29 minute read
THINGS
Contents April 2020 62 24
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5 THINGS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Essential events to look forward to this month
THE PROBLEM ISN’T PLASTIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Bronwen Jameson explains why not using plastic may be more harmful to the environment
FORGOTTEN STORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Kate Macdonald on the joy of discovering long-lost tales
ISOLATE AND INNOVATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Two weeks at home – what can be done? We’ve come up with a few ideas, ranging from sorting out dark cupboards to learning semaphore
ON FOOT IN FRAMPTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Andrew Swift follows the towpath and discovers a country village
KEEPING THINGS MERRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Simon Butteriss and Oliver Gooch talk about the longlasting popularity of The Merry Widow operetta
CITY ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Yes there are some art exhibitions still open in the city...
ROSANNA, ROSANNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Escape to Rosanna Tasker’s delicate, ethereal illustrative worlds, says Millie Bruce-Watt
LOVE YOUR LOCAL LARDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Melissa Blease canvases opinion about Brexit, its potential impact on the food industry and why buying local is the way forward FOOD CONSOLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Chef and food writer Valentine Warner talks to Melissa Blease about why it’s good not to pretend
WHERE WILLIAM ONCE WANDERED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
On the 250th anniversary of his birth, Catherine Pitt traces Wordworth’s association with Bath
BATH AT WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Neill Menneer’s portrait of chef Christophe Lacroix
WALKING WITH BEASTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Animal stories from Bristol Zoo’s longest serving zookeeper who was once thrown across the paddock by Wendy the elephant
BLUE IS THE COLOUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
It’s April and the world’s gone mad, but you can rely on the bluebells
BIOPHILIA RULES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Interior products that embrace the bounty of nature
GARDEN DESIGNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Is it time to build a work refuge in your garden?
THE PROPERTY PAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Bath’s finest homes to buy or rent
ON THE COVER The cover image with a UK sourced produce theme by illustrator Rosanna Tasker was specially commissioned for The Bath Magazine; rosannatasker.com
from the
Illustrator Rosanna Tasker’s work is closely connected with the rhythms of nature, as this piece shows. Discover the refreshing charm of her restorative, imaginative worlds in our interview with her on page 40.
SHELLS NOT ON THE SEASHORE We’re loving this stoneware shell pot from Woodhouse and Law, £79. See also our other natural vibe products for the interior on page 76
The Bluebell is the sweetest flower That waves in summer air: Its blossoms have the mightiest power To soothe my spirit’s care. EMILY BRONTË (1818–1848) ❝
❞Emma Clegg Editor All paper used to make this magazine is taken from good sustainable sources and we encourage our suppliers to join an accredited green scheme. Magazines are now fully recyclable. By recycling magazines, you can help to reduce waste and contribute to the six million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paper industry each year. Please recycle this magazine, but if you are not able to participate in a recycling scheme, then why not pass your magazine on to a friend or colleague. W e are used to adjusting around ever-changing circumstances. The regular washing of hands and the idea of a life that’s a bit more isolated are now a given in order to contain and protect ourselves. Zooming far away from the eye of the storm, there are observations here. What have the politics of recent months given us? Climate change and Greta Thunberg tell us that we have to dramatically change the way we l ive to give ourselves a viable future; Brexit tells us that we want to operate in a smaller circle than we once did; and Covid-19 is forcing us to do the same, at least in the short term.
We like to be the upbeat voice of the city and choose to celebrate and wonder rather than criticise and complain, but these things cannot be ignored. We’re addressing them in our April issue – normally the month of f resh shoots and new growth – in several ways. Our environment page on p age 14 sees green campaigner Jay Risbridger ruminating on the production of high-volume non-essential plastics. Then on page 20 Bronwen Jameson of Recycling Technologies explains why she believes that useful plastics should not be cut out because the alternatives can be more harmful, but rather recycled to give them a working life.
Our colourful cover image by illustrator Rosanna Ta sker (see page 40 for Millie Bruce-Watt’s interview with her) shows a selection of fresh farm foods, a representation of homegrown, local, seasonal produce and its infinite and beautiful variety. While we may still be importing tomatoes from Morocco and bananas from Costa Rica, it makes sense to use our plentiful local supplies of fresh produce as a st aple, and a post-Brexit Britain (and a postC ovid-19 one) needs to embrace that wholeheartedly. In response, Melissa Blease talks to some knowledgeable food figures on page 46 about their perspectives on the local food market in a Brexit world.
There’s more food talk from chef and broadcaster Valentine Warner, whose latest book is all about not pretending, and where lying in a field of bluebells is hi s idea of happiness, as Melissa Blease reports on page 48. O n a lighter note, we’ve asked around for ideas of what people are planning to do if in isolation at home – learning semaphore and growing prize-winning dahlias are two of the proposed ideas on page 24.
Close community is special; let’s value it, at this time more than ever, even if it’s at a distance. In the meantime, the bluebells will be f lowering i n mid-April. Due to the escalation of the COVID-19 virus, events across the 2020 Beethoven weekend in March and The Bath Festival and The Bath Festival finale weekend in May will not be taking place; individual events will either be rescheduled or cancelled. The positive news is that the festival team are now rescheduling a number of the festival events that will be focused around three weekend s in the autumn, creating The Bath Festival Season. The weekends will be 11–13 September, 23–25 October and 5–8 November. The Bath Children’s Literature Festival will go ahead, as planned, on 25 September – 4 October.
The festival team will be working with artists, venues and partners in the city to plan the rescheduled events and will share more by the end of April. They will then also provide full in formation for current ticket holders of postponed and cancelled March and May events. bathfestivals.org.uk Editor photograph by Matthew Sterling
FESTIVAL NOTICE “
VINO-CULTURE One of my self-isolation resolutions is to drink more thoughtfully. So I will be dipping into some recent recommendatons from our wine columnist Tristan Darby. My first choice will be Côte de Nuits, Domaine Harmand-Geoffroy, Gevrey Chambertin En Jouise 2014. It has the longest name ever, which is always a good thing, and it’s a full and deep red from the heart of Burgundy, so it will remind me of the wooded mountains of the Morvan, one of my most favourite parts of the world.
things to do in April 5 at home
Garden Affairs’ new Proline range
Plan and design
For those looking to redecorate their homes or rearrange their gardens while they are spending more time at home, Garden Affairs have launched a new range of offices, pods, studios and workshops so you can create your own homeworking space and enjoy the great outdoors from your garden room. In gardening parlance, it’s a good time to start sowing seeds. Whether you want to see a garden landscap e f rom your studio window or just need some extra space, shedworking can provide the answers. See also page 78.
gardenaffairs.co.uk
Read
Here’s something for those with extra time on their hands. The Little History of Somerset by Mike Dean is the perfect read for Bathonians, or anyone from Somerset. More than 400-million years ago the oldest rocks in Somerset were formed. A county was built over thousands of years, from prehistoric man and Roman invasion, through a pitchfork rebellion and two world wars to where we stand today. Revolution, wassai ling, t emplars and alchemists can all be found in this friendly guide to Somerset’s colourful history. Published by The History Press, £12.
Gareth Malone
Photograph: Rob O’Connor/Decca
Sing
In light of the current self-isolation measures, choirmaster, composer and television presenter Gareth Malone has announced a new initiative to bring together both amateur and professional performers around the country in an attempt to boost morale through the power of music. The Great British Home Chorus aims to give everyone the opportunity to contribute their voices and instruments to a digital music p roject. Gareth will help those s ingers who don’t know how to stream music or interact with communities online. The project aims to tackle loneliness and keep people connected while abiding by the government’s guidelines of social distancing. garethmalone.com
Receive food
During this challenging time, some of the city’s small businesses are offering home delivery services in an attempt to help those who are self isolating. L arkhall Butchers have joined together with shops in the local area and are offering their services to those in need, delivering shopping to their doors. Working in the BA1 and BA2 areas, customers are able to self-isolate safe in the knowledge that help is not far away. Other businesses in Bath are also either offering home deli veries or free d eliveries including The Colombian Co, Abbey Ales Brewery, Goulash, Le Vignoble Bath and Novel Wines. larkhallbutchers.co.uk; thecolombiancompany.com; abbeyales.co.uk; goulashbath.co.uk; levignoble.co.uk; novelwines.co.uk
Listen local
Here’s another thing to do at home. Listen to some local music! Isobel Holly’s latest album, Inflorescence, is one to sample. Currently studying at the Royal College of Music in Manchester, the singer-songwriter from Bath describes her sound as “a love child of Fleetwood Mac and Tori Amos”. Another idea is the music of founding member of Noah and the Whale, singer-songwriter Matt Owens. Now based in Bath , he has just released a new single, To o Far Gone, featuring the voices of Thea Gilmore and Robert Vincent, from his most recent album Whiskey and Orchids. The album has a rich, lyrical storytelling style, betraying hints of his favourite artists Neil Young and Warren Zevon. isobelholly.com; mattowensmusic.com
THE BUZZ THE BUZZ
£10m restoration underway
Visitors can get their first glimpse of Dyrham Park’s restored Old Staircase this month as the first phase of work on a £10 million site-wide project is finished. Work on the staircase signals the first major milestone to restore, revitalise and reimagine The National Trust site near Bristol and Bath. The project, called Dyrham Park Rework’d, aims to give people more space to eat, shop and play. To urs are running each w eekday, volunteer numbers permitting, to find out about some of the work we do behind the scenes. nationaltrust.org.uk
Funds save historic bridge
Bath and North East Somerset Council has successfully secured £3.5 million of funding to carry out essential repairs on the city’s historic Cleveland Bridge. The funding was announced as part of a £93m government boost to ensure England’s roads are fit for travel. Currently, the 194-year-old bridge has a temporary 18-tonne weight restriction on it affecting heavy goods vehicles an d l arger coaches. The bridge, which was originally constructed in 1826 for horse drawn vehicles and pedestrians, now carries 17,000 vehicles a day including more than 600 HGVs. The council is among 32 local authorities which will receive investment for essential repair works to level up infrastructure. bathnes.gov.uk
My BATH
Andy Chambers runs Bluebell Care’s Dads in Mind service, an organisation challenging the stigmas that surround fatherhood. He dedicates his time to helping fathers experiencing perinatal mental health issues
Bath is my wife’s hometown and became home for me seven years ago when we decided to settle down. I’d spent a long time living in London and with the prospect of starting a family I wanted my children to grow up somewhere with green spaces and a community around them, so I feel very lucky to live in our wonderful city.
My path to Dads in Mind certainly wasn’ t conventional. I spent more than a decade in the City working in foreign exchange trading before I realised I had a creative and compassionate brain that corporate life just didn’t suit. When I moved to Bath I had a chance conversation with a local cabinet-maker and he gave me the opportunity to retrain with him making fine furniture, which I absolutely adored. Fast forward a few years and I proudly run a n ew business called Kidd and Bear. I now juggle that alongside Dads in Mind.
I joined Dads in Mind after my wife experienced post-natal depression with our little boy and it became obvious over that time that whilse there was some support for mums, there was little support to help dads with their mental health. I just wanted to change what I had experienced to benefit other fathers. My one regret was never learning music growing up. I would have loved to have been a musician. I’m still trying to learn in my old age but it’s a much more difficult thing to find the time these days.
Bath has so many beautiful places to walk and explore with children and I love the adventures we have as a family getting wet a nd muddy watching their creative brains go wild with ideas.
I hope my children will see me as a dad who is compassionate, respectful and someone who helped them explore their individuality. Someone who encouraged them to make the world a better place.
Not everyone will be a sports fan but catching a game at the Rec on a Friday night is magical. There are few places left where sport is so community spirited a s you watch the town turn blue, black and white and the floodlights are the icing on the cake.
One of the books that influenced me most was Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of seeing myself and my relationships.
Dads in Mind is a peer su pport service designed to give new fathers an outlet to share their struggles and help them navigate through difficult periods. All of us have had lived experience of our own perinatal mental health difficulties and being able to empathise with each other, makes a huge difference.
I think the world is definitely moving in the right direction in recognising the role that fathers play as parents these days, b ut there is still a long way to go. Attitudes to men's mental health are still working through some historical barriers, but I feel really positive about how different the landscape will look when our children become parents.
As clichéd as this may sound, my wedding day is the happiest memory I have. I spent years searching for a wife who understood me, respected me and celebrated the person I am, and so get ting the chance to celebrate that with all our friends and family was incredible. If I wrote a letter to my 16-year old self, I’d say listen to your gut, find what you truly love doing and fill your life with those things. None of us are blessed w ith a second chance.
If I could go anywhere in the world, it would be Japan. I was lucky enough to travel there in my twenties and have never since found a place with such incredible people. That said, I could live the rest of my days out in The Maldives without too much trouble.
I have high hopes for what we can do with Dads in Mind. I’m also excited to see how my Kidd and Bear business grows over time. I w ould love to get more involved with mental health initiatives to be able to leave a legacy for our children that I will be proud to have been a part of and, of course, to spend as much time as humanly possible watching and helping my kids grow up. n
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Green news from the city
Bath Spa University and the Students’ Union have pledged their support to tackle climate change
Expedition to save penguins Rising temperatures, industrial fishing and disappearing sea ice has led to a huge decrease in the number of Chinstrap penguins living in the Antarctic. Numbers have dropped by two thirds since the 1970s, with some colonies losing as many as seven out of ten penguins.
Greenpeace is funding expeditions to the Antarctic to monitor exactly how climate change and in dustrial fisheries are devastating t hese fragile penguin colonies. The research won’t just help protect Chinstrap penguins but will also help scientists see how climate change and commercial fishing is affecting wildlife across the Antarctic. As well as research, the expeditions collect crucial evidence to help ensure that the new United Nations Global Ocean Treaty will be strong enough to protect oceans a nd wildlife. To donate and support Greenpeace’s work visit: greenpeace.org.uk/news/antarcticchinastrap-penguins-research Bath Spa University and its Students’ Union have joined forces to declare a climate emergency as they call on students, staff, and the local community to pledge their support for urgent action.
Sustainability is an important part of Bath Spa University’s culture. Last year, the university made improvements to reduce its reliance on single-use plastics, and all of its electricity has come from certified renewable resources since 2016. Bath Spa University vice-chancellor Professor Sue Rigby said: “Declaring an emergency means that we can set big goals, but we can also set smaller ones so that everyone is a part of it. Sometimes people feel powerless in the face of something so big, but actually this is something where everyone makes a difference all the time.” bathspa.ac.uk/climatepled ge Climate emergency declared
An endangered Chinstrap penguin parent and chick
Tree planting measures
A group of volunteers from Bathscape’s Community Action for Nature group has teamed up with Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Parks team to plant hundreds of new trees in Rush Hill Open Space. Some 900 native trees including beech, oak and lime trees have been planted in Bathscape’s final tree planting session of the winter.
Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services, said: “We’re extremely grateful to everyone who has turned out in all weathers to help at the tree planting sessions held over the winter months. The trees will enhance the area for both wildlife and the local community and help us to tackle the Climate Emergency by absorbing carbon. We aim to plant 100,000 across Bath and North East Somerset over the coming years and everyone involved in these pl anting sessions is helping us to reach t hat goal.”
The planting session was led by Avon Wildlife Trust, with trees provided by Bath & North East Somerset Council. bathscape.co.uk
Green thoughts
Jay Risbridger, managing director of the Green Stationary Company, explains how we need to buy better quality items and less of them to help save the planet
Of course everyone likes a bargain, but are cheap things destroying the world? It is low price products that tend to be produced in poor environmental conditions, and which have little regard for their environmental impacts. Unfortunately, cheap products often have short life spans and so generate more waste than their expensive counterparts that last longer and are more economically viable to repair. To ma ke profits from selling cheap products businesses must aim for larger volumes and try to encourage overconsumption. This is particularly true of food products, where the more you buy of a product the cheaper it becomes. How many times have you been tempted with buy two and get one free offers? It would be much better for the environment if things became more expensive when you used more of them; this is re cognised in some energy pricing, where fuel rates go up when you use more than the average amount of electricity or gas. This anti-market type pricing is rare and should be extended to many more products.
But not everyone has the luxury of being able to afford more expensive products. Those with lower incomes often cannot afford organic food and quality consumer goods. Poverty is one of the main drivers of environmental degradation throughout the world, where wild animals are killed and trees are cut down simply because people are desperate to survive. This is why there is an environmental imperative to end the widening of unequal income distribution. A doubling of the minimum wage would allow more people to move away from cheap food and products and this would be good for general health as well as the environ ment. The next time you are tempted by an offer of buy one get one free, consider a better quality item and only get what you really need. greenstat.co.uk
Richard Wyatt: Notes on a small city
Columnist Richard Wyattremembers his time in the air with a man called Uncle. It was, however, fake air. Illustration by Brian Duggan
Iwon’t bother you with the reasons why boxes and boxes of photographs have been retrieved from my attic. How lucky we are today that such images are now stored in accessible electronic devices like the one I am working on. The point of all of this was that – in one of those cardboard containers – I came across an old promotional card for our regional news programme at HTV West. There’s (Uncle) Bruce Hockin and ‘Yours Truly’ waving from the basket of a hot air balloon as it ‘hovers’ above the glorious Georgian architecture of the Royal Crescent. I had to smile to myself as this was a very early example of ‘fake’ news. If you think about it, two things are wrong with this image. The first is that balloons don’t hover. They either move up or down or sideways with the wi nd. The second anomaly is how was the shot taken? Was there another balloon nearby? I think that would have been far too close and highly dangerous. Plus, we are talking about the 1980s when drones referred to people who talked boringly at length.
No, it was a clever cheat. The basket was suspended from the jib of a crane and the picture framed in such a way that it really looked like a whole hot air ballo on was frozen in time and in exactly the right place. I actually think that I would have been able to hide my fear – behind the expected smile – more easily if it had been a real balloon and not a swaying basket.
I do have memories of a real balloon trip across the city. We needed opening titles for a six-part series called Set in Stone: The Architectural History of Bath. Those of you who have ridden in a bal loon will know that you experience this weird effect of not feeling the wind because you are blown
along by it and within it. That means our filming trip needed a clear day with gentle winds blowing in the right direction.
We took off from Sydney Gardens and floated across the city, passing over the circular gas holders that have long since disappeared. I had to face the camera and explain where we were an d what the programme was all about. Not easy when the pilot had to carry out frequent and noisy flame bursts to maintain altitude.
I was a bit of a seasoned balloon pro by this point, although my first trip in an aerial gondola was the bumpiest to date. I don’t mean the basket bucks in turbulence – it was more a case of our landing. The balloon captain usually carries a bottle of something to give to the uns uspecting owner of whatever patch of land he finally decides to touch down on. Position and timing are all down to him. On this occasion, we came down on a large expanse of grassland that turned out to be a school playing field. Having achieved what I thought in my innocence to be a perfect touch down, a gust of wind filled the deflating balloon which then dragged us
basket-born passengers across what turne d out to be the well-groomed cricket pitch.
If my memory serves me, copious supplies of grass seed were added to the welcome bottle to try and make amends for the furrow we had ploughed.
My most exotic flight was a trip at sunrise across the River Nile and over the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Having spotted the name of Bristol-based Don Cameron on the inflated fabric above us, I happened to mention to the pilot that we hailed from that city and knew the man whose company had made his balloon. That went down well enough to earn a slight discount on our fare after we’d enjoyed a magical trip across the last resting place of those ancient monarchs. What memories that little publicity postcard had evoked. In case you are wondering why Bruce picked up the ‘Uncle’ handle, he kept handing over to me during the new s as ‘back to young Richard’, so I retaliated one day with the abovementioned informality. It stuck. n
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