The Bath Magazine April 2014

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ISSUE 139 • APRIL 2014 £3.00 where sold

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CITY OF BATH

WEAR IT WELL Our new style column

COLOUR BURST Artist Candace Bahouth

EXCLUSIVE

JOLLY GOOD A change in store

FAMILY FUN

Things to do this Easter

FOOD HEROES Profile of chef Gordon Jones A MUSED Townhouse with star quality PHOTOSHOOT

SPRING FASHION The new fruit pastels O N T H E M A R K E T: B AT H ’ S F I N E S T P R O P E R T I E S O N S H O W

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CONTENTS

April

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www.thebathmag.co.uk

2014

@ thebathmagazine

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24 70 8

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

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THE CITYIST Florist Tallulah Rose picks her favourite things to do in Bath

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MRS STOKES Our columnist reveals what Bath hen parties get up to behind closed doors

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BATH IN FASHION Our photoshoot captures spring ahead of next month’s citywide celebration of style

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28 WHAT’S ON The crop of Bath’s cultural highlights

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QUEEN OF COLOUR Deirdre McSharry profiles artist Candace Bahouth

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FACE THE MUSIC Meet the woman who knows how to give people a good send-off, Bath undertaker Carol Spalding

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A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW We sample the new menu at the thespian’s favourite haunt, The Garrick’s Head

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FOOD HEROES Bear Flat’s Gordon Jones shares his passion

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS A round-up of city news and views

EGGSCELLENT FUN Family-friendly days out this Easter

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THE INTERVIEW Be inspired by Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder of charity Kids Company

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FIT & FABULOUS The latest Eve Lom collection

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INTERIORS A gorgeous little Georgian gem has been given fresh sparkle by Eton Design

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THE WALK Andrew Swift suggests a four mile stroll between two fine open gardens

6 OF THE BEST Seasonal flavours herald the spring

BATH AT WORK Our popular series of portraits by Neill Menneer… this month David McLaughlin

CULINARY CONUNDRUM Angela Mount helps us choose wine to pair with notoriously challenging dishes

24 WHAT’S IN STORE Find out what’s happening at Jolly’s as we look at its bright future and reflect on the department store’s glorious past

ART & EXHIBITIONS Check out the latest shows in the city’s galleries and museums

22 YOU WEAR IT WELL Stylist Natasha Musson demonstrates two looks for an Anthropologie dress

FOOD & DRINK NEWS Tasty titbits from the restaurant scene

FASHIONISTA DATES Preview of Bath in Fashion’s May programme of catwalk shows & talks

OUR CULTURAL YEAR Looking ahead to festivals and events

Five things to do in Bath this month

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HOT PROPERTY Find your next home in the city or country

Cover picture: from our spring fashion shoot at The Queensberry Hotel, Bath Photographer: Dean Jode Stylist: Viola Styling Hair: No 3 salon

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EDITOR’Sletter

T

here were a couple of tourists standing in George Street the other day, anxiously flicking their eyes from guide map to the buildings around them.

“No, there’s nothing up here,” the man told the woman, and they promptly turned on their heels and headed back down into Milsom Street, eyes turned back to map and phone respectively.

I haven’t quite reached the age yet where I hurry after strangers to engage them in unwanted conversation like some ghastly Ancient Mariner, but I did tut to myself and think of all that they were missing by not venturing up Gay Street or Bartlett Street and discovering the many treasures that lie beyond. I fear too many visitors miss out on the pretty leafy squares of Lansdown, the lesser visited Georgian crescents such as Norfolk or Cavendish, or the delightful quirkiness of Margarets Buildings – surely the only street in Bath composed entirely of independent shops?

I hope our Easter issue will inspire you to take a fresh look at our city. Begin in Milsom Street with a familiar landmark that we take for granted – Jolly’s department store. Did you know that Mr Jolly was one of the great pioneers of British retail? Find out more about the glorious past and the bright future of this great Bath institution in our feature on Page 24.

I confess I’d never really noticed the little Georgian townhouse tucked away behind the Cross Bath in the heart of the city, but invited to have a look round 3 Hetling Court, I was charmed by the Cinderella transformation that interior designer Peter Higgins of Eton Design has brought about. Have a look for yourself at this, frankly, decadent interior, on Page 76.

Our new columnist stylist Natasha Musson encourages us to take a fresh look at the clothes in our wardrobes and wear them in different ways, Page 22. Another stylist, Gaby of Voila Styling picks out this season’s new pastels for our exclusive fashion shoot which we staged at The Queensberry Hotel (another gorgeous gem which is worth checking out if you’re local – it has a secluded suntrap garden). Our fashion preview for the main event, next month’s Bath in Fashion begins on Page 15.

I hope our extensive What’s On, arts and family fun listings will inspire you to get out and about and explore parts of the city you may not have noticed before, especially if you’ve got a bit of leisure time over Easter. It’s a salutary thought that we’re living or working in a UNESCO World Heritage City (on a par with Venice, old Havana and Prague) and that while thousands travel here to gaze in wonder we might spend our free time oblivious to the beauty on our doorstep, as we decorate the spare room.

There are some strong women in this issue too, none more so than Camila Batmanghelidjh, the founder of Kids Company charity which cares for vulnerable young people in London and Bristol. I was lucky enough to meet her ahead of her visit to Bath on 7 May as part of Bath in Fashion. Do go and hear her speak, as she’s a truly inspirational motivator. Mick Ringham interviewed another strong woman, Bath undertaker Carol Spalding (Page 46), who so many Bathonians speak of with respect for the sensitivity she shows families at a difficult time in their lives. And if colour’s important to you, turn to Page 38 and Deirdre McSharry’s word portrait of Candace Bahouth, whose designs are so bright and vibrant they’re another clarion call to see the world in a different light. Enjoy!

Georgette McCready Editor

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ZEITGEIST

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things to do in

April

Pick

Arthur Smith by Steve Ullathorne

Laugh A pop-up comedy hub Edinburgh Fringe style is being set up at the Natural Theatre Company’s headquarters on Widcombe Hill as part of Bath Comedy Festival, which runs from 28 March to 6 April. This intimate cabaret and stand-up venue will come complete with plush red velvet curtains, candle-lit tables and a fully stocked bar. There’s even a small outdoor terrace for a quiet drink on warmer days. There are dozens of events at various venues around Bath, from a white wine trail led by Lorraine Chase to some of the funniest men – and women – in British stand-up. See: www.bathcomedy.com for the full programme or pick up a paper brochure.

We’ve heard of pick your own strawberries, but Somerset now has the UK’s only pick-your-own tulips. Farrington’s farm shop at Farrington Gurney (BS39 6UB) has a field full of thousands of colourful blooms, which should be just right for the picking from late April. From deep lilacs, pinks and reds to luscious yellows, there are over 50 varieties of tulips to choose from, and while you wander and make your choices, ponder on the history of the flower which rose to prominence in the Netherlands – and created a boom in rare bulbs, seeing dealers winning and lose fortunes. Tish and Andy Jeffrey, owners of Farrington’s opened the field in 2012 and it’s proved popular every spring. They won’t cost you a small fortune either, ten tulips are £2.50 or £10 for 50. Children will enjoy Picture courtesy of Country Living magazine the Cowtastic Farm Park and and Andrew Montgomery Playbarn.

Enjoy

Eat

Cast yourselves back to the days when Bath’s Sydney Gardens were a pleasure ground, by joining in with free activities on Sunday 13 April, from noon to 4pm, as Bath & North East Somerset Council teams up with Bath Preservation Trust and the Holburne Museum to celebrate 27 years of Bath’s World Heritage Site status.

There’ll be swingboat rides, craft activities and the chance

National Trust picture by Jennie Woodcock

Children love an Easter egg hunt and it’s a great way of getting them outdoors and running about.

The National Trust is hosting a series of egg hunts at its properties this Easter, which is nice for adults too. There are trails at Dyrham Park, Prior Park, Lacock Abbey, Stourhead and at The Courts in Holt. These events have been sponsored by Cadbury’s and there’s usually a small charge to take part. The other participatory event is a family Easter egg rolling morning at Bathwick Hill on Saturday 20 April between 10am and 2pm. Find out more, visit: www.eastereggtrail.com.

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Watch

Towpath by Bath artist Nick Cudworth

to meet some Georgian characters. Running alongside the Holburne Museum’s Easter Eggstravaganza, there will be also be guided walks led by

Head out to the beautiful open spaces of the Chew Valley over the weekend of Friday 11 and Saturday 12 April where the Chew Valley Bird Fair will be held by the waters of the lake (BS40 8TF). Run by Bath based shop London Camera Exchange, visitors will be able to talk about the joys of photography and bird watching and meet members of Bath RSPB, Bath Natural History Society and Chris Sperring MBE, who will be talking about the plight of the British barn owl population. For more details tel: 01275 332042.

the Mayor’s Honorary Guides.

Walk to Cleveland Pools, or in other direction follow the canal to Southcot Burial Ground in Widcombe.

Representatives from the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, the Friends of Sydney Gardens, the Cleveland Pools Trust and Bath Preservation Trust will be on hand too. The Herschel Museum of Astronomy in New King Street will be offering free admission to children that day. Visit: www.bathnes.gov.uk/ heritageevents.

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THE CITY The buzz Spotted At

BATH

London Fashion Week, Reggie Ansah the editorin-chief of Luxure magazine looking sharp in a Marc Wallace rust wool three piece bespoke suit, styled with the chestnut leather bag, rust paisley tie and hat. Marc has a tailoring and design studio in Bath and a shop in London.

We ask Rachel Wardley of Tallulah Rose Flower School what she is doing in April

Opening

Like a breath of fresh seaside air the Cornish brand Seasalt is blowing into Bath, with a new shop opening in New Bond Street on Saturday 12 April.

Seasalt, which is owned by the Chadwick family, has 18 shops across the south west of England and its range includes clothing, rainwear, accessories, bedlinen and stationery. The new shop will be decorated with handmade tiles made at the Leach Pottery and there’ll be the chance to buy ceramics made by the potters. The Tay Tar Sea Shanties group will herald the arrival of Seasalt in Bath by singing a medley of stirring a cappella sea songs. Seasalt was last year awarded the Drapers Womenswear brand of the year and the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development.

Challenge If you’d like to see your boss or colleague behind bars Bath Cats and Dogs Home may be able to help. The charity is recruiting for its Kennel Break Challenge in which volunteers trade places with the home’s rescue animals and experience first-hand what it’s like to spend time behind bars. On Friday 13 June, 20 professionals from Bath and Bristol will be locked up with only a phone and a laptop and challenged to raise £1,000 each before being released. Tel: 01225 787 335 or email fundraising@bcdh.org.uk.

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My

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What brought you to Bath?

A new adventure. After many years in London I decided to leave for pastures new giving myself a challenge or two along the way. Bath has allowed me to launch my own flower school and I’m very grateful for that.

Bath gives me space – beautiful indoor and outdoor space.

What are you reading?

Walking with Sausage Dogs by Matt Whyman – because it’s something I do every day.

What is on your MP3 player?

I’m a northern lass so the Arctic Monkeys feature heavily. More recently The 1975, another northern band, have crept to the top of my playlist too.

Which café or restaurant takes your fancy?

Society Café is my second working home, a great creative hub with the best hot chocolate in Bath oh and the friendliest bearded baristas in town. As a vegetarian, Indian food features heavily and I love nothing more than a delicious dinner in The Mint Room, it’s all so good. As a special girlie treat, afternoon tea at the Bath Priory is hard to beat.

Which museum or gallery will you be visiting?

The Fashion Museum’s exhibition on the Georgians will be top of my list. The grand finale of the exhibition includes a Vivienne Westwood design. An inspiration for me as my flower school is sponsoring the Vivienne Westwood talk with Linda Watson during Bath in Fashion week in May and I plan to create a homage to Vivienne in flowers. I’ll

Asking Grandad by Dinah Darby, Folly Books Bath writer Dinah Darby’s debut novel for children is about a tomboy who finds out that her grandfather is hiding a secret about what happened to him during the Bath Blitz. The book will be launched this month in the city to coincide with the April anniversary of the bombing raids of 1942. Dinah, who

also be revisiting the Holburne Museum to see the amazing Ballroom Banquet by Kathy Dalwood. Exquisite contemporary sculptures that need more than one visit, and a great excuse to have another cream tea.

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

I’m passionate about my business and April brings a training course for me. Learning new skills means I can keep the flower school curriculum fresh with new ideas. I love scouring markets for reclaimed treasure and will be visiting Bath’s very own Artisan Market at Green Park Station.

What local outdoor activity or event will you be doing or visiting?

I’m hoping for more sunny walks along the canal and perhaps a picnic or two in one of Bath’s great green spaces.

Film or play? What will you be going to see this month?

I’m hoping to make it to the Ustinov for the American Season to see A Steady Rain.

When it launched on Broadway it originally starred Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig.

The Tallulah Rose Flower School is in Milsom Street. We offer one day workshops through to four-week career courses. The school offers open, friendly teaching techniques. Whether you simply want to arrange flowers in your home or launch a business we can help. Visit: www.tallulahroseflowers.com. See the work our students produce on Facebook / Tallulah Rose Flower School. ■

works at the University of Bath, saw her short story The Shout long-listed for Radio 4’s Opening Lines short story competition.

She says the seeds of the story came from Niall Rothnie’s The Bombing of Bath where people recalled the evenings so vividly. The new book will pass the wartime story on to a new generation of Bathonians.

We’re following @CommonGardenFlowers aka Somerset flower grower and florist Georgie Newbery who’s an advocate of growing local. Take a look at #Britishflowers.

She also brightens our Twitter world with pictures of gorgeous seasonal blooms.

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Mrs Stokes

Lifting the lid on the cackling hens

©www.robbiddulph.com

takes a sideways look at life in Bath

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t’s officially spring. How can you tell? By the blossom in the trees in Julian Road, daffodils in front of the Royal Crescent and the kaleidoscope of colour in the Bath and North East Somerset Council’s nursery. But personally there’s something else that alerts me to the changing season – the increase in hens – of the marrying kind.

Part of my business involves putting on vintage tea parties (The Secret Tea Party) for the gaggles of girls who come into Bath for ‘the last fling before the ring.’ Luckily my clients are the kind who eschew tottering along to the nearest nightclub in a pink Stetson and feather boa following a raucous cocktail making class. They prefer a piece of civilised lemon drizzle and a china cup of Earl Grey at their Georgian holiday home. They’re so organised they’re the sort who even bring along their own chauffeurs (read: long suffering boyfriend) to ferry them around so they don’t have to damage the soles of their Louboutins. At a recent party one such ‘driver’ was dressed as a court jester when I walked in. Don’t ask, I didn’t.

My clients are usually in their mid to late twenties, possibly already mothers and/or have high-powered media jobs in London. They’re high maintenance – in a good way (they help pay my mortgage).

But there are plenty of other non-tea partying hens weekending in the city, drawn to the architecture, convenient location and abundance of activities such as cupcake decorating, fascinator making, scavenger hunts, Grease parties, Thermae Spa sessions, glassblowing, jewellery making. And with the cost of the average hen party having risen from £102 in 2008 to £157 last year it’s no wonder that Bath businesses start to bloom as soon as the flowers do.

giddy ladies in front of easels ❝ surrounding a naked man in a closed room under the pretext of sketching him ❞ Hen party tastes in Bath have become more refined but with such a wholesome list of options, I’m sure you’re wondering if hens get up to anything salacious any more, and I’m happy to report that they do. The latest pretending-to-be-arty session is life drawing – which you can even do at that hotspot of domestic goddess-ery, The Makery. From what I’ve been told it involves a group of giddy ladies in front of easels surrounding a naked man in a closed room, under the pretext of sketching him, while actually drinking Prosecco and making jokes about the amount of lead in his pencil.

And then there are the Butlers in the Buff, the fit young men who are employed by women to come and serve drinks at a party. And the twist is?

They’re naked. (The men) Mostly. I have seen one or two of these modern Jeeves in the flesh. And I’m talking quite a lot of flesh, although, as the only times I’ve come into contact with them is when they’ve been booked to come and ‘help’ me serve tea, they’ve been wearing aprons (hygiene for the cakes, health and safety for other reasons). This still doesn’t mean that these boys’ butts are safe though, especially not from the mothers, aunts and the brides’ mother-in-law, all of whom take great pleasure in ‘spanking the naughty boy’ – have a look at the gallery on the Butlers in the Buff website and you’ll see what I mean.

So, if you go into Bath this weekend remember that the hen party season is officially open – and that while that group of screeching, tonged-haired, high-heeled women might seem frightening en masse, they’re doing our city a great service. They’re keeping us in business. Even if their methods are a little bit 50 Shades of Grey. ■ @mrsstokeschina

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20 13 N &2 AT 01 IO 4 B N est AL B W rida IN l R N eta ER ile r

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EASTER HOLIDAYS? You need some new accessories AT LOW FACTORY SHOP PRICES

Established 1777

Furnax Lane, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 8PE Telephone: 01985 217367 Opposite recycling centre

Opening Hours, Monday to Saturday 9.00am to 5.30pm

FREE PARKING WITH DISABLED ACCESS

Dent's merchandise is either discontinued from our international collections or samples.

All merchandise is offered subject to availability

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THE NEW FRUIT PASTELS Looking ahead to next month’s Bath in Fashion week, stylist Gabrielle of Voila Styling, head hair stylist at No3 salon Jess and photographer Dean Jode capture 2014 spring’s shades of pretty pastels and metallic hues

THE FRONT ROW LOOK: Beth wears Malene Birger jacket, £295, Tara Jarmon zesty lemon yellow dress, £270, Grace and Mabel, Arianna shoes, £375 from LK Bennett, sunglasses from a designer selection at Grace and Ted, snake embossed nude bag £995, Liz Cox

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A SPRING IN HER STEP: Beth wears yoga leggings, £60, lemon sorbet yellow sweater, £65, and trainers, all from Sweaty Betty – yoga mat, £39, and gym bag also from Sweaty Betty. Scarf, Reiss, £79 and Missoni sunglasses, £80 from Grace and Ted

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AN EVENING DATE: Beth is photographed in The Old Q Bar at the Queensberry Hotel wearing Carsa leather metallic dress, £895, from LK Bennett, with Edana patent leather shoes, £100, from Duo. She’s carrying a Liz Cox raspberry pink animal print leather clutch, £150

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SPRING SUNSHINE: Beth wears Malene Birger jacket, £295, Tara Jarmon zesty lemon yellow dress, £270, Grace and Mabel and Arianna shoes, £375 from LK Bennett

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A BUSINESS-LIKE APPROACH: Beth wears lavender Ferro jacket, £245, lime top, £79 and black skirt, £120, with grey Fennel bag, £159, all from Reiss.

Shoes, fruity tangerine Floret, £180, from LK Bennett

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OUT AND ABOUT: Beth outside the Queensberry Hotel in bomber jacket, £265, denim shirt, £85 and sport trousers, £120, all from Comptoir des Cotonniers.

The soft grain leather Morford bag in emerald is £495 from Liz Cox

abrielle Paxton, who runs Voila personal styling agency, has some tips for making your spring wardrobe work for the new

G

season.

1. A good pair of white jeans will see you through the summer. Team with shirts and a t-shirt for a casual look. Mimi Noor for jeans and Comptoir des Cotonniers for that simple tee.

2. Start to think about replacing that heavy winter coat for a fresh lightweight jacket.

One of my favourite items in my wardrobe is the classic blue denim jacket. I have had my Earl Jean denim for over 15 years and it still goes with everything I put on. Whether you wear yours with jeans, defiantly over a ballgown or simply with tailored trousers the denim jacket is still the coolest of cover ups.

3. Go through your t-shirt drawer and throw out any holey, unflattering or slightly over worn tees, then invest in a few slinky silk cotton mixes. These are the most hard wearing item in your wardrobe and need to be updated regularly to keep your look fresh

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and on trend.

Voila’s top ten essential pieces for every woman’s wardrobe are: 1. The white shirt – perfect with everything from skinny jeans to neon cocktail skirts.

2. Jeans – the right pair have the power to make you feel stylish and confident.

3. The leather jacket – still the coolest of cover-ups, no matter what you team it with.

4. A classsic bag – investment dressing, pick a piece of arm candy that’s both discreet and effortlessly chic.

5. The blazer – shoulders may rise and fall but a blazer remains a sartorial classic, guaranteed to sharpen your look.

6. Jersey basics – the t-shirt, in slinky silk cotton mix, lends itself to easy layering day and night.

7. The trench – timeless, practical, good looking.

8. A pair of flats – Brigitte Bardot was the first to deem flats a fashion staple.

9. The knit – perfect for the casual look.

10. Underpinning – flawless foundations are a must-have. Shape wear is the secret.

Thank you: Photography: Dean Jode tel: 07902 115285 www.deanjode.com Hair: Jess and Alice, No 3 salon, Saville Row, Bath tel: 01225 443222 Styling: Gabrielle Paxton, Voila Styling, Bath tel: 0787 651 6048 www.voilastyling.co.uk Model: Bethan White - book her through Jess at No 3 Make up: Katie Fishlock of Space NK, using Eve Lom products Location: The Queensberry Hotel, The Old Q Bar and the hotel gardens tel: 01225 447928 Clothes and accessories: LK Bennett, Reiss, Comptoir des Cotonniers, Sweaty Betty, Liz Cox, Grace and Ted, Duo, Grace and Mabel

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BATHinFASHION

Threads for all tastes Bath’s annual celebration of fashion is much much more than a few catwalk shows. There are workshops, films, exhibitions and visits from some of the rising and the established stars of the British fashion industry. We’ve picked some of the highlights from Bath in Fashion 2014 Improvement District) and Bath Tourism Plus are focused on the event being creatively and financially benefitting to the city. It aims to create a buzz around the city during the ten day period, encouraging local retailers to get involved and drawing visitors to the city. Sponsors from the business community have made it all possible and last year’s event earned publicity for Bath in national and international titles as well as acrosss social media.

Some of the happenings have become established annual rituals, such has been their success and popularity. We may expect to see queues of people along Westgate Street on the morning of Saturday 10 May for the free event, Fashion Your Future. Anyone interested in carving a career in the fashion industry should make sure they’re in the audience to hear advice first hand from the experts.

Another popular annual event is the Vintage Sunday fair held at Green Park Station on Sunday 4 May. Don your finest vintage clothing and head on down to Artizan’s hair and beauty emporium before having your photo taken, or learning to dance the Charleston. There are lots of stalls too, selling all kinds of vintage and upcycled bits and pieces.

There’ll be film, talks at the world renowned Fashion Museum and workshops of all kinds, from a Nina Campbell interiors session to one with designer and textile artist Carole Waller.

From the profoundly serious to the delightfully frivolous (anyone up for a spot of yarn bombing?) there are threads for all tastes in this fashionfest.

For full details of Bath in Fashion 2014 pick up a brochure or visit: www. bathinfashion.co.uk. ■

W

hether you’re starting out with an eye to a career in fashion, or a seasoned shopper with a wardrobe of classic collectables, this year’s Bath in Fashion programme will have something to catch your eye. The 2014 festival of fashion opens on Saturday 3 May with a host of events through Bath shops and closes Sunday 11 May, with a beautiful bridal event at the Royal Crescent Hotel, with a whole host of happenings in between.

The founder of BIBA, Barbara Hulanicki is coming to Bath on Wednesday 7 May when she’ll be in conversation with influential fashion journalist Hilary Alexander at the Octagon. BIBA opened 50 years ago, sending a frisson through customers as it was fairly and squarely targeted at young women rather than their mothers.

The talk will be followed the next day, 8 May, by a vintage BIBA show at the Assembly Rooms, which will give a rare chance for people to see pieces bought from the iconic store on the catwalk. Students from Bath Spa University have taken a Hulanicki 60s design as inspiration to create something new from classic gingham.

Today’s shoppers can buy a piece of modern Hulanicki design from her website www.iconclub.co.uk, where she’s selling t-shirts, scarves and bags.

Bathonian Sarah Mower, a contributor to American Vogue will be hosting an evening with designers Meadham Kirchhoff on Thursday 8 May at the Octagon. This Anglo-French duo, who create wonderfully theatrical head-turning collections, very rarely give interviews – preferring to let their clothes speak for themselves – but we’ll be able to hear their views at this event.

Lifting the lid on British style for men is Jason Basmajian, the creative director of Gieves and Hawkes, who will be in conversation with Teo van den Broeke, style editor of Esquire magazine, on Thursday 8 May, while TopShop’s managing director Mary Homer will be giving an insight into this highly successful high street brand on Tuesday 6 May and handbag and shoe designer Emma Hope will be talking about the muchhyped festival fashion scene, as seen by the likes of Kate Moss at Glastonbury.

Those in the know about textiles will be excited to learn that the cult magazine Selvedge is leaving its usual London haunts for a rare visit to the south west, when it will be staging one of its fairs at the Octagon in Bath on Saturday 10 May. The fair will cover every aspect of fabric, from fashion and interiors to art and craft.

Foodies who like fashion can indulge in their twin passions with a fashionista tea, with cocktails, at the Allium Brasserie, lunch at the Dower House restaurant at the Royal Crescent or a lunch and listen with Bath jewellery designer Nicholas Wylde or with Jo Stroud, owner of jewellery businesses Fabulous and Pandora Bath.

You couldn’t really have a celebration of

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INNOVATIVE: designers Meadham Kirchhoff are coming to Bath, as is BIBA founder Barbara Hulanicki, inset below

fashion and style without mentioning the grande dame of British design, Vivienne Westwood.

Author Linda Watson will be at Topping & Co bookshop to talk about her book Vogue on . . .

Vivienne Westwood, which is illustrated with fabulous pictures of some of her designs.

Every woman understands that what she wears says something about her state of mind, her confidence and her personality. That concept of fashion as an armour, or protection, will be explored at an event held to raise money for the Kids Company charity which works with young people in London and Bristol. The charity’s founder, always flamboyantly dressed, Camila Batmanghedlidjh, will be at Bath in Fashion on Wednesday 7 May to talk about her remarkable story and her image.

This is the fifth year for Bath in Fashion and the main organiser Bath BID (Business

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STYLEcounsel

You wear it well...

by Natasha Musson

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’m Natasha, a stylist and wardrobe consultant and I’m passionate about clothes. The most important part of my job is ensuring my clients feel good about themselves. Fashion should be fun and clothes are a great way to boost confidence and make you feel great. I firmly believe in getting the most out of your wardrobe: a gorgeous new dress should never be worn just once and then put away to be saved for ‘best’.

Over the coming months, I’ll be sharing some of my key ideas and tips with you. We are so lucky in Bath to have the most fantastic range of fashion on our doorstep, from individual boutiques to leading high street names. Each month I’m going to delve into our wonderful city and focus on one shop and

explore what it has to offer. Taking a key item, I’ll show you how to wear it in two different ways.

For my first column, I’m thrilled to be wearing clothes from Anthropologie.

I first discovered this amazing lifestyle store nine years ago in Santa Monica, LA. Since then I have followed it avidly, first online and then as it opened its doors in London. So I’m delighted that it’s now here in my home city of Bath.

As always, its latest collection is breathtaking: full of colour and vibrancy, with stunning stand out pieces.

I hope you enjoy the looks I’ve created and I look forward to exploring with you the fantastic fashion we have here.

• Look Number 1 Sharp and Glam – Dress over Trousers This look is going to divide the crowd. Like the return of Birkenstocks and trainers (yes they’re both back this season), you’re either going to love it or hate it! I’m a big fan. I first wore this look back in the 90s with a slip worn over boot-cut jeans but this is a totally different affair. A more glamorous, a more grown up “I’m in charge of the look” style. Keep the silhouette sharp by making sure the dress and trousers are structured and tailored, no floating or wafting materials. I fell for this dress because of its gorgeous pattern; it has a vintage, tapestry feel but the digital neon colours pop out and make it totally modern. The neckline is wide and open to show a good amount of décolletage so oozes sex appeal for a night out. The dress covers the arms and there’s attention to detail in the splits at the bottom of the sleeves and the side of dress. Stand alone it would look great with black tights and coloured pumps but I’ve chosen to team it with cropped, ankle zip, pink trousers. There’s lovely attention to detail again, in the satin of the ankle zips. I’d wear this outfit to dinner, the theatre and Bath in Fashion events. For any of you still doubting the look, I’ll just say ‘dress over trousers is perfect’ – even if you’re legs aren’t and it could be the ultimate summer fashion solution for a country that doesn’t always get a summer.

Source it, buy it: Tropicalist shift, £128; ankle zip Charlie trousers, £88; Lujoso suede heels, £188; Kate Sheridan Spectrum clutch, £48; Onyx fringe necklace, £58. All Anthropologie

• Look Number 2 The Relaxed Look – Dress with Denim

Natasha Musson: wardrobe consultant and stylist Visit: www.natashamusson.co.uk email: natashamusson@yahoo.co.uk

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A denim jacket is an essential and versatile wardrobe staple. You might not have worn one since the 90s but like a denim shirt it’s definitely a good time to reinvest and purchase this season. This Pilcro jacket is cut slightly higher at the back, so it’s not boxy and sits on the waist. I love dressing down a ‘best dress’ for daytime, so adding this jacket and the Claramonte patina bag gives a relaxed, mixed up bohemian look. The bag is a classic example of the wonderful and unique pieces that you will find at Anthropologie. Inspired by fabrics and embroidery techniques found in North Africa, it’s a real statement craft piece and is a nod to the tribal trend.

This outfit is perfect for meeting friends for coffee on a Saturday afternoon. Please note the wonderful blue, cut out Florence shoes. These bootie-inspired lace-ups are so comfortable and easy to wear; I could run around town all day in them. And yes, I’ve taken the plunge and I’m bare legged. It’s never easy as we move into spring and pack the opaques away but wear these shoes and the attention will be on your feet not legs. I know some readers won’t like the above the knee look, especially without the help of tights. You may feel that this is for a younger age group, but if your pins are in good order, try it out for a dressed down, fun look. ‘Dress with denim’ is the perfect relaxed, weekend outfit.

Source it, buy it: Tropicalist shift, as before; Pilcro denim jacket, £98; Claramonte patina bag, £238; Florence cutout heels, £228. All Anthropologie

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The old lady of Milsom Street Georgette McCready traces the history of Bath’s longest surviving department store, Jolly & Son – currently undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment and explores its role in changing the way the we shop

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or anyone concerned about apostrophes and their use, Bath’s oldest established department store raises cause for concern. On the facade over the shop windows it reads Jolly’s, but on an ornate plaque by the door it merely says Jolly. To confuse matters, in metal letters embedded in the doorstep is the word Jollys (no apostrophe). Perhaps it would be simpler to follow the lettering across the floor level plinth which reads Jolly and Son. As the national chain House of Fraser, which nows owns the store, begins work in Milsom Street on a multi-million pound refurbishment the project will include restoring some of its historic architectural details, such as shutters on the windows and awnings on the frontage. This seems like a good time to look back at the history of Jolly and Son. James Jolly was born in 1775 in Norfolk, where he was apprenticed to his father, a linen merchant. James moved to Kent, where he opened a drapery shop in Deal, followed a decade later by a second business, a bazaar in Margate. By this time James’s son Thomas was helping in the shop and the pair were looking for somewhere fashionable to open another establishment.

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now be termed a pop-up shop, before taking a lease on a permanent shop in Old Bond Street where they sold imported textiles and fashion novelties to what was known as the carriage trade, that is the well-to-do visiting Bath.

By 1831 Thomas had taken control of the Bath side of the busines, while his father expanded Jolly’s Bazaar in Margate High Street. In 1831 a large advertisement was placed in all four of Bath’s newspapers to promote the Bath Emporium which was to open at Number 12 Milsom Street, selling all manner of things, from linen and drapery to china, perfume, stationery and toys.

Thomas Jolly was at the forefront of a fixed price structure in British shops. Until now customers had to enquire as to the price of an item, with the shopkeeper shrewdly hazarding a guess as to what the customer could afford. Jolly and Son shunned the practice of haggling and put a set price on its goods, which were exchanged for ‘ready money.’

So popular was the new shop that a neighbour commented: “The number of sedan chairs and carriages was very great . . . your shop was, at times, so crowded that ladies had to wait outside until others came out to give them room.’

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CITYarchive CITY INSTITUTION: Opposite page: main picture, ornate plaster detail in Queen Mary’s Dressing Room on the ground floor, and, top, an illustrations of the corset department in the 1930s Below it can be seen the peacock stained glass windows which once overlooked the glove department

Right, the peacock frieze on the ground floor will be retained

Top right, inset, Princess Diana seen leaving Jolly’s during a shopping trip to Bath in the 1980s, and local residents signing the petition to try to save the food hall in 1987 Archive pictures courtesy of Bath in Time, visit: www.bathintime.co.uk for more images to view or buy of historic Bath

Until now shops had been dark places, but as the 19th century rolled on, they became palaces of consumerism that invited the passer-by in. Jolly’s big plate glass windows and ornate facade, now encompassing Numbers 11 and 12 Milsom Street would have been a great attraction to visitors to the city and locals too. More innovation came as Jolly’s was one of the first shops in the country to offer its customers ready to wear clothes. Until the 1850s people had simply bought lengths of cloth to be made up. Now they were able to buy jackets, dresses and even underclothes – thanks to the innovation of the sewing machine by Isaac Singer.

By 1851, the year of the Great Exhibition in London, shopping had become more as we would recognise it today, almost a hobby rather than a necessity for people. The Bath shop had a staff of 16 men and 42 women, with 26 of them living in quarters above the shop. It continued to add to its stock, buying cloths from across Europe from fashionable sources including Paris. By 1879 the Jolly family had acquired 13 Milsom Street and added a fine arched doorway to unite the new shop with the old.

Thomas Jolly was something of a philanthropist. He introduced early closing days to allow his staff opportunities for self improvement and recreation. He became a councillor, reforming the local police force and working with others to save the Roman baths and Pump Rooms from decay. In 1860 he became the first tradesman to be elected Mayor of Bath and was returned to the post in 1868.

This period saw the rise of another phenonemon that we would recognise today – advertising, or puffing as it was known.

Shops were advertising on the front pages of newspapers and by 1880 Jolly’s had branched out into mail order, issuing circulars and price lists to its customers detailing new stock or the start of a sale. These were regularly despatched to more than 4,500 of Jolly’s customers. Mail order was increasingly popular, with shops such as Jolly’s competing against mail order only business – just as retailers in the high street today might compete with online businesses.

As households acquired more belongings and women’s fashion became more ornate, in 1888 the Milsom Street store was extensively altered, adding lavatories and fitting rooms to the costume department and opening a new department devoted to mourning wear for the bereaved. Queen Victoria led the fashion for wearing deep black after Prince Albert’s death and this became the norm. By this time Jolly’s had adopted the peacock as its emblem, which can still be seen today in some rather fine painted friezes. Legend has it that the reason one section of peacocks are lacking painted eyes on their tails is because the artist died before he could complete the project.

Still thriving in 1903 Jolly’s expanded yet again, taking on Number 14 Milsom Street. That year William Jolly and his son

A CHANGE IN STORE House of Fraser intends to keep the Milsom Street department store open throughout the multi-million pound makeover, which is due to be finished in the autumn. It is the first time since the 1990s that a major investment has been made instore. Here are some of the ways they intend to create a store which Bath can be proud of: ● Introducing new premium brands and labels, as yet to be announced. ● The central double staircase (built, we’re told in the 1990s) is to be replaced – subject to planning permission. ● Carpets to be replaced with tiled floors, listed features such as fireplaces and shutters will be restored. Existing historic details, including the peacock friezes and Queen Mary’s Dressing Room will be retained. ● Some departments in the store will be relocated. For instance, menswear will move to the top floor and accessories will take pride of place at the front of the store. ● Customer facilities, including the cafe, toilets and lift will be modernised and a baby changing room introduced.

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Paul sold the firm to a private company, Jolly & Son Ltd, but retained the majority of shares. William remained nominal head of the company until his death in 1904, when Paul took over.

And still the Jolly’s empire grew. In 1905/6 more improvements were made to increase the size of the sales floor and early in 1907 it took over yet another shop in Milsom Street – Number 9.

Between then and the outbreak of the First World War it bought T Knight & Son, an auctioneer, estate agent and furniture business.

Other changes over the decades include the opening of an instore restaurant in 1965 and purpose-built auction rooms opened in 1963 behind the shop, in New King Street where Hall and Woodhouse now stands.

The first major change of ownership was in 1970 when Dingle bought Jolly’s (there was also a Bristol Jolly’s) and in turn that was bought by House of Fraser in 1971. It is perhaps a sign of loyalty among Bathonians that we all still refer to Jolly’s and not House of Fraser when talking of the shop.

House of Fraser was intent on attracting a younger shopper and a coffee bar was opened in the basement in the early 70s and a food hall was added. This went on to win a place in local people’s hearts as when the food hall closed there was an organised protest outside the store to try and save it.

Jolly’s has its own myths and legends. Queen Mary was a frequent visitor in the early years of the store and a charming room with ornate plaster statues and arches is still known by staff as Queen Mary’s Dressing Room. In the 1980s Princess Diana was another royal visitor and was snapped leaving the shop during one of her discreet shopping trips to Bath from Highgrove.

Older residents remember having their birthday and Christmas toys bought at Jolly’s and of visiting Father Christmas. One told me he recalls that the all-male staff of Jolly’s removal firm wore bowler hats and were dubbed ‘Jolly’s Gentlemen.’

Staff past and present are fiercely loyal to the place. They swap stories about its ghosts, having seen baubles and items from the perfume department sail through the air, thrown by an unseen hand. There’s also said to be the mischievous spirit of a small child who tugs at the hem of women’s skirts or the backs of men’s jackets.

I would recommend that you visit Jolly’s and look around with fresh eyes. Take your attention away from the goods on sale and look up instead. There are friezes of beautifully painted peacocks, stained glass windows, ornate plasterwork and all sorts of interesting raised sections of roof inset with glass panels. There are dragons on pendant lights and plaster nymphs. Over one of the street doors there’s even a royal coat of arms and the proud boast ‘By Royal Appointment.’ ■ With thanks to A Legend of Retailing: House of Fraser by Michael Moss.

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A Gift that

is Loved

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

Efficient repair service.

Shown here: Platinum and Diamond Cluster ring, Central oval stone is 0.53ct With round brilliant diamonds scattered over head and shoulders. total diamond weight 0.73ct. ÂŁ3,495.

Gold & Platinum Studio 19 Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR Tel: +44 (0)1225 462 300 www.goldandplatinumstudio.co.uk email: mike@goldandplatinumstudio.co.uk WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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WHAT’S ON in April Events are listed in chronological order To promote your event visit: www.thebathmag.co.uk

Italian Lunch with Antonio Carluccio Saturday 29 March, from 12pm lunch for 12.45pm talk & demo St Michael’s Church, Broad Street, hosted by Topping & Co, The Paragon Enjoy lunch with the godfather of Italian gastronomy Antonio Carluccio. His new book is a celebration of pasta. Buffet lunch from 12pm, followed by a talk and demonstration by Carluccio at 12.45pm. Tickets: £12 from tel: 01225 428111.

Also hosted by Topping Alan Titchmarsh Monday 31 March, 7.30pm Christ Church, Julian Road Gardener, author, affable TV frontman, Alan Titchmarsh is in Bath to talk about his latest novel, Bring Me Home. Tickets: £7 (redeemable off the book price).

Diana Quick

Thank you for the music

Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

★Editor’s pick Moon on a Rainbow Shawl Tuesday 1 – Saturday 5 April

Theatre Royal Bath Talawa Theatre Company and the National Theatre bring Errol John’s classic play to Bath. Set in Trinidad, we see Ephraim surrounded by his noisy neighbours – but he dreams of a better life. For tickets call 01225 448844 or visit: www.theatreroyal.org.uk

The American Season at the Ustinov Until Saturday 28 June

Alan Titchmarsh

The Ustinov Theatre, Bath Last year’s American season saw all three productions go on to London runs.

The first of this season’s shows, The Big Meal by Dan LeFranc stars Diana Quick. That closes on 5 April, to be followed by A Steady Rain, set on the streets of Chicago – a dark two-hander which opened on Broadway in 2009 starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig. The third drama, which opens on 29 May, is Intimate Apparel, centred on a seamstress in New York in 1905.

Visit: www.www.theatreroyal.org.uk/ustinov.

Book launch: Batstone’s Memories Saturday 29 March, 10.30am Bath Central Library, the Podium, Bath Self-published Bath historian Colin Alexander-Jones has researched the pictorial history of Bath’s fashion and transport from the 1890s, using photographs which belonged to his late mother, from the Batstone family.

All are welcome to attend.

Bath Choral Society Concert Saturday 29 March, 7.30pm Bath Abbey Will Dawes conducts, with music from Southern Sinfonia. Mozart’s C Minor Mass is a magnificent mixture of operatic arias and monumental choruses. In contrast, Bath Choral Society is offering Stravinsky’s neo-classical Mass.

Tickets: £8 – £27 from tel: 01225 463362. Visit: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk or www.bath-choral-society.org.uk.

Thank You for the Music: Abba tribute Saturday 29 March, 7.30pm The Forum, St James’ Parade, Bath Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Abba’s Eurovision triumph is this all-new, Spandex and sequins spectacular. Tickets: £21/ concessions: £19. Box office: 0844 888 9991 or: www.bathforum.co.uk, www.easytheatres.com.

Gardening photography at Lacock Abbey Visit our website for more events and things to do.

To promote your event log on and get listed. www.thebathmag.co.uk

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Vocal Works Gospel Choir: Anthems Saturday 29 March, 7.30pm Kingswood Theatre, Kingswood School, Lansdown, Bath Inspirational and uplifting performances from one of the UK’s leading soul

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and gospel choirs, under the musical direction of Tim King. Tickets: £12/£8 from: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk, or tel: 01225 463362.

Bath’s historic Tompion Clock: talk Sunday 30 March, 9am Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Pump Room.

Thomas Tompion, widely regarded as the father of English clock making, made the clock for the Pump Room in 1709 and it is still in working order.

Tickets: £15 (including two-course breakfast) tel: 01225 477773 or email: romanbaths_enquiries@bathnes.gov.uk.

A Woman of No Importance Thursday 3 – Saturday 5 April The Mission Theatre, Corn Street, Bath Bath University Student Theatre presents Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy set in this production in 1935, giving a fresh dynamic to the piece. Tickets: £8/£5 concessions. Tel: 01225 386777.

Also at the Mission this month Sherlock Holmes Monday 7 – Wednesday 9 April The critically acclaimed Pantaloons Theatre Company put the dynamic detective duo Holmes and Watson through their paces in this delightful and inventive show based on the stories of Conan Doyle. The show includes live music, interaction and lots of fun. Tickets: Sherlock Holmes at £10/£8 concesssions. Tickets: The Mission www.bathboxoffice.org.uk or tel: 01225 463362.

Vivaldi The Four Seasons Friday 4 April, 7.30pm St Swithin’s Church, Walcot, Bath Violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen joins Bath Philharmonia in Vivaldi’s best known work, the Four Seasons. Conductor Jason Thornton has also chosen three gems to accompany Vivaldi’s masterpiece, including a lushly orchestrated work by Bath composer Paul Carr, Aaron Kernis’ Musica Celestis, and Andrzej Panufnik’s Landscape. Tickets £26/20/15. Visit: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk, tel: 01225 463362.

International Garden Photographer of the Year Saturday 5 April 5 to Thursday 22 May, 10.30am – 5.30pm Lacock Abbey National Trust gardens, Lacock, Wiltshire Thirty six images from the winners and runners-up from the competition will be on show in this outdoor exhibition. Tel: 01249 730459, visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lacock.

A Handful of Singers Saturday 5 April, 7.30pm Prior Park College Chapel, Bath To the warmth and lyricism of the Fauré Requiem add the searing beauty of Frank Martin’s lyrical Mass for double choir, conducted by awardwinning musical director Christopher Finch. Tickets tel: 01225 463362 www.bathboxoffice.org.uk, tel: 01225 311773 or visit: www.ahandfulofsingers.org.

Mokoomba Saturday 5 April, 7.30pm Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon This Zimbabwe based band were Songlines music award winners last year The show includes dance routines and a cappella singing plus instruments.

Tickets, £16/£8 under 18s. Tel: 01225 860100

Also at the Wiltshire Music Centre this month London Mozart Players Friday 25 April, 7.30pm International conductor and pianist Howard Shelley joins the London Mozart Players for a double bill of Poulenc and Haydn. Tickets, £28/£14 under 18s. Tel: 01225 860100.

Heidi Talbot Sunday 27 April, 7.30pm Heidi was shortlisted for BBC Folk Singer of the Year in 2011. She is backed on this occasion by John McCusker on fiddle and Ian Carr, of the Kate Rusby Band, on guitar.

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Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society:The Witches of Eastwick Tuesday 8 – Saturday 12 April Theatre Royal, Bath Hats off to an amateur society which year after year puts on professional standard shows at the Theatre Royal. This spring BODS puts on a bewitching musical comedy centring on a devilishly charming stranger who seduces three American housewives – and lives to regret it. Tickets from £15.50. Tel: 01225 448844 – do go along and support this talented lot.

Also at the Theatre Royal this month Things We Do For Love Wednesday 16 – Saturday 26 April Former Neighbours star and singer Natalie Imbruglia is to make her UK stage debut starring in Things We Do For Love by Alan Ayckbourn, prior to an eight-week UK tour. For tickets call 01225 448844 or visit: www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Look who’s coming to Bath . . . X Factor winner Matt Cardle is at Komedia on Thursday 17 April

DollyPop Theatre Company Thursday 10 – Saturday 12 April, 7.30pm (the Thursday show will be preceeded by a mini market with stalls, food and drink, from 6pm) Green Park Station, Bath DollyPop is an all female company of 21st century story tellers on a mission to reassure young women that they don’t have to be a ‘success’ by the time they’re 25. This debut show, WE.ARE.YOUNG, is a fast paced multimedia comedy, which depicts the lives of three girls struggling in a world where jobs are scarce, everyone has a degree and Facebook determines your happiness. Tickets £5 from http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/52579.

★ Editor’s pick

Harriet Beveridge: Mummy’s Gone a Bit Parental Sunday 27 April, 7.30pm Bath Cricket Club Bath Harassed parents who’ve found themselves tempted to dress their child for school mufti day as Tequila Shot Girl or who find themselves thinking that yes, maybe going to see the Lego movie does constitute a good night out, will recognise local mum Harriet Beveridge’s brand of humour. Harriet was a national semi finalist in the Funny Women awards and is heading for Edinburgh Festival later this year. All proceeds to RUH Forever Friends Appeal. Tickets from: www.wegottickets.com

DollyPop Theatre Company

Saxophonist Kevin Figes Thursday 10 April, 8pm

Harriet Beveridge

The Witches of Eastwick

St James’s Wine Vaults, off St James’s Square, Bath One of the regular live jazz nights at the vaults, sees sax player Kevin Figes guesting. Entrance fee £5/4 concessions. Tel: 01225 310335.

For more information about events and what’s happening in Bath visit our website which is updated daily

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Singer/songwriter Stephanie O’Brien Friday, April 11, 7.30pm Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Ex Puppini Sisters Stephanie O’Brien has gone solo. She’ll be performing tracks from her debut EP Leave Your Heart at the Door. Tickets, £12.50, visit: www.chapelarts.org, or tel 01225 461700

Tours of Beckford’s Tower Saturday 12 April, 11am and 2pm Beckford’s Tower. Lansdown Find out what lies behind the door at the top of the one of Bath’s most distinctive landmarks. Join a tower tour, thanks to the work of Bath Preservation Trust, which cares for several historic and significant buildings in Bath. Booking essential. Tickets £10, email: beckford@bptrust.org.uk or tel: 01225 460705

St John Passion: JS Bach Saturday 12 April, 7pm Bath Abbey, Bath Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and Southern Sinfonia Baroque presents JS Bach’s St John Passion in English, with conductor Gavin Carr. Tickets from £10 from Bath box office, tel: 01225 463362.

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Liminal: Of This Parish Saturday 5 – Saturday 12 April, noon to 4pm (Thursday 12 – 1pm) The Stables, American Museum in Britain, Claverton Manor, Bath Bath Abbey and its place in the geography and community in Bath is central to this musical installation, which explores how The Abbey bells define the territory of a parish. Eight recordists will stand back to back, facing in the direction of the four compass points, then walk slowly along roads and paths that lead most directly north, south, east and west. Free admission, all welcome. Tel: 01225 386777 www.bath.ac.uk/icia

Also at the American Museum this month Crazy Patchwork Samplers Saturday 12 April, 10am - 4pm The American Museum, Claverton, Bath Join Heart Space Studios’ Janet Haigh to create a patchwork square with a traditional fan design. Combine modern materials and techniques with vintage fabrics and hand embroidery to create a harmoniously coloured textile to make into a cushion or bag, or use as the basis for a bed cover. £50 (£45 museum members) Materials provided.Tel: 01225 820866 or email workshops@americanmuseum.org

Braided Rag Rug Bags Saturday 26 April, 10am- 4pm Learn the rag rug technique of braiding and create a clutch bag from your favourite recycled fabrics. £50 (£45 for members) Tools, fastenings, and lining fabric will be provided. Bring recycled fabrics. Tel: 01225 820866.

Pip Utton: Churchill Saturday 12 April, 7.30pm Pound Arts Centre, Pound Pill, Corsham, Wiltshire.

Box office tel: 01249 701628 www.poundarts.org.uk Big Ben chimes and strikes 13, a magical time when once a year for just one hour, the great statesmen in Parliament Square, London come alive. Churchill descends from his plinth to enjoy a glass of scotch, a cigar and listening to himself talk. £8 (£7 concessions) Tel: 01249 701628 www.poundarts.org.uk

Also at the Pound this month Richard Herring: We’re All Going to Die! Friday 18 April, 8pm Is death a tragedy or an excuse to Pip Utton as Churchill have an extended lie-in? Are we snuffed out or forced to endure eternity without bodily pleasures? Death is inevitable, so let’s laugh in its face while our hearts still beat and our jaws are still attached. Tickets: £15 (£14 concessions). Some £1 tickets available for under 16s

Finding the Will: Bard Heads Saturday 26 April, 7.30pm Bard Heads takes an updated look at some well-loved characters from Shakespeare’s most popular plays and imagines what might have happened next. These one actor shows are full of humour, tears and surprises.

Tickets: £8 (£7 concessions) Some £1 tickets for under 16s

Bath Drama presents: Chekhov’s Three Sisters Wednesday 16 – Saturday 19 April The Rondo Theatre, Larkhall, Bath This is a new translation of the Russian classic, as used at the National Theatre and the Tobacco Factory in Bristol. The sisters dream of glamour and happiness, but the stranglehold of domesticity and practicalities take their hold. Tickets, £10/£8 concessions. Visit: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk, tel: 01225 463362.

Matt Cardle Thursday 17 April Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath. Box Office: 0845 293 8480, visit: www.komedia.co.uk/bath Singer Matt Cardle, X Factor winner and a man with an impressive four octave range, brings his Porcelain tour to Bath as part of the launch of his third album.

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Creative and positive approach to 1914

RAISING THE ROOF: three choirs will join forces to perform The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace by Karl Jenkins

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his year being the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, many people may feel the need to mark the occasion in some positive way. If you do, join the combined forces of three local choirs, Organum, Corsham Choral Society and Noctis, with full orchestra and soloists under their director Francis Faux at Bath Abbey on 10 May, when they will perform The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace by the Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, who is probably best known for his Songs of Sanctuary [Adiemus], which have been used in various television commercials over the years.

This unique and exciting work has an eclectic mix of texts combined with elements of the Latin Mass, set to music of great power and poignancy, highlighitng not only the horrors and agony of armed conflict, but the challenges presented by both war and peace, in attempting to solve the world’s problems.

Any mention of war is a harsh reminder to our city of the so-called Baedecker raids in 1942, when 80 enemy bombers targeted Bath three times, among several English cities selected because of their historical and architectural importance. After dropping their incendiary and highexplosive bombs, the planes raked the streets with machine-gun fire, killing a total of 417 and injuring over 1,000 Bath citizens who had failed to take shelter, assuming the planes were on their way to bomb Bristol. Damage to buildings was extensive, and included Bath Abbey, when the great East Window was blown out, and only restored to its former glory in 1957.

The names of the dead, civilian and military, from both world wars are recorded in the Gethsemane Chapel.

The concert will also include shorter items, focussing on peace, reflection and reconciliation, by Eric Whitacre, Norwegian-born Ola Gjeilo, as well as the sumptuous anthem for double choir, Faire is the Heaven by William Harris, and the UK premiere of a work by Christopher Tin, based on Maori proverbs calling for peace.

This is an exciting time to be a member of these three choirs and it is not the first occasion when they have merged to perform a large scale opus.

Last summer, they joined together to perform Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, based on the medieval collection of songs about nature, love, morals, drinking and gaming. The Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon was the venue on that occasion and the dramatic choruses supported by a bombastic percussion section combined to make it a hugely enjoyable spectacle, with audience members commenting on the vitality of the performance.

The following month some members spent an enjoyable week in Tuscany, including two well-received concerts in Florence and Montecatini.

Next year, the choir will tour to Prague and Bohemia, where they will sing a selection of their most recent repertoire.

The Armed Man is keeping the choir busy in the meantime and rehearsals with Francis, whose energy and attention to detail enables them to attain the highest standards of choral singing, make this a very special musical event for the 2014 calendar.

Tickets are on sale at the Bath Festival Box Office, or from choir members at £25, £20, £15 and £10 (reserved) or £8 (unreserved). Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Royal British Legion. ■ WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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Thursday 15 – Saturday 17 May

Bath Camerata: Good Friday concert Friday 18 April, 7pm Wells Cathderal Bath Camerata’s annual Good Friday performance features Faure’s enduringly popular Requiem. It is accompanied by James MacMillan’s A Choral Sequence from Passiontide in a new setting arranged by conductor Nigel Perrin, and including the motet fiat mihi, commissioned and premiered by Bath Camerata at Wells in 2008. Free with a collection for Wells Cathedral. No pre-booking required.

On the Table: Kathy Dalwood A Ballroom Banquet Until 21 April The Holburne Museum, Bath Artist Kathy Dalwood has transformed the ballroom table with her surreal all-white figurines and objects that make up an otherworldly feast for the eyes.

Also at the Holburne this month Joseph Wright of Derby: Bath and beyond Until Monday 5 May Work by 18th century painter, Joseph Wright.

Georgians: Dress for Polite Society Until 1 January 2015 The Fashion Museum, Bennett Street, Bath See how the Georgians dressed. Plus 18th century-inspired fashions by: Anna Sui, Meadham Kirchhoff, Vivienne Westwood, Stephen Jones, and Alexander McQueen.

Admission £8/free with a Discovery card

Wag Walk

A Greater Love: Bath Minerva Choir Saturday 26 April, 7.30pm St Michael’s Without, Broad Street, Bath Bath Minerva Choir will deliver its musical tribute to the fallen of the First World War in this centenary year. Includes Maurice Durufle’s Requiem and a Meditation in Music of anthems and songs by Finzi, Mahler, Poulenc, Butterworth, Ireland and Elgar. Tickets: £15, under 16s £5. Tel: 01225 463362.

Wag Walk Sunday 27 April, 11am – 3pm For Bath Cats and Dogs Home Wag Walk is a charity walk along Bath’s Skyline route. Walk three or six miles to raise funds for the Cats and Dogs Home at Claverton. Minimum £75 sponsorship per person. Visit: www.bcdh.org.uk/wagwalk, email: fundraising@bcdh.org.uk or tel: 01225 787 334.

Planning ahead Bath Unity Players presents: Cheshire Cats

The Rondo Theatre, Larkhall, Bath Follow the Cheshire Cats team as they speedwalk their way to fundraising success in the London Moonwalk. Five women are attempting to walk 13 miles in their decorated bras and trainers, but the sixth member of the team doesn’t seem to meet the physical criteria. With money going to Dorothy House Hospice Care. Tickets, tel: 01225 427108, email: unitytickets@btinternet.com, tel: 01225 463362.

The International Bath Music Festival 16 – 26 May Festival artistic director Alasdair Nicolson has reinstated the Bath Jazz weekend element of the festival. Booked to play this year is New Yorkbased ensemble The Harlem Quartet, who have played all over the world including for President Obama. Other acts include Stacey Kent and The Hilliard Ensemble with jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek. Visit: www.bathfestivals.org.uk.

The Simon and Garfunkel Story Friday 30 May Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Celebrating 50 years since the hugely successful American folk/rock duo recorded their first No1 hit single The Sound of Silence. The show features original photos and film footage while a band perform hits including Mrs Robinson, Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound and many others. For tickets, tel: 01225 461700. ■

Visit our website for more events and things to do. To promote your event log on and get listed. www.thebathmag.co.uk

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Silver Bear Jewellery & Gifts

Fabulous new bags just arrived, grab yours now before they sell out Also new scarves & jewellery just arrived in time for Mother’s Day! 34 Wellsway Bear Flats, Bath, BA2 2AA 01225 422225 silverbearjewelleryandgifts@gmail.com (In the former Flat Out Ironing shop)

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AN AMERICAN IN SOMERSET: a selection of Candace Bahouth’s pieces in textiles and ceramics, and below, the artist at work in her country studio

Fearless queen of colour Deirdre McSharry looks at the work of the flamboyant Somerset based Candace Bahouth – a multi-talented artist, whose trademark mosaics, as intricate as needlepoint, cover all manner of surfaces

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here is something in the Somerset air that suits and stimulates certain outsider artists and brings them on like Cheddar strawberries.Take the early Kaffe Fasset. Or young Peter Blake. But the most exotic bloom of all is textile artist Candace Bahouth, friend of both, who despite her nomadic background has found a small village near Glastonbury the perfect forcing ground for her brilliant textiles.

On her Bath visits from near Glastonbury Candace always makes an entrance; bracelets rattle, skirts swish, shawls are tossed and her bag explodes with colourful assortment, some bright flowers, brownies warm from her Aga. It’s the Frida Khalo effect, reminiscent of the Mexican painter who always wore brilliant native costume, and part of the humanity and exuberance that infuses the work of this American born textile artist whose needlepoint (tapestry) designs for Erhman light up the pages of the weekend glossies, and our sofas; whose mosaic obelisks and urns bring glitter to the soggy English garden including mine - and whose embracing of weaving, stitching and shard placing has given textiles a fresh dimension.

Candace won an enduring fame through her exhibitions at The American Museum, Claverton, where her work is in the permanent collection, also at the Victoria Art Gallery, the former Six Chapel Row gallery in Bath and craft galleries in London and New York.

Discovering Candace in her dreamlike Somerset setting of old stone house, walled garden, tinkling stream and flower beds rocking overblown roses, peonies, lavenders and eclectic pink plastic blooms and fake topiary trees - with tea served on glittering tables, dogs, kids and neighbours drifting in, (is that the godfather of Glastonbury Michael Eavis, or a visiting Peter Blake?) is like finding Alice in Wonderland on speed. But the wealth of work expressed in her studio and house interior, her early weavings and needlepoint, mosaic pieces, her iconic Pop Art portraits of George Washington, Garibaldi, Native Americans 38 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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and punks – “Deliberately anti-typical” she says – the famous Radio Times portrait of the Queen for a previous Jubilee, a fabulous armchair mosaiced like the finest needlepoint, a cheetah inspired table with tapering legs from tiny mosaics, chandeliers woven from spoons or hearts, the whole dotted with kitsch pop art souvenirs from friends’ travels.

This is more than a Museum of Myself, Bahouth style, it’s a style montage of an age stretching from Sixties pop to 21st century colour field textiles. Nomadic fabrics reflect her Palestinian American father’s heritage interwoven with her Italian-American mother’s vintage fashion gifts and lace and net curtains filtering the sunlight.

Her home is a bower bird’s gorgeous nest.

Truly Candace’s life is her work. Her epic journey arriving in the UK as a young American arts graduate – very hip when I first met Candace at her first Crafts Council show in Covent Garden in the early 70s, and dashing back to New York city every month or so to dress store windows on Fifth Avenue, for the money – to her present happy settlement in Pilton.

Her mastery of the complex art of making textiles to reflect the times we live in will be revealed in the talk Candace is giving for the Bath

Society of Artists in April. She has been persuaded to throw open her studio and garden to a small group one Saturday in early summer.

Having lived in her beloved village for so long Candace is well grounded. Everyone greets her and the village is the well spring of creativity. The fearless sense of colour and energy of her patternings is pure American: “My parents were artists, often frustrated, dad painted portraits. I always loved faces, inspired by Pop Art I always made faces, first in weaving, then needlepoint and even mosaic. I am aware that my own face is different, that I am an exotic in this perfect west country village. I do feel Palestinian and also very American. My work ethic too is American. My mother always worked in textiles. When I was a teenager I recall her making me an A-line dress cut from upholstery fabric. The house was full of textiles and beautiful and precious clothes, there were dyed linens and rag rugs. So much was hand made. And I have always made stuff, I made money since I was 14 years old.”

On arrival in Pilton in the late 60s Candace looked for an affordable space to live and work and found Ebenezer Chapel. “It was wonderful, I knew it was meant to be and had the high ceilings and bright light of a New York loft. Michael Eavis was a trustee and very helpful to us. He understands the way I work and my search for colour. I need it, I look for it.”

Hence the souk-like glitter of Candace's studio crammed to the rafters with wool skeins, canvas, boxes of shards and shells, baskets of blue and white pottery bits (people bring her their precious Spode when a cup hits the floor), plastic flowers, stuff from the world’s markets and works in progress. Even her Aga is Wedgwood blue, decorated like an altar with mosaic wall in blue and yellow with bits of glitter. “It is meant to be a shock to the eye. I love colour and don’t do green flowers. Colour is my life blood.” ■ Candace Bahouth’s talk about her work will be held on Thursday 24 April at 7.30 pm at BRLSI, Queen Square, Bath. The date for her open garden day at Pilton to be confirmed.

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS BELLA by MARIA RIVANS

RED LIGHT by NICK CUDWORTH

Modern ArtBuyer and Nicholas Wylde with The Abbey Hotel Bog Island, Bath

Shine: for Bath in Fashion 24 April – 15 May An exhibition of contemporary art exploring the theme of jewellery, a key element of any fashionista’s wardrobe. Gleaming precious metallics and opulent jewel colours are the focus in this curated collection of paintings, limited edition prints and fine art photographs. Among the pieces on show will be digital prints by Chuck Elliott (including Blast First / fractureRefract by Chuck Elliott) and wonderfully kitsch ‘pin-ups’ by collage artist, Maria Rivans (including Bella by Maria Rivans).

The crowning centrepiece is a piece from Bath-based jeweller Nicholas Wylde’s Wylde Art collection. Just as a luxurious jewellery box sparkles with brilliant cut stones and flawless gold, each piece in this exhibition will have its moment to shine. The exhibition will hang in the public areas of the Abbey Hotel. All work will be for sale.

WEST END GIRL by GAIL BRODHOLT

Nick Cudworth Gallery London St, top of Walcot Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 445221, visit: www.nickcudworth.com

Red Light 1 – 30 April An exhibition of paintings and prints by Nick Cudworth that portray the light and mood change in the streets of Bath, from the lively buzz of Saturday night to the hushed calm of Sunday morning. It includes the title painting of the Vineyards in the Paragon where different moods are represented simultaneously.

Victoria Art Gallery

By Pulteney Bridge, Bath Tel: 01225 477233 Closed Mondays and Sunday mornings

Bath Society of Artists annual show 5 April – 31 May

Gallery Nine Margaret’s Buildings, Bath www.gallerynine.co.uk Tel: 01225 319197

Spring exhibition 11 April – 31 May Exhibiting the work of leading contemporary printmakers Gail Brodholt and Paul Cleden alongside jewellery by Sarah Straussberg and Elizabeth Chamberlain and ceramics

by Nigel Lambert and Andrew Temple Smith.

Pictured, right, detail from Up With the Larks by Gail Brodholt

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This is always a popular show at the council owned Victoria Art Gallery.

The 109th exhibition will display more than 300 works. We, the public, are able to spend a happy few hours looking at all the Tammy at Einion Gam by David pictures before Wilkey from last year’s show voting for our favourite to win the people’s choice prize.

Entrance to the exhibition is £3.50. Join one of the art store tours. Explore the parts of the gallery other people don’t reach. Free, but book in advance, tel: 01225 477232. Wednesday 16 April, noon -12.45. From 5 April many visitors will be able to benefit from discounts for temporary exhibitions in the downstairs area of the gallery. Anyone under 21 can enjoy free entry, while Discovery Card holders qualify for a generous discount (entrance for £2.50 instead of £3.50). An annual exhibition pass remains at £10 for an entire year. The upstairs permanent collection remains free to all visitors.

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Saturday Night, Sunday Morning - Oil on Canvas

SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING Exhibition from 1 – 30 April An exhibition of paintings and prints by Nick Cudworth that portray the transition of the streets of Bath from the lively buzz of a Saturday night to the hushed calm of an early Sunday morning

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

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS PAINTED CUPBOARD by RON BONE JOHN NOOTT GALLERIES John Noott Galleries 10 The Green, Broadway, Worcestershire Tel: 01386 858 969

44AD ARTSPACE 7b Lower Borough Walls, Bath, BA1 1QR. Tel: 07753 378325 Monday to Saturday 12 – 6pm, Sunday, 1pm – 5pm www.44ad.net. www.melissawraxall.com

Midwives of Thought Friday 11 – Sunday 27 April

Ron Bone Retrospective Saturday 12 – Saturday 26 April The popular Bath based artist Ron Bone, who died aged just 60 in 2011, was originally from County Durham. He studied at Bath Academy of Art and then at the Royal College of Art, returning to live and paint in Bath. In his paintings Bone looked at a slower and quieter world of past years, recreating an exquisitely detailed view of life where, as he said: ‘houses have settled into landscapes and possessions are handed down from generation to generation.’ This retrospective will show over 30 works, with more available to view online at: www.ronbone.co.uk. Fans of his work will also be pleased to hear that greetings cards are now available to buy online.

There will be a free gallery tour and talk with Edward Crumpton on Saturday 12 April, 1pm, Sat 19 April at 1pm and Sat 26 April at 1pm. Travelling from Barnstaple to Bath, White Moose Gallery presents Edward Crumpton’s solo show – a collection of Crumpton’s responses to walks and journey’s that he has made in the south west and north east of England and in America. He is interested in how people have interacted historically with the environment, how the landscape is marked by the physical traces of human existence and how the oral tradition evidences their passage.

TALL DUTCH TULIPS by BRUCE McLEAN Rostra Gallery George Street, Bath

Modern Masters 5 – 30 April Original paintings by Donald Hamilton Fraser will be at the centrepiece of this spring show celebrating the work of modern masters of art. The late artist, who died in 2009, produced work which is highly collectable. Another favourite with viewers, Sir Peter Blake will be showing his collection of work with a strong nostalgic theme. There’ll also be Bruce McLean’s silkscreen prints incorporating collaged elements giving an abstract quality while Brad Faine’s limited edition prints use interweaving spirals of film stills to create fascinating complex works of art.

Moonlit Mariners’ Way IV (detail) by Edward Crumpton

EDGE by RACHEL KANTARIS

FIGURE BY TREES by NICHOLAS TURNER Bath Contemporary 35 Gay Street, Bath Tel: 01225 461230 www.bathcontemporary.com email: gallery@bathcontemporary.com

Jejune 12 April – 10 May Three painters of the naïve are brought together.

Nicholas Turner RWA projects a soft innocence of form within a gentle palette; Osita Nwankwo explores instinctive markmaking with playful suggestion, while Marissa Weatherhead infuses romance and wit with quiet simplicity.

Hilton Fine Art 5 Margarets Buildings, Bath Tel: 01225 311311

New Beginnings: Cornish art 5 – 26 April Rachael Kantaris’ etchings are strongly coloured evocations of landscape. This show also features her paintings, executed in Sandra Blow’s old Porthmeor Studio and influenced by the great Cornish colourists Blow, Heron and Crossley and the view of the sea. Kerry Harding’s work, combined with an increasingly representational approach, has produced powerful images of landscapes.

Visit our website for more exhibitions and gallery information To promote your exhibition, log on and get it listed: www.thebathmag.co.uk 42 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS THE GROVE II by CATHERINE BEALE Catherine Beale 7 Widcombe Parade, Bath Visit: www.catherinebeale.com

Watercolour workshops Bath artist Catherine Beale paints luminous portraits from her Widcombe studio/gallery. Following a recent article on her work in a national artists’ magazine, painters got in touch for more help with their watercolours.

Catherine has now designed a series of halfday watercolour workshops. The intensive sessions take place in her studio.

PHOTOGRAPHY @ THE UNIVERSITY OF BATH

White Rose by Georgia Cox

Bath Arts Trail Various sites around the city Visit: www.larkhallopenstudios.com Weekends in May Make a note for your diary. Bath open studios run every weekend during May. The first is in Larkhall over the weekend of 3 – 5 May. We’ll be covering this is more depth next month.

THE WHITE CHAIR (DETAIL) by PAUL WRIGHT

ICIA ART SPACE The University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath Low floating porcelain bowl by Olen Hsu

Photography competition Friday 28 March – Sunday 1 June, Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm Admission free

Beaux Arts 12 – 13 York Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 464850 www.beauxartsbath.co.uk

Winning entries from the annual photography competition open to students and staff at the university. This year’s photography competition explores the broad theme of travels; culture and society and is sponsored by Aesthetica Magazine.

Spring Show 7 April – 3 May, 10am – 5pm Beaux Arts hosts a debut show for Simon Wright, a painter of delicate and charming oils featuring his own handbuilt models. Also on show are the exquisite porcelain works of Olen Hsu. Edgar Modern Bartlett Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 443746

Paul Wright: Portrait of an Icon Sunday 6 – Friday 25 April This bright and punchy exhibition by contemporary British artist Paul Wright has already caused a stir (we featured one of his pieces on our cover for March) and the arrival of around 20 paintings will turn heads.

The works concentrate on three themes – portraits, objects and interiors.

THE CRUCIFIXX by MICHAEL KENNY

Harbour Coast V by Vanessa Gardiner

Quest Gallery in association with the Royal Academy of Arts and Bath Abbey Margaret’s Buildings, Bath

Quercus Gallery Queen Street, Bath. Tuesday – Saturday 10.30am – 5.30pm

Michael Kenny The Crucifixx at Bath Abbey Stations of the Cross at Quest Gallery Until 24 April

Vanessa Gardiner: Edge Lines 5 April – 3 May

On loan courtesy of The Royal Academy of Arts this joint exhibition features Kenny’s 1976 sculpture Crucifixx at Bath Abbey and his later Stations of the Cross, 1998-99 on show at Quest Gallery in Margarets Buildings. There will be a dinner at the gallery to accompany the show on Wednesday 16 April. If you would like to join it, contact Quest Gallery tel: 01225 444142 or email info@questgallery.co.uk.

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A solo exhibition by Dorset-based painter, Vanessa Gardiner. Edge Lines introduces new paintings and drawings of Cornwall,as well as work from recent visits to Greece. The artist is drawn towards the natural geometry of coastal regions, particularly the Cornish peninsulas around Boscastle and more recently the Attica coastline.

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THE WINE COLUMN Angela Mount, wine and food critic, picks four very different wines to drink this month

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he cherry blossom is out, it’s spring and it’s Easter. I can’t predict the weather, but I think it’s time to crack open some new, fresh arrivals, and a couple of well established favourites, which will work perfectly, whether it’s winter stew or barbecue weather and I’ve suggested a special grown-up treat to go with all that chocolate on Easter Sunday.

Torello Brut Reserva Cava, special edition, £17.50 GWW This superb Cava certainly proves that wine labels don’t have to be dull and conservative – with it’s whacky, cream and black Victoriana graphic packaging, it’s bold and makes a statement. What’s in the bottle is just as outstanding, and came as a real surprise, when I tasted it recently, with a fellow wine writer. We were amazed at its richness and complexity – this is Cava, but not as most people know it. It would put many more expensive sparkling wines in the shade – ripe, intriguing and full of flavour, it’s got personality stamped all over it, on the bottle and in the bottle. A fine stream of bubbles, delicious aromas of peaches and poached pears, and lovely, ripe fruit – great for Easter and guaranteed to get guests talking.

Etna Bianco Planeta 2012 £14.50 GWW I make no apologies for my love of Sicilian wines, and in particular Planeta – this is the latest, exciting addition, from vineyards grown high up on the dark, volcanic soils of Mount Etna, 700m above sea level – the combination of the high altitude, cooler weather, and rich, minerally soils help produce this full, citrusy, zesty white.

Elegant, creamy, with fresh and bright, with wafts of ripe lemon peel, and wild herbs, mingling in the glass, this is a new favourite of mine. It’s got the warmth of the Sicilian sunshine, the freshness of the mountain air, and the tang of the nearby sea air.

Delightfully fragrant, with a steely bite, and intriguing depth. Try this with seafood, pan-fried fish, and lemon, chilli and herb spiked chicken.

Quinta do Crasto Douro 2012 £11.50 GWW Portuguese reds are some of the most underrated and least known of all, by wine drinkers. They win more awards proportionally than almost any other country in blind tastings; Quinta do Crasto is one of the top estates in the majestic Douro valley, with vineyards, clinging to the steep slopes, in spectacular fashion. The new vintage of this award-winning wine has just arrived, exuberant with youthful verve, yet already velvety, plush and polished. Swirl the glass, and you’ll get a waft of black cherries, cinnamon, licorice, violets and mocha; taste it and it oozes, richness, warmth, and a voluptuous ripeness. Its natural sweetness and ripeness works perfectly with lamb, so I wouldn’t hesitate to serve this with my Easter Sunday roast lamb. It also works a treat with rogan josh or rich, spicy meat stews.

Bertani Recioto Valpolicella 2010 £23, GWW I love wines with a story, and introducing wines that are not on most people’s radar. This dessert wine is made from black grapes, it’s red and tastes of heaven. It’s from just north of Verona, home of Valpolicella, but very different, which will add a touch of grown-up interest and intrigue to the glut of chocolate on Easter Sunday. The bunches of grapes are picked by hand, and laid out to dry in crates for 150 days – so the grapes shrivel, the sugars concentrate and the result is this sumptuous sweet wine, with real character – a medley of cocoa-dusted raspberries, black cherries, dark chocolate, with a hint of vanilla, and a glorious, raisin-like finish. To go with … chocolate… and more chocolate… and if you’ve really had enough of chocolate, it’s delicious with ripe gorgonzola or blue cheese.

All of the above, plus a mixed case can be ordered through our website. Enjoy a 10% Great Western Wine discount by entering the code on Angela’s wine column. Visit : www.thebathmag.co.uk

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Reflections of happy times Independent Bath undertaker Carol Spalding talks to Mick Ringham about her favourite music and the sensitive business of helping people arrange their final farewells

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can’t control the manner or time of our dying, but more and more of us are planning our own farewells, so that we get the send-off we’d like. Undertakers are now used to getting personal requests for funerals for all kinds of music and extra little personal touches – everything from avant-garde tunes to bespoke decorated and eco-friendly caskets.

Take for example the actor James Doohan who played Scotty in Star Trek, who requested that his ashes be scattered in space by private rocket – an expensive but dramatic exit by any standards.

In 2001 Carol Spalding answered an advertisement for a part-time funeral arranger with a national company. She then moved on to join a local independent firm which she bought out three years later. Today she is the proprietor of Clarkson’s Funeral Directors, which was formerly Jolly’s on the Upper Bristol Road where she employs full and part-time staff, a fleet of cars and has opened two further branches in Frome and Saltford.

She says of her career: “It was after my divorce from my first husband, life dramatically changed for me, I went back to work and eventually found this job, I didn’t find it a strange profession to be entering into at all.

Obviously I’d always cared for family and friends, so I found it only natural to look after people at a time of bereavement. It was hard going at first as I had no working capital and had to raise funds to buy the business.

It was just me in the office for the first two years, I hired vehicles and crew and eventually a few part-time staff.”

I had a group of friends and we would all ❝ sit around my pink and grey Civic record player and listen to the Seekers, the Beatles and the wonderful Dusty Springfield

❞

Carol attributes the success of her business to an old-fashioned sensitive personal service coupled with dignity and respect for the individual. I asked her if she had witnessed any changes in the service her profession provides over the last decade. “Definitely. People are asking for a greater individual approach to the funeral and service. There has also been a rise in secular ceremonies as well as personalised caskets and requested music.”

It goes without saying, that increasingly family and relatives are using this sad and reflective time to not only pay their respects but to celebrate the life of their loved one. With the average cremation now costing a little over £3,000, it’s important to get all arrangements organised and agreed in good time and that’s not easy when you’re treading the finest of lines between heartfelt bereavement and practicality.

As Carol says: “I’m really lucky to have some wonderful staff, we never lead the conversation, we guide and advise as much as we can. Most importantly you should always put yourself in the position of the relative.”

I have attended a number of friends’ last farewells over past years and although sad and obviously emotional, there have been a few light-hearted moments that give that all important insight into the individuality and character of the person, and that’s down to people like Carol and her staff helping families create the kind of occasion which reflects the late loved one’s character and life. With Carol’s husband Ian Marsh and daughter Sophie May both working in the company, it can truly be called a family business, with family values very much at its heart.

Carol’s top ten: ● The Move – Flowers in the Rain I have always loved pop music and it became far more accessible for us with Radio Luxemburg and the pirate stations. Then the BBC started Radio One and this was the first record played on that station by Tony Blackburn in 1967. I can vividly remember listening to it as I got ready for school that day and it still manages to sound as fresh today as it did all those years ago.

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● Peter Sarstedt – Where do you go to (my lovely)?

As a 14-year-old living in a none too salubrious council estate in Brighton, I always longed for a better life. I was told by my school’s careers officer that I would be best suited to shop work or the local laundry. Those choices did not appeal to me whatsoever, mainly because I had my dreams of a better life.

This record was romantic and painted a picture for me as well as giving me something to aim for. ● Dusty Springfield – You don’t have to say you love me This was the year that England won the World Cup. I had a group of friends and we would all sit around my pink and grey Civic record player and listen to the Seekers, the Beatles and the wonderful Dusty Springfield. Not only did she have a distinctive voice but also a fantastic charisma and genuine love of music. ● Bizet – Duet from The Pearl Fishers I first heard this played on Desert Island Discs, many years ago. The piece was so moving and inspirational and I’ve loved it ever since that moment. It was played fairly recently at a service in St. Thomas a Becket, the beautiful little church in Widcombe. It was very emotional and radiates a quality of timelessness and serenity. I have asked my family to have this played at my last farewell. ● Diana Ross – Chain Reaction As a teenager, I danced my legs off and whenever I get the chance, I still do.

Tamla Motown is one of the most danceable examples of contemporary music and even today, it sounds amazing. ● Jim Reeves – I love you because I chose this because it reminds me of my lovely mum. She worked so hard to

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HAPPY MEMORIES: left to right, Dusty Springfield You don’t have to say you love me, Trisha Yearwood, She’s in love with the boy and Diana Ross Chain Reaction Main picture, Carol Spalding

look after her family and I have memories of her on Sunday lunch times as she cooked the roast. She would be listening to Family Favourites on the radio – and this was her favourite record. If I close my eyes now I can still picture the scene. ● Elvis Presley – In the ghetto Again there are memories of home life and oddly enough, all revolving around Sundays. I suppose it was when we were all together. Dad was a huge fan of Elvis and I chose this not only for that reason but it is a poignant, heartfelt and sentimental song, beautifully sung by the king of rock ‘n’ roll. ● Trisha Yearwood – She’s in love with the boy I like a song that tells a story and this is a great example and also a favourite of mine and my daughter Sophie. We would sing this at the top of our voices in the car when I would pick her up from school. My children, Ben and Sophie are now happily married, however, it’s little moments like this that you can reflect

on and they never go away – most mums will tell you that. ● Flanders and Swann – The gas man cometh I’m a great fan of comedy records and I think these two were just brilliant. The lyrics of this record are as true today as they were then. I also love The Blood Donor by Tony Hancock and of course those wonderful radio comedy shows now on Radio 4 Extra, especially the ones featuring Kenneth Williams. ● Marvin Gaye – I heard it through the grapevine Maybe I should be a little more adventurous but all the best times as a teenager revolved around dancing at the Top Rank or The Bird’s Nest in my home town of Brighton. This is without doubt one of the greatest Tamla tracks ever. There are so many fond memories of girlfriends and boyfriends when I hear this. I still play these songs in the car and when I reminisce about my life, I feel happy and lucky to be where I am, surrounded by loved ones and friends. ■

Listen to the Face the Music tunes visit : www.thebathmag.co.uk

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EASTERfare

A culinary conundrum Wine expert Angela Mount solves one of the most frequently asked questions with a guide to some simple suggestions for choosing the right style of wine for whatever you’re cooking this Easter

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here’s a great deal of nonsense talked about food and wine matching, and I’m probably as guilty as any wine writer. We shouldn’t get too serious about this, and actually, there is no right or wrong; taste is entirely subjective.

However it’s true that some partnerships work better than others – it’s no different from combinations of different foods – roast beef and horseradish, lamb and mint, Cheddar and chutney, strawberries and cream.

It’s the same with wine – a few simple pointers will help bring out the very best in both the dish and the wine. Try a curry with a thin, acidic white, and the wine will taste sour; try it with an aromatic, rich white, or a juicy red, and the entire experience will be more enjoyable, with the wine and the spices, bringing out the overall richness of flavours.

I’ve put together some simple ideas to reduce the uncertainty of what to select, and to dispel some of the myths – and yes, red wine does go with fish . . . if you choose the right one. One of the key things to remember is that it’s usually not the main ingredient that dictates the best wine choice, it’s the sauce or the spices. It’s all about balancing flavours, spice, saltiness, sweetness and heat.

Fish White wine is the obvious choice here, but it’s not so much the fish, it’s how you cook it: ● Seafood, and simply cooked white fish, with maybe lemon and herbs are best with fresh, crisp, unoaked whites – Italian whites, Chablis, Sancerre, zesty Sauvignon and Albarinho ● Salmon – unoaked or lightly oaked chardonnay to go with this richer fish ● Tuna – dry rosé is great with tuna (also prawns), or chilled, light reds ● Smoked fish – riesling, and aromatic whites ● Thai and Indian fish and seafood – aromatic whites – riesling, sauvignon blanc, viognier and gewurztraminer ● Fish and chips – Sauvignon blanc or (now don’t be too surprised at this) chilled fizz!

Poultry Once again, match the style of the wine to the richness or spiciness of how the bird is cooked ● Roast chicken – buttery chardonnays, fruity Pinot Noir and Chianti ● Chicken in red wine – Pinot Noir, Cotes du Rhone ● Chicken pie – creamy chardonnay, Gavi, Beaujolais ● Chicken with fruity sauces – Chenin blanc, Viognier ● Spicy Thai and Indian chicken – Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Viognier ● Duck – Pinot Noir or Tuscan reds ● Pheasant and game – Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Chianti, Rhone.

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MATCHING FLAVOURS: the host’s challenge is to find wines that pair with traditionally challenging ingredients like asparagus, prawns, camembert and chocolate

Meat ● Roast beef and steak – good, full bodied reds such as Bordeaux, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec ● Roast lamb and lamb chops – Bordeaux and Rioja are classics, but other Spanish reds, and Rhone work well ● Rich lamb or beef stews – Southern French reds, Southern Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and New World Shiraz – big and bold is the key thing ● Roast pork – Chardonnay and Chenin blanc Moroccan tagines – rich, spicy Southern Italian or Spanish reds ● Sausages – Southern French, New World Merlot and Spanish reds ● Gammon, ham, paté – Beaujolais, Spanish Garnacha, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay ● Asian beef curries and stir fries – Zinfandel, juicy soft reds, Merlot, Shiraz

Vegetables ● Asparagus – Sauvignon blanc all the way – classic match; or unoaked chardonnay if with hollandaise ● Tomatoes and peppers– southern French or Italian whites Otherwise, it depends on how the vegetables are cooked: ● Frittata/omelettes – unoaked Italian whites, and

juicy young Italian reds, or Cotes du Rhone ● Quiches and vegetable pies – fresh unoaked Chardonnay, lively Spanish and Italian whites, Verdejo ● Roasted vegetables – Viognier, Chenin blanc ● Mushroom pasta and risotto – a dream with northern Italian reds

Cheese Forget the old adage that cheese only goes with red wine, play around a bit, and try some of these matches: ● Goats’ cheese – perfect with fresh Sauvignon blanc styles of wine ● Camembert and brie style – best with creamy Chardonnays, and juicy, unoaked light reds ● Cheddar and hard, mature cheeses – Rhone, Shiraz, Cabernet – good, full on reds ● Blue cheese – best with Port, or perfect with sweet whites, Sauternes and Muscat

Puddings ● Light, creamy fruit desserts – Asti, sweet sparkling, and sweet Bordeaux ● Chocolate, toffee and other rich puddings – try Muscat, liqueur Muscat, sweet Tokay, dessert reds, sweet sherry or port. ■ Follow Angela on Twitter @angelatalkswine.

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Tasty bites

Down on the city farm

■ Chef Alex Venables – formerly of The Toll Gate in Holt, and Lucknam Park Hotel where he won a Michelin star, is setting up a new venture, the Seasons Fish Kitchen at Farrington’s country shopping hotspot in Farrington Gurney. Fans of fresh bouillabaisse, grilled lemon sole or even languoustine and chips (with fresh potatoes dug from the nearby Farrington’s farm fields) will find plenty to whet their appetite. Eat in or take home.

You can order online at www.seasonskitchen.co.uk. If the order is over £25, Seasons will deliver within a 10 mile radius, up to 7pm. Watch the website for news of Alex’s Demo and Dine evenings, Seasons’ gourmet wine events featuring fish and game, or Sundays at Seasons for a relaxed get together.

Bath City Farm is launching a monthly fresh produce market, beginning on Saturday 3 May from 11am until 1pm. The farm, which can be found at Kelston View, will then be holding markets on the first Saturday of the month until October.

Visitors will be able to buy fruit and vegetables all grown in a chemical free environment on the farm; free range meat and eggs; jams and chutneys; plants; herbs and cut flowers – all with zero food miles.

Take the children and meet the miniature Shetland ponies,

■ One of the pioneers of vegetarian cusine is celebrating 30 years as a chef and cookery teacher. Rachel Demuth, pictured, who brought meatfree cooking to Bath long before it was recognised as a healthy, delicious and creative way of cooking, started out at Neals Yard Bakery in London, then moved to Bath. After running Demuths Restaurant for 26 years, she now runs Demuths Vegetarian Cookery School which has continued to thrive since it opened in 2001. It was awarded Best City Cookery School in 2012 and last year, Rachel was voted best cookery school tutor in the Looking to Cook Cookery School Awards.

To mark the anniversary Demuth’s cookery school in central Bath, will be launching a new cookbook, new courses, offers and events. New courses include: soft cheese making, cake decoration, food photography and wild food foraging. Anyone who has ever taken one of Rachel’s courses will testify that she is incredibly knowledgable and generous at passing on recipes and tips and unfailingly patient too.

Dexter cows, pygmy goats, pigs, chickens, sheep and ducks.

There’s a play area and a café and at the launch there will be music and a bouncy castle. Bath

City Farm is a registered charity and all proceeds from the produce market will go towards running the farm. Visit: www.bathcityfarm.org.uk.

Wowing them in Weston Chocolate lovers are being offered a unique opportunity to learn the secrets of making luxury chocolates during a Chocolate Feast hosted by Marc Demarquette, pictured, one of Britain’s top chocolatiers in the unlikely setting of the All Saints Centre in Weston, Bath on Saturday 26 April.

The Feast, which is being organised by Clare Hargreaves, will be cooked by Hrishikesh Desai (known as Kesh), head chef at the cookery school at Lucknam Park. The three course menu includes a cocktail and one of Marc’s chocolates on arrival. Tickets are £40, visit: www.feastwithachef.co.uk.

Clare’s ongoing project is to take top chefs and their skills away from the formal environment of a restaurant and give everyone a good time in an informal atmosphere.

Restaurants invited to bid for riverside hotspot Bath and North East Somerset Council has put out an appeal for restaurateurs to open eateries overlooking the River Avon in the city centre.

The council has dubbed the 18th century Colonnades – currently approached from Parade Gardens and unused – the new dining quarter. It’s all part of a project to re-open some of the city’s historic routes, and the enhancement of Bath Market and Newmarket Row. Currently the city is not making use of this fabulous riverside spot, which

can be seen from the other side of Pulteney Weir in Spring Gardens, looking rather forlorn and neglected.

The two new restaurants will sit beneath Grand Parade and have al fresco dining while overlooking Pulteney Bridge and the weir. Grand Parade will be provide a pair of greeting areas and lift access to each restaurant, plus a new staircase leading down to the Colonnades and the potential to provide access from Boatstall Lane and Parade Gardens.

Leisure property company Fleurets has been appointed to act on behalf of the council to attract new restaurant tenants to the development.

If all goes according to plan the restaurants will be ready early next year and it is understood that prior to marketing there has been considerable expressions of interest.

For further information please contact Kevin Conibear or Stuart Parsons on tel: 0117 923 8090.

A Serial Award winning Restaurant with International reputation Recent Awards: November 2013 British Curry Awards November 2013 Asian Curry Awards Connoisseurs choice for 33 Years.

Open Daily.

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4 Argyle Steet, Bath BA2 4BA Tel. 01225 466833 / 464758 www. Rajpoot.com

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Six of the best:

Spring menus Food writer and blogger Melissa Blease detects a change in the season as local chefs usher in menus showcasing the best of fresh, spring produce The Three Gables Take a classically trained chef with an impeccable pedigree and team him up with a Sicilian-born, award-winning hospitality industry head honcho.

Put them both together in elegant, historic surroundings in one of the west country’s most beautiful towns, and what have you got? The Three Gables: an utterly charming destination diner that won’t fail to put a spring in even the most sluggish step this season. Bathonians may have encountered both head chef Marc Salmon and proprietor Vito Scaduto before, in their previous incarnations as Olive Tree head chef and deputy GM at the Bath Priory respectively. Today, the delectable duo make a delicious team, with Marc creating his Mediterranean-themed magic with locally sourced, seasonal produce and Vito doing amazing things with one of the most glorious wine lists for miles around while making sure all-comers are treated like red carpet superstars. At the time of going to press, Marc is working on an array of new dishes guaranteed to make the most of the new season’s produce superstars.

The Three Gables, St Margaret Street, Bradford-on-Avon, BA15 1DA. Tel: 01225 781666; web: www.thethreegables.com

Allium Brasserie His influences are international. His inspiration knows no boundaries. His reputation is growing across by the day. But Allium Brasserie head chef Chris Staines’ roots are firmly planted in an ethos that revolves around locally sourced produce and seasonal flavours. If you think you know all there is to know about, for example, cabbage, you’ve clearly never had it miso-glazed or pesto-ed. Similarly, have you ever had your lettuce grilled, your onions smoked or your celeriac choucrouted? Such were the unexpectedly delicious delights trending on Chris’s menus at the time of writing; by the time you read these words, there’s bound to be all manner of uniquely novel twists and turns bringing tomorrow’s harvest to life today. As for an aperitif to get the party started, put yourself in the competent hands of the Allium’s ArtBar master mixologist Andrew Fisher and let the season dictate what you slurp, too; Andrew’s Hoo Rhu – an artful blend of rhubarb liqueur shaken with raspberry schnapps and rhubarb bitters, charged with sparkling Shiraz – has got to be one of the most refreshing ways to make headway into your seasonal five-a-day and puts a whole new spin on the nation’s favourite member of the Polygonaceae family.

Allium Brasserie at the Abbey Hotel, North Parade, Bath BA1 1LF. Tel: 01225 805870; web: www.alliumbrasserie.co.uk

Crisp white napery at The Three Gables, Bradford on Avon

The Olive Tree It seems like only yesterday that, not long after we interviewed Olive Tree head chef Chris Cleghorn and decided that he was “a kitchen magician capable of pulling both rosettes and stars from his sleeve” (see what we did there?), we published a review declaring that his menus “represent modern Bath to the max.” It was last autumn when we indulged ourselves in such a fervent flurry – doesn’t time fly? But now that spring is here, we’re no less enthusiastic about this rising star of the Bath culinary scene’s ways with seasonal ingredients. Where Chris leads, other chefs tend to follow – so, if “on trend” is your thing, go straight to the source. Chris is big on small producers, lives the local life and manages to do amazing things with prices too; you could, for example, treat yourself to two courses of one of the most talked-about lunches in Bath for a moderate £18.50. The Old Q Bar specialises in classy cocktails, and the lovely little private garden has to be one of the Heritage City’s most beautiful urban oases.

The Olive Tree at the Queensberry Hotel, Russel Street, Bath BA1 2QF. Tel: 01225 447928; web: www.olivetreebath.co.uk

Gascoyne Place Any day now, Sawclose is set to be turned into a building site as an army of bulldozers, scaffolders and construction workers start creating an area that shall henceforth be known as Theatre Royal Plaza. But Gascoyne Place has been the cornerstone of one of Bath’s liveliest historic squares since long before there was talk of a ‘plaza’. Last year, GP welcomed new head chef Joao Paulo Oliveira to the hob, and he’s brought all manner of subtly flamboyant treats to this multi-faceted merrymaking zone, where a fusion of contemporary zeitgeist and medieval history dictates the ambience in this Grade II listed Georgian building, with its evocative subterranean lounge, cosy snug, brasserie-style mezzanine and elegant first floor supper rooms.

Expect bold flavours, modern Michelin presentation and vibrant pairings to bring locally-sourced ingredients to life this season – and if JP’s bouillabaisse is on the menu du jour, don’t hesitate to dive in. Grab two courses for £14.50 (three for £19) all the way up to 9.30pm every weekday evening.

Gascoyne Place, 1 Sawclose, Bath BA1 1EY. Tel: 01225 445854; web: www.gascoyneplace.co.uk

Blunos The Kilted Chef There’s more to Scottish food than haggis, neeps’n’tatties and – dare we say it? – deep fried confectionery. And there’s much, much more to The Kilted Chef than Scottish food alone. While award winning head chef Dougie Bonar is proud of his Scots heritage, when it comes to menu inspirations, this chic little Kingsmead Square hotspot (set to become a veritable suntrap this summer when plans for alfresco dining come to fruition) is all about doorstep-sourced, seasonal food – never more so than right now, when the green shoots of larder-boredom recovery are set to put the stodgy comfort food days far behind us. It’s worth noting too that Dougie – whose great grandmother was pastry cook for the Queen Mother at Glamis Castle – most certainly doesn’t treat vegetarians as second-class citizens; The Kilted Chef is one of the few restaurants in Bath to offer a meat-free menu flaunting as many options as the standard a la carte. Lunch and pre-theatre set menu prices, meanwhile, will give wallets a taste of the lighter life too.

The Kilted Chef, 7a Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AB. Tel: 01225 466688; web: www.kiltedchefbath.co.uk

Bath-based son of Latvian parents and charismatic chef extraordinaire Martin Blunos has had a fascinating career that’s earned him a clutch of Michelin stars, various stints heading up some of the UK’stop kitchens and TV appearances on shows such as Saturday Kitchen and Iron Chef UK. But the big news is that the splendidly moustachioed one has come home to open a new venture at the County Hotel. His new restaurant will focus solely (every pun intended) on fresh fish and seafood – and when better time to make a splash than in spring, when tides around Britain bring seasonal delights such as monkfish, pollock, mussels, scallops and lobster? Short, daily-changing menus will put the spotlight on sustainable catches from Looe, Plymouth and the Chew Valley lake, and Martin promises to let the ingredients speak for themselves without frills, fripperies or fuss to detract from the main event. There’ll be one vegetarian and one meat course too on the menu daily. We’re looking forward to this piscatorial paradise opening any time soon.

Blunos at the County Hotel, 18-19 Pulteney Road, Bath BA2 4EZ. Tel: 01225 425003

Visit our website for more food news and places to eat. To promote your bar/restaurant get listed. www.thebathmag.co.uk 50 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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The Garrick’s Head 7 & 8 St John’s Place, Bath, BA1 1ET. Tel: 01225 518368

R E V I EW

A catwalk of tasty delights

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ne of the things I learned at lunch the other day was that when a recipe starts with the instructions: ‘set light to a bundle of hay’ it might not be as crazy as you think. The other thing I learned, in the most elegant surroundings of the Georgian dining room at The Garrick’s Head, is that good chefs have time to – how to put this tactfully? – faff about with ingredients in a way that we would never do at home, spending hours, even days honing their recipes, reducing, dehydrating, smoking and pickling until they create something that produces the ‘Wow!’ when it hits our greedy little mouths.

Chef Tony Casey has not been long at Charlie Digney’s city centre venue but he comes with a good pedigree, which includes a stint with Michelin starred Michael Caines and the much respected Toby Gritten at The Pump House in Bristol. And he’s making impressive waves with his seasonally changing menu at The Garrick’s Head, where he’s serving some rather clever food combinations.

My esteemed colleague, one who knows her way round the kitchen, Missy B, joined me for a spring tasting lunch where we were more than willing guinea pigs to sample some small plates from the new spring menu. A set lunch is £13.95 for one course, £16.95 for two, or three for £19.95.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Garrick’s, partly because there’s always the chance you might spot a celeb starring at the Theatre Royal next door. It used to have one of Bath’s only gay bars, long before being gay was out and open, and it deserves praise for that. It’s also one of the few pubs in the city centre where you can sit outside and watch the world go by, although I hear that in a few weeks that view will be enlivened by the sight of workmen building 52 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Bath’s newest monstrosity – a casino on Sawclose. I happen to think people throwing their money away on the turn of a card is not a glamorous way to spend an evening – but let’s save that argument for another day and not spoil an excellent lunch.

The opening salvo, as we gazed out through the flowers on the windowbox into the spring sunshine, was a small rustic hessian sack containing warm bread, which we dived on like Bath’s infamous seagulls. Warm sourdough, made by the charming Monsieur Bertinet and focaccia, from The Garrick’s kitchen.

Then the first of the small plates arrived, as

pretty as a picture, with golden and purple slices and chunks of beetroot, small balls of something dark and smoky grey, speared with crisp sails of poppy seed tuille biscuit. What could those small dark balls be? Turns out they’re perfect creamy portions of goats’ cheese that have been rolled in the ashes saved from a burning bundle of hay.

I want to say ‘don’t try this at home’ but the end result was so delicious – not at all ashy or gritty – that maybe you could reproduce this in a domestic kitchen so long as you had access to a garden to safely burn the hay out of doors.

Next on is another gorgeous little number.

Plump, perfectly cooked scallops in a nest of little florets of alien green romanesco and cauliflower on a creamy cauliflower puree. This

is topped with a tiny crisp which turns out be made from dehydrated scallop roe. The sums of the part add up to a total that’s delicate and subtle, with an underlying creaminess.

We applaud, rest a while before another beauty arrives, like a model down a runway. I wouldn’t normally pick a ham hock terrine, viewing it as a butch, meaty kind of dish. But this little beauty came accessorised with colourful pickled vegetables with a piquant caper, with a light honey and mustard dressing.

Again, Mr Casey had done the stylish trick of pulling all the ingredients together so they perfectly contrasted and yet agreed.

We decided on a little rest at this point . . . (insert interval here) . . . before sampling a rather lovely lamb done three ways main course with simply the most delicious salsa verde I’ve had for many a long year – intensely flavoured with mint, capers and a touch of garlic. A bed of creamy mash and some braised carrots completed a traditional spring dish served in contemporary style.

The grand finale before the curtain fell was the chocolate platter for two. There was a pot of warm chocolate fondant, properly molten beneath the surface, a milky white chocolate frozen mousse, a dark chocolate delice and another fudge-like delight that had been rolled in bright green pistachio. A tiny bottle with two straws held a warm, creamy milkshake with just enough of a condensed milk vibe about it that the pair of us were instantly back in the school playground.

If you want to be giddily transported back to the sweet days of your youth I’d recommend you grab a pal and order the chocolate platter for two (£15 to share). Missy B and I headed out happily into the spring sunshine on something more than merely a sugar rush. ■ Georgette McCready

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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FOODheroes

The essence of Gordon Silvana Tann meets the much applauded Scottish chef who’s got the foodies beating a path to his restaurant in a little corner of Bear Flat and gets a glimpse into the mind of an alchemist in the kitchen

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ordon Jones’ eponymous restaurant, Menu Gordon Jones in Bear Flat, has caused quite a stir with food aficionados in the two years it’s been open. Some may remember Gordon from his days as head chef at the Royal Crescent a few years back.

Now his restaurant arguably has become the hottest dining ticket in town. The chattering classes have been really chattering. Gordon Jones is creating dishes that leave diners marvelling at his invention as well as the sumptuous quality of food. Now getting a table for a Friday or Saturday night is only possible if you are willing to wait up to six months.

The restaurant has already gained several accolades, Best Chef for Gordon in 2012 and Best Restaurant 2013 in the Bath Good Food Awards as well as being listed in Michelin Guide 2014, to name but a few.

Standing outside the curved frontage of the restaurant before going in to meet Gordon I was able to see the team busy at work in the open kitchen.

The place is small, with only seven tables. That said the diner is seated comfortably away at their own table to keep conversations relatively personal. Stepping into the restaurant is like walking into your aunt’s front room, without the carpets from 1973. Gordon and his team pause to greet me. There is also a Finnish inscription on the wall bidding all welcome (Gordon’s wife Armi is Finnish). Little details jump out; furniture bought from Rolfey’s across the road; water infused with mint served in a Murano glass jug; bowls that have been sourced from Steve Mills, a local potter in Oldfield Park, are stacked up on the pass. The restaurant is contemporary, quirky and charming.

Similar attributes can be ascribed to Gordon too. Gordon is an incredibly sparky and energetic straight talking Scotsman. Born in Birmingham his family moved to Buckie, Banffshire when he was boy. I asked him how he first started to find his career in food. His obsession began when he was young: “I worked in a curry house when I was 14, washing dishes on Friday nights after school. I progressed to chopping vegetables and making some of the dishes. All for a few quid, a free curry and a paid taxi home. I loved it.” He said with a smile. “Food at home was also all cooked from scratch when I was growing up. We had our own vegetable plot. That was important.”

As I chatted with Gordon he was preparing dishes for the lunchtime service; wasabi pea puree was bubbling on the hob, to be served with a plate of crispy deep fried veal sweet breads, tuna ham (cured tuna) and sashimi of yellow tuna – all a far cry from his first experiences of cooking up chicken tikka marsala. He was also busy preparing herring rollmops, infusing them in vodka, beetroot, 54 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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orange, salt and spices. It all smelt divine.

“This is for tomorrow’s menu. Here, try this,” Gordon said as he proffered me a sliver of thinly sliced herring. It was mouthwateringly good.

“Buckie was once a thriving Scottish fishing port and well known for its herring in the 1910s. I suppose I am paying tribute to my heritage having herring on the menu.”

His heritage also had an influence on his training. After finishing school Gordon returned to the Midlands to study at the Birmingham College of Food. “I worked at the Belfry after that. There were 10 kitchens in the hotel and 120 chefs. I worked in the French restaurant.” His training continued under Michelin-starred chefs Martin Wishart in Edinburgh and Martin Blunos in Bath.

While there are clever cooking techniques deployed in his menu, what really makes him stand out is his refreshing approach to food combinations.

Rules are broken with no need for apologies. For example one dish on his menu is blackberry sorbet served with red cabbage water and cucumber;

One dish was inspired by traffic ❝lights: strawberries marinated in vinegar and spice with cream of sweetcorn sorbet served with a green cocktail of wheatgrass, elderflower and Champagne

❞

there is the chicory ice cream; or it just may be the use of an ingredient that is not widely available such as seagull’s eggs? For the diner their frames of reference in food and combinations may shift. “I want diners to trust me and try the food that I make,” he says. Although Gordon does not mark out any of his plates of food as signature dishes there are clearly some that are getting talked about, such as his milk chocolate eel served with salted purple potatoes, lime jelly and maple. His food just works.

I should add that the name of the restaurant is quite a tease as there is actually no menu. Jacek, who combines the roles of restaurant manager, waiter and sommelier, carefully explains each course. Gordon will also pop over to tables to talk through a dish and the ingredients. Chef Gordon, with his closeknit team, Ben who worked for him at the Royal Crescent and Felix, put together a feast of five-course menus at lunch (£40 per head) and six course menus for dinner (£50 per head).

A wine flight menu where wines are carefully matched with each course can be chosen or there is a wine list to select from. The wines are all organic

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FOODheroes

PEERLESS: main picture and right, Gordon Jones at work in his open kitchen Inset, his dishes surprise and delight

and bio-dynamic, which means that they contain no sulphates.

Why organic? “They are produced in smaller batches than more conventional wines. We find them more consistent. I also worked with the supplier Vintage Roots when I worked in Bournemouth,” said Gordon. “I work closely with all my suppliers. There is no printed menu, but the menus are carefully crafted. What is on the menu is determined by what my suppliers have available and recommend during the week. If my butcher tells me that they have some fantastic partridge, I’ll take them and cook with them.

Equally if the fishmonger has cod, eel or tuna I will incorporate these ingredients in to the dishes.” As we stood talking the phone rang constantly, adding to the general cacophony and buzz of the working kitchen. Each call was either a booking or from a local supplier.

Menus vary on a daily basis. It is clear that while some might ask ‘why?’ Gordon asks ‘why not?’ “I used to refer to cookery books a lot. These days I take inspiration from food I source and dishes that I have eaten in the UK and on my travels with Armi, or I just get ideas from things around me. I tried a Peruvian dish a while back, which I am going to add to my menu, with a few alterations. One dish was inspired by traffic lights; strawberries marinated in vinegar and spice, with cream of sweetcorn sorbet served with a green cocktail of wheatgrass, elderflower and champagne. Most importantly I serve food that I would like to eat.”

This really is the essence of Gordon, to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. For sheer food IQ, Menu Gordon Jones is peerless. As a diner you must leave any preconceived ideas outside. As well as being downright delicious, the experience is deliciously challenging. Gordon does not do steak and chips. If you want this, you should go elsewhere. A trip to Menu Gordon Jones is a journey to the inner sanctum of Gordon’s mind, an experience that starts with vegetable flavoured sourdough breads accompanied by flavoured oils served in test tube vials, and

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passes through a kaleidoscope of amuse-bouches, espumas, heartbreakingly lovely fish and meat dishes, and puddings that seem to defy physics, as they are so creamy, tangy and well balanced. Finally, I asked how he likes to relax. “I enjoy a good pint at The Bear next door.” I am sure that even then he is thinking about new dishes to put on his menu. ■

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News in brief

Designers head for the country

■ Tony Farr, pictured, will be well known to many people in Bath as an estate agent. He has recently launched his own business AM FARR Property, Land and Development, using his years of experience in the property development area in the residential and commercial sectors. Current projects include: advising a client on change of use of a substantial property in Bath; working with a company who own a number of public houses with the possibility for redevelopment, and arranging a property and land auction to be held in Bath later this year. Tony is inviting people to contact him.

Visit: www.anthonyfarr.co.uk or tel: 07775 109388.

T

■ A new independent estate agent Kellers & Ross has opened in Chapel Row, Bath. Paul Kellers and Angus Ross, pictured, both Bath residents, say they will supply their clients with professional photography, RICS certified floorplans and an EPC all within a 0.7% no VAT fee. The pair also pledge to make sure all viewings are accompanied and that they will do the chasing, to ensure the client doesn’t have to. Paul is the co-founder of business networking group www.bathtweetup.co.uk and Angus Ross is a former teacher at Beechen Cliff School. Tel: 01225 476464 or visit: www.bathpropertyagents.com.

Mary backs charity appeal New honour for Keith

■ Law firm Withy King, which employs 270 and has an office in Bath, has been ranked 58th in The Sunday Times Top 100 Best Mid-Sized Companies to Work For and awarded the Best Companies Two Star Accreditation. “In recent engagement surveys, over 90 per cent of our people told us that they were either satisfied or extremely satisfied with Withy King as a place to work,” said Graham Street, managing partner.

“We are extremely pleased to have been recognised on a national stage for investing in our people and creating a great working environment.

Happy, motivated solicitors and support teams go a long way towards ensuring clients consistently receive the highest levels of service.”

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hree more designer names, rarely available outside London, have joined Somerset’s Kilver Court Designer Village. British Fashion award winner for glamour, Amanda Wakeley, Pretty Ballerinas’ flat pumps and Parisian label Agnes B, have joined big names including Liberty, Jack Wills, Mulberry and Orla Kiely in selling their wares at hugely discounted prices in the heart of the Somerset countryside. Kilver Court, in Shepton Mallet, is a shopping destination for people who like big names at not such big prices.

Amanda Wakeley’s designs, which include these current musthave totes, are often seen on celebrities including Kate Winslet, Charlize Theron, Liz Hurley and Kate Middleton. AW will be on sale at up to 60 per cent off.

Kilver Court’s first Continental outlet has crossed the Channel to Somerset. Agnes B, who personally oversees every design, produces tailored pieces, wardrobe staples and prints for men, women and children. All are available in the Kilver Court Designer Emporium, all with up to 40 per cent off the recommended retail price.

Last, but by no means least, of the new arrivals is the Pretty Ballerinas flat pumps range. Each style of shoe is names after famous women in music and film and they’re made in a mix of pretty prints, colours and quirky designs. They are up to half price in store.

Kilver Court was founded by English designer Roger Saul, founder of Mulberry. It is open seven days a week, CELEBRITY FAVOURITE: Amanada 9.30am – 5.30pm daily, 10am – 5pm Sundays. ■ Wakeley’s bags on sale at Kilver Court

Bath’s favourite baker Mary Berry visited the city where she grew up to show her support to Bath Cancer Unit Support Group’s £1.2m Positron Scanner Appeal. During a visit to the Royal United Hospital Mary was shown the newest linear accelerator, installed last summer.

Bath Cancer Unit Support Group has been raising money to help cancer patients for 29 years, is run by volunteers and has given more than £3.27m. It has been able to equip the hospital with equipment which has done much to improve treatment for

patients. The group’s latest appeal is to buy a Positron (PECT-CT) scanner, used to diagnose cancer and to enable accurate treatment. The nearest scanner is over two hours travel time away. Visit: www.bcusg.org or follow onTwitter @BCUSG.

Keith Nimmo, pictured, the founding artistic director of the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon, who retired last year after 16 years at its helm, was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award at the recent Wiltshire Life awards.

Since 1998 Keith programmed nearly 1,000 professional concerts featuring some 2,500 artists, including internationally acclaimed musicians as well as local choirs and orchestras. Keith was unable to attend the awards dinner, due to ill health but he said: “I am delighted and thrilled to have been chosen for this award for my work at Wiltshire Music Centre. I would like to accept it on behalf of all the wonderful people who worked so hard to make Wiltshire Music Centre the wonderful institution that it is.”

The centre’s new artistic director is James Slater.

Jewellery designer given Freedom of London Bath jewellery maker and designer Tina Engell has been inducted into one of London’s Premier Livery Companies. Tina, pictured, was invited to the glorious surroundings of the Goldsmiths’ Company in the City of London, to receive her certificate. She is one of only a few women (currently fewer than 25 per cent) to be admitted as a Freeman. Tina said: “‘I’m very proud to join the Goldsmiths’ Company, it has such a long and distinguished heritage.

Although my jewellery is very modern in style, I make it using traditional handmade methods, all of which are supported and encouraged by this organisation. And I can now freely herd sheep across a London bridge should I want to.”

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A DVERTOR IA L FEATURE

A civilised divorce is worth fighting for...

By Sharon Giles, Sharp Family Law - Bath Divorce Solicitors. T: 01225 448955 www.sharpfamilylaw.com If only couples would give as much thought to the setting for their divorce as they often do for the marriage itself, then much acrimony and hemorrhage of family money on legal fees could be saved.

F

ew people realise that, actually, they don’t have to engage in a bitter battle at court to get divorced and, in fact, most cases settle out of court anyway.

But what if the threat of court process and all of the trauma and associated costs that go with it could be removed completely?

One dispute resolution option becoming increasingly popular for couples who still care about the emotional and financial wellbeing of each other and any children beyond a divorce is called the Collaborative process.

Specially trained Collaborative lawyers sit around the table with both of the spouses and,

upon signing a legally binding agreement which commands respect, constructive negotiation, honesty and openness, help them to work towards finding tailor made solutions for themselves and their families.

A Collaborative agreement is essentially an agreement to agree. Most importantly though, once signed, a Collaborative agreement prevents any party, ( including the lawyers!), from threatening to take each other to court. By removing the threat of court with all the accompanying costs, risks and emotional turmoil it brings, the atmosphere of a Collaborative meeting completely changes from one of attack and defence to co-operative brain storming.

Instead of animosity and the more typical to-ing and fro-ing of hostile letters and court applications, everyone in the room works together to explore the various options available and decide best outcomes for the whole family.

Couples are empowered, often for the first time in some years, to take responsibility for key decisions which underline their pasts and begin to shape their futures.

In reality, when the agenda concentrates on settlement and the sole measure of success for the lawyers involved is to reach an agreement that their clients can accept and live with a massive leap forward in effective problem solving occurs.

It is certainly not an easy process and other Collaborative experts may be brought in to help clients deal with their raw emotions head on, the

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the atmosphere of a â??

Collaborative meeting completely changes from one of attack and defence to co-operative brain storming

â?ž

anchorage for all being a real desire to avoid a bitter fight and shield any children from exposure to conflict At the end of a Collaborative process agreements reached can be drawn up as official Orders for the court to approve and seal.

Please contact us for more information about collaborative process and other dispute resolution methods.

sharp F A M I LY L A W Sharp Family Law: Helping clients to reach solutions 5, Gay Street, Bath, BA1 2PH, UK email: sharon@sharpfamilylaw.com m: 07950 173992 t: 01225 448955 website: www.sharpfamilylaw.com APRIL 2014

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News in brief ■ Confidence coach Jo Emerson, pictured, has booked two more Confidence Building workshops, following the success of her first one, to be held on 15 May and 2 October in central Bath. The workshops are a fun, practical and interactive way for participants to explore the thoughts that hold them back and build new patterns of behaviour. Jo Emerson is one of the UK’s leading confidence coaches and specialises in helping people and businesses tap into their innate wisdom and potential. Courses cost £129 (Early Bird tickets, £99) and are held at The Guild. Visit: www.jo-emerson.com.

Read her Life Column in our online magazine: www.thebathmag.co.uk.

■ Tickets went on sale on Monday 24 March for this year’s Bath International Music Festival which opens on Friday 16 May, with the annual, free Party in the City. Bands will play at more than a dozen venues, children will perform at the Forum, the Natural Theatre Company and Emergency Exit Arts will animate the streets, while the museums and galleries join in as part of the national Museums at Night.

Highlights of this year’s festival include Bath Philarmonia conducted by festival artistic director Alasdair Nicolson with mezzo-soprano Rowan Hellier in a poetic programme of Wagner, Mahler, Stravinsky and Copland. Soprano Isobel Buchannan and actor Jonathan Hyde, Bath residents, will commemorate the centenary of the Great War with an evening of songs and poetry.

Master of the Queen’s Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies is 80 this year and Bath will be welcoming this eminent composer and celebrating his birthday.

Visit: www.bathfestivals.org.uk and for tickets call 01225 463362. We’ll be featuring more in our May issue.

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How the runners’ funds help charity We asked a couple of local charities how they got on with their fundraising efforts in this year’s Bath Half marathon.

Mentoring Plus, which works with vulnerable young people in the Bath area had 33 runners in the race, who raised £9,000 for the charity.

The young people Mentoring Plus supports are identified as being at risk of offending, school exclusion or emotional harm. The charity trains and matches volunteer mentors one to one with each young person, and they meet weekly over a year to help build the young person’s confidence and aspirations, minimising future problems and reconnecting them with

GOOD CALL: Jamie Luck, second from right, director of Bath charity Mentoring Plus, with some of the runners who got soaked in the rain during the Bath Half marathon

their community.

The £9,000 raised will pay the direct costs of 13 young people being mentored – almost a quarter of this year’s planned intake.

Direct costs include the allowance mentors (many of whom are unwaged) can claim for mileage and the cost of skills-building activities,

ranging from music workshops to sports taster sessions. It doesn’t include the staff cost of mentor training, or supervising the mentors and young people.

B&NES and some grants and trusts contribute but the fundraising continues.

The target next year, says the charity, is to

have 50 runners in the Bath Half.

Children and young people’s charity CLIC Sargent has also benefited from money raised by runners in the Bath Half. To date it’s reached the milestone of half a million pounds raised over the years.

This money goes towards the charity’s annual running costs of £70,000 in Bath.

The charity supports two nurses and a social worker based at the Royal United Hospital and supplies grants for young people with cancer and their families. This year CLIC Sargent had 300 runners in the half marathon and although their total was still being counted at the time of writing, they’re expected to have made around £75,000.

Hair salon heads for the top Marketing firm launch

Congratulations to staff at No3 hair salon in Saville Row, who are the only Bath hair stylists to get two teams through the regional heats of the L’Oreal hair dressing awards 2014 and are now heading for the regional finals.

Holly Ferris and Jessica

Singer are through in the professional colour category while Stefano Fauceglia and Victoria Lovell are through in the men’s image award.

You will have seen Jess’s handiwork in our fabulous fashion feature this month – we wish them well on their way to the big finals.

Les and Lynsay Redwood, known to many from the days when they ran the Apple Tree Guest House in Bath and Les was chairman of Bath’s independent guest house association, have launched a marketing company. The couple has started Redwood-Marketing in order to support and develop the city’s businesses.

Many will know Les from his work with the Bath BID, where he serves as project manager and is currently busy promoting next month’s Bath in Fashion. He also works on the Great Bath Feast and other projects to woo business to the city. He is a life long resident of Bath.

Les and Lynsay both have business degrees and marketing diplomas and have already begun work with five of the city’s organisations and businesses in order to help support, develop and grow their businesses and organisations.

For more information email: les@redwoodmss.com

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Can i pay family members through my business payroll?

Is a question that is regularly asked by new clients – and highlights an opportunity that can otherwise easily be overlooked.

The answer is that companies can claim tax deductions for expenses where they are “wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the trade” and therefore there is no reason why family members, including your children, can’t be paid provided the company gets value.

The family member can be employed in any capacity – filing, administration, cleaning company cars, IT – as long as they provide your business with a service.

The huge advantage is of course that you won’t need to find so much money to support them; the payments are tax deductible for the company, so saving business tax - and you are no longer paying them from your own income which has already suffered tax and national insurance.

FOR MORE TAX SAVING TIPS CONTACT US At OCL we have been looking after SMEs (start ups to turnovers of £3 million) for more than twenty years; we would be pleased to meet you to discuss any tax, financial and accounting matters that would help you, including how to save money.

“I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending the team at OCL to anyone looking for outside assistance in making a company work better and more profitably”

See our website for more – and download our FREE guides

Call Marie Maggs or Mike Wilcox on 01225 445507 for a no-obligation meeting 141 Englishcombe Lane, Bath BA2 2EL

www.oclaccountancy.com

THE CONTRADICTIONS OFTRADITIONAL FINANCIAL ADVICE The perception of the traditional financial adviser is the belief that the service they offer lies in tertiary qualifications, product selection and investment performance (past, present, future).

Equally, being independent, trustworthy, smartly dressed and turning up on time is what people expect. They are not benefits. Uunderstandably these are some of the commodities of traditional advice the public has lost faith in.

Contradictions exist within every step of traditional financial advice: from identifying your highest risk tolerance and proceeding to position you to experience it; to save the most you possibly can; to inform you of past performance but evade what it means to you and then proceed to loosely pass off the reality that the projections cannot be relied upon.

Surely the real purpose of our need for financial advice is for us to have confidence and comfort knowing that the dreams and aspirations we value will be achieved, and our families will be looked after now and in the future.

Although I am certain most financial advisers would respond by stating that they are already doing this for their clients, the unfortunate reality is that many traditional advisory services contradict this basic premise.Advisers are trained to get clients to be realistic often for the purpose of maximising how much money you invest with them.

From the risk and investment perspective traditional advisory services usually identify your maximum risk tolerance and then position you in a portfolio to experience it causing the anxiety that comes with volatile markets.

Would it not make sense to invest in a portfolio strategically aligned to achieve your most highly valued goals with less risk than your maximum tolerance leading to a better understanding of purpose and less investment uncertainty?

Are you familiar with a solution asking you to save more?Whilst this is all very noble, in the absence of knowing what is truly important to you it often results in you having to make unwelcome sacrifices to your current lifestyle.

Traditional services monitor past performance, which is interesting information, but it cannot be changed. Performance reporting is nothing more than yesterday’s news. It has already happened and does not tell you what the performance means to you in terms of maintaining the lifestyle you want. It is a bit like going to the doctor after you are already dead!We are all familiar with

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the small print ‘past performance cannot be relied on…there are no guarantees’. Financial decisions based on the past performance are unsound and cannot be controlled. Such actions can lead to an erosion of your wealth and you having to compromise fully experiencing the life you want with the time you have.

Yes, there will always be a level of uncertainty in financial markets but the adviser should concentrate on and share the wisdom and strategies to give the client the reassurance he or she needs to get on with life without worrying unduly.

Can you ever remember an occasion when you opened your morning post and read your investment projections which left you with feeling what a great day it’s going to be with your future secure? Or was it one of disappointing acceptance?‘Oh well, there’s nothing I can do about that’!

Many traditional advisory services disclose away the fact that no one has any idea of whether things will work out as projected. Read the fine print and you will basically see that the projections should NOT be relied upon.This leaves you completely in the dark.

It seems to me that people have life aspirations that have financial implications rather than simply financial goals. Money impacts on all aspects of our lives. It can determine how we spend our time, our relationships or act as a measure of our success compared to others. People have a lifetime of attitudes, beliefs and values around money, which can be quite profound. Financial statements and product information will never show us what we really need to understand in order to even begin to help us decide what to do next.

A true financial planning professional will spend time to develop a deep understanding and clarity about your values, aspirations and what is truly important to you.This naturally leads to establishing the tangible numbers necessary to achieve the goals you have in life.

There exists the responsibility to help you prioritise amongst your ideal and acceptable goals and deliver solutions to achieve those you value more than others. By combining the dreams you have and the goals you prioritise, the adviser will be helping you make the most of your life.

Naturally, your circumstances and financial markets change. Regular or even on demand reporting will help you identify both problems and opportunities in advance giving control and comfort knowing what action to take before such events have a major impact on your lifestyle.

Author: Steven Coles MScIT ACIB CFP • Tel 0117 9706958

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SHOP WINDOW OF THE MONTH

Richardson Swift supports the UK Growth Voucher programme Announced by the Chancellor in the 2013 Budget, and launched in January 2014, the Growth Vouchers programme will provide funding to help businesses access the advice they need to help them grow.

A BURST OF SPRING: Coopers the family-run electrical appliance store in Walcot Street has really pulled out all the stops with its latest shop window display, designed

by Lawrence Seward, which sees a kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering up from a three-dimensional garden of greenery and flowers

Regeneration master plan A regeneration plan for the former Stothert and Pitt Newark Works site on Lower Bristol Road, Bath has been drawn up in a partnership between BMT Group defence business and Bath & North East Somerset Council.

The pair have confirmed that they have reached an outline agreement on how they can work together to redevelop what has now been dubbed the Bath Quays South area of the city, an area which has been unoccupied and derelict for years.

The scheme, which has still to undergo detailed design and receive planning approval, would provide accommodation for BMT’s three Bathbased subsidiaries as part of a wider development including business, homes and creative space, recognising the importance of the site’s industrial legacy, in line with the council’s master plan. Subject to satisfactory completion of the agreement, BMT will now start preliminary discussions with developers in order to ascertain how the project can best be delivered to the benefit of all parties.

BMT’s regional director for UK and Europe, Gary Smith said: “BMT’s current office space in Bath doesn’t allow for future expansion, nor does it allow all three BMT companies to be housed in the same complex as would be ideal. In order for BMT’s presence in the south west to grow at an appropriate rate to support its key clients, new, larger office accommodation must be secured. We’re very aware of the historical significance of the Bath Quays South site and will work with the council to ensure that any redevelopment is sympathetic to Bath’s unique architectural heritage.”

Councillor Paul Crossley, leader of the council, said, “BMT is a highly respected, major employer and securing this agreement with them is an endorsement of the council’s plans to make this city a place where businesses can thrive and grow.”

British brand arrives

NEW ARRIVAL: Audrey cashmere jumper, £195, Capri trousers, £79

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

A new British womenswear range set up by Kim Winser OBE, formerly of big brand names Marks & Spencer, Pringle and Aquascutum, is marking its first anniversary by bringing its collection to Rossiters in Bath.

Winser London is a collection of luxury clothing in silk, cashmere and cotton, in mainly neutral shades. Originally set up as an online brand Winser London is also available in Peter Jones and John Lewis. Kim, who was the youngest divisional director for Marks & Spencer when she was with the firm, was awarded an OBE for services to British fashion.

At Richardson Swift, we work with a great many growing, owner managed businesses whom we feel will further benefit from this scheme. As we already have the skilled staff needed to assist businesses with such advice, we’ve been able to enroll as an approved Growth Voucher advisor from the start.

Businesses can apply for up to £2,000 to help finance specialist businesses support. You’ll then have to match the amount with your own funds.

Type of Advice Growth Vouchers can be used to obtain strategic advice on any of the following categories: • • • • •

Managing cashflow, late payments and negotiating finance Developing skills and taking on staff Improving Leadership and Management Marketing, attracting and keeping customers Making the most of digital technology

For ‘Managing cashflow’ advice in this area covers the overall financial health of your business. It may focus on improving cash flow management and forecasting, credit control and late payments, or on how to negotiate with banks and other funding sources. The advice could be used to develop a financial strategy for growth, raise additional finance and/or secure new investors, or to improve your own financial management skills.

Eligibility The Growth Vouchers programme is available to small businesses in England who have been trading for at least one year, have 49 employees or less and have not sought strategic business advice in the last three years.

How we can help Focusing on helping your business to grow, we can work with you to prepare a financial forecast and cashflow for the business for the next 1-5 years. As well as being a necessity for businesses seeking external finance, having a forecast profit and loss account, balance sheet and cashflow for the year ahead will enable you to answer questions such as ‘Can we afford to take on extra staff?’ or ‘Can we purchase a new machine and how do we fund this?’

Also, by performing sensitivity analysis, we can tweak your forecasts to show you the outcome of small changes. What will happen to your cashflow if you get your debtors to pay you five days earlier? How much does your profit improve by if you put your prices up by 5%?

By demonstrating this to you in a simplistic way, it’s becomes very easy to make the financial planning decisions you need going forward.

For more advice on Growth Vouchers or Financial Forecasting, please contact Debbie Boulton or Mike Richardson at Richardson Swift.

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

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

View a gallery of our Bath@Work subjects at: www.thebathmag.co.uk

David McLaughlin Conservation architect y parents met in England in 1930 – my mother English, my father American. I was born in the United States in 1948. When I was ten we moved to Pennsylvania where my family has lived since the 1740s. I was confirmed at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania designed by the remarkably named architect Thomas Buckler Ghequiere. I’m really fond of this mountain place and see the Church of the Transfiguration as one of my spiritual homes.

Now, in my attic office you just have to turn around to enjoy my American HO scale model railroad including a model of the Church of the Transfiguration!

In 1962 we had a wonderful trip to England where my late uncle, Maurice Bebb, chief architect to Sir Robert McAlpine, took me to Chichester, Guildford, Saint Paul’s and Coventry cathedrals.

The great powerhouse of spirituality at Chichester Cathedral for me is the Chapel of Saint Richard with Graham Sutherland’s wonderful painting Noli me Tangere and even more so the aluminium candlesticks by Geoffrey Clarke. This altar setting has remained in my mind in full colour for over 50 years now. I’m really lucky to have found a small Geoffrey Clarke sculpture – a pilgrim looking through a wall – it’s here watching over where I work. We went to Coventry Cathedral – newly consecrated just a few weeks before. We were among the thousands of people that queued for over four hours to see the cathedral. To me Coventry is the most fabulous powerhouse of art and craft in the service of the Church and another great spiritual home for me here in England.

I’ve always loved buildings. I was last in New York in 1953 when my parents took me to the Empire State building, Radio City Music Hall and the vast railroad stations. I’ve always loved those amazing spaces and buildings.

At the end of the school year in 1963 we moved from America, and so from school days spent in the Appalachian mountains, I suddenly found myself at school in England.

One of the most important things in my life happened at the school chapel. I asked a visiting monk how I could combine my interest in looking around old churches with my interest in modern architecture. This wonderful person suggested I write to the New Churches Research Group. So as a young teenager I became the North West secretary of the New Churches Research Group while still a schoolboy. So thank you NCRG! It kindled my passion for the care and development of church buildings to further the witness and mission of the Church.

Fifty years on it is a privilege and a fulfilment of vocation to be a church architect following work as Conservation Architect in Bath from 1975 to 2005. Those three decades were another privilege – to work in such a beautiful city and help people with the grant-aided repair of their buildings and with wonderful crafts people on fabulous projects from Bath Abbey to the Roman Baths.

M

We are passionate about using fresh flowers that are beautiful and extra special. We offer a high quality, bespoke flower delivery service locally and throughout the UK. Contact us for exquisite flowers, stylishly arranged for any occasion.

The Fresh Flower Company 44 High Street, Colerne, Wiltshire. SN14 8DE

Telephone: 01225 744153 www.thefreshflowercompany.com email: sales@thefreshflowercompany.com Vist us on facebook!

Spring Fresh at Farrington’s!

Visit the UK's only ‘Pick Your Own tulips’ field.

Over 50,000 beautiful blooms in stunning colours.

Open end of April to mid-May. Come early to get your pick of the bunch!

Farrington’s award-winning Farm Shop, Café and Shopping Village.

Find us just off the A362, (BS39 6UB) Open 7 days a week, 10am - 4pm.

PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic www.capturethespirit.co.uk Tel: 01225 483151 David McLaughlin, tel: 0117 932 3009

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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FAMILYfun

Dogs Donʼt Do Ballet at the Pound, Corsham

Arabian Nights at The Mission Theatre

Bernard has monster problems at the egg

Eggs-citing Easter fun Plan a fun day out in the Easter school holidays with our family friendly guide which has entertainment for children of all ages and for all weathers too Little Angel Theatre: Dogs Don’t Do Ballet Saturday 5 April, 1pm The Pound Arts Centre, Corsham Tel: 01249 701628 or visit: www.poundarts.org.uk Biff the dog thinks he’s a ballerina. Based on the book by Anna Kemp and illustrated by Sara Ogilvie, the sublime and the ridiculous combine in this tale of a small dog with big dreams.

Tickets: £6.50/£5.50 concs/£20 family Suitable for children aged two and over.

Not Now Bernard Thursday 10 – Saturday 12 April, 11.30am and 3pm The egg at the Theatre Royal, Bath Tel: 01225 823409 Unicorn Theatre brings David McKee’s picture book to life, telling the much loved tale of Bernard, the boy who finds a monster but whose parents are too busy to take any notice. For children of two and over. Tickets: £7.50/£6.50.

Also at the egg this month Mrs McMoon Monday 14 – Wednesday 16 April, 11.30am and 3pm Come to a tea party with a difference as Mrs McMoon leads you on an adventure. For children aged three to five.

Baffo Monday 14 – Wednesday 16 April, 11.30am and 3pm Senor Baffo is a lovable, eccentric chef serving up generous portions of silliness and mischief.

Suitable for children aged five and over.

Woodland Play Area opening Wednesday 9 April, 11am – 3pm Bath Skyline, Long Wood, opposite Ralph Allen School Join the Mayor of Bath for the official opening of the woodland play area. Play on the equipment, join in workshops including willow weaving, and more. Witness the unveiling of the spirit protector of the woodland.

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Also at Long Wood this month Wild Wednesday: den building Wednesday 16 April, 10.30am – 12.30pm Join the countryside rangers to build dens in the beech woods. Meet at the woodland play area at the east end of Long Wood. Catch the No.18 bus to Claverton Down Road, and follow the signs.

Be a museum explorer Until 31 July Bath’s major museums and galleries have teamed up to produce a free leaflet (find it in the Tourist Information Office – see above) which gives visitors a third off entry price.

With the leaflet in your bag you’ll get 30 per cent discounts at any of 17 attractions – no matter how many times you visit this summer. Some venues offer a slightly different deal, but the leaflet clearly states which offer cheaper admission and which offer money off a guide book, or money off food and drink.

Family Fun: Meet the Musicians Thursday 10 April The American Museum, Claverton Join Keith Terry and Evie Ladin for a hands-on family workshop exploring rhythm, starting with the instrument we all share – the human body. Combines music, Appalachian banjo, and step dancing traditions with humour and skill.

Also at the American Museum this month

Family Fun: Colourful Paper Lanterns Thursday 10 April, 1pm- 4pm Make a paper lantern inspired by the lanterns decorating the museum’s yew tree as part of the Kaffe Fassett exhibition.With gardens only admission.

Easter Yarn Bombing Trail Friday 18 – Monday 21 April, 12 –5pm The Easter trail features springtime creatures and creations made by museum volunteers. See if you can find all the knitted delights around the grounds to earn a chocolate egg. With gardens only admission.

Easter Clay Workshops with Gary Wood Monday 14 – Wednesday 16 April, 10.30am – 4pm One Two Five Box Road, Bath BA1 7LR Join a one-day clay workshop with Gary, which will include a throwing demonstration and the opportunity to make a pot on the wheel. Gary will also help the children to make other pots using simple forming techniques. £35 per child per day, including materials. Bring a packed lunch. Tel: 01225 858888 or email: info@garywoodceramics.co.uk.

Arabian Nights Thursday 10 – Friday 11 April, 7.30pm and 2.30pm The Mission Theatre, Corn Street, Bath Story Pocket Theatre Company presents Scheherazade the greatest story teller of all. Get caught up with Ali Baba, his 40 thieves, Aladdin and many others. Tickets: £10/£8, tel: 01225 463362 or visit: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk.

Bright Sparks in the Wind Saturday 12 April, 1pm– 4pm BRLSI, Queen Square, Bath An introduction to renewable energy sources.

Science for the over nines. Find out more about the science of food. Booking essential. Go to coolbookings@brlsi.org. Pay at: www.brlsi.org/shop/youthactivities. continued Page 66

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

New kids on the block

T

here's a new independent kids clothing company in town, well just around the corner from the Royal Crescent, actually.

Thing is, you won't find it if you go wandering the streets - it’s an exclusively online company with it’s creative roots firmly set in Bath.

What’s different about Ru&Co.? Well, colour for one thing. Their brand positioning ‘Goodbye Boring’ sets a precedent for all its products, being bright, interesting and fun - just like the kids who wear them.

Helen from Ru&Co. explains: “We wanted to create clothing that was a little bit different; clothing that not only made a bit of a statement with its colour, but with the design of the print too. Our ambition was to give parents the option of buying something more than just a print of a tractor, or boat. We wanted to create designs that not only appealed to parents, but to kids too - designs they'd love to wear.”

Cam from Ru&Co. who designed the collection adds:

“Inspiration for the designs came from many places, including current fashion trends, retro clothing and the great, unique thoughts and ideas that kids have.

We wanted our first collection to be quite varied, so we think there’s something for everyone. We're already working on next season's prints and hope that everyone embraces the bright, colourful style for the summer. I find them particularly useful for spotting the kids across a busy park!”

Ru&Co.’s prints are all hand designed and hand pulled locally, making every one unique. They even do a series of limited edition tees, where only 200 of one design is printed. But if you can’t make up your mind, they offer a range of gift cards too.

They've just launched their website www.ruandco.co.uk with their first summer collection of girls and boys tees, ranging from £14 to £20. Soon to follow is a series of long tees and hoodies, as well as a range of accessories. If you’re on Facebook, they're currently running a competition where you can win a summer tee set too.

Be sure to take a look and enter.

All in all, like their designs, we think Ru&Co. have a bright future.

www.ruandco.co.uk www.facebook.com/ruandco

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FAMILYfun

Weʼre all going on an Easter egg hunt . . .

Easter Egg Expedition Saturday 19 – Monday 21 April, 10am – 4.30pm National Trust Prior Park Landscape Garden, Ralph Allen Drive, Bath Follow the Cadbury Easter Egg Trail (£1.50 a head) and collect the clues to receive a Cadbury chocolate Egghead. Tel: 01225 833422.

World Heritage Day: Sydney Gardens Sunday 13 April, noon – 4pm Sydney Gardens Explore Sydney Gardens and meet some interesting characters, listen to music and find out more about World Heritage.

Dressing for success in the 18th century Sunday 13 April Herschel Museum of Astronomy, New King Street, Bath As part of World Heritage Day colour and dress cardboard fashion dolls. Free admission for children. Visit: www.herschelmuseum.org.uk, tel: 01225 446865.

Easter events: Curious coins Monday 14 April, 10am – 1pm, 2pm – 4pm Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Roman Baths Investigate Roman coins and create a coin to take home from this family drop-in activity.

Easter events: Georgian style cards Tuesday 8 April, 10.30am – 12.30pm, 1.30pm –3.30pm The Fashion Museum Learn paper cutting techniques to create simple Georgian style Easter cards.

Easter events: Go Quackers Tuesday 10 April, 10.30am – 11.30am, 2pm – 3pm Victoria Art Gallery Three to five-year-olds are invited to join the Young @ Art Club to look at the gallery’s painting of geese and make a duckling out of card and an Easter card.

Also at the Victoria Art Gallery Down on the farm Friday 11 April, 10.30am & 1.30pm Look at the gallery’s farmyard painting and use watercolour pencils to create an animal picture.

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Meet the ʻbot builders at Yeovilton Make a mini model farm too. For 6 to 11-yearolds. All sessions must be booked. Tel: 01225 477233. £4 per child.

Easter events: hands on archaeology Wednesday 16 April - 3pm to 4pm The Roman Baths Get hands on with archaeology from the Roman Baths collection at this drop-in session.

Explosive Easter Eggstravaganza Sunday 13 April, 12-4pm The Holburne Museum, Join this free family event to see how art and science can cross over in a series of hands on creative activities, plus take part in a giant egg roll. All inspired by the artist Joseph Wright of Derby’s paintings of volcanoes, fireworks, and scientific discovery in the 18th century.

Also at the Holburne this month Saturday Art Club for 5-13 year olds A fortnightly workshop. Expand your skills and discover new techniques, exploring the museum’s exhibitions with experienced artists. Places are £9 a head. Tel: 01225 388568 or email education@holburne.org.

Robo Challenge Wednesday 16 – Thursday 17 April Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, Ichester, Somerset BA22 8HW Robots from all over the UK will take part in an all-out battle to grind, slam and crush the opposition in an event organised by Robo Challenge (as seen on TV’s The Gadget Show.)

See these deadly, gadget filled machines in battle and meet the inventors behind these awesome creations. Work as a team to build a robot and take it into battle. Suitable for ages seven years and upward. There is no additional charge to attend workshops. Normal museum admission prices apply. To sign up to a workshop apply on the day. Visit: www.fleetairarm.com or call 01935 840565.

Easter egg rolling Saturday 19 April, 10am - 12pm Bathwick Hill Spend Easter Saturday morning rolling your own home decorated eggs, at 10.30am or 11.30am, with the backdrop of the city of Bath in front of

Watch the wolf pack at the Wild Place you. Bring your egg and the family and see who’s got the winning egg.

Small animal family weekend Saturday 19 – Monday 21 April, 11am – 4pm Bath Cats and Dogs Home, Claverton, Bath Children and parents are invited to meet animal carers and find out more about caring for small animals, at this free event at the cats and dogs home. Easter egg hunt, face-painting, animal mask-making, games and prizes.You’ll also find out there are rabbits, hamsters and gerbils needing homes too. Visit: www.bathcatsanddogshome.org.uk or tel: 01225 787 321.

St George’s Day celebrations Saturday 19 April, from noon Bath city centre St George’s Day is on 23 April, but on the nearest weekend to it Widcombe Mummers and morris dancers Mr Wilkins Shilling will be out on the streets of Bath celebrating the slaying of the dragon with a traditional mummers play and dancing. They’ll be in Kingston Parade at noon, outside Marks & Spencer at 12.30pm and outside the Abbey at 1pm.

Watching the wolves The Wild Place Project, near Bristol A pack of six European grey wolves are the newest residents of The Wild Place Project, Bristol’s newest attraction just off junction 17 of the M5. The wolves, all young males, have come to Bristol from Highlands Wildlife Park in Scotland and are now living in the Ancient Howling exhibit; an area of woodland which has been left as natural as possible to replicate their native woodland habitat in Europe, Asia and North America. Find out more about other animals at The Wild Place Project, visit: www.wildplace.org.uk or tel: 0117 980 7173.

Easter Egg Trail Sunday 20 April and Monday 21 April, 10.30am to 4pm National Trust Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire, SN15 2LG The yolk’s on you with this self-led Easter trail around the abbey’s grounds. Discover Easter themed jokes and win a Cadbury Egghead. £1.50 per trail. NT members and under 5s go free Tel: 01249 730459 or visit nationaltrust.org.uk/lacock. ■

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High Quality Childcare and Educa on in the Heart of Bath Why not come and see us. To book an appointment at any me please call the nursery on 01225 487858.

We look forward to mee ng you to discuss how we can help you and your child get the best from their nursery experience.

Our next open day is on

Saturday 17th May 2014 10.00am – 2.00pm

guinealane@thebathnurserycompany.co.uk 01225 487 858 St Mary’s Church Hall, Guinea Lane, BA1 5NB. www.thebathnurserycompany.co.uk

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Ms Rainbow brings the sun Camila Batmanghelidjh, the founder of Kids Company tells Georgette McCready about the work her charity is doing to help young people in need – right here on our doorstep

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t’s no wonder that children love Camila and welcome her, quite literally with open arms.

Her smile is ready and warm, she’s dressed from head to toe in layers of rainbow bright shades, she listens attentively when others are talking and – most importantly, she’s bringing sunshine and warmth into their dark and stormy lives.

The founder of the charity Kids Company, and a psychotherapist with many years experience Camila Batmanghelidjh has devoted her not inconsiderable energy and talents over the last 18 years to helping children and young adults who have slipped through the net. The stories she tells are enough to make even the most hard-hearted want to weep – of children who can’t sleep at home because they’re so frightened, who snatch the chance to sleep in the relative safety of a bus, who are so emotionally and physically malnourished that they look half their age, who don’t know what it is to be valued and loved.

The worst thing about all these stories is that they’re happening under our well-fed noses. Since Camila brought Kids Company to Bristol after successfully running it in London since 1996, she has seen cases that have, as she says, genuinely shocked her. She was invited to talk recently at the Quartet Community Foundation’s annual philanthropy lecture at Clifton College and I managed to catch up with her just before that talk.

She has been working with four centres for excluded pupils in Bristol, which has well above the national average number of children living in poverty and continues to have a rising number of them going into care.

“There are children as young as seven who’ve been excluded from school, they’re so disturbed,” she says, “What we’re seeing is a history of maltreatment over generations. There are a lot of problems with drug and alcohol addiction in families in Bristol. There are children in the city who are eight or nine but look four or five years old – these are deeply unsettled children.”

What Camila and her team give these children in centres dotted around the city, is love. She has no children of her own but says: “The great thing about being a human being is that you can love another child.”

And her love is given by offering practical help, which might be getting a bus pass sorted, food in their bellies, a bed for the night. She arranges for troubled young people to have therapy, the sort of help they might need, be it art therapy, playing basketball, or learning techniques to manage and modulate their behaviour. It is a very child centred approach with at its heart the philosophy that sanctions or punishments are not the way to encourage good behaviour.

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from what we’ve found so far that prolonged neglect changes the function of the brain,” says Camila. She tells me about a study of a group of young adults who had their brains scanned before being given tasks to complete. They were then told their work wasn’t good enough and sanctions were imposed. Brain scans then showed a slowing down in the ability to perform tasks without making mistakes. In short, punishment deters people from doing well.

But in the space of around 15 months Camila and her staff can see a real change in a young person’s behaviour. It’s not a magic wand, as she’s quick to point out “they do give us hell, don’t get me wrong,” but she is now seeing the children she first worked with in London having families of their own and embracing nurturing habits such as bath-time and bedtime stories with their own children.

I ask her how as a country we break this cycle of abuse and neglect in families?

The answer, she says, is to reform a care system which has remained largely unchanged since Victorian times. She says we need experts at street level – people who share meals with young people, who watch them interact with others and can spot when they need help before it’s too late.

This month a major report will be published to help the campaign for reform and Camila, who was awarded a CBE for her work, will be championing that campaign.

The charity, which helps thousands of children each year in London and Bristol, costs around £24m a year to run and Camila is dedicated to fundraising almost continually. Supporters include

Jamie Cullum and his wife Sophie Dahl, Coldplay and artist Damien Hirst. But she’s now looking for a philanthropist in the south west who will help her buy an old fabric factory in Bristol that she plans to turn into a day centre. She explains that children don’t need to be referred to her centres – other children bring them. That, more than anything is testament to her work.

But what of her own image? She adopted the headscarves, multi-patterns and layers as a young woman inspired by the mountain women of Iran where she grew up. She doesn’t see it as armour, but as an expression of joy – “I really don’t care what people think.”

As a schoolgirl at Sherborne Girls School she used to stretch her jumpers overnight to make them big and floaty, she’d paint her shoes bright colours and wear red bloomers. She’s a one off and God knows, the world needs people like Camila.

Kids Company is looking for volunteers to help run its Bristol ventures, it also needs computers and funding is always needed. If you can help, email: josie.curran@kidsco.org.uk. ■ A Colourful Life with Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder of Kids Company. Bath in Fashion is hosting a talk with Camila on Wednesday 7 May at 6pm at the Bath Function Rooms, Green Park Station, Bath. Camila will be talking about fashion as armoury and about her life and work with young people. Tickets £20, proceeds going to Kids Company. Tel: 0844 847 5256 or visit: www.bathinfashion.co.uk.

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&beauty

HEALTH

FIT & FAB Traditional Tibetan medical practitioner to visit the west country

Spring essentials...

If alchemy can be seen anywhere in the world it is in the recipes, production and effects of the Precious Jewel Pills, unique to Tibetan medicine. The Tibetan lama doctors who create and prescribe them, require a profound understanding of the workings of the five elements as well as skill as polypharmacists, (pharmacists working in a number of dimensions) and medical metallurgists.

Combined with this, Tibetan doctors spend 20 years perfecting their compassion, intuition and perception, enabling patients a wonderful opportunity for transformation, happiness and radiant health.

Amchi (doctor) Tsetan, a world specialist in Tibetan medicine, is available for consultation in Bath, Bristol and Mells, between 18 and 25 April. A lineage holder of the oldest integrated medical system in the world, Amchi Tsetan, offers an opportunity to discover the healing powers of ancient wisdom.

For information and booking, please contact angelalong7@yahoo.com or tel: 07779 677362.

Chase the rainbow The Children’s Hospice South West Rainbow Run is returning to Bristol’s Clifton Downs for a second year on 21 June and looks set to be even bigger and better this year. The Rainbow Run is a 5k sponsored fun run where participants run with friends, family and colleagues through different coloured paint stations along the course and get covered in bright powder paint. You can walk or run – it doesn’t matter as long as you have fun. You’ll be helping to raise important funds for the charity which provides hospice care for life-limited children and their families from the south west.

Children aged 11-15 can take part in the run accompanied by an adult. Entry is £12 for adults, £7 for children. To sign up to take part, visit: www.chsw.org.uk/rainbowrun or tel: 01275 866600.

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From top: For the spring season, Bobbi Brown has launched a collection of nudes and nectars to warm up the skin tone for a fresh glow. We love the nectar and bare peach nail polishes, £11 each and the hibiscus cream cheek colour, £19, available from Jolly’s. Eve Lom’s new radiance perfecting complexion products have been getting beauty editors very excited – especially the tinted moisturiser SPF15, £48 from Space NK. Perfect for your holiday, it gives hydrating tinted coverage for makeup free radiance. Acclaimed hair colourist Josh Wood has launched a hair saviour product at M&S – the blending wand. Available in four colours, £12.50 each, these are non-permanent instant colour solutions to hide grey hairs or blend re-growth – perfect if you’ve still got a few weeks to go until your next colour appointment. Jo Malone London has launched a limited edition cologne collection called London Rain, created by master perfumer Christine Nagel, capturing the different moods of a downpour – from a soft morning shower through to a wild rainstorm. The four fragrances are: rain and angelica, wisteria and violet, white jasmine and mint, and black cedarwood and juniper (available at the Jo Malone store at the bottom of Milsom Street, £82, 100ml).

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TOP 10 WINNER OF BEST OF BATH

AWARDS 2014

Specialists in Ellipse IPL Hair Reduction & Skin Rejuvenation Treatments Experience a dramatic transformation in your skin with the Jan Marini Skin Care Management System and see first hand why it has been voted “The Best Skin Care System” for three years in a row.

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ACNE • FINE LINES AND WRINKLES • HYPERPIGMENTATION • ROSACEA Simple, safe, non-invasive and unbelievably effective Jan Marini Glycolic Peels are fabulous for improving the condition of your skin. See for yourself the amazing results these products and treatments can offer.

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A COMPLEMENTARY PEEL WORTH £70 WITH EVERY SKIN CARE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PURCHASED.

Teeth Whitening

YOUR INVITATION

for Men & Women

To say Thank you for voting us a Top 10 Winner of Best of Bath Local and Loved Awards 2014, we would like to invite you to an Evening of Celebration on

Thursday 8th May 5.30-8pm An exclusive closed-door event for you and your friends.

There will be:Wine and nibbles • Demonstrations Consultations from our beauty therapists and IPL experts Exclusive 20% discount*

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Also visiting on the evening will be Caprissima, showcasing a collection of classic sandal designs, encrusted with swarovski crystals and stones, handmade with the finest and most luxurious Italian leather.

There will be an exclusive promotional price on the evening www.caprissima.com Please call to book for you and your friends for our Evening of Celebration as places are limited.

We look forward to hearing from you.

All offers are available until the 30th April 2014

the orangery l a s e r

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b e a u t y

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

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Finding solutions to everyday stress We talk to Dr Amanda Kinsella of Mindful Psychology about the practice of mindfulness which can help us deal with everyday stresses and strains

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Dr Amanda Kinsella. ©Stephen Morris

ll of us encounter ups and downs in our lives and each new day can bring its own stresses, whether work related, relationships or lifestyle. Which is why psychologist, Dr Amanda Kinsella, offers mindfulness sessions and courses, as part of her company, Mindful Psychology, teaching how to manage these everyday stresses and strains before they become a real problem to your health.

Amanda says: “These days everyone is under a tremendous amount of stress at work, home and school. A lot of anxiety comes from thinking about your past and future and not focusing on the present, and it is this thinking that drives your behaviour to create unhelpful patterns.

“I really want people to come to me before it becomes an issue. I teach preventative measures to help motivation and bring down stress. Through a range of Mindful in Action Programmes (MIAP) my team and I can help you to make positive change by training you to bring attention to your present state and working with your body.”

So what is mindfulness you may be asking? “Mindfulness is very much a practice and can be used to support anxiety, restlessness, depression, addiction, stress, lifestyle changes and relationship difficulties,” says Amanda. “It is a way of paying attention to the present moment and changing the relationship you have with yourself, others and the world around you. It gives insight into your emotions and helps you gain clarity to make wise life choices. It gives you the ability to wake up to your life and step off automatic pilot, bringing tangible results where you can begin to respond compassionately to yourself and to others, and sustain change.”

As the first UK company to offer this service, Amanda is keen to stress that it is psychological coaching, not therapy. Working from a comfortable and relaxed clinic in Clifton, Bristol, there are three chartered doctors of psychology offering therapeutic coaching to improve mental wellness and help people to make positive changes. “We’re all clinically trained psychologists and use science to back up what we are doing,” says Amanda. “Our programmes are innovative and supported by cutting edge research.”

In her mindfulness sessions, Amanda will get you to see that thoughts will come and go and will coach you how to create a sense of space, in order for you to think more clearly and not make compulsive decisions.

Techniques include breathing practice and awareness and objectives to not be so impulsive and reactive. Amanda says: “Bodily sensations are connected to thinking and mindfulness is about bringing on the spot attention and awareness to how your body is feeling. For example, if you have a high heart rate from anxiety, mindfulness teaches you to use breath to work with your body instead of trying to ignore it, as a way of being present to daily life. It’s all about teaching preventative methods in order to cut through the fog of your mind.”

Using exercises, coaching, psycho-educational and solution focused goals, Amanda says clients usually see a change within six weeks.

Amanda also works with businesses who seek change within their organisation, helping managers to deal with conflict and stress in order to promote a positive and proactive working environment. “I work with a lot of CEOs who are running multi-national companies and too much stress is causing them to eat and drink too much. But they are all seeking change and want to make a difference,” says Amanda.

“Personally,” she adds, “I have always been a bit anxious about public speaking but I practice mindfulness beforehand and it really helps. It is about stepping out of your mind and waking up to your life.” ■ As well as one-to-one sessions, Dr Amanda Kinsella also offers a four-week group course and Skype sessions for those who can’t get to Clifton.

For further information about Mindful Psychology visit: www.mindfulpsychology.co.uk or to make an appointment, tel: 01179731332.

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Spring into Summer

April & May Book a luxury pedicure and receive £10.00 off a wax treatment when taken at the same time at

JENNIFER LUCKHAM BeautyClinic TEL: 01225 428741

32 MONMOUTH STREET • BATH Offer valid until 31st May 2014

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The house of pleasure Georgette McCready visits a Georgian gem in the heart of Bath that’s been given a fresh sparkle by interior designer Peter Higgins of Eton Design

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magine you are a big Hollywood or West End star coming to Bath, perhaps to shoot your latest period drama or to take the lead role at the Theatre Royal. You could stay in one of the city’s fabulous and welcoming hotels, or you might prefer the complete anonymity of hiring a house that’s hidden away from prying eyes and where you can wander from bedroom in a state of déshabillé to raid the fridge, without having to explain to room service exactly what you fancy to eat.

There is such a hideaway, newly launched and so cunningly hidden away that not even the locals are aware it’s there. Muse House is right in the heart of historic Bath, a stone’s throw from the Thermae Spa, and yet you could slip in and out of the front door largely unobserved.

Muse townhouse is part of a block, Abbey Church House, formerly known as Hetling House, parts of which date back to 1571. If you stand infront of Westgate Buildings you can see Bath’s only surviving Elizabethan building, Abbey Church House with its big gables and multi-panelled glass windows. That was bomb damaged in the air raids of 1942, but later restored. It used to connect internally to Muse House – whose official address is 3 Hetling Court – which was built in the 16th century but underwent a major refurbishment in the 18th century at the height of Bath’s Georgian heyday.

The house, which belongs to St John’s Hospital Trust, has undergone its latest incarnation thanks to YTL, the owners of the Gainsborough Hotel the new five star hotel and spa which is currently being worked on with great industry a street away. The name Muse comes from the company’s collection of beautifully presented country cottages. There are a cluster of such properties at Bray in Berkshire where lovers of fine dining stay while sampling the delights of The Fat Duck and Blumenthal’s other culinary honeypots.

The interiors of those Berkshire cottages were designed by Peter Higgins, chief designer with Eton Design, which has had showrooms in Walcot Street for almost three years. So when YTL wanted a sumptuous treatment for the Bath house Peter was happy to carry out the transformation.

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of the Grade II listed house, which has rooms on five floors all linked by a shallow rising staircase.

But what of our Hollywood star? She’s ushered in off the street, closes the front door gratefully behind her and is shielded from prying eyes by a gorgeous bold floral print by Trisha Guild at Designers Guild blind over the side window. This is the stone floored reception hall, which Peter has converted from a dark and dingy space into a peaceful garden room. There are two huge urns of orchids and ferns, a deceptively historic looking stone water feature in the corner and a big mural of a country estate, giving the illusion of a far distant perspective. A large glass table and cushioned chairs will provide the meeting space where our heroine’s people can meet the film company’s people to talk business. This room is also available to hire for meetings when the house is unoccupied.

Off the lobby the stairs rise, covered in thick, plush carpet that’s the same smoky grey shade as a pedigree Persian blue cat, and which continues all the way up through the house. There’s a ground floor cloakroom tucked away, but before we go upstairs, there’s the kitchen, beautifully fitted and with a small marble topped breakfast bar for two and a pink Smeg fridge. It is the cheering sight of this witty touch that it begins to dawn on you that this is a house of pleasure.

The house manager, Anne Marie Brennan, makes sure the fridge is always ready, stocked with goodies from award-winning deli Made by Ben in Walcot Street, so our star can enjoy a glass of something deliciously chilled with some smoked salmon or goats’ cheese, or help herself to breakfast before heading off on a day’s filming or rehearsals.

On the first floor is a drop dead gorgeous drawing room, the sort that most of us only see in the pages of international interiors magazines. There are a pair of huge Knoll sofas in regal golden orange – so big they had to be made in situ as they’d never make it through the doorway. They and the curtains are made in Parisian Lelievre fabrics and there’s an ottoman in orangey velvet that just invites you to stroke it. This is a house full of tactile detail, like the brass lamp statue of an athlete doing a handstand, made by Brabin and Fitz. Another nice touch is the number of paintings and prints of

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CITYinteriors

CITY SANCTUARY: main picture, the main bedroom, complete with freestanding copper bath on a marble plinth Above, richly upholstered Knoll sofas in the drawing room Left, a Trisha Guild of Designers Guild bold print adds to the greenery in the Garden Room Below, the well equipped kitchen with pink Smeg fridge well stocked and welcoming

Bath scenes on the walls.

When our leading lady gets home from a day’s work she will be relieved and delighted to retreat to the main bedroom on the second floor where she can step into a giant copper freestanding bath. From this position of decadent relaxation she can admire the canopied bed, piled with cushions and decorated in shades of pale teal. The walls are upholstered in embroidered pure silk depicting lush greenery in the Garden of Eden. What’s good to know is that while Peter has sourced fabrics from the best in the world, all the upholstery has been painstakingly stitched by his team at Eton Design. The inhouse sound system which allows music wherever you go, is from Bang & Olufsen. The walls throughout are a neutral grey from Irish paint company Colour Trend, which used to have a branch in Walcot Street but can now be found in Brewers. The master bathroom next door to the main bedroom has a glass walk-in shower plus twin vanity unit and loo.

A hotel suite is all very well, but it doesn’t usually come with an extra single bedroom, as this house does, where a worn out personal assistant can grab a few hours peaceful sleep before the next assignment.

A twisting last flight of stairs takes us up to the attic Queen Bedroom, which is another generous sized double room with a big bed and wardrobe. There’s a shower and basin in one corner of the bedroom and a door through to a separate loo. If one were hiring the house for a few days it would be ideal for two couples, although our heroine may like to use this room for her make-up and hair artists to work their magic or to have fittings for costumes.

It’s a quiet space too, so you can’t hear the noise of the city outside. And if you were that actress, you could give your finest Lady Macbeth full vent without fear of anyone overhearing.

The Muse House is available for short lets to locals or visitors, for £1,250 per night, with a minimum stay of two nights. To find out more contact house manager Anne Marie Brennan on 07899 966 588 or email: annemariebrennan@btinternet.com. ■

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LIGHTING SPECIALIST 8 BATH STREET, FROME. TEL: 01 373473555 WWW.FIATLUX.CO.UK

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CITYgardening

Growing for the house Jane Moore urges us to channel our inner Sarah Raven by growing our own cut flowers this summer – and she chooses some of the best blooms that will look good on the mantelpiece or dining table

I

f I had to pick another job to do at The Priory, I would probably want to be Debs the florist. Not only does stepping into her shoes mean a wearing a rather cleaner pair of boots than usual, but they’re also fashionable and teamed with a natty outfit. I’ve observed over the years that the best florists are always stylishly dressed: personal style and taste equates to style with flowers too. But I digress. Floristry is akin to gardening though smaller in scale and inside many a gardener is a frustrated florist. While Sarah Raven is the epitome of gardener turned flower arranger, there is nothing to stop you having a go, given the materials and the blooms.

The actual flower arranging I cannot help you with on these pages although I can point you in the direction of Jo of The Walled Garden at Mells and Georgie of Common Farm Flowers near Wincanton, who both offer courses to cultivate your artistic side. But I can suggest some plants and flowers to get growing in your garden which will feed that artistic oeuvre.

None of these plants are difficult to grow – the aim here is for health, vigour and quantity without too much effort. If you want anything fancy, I would head to the flower shop to augment your stocks. The mantra is to keep it simple and fresh. Think cottage rather than couture.

Perennial favourites Easy perennials such as alchemilla mollis (lady’s mantle) and asters are absolute stalwarts according to Jo Illsley of the Walled Garden at Mells.

“I use a lot of perennials because there’s only so far that a cornflower can go,” she says. “Alchemilla is the perfect mixer for sweet peas and really livens up an arrangement. You have to catch it before it’s pollinated as it quickly becomes a rather dirty yellow.”

She also loves the zingy vibrant greens of euphorbia in spring bouquets but says you have to be careful of the irritant sap. I can imagine a bold bouquet of euphorbia and bright tulips making quite a splash on the table at home. The plants that are almost background in the garden can make a marvellous supporting cast in an arrangement. Things like hostas, grasses, holly and ivy are invaluable for their foliage while easy growing perennials such as the lovely globe thistle can be a complete show stopper in a vase.

“I love perovskia atriplicifolia, Russian sage, which is a soft and mauvey blue with tall spikes of flowers that help to create softly coloured arrangements with a late summer haze,” says Jo. I love it too for that same soft haziness but had never thought of putting it in a vase. I will now and I’ll be looking at my perennials in a different way.

Herbal pot pourri “People always forget about herbs but they make fantastic cut flowers and 80 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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foliage,” says Jo. “Mints are fab. Gorgeous fresh green apple mint before it flowers, then as the summer peaks you get the soft lavender flowers and it smells divine.”

Rosemary and fennel are also striking for both scent and foliage and easy to grow while marjoram is good for smaller arrangements with its daintier foliage and pink flowers.

Easy annuals The great thing about annuals for cutting is that you can dot them into the border, kitchen garden, pots or wherever you have some space. I love easy to grow varieties like cosmos and sweet peas as well as cottage garden favourites such as nigella which is useful for both its flowers and its structural seedpods.

Jo can’t get enough of poppies for the same reason, whether annual or perennial varieties. Having grown the annual herb dill in our annual bed at the Priory I’m with Sarah Raven in championing the floral qualities of this underrated umbellifer. Last but not least my heart goes out to the humble but oh-so-lovely pot marigold, calendula. Always easy and reliable and one of the best oranges in the plant kingdom, it won’t fill a tall vase but for it’s perfect for some Bristol Blue or Bath Aqua glass.

Get inspired Visit the 17th century Walled Garden at Mells in Somerset for British grown cut-flowers, gorgeous garden plants and the Garden Café serving delicious homemade light lunches and teas.

You can attend a workshop or course to learn how to grow, condition and

Jo’s tips for growing cut flowers ● Growing: stake and net taller varieties. You want tall straight stems not a tangle of impossible to cut ones. Whenever I cut corners on this I regret it. ● Cutting and conditioning: use fresh clean water. Don't be afraid to use the tactic of dunking the stem ends in 5cm of boiling water for five seconds and then straight into cool fresh water. It works and revives flagging blooms in an emergency. ● Arranging: relax and remember you are a gardener who is familiar with the texture of plants growing together in the wild. Often for large wedding arrangements I start with the image of a gorgeous, mixed hedgerow in my mind and add the flowers at the end as an act of final indulgent luxury.

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CUT AND COLOUR: opposite, clockwise from far left; cosmos, lady’s mantle, sweet peas, euphorbia and nigella, also known as love-in-a-mist Above, scenes from The Walled Garden at Mells

arrange flowers from your garden.

The classes are relaxed and fun, with a mixture of hands on techniques, helpful tips and demonstrations which are equally suitable for beginners and those with more gardening experience who would like to gain confidence with arranging flowers from their own gardens.

The Walled Garden at Mells, Rectory Garden, Selwood Street, Mells BA113PN. Tel: 01373 812597. Web: www.thewalledgardenatmells.co.uk. Email: jo@thewalledgardenatmells.co.uk Georgie Newbery and Fabrizio Boccha, a husband and wife team growing British cut flowers near Wincanton in Somerset,

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

grow nearly everything they use in their floristry.

They send bouquets by post 12 months a year, supply and arrange wedding flowers throughout Somerset, the south west, and in London, and run workshops on subjects ranging from Flower Farming for Beginners to Social Media for Businesses.

The British cut flowers by post are eco grown flowers, sent from their smallholding near Wincanton in Somerset.

Common Farm Flowers, Charlton Musgrove, Somerset. Tel: 08458 946770. Web: www.commonfarmflowers.com. Email: georgie@commonfarmflowers.com. â– Jane Moore is the award-winning gardener at the Bath Priory Hotel, you can follow her on Twitter @janethegardener.

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Courting the past Andrew Swift sets out a route for a four mile walk which takes in two of Wiltshire’s finest open gardens, The Courts at Holt and Great Chalfield manor house

U

nder normal circumstances, this month’s walk should be an undemanding four-mile stroll between two of Wiltshire’s finest gardens, taking in a medieval manor and a lost spa, with a choice of two country pubs along the way. When I rewalked it a few weeks ago, however, although the lanes posed no problem, many of the fields were waterlogged; at one point, aided by the passing and repassing of tractors, the footpath had been rendered impassable, with mud deep and viscous enough to swamp the most robust of walking boots. By the time you read this, it should have dried out sufficiently to be passable once again; if it hasn’t an alternative is suggested.

The walk starts outside Great Chalfield Manor (ST860632), a mile north of Holt, which is on the B3107 midway between Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham. From here, head west along a tarmaced bridleway towards Little Chalfield.

The lane soon heads into flat, open country and if you’re lucky you’ll hear skylarks trilling overhead. After passing under electricity cables, turn left, following a footpath sign between a range of buildings (ST851634).

After 75 metres, bear left past a barn and cross a stile.

Follow a track bearing diagonally to the right towards a small building and cross another stile. Follow a path alongside a stream before crossing a bridge and heading along the path on the other side.

After 50 metres, the path twists right to carry on along a green lane, although, as this is very muddy, with a stream flowing along it, many walkers have opted to head straight on and follow a path along the edge of the field. This runs parallel to the green lane and after 400 metres both arrive at a lane, along which you turn left (ST851627).

After 500 metres turn right along a road signposted to Holt. After passing the Dower House, the lane runs alongside a wall ending at the gates to Holt Manor, where you will see a footpath bearing left. Don’t take it but carry on along the road for 100 metres, before taking the next footpath on the left (ST855623).

After walking between fences for 150 metres, cross a stile and carry on with the hedgerow on your right. After 200 metres, a stream curves in from the right. Carry on alongside it and, after going through a kissing gate (KG), turn right along a drive (ST859620). When you come to a road, turn right and at the main road cross to the entrance to the Courts. A right turn along 82 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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the main road here will lead you to Holt’s two pubs – the Tollgate and the Old Ham Tree.

On leaving the Courts, cross the main road and head back up the side road you walked along earlier. Follow it round to the right past one of the best-preserved ranges of old industrial buildings in Wiltshire, including a factory with a clock and hoist high in the gable end. After passing an old redbrick fire station, look out for a niche on the side of the Old Pump House with a plaque recalling the spa which was established nearby in 1720.

Just past this, as the road swings right, turn left, following a footpath to the right of the road leading to a new housing development. Carry on through a KG and follow a faint track straight ahead across the field.

When you reach a stile (ST861623), you have a choice. Normally, the preferred option would be not to cross the stile but head to the right of it and carry on alongside the hedge as the field narrows and dips towards a KG (ST860625), where there is a bridge over a stream.

However, this is the section that was recently impassable. If you can negotiate it, carry on up the next field, following the right-hand track towards a gate.

Carry on alongside a hedge and, crossing a farm track, go through another KG. Keeping the wood on your right, head for and cross a footbridge (ST861630), before making for the top left-hand corner of the next field, where a KG leads onto a road, with Great Chalfield Manor straight ahead.

The other option is to cross the stile and head diagonally across the field towards a gap in the hedge.

After crossing two more stiles, head up the field, to emerge by the gates of Holt Manor (ST856624). Turn right along the road, right at the T junction and carry on for 1250 metres to Great Chalfield Manor.

Great Chalfield was built in the 1470s for Wiltshire landowner William Tropnell. It remains a very fine medieval moated manor house, with oriel windows and which evokes that era with its oak furniture and Flemish tapestries. Parliamentary troops were stationed here for two years during the English Civil War in the mid-17th century, when the house was briefly beseiged by the King’s men, which it withstood implacably from behind its moat.

The gardens were largely laid out in the Arts and Crafts style, with upper and lower moats, yew houses and herbaceous borders and orchard,

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OUT&ABOUT

FURTHER INFORMATION ■ ■ ■ ■

designed for Robert Fuller at the beginning of the 20th century

by Parsons and Partridge and have been replanted in recent years.

The gardens at the Courts and Great Chalfield are both largely flat, with impressive water features and a mixture of formal and informal planting. The house at the Courts is not open to the public but the manor at Great Chalfield is – which is why the walk starts and ends there. Boots caked with mud picked up on Left, inset, an 18th the way across the fields from Holt would be decidedly century plaque marks the site of the Holt spa unwelcome, and a change of footwear will let you take a guided tour of this moated medieval manor appropriately shod. It should also be pointed out that unfortunately dogs are not permitted in either of the gardens. ■ GARDEN TRAIL: main picture, the calm waters of the moat at Great Chalfield and above, The Courts at Holt, owned by the National Trust

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■

■

Length of walk: four miles Map: OS EXplorer 156 Approximate time: 1½ – 2 hours Refreshment stops: the Tollgate (01225 782326) and the Old Ham Tree (01225 782581) at Holt both serve lunches, although the Tollgate is closed on Mondays; there is also a tea room at the Courts.

The Courts and Great Chalfield are National Trust properties. The Courts is open daily (except Wednesdays) from 11am – 5.30pm. Great Chalfield is open from 1 April on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11am – 5pm and on Sundays, 2pm – 5pm.

Chalfield Manor has the best plant sale for miles around. This year’s charity sale is on Sunday 4 May from 10.30am – 4pm, raising funds for Jamie’s Farm.

There’ll be more than 30 stalls plus a hog roast, soup, cake and tea.

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Retirement choice that’s right for you

Woodland Court’s retirement living concept offers a new lifestyle alternative for older people. We provide you with the opportunity to enjoy genuine independence, together with the option to call upon professional care and support to suit changing needs.

Living at Woodland Court allows you to live in your own home with a lifestyle of your choosing.

For more information and to request a brochure, contact us by: Phone: 0117 906 1400 Email:woodlandenquiries@brunelcare.org.uk Post: Woodland Court, Partridge Drive (off Overndale Road), Downend, Bristol, BS16 2RF www.woodlandcourt.org.uk

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to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

Baby Equipment

Gardening Advertise your Business in this space for as little as £55 per month and get 2 FREE. To advertise in the directory call us on

01225 424 499 Baby Equipment Hire in and around Bath www.babyquip-bath.co.uk

• Paving, Patios, Paths • • Decking, Fencing, Pergolas, Sheds • •Walls, Steps • •Turfing, Planting, Pruning & Hedge trimming • • Grass cutting and strimming •

Garden wildlife, conservation and restoration specialists

www.earleslandscapes.co.uk

t: 01761 471825 m: 07812245476

TEL: 01225 424499 Advertising that keeps working

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing ALISON HEATHER SUTTON

07528 074960

Self Empowered Electricians

Thinking

We are what we think we are.

Learn to think the thoughts that create better feelings and let go of those that don’t.

Hypnosis NLP Coaching Beautiful Bath City centre location Evening and weekend appointments

07713 626673 www.alisonheathersutton.co.uk

ONEMAGAZINE ONECITY ONEMONTH

Gardening

Neil Gibson - Bowen Technique Practitioner BSc hons, ECBS, RFCES

Highly effective remedial treatment for musculoskeletal problems including: Back & neck pain • Joint pains • Sciatica • Frozen shoulder Sports injury • Hay fever & asthma Clinics at Widcombe Surgery. Free on site parking available

RHS Silver Medal winner 2012 • Award winning Garden Design • • All aspects of Garden Construction • • Driveway specialist • • Expert planting • • Garden maintenance • • Attention to detail • Reliability of service • • Highly experienced •

TEL: 01225 424499 Advertising that keeps working

Mob: 07967 078 058 Tel: 01225 789990

Call Neil on 07774 010963

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Viv Kenchington Solution Focused Hypnotherapist & Reflexologist

HPD, DHP, MNCH (Reg), AfSFH, DipReflex, MIFR

Depression,Anxiety, Stress, Phobias,Anger,Weight or Performance issues?

Help change happen fast with effective professional treatments in Bath and Wiltshire

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Free initial consultation & parking available

Contact: 07974 153487 email: info@hypnotherapyandhealth.co.uk website: www.hypnotherapyandhealth.co.uk

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to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

Baby Equipment

Gardening Advertise your Business in this space for as little as £55 per month and get 2 FREE. To advertise in the directory call us on

01225 424 499 Baby Equipment Hire in and around Bath www.babyquip-bath.co.uk

• Paving, Patios, Paths • • Decking, Fencing, Pergolas, Sheds • •Walls, Steps • •Turfing, Planting, Pruning & Hedge trimming • • Grass cutting and strimming •

Garden wildlife, conservation and restoration specialists

www.earleslandscapes.co.uk

t: 01761 471825 m: 07812245476

TEL: 01225 424499 Advertising that keeps working

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing ALISON HEATHER SUTTON

07528 074960

Self Empowered Electricians

Thinking

We are what we think we are.

Learn to think the thoughts that create better feelings and let go of those that don’t.

Hypnosis NLP Coaching Beautiful Bath City centre location Evening and weekend appointments

07713 626673 www.alisonheathersutton.co.uk

ONEMAGAZINE ONECITY ONEMONTH

Gardening

Neil Gibson - Bowen Technique Practitioner BSc hons, ECBS, RFCES

Highly effective remedial treatment for musculoskeletal problems including: Back & neck pain • Joint pains • Sciatica • Frozen shoulder Sports injury • Hay fever & asthma Clinics at Widcombe Surgery. Free on site parking available

RHS Silver Medal winner 2012 • Award winning Garden Design • • All aspects of Garden Construction • • Driveway specialist • • Expert planting • • Garden maintenance • • Attention to detail • Reliability of service • • Highly experienced •

TEL: 01225 424499 Advertising that keeps working

Mob: 07967 078 058 Tel: 01225 789990

Call Neil on 07774 010963

www.ngbowen.com ONEMAGAZINEONECITYONEMONTH

Viv Kenchington Solution Focused Hypnotherapist & Reflexologist

HPD, DHP, MNCH (Reg), AfSFH, DipReflex, MIFR

Depression,Anxiety, Stress, Phobias,Anger,Weight or Performance issues?

Help change happen fast with effective professional treatments in Bath and Wiltshire

IS AVAILABLE TO PICK UP FOR FREE AT

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Free initial consultation & parking available

Contact: 07974 153487 email: info@hypnotherapyandhealth.co.uk website: www.hypnotherapyandhealth.co.uk

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to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499 House & Home

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

House & Home

The Cabinet Painter WHY BUY A NEW KITCHEN? Transform your kitchen and bedroom furniture, with a professional hand painted finish

www.thecabinetpainter.co.uk • Mobile: 07775 773446 Excellent Decorating Service with 20 years experience

Specialist Vehicle Services

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

TEL: 01225 424499 Advertising that keeps working

IS AVAILABLE AT

GUITAR LESSONS BEGINNERS WELCOME: Half hour & hour lessons Block bookings Electric & Acoustic styles, Lead & Rhythm, Fingerpicking styles, Pop rock & blues.

Learn four basic chords in the first lesson Please contact Colin on

(01225) 344046 for enquires and prices.

OLDFIELD PARK, BATH

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THEBATHMAGAZINE

ENJOY A GREAT MAGAZINE WITH GREAT COFFEE

Pritchard PIF APRIL 2014.qxp:PIF Full Page

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PROPERTYin FOCUS

H

igh Orchard is situated at the top of Ralph Allen Drive, opposite Prior Park College with far reaching views over the college and National Trust parkland. The walk into town is approximately 20 minutes with the amenities in Combe Down or Widcombe being even more accessible. The house itself was originally built in the 1950’s and has been significantly extended and improved. It is decorated in contemporary style and in contrast to many older properties the rooms have a spacious, light and uncluttered feel. There are two storeys; on the ground floor there is a magnificent entrance hall, dining room, living room, stylish Smallbone kitchen/breakfast room and a cloakroom. All of the principal rooms on the ground floor have access to the garden. Upstairs there are four double bedrooms, a potential fifth bedroom with a pretty balcony, two en suite bathrooms with Jacuzzis, an en suite shower room and a family bathroom. The property is surrounded by a very attractive garden and there is an integral double garage.

High Orchard is exceptional for the quality of workmanship and choice of materials throughout and will appeal to buyers searching for a spacious and impressive family home. Viewing is by appointment with agents Pritchards.

HIGH ORCHARD COMBE DOWN • A magnificent, extended family home • Convenient for city and Prior Park School • Four double bedrooms - 3 en suite • Attractive gardens and great views • Double garage and parking

Guide price: £1,300,000

Pritchards, 11 Quiet Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 466225 WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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THINKINGproperty

Home staging for French property perfect presentation en vogue for British buyers Sharon Clesham, Senior Associate at The Apartment Company gives her 7 Essential Home Staging Accessories for 2014.

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ome staging, or property styling, as it’s sometimes called, can add huge value and ‘saleability’ to your property. Whilst in Sharon Clesham the US, sellers are often prepared to spend thousands of dollars on their properties before marketing them, in the UK, we are somewhat more cautious! One way to add some polish to your home for photography and viewings, is to add some stylish but inexpensive accessories. Here is our pick of the very best home staging accessories you can buy for under £100 to bring your home bang up to date.

1. A huge mirror

– this will add light and depth when hung in your hallway, over your fireplace or even hung lengthways in your dining room or kitchen.

2. Decorative lamps – use them to light up a dim corner, in a hallway or living room. Even kitchens will look more cosy with a lamp lit instead of the overhead lights, or as well as. A stylish floor lamp or two will add a touch of luxury to your reception rooms.

3. Vases – fill them with flowers, twigs or even fruit! Keep the vase in proportion with your room, sticking with shorter ones in rooms with low ceilings. Try filling your vase with lemons, oranges or shiny green apples for a really contemporary staging trick in your kitchen.

Brits Looking to Buy a Dream Home in France attend Hamptons International ‘French Property Seminar’’ at its Gay Street branch in Bath.

L

atest figures from leading UK residential agent, Hamptons International highlight that demand for properties in France has increased by 20 per cent compared with the same time last year. To respond to this increased demand, Hamptons International hosted a successful three day ‘French Property Seminar’ event last week across its network in Amersham, Bath and Battersea.

France is one of the most sought after second home destinations for British buyers looking to purchase abroad due to its ease of access from the UK, value for money and the range of properties available. Hamptons International has over 5,000 properties available to buy in France ranging in price from £50k right up to £15 million in a range of popular locations from Aquitaine, Dordogne and Brittany to Cote D’Azur and Corsica.

Neal Wood, Associate Director of Hamptons International in Bath says: “Over the past year, we’ve seen a notable increase in prospective buyers enquiring about French property. As a result, it seemed an obvious step to host a seminar designed to offer our expertise to those looking to purchase in France” On the market: A beautiful farmhouse; Civray, Poitou Charentes, France.

Price: £292,741

4. New, fluffy towels – stick to either white or, if your bathrooms are very plain, try a splash of colour. Tired old towels never show well, but if you do buy new, don’t let anyone use them! Bring them out just for viewings.

5. Rugs – As much as we would like to hope spring will bring a welcome respite to all this rain, remember the saying ‘Ne’er cast a clout ‘till May be out’! Prepare for the worst weather, and hope for the best. Have a good mat at the door for people to wipe their feet, and somewhere to put an umbrella.

If your apartment is close to the main front door to the building, consider buying some shoe protectors, and keep them in a little basket by the front door. Not only will it keep your carpets clean, your visitors will be thankful not to have to remove their shoes.

6. Cushions – are a really effective way to instantly update that fading suite and add colour, texture and interest at the same time. They don’t necessarily need to match; choose two or three co-ordinating designs and mix and match to create a carelessly artful look.

7. Atmosphere – this is free! Create the right ambience for your viewings by playing some great contemporary music in the background. Try James Blunt or Adele for a modern but subtle feel. Scented candles can really set the scene, but make sure it’s not too overpowering.

Set the stage right, and your viewers won’t help falling in love with your home. If you’d like further information or advice on staging your home for sale, please give us a call on 01225 471 144 or visit www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk twitter: @apartmentco

“The evening was a great success and attracted those living locally as well as those from much further afield. All attendees listened intently to the informative presentation and came armed with their questions on the buying process, suitable locations and the importance of integrating into the community.”

At the event, cheese and wine was provided and Hamptons International’s French partner, Joanna Leggett, a British national who has lived and worked in France for the past 10 years, presented on the buying process in France and offering insightful top tips on the best locations to buy.

Joanna Leggett added: “I was thrilled to be involved in the property seminar and it was fantastic to see such a great turn out of prospective purchasers wanting to buy in a variety of locations in France.

“France is undoubtedly a great choice for British buyers - over the last 12 months prices have fallen by 1.7 per cent, with bigger falls in more rural areas. Perceived value aside, France is a country which offers a beautiful array of properties, great weather and a relaxed way of life and should be top of any buyers list!”

For more information, please contact your local Hamptons International branch in Bath on 01225 312244.

Hamptons International, 32 Gay Street, Bath, BA1 2NT.

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pritchard-partners.co.uk

Westwood Nr Bradford On Avon A generously proportioned 4 bedroom detached family house pleasantly situated on a good sized corner plot in a small no through road in this sought after village, South East of Bath. Int area: 2411 sq ft/224 sq m.

Ent hall with cloakroom off, 2 receptions & lg conservatory, kitchen/breakfast room. utility room, study, spacious master bedroom suite with dressing area and en suite shower room, 3 further bedrooms -1 en suite & family bathroom. Good sized gardens. Double garage & abundant driveway parking.

Price: ÂŁ625,000

Hilperton, Nr Trowbridge A beautifully presented, superior quality 4 bed detached house on a most sought after road. Greatly enhanced by current owners with underfloor heating throughout & set in lovely gardens.

Sitting room opening to garden, kitchen/breakfast room & utility, dining room, master bedroom with fabulous en suite 3 further bedrooms & bathroom (refitted suite).

Int area: 1816 sq ft/168.7 sq m. Double garage & ample parking.

Price: ÂŁ595,000

Scan to access our Website Homepage

PRITCHARDS April.indd 1

11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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We are interested in purchasing a property letting agency or taking on a portfolio of properties in Bath or the surrounding area.

Every month The Bath Magazine brings you a selection of properties from Bath’s most commercially active estate agents. These agents advertise with us as part of their broad selection of print and online media to ensure your property is marketed to the highest standards and the greatest audience.

Complete discretion assured.

If you are thinking of selling your property this year, then consider using one of our featured estate agencies to give you the best possible service.

Cash buyer.

Please email : jane@sonicstate.com

Justify your choice of estate agent and get the exposure you’ve been promised.

Bath’s biggest monthly magazine Also online at www.thebathmag.co.uk

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APRIL 2014

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PROPERTYin FOCUS

LACOCK £4,000PCM A stunning barn conversion forming a spectacular five bedroom single storey house wrapped around a private open courtyard, this property has been recently renovated and redecorated to the highest possible standard throughout. The house forms part of an exclusive gated community which is surrounded by fantastic panoramic views over National Trust land and the rural Wiltshire countryside.

Located a mile and a half east of the picturesque National Trust village of Lacock, the property also enjoys convenient access to Chippenham and the M4 motorway. At the front of the house is a generously sized living room with a stylish wall mounted Jetmaster fire, natural slate hearth and three floor to ceiling solid oak patio doors which lead out into the enclosed central courtyard. The courtyard itself is comprised of a combination of decking, paving and small, neat flower beds and offers a wonderfully private, peaceful and scenic outdoor space. A pair of oak sliding patio doors lead into a striking kitchen/dining room with stone flooring, black granite worktops and handsome exposed beams that display the original barn construction. Adjacent to the kitchen is a bright and airy drawing room with tall patio doors which flood the room with natural light and lead onto a decked area on the external side of the house. At the rear of the property is a second entrance hall with striking red brick walls and large patio doors connecting the central courtyard with the barn's exterior. The house has five good sized double bedrooms, two of which have elegant contemporary en-suite shower rooms with slate tiled flooring and walk-in showers. Separating the bedrooms is a luxuriously fitted family bathroom with a fixed showerhead over the bath and a bidet.

Reside Bath Limited, 24 Barton Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 445777

CAMDEN ROAD £1,100,000 Claremont Villa is a splendid detached Georgian residence, significantly one of only fourteen in Bath. The property occupies an impressive south facing elevated position, commanding wonderful views of the city and sits handsomely in beautifully manicured landscaped gardens. The property has immaculately presented flexible accommodation over four floors with a wealth of period features, including handsome fireplaces, intricate period cornicing and architraving, working shutters and feature balconette. The impressive front door leads into the ground floor hallway with solid oak flooring, and a welcoming snug / study to the front and en suite guest bedroom to the rear. On the first floor is an elegant formal drawing room, which enjoys the stunning views, linked by wedding doors to a withdrawing room to the rear. The upper floor houses a grand master bedroom, a further single bedroom, currently being used as a gym, and a well appointed shower room. In traditional Georgian style the kitchen is in the lower ground floor and also accessed independently from the front.

This pleasing open plan family space offers a range of quality built in units and equipment and plenty of built in storage. The kitchen is linked with a large dining / family area, all with striking Parquet flooring. In addition there is large bath and shower room on this level and access to a pretty ornamental courtyard to the rear.

Externally, there are a wealth of mature shrubs and trees, including several fruit trees and an impressive Yew tree. There are several pretty paved sun terraces, an ornamental courtyard and a single garage with plenty of on street residents’ parking on Camden Road.

Cobb Farr Residential, 35 Brock Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 333332

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Pilton, Shepton Mallet This fantastic detached cottage retains a wealth of character features whilst being modern where it needs to be! Formerly 2 cottages, it has been skilfully converted to create one large family home and is situated in an idyllic position with fantastic countryside views. The downstairs comprises of a decent size sitting room, separate dining room with flagstone floors and fireplace, large study, conservatory and a modern country style kitchen/ breakfast room. Upstairs there are 5 double bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The gardens are all maintained with a garage and parking for several cars.

£1,850 pcm • • • • •

5 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Idyllic position Large garden Parkings

Bath Office

Lettings 01225 458546 | Sales. 01225 459817

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Norfolk Court A stylish and contemporary one bedroom apartment, beautifully finished throughout, situated on the first floor of an exclusive development on the fringes of Bath city centre. Gated off street parking, a private balcony and solar panels make this the penthouse apartment in the building.

Rent: ÂŁ895 pcm* new and exclusive secured development | open plan living room | modern fitted kitchen | private balcony | double bedroom | contemporary fitted shower room | gated off-street parking | solar panels 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 ÂŁ350.00 + VAT applies.

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Tricorne House, Bradford-on-Avon. £350,000 One fine day in 1745 somebody took a diamond ring to etch a cartoon of a Georgian gent compete with wig and tricorne hat on a window pane. This initial act of vandalism inspired the name of the property & sets the tone for everything else at this delightfully different home bang in the town centre.

Expect the unexpected at Tricorne House!

Where else in the world would one scramble through a 17th century fireplace to reach the bathroom? An individual & enigmatic home!

The ground floor has a welcoming entrance hall with flagstones opening into the kitchen with lovely seating around the fire. There is a beautifully intimate dining room also with a pretty fireplace. Utility area & a study which doubles as a spare bedroom. Upstairs we find a fabulous sitting room with massive beams and window seat. Up again we reach the beautiful bedroom with similar beams & access to the roof terrace – perfect for breakfast!

The enchanting gardens are a short walk away & lovingly landscaped – they really are something special, a real haven. Note – No parking!

Langdale House, Bradford-on-Avon. £695,000 The broad entrance hall sets the scene for the rest of the house as the accommodation is generous and well proportioned. The sitting room is dual aspect and has a fireplace & adjoining study area. The dining room seems to be the perfect place for lively dinner parties. We also find a large kitchen breakfast room, cloakroom & utility. There are five bedrooms, master with ensuite.

The house enjoys an elevated position with landscaped terraces offering very pleasant places to sit and enjoy the sunshine at both the front and rear of this handsome house.

There is plenty of space for the keen gardener to get stuck into. Double garage & parking.

Situated near to the town centre at the top of Whiteheads Lane – nestled into the “bowl” of the northern slopes. Access to the pretty town centre’s enviable market town amenities including an eclectic mix of shops & various comfortable places to eat & drink. We also find the Library, Doctor and Dentist’s surgeries, banks and of course the railway station with links to city centre shopping & entertainment in nearby Bath.

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

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hunter french

town and country specialists

Biddestone, Wiltshire

ÂŁ485,000

Weavers Cottage is an utterly charming Grade II listed, three double bedroom, end of terrace stone built cottage situated in the quintessential English village of Biddestone, which is renowned for its stunning Cotswold cottages and attractive village green and duck pond.

Kingsdown, Nr Bath

ÂŁ495,000

Enjoy the incredible views and sunsets over the beautiful Box valley from this immaculately presented 1960's four bedroom detached home. This light and spacious home is perched on the slopes of Kingsdown and is only 5 miles from central Bath. Spacious and light entrance hall, kitchen/dining room, sitting room with dining room open plan, four bedrooms, one en suite & one bathroom, undecroft and garage. Terraced garden with summer house/office.

Corsham Office: 01249 715775 www.hunterfrench.co.uk

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e: info@hunterfrench.co.uk

Fidelis

Residential Sales & Lettings

Westfield Close

01225 421000 wwww.fidelisproperties.co.uk

ÂŁ375,000

Three Bedroom Generous Family Home Occupying a Corner Plot in this Much Sought After Road Open Plan Living/Dining Room Giving Direct Access to the Garden | Kitchen | Utility | 3 Bedrooms | Bathroom | Single Garage and Driveway parking | EPC Rating tbc

Wellsway

ÂŁ415,000

A Classic Poets Corner Home Offering Spacious Well Balanced Family Accommodation Close to Bear Flat and Within Walking Distance of the City Centre Living Room | Dining Room | Kitchen/Breakfast Room | 3 Double Bedrooms | Bathroom | Good Size Garden | Walking Distance of City Centre and Bath Spa Station | EPC Rating D

Fidelis Estate Agents 134 Wells Road, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 3AH

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Fidelis

Residential Sales & Lettings

Shoscombe

01225 421000 wwww.fidelisproperties.co.uk

£229,950

A Very Attractive 2 Bedroom Stone Built Cottage Set in An Idyllic Rural Location With Beautiful Views Offered for Sale with No Onward Chain Rural Location Yet Close To Bath | Beautiful Views | Lovely Front and Rear Gardens | Off Street Parking for One Car | Further Parking Available | Cosy Living Room with Multi Fuel / Wood Stove | Kitchen | Master Bedroom | Single Bedroom | Both Bedrooms With Window Seats | Period Features | Neutral Décor | No Onward Chain | EPC Rating E

Peasedown St John

£329,950

A Striking Contemporary 4 Bedroom Family Home with Generous Garden and Off Road Parking Living Room | Kitchen/Dining/Family Room | Utility | Office/Music Room | Cloakroom | Master Bedroom with En-suite Shower Room | 3 Further Bedrooms | Family Bathroom | EPC Rating C

Fidelis Estate Agents 134 Wells Road, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 3AH

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PRIORY CLOSE

ÂŁ675,000

This superb, extended, detached family home occupies an exclusive and most sought-after location close to the world famous Prior Park School. The property features large, lovely gardens, an additional master bedroom (above the garage) and the benefit of no onward chain. It will make a fantastic family home within easy reach of the City of Bath beyond.

Entrance porch, hallway, sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, cloakroom, 4 bedrooms and bathroom. Large, southerly, near-level gardens, off-street parking and garage. Gas central heating and double glazing. Approximate gross internal floor area: 1,805 square feet / 168 square metres.

1 Hayes Place, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 4QW

01225 422 224

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LONGFELLOW AVENUE

ÂŁ455,000

Crammed with period features, such as beautiful fireplaces and ceiling plaster work, this elegant Poet's Corner classic takes pride of position on the south side of this most sought-after leafy Avenue.

Vestibule, hallway, sitting room, dining room, breakfast room, kitchen, downstairs cloakroom, 3 bedrooms, bathroom and separate WC. Southerly gardens. Approximate gross internal floor area: 1275 square feet / 118 square metres.

CARLINGCOTT

ÂŁ405,000

The ultimate country cottage - replete with immense curb appeal, fabulous gardens and parking, as well as generous accommodation.

Become part of Carlingcott's village life, just 6 miles from the City of Bath. Chain free.

Double stone entrance porches, vestibule, hallway, sitting room, dining room, eat-in kitchen, breakfast room, utility room, cloakroom, bedroom four/office, three further bedrooms and bathroom. Generous rear gardens with patio, garage, large lawns and vegetable plot. Attractive front gardens with plentiful parking. Approximate gross internal floor area: 2,125 square feet / 198 square metres.

www.mark-naylor.com

email: homes@mark-naylor.com

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To sell a home is to sell a lifestyle. Matthew Blower, partner at Fine & Country Bath shows how presenting the seller’s story helps to sell a house.

Walking into a house offered for sale, buyers are looking for something more than a sequence of rooms.They are looking for a life that they can see themselves living. It is this lifestyle image that transforms a house from bricks and mortar into a home.

In a physical sense, neutral décor and only a few personal objects within the house during a viewing can help potential purchasers stretch their imaginations. Instead of picturing your life in the property, they can start visualising their own.This is the moment that sells a house: where practical considerations are swept aside and emotions step to the fore.

A smart seller will do everything in their power to help strengthen the emotional bond for the potential buyer, but how? One of the biggest aids is a vendor interview, which can be presented in print and in videoette format. It is the job of the Fine & Country team of journalists to carry out this interview and draw out from the seller what is special about their house. A videoette is a short video showing images of the property with an actor’s voiceover featured on the Fine & Country website.

A strong vendor interview gives a unique insight into life at a property. It should include information about the locality; the closest schools and sporting clubs, a great café down the road, the best walks for the dogs, the fabulous organic market held every Tuesday, and the cycling track five minutes from the front door. More than a generic guide to the area, this triggers the potential buyer’s imagination, offering glimpses of what their new life could be like.

Vendor interviews also provide the perfect opportunity to highlight features of the house in a personal way.This is not about the facts of the property, but rather about the property’s role in a desirable lifestyle. Perhaps there is a nook in the study that is a perfect spot for afternoon reading as the sun shines directly through the bay windows?

Or the basement rumpus room that is so well insulated that it makes the perfect play area for the grandchildren?

The herb garden along the garden wall could mean fresh herbs year round in the kitchen. Whatever the lure, the role of the vendor interview is to present these personal elements as hidden virtues of the property.

A house can be a bedroom, a bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen. Or it can be a home that is part of a vibrant community, offering the lifestyle a buyer aspires to.The difference is not in the property. It is in how it is presented to potential buyers. A vendor interview breathes life into a property, giving buyers a glimpse of a lifestyle that they can aspire to: the first stage towards making your home theirs.

For more property advice or to find out how Fine & Country can help you move, telephone 01225 320032 or visit www.fineandcountry.com

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

New INstruCtIoN

Cold Ashton

Guide Price £1.95m

A most attractive period residence benefitting from an idyllic and tranquil setting yet very accessible to Bath City Centre. The principal accommodation provides five bedrooms and four reception rooms plus a bespoke kitchen. A separate bedroom suite, a 70ft barn, swimming pool and grounds of approximately five acres add to the neat package of this wonderful home enjoying far reaching views but also so close to the city. EPC:D

• • • • • •

6 Bedrooms 4 Receptions Period Residence Barn and Swimming Pool Gardens and Paddock Close To Bath

Bath Office

Sales. 01225 459817 | Lettings 01225 458546

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New INstruCtIoN

Claverton A unique and desirable home just four miles south-east of Bath. The reception rooms and bedrooms are situated around a stunning ground floor reception hall and first floor open plan drawing room. Further features include a detached two storey studio and neat garden with a large terrace to enjoy the views of the canal and the Limpley Stoke Valley.

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Guide Price £1.25m • • • • • •

4 Bedroom Suites 3 Receptions Stunning First Floor Drawing Room Aga Kitchen Detached Studio Panoramic Canal Views

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Great Pulteney Street

OIEO £350,000

Grade I listed | Georgian apartment | Beautifully appointed | Open plan kitchen | Prestigious address | Second floor | Luxury bath and shower room | Stunning views This stunning Grade I listed two bedroom apartment that offers spacious, well presented accommodation all just a level walk from the City Centre.

This second floor apartment comprises: two bedrooms, master with en suite, main bathroom, sitting room with open plan kitchen and a main bathroom. This perfectly located apartment is just moments away from Bath’s finest restaurants, shops and historic attractions.

Russel Street

OIEO £350,000

Grade II listed | Georgian apartment | Beautifully presented | Bright and spacious | Two double bedrooms | Sought after location | Short walk to the City Centre Situated on the highly sought after Russel Street this charming and beautifully presented apartment comprises: a bright and spacious sitting room, fitted kitchen, large master bedroom, second double bedroom with access to a courtyard garden and a modern bathroom. This characterful property benefits from a wealth of period features and close proximity to Bath’s famous historical landmarks and the finest restaurants and shops.

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The Paragon

OIEO £210,000

Grade II listed | Prime central location | First floor living | Period features | Modern kitchen | Luxury shower room | Wrought iron balcony | Bright and spacious | Highly recommended This super one bedroom first floor apartment is situated in a great central location on the Paragon, moments away from the City Centre, with views across Hedgemead Park. This beautiful apartment comprises: spacious drawing room with original features including a feature fireplace, wainscoting and ornate cornicing, double bedroom, and modern kitchen and bathroom. With stunning views and a central location, this apartment is one not to miss!

St. Martin’s Court

OIEO £230,000

Contemporary apartment | Open plan living | Spacious accommodation | Modern kitchen | Two large double bedrooms | Luxury bathroom Allocated parking space | EPC rating: B

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Located to the south of the city, this contemporary two bedroom apartment provides bright and spacious accommodation comprising: large open plan kitchen/sitting room, master bedroom with modern en-suite shower room, second good sized double bedroom and a luxury bathroom. With its own parking space and excellent bus routes to Bath and Bristol, early viewing is highly recommended.

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Cavendish Place

£950 pcm Edward Street

Georgian apartment | Immaculately presented | Centrally located | Council Tax Band: D | Furnished | Available now | Agency fees: £350+vat

£925 pcm

Period apartment | Council Tax Band: C | Sought after location | Furnished/unfurnished | Agency fees: £350+vat | Available in mid June

This immaculately presented apartment is located within an impressive A spectacular one bedroom ground floor furnished period apartment within level walking distance to the City Centre shops and amenities.

Georgian house and offers spacious living accommodation.

Green Park

£895 pcm Darlington Street

£850 pcm

Grade II listed | Furnished/Unfurnished | Parking: Central Zone | Available Grade II listed | Georgian Apartment | No Pets | Parking: Residents Parking Permit - Zone 1 | Agency fees: £350+vat | Available immediately immediately | Agency fees: £350+vat | Close to Train and Bus Stations This is a beautifully presented apartment situated on the first floor of a One bedroom well-proportioned top floor apartment in a prime location and a short level walk from Bath’s finest historical landmarks.

Grade II listed building boasting many original features.

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Lansdown A beautifully presented contemporary home positioned in this wonderful semi-rural setting, yet in the heart of Lansdown | spacious entrance hall | inner hall | open plan sitting room, dining area and kitchen | snug | study | master bedroom with en suite dressing room and wet room | 3 further bedrooms (2 en suite) | bathroom | balcony with far reaching views | summer house | established garden | parking for several cars | Guide Price: ÂŁ995,000

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Ashwicke, near Colerne A fine, well appointed detached house with separate cottage in this highly desirable location | spacious entrance hall | drawing room | dining room | sitting room | kitchen/breakfast room | utility | cloakroom | master bedroom with en suite bathroom | bedroom 2 with en suite shower | 3 further bedrooms | family bathroom | separate cottage comprising sitting room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, shower/cloakroom | triple garage | mature gardens extending to approximately ¾ of an acre | Guide Price: £1,350,000

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Sydney Buildings An exquisite Grade II listed semi-detached Regency home in this highly desirable location | entrance hall | drawing room | sitting room/bedroom 3 | cloakroom | dining room | kitchen | shower room | 2 further bedrooms | family bathroom | rear lobby | utility area | 2 vaults | landscaped rear garden | Guide Price: ÂŁ1,250,000

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Park Street An exquisitely presented Grade II listed end terrace townhouse with fine views to the west and the benefit of a garage and off-street parking | entrance hall | snug | kitchen/breakfast room | drawing room | withdrawing room | cloakroom | master bedroom with adjoining bathroom | 4 further bedrooms | family bathroom | sitting room/study | utility area | wet room | exercise room | 2 store rooms | courtyard | west facing garden | garage | parking | Guide Price: ÂŁ1,350,000

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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