top off your outfit by creating a tiara, crown or sash. Included in admission price, no need to book. Visit: fashionmuseum.co.uk.

family fun feb.qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2018 16:36 Page 2

Image: Paul Blakemore

FAMILY | EVENTS

Get involved with the workshops at We The Curious

LITTLE RED AND THE BIG BAD WOLF Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 February, 11.30am and 3pm n The egg Head off on a theatrical re-telling of the well-known classic tale packed with music, dance and song. Are the wolves really the villains in a world where the woodcutter is destroying the forest? And is Grandma the trophy-hunter really sick? Tickets: £8.50, £7.50 concs. To book, tel: 01225 823409 or visit: theatreroyal.org.uk.

GO OUT IN STYLE Friday 16 February, 10.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30 – 3.30pm n Victoria Art Gallery Get the chance to turn back the clock, explore the Georgian period, and learn how

The Little Mochi Man at The egg

to create a sedan chair fit for a king. Suitable for ages six to 11. Free, no need to book.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Visit: victoriagal.org.uk.

ART MASTERCLASS: COLOUR CONNECTIONS Friday 16 February, 11am – 4pm n The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath Explore vibrant colour combinations and mixed media techniques to produce a stilllife composition inspired by the museum’s exhibition Anthony Fry: A Retrospective.

For ages 11 to 18, perfect for young people to develop specialist art techniques under the guidance of expert artists. £30 per person, all materials included. To book, call: 01225 388568 or visit: holburne.org.

STAN AND MABEL AND THE RACE FOR SPACE WITH ENSEMBLE 360 Saturday 3 March, 3pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon Join narrator Polly and the musicians from Ensemble 360 for a fun-packed hour of music and storytelling for the whole family.

But watch out, they’re accompanied by a whole carnival of animals as they escape from the School for Wild and Dangerous Animals in search of a safe place to call their home. This show features a brand-new illustrated story by Jason Chapman and original music by children’s composer Paul Rissmann. Suitable for ages three and over.

Arrive 30 minutes early for snacks and games in the foyer. Tickets: £8 / £4 students and under 18s. Tel: 01225 860100 or visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk. n

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

February 2018

|

TheBATHMagazine 73

little bath feb.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 16:37 Page 1

LITTLE | BATH

FIVE OF THE BEST...

Sophie Woodrow, the brains behind Bath-based kids’ clothing brand Sleepy Doe, lives in Bathwick with her partner Dan and daughter Florence, three.

Here are her favourite family-centric finds in and around Bath

1/

We make regular trips to Sisters Guild in Frome. It was created by two sisters, Bekka and Carla, and stocks some of my favourite kids’ brands including Bobo Choses, Louise Misha and Rice DK. The shop may be small but it’s filled to the brim with print, colour and creativity. I love the imaginative homeware, floral eiderdowns, party decorations and of course the excellent clothing.

1

2

2/

I’ve bought lots of things for Florence’s bedroom from Fig Store. They do these brilliant baskets which I use to store her books and toys in. Like the rest of the house, her room is also filled with plants; we buy miniature succulents from here and pot them together in empty candleholders and jars.

3/

As a self-confessed magazine addict, I struggle to remember life before Magalleria opened in Bath. My favourite read is Lunch Lady, a print magazine focused on food and families that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

I also love Milk, a quarterly children’s lifestyle and fashion magazine. My final pick would be Lionheart, by Bristol-based writer and mother Helen Martin. It’s full of craft, fashion and illustration.

4/

Our go-to café to nest in on a chilly Saturday is Gather in Batheaston. The terracotta painted walls, homely décor, naturally imperfect interiors (plus the familyrun vibe) make it instantly relaxing.

Everything is really fresh and wholesome; a short carefully written menu is scribbled on a blackboard every morning. It’s also kid-friendly with a toy box packed with dominoes and vintage colouring books to keep Floss entertained as we indulge in ginormous croque monsieurs, hot turmeric drinks and very good coffee for a couple of hours.

3

5/ Of course our whole family spend every night (and some rainy days!) decked in pyjamas from my company. After ten years of designing for British heritage brands, I wanted to create a line of long-lasting, whimsical sleepwear and bedding that both adults and kids would love, so Sleepy Doe was born in 2016. Everything is made in the UK, supporting family-run businesses and I also offer a free local bike delivery service where my partner or I cycle pyjamas to your door in time for bedtime. n

74 TheBATHMagazine

|

February 2018

|

iSSue 185

5

4

P75.qxp_Layout 23 24/01/2018 15:17 Page 1

• Co-educational day school for pupils aged 5-13 with

dyslexia and other specific learning/language difficulties.

• Located in Wiltshire between Bath and Chippenham.

CReSTeD approved.

• Fully qualified specialist teachers with maximum class size of eight - reducing to one-to-one as required.

Call 01225 743 566 or visit www.CalderHouseSchool.co.uk

Easter Revision Courses 26th March – 13th April

Topic specific revision to improve knowledge and exam-technique.

For more information please contact Henry Pike on: 01225 334577 | revision@bathacademy.co.uk www.bathacademy.co.uk 27 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HX @BathAcademy

/Bath.Academy

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 75

Happyology.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 16:41 Page 1

CITY | FASHION

CLOTHES TO MAKE YOU SMILE

Independent kids’ fashion brand Happyology have just opened a store in Bath. Emma Clegg meets the founder and picks out a few of the most stylish pieces

Photography by Emma Tunbridge

J

essie Gao of Happyology fell in love with Bath when she visited seven years ago. Like many before her, she connected with the city’s larger-than-life history and its dramatic architecture and beguiling urban landscapes. It was three years after this visit that she established Happyology, her contemporary baby and children’s fashion brand for ages 0–7 with stores in Brighton and Leamington Spa. So when she decided to open a third bricks-and-mortar space Bath immediately sprang to mind.

Jessie explains her motivations in setting up the brand: “It was my little sister who inspired me. Ever since she was born, I loved dressing her up. I found you can either get well-designed but very expensive designer clothes or affordable, mass-produced but poor quality clothes. There was a clear opening for beautifully designed and responsibly made childrenswear without a big price tag.

76 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBruary 2018

|

iSSue 185

“Decades ago, children’s clothes used to be so much more interesting, with intricate details such as handembroidery and stitching, fabrics that were usually woven or knitted from natural yarns and decorated with sophisticated patterns and prints inspired by nature and its colours. I decided that I wanted to bring those traditional designs and handcraftsmanship back to life with a contemporary twist.”

Jessie designs the collections herself at the company’s Leamington Spa studio, creating concept mood boards, sourcing fabrics and finishing embellishments. There are more than 200 styles in the collection, with fabrics – ranging from Pima cotton and silk and luxury velvetto and cashmere – chosen to suit seasonal collections. Pima cotton, used for all the basic jersey collections, is a superior cotton with an extra long staple fibre that gives it strength, softness and colour retention.

ABOVE: Basil shirt, £36 and Watercress skirt £32; Sugar jumper £69 and Eggplant trousers £29, both models are wearing suede shoes, from £19–24.

Happyology.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:17 Page 2

CITY | FASHION

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Sesame dress £42, shoes from £19; shop interior with Cole & Son’s wallpaper; Chicory dress £49, Gooseberry coat £69, shoes from £19; Cinnamon sleeveless jumper £39, Pinenut top £29, Guava trousers £39, shoes from £19; Aubergine Baby Dress £49, shoes from £19; Pitaya coat £69, Loquart trousers £39, Blue suede shoes £22; and Avocado coat £65 within the shop interior.

The factory is based in Ningbo in the northeast Zhejiang Chinese province, a city with a proud tradition of textile production. Natural products and sustainable processes are a given: fabrics are dyed with plant dyes; spare fabric is used to make small items such as bibs, collars, and hair accessories; and even cotton packaging bags are used.

The new Spring/Summer 18 collection, which launches in March, brings even more colour to the Happyology range.

Jessie created the mood board for the collection during a recent trip to Cuba where she was captivated by the colourful architecture and the bright, resonant landscapes.

The style is nostalgic and enchanting, the concept is wholesome and the models are adorable – it seems that Happyology is spreading the happiness all around. n Happyology, 6 Cheap Street, Bath BA1 1NE Tel: 01225 331333. Visit: happyology.uk THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRuaRy 2018

|

ThEBATHMagazinE 77

take better picsv2.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 17:02 Page 1

FAMILY | MEMORIES

Taking mantelpiece-worthy photographs of your little ones is not as hard as you think says local photographer Nell Mallia – here are her tricks for taking snaps you’ll treasure.

H

aving children was the catalyst for a total career change for Nell Mallia. “I was a journalist before going on maternity leave with my eldest daughter, and my love of photography grew from taking photos of her. After getting lots of compliments on my photography, I (rather crazily) launched my business when my youngest was three months old and its grown from there.”

The 33-year-old now lives in Larkhall with her husband Ben and daughters Josephine, six and Coralie, three, and specialises in maternity, newborn and family sessions.

“For me, successful photography is about capturing a moment and telling a story. And so often, that magic comes from the details. It’s those little things; your child's hand holding the flower they just picked for you, or their scuffed-up trainers and untied shoelaces. But the most important rule is just to keep experimenting and practising.

“The only way your photographs will improve is to snap, snap, snap! The more photos you take, the more you'll come to understand what works and what you like.”

1. KEEP MOVING A great way to achieve real variation in your photographs is by changing the perspective. From wide, sweeping photographs to those close-up detail shots, up high or down low. You'll truly capture the whole scene by mixing it up.

2. DON’T SAY CHEESE The question I get asked more than any other is how to photograph children naturally. Ultimately, you want your images to reflect what life is really like with your little ones, so remember to stand back, observe and quietly document in the background. I very rarely ask a child to look at me when I’m taking their photo, and I never ask them to smile. In fact I’d rather distract them with something off to the side to ensure a natural reaction and expression. Asking if they can see a bird or cat will engage them perfectly and give you the seconds you need to snap a great photo. If you do want them to look at you then have fun with it. Question them about the the butterfly that lives inside your camera, or if there’s a rabbit on your head. It’s silly but will give you a natural smile and will ensure they’re looking right at you.

3. GET A GOOD CAMERA My standby is a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, with a 35mm 1.4 lens.

It’s not exactly compact, but I love it. It lets in so much light and as a natural light photographer that’s key. I’d always recommend investing in the best lens you can over the body and looking into a great editing programme, to really make the most of your photographs. I use Adobe Lightroom.

78 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

take better picsv2.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 16:59 Page 2

FAMILY | MEMORIES

4. FIND THE LIGHT Shooting outdoors is always the easiest option in terms of finding good light, but if you’re stuck inside don’t overlook the pretty light that simply standing by a window can offer. Embrace the shadows too, and play with light and dark to create photos with a little more mood.

5. GET IN THE PICTURE

All images: nellmalliaphotography.com

This one goes out to the Mums especially, as we’re often the main photo-takers. Hand over the camera and drop the insecurities. In years to come you’ll never regret having photos of your family all together. And don’t be nervous about asking a stranger to take a picture for you. Get everyone into position, get the settings on your camera right and ask that passer-by. Some of our favourite family photos have been taken by complete strangers.

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018 | ThEBATHMAgAzinE 79

kids parties feb issue .qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 16:47 Page 1

FAMILY | PARTIES

From magicians and science labs to pizza parties and woodland adventures, Jessica Gage tracks down the best kids’ parties in town

BEST FOR: Mini wizards

BEST FOR: Little explorers

Dave Hickory has been entertaining tiny partygoers around Somerset and Wiltshire for more than 20 years, amassing a ton of five-star reviews online along the way. This is a man who knows a thing or two about keeping a room full of children focussed, entertained and in fits of laughter. And it’s not just the children – adults are thoroughly entertained too. He offers a one or two hour show, filled with balloon modelling, an interactive magic show, plus a mini disco.

And of course he’ll always make the birthday boy or girl feel like the star of the show by enlisting their help as a magician’s assistant.

BOOK IT: A one-hour show costs £130 and a two-hour show £170.

No maximum number of children. Tel: 01225 220734; visit: davehickory.co.uk

Set in 80 acres of ancient woodland in Farleigh Hungerford on the outskirts of Bath, Hidden Woods runs wildly adventurous birthday parties from its purpose-built camp. Kid’s will build dens from sticks, make catapults, create clay creatures and cook up a feast in a mud kitchen. There’ll also be a treasure hunt amongst the trees and a chance to light a campfire (which they can then sizzle sausages or toast marshmallows on). Available all year round, rain or shine, with each party tailored to the group of children and weather on the day.

BOOK IT: 2.5 hours, £16.50 per child. Tel: 01373 823832; visit: hiddenwoods.co.uk

BEST FOR: Imagineers Bath-based Yogadoo, which runs yoga classes for children of all ages, also offers birthday parties. If your child loves getting lost in a story, or imagining themselves in another world: hunting for dinosaurs, exploring outer space, or swimming with mermaids under the sea, then they’ll love this party option. Yogadoo will write them their very own adventurous birthday story, and then bring it to life through yoga poses, dancing, games, mindful creative activities and finally relaxation. All mats and materials are provided. Suitable for ages four and upward.

BOOK IT: 1.5h hours £100; maximum 15 children (£3 per child thereafter).Tel: 07960 629503; visit: yogadoo.co.uk

80 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

BEST FOR: Duracell bunnies SuperPirates have built up a reputation as a one-stop-shop for energetic two-hour celebrations. Turn your village hall into a battlefield with a Nerf war party (ages seven plus). Your SuperPirates hosts will provide all the essential kit: Nerf guns, bullets and protective gear, and guide the kids into battle, helping them to build forts and get stuck into immersive battle games. If your little one is more dance floor than battlefield try a disco rave (ages six plus), with jewellery making, fancy dress, face paints and lashings of glitter rounded off by a disco. Toddlers are better suited to their super party package: an extravaganza of toys, fancy dress, inflatables, crafts and den building.

BOOK IT: Super Party; £215. Nerf War; £265. Disco Rave; £265.

Tel: 07724503276; visit: superpirates.co.uk

kids parties feb issue .qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 16:50 Page 2

FAMILY | PARTIES

BEST FOR: Budding chefs Popular restaurant The Real Italian Pizza Company also doubles up as a cookery school and is known for its brilliant hands-on pizza parties. Grown-ups can sit back while the kids get covered in flour, make their own dough and master a pizza spin. While their masterpieces bake to perfection in the wood-fired oven, the mini chefs decorate cupcakes, which they can take home with them. And of course when the pizzas are ready the children sit down to a birthday lunch, followed by Italian gelato. The restaurant will also have a party bag awaiting everyone so the whole gang goes home with full tummies, a cupcake and a bag of treats.

BOOK IT: Two hours; £10.95 per child; maximum 12 children.

Tel: 01225 330121; visit: realitalianpizza.co.uk

BEST FOR: Young Einsteins Sublime Science offers hands-on science parties designed to excite and inspire young minds. Suitable for five-12 year olds, a mad scientist will turn your venue into an interactive, fizzing and bubbling laboratory. Kids will be wowed by magic tricks, make their own slime, watch smokey bubbles pop, mix fizzing potions and even make and taste their own sweets. And if that isn’t enough you can add another 15 minutes of climate chaos (think lightning and tornados) or whacky rockets (exploding volcanoes and firing rockets). Invitations, thank you notes and a certificate for the birthday child are included. And they can also take care of science–themed party bags too, which start at £3.99 per child.

BOOK IT: Prices start at £268 for a one-hour party. Maximum 20 children. Tel: 0116 380 0750; visit: sublimescience.com

BEST FOR: Tiny bouncers As part of its ongoing eight-million pound refurbishment, Bath Sports and Leisure Centre now boasts a state of the art trampoline park, complete with wipeout area, bouncy basketball court, foam pits, slack line and fidget ladder. A party here includes a party host, one hour of bouncing, grip socks for all and a pizza and slushee party tea afterwards. No extra charge for the good nights sleep your child will have.

BOOK IT: A one hour bounce session with a 45min tea party is £19 per child; minimum eight children, maximum 16.

Tel: 01225 486905; visit: better.org.uk

BEST FOR: Cool kids For an Instagram-worthy event complete with bell tent play dens, photo booths, talent competitions and treasure hunts look no further than Pitch Up and Play. Headed up by ex-primary schoolteacher Danielle (who quit the day job because she loved working with kids but hated marking books), the team is an ultra-qualified mix of nannies, trainee teachers and nursery nurses. Although they’re known for providing bespoke entertainment at weddings they are happy to turn their hand to birthdays too. For the ultimate event they’ll host VIP sleep over complete with personalized pajamas and rainbow popcorn.

BOOK IT: Bespoke parties start at £250.

Visit: pitchupandplay.co.uk

FACING PAGE: A Pitch Up and Play outdoor event THIS PAGE TOP DOWN: Local baker Minky Kitten are pros at creating forest inspired bakes for Hidden Woods events; Bath’s recently opened trampoline park; SuperPirates are known for having a huge collection of inflatables; a multicoloured cake from Didi Cakes is a great addition to any party

PS...

Don’t forget the cake! We love the American-style, multi-layered birthday creations of Didi Cakes on Walcot Street. Choose from 24 drool-worthy flavours like Toblerone and salted caramel. Even better, having a message piped on the top is free. Prices start at £18.50 for a six-inch cake and are up to £68.50 for an eight inch high unicorn cake – complete with horn and a pink iced mane.

TO ORDER: Tel: 01225 444465. Visit: didicakesbath.com

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018 | ThEBATHMAgAzinE 81

boltholes feb.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 16:52 Page 1

TRAVEL | EXPLORE

3 BRILLIANT BOLTHOLES (UNDER AN HOUR AWAY) From a design haven in Bruton to a plush five-star suite, Vishaka Robinson tracks down the best romantic escapes within hitting distance of Bath

1

FOR: RAMBLERS

STAY: A glamorous little pub with just eight rooms, The Beckford Arms hits all the right notes. It’s hear-a-penny-drop-peaceful thanks to its location on the edge of the Fonthill Estate (which covers a vast 9,000 acres). The food is divine and supremely easy-going; think suckling pig spit–roasting on the bar’s open fire, game pies with homemade pastry, and spicy Bloody Marys laden with horseradish grown in the garden. Rooms are sunny and stylish, decked with Siberian goose down duvets, vintage Welsh blankets and seagrass floors (number seven comes with a huge roll top bath). The Beckford Arms have also created their own beauty brand, Bramley: a handmade range of bath and body products inspired by the English countryside. So you’ll find stacks to try in your bathroom. Don’t leave without a soak with their signature bath salts, a relaxing hit of lavender flowers, spearmint and geranium. They’re for sale downstairs if you get hooked. There’s no spa, but the in-house masseur, Anouchka is on-hand for Theravada Thai massages and oneto-one yoga lessons.

EXPLORE: This is brilliant walking and cycling country and the hotel is happy to prep you with guided hikes and even lend you a pair of bikes. Further afield Pythouse Kitchen Garden is a dreamy Victorian kitchen garden turned café that’s a great lunch spot. Larmer Tree Gardens – an extraordinary Victorian garden – is a 20 minute drive away as is Stourhead, a world-famous 18th-century landscape garden and Palladian mansion. History buffs will love Old Wardour Castle, 10 minutes away – the lakeside castle dates back to the 14th century and has a reputation for its romantic views.

BOOK: Double rooms including breakfast start at £95 Visit: beckfordarms.com 82 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

boltholes feb.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:04 Page 2

2

TRAVEL | EXPLORE

FOR: DESIGN MAVENS

STAY: The one-room B&B offshoot of interiors emporium Caro in Bruton is just as stylish as you’d imagine. Set over the top floor of a converted barn (which once stabled horses), behind the store it feels blissfully secluded, with its own private entrance. A little Roberts radio sits beside the bed and there’s a stack of style mags to leaf through: this is a place to come to wind-down the old fashioned way, not watch TV. Everything is understated but luxurious. A vast Loaf bed awaits, tucked up with crisp White Company linens; black and white shots of Bruton from Cereal adorn walls; Aesop toiletries sit in the artfully designed wet room. The whole effect will have you wanting to redecorate the moment you get home. For breakfast, stroll a few doors down the high street for crispy Sandridge Farm bacon sandwiches or fruit-topped bircher muesli inside At The Chapel, a stunning chapel turned bakery and restaurant.

EXPLORE: Spend the rest of your day sauntering around Bruton (the FMLY store is a must for those with kids), climb up Alfred’s Tower and take the afternoon to explore nearby Hauser & Wirth art gallery.

You might catch The Land We Live In – The Land We Left Behind, an extraordinary exhibit about our relationship with nature that runs until Monday 7 May. If the weather is fine, Oudolf Field behind the gallery is a treat: a 1.5 acre expanse of twisting paths that lead you through wild, flower-filled meadows to a huge shell-like monolith which was formerly a Serpentine Gallery summer pavilion.

BOOK IT: Double room £130 a night with breakfast included from At The Chapel. Visit: carosomerset.com

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018 | ThEBATHMAgAzinE 83

boltholes feb.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 11:16 Page 3

3

FOR: HIGH ROLLERS

STAY: Set in a handsome Palladian mansion and entered via a mile-long avenue of beech and lime trees, Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa earns every one of its five stars. With a Michelin-starred restaurant, equestrian centre, cookery school, ESPA spa and 500 acres of parkland, there’s a whole weekend of diversions.

Despite its impressive list of facilities the hotel still feels intimate with just 42 rooms. Of course, every single one is something special with chinoiserie silk curtains, flat–screen TVs and Anne Semonin beauty products in the bathrooms as standard. If you’re celebrating something special, request the Juliet Suite which has sublime views over the lavender garden and a four–poster so enormous a stool is required to help you navigate your way to the top at bedtime.

EXPLORE: This is one hotel you won’t get cabin fever in. Yes, you have Castle Combe (a faultlessly pretty Cotswold village) a few miles away and Lacock Abbey is just a 20 minute drive. But why set foot beyond the gates? The front desk can rustle hot air ballon rides, clay pigeon shooting and classes in everything from chocolate-making to Michelin-style cookery. And if all that simply sounds too much like hard work, don your robe and slipper and lose yourself in the 5000-squarefoot spa, which has nine treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor pools as well as regular yoga and pilates classes.

BOOK IT: Double rooms start at £378 a night with breakfast. A Valentine’s package including dinner in Restaurant Hywel Jones, a full English breakfast, Champagne on arrival and use of the spa costs £560 per room per night, based on two people sharing.

Available from Sunday 11 February – Thursday 15 February, subject to availability.

Visit: lucknampark.co.uk. n

84 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

iSSUe 185

P85.qxp_Layout 23 26/01/2018 10:04 Page 1

KEIKO KISHIMOTO Holistic Treatments for Wellbeing

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

www.keikokishimoto.co.uk 07739 827186 contact@keikokishimoto.co.uk

Andrea Kelly DSFH HPD MAfSFH MNCH (Reg.) Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy in Central Bath

I can help and support you with Stress and Anxiety • Depression • Fears and Phobias Confidence • Childbirth • Stop Smoking • OCD Weight Management • Sleep Problems IBS • Performance Enhancement

Free Initial Consultation Trowbridge & Neal’s Yard Bath

07949 240190 www.andreakellyhypnotherapy.co.uk andrea@andreakellyhypnotherapy.co.uk

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 85

Health & beauty news V2.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 12:41 Page 1

HEALTH | AND | BEAUTY

HEALTH & BEAUTY NEWS

Brighter skin, a new release and going naked. Crystal Rose shares the latest health and beauty news

THE NAKED TRUTH Chiming in perfectly with Theresa May’s proposed policy against plastic waste, Lush has been championing less packaging for some time. With the aim to eliminate avoidable plastic waste, losing uneccessary packaging is also cheaper and therefore allows for there to be a bigger spend on beautiful ingredients. Almost the entire 2018 Valentine’s range from Lush is packaging-free. This even extends to its gift wrap – Knot Wrap, a reusable wrap made from either organic cotton or recycled plastic bottles. The packaging-free products range from a Naked shower gel, that contains double the concentrate of liquid shower gels, to its iconic bath bombs.

Lush, 8 Union Street, Bath BA1 1RW Web: uk.lush.com

VITAMIN C Kiehls is known for its clean and lab-like packaging that stays true to its apothecary roots. This month the newly formulated Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate contains a hefty 12.5% vitamin C and is infused with fragmented hyaluronic acid that aims to help visibly reduce wrinkles.

Kiehls, 1 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DA Web: kiehls.co.uk

PART OF THE CRU Caudalie has expanded its most luxurious collection, Premier Cru, with a ground breaking serum, developed following a five-year partnership with Harvard Medical School and leading genetics professor Dr David Sinclair. The new, patented serum contains a blend of potent antioxidants and anti-ageing agents including a new vineregy complex which boosts the synthesis of collagen in the skin by revving up cellular energy that slows with time, to correct the signs of ageing. The Caudalie Premier Cru Serum is £90, now available at Frontlinestyle in Bath and Wells.

Frontlinestyle, Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2AJ Web: frontlinestyle.co.uk

86 TheBATHMagazine

|

February 2018

|

issue 185

frontlinestyle fp February.qxp_Layout 23 19/01/2018 16:03 Page 1

style Boutique Salons & Spa Winner of Best Hair Salon & Best Day Spa in Somerset 2016

Frontlinestyle, in the heart of Bath, offers the luxurious vine and grape inspired Caudalie face and body treatments, designed to indulge skin while providing visible results thanks to products renowned worldwide for their exceptional anti-oxidant properties.

0%

PARABENS, PHENOXYETHANOL, PHTHALATES, MINERAL OILS, SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, ANIMAL INGREDIENTS...

February Special Offer: Purchase £100 Caudalie products and receive a FREE Caudalie Resveratrol Lifting Facial (45 mins) plus a FREE Caudalie Shower Gel 200ml, to take home.

Visit us in store or book online www.frontlinestyle.co.uk 4/5 Monmouth Street Bath BA1 2AJ 01225 478478

11 Broad Street Wells BA5 2DJ 01749 672225

CLARINS - CAUDALIE - PHYTOMER - *NEW* CACI SYNERGY - IPL HAIR REMOVAL - ELECTROLYSIS - OUTBACKS ORGANICS WAX IONITHERMIE SLIMMING - EYELASH EXTENSIONS - SIENNA X - WELLA - L’OREAL - PHILIP KINGSLEY - LIVING PROOF GHD - GREAT LENGTHS HAIR EXTENSIONS - NIOXIN - WIGS & HAIR LOSS SPECIALIST

Health and Beauty Products V2 .qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 17:25 Page 1

HEALTH | AND | BEAUTY

A bouquet of blooms What’s better than a bunch of roses on Valentine’s Day? Imagine gently scenting your skin with a blend of seven of the world’s most exquisite roses.

With essences ranging from fruity to spicy the result is an outstanding bouquet full of character. The richly fragranced Red Roses Soap by Jo Malone is the essence of modern romance. This satiny soap with top notes of lemon, unfolds into a deep, smooth honeycomb fragrance with an addictive sweetness. Wrapped in a botanical design printed paper created by renowned British artist Michael Angove, it’s full of colour and romance.

Red Roses Soap, £15, Jo Malone 6-7 Old Bond Street, Bath BA1 1BW Web: jomalone.co.uk

Simply de-vigne

Under the rose

Once again, the French skincare company, Who doesn’t love whiling away an evening Caudalie has come up trumps with its newest relaxing in the bath? Upgrade your soak release of Rose De Vigne. Capture the with Molton Brown’s Rosa Absolute quiet, idyllic atmosphere of a Bordeaux Sumptuous Bathing Oil. This vineyard with this bathing elixir is enriched with delicate aroma by luxurious Italian rose and argan Caudalie. Founded oils and laced with top notes of

by Mathilde and her rose oil spiced up by red berries husband Bertrand, and cinnamon. Inspired by the Caudalie is created latin phrase sub in her family’s rosa, meaning vineyards Château under the rose, With Valentine’s Day in mind, Smith Haut Lafitte it contains rose Crystal Rose rounds up a few and incorporates the sourced from flower-inspired beauty products powers of grapes and Lombardia in the vine in every Italy, extracted product. This sweet and into its purest fresh fragrance is perfect concentrated for spring. There are accents form, the of pink rose and sharp notes of absolute. rhubarb, fusing with a base of white musks, magnolia and amber.

Rose De Vigne and other Caudalie products are available at Frontlinestyle.

Rosa Absolute Sumptuous Bathing Oil, £39 Rose De Vigne Fragrance, Caudalie, £26 Molton Brown, 9 Union Street, Frontlinestyle, Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2AJ Bath BA1 1RW Web: frontlinestyle.co.uk Web: moltonbrown.co.uk

ROSES ARE RED

Beat the blues Feeling a little flat? Try a bye bye blues aromatherapy roller

by Bohobo Aromatherapies, which is packed with mood-lifting essential oils. With a combination of rose geranium, bergamot, lavender and a hint of clary sage this 100% natural aromaremedy is a powerhouse of hardworking ingredients. Based in Somerset, Bohobo Aromatherapies began in 2014 by B and her husband Miles. Their vision was to create a company that reflected their goal to live a cleaner life. Bohobo sells its products via Etsy, markets, Kobi and Teal and The Food Assembly at Frome. bye bye blues!, £7.50, Bohobo Aromatherapies Web: bohoboaromatherapies.co.uk

88 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

issUe 185

P89.qxp_Layout 23 25/01/2018 10:31 Page 1

Ashtanga Yoga Bath ‘real yoga for everyone’

Jaime Brain Dip CDT RCS (Eng)

Not happy with your dentures?

Are your dentures loose or painful?

We can help regain your confidence and your smile

WE OFFER FREE Consultation • New Dentures direct • Flexible dentures Denture repairs • Saturday appointments

www.ashtangayogabath.co.uk

sheridan@ashtangayogabath.co.uk

BOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION ON

01225 311 681

07810254160

27 Walcot Buildings (The Old Pet Shop), Bath, BA1 6AD

www.jbdentureclinic.co.uk

the orangery l a s e r

&

b e a u t y

What is Cryotherapy and what does it treat?

Before and After Treatments

c l i n i c

Specialists in Ellipse IPL Permanent Hair Reduction Treatments

Dermapen Cryo is an advanced cryotherapy innovation that is fast, effective and safe and a new solution for removal of skin imperfections.

The Dermapen Cryo emits a fine jet of nitrous oxide under high pressure which destroys the tissue without damaging the healthy surrounding skin.

Dermapen Cryo offers the ideal treatment for skin tags • sun damage • pigmentation • age spots milia • warts • cherry angiomas

• Permanent Hair Reduction • • No more shaving, waxing or depilatory creams • • Safe and effective, even on fragile or delicate areas • • FREE CONSULTATIONS AND PATCH TEST •

No.2 Kingsmead St. Bath • Tel: 01225 466851 • www.theorangerylaserandbeautybath.co.uk

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 89

Walk febv3.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 17:10 Page 1

THE GREAT | OUTDOORS

Take a walk though a centuries-old avenue of beech trees during the long walk around Englishcombe

View the privately owned Grade II original tithe barn in Englishcombe

A RAMBLE THROUGH ENGLISHCOMBE’S PAST This enchanting village is rich in history, Andrew Swift takes you on a tour

P

icture a village at the end of a narrow, winding lane, hidden in a fold of the hills. No shop, no pub, and, since dwindling numbers led to its closure over 30 years ago, no school. A place, you might think, where nothing much has ever happened. But appearances can be deceptive. On a scrubby patch of ground beyond the last houses lie the ruins of a Norman castle, seized by the crown and demolished after its owner was involved in the murder of Edward II. Centuries earlier, in the aftermath of the Roman exodus from Britain, a vast defensive earthwork was built through the village, marking the boundary between the Romano-British and Anglo Saxon insurgents. High above the village, meanwhile, silhouetted against the eastern horizon, stands a Silbury-like round hill, long believed to be a mighty funeral mound.

90 TheBATHMagazine

|

february 2018

|

Perhaps most remarkable of all, this extraordinary village lies not in some hidden corner of the Wessex downs or deep in the Welsh marches, but just beyond our city boundary, less than three miles from the centre of Bath.

Standing in the churchyard at Englishcombe, though, you could be forgiven for thinking yourself miles from anywhere. Looking east, Bath lies hidden behind a high ridge punctuated by the conical mound of Twerton Round Hill, once known as High Barrow and believed to be man-made. John Wood thought it was the sepulchre of Bladud, the legendary founder of Bath, others that it was raised in commemoration of some famous victory and covered with the relics and spoils of some great warrior. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that it was confirmed to have been formed naturally.

If you head over to the western edge of the

iSSue 185

churchyard, you can see, through a gap in the trees, a high bank running across the fields, with a deep ditch on its northern side.

This is the Wansdyke, a defensive earthwork about which virtually nothing is known, except that it was built after the collapse of Roman rule to mark a frontier.

Englishcombe’s position on that frontier would have given it the status of a border post, with all that entailed. Even the name of the village has a resonance that suggests past glories, and there is a persistent legend, dating back to at least the 18th century, that Saxon kings held court at Englishcombe.

The church itself, on a high mound above the valley of the Padley Brook, is Norman, built by one of the de Gournays, who came over with William the Conqueror and built a castle on another mound at the far end of the village. Originally constructed of wood, the castle was probably rebuilt in stone in the 13th century, and surrounded by a deer

Walk febv3.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2018 15:59 Page 2

THE GREAT | OUTDOORS park. But as to what it looked like, that too is a mystery.

Its most notorious resident was Sir Thomas de Gournay. Indicted for his part in the murder of Edward II at Berkeley Castle, he fled abroad, but was captured. Despite orders from Edward III to bring him back alive, he died in mysterious circumstances on the voyage home. Englishcombe, along with the rest of his estates, was confiscated by the crown, and passed to the Duchy of Cornwall, which still owns it today. The castle was razed to the ground and its stones were used by the prior of Bath Abbey to build a tithe barn, which still survives.

So, despite the tranquillity that characterises Englishcombe today, it has seen turbulent times. And there can be few places whose history is so imbued with mystery, legend and conjecture.

The two short walks described below – one a mile long, one 2½ miles long – explore some of the byways of this fascinating village. Both start at the churchyard gate and can be combined in a figure-of-eight circuit.

THE SHORT WALK For the first walk, turn left out of the churchyard and walk downhill along a lane thought to follow the course of the Wansdyke.

As the lane starts to rise, you pass the old vicarage on your right and a cottage called Yeomans (said to have been a beerhouse in the

19th century) on your left.

At a T junction, with the old school up to your right, bear left, and after passing the Old Forge turn left down Washpool Lane. Just before a row of redbrick cottages, look through a gate on your left to see the site of Culverhay Castle, neglected and overgrown, and on private land, so from here it is difficult to get any sense of its layout. Carry on as the lane dwindles to a narrow track and heads steeply downhill before crossing Padley Brook on a narrow footbridge.

Carry on uphill and after 150m follow a footpath sign through a gate on the left. A little way along, you can look across to the site of the castle, whose profile – especially if raked by the late-afternoon sun – can now been seen more clearly. After joining a tarmac lane, bear left downhill at a T junction. When you come to the old stables, turn left through a gate and head down through an avenue of beeches. Cross the brook at the bottom and head uphill through a field where there may be cows. Keep close to the hedge on your left, and when you come to a gate with a footpath sign, go through it and head up a drungway. A right turn at the top leads to steps up into the churchyard.

THE LONG WALK This will take you mostly on quiet country lanes, with far reaching views across open country to the heights of Lansdown. It starts though with a walk along a green lane to the

hamlet of Inglesbatch. From the churchyard, head uphill to Rectory Farm, beyond which is a 14th century tithe barn, that was restored in the 1990s.

Turn right and carry on past Manor Farm, which bears the crest of the Duchy of Cornwall. Tarmac soon gives way to a muddy green lane. After about after 500m it drops down a dark and rocky way, running with water, to a causeway across a brook, before climbing and continuing southwestward.

The return of tarmac signals your entry to Inglesbatch (batch being a local word for a tump or hill), past more Duchy properties.

When you come to a T junction, turn left and, after 700m, turn left at a crossroads. Ignore a turning to the right a little way along, and carry on, with views ahead to Twerton Round Hill and Lansdown. After 1,500m, turn left to return to Englishcombe. ■ More on Englishcombe, Twerton Round Hill and the Wansdyke can be found in Andrew Swift’s Country Walks from Bath, published by Akeman Press, £12. For information, including a comprehensive history of the village visit: englishcombe.net.

Limited roadside parking is available in the village, but please park considerately.

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

Feburary 2018

|

TheBATHMagazine 91

interiors jo berry feb issue.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2018 10:48 Page 1

interiors jo berry feb issue.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2018 10:49 Page 2

INTERIORS | AND | STYLE

HOW TO DECORATE LIKE A PRO...

After a decade in the industry and 80 plus projects under her belt, international interior designer Jo Berryman has just opened her first Bath studio. Here are her tried-and-tested rules for decoration.

1

WOW WITH LIGHTING

Interesting feature lighting is one of my signatures. A perennial favourite is the ostrich feather lamp from A Modern Grand Tour (pictured right). It looks like an elegant gold–branched tree topped with voluminous feathers and adds a touch of edgy glamour to any room. An elegant pendant can really make a room fly, as can installing something from CTO Lighting (usually in gold and brass) in an entrance hallway or above a kitchen island.

2 LOVE YOUR CLUTTER I’m all about creating a home, not a show home. So create spaces to cater for the acquisition of ‘stuff’ that can be a showcase for accessories and life paraphernalia. Rows of picture shelving allow you to display cherished pieces and school paintings, and to shuffle arrangements, which keeps the space alive – static homes are often dull ones. Cluster hanging is a great way to display lots of artwork and photos en masse. We like to group pictures above sofas or headboards. Scatter in some mad, colourful cushions to add oomph.

3 PICK A DARKER HUE Rather than bright whites or creams, I find murky colours act as the best backdrops. For instance a Farrow & Ball’s Hardwick White (a smokey off-white) or Charleston Grey (a warm, oaky shade) offer the perfect canvas for accessories and layering while creating a warm atmosphere. These colours are restful and don’t overwhelm, so they’re also ideal for when you want to add a bit of edge and an element of surprise. To offset the murky tones, try adding a feature wall with attitude and a burst of colour, such as Little Greene Ashes of Roses (a rich blossom).

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 93

interiors jo berry feb issue.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2018 10:49 Page 3

INTERIORS | AND | STYLE

4 GO BIG (OR SMALL) Be bold with your references and scale. I like imposing graphic details in small spaces and tiny embellishments in grand ones.

Large paintings, for example, look very ‘Alice in Wonderland’ when they’re squeezed together. Or oversize motif wallpapers look seriously cool in small bathrooms. It all helps to create a sense of surprise and the unpredictable, weaving humour into schemes.

We like to use companies such as Cole & Son (who carry 1,500 hand-block printed wallpapers), Timorous Beasties (a Glasgowbased design house who make show-stopping wallcoverings using materials like velvet and Dutch gold-leaf paper) and Porter Teleo who are known for woodblocked and Chine Collé creations.

5 THEME IT Centre a scheme around a painting, book or film. The master bedroom in our Victorian mansion project was a direct response to an Alice Instone painting. Her fleshy, carnal tones are captured through the reclaimed oak flooring, Farrow & Ball Charleston Gray covered walls, curved rose sofa, and mink tub chairs. Wes Anderson’s Moonlight Kingdom was a key influencer in our Belsize Park mews house (pictured below), which had his signature pastel tones throughout (think Farrow & Ball’s Dead Salmon on the kitchen walls, hazy blue tones on the cabinets and pistachio green dining chairs).

6 LOVE YOUR SCUFFS We’re all about the lived-in feel. Walls are going to get marked, so why not make them a feature, designate a dirt wall for handstands and allow the kids to scribble over them? Scuffs and dings add character. A metallic leather chair will bask in all its bashed-up glory.

We are also fans of a fumed, reclaimed floor where the knots and scratches add virtue and create warmth. Patterned, colourful rugs will go with timber floorboards perfectly, and the chances are that spilt red wine won’t cause a noticeable stain.

7 FLEXIBLE KIDS’ ROOMS Children’s rooms needn't be saccharine sweet – we prefer vivid shells that can be layered and edited over time and grow with the child.

Cluster hanging and picture shelves are key to catering for evolving minds and lives, and act as key display tools for young collectors. We like to add colour pops, weave humour and accent boldly. Concertina doors are a great way to partition shared sibling spaces. Children thrive in bright, playful environments, not a sea of greige.

Jo Berryman has offices in London and Bath.

Visit: joberryman.com 94 TheBATHMagazine

|

FebRuaRy 2018

|

iSSue 185

ElmoreJan .qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2018 15:56 Page 1

THE BATH DIRECTORY - FEBRUARY 2018.qxp_Layout 31 26/01/2018 10:05 Page 1

the directory

to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

Electricians

Holiday Rental

60+ luxury properties for lets 2 nights to 5 months Holidays – For business – Friends & family – Temporary accommodation during renovation/relocation Contact: 01225 482 225 alexa@bathholidayrentals.com www.bathholidayrentals.com Providing 4 & 5 star self-catering properties since 2006

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

Andrea Kelly DSFH HPD MAfSFH MNCH (Reg.)

Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy in Central Bath

Advertise your Business in this space for as little as £55 per month and get 2 FREE.

Stress and Anxiety • Depression Fears and Phobias • Confidence Childbirth • Stop Smoking • OCD Weight Management • Sleep Problems IBS • Performance Enhancement

Free Initial Consultation

07949 240190 www.andreakellyhypnotherapy.co.uk andrea@andreakellyhypnotherapy.co.uk

96 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

TEL: 01225 424499 Advertising that keeps working

|

issUe 185

House & Home

P95.qxp_Layout 23 24/01/2018 12:48 Page 1

OFFER 15% OFF

until the end of February Please contact us for further details. T&C's apply

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018

|

ThEBATHMAgAzinE 97

Gardening feb V3.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 17:13 Page 1

HOMES | GARDENING

GET SET FOR SPRING

It’s time to dust off your gardening gloves says Jane Moore, even though the frost is still on the ground now is the time to lay the prep for the rest of the year

B

efore you know it spring will be here and time will be running out to do all those jobs you’ve been meaning to do for ages. I like to mix it up a bit, saving some sweet little jobs for those days where there is a glimmer of sunshine. Other tasks are meatier, something to get your teeth into on a chill brisk day. As a reward for completing one of those bigger jobs, I make sure I’m going indoors at the end of the day to a nice hearty stew. I feel I’ve earned it. To take a little of the hard work out of it here’s my to-do list of jobs that need doing.

ONE...Prune your clematis Regular readers will know this is not the first time I have covered this particular subject, but if those readers are anything like me they need to remind themselves of The Clematis Code as I like to think of it. It is quite straightforward so I won’t waste time pontificating about the virtues of various 98 TheBATHMagazine

|

FeBRUaRY 2018

|

clems and will cut straight to the point.

Early summer flowering, May and June, varieties need a good hard prune back to within a couple of feet of the ground, each stem to a pair of strong buds. This includes all the dainty flowering C. viticella types, probably my favourites, and some of the big beauties such as ‘Perle d’Azur’. But this is not the way to treat the majority of the big bloomers that flower in high summer including the likes of ‘Nelly Moser’ and ‘The President’. Oh no, these are tricky to prune properly but really you can’t go too wrong if you simply take out a quarter to a third of the old shoots now. The true spring flowerers such as C. montana, C. alpine and C. macropetala are simply left to their own devices and kept within bounds although you can cut back super hard to rejuvenate every few years if you wish, but save doing that until June. Give them all a nice mulch of garden compost afterwards and then head indoors for that bowl of stew.

iSSUe 185

TWO...Prep the veg While the compost bin is in use get those vegetable beds ready for sowing by having a thorough weed followed by a mulch of garden compost. You’ll need to plan a little first to make sure you don’t compost those beds where you want to grow root crops or you’ll end up with comedy carrots as they fork and twist in the too rich soil. Plan your sowing regime while you’re at it and order any seeds you may need. Chitting potatoes always makes me feel spring is just a skip away and this is the perfect time to get those early and second earlies going. Simply space them out in trays or egg boxes which are brilliant for holding the blighters in position, ‘rose’ side up – that’s the end with the most little sprouts or ‘eyes’. Put them in a cool, light place such as the porch, spare room or greenhouse until the ‘chits’ or sprouts are about an inch or 2cm or so long which will be in about March when they’ll be ready to plant. Favourites of mine include ‘Charlotte’

Gardening feb V3.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 17:26 Page 2

HOMES | GARDENING

THREE...Spilt snowdrops I know the dainty little native snowdrop is only just getting going but consider this a timely reminder for the end of the month. If you have any of the super early varieties such as the G. atkinsii or G. elwesii these start flowering practically on New Year’s Day and will probably need dividing any day now as they go over. If you don’t have any of these sturdy, reliable brilliant snowdrops but a neighbour does, then offer to divide theirs for them as long as you can have some.

Snowdrops clump-up wonderfully and split so superbly it’s only the time of year that counts against us all having gardens full of them. It’s easy enough, gently lift, split clumps and replant in clusters, firming in to the same depth as previously. So set to, my brave Bath gardeners, and make sure your garden is a picture of winter next year.

FOUR...Train your fruit All your fruit need pruning and training now except the plums, cherries and peaches which should be done in summertime. The apples, pears, quinces, blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries and so on all need a good sort out now. I always find the wall trained fruit a joy to do as it looks so good

afterwards, neatly plastered to the wall with the little spurs just waiting to break into blossom. True trees just need a prune to open them up to allow light in to ripen the later fruit and make sure the boughs don’t get too heavy.

❝

Make sure you don’t compost those beds where you want to grow crops or you’ll end up with comedy carrots as they fork and twist in the rich soil – JANE MOORE –

❝

and ‘Cherie’, both second earlies, and ‘Home Guard’ for those very first new potatoes of the summer.

It’s the currants that bother me as I always, always forget the rules and have to look it up. How many years have I been gardening and it’s still my bête noir or is it my currant noir? Well, here goes, without checking.

Blackcurrants fruit on last year’s wood so you need to remove a third of the stems to keep them fruiting, while red and white currants fruit on this years wood so should be pruned to an open, goblet shaped framework from which the fruiting shoots

will grow in the spring. Yes I’ve got it at last! As for gooseberries, well I need to leave something for you to look up…

FIVE...See to the leaves My sweet little five minutes in the sunshine job of all time is de-leafing. I’ll happily spend odd moments chasing a ray of sunshine while systematically de-leafing a patch of hellebores or epimediums. Keen gardeners among you may well be muttering how these plants are all shade lovers and they are but dappled shade when trees are bare can lead to some sunny spots and I’ll take whatever I can get, secateurs at the ready. Granted it does lead to some slightly spasmodic de-leafing but we get round everywhere in the end, eventually.

The truth is the hellebore and epimedium flowers look so much finer, more elegant and utterly charming without those horrible coarse leaves smothering their beauty. Plus it reduces that disfiguring leaf spot hellebores seem to suffer from so often. So improved beauty plus Vitamin D makes for a happy, healthy gardener and garden to head into March. n

Jane Moore is the award-winning gardening columnist and head gardener at The Bath Priory Hotel.

Twitter: @janethegardener

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRUARY 2018 | TheBATHMagazine 99

Pritchard PIF DEC 17.qxp_PIF Full Page 23/01/2018 10:51 Page 85

PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

W

ith some of the most spectacular views over Bath, Camden Crescent has to be one of the city’s prime residential areas.

Number 9b forms the first and second floor of this elegant Grade 1 listed Georgian Crescent house.

Front and rear entrances give the feel of a ‘house within a house’, and the attractive courtyard garden with 2 outbuildings and the large private parking space make this much more than a standard city centre apartment. The accommodation is spacious, warm and comfortable and the triple aspect offers east to west sunshine throughout the day. The first floor drawing room has three sash windows, working shutters and period fireplace.

The kitchen is by Smallbone and has under floor heating and the dining room has more lovely shutters and an attractive fireplace. There are more Smallbone storage areas throughout the apartment. There are three bedrooms in all, each with built in wardrobes, two shower rooms and the main family bathroom.

Parking need not be an issue as a tandem double garage with electric light, power and water is available by separate negotiation.

This is an elegant, deceptively spacious property with superb views and viewing is recommended with agents Pritchards.

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

100 TheBATHMagazine

|

february 2018

|

iSSue 185

9B CAMDEN CRESCENT BATH • Grade 1 listed apartment over two floors • Front and rear entrances with courtyard garden and parking • Triple aspect with spectacular views • 3 bedrooms • 3 bath/shower rooms • Garage available by separate negotiation

Guide price: £989,500

pritchards-bath.co.uk

Hantone Hill

Wick

An impressive 5 bedroom detached family home standing in attractive mature gardens enjoying pleasant views towards Lansdown and Little Solsbury. The property occupies a quiet end of cul de sac position in a highly sought after residential area on the eastern fringes of the city.

Extended garage with electric powered up and over door and driveway parking for 4 vehicles. EPC D. Area including garage 1996 sq ft/185.5 sq m

A beautifully presented and deceptively spacious 4 double bed semi detached property retaining many period features, set within a most convenient location in the heart of the village and with views to the rear towards Golden Valley. Good sized level garden with large deck off the kitchen/breakfast room and an attractive pergola area. Double garage to the rear and ample parking to the front. Int area house: 1806 sq ft/ 177.6 sq m.

Guide Price: £699,000

Price: £599,950

Marshfield

Midford

An immaculate recently built detached house forming part of a small exclusive development of just 4 properties in the heart of this sought after village, 8 miles north of Bath. 3 double bedrooms, bathroom and en suite shower room. Sitting room with woodburner, Attractive walled south facing garden. Private parking for 2 cars. Underfloor heating throughout ground floor. No onward chain. EPC B Remainder of 10 year NHBC warranty. Int area: 1055 sq ft/98 sq m.

A 4 bedroom property forming part of an ‘award winning’ conversion/ refurbishment scheme of a former Malthouse providing light and versatile accommodation within easy reach of Bath with far reaching rural views.

Open plan kitchen and dining room, large first floor living room. 2 allocated off road parking spaces. Private garden and communal garden Total internal area 1923 sq ft/178 sq m.

Price: £499,500

Price: £475,000

11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB Pritchards February.indd 1

Tel: 01225 466 225

Follow us on 22/01/2018 14:54

Charters, Upper Oldfield Park A stunning two bedroom apartment situated in a highly sought-after residential area just a short walk from Bath city centre with breathtaking views across the city. Finished to an extremely high specification of design throughout, the property benefits from an allocated parking space in a secure underground car park and a wealth of local amenities.

Rent: ÂŁ1,950 pcm* contemporary open plan kitchen / living / dining room | impressive north-westerly views | Bulthaup kitchen | 2 good sized double bedrooms | en-suite shower room | modern bathroom | underfloor heating | underground parking space | elevator

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

*An administration fee of ÂŁ420.00 inc. VAT applies.

RESIDE February.indd 1

23/01/2018 13:34

Nash & Co - FEB.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:40 Page 1

Has the stamp-duty cut brought more first-time buyers to the property market?

Duncan Nash, Director nash & Co

From 22 November 2017, the Government announced the abolishment of stamp-duty land tax for first-time purchases up to £300,000 and that the existing rate of 5% applies between £300,000 and £500,000. The relief does not apply to properties above £500,000. So how has this affected the property market and has there been an influx of first-time buyers?

T

he change in stamp duty was projected to save four out of five buyers (nationally) up to £5,000. Looking at the Bath market in isolation, previous to November 2017 we witnessed little first-time buyer activity. Unfortunately, post November, we have not seen a great upsurge in fresh first-time buyers – however these are early days.

The average house price in BANES is currently £328,498 (Land Registry House Price Index), which requires an average 17% deposit of £55,844. Compared to the average first-time buyer deposit of £25,652 across the UK, the maximum £5,000 saving on stamp duty looks far less dramatic in Bath. Although nationally the general trend in house sales appears not to have improved, the market can flip round quickly, and the spring is often a catalyst for change in the world of property sales.

Most property experts do not believe the tax incentive will reinvigorate the housing market.

This was backed up by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in December, who said that 86% of its members reported no increase in first-time buyer enquiries following the stampduty changes. However, the change does save first-time buyers money. A transaction worth £208,000, for example (the average price paid

by a first-time buyer) would have been liable for a stamp-duty payment of £1,660, but now a first-time buyer will pay nothing.

Traditionally the period from January until late spring is the busiest time for those looking for homes. So on a positive note, it is only early days at this stage of the year, and we have seen signs of optimism in the market, with more valuations and the promise of new instructions.

A fresh supply of housing stock will have an impact, bringing new buyers to the fore this spring, which is essential, and it is still feasible that the stamp-duty changes may help incentivise house-hunters into committing to a purchase.

With the average house price in Bath being high, it may be that the surrounding areas benefit and report solid growth in first-time buyer activity. Certainly I know of two sets of first-time buyers who have committed to buying in Bristol.

In conclusion, even if there aren’t high levels of first-time buyers in the Bath market, any positive property news such as stamp-duty reductions are likely to play a role in bringing back confidence and regenerating the market.

Nash & Co web: nashandcobath.co.uk or call: 01225 444800

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

|

FEBRuaRy 2018

|

ThEBATHMagazinE 103

Cobb Farr.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 14:01 Page 1

Cobb Farr.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2018 15:39 Page 2

P106.qxp_Layout 22 26/01/2018 15:49 Page 1

Why isn’t your apartment selling in Bath?

Peter Greatorex, managing director of The Apartment Company [SOUTH WESTERN] LIMITED

I

f your apartment isn’t selling, it may be time to reassess things, as a slow market cannot be used to justify this delay in Bath.

Our City has a notoriously strong property market – you only need read leading industry reports to see this. Even in the lead up to Christmas when everybody believes it to be traditionally quieter, we actually had fourteen deals between mid- November and New Year.

The problem is, by now, your apartment is probably starting to look stale in the eyes of prospective buyers. Questions start to arise such as ‘Well what’s wrong with it? Why hasn’t it sold yet?,’ which could impact what your home is worth to them.

Here are a few things to think about to help get you back on track.

Do you need new photography? Pictures paint a thousand words and are where first impressions count. For example, if you have poor quality ones, you are portraying poor accommodation. If your Christmas decorations are still up, you’re highlighting that you’ve been on the market a while. Sometimes it just takes an overhaul to create interest.

Crafting beautiful homes

Bath | Somerset | Wiltshire | Cotswolds | Dorset

Norwood Dene, Bathwick Hill

Seven luxury apartments with unrivalled specification and exceptional quality From £895,000

Are you using an apartment specialist? Make sure you are using somebody who has a good track record for selling your type of home.

What does your apartment look like? If your apartment looks messy or people can see wallpaper peeling off the walls, cracked tiles, dripping taps, blown lightbulbs and so on, they’re going to be put off.

Good presentation is key.

Is it being promoted properly? If not, people aren’t going to know your apartment exists. Make sure it’s appearing on the three major portals – Rightmove, Zoopla and PrimeLocation - being advertised locally and has a key spot on your agent’s window display.

Does your apartment have a virtual tour? Out of area and overseas buyers often like a virtual tour before commuting to an actual viewing.

Have you considered going off-market? Low key marketing can be a very good approach but you need to be with an agent that attracts an audience specific to what you are selling.

01225 791155 ashford-homes.co.uk

106 TheBATHMAgAzine

|

FeBRUARY 2018

|

issUe 185

It might be worth switching agents… Do your research and ask friends and family who they recommend. Don’t choose somebody based on who offers the lowest fee – instead ensure they are good at selling apartments and offer a cohesive marketing and pricing strategy that will attract the best result possible for you.

The Apartment Company Pg@theapartmentcompany.co.uk or call 01225 471144.

Nash & Co fp February this one.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2018 14:59 Page 1

Newbridge Hill, Bath • • • •

£740,000

Victorian semi-detached family home 5 double bedrooms 3 en-suites, family bathroom and downstairs WC West facing rear garden

• • • •

Stunning open plan kitchen / dining / family room Refurbished throughout Garage and off-street parking Close to local amenities in Chelsea Road

Hansford Square, Bath • • • •

£630,000

Extended 1930’s semi-detached family home Utility room 4 double bedrooms Wonderful large landscaped rear garden

• • • •

Beautiful open plan kitchen / dining / family room with bi-fold doors Bright front sitting room Family bathroom, en-suite shower room and additional shower room Garage and off-street parking

enquiries@nashandcobath.co.uk www.nashandcobath.co.uk Tel: 01225 444 800

NASH & CO

Bear Flat

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Maple Grove, BA2 £895,000

An extended semi detached period home situated on this desirable no through road with west facing rear garden and off road parking. Situated within a mile of Bath Spa train station, this location offers a leafy outlook within 0.2 miles of the entrance to the iconic Two Tunnels walking and cycle path.

Energy Efficiency Rating: E

01225 805 680 bearflat@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Camden

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Southbourne Gardens, BA1 £799,500

An elegant and modern townhouse with parking, perfectly located for access to Larkhall and Bath city centre.

Set in a private no-through road this home offers 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 2 en-suites, a garage and parking.

Energy Efficiency Rating: B

01225 809 868 camden@andrewsonline.co.uk

Andrews February.indd 1

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

26/01/2018 15:09

Central

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Thomas Street, BA1 ÂŁ675,000

01225 809 571

Thomas Street sits on the gateway into the city of the World Heritage City of Bath. At the bottom of the street is an award winning food hotspot, this charming period townhouse is sure to delight! Open living space on ground floor with sitting room on first floor and three great bedrooms.

Energy Efficiency Rating: TBC

central@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Newbridge Andrewsonline.co.uk

Badminton Gardens, BA1 ÂŁ515,000

A superb three bed link detached house which has been brought up to date by the current owners. Offering open plan contemporary living space, and with its proximity to Victoria Park, offers a unique home.

Energy Efficiency Rating: C

01225 809 685 newbridge@andrewsonline.co.uk

Andrews February.indd 2

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

26/01/2018 15:10

SUNNYBANK, Bath

Guide Price ÂŁ899,950

Nestled within the verdant landscape of Lyncombe Vale, an Area of Outstanding Beauty is 16 Sunnybank, an attractive four bedroom family home, with parking, built in 1881.

EPC: D

Fine & Country February.indd 1

22/01/2018 09:47

THINGLEY, Corsham

Guide Price ÂŁ800,000

Superb family home close to the village of Corsham with five double bedrooms, four reception rooms, two bathrooms, garden, off street parking and garage. Lovely views over the countryside.

EPC: D

Fine & Country February.indd 2

23/01/2018 10:56

®

Paragon

£850 pcm

Centrally located superbly presented First Floor Apartment. The apartment comprises a spacious sitting room, kitchen, double bedroom and shower room. Just a short walk from the City Centre, this apartment is highly recommended.

Unfurnished · Price range £850 - £1050 pcm · One double bedroom · Shower room · Close to shops/amenities · No pets · Stunning views · Council Tax Band: C · Agency fees £420 inc vat · Available Now

Green Park

£995 pcm

This beautifully presented first floor apartment is located in the heart of the city centre.

Offering light accommodation that comprises; sitting room, kitchen, master bedroom and bathroom. Early viewing is strongly recommended.

Furnished · Georgian apartment · First floor · One bedroom · Premium location · Close to transport links · Available 26th February 2018 · Council Tax Band B · Agency fees £420 inc VAT SALES

01225 471 14 4

LETTINGS

01225 303 870

The Apartment Company FEBRUARY THIS ONE.indd 1

sales@theapartmentcompany.co.uk

23/01/2018 12:17

®

Catharine Place

£1450 pcm

Stunning Georgian apartment in sought after location. The accommodation comprises: sitting room, kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom and storage. Catharine Place is one of the popular locations in Bath and is close to a wide selection of restaurants and shops.

Unfurnished · Two double bedrooms · Three vaults · Sitting room with kitchen area · Agency fees £420 including vat · No pets · Council Tax Band C · Available March 15th 2018

Darlington Street

£1750 pcm

A prime location, just off Great Pulteney Street. The accommodation comprises: sitting room, three bedrooms, kitchen, and a well-proportioned bathroom leading to a utility room. Decorated beautifully throughout, not one to miss!

Unfurnished · Three Bedrooms · Short level walk to City Centre · No Pets · Council Tax C · Agency Fees £420 inc VAT · Available 19th February 2018 · Residence parking permit

www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk

The Apartment Company FEBRUARY THIS ONE.indd 2

23/01/2018 12:17

®

Royal View, Bath Riverside

Prices starting from

£595,000

This stunning apartment is located within the prestigious Royal View. The property boasts an open plan sitting room and kitchen which has been designed for modern living. There are two spacious double bedrooms, two en suites and allocated parking.

This property is a must see!

Modern build · Fully fitted kitchen · Amazing views over Bath · Part of a World Heritage City · Communal roof terrace · Balcony · Underfloor heating · 1155 Sq ft

Green Park

O.I.E.O

£500,000

This fabulous first floor apartment boasting Georgian architecture is nestled in the heart of the city and comprises; drawing room that has two, floor to ceiling windows, two double bedrooms, stylish modern bathroom and a well-appointed kitchen. Early viewing is highly recommended.

Georgian apartment · First floor · Two double bedrooms · Stunning views · Central location · Residents parking permits · Approx 797 Sq ft SALES

01225 471 14 4

LETTINGS

01225 303 870

The Apartment Company FEBRUARY THIS ONE.indd 3

sales@theapartmentcompany.co.uk

23/01/2018 12:16

®

Bennett Street

O.I.E.O

£360,000

We are delighted to bring to the market a charming bright top floor, two bedroom apartment. Ideally situated on the north side of this elegant street in the heart of Georgian Bath, adjacent to The Assembly Rooms. This super property combines the bustle of Bath with the calm of the outskirt areas.

Georgian · Central location · Two bedrooms · Modern bright living space · Far reaching views · 864 Sq ft

Bladud Buildings

O.I.E.O

£270,000

A superb opportunity to purchase a second floor, one bedroom apartment which benefits from a new lease that permits holiday lets and also planning permission in place to develop the apartment. As part of a building with on-going development throughout this is not an opportunity to miss.

Grade II listed · Georgian · Second Floor Apartment · Stunning views · City centre location · Planning permission in place · Holiday lets permitted · Approx 517 Sq ft

www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk

The Apartment Company FEBRUARY THIS ONE.indd 4

23/01/2018 12:16

Mallory fp.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2018 17:01 Page 1