The Bath Magazine August 2015 by MC Publishing Limited

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THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CITY OF BATH

ISSUE 155 • AUGUST 2015

£3.00 where sold

www.thebathmag.co.uk

PRAISE BEE FOR THE HUMBLE BUMBLE

INSIDE BATH’S NEW FIVE STAR HOTEL AND SPA

THIRTY ONE THINGS TO DO WITH THE KIDS IN AUGUST

SAY ‘CIAO’ TO A STYLISH ITALIAN INDEPENDENT

FACE THE MUSIC: MEET THE DUO BEHIND BATH’S INDIE AWARDS

SEE THE RIO 2016 OLYMPIANS IN ACTION

T H E C I T Y ’ S F I N E S T M O N T H LY G U I D E T O L I F E A N D L I V I N G I N B AT H

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THE | CONTENTS

AUGUST 2015

62 10 5 THINGS TO DO Free film show in Royal Victoria Park

44 ART EXHIBITIONS What the galleries are showing

12 MY BATH

50 BATH AT WORK

14 GUEST COLUMNIST

52 LITERARY HEROINE

Events supremo Ed May

Neill Menneer’s portrait of the month

Natasha Baer on the Queen of bees

16 FACE THE MUSIC A dynamic duo’s pick of the pops

18 BEST LITTLE SHOPS Celebrating Bath’s finest

Discover the Georgian JK Rowling

56 SIX OF THE BEST Melissa Blease picks child-friendly places

59 RESTAURANT REVIEW Say hello to Ciao Ciao

28 AMBER NECTAR Make your garden bee friendly

30 THE 31-DAY CHALLENGE Ideas for the long school holidays

34 A GOOD READ

60 IN THE PINK Angela Mount’s favourite rosés

36 WHAT’S ON Make the most of Bath’s cultural diary

aUgUST 2015

74 TREATMENT REVIEW Sweet sensation at the Lush spa

76 THE WALK Enjoy a day’s trek out to Priston

78 INTERIORS Designer Clair Strong on bo-ho chic

82 GARDENING The best beautiful, blowsy roses

86 PROPERTY Beautiful homes to buy or rent

A sneak preview of the Gainsborough

The movers and shakers

70 ATHLETIC ELITE Watch the next Olympians compete at the University of Bath’s Sports Village

Even more great content online: thebathmag.co.uk 4 TheBATHMagazine

Honey and beeswax products

62 A FIVE STAR SPLASH 66 CITY PEOPLE

Books for young readers ahead of September’s children’s literature festival

72 BEAUTY AND THE BEES

ON THE COVER The Bath Magazine celebrates the hard working honey bee for August

Like us on Facebook.com/ TheBathMagazine

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know a lot of people imagine that an editor’s life consists of little more than filing one’s nails and drinking gin, with one’s elegantly heeled trotters on the desktop. But actually, the life of an editor is far, far less glamorous than that. In truth our role is more worker than Queen bee as we toil endlessly to bring you the honeyed contents of this magazine. We spend our lives buzzing from place to place, picking up titbits of this and that for your delectation, before returning to the hive, ie Bath Mag HQ, to tip-tap away on the old Apple. Our August issue has two main strands. The first is in praise of the bee, to which we owe so much. Up and coming writer Natasha Baer is our guest columnist (Page 14), writing about her grandmother setting up as a backyard beekeeper, then we pick up tips (Page 28) on attracting bees to our gardens, before finding out which gorgeous skin and hair care products are made using honey or beeswax – that’s Beauty and the Bees on Page 72. And while we’re on the subject of busy bees, our Face the Music (Page 16) subjects, Erica Pease and Sarah Harris are working away to hold the city’s first ever independent Bath awards, celebrating all that’s best about Bath. Another busy bee is our gardening columnist, plantswoman extraordinaire Jane Moore. This month she’s been round the flower borders to pick her favourite varieties of rose and recommend them to us. The other strand that I’ve tried to concentrate on this month is entertaining the family. Having been in that position myself I sympathise with parents – especially working parents – who have to keep their offspring busy and safe during the long summer school holidays. When the little dears are jumping on the beds, scrapping with each other over who ate the last Gummy Bear and demanding you let them play ever more unsuitable games on the Playstation, why not turn to our 31 Things to Do with the Children in August feature, Page 30, in which we suggest something different for every single day of the month. And if you’re looking for something a bit quieter for the young ‘uns, or you’re taking them away on holiday, you might want to have a look at Young Waterstones’ suggestions for books that children might read ahead of September’s Bath Children’s Literature Festival. That’s on Page 34, and it will give them the chance to read the books before going to hear the authors talk. If your lot are always hungry you could do worse than turn to Melissa Blease’s handy guide to six of the best places in Bath to take children out to eat (Page 56). There’s more to be found in the royal jelly that is the editorial content of our high summer issue. Bookseller Saber Khan reviews Harper Lee’s Go Catch a Watchman, hot off the press (Page 12) while I was beguiled by the beautifully prepared contemporary Italian dishes being served at Ciao Ciao, housed in what used to be Popjoys next to the Theatre Royal (Page 59). And Eirlys Penn has been on the detective trail of an 18th century children’s author from Bath (Page 52). While I’ve been buzzing about Bath I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a sneak preview of pretty much all of the rooms and the drop-dead gorgeous spa at the new five star Gainsborough Hotel – see Page 62 for your own virtual tour. This bee’s going to rest her tired wings now, before taking flight to go in search of more sweetness and light for our September issue. And if you can’t wait till September to be in our company, then please visit our new all-singing, all-dancing website: thebathmag.co.uk, which is being updated with new things all the time.

Georgette McCready Editor

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

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Crafting beautiful homes In and around Bath

01225 79115 5

ashford-homes.co.uk AUGUST 2015

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Georgette McCready 01225 424592 georgette@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Deputy Editor Email:

Jenny Hayes jenny@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Financial Director Email:

Jane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Email:

Anna Ivory production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

Liz Grey liz@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Advertising Sales Email:

Kathy Williams kathy@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

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

2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Telephone: 01225 424499. Fax: 01225 426677 www.thebathmag.co.uk ÂŠ MC Publishing Ltd 2015 Disclaimer: Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Bath Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers.

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ZEITGEIST

things to do in

August

Sing-aLong

Bath Rugby’s Lion mascot Maximus

Join in Bath Rugby kicks off its 150th anniversary celebrations with a free family rugby festival on Saturday 8 August on the Rec, the city centre home ground where the team plays. The day runs from 9am until 4pm and will include the chance to have a go at touch rugby, meet the players and even have a behind-the-scenes tour of the team changing rooms. The club will continue to celebrate its anniversary through the 2015/16 season. There will also be the chance to join coaching sessions on the day, but these must be booked. Visit: bathrugby.com or call in to the shop by Pulteney Bridge for more information.

Listen

Enjoy a lovely, old-fashioned Sunday afternoon treat throughout August as Parade Gardens, pictured, and Royal Victoria Park in Bath both host live bands. RVP’s outdoor concerts begin at 2pm in the bandstand, while the music begins at 3pm in Parade Gardens. The first RVP concert is by the Bath Spa Band on Sunday 2 August as part of Love Parks Week. This is sponsored by Bath In Bloom, The Charter Trustees and Morgan Brinkhurst Consultancies. Music lovers are encouraged to settle down in a deck chair (you’ll need to take your own to RVP) tuck into a picnic and listen to a mix of contemporary and traditional tunes. 10 TheBATHMagazine

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Get our your ABBA outfits and brush up on the lyrics of Dancing Queen, Super Trouper and Take A Chance on Me to take part in a fabulous open air showing of feelgood movie Mamma Mia. This FREE screening is being shown in Royal Victoria Park on the evening of Sunday 30 August. Get there early to bag a good spot – last year around 5,000 people turned out to watch Grease – meet friends, picnic then settle down to enjoy Meryl Streep et al work their magic, all set against the backdrop of beautiful Greece. The film will start at around 8.30pm, or as soon as it gets dark. The Movie by Moonlight is an annual event organised by the

Read The 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has inspired the organisers of this autumn’s Bath Children’s Literature Festival to run a number of themed events during the festival, including contemporary versions of Lewis Carroll’s tale. We’re all being invited to revisit the original story this summer – it’s certainly worth a read if you haven’t looked at it since childhood. The fesival has made Alice its Big Bath Read and is encouraging children to attend ticketed workshops for four themed events between 31 July and 7 August. The last is on Friday 7 August at Bath City Farm, open to children aged seven and over, who will receive a free copy of the book when buying a £3 ticket. Find out more at: bathfestivals.org.uk.

Dress up It’s a favourite date in the Bath social calendar – Bath Racecourse Ladies Day, which this year takes place on Saturday 22 August. And this summer’s fabulous hats and frocks fest takes a nautical turn as racegoers are invited to Cruise into Ladies Day, by dressing to the allat-sea theme. And in another new twist, it’s not just the best dressed women who can compete for a prize, but the chaps are going to be able to strut their stuﬀ too, competing for the title of best dressed man. Why the nautical theme in landlocked Lansdown, you may ask? It’s in tribute to the headline sponsors, Holland America Line and Imagine Cruising. Oh, and there will be some thrilling, nail-biting horse races too.

Forever Friends Appeal to raise funds to build a new cancer centre at the Royal United Hospital in Bath – to be used by the people of Bath and the surrounding towns and villages. There will be a collection on the night in the park, so please pack a few fivers in with your picnic and give generously to help this great cause.

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Parker Knoll, innovation is a way of life Parker Knoll is an iconic British brand with a history dating back over 140 years. Famous for its innovative furniture designs, Parker Knoll is still a favourite today with its modern and traditional collections combining the best in comfort and quality with style and elegance.

BATH’S LARGEST FURNISHERS

Richard Hayes from TR Hayes furniture store in Bath takes a look at why it has such a far reaching appeal in today’s market. Parker Knoll was developed through a collaboration of Frederick Parker and Willi Knoll who held a desire to create fine furniture that transformed the everyday sitting experience. Created using traditional upholstery methods and placing comfort and support at the forefront of all their designs, Parker Knoll has sometimes been misinterpreted as a brand favoured by the older generation, but this could not be more wrong. Its world renowned recliner may have been a hit in the 1960’s but it is also still a classic today and joins a host of other collections that appeal to the modern day consumer and represent the best of the old into the new. Handcrafted by a team of skilled craftsmen, this heritage brand has developed and adapted throughout the years to become one of the leading manufacturers of sofas and chairs in the UK today. Penshurst Chair Sanderson Amanpuri Sourcing the finest materials from around the world, Parker Knoll is not afraid to embrace contemporary style through its range of bold patterns and stripes, nor does it shy away from the more subdued plains and leathers for which it was first famed. Whether you are looking for something traditional or more contemporary, a suite or a recliner,

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SALE NOW ON Reductions throughout the store Parker Knoll will leave you spoilt for choice and has something to complement every home. The Burghley sofa suites from the Classic Collection in particular, represent the best of traditional with ornate castor feet, scroll arm detailing and a choice of fabrics reminiscent of some of Parker Knoll’s earlier classics. The Penshurst wing back chair is also a popular choice for classic Parker Knoll fans as it was first designed in the 1950’s and uses original patented spring system. For those wanting something a bit more modern, the Etienne sofa collection is sure to make a statement, bringing together a fusion of understated styles with a modern twist and beautifully co-ordinated fabrics. A furniture brand that stands the test of time in this ever changing market, Parker Knoll provides the best in elegant, classically designed furniture with a 25 year frame and spring guarantee ensuring you comfort and pleasure for many years to come. For more information on Parker Knoll sofas and chairs please visit the TR Hayes store on London Street or online at www.trhayes.co.uk. Local delivery is free and there is a large customer car park at the side of the store.

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ist

THE CITY BOOK OF THE MONTH Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee, published by Harper Collins Few novels are embedded as much in the collective psyche as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. A rare and unique instance where the film adaptation and the original fiction sit easily side by side. Most of us are entranced by it, and it proves a perennial fresh favourite among the young, and a nostalgic balm among the more mature. ‘Timeless’, ‘classic’ and ‘masterpiece’, overused so often, are just right for TKAM. What does that make Go Set a Watchman? The over hyped, over-marketed loud empty vessel sequel to the original? We all know that few sequels are as good, if not better, than the first.The Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather II, and Toy Story II. This rarely applies to some brilliant novels as the recreation of real life and its turmoil necessitated an open and shut closure. Go Set A Watchman, published last month, 55 years after TKAM is neither a sequel nor an afterthought. It’s a stab, a pinprick on the first journey of an unpublished writer who was close friends with Truman Capote. It’s the draft that was rewritten into TKAM. It’s set 20 years after Mockingbird. Here, Scout returns home from New York City to visit her ageing father, Atticus Finch, Her homecoming turns bittersweet against the backdrop of civil rights tensions and political turmoil. Why should we read GSAW? As the parent to the beloved child to gain more insight into the offspring? Dull. Comparisons are invidious. Out of curiosity? To see how far the apple has fallen from the tree? That hardly applies here as the Mockingbird apple is so brilliant. Ultimately we should read Go Set a Watchman as a good novel by a brilliantly empathetic and always shrewdly observant writer. If TKAM is the masterpiece, GSAW is not the minor curio bastard child – it suffers from not being the glamorous prodigal child. A treat. Saber Khan, bookseller of Topping & Co

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My BATH We asked Ed May owner of Eat Five Star and Deluxe Hospitality what he’ll be doing this month

What brought you to Bath? I moved down from Manchester in 2008 after living abroad for many years. I needed to settle somewhere so I could focus while at the same time being surrounded by beautiful countryside but not too far from city life. Bath offers both and being so close to Bristol and London makes it hard to beat. I also felt Bath being such a key tourist destination it would help stimulate our business which is all about the hospitality industry. What are you reading? If I’m honest I don’t read a great deal unless it involves the back pages of a newspaper! Mainly I read when away on holiday which would be autobiographies of sporting greats and business icons. I have just finished another Branson book, someone who I really admire. What is on your MP3 player? Ha! You really wouldn’t want to know but anything such as Rudimental, Years and Years or Groove Armadaesque floats my boat. We were fortunate to see Rhodes last year in a private gig in Bristol who was great and one to watch for the future. Which café or restaurant takes your fancy? Since Sotto Sotto opened I have been very impressed with its service and attitude to running a restaurant. For value for money and a good feed you can’t go wrong. Our friends at Sub13 also provide a great service and you can’t beat a sunny afternoon in their garden with a cocktail or two. Which museum or gallery will you be visiting? August is going to be a crazy month for us with events so visiting galleries may have to wait. I did see at The American Museum there is an event about how to learn essential survival skills inspired by Native American tribes and early settlers which could be fun for any wannabe Bear Grylls! Your passions? What hobbies or interests will you be pursuing? I am an avid golfer and member of beautiful Bowood. I don’t play as much as I wish but it helps me relax and get out of the office for a good few hours. Find me a lake also and I can spend hour’s wakeboarding. During the winters

PICTURE: Nell Mallia NellMalliaphotography.co.uk

we like to go away to the Alps snowboarding and heli-skiing which gives me my adrenaline kick start for the year ahead! What local outdoor activity or event will you be doing or visiting? We took part in Tough Mudder last year so we will be doing it again later this month at Cirencester Park. (Training has yet to start) Film or play? What will you be going to see this month? I love a good film. Especially a true story or suspense. If I get chance I’ll go see Straight Outta Compton or The Gift. What are your latest business projects? Between Eat Five Star and Deluxe we are constantly creating and designing events for clients. Over the next year we will be working with several new venues launching them into the events industry and providing management onsite. We also look forward to developing our connections with France and the US providing hospitality management services and widening our travel partners. Over the last year we have been working with Ralph Allen School training up sixth form students who want to get involved with events. We rely on a good bank of staff so we have created our in house training academy and it’s been a pleasure working with the Ralph Allen students. This year alone we took on 39 students who signed up and are working with us each week improving their skills and confidence which can help them when they go off to university or travelling and also provides us with a dedicated, enthusiastic bunch. Any schools who would be interested in working with us would be more than welcome to get in touch. Find us at: eat5star.com and at: deluxehospitality.co.uk.

We’re following travel publishers @RoughGuides for inspirational travel images and ideas on everything from where to find the most beautiful places in the world to swim to the finest of whiskies in Scotland. It has 134,00 thousand followers and is a great place to look for anyone with itchy feet

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CITY | BUSINESS

THE | COLUMNIST

HONEY, THAT’S WHY SHE’S QUEEN BEE NATASHA BAER IS FASCINATED TO WATCH HER 88-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER SET UP A HONEY MAKING OPERATION

ever has an insect been so fashionable. Little furry bees with their dinky wings, bloated bodies, and a sharp sting have featured in everything from fashion to fiction. From Victoria Beckham’s citing eating bee pollen as one of her anti-ageing tricks, to Laline Paull’s The Bees – described as Watership Down for the Hunger Games generation – making the shortlist for the Baileys Prize, it seems that the honey-makers really have been busy. Even celebrities, such as Scarlett Johansson and Kate Humble, are trying their hand at beekeeping. So it’s not surprising that Harrods has its own rooftop apiary. It seems half of London are setting up their own hives, with Pinterest as their almanac. So much so that a backlash now claims there is a bee density problem – a far cry from the campaigns of the last decade about the decline of our favourite backyard friend. It just happens that after a long break (since 1998) including moving house, watching her children have children and the death of her husband, my one time apiarist grandmother has tightened her gloves, tucked her trousers into her wellies and put the net hat back on. She has got her bees back and at what a time, too. It seems that my grandmother went from a passing thought to a fully functioning honey factory in a trice. She ordered the kit basics from ebay; suit, gloves, smoker, and hive. One purchase linked her to the next till eventually she had a full tool kit and head to toe outfit. Next she had to find the bees. Fortunately, she is a very well connected woman so she just had to ask a friend of a friend, who just happened to be looking to pass his swarm on. That seems to be the way it works if you are well connected on the rural network. And if you don’t have contacts, then you’ll need to contact the local association and register, then be added to the waiting list. It can take as long as four months. Or, there is the guerilla way – catch the swarm yourself.

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The queen bee business is lucrative, a queen with a good lineage can fetch up to £75

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Gran’s swarm was delivered straight to her door as was her kit. Serious swagger points for her suit, it’s crisp white with elastic at the end of the arms and legs. Instead of a loose net around her head, there is a hood with a lattice across her face. She looks like a forensic fencer. All she needed was a queen. The queen bee business is lucrative, a queen with a good lineage can fetch up to £75. The queen’s sole purpose is to produce babies. The more babies she lays, the more workers she has, the more honey gets made. So, you want a queen who is a baby-making conveyor-belt. Yet again my grandmother strikes gold and uses her contacts to find an apiarist looking to downsize her own bee farm. And so my she receives a nuke box with a queen and a swarm, free of charge. Gran has always been a frugal lady, war time generation and such, but I couldn’t believe it when I found her knee deep in combs and frames telling me how she’d been put in touch with a local woman, who had given her hundreds of pounds worth of stuff for free. I was super impressed. Without Facebook or other social media my grandmother had crowdsourced her entire operation. It seems that the bee community have a sole commitment, the preservation of the yellow and black stripes. I’ve been watching the deliveries, the set-up, the surprises, waiting for pure gold. Our first batch of honey is due soon, and it excites me that I will know exactly how it was made. I like to call my grandmother ‘Grandmother of Bees’, and although she likes the nickname she doesn’t understand the Game of Thrones reference. n Follow Natasha on Twitter @Boobaer13, her grandmother’s blog: elizabethbaertextiles.blogspot.co.uk. For more on bees: bathbeekeepers.com.

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FACE | THE MUSIC

AN INDEPENDENT STATE OF MIND Mick Ringham talks to Erica Pease and Sarah Harris, founders of the first Bath Independents awards

apoleon famously dismissed the British as a nation of shopkeepers but there are two women in Bath who reckon that keeping shop – and doing it with passion, style and rapport with your customers – is something to be praised rather than denigrated. In fact, friends Erica Pease and Sarah Harris are so proud of Bath’s shopkeepers, along with the city’s artisans, traders and food producers that they’re organising a big celebration of Bath’s best independents. The pair, who are colleagues as well as friends (they work at Komedia) have in their own words ‘set out on a mission’ to run completely independent awards by, and for, the people of Bath. Sarah says: “We want to highlight the fact that every day in small independent businesses people put their neck on the line and work all hours.” Erica adds: “We are both passionate about local independents and want them to succeed and grow in beautiful Bath.” On their wishlist is that some commercial landlords may consider, even in the short term, reducing rents to help encourage entrepreneurs and startup businesses get established. They’d also like to continue to encourage Bath & North East Somerset Council to offer maximum support to the independent businesses which offer such a degree of diversity and individuality to the shopping experience in our city. Sarah and Erica met through friends and used to bump into each other at parties and at the Bell pub in Walcot Street, where Sarah was working as a barmaid. After a while the two, who now describe themselves as ‘feeling like an old married couple’ started working together at Komedia, the city’s comedy, film and music venue in Westgate Street. For this, their latest project, they’ve invited people to nominate themselves in various categories for the Bath Independent awards, which will culminate in a prize giving party night on Wednesday 30 September. The dress code for the event is not black tie but rather ‘fabulous’ and there are tickets at £20, to include a drink, balcony seating, entertainment and the after-awards dancing and mingling, as well as tickets for £60 which will include a three course dinner and all the celebrations. But how did the two friends arrive at this point? Erica was born in Bath and after leaving Haysfield School studied politics at Cardiff University. She later ventured 16 TheBATHMagazine

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into restaurant management for a national chain, but as she says: “There is nothing so crushing as working 90 hours a week for a company that just didn’t care.” After reaching a culinary breaking point, she was offered a position by Bath Festivals in the marketing department. She later enjoyed a short stint working in London, but that ended abruptly when Erica fell in love with a boy from Bath. She moved back to the city and for the last three years has been marketing manager for Komedia. Erica’s partner is Gavin and the couple have a young son, Monty. This keeps her busy but as she says: “Life would be

so boring if it wasn’t.” Sarah grew up in South London and all her friends told her for some reason, she would be the first to move away. She moved to Bath and in her own words says “I felt like I’d come home, I arrived on Walcot Nation Day in the middle of a street party and it was just wonderful.” She decided there and then to stay in the city, which she reckons is “one of the greatest places on the planet.”After gaining a degree at Bath Spa University, Sarah worked in Doolally’s cafe in Walcot Street. It was during her time at The Bell, that she acquired some of her closest friends, who remain to this day. She is

FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES: Sarah Harris and Erica Pease

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FACE | THE MUSIC

ERICA’S CHOICES: Radiohead – Reckoner They were the band of my teens and The Bends remains my favourite album, Radiohead continue to bring me to tears. I was devastated that when they did a surprise gig on the Park Stage at Glastonbury four years ago, I had to walk away from them as I couldn’t see or hear them through the pouring rain.

Yann Tiersen – Comptine d’un autre ete, l’apres midi This track is from Tiersen’s Amelie soundtrack and is just brilliant. Piano music always gets to me – I have a whole piano playlist on Spotify which also includes Glenn Gould’s version of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and the amazing theme from The Piano. The Amelie soundtrack is a huge part of the reason that I love that wonderful film.

Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb My mum is a huge Pink Floyd fan and I think she was always a bit disappointed that I wasn’t. I remember the moment that changed, at a festival, sheltering from the rain in our green goddess. This track and the band are now firm favourites and as I came to them late I am happy to admit that I also love (totally different) the cover that The Scissor Sisters did – sorry Mum.

The Staves – Tongue Behind My Teeth I discovered this band at Komedia a couple of years ago. They are three sisters who make the most beautiful harmonies – it was the kind of gig where you could hear a pin drop and their applause went on so long they ran out of material and ended up singing an old folk song they knew as children. WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Below, Radiohead, Reckoner

From a young age I wanted to be a singer. It was never pop but blues, jazz and soul. My mum gave me an education in female vocalists – Aretha, Etta, Billie and of course Nina. My teenage memories are blasting this song from my bedroom. I was quite a rebellious teenager. If there was ever someone I wish I had seen sing live, it would have been this incredible lady.

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This brings back childhood memories of summer days lying in our garden and this blasting out from Dad’s old stereo

James Blake – Measurements He builds incredible soundcapes and this always makes me emotional as I was pregnant with my boy when I first saw James Blake play live. He uses a loop pedal to layer his own voice with piano and electronics to make musical magic. This was his only encore track he took at that gig and it when on for some 20 minutes and he was able to quietly leave the stage with his music still playing – wow!

MUSICAL MEMORIES: left to right, Bob Dylan, Sara, The Staves, Tongue Behind My Teeth and Nina Simone, Feeling Good

SARAH’S CHOICES: Nina Simone – Feeling Good

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now venue manager for Komedia and makes a point of saying that the people she works with are ‘totally amazing’. Sarah lives on the fringes of the city and is married to Gruff. They have two young children, daughter Berry and son Rocco, who she describes as a little bit crazy but as she says “If I’m honest, they probably get that from us.”

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings – This Land is Your Land I first saw Sharon Jones performing this at the WOMAD festival. I went on to see her at the Jazz Cafe. The atmosphere was electric. During this song she pulled me and my friend out of the audience to sing with her. It was one of those moments I will never forget. All my childhood dreams of being a soul singer came to life that night. We sat on the train back to Bath in silence – grinning at each other.

As a child I remember looking though my parent’s old Dylan song books and seeing my name scribbled on pages written at a time before I was born when choosing a name for me. My Dad always loved the line ‘Sara oh Sara so easy to look at so hard to define’. I always liked that he thought of me that way.

Tom Waits – OL’ 55 When I and my husband were first getting to know each other, we spent what now seems like months and months playing songs at each other, and fighting for songs to play. It was the moment he played this number that I knew he was going to be the one for me. We danced to this song on our wedding day. It was beautiful and very special.

Joe Cocker – With a Little Help From my Friends Epic intro, amazing backing vocals, there is no doubting he was a true legend. I cried a lot when he died last year. This brings back childhood memories of summer, days lying in our garden and this blasting out from Dad’s old stereo. Our house was always loud. It was also one of the first songs I listened to through headphones. I remember that experience so clearly and being stunned into silence, which is very, very rare for me. n Tickets for the Bath Independents awards on Wednesday 30 September are available: independentbath.blogspot.co.uk, or follow them on Twitter” @IndieBathawards.

Bob Dylan – Sara I’m named after this number – hippie parents! AUGUST 2015

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BEST LITTLE SHOPS

TOP of THE SHOPS When it comes to shopping in Bath, you have an amazing choice at your fingertips, and because of our city’s human scale, it’s easy to access great shops - all within walkable reach. Even with the advance of web based retail, the social aspect of ‘going shopping’ and experiencing a second to none customer service remains one pleasure that’s difficult to top.

But which are the best little shops in Bath in 2015? Every year The Bath Magazine pounds the pavements, and checks out all the must-visit small shops. From firm old favourites to well deserved newcomers, these are the little stores that make Bath one of the finest shopping experiences outside London.

FABULOUS 17 St Lawrence Street, Bath BA1 1AN Tel: 01225 330333 Award-winning designer jewellery retailer, Fabulous, based in Bath’s SouthGate, seeks out the most exciting jewellery brands and designers, from home-grown talent to international names. This year has seen it be first in the UK to launch cult Californian jewellery brand, The Giving Keys, to sit alongside bestselling US brand, Alex and Ani. Fabulous has also launched its first own-brand collection, Mantra, a gift line of delicate pendants and bracelets, which encourage mindful moments and are to be worn with joy. Owner Jo Stroud spends much of her time seeking out new and exciting designers to add to the store. With over 30 collections, from leading international brands like Pandora and Thomas Sabo, to established British designers like Vivienne Westwood, Fabulous is the place to go for inspirational gift ideas, or to treat yourself. With bracelets starting from £20, this is the perfect place to pop in for a browse.

CLANDAR 15 Cheap Street, Bath BA1 1NA Tel: 01225 335486

Clandar is proud to be both independent and British. It offers the finest quality clothing and accessories for men and women, made from the beautiful textiles of cashmere, wool and tweed. This year sees Clandar designing its own range of clothing and accessories and having them made by expert craftsmen in the British Isles, meaning that you can acquire exclusive items, made in small production runs, unavailable anywhere else in the world. Clandar is an independent shop, founded in 2012 by a Bathonian and has established itself among locals as the place to source beautiful British made accessories and to find that all elusive birthday or Christmas present or of course to treat yourself. You can find Clandar near Bath Abbey, opposite Bills restaurant.

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THE AGA SHOP 12 Widcombe Parade, Bath BA2 4JT Tel: 01225 335237

AGA Bath is the perfect place to learn more about the iconic AGA cooker. Some of the country’s top cooks, including Jamie Oliver and Marco Pierre White declare their aﬀection for cooking with AGA. Queen of baking Mary Berry said: “I couldn’t be without an AGA. They are brilliant. They are always on, so it tempts you to cook and they keep the house beautifully warmed and aired." And you don’t need to have a big farmhouse kitchen to own an AGA. The new flexible models are designed for modern lifestyles and can be switched on and oﬀ to save running costs. Plus, the AGA City60 is just 60cm wide and is the perfect choice for smaller kitchens. Join the team in-store to learn more and to taste some delicious AGA-cooked food.

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BEST LITTLE SHOPS

ROBERT WELCH

THE SILVER SHOP

6 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LJ Tel: 01225 336530

25 Union Passage, Bath BA1 1RD Tel: 01225 464781 This little gem of a shop is one of Bath’s favourite gift and jewellery shops. A family-run independent The Silver Shop has been selling beautiful jewellery and gifts since 1952. You’ll find it tucked away, yet close to the Abbey and Roman Baths. The shop is a firm favourite with visitors and residents alike and has a reputation for great customer service. Housing Bath’s largest selection of silver jewellery with prices ranging from £5 to £500, the staff work hard to source a wide selection of pieces with some ranges being handmade by local jewellers. With a small workshop on site The Silver Shop also offers a charm soldering and jewellery alteration service for customers. If you are looking for a gift for someone special or just to treat yourself, such as a clock or a candle, a christening gift or vase, or simply want to call in and cuddle the large range of Charlie bears, it is certain to have something for you.

Robert Welch is well known for the exceptional design, quality and functionality of its products. With over 50 years of industry experience and award wining products from its in-house design team, this brand offers a unique range of cutlery, kitchen knives, utensils and tableware. Bath was chosen as a location for the Robert Welch Studio Shop as the city’s rich design heritage lends itself well to the company ethos. The company founder, Robert Welch (1929-2000) was an inspirational designer who believed that everyone should be able to use beautifully designed pieces in everyday life. Still family-run, the company is now an international brand with an extensive range of products including awardwinning Signature kitchen knives and over 30 traditional and contemporary cutlery designs. Today the company’s products can be found around the world in department stores, on the tables of top restaurants, in the rooms of five star hotels and in the Robert Welch Studio Shops in Bath, Chipping Campden and Warwick.

THE FRAMING WORKSHOP 80 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD Tel: 01225 482748 For many and varied reasons, people from all over the world have bought the 888, 246 ceramic poppies made for the impressive art installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London last year. Is yours still in its box? It shouldn’t, and doesn’t need to be. Why not frame it? Specialists in framing three dimensional memorabilia The Framing Workshop has the creative skills to present your poppy just as you want, whether it’s as a piece of art or as a memory of a relative who served in the armed forces. As significant, is the protection a frame will offer, preventing children and animals from damaging your poppy if left exposed and within reach; and protecting it from weather damage, including frost. Martin Tracy, proprietor, said: “We have found framing these individually made and cherished poppies to be a highly emotive and personal experience. We will always discuss creative additions such as photographs of a relevant relative, medals, Great War memorabilia and photographs of The Tower of London installation.”

KATHERINE FRASER 74 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD Tel: 01225 461341 Katherine Fraser is celebrating the end of her third year in Bath this month and August also sees the first anniversary of the Walcot Street store opening. Watch Katherine at work in store on her loom. This is sheer retail theatre and almost all of the accessories are created in the shop studio by Katherine and her team. Her work is known for its gorgeous colour combinations and its beautiful feel against the skin, with all the products being made from 100% natural fibres. This young ambitious talent carries a mission to take artisanal weaving into the mainstream, accessibly priced, imaginatively conceived and created with passion. Katherine also offers an in house bespoke design service, creating fabrics and products for both fashion and interiors. The store celebrates the work of other British designers too, with silver jewellery made in Dorset, clothing by Beaumont Organic and cashmere from English Weather. Weaving workshops now take place throughout the month so that you can try weaving for yourself, be it as a beginner or if you’re wanting to progress your skills further. Go in and watch a master craftswoman at work.

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

AUGUST 2015

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BEST LITTLE SHOPS

GREAT WESTERN WINE Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AP Tel: 01225 322810 This stalwart of Bath is a deserved regular inclusion in our Best of Bath Guides. Great Western Wine’s shop is an Aladdin’s cave of over 1,000 of the world’s best wines and an eclectic range of rare, small batch spirits. Old-fashioned service is matched with modern, award-winning wines, as recognised by the International Wine Challenge, who voted GWW the Best Wine Merchant in south west England. A selection of wines is always open for tasting, and enthusiastic, experienced staff encourage visitors to linger and browse while helping to find the perfect wine. Prices at every level are competitive. A mail order service is also available and the same attention to detail and personal advice is available by phone, email or through the website: www.greatwesternwine.co.uk. Regular wine tasting events and dinners sell out quickly, at GWW and at some of Bath’s best restaurants which are supplied with its wines.

ARTICLE 3 Bartlett Street, Bath BA1 1LP Tel: 01225 460189 Article occupies a pretty bow-paned windowed shop at the top of Bartlett Street and specialises in British artisan homewares and seasonal scents, cards, and decorative one-offs. The owner Lucy Simon also sells her own brand of hand-poured candles, made on site. There is also a fresh flower room selling seasonal posies and plants, embracing the English garden look that’s so popular in current floristry trends.

QUERCUS GALLERY 1 Queen Street, Bath Tel: 01225 428211 Quercus Gallery, celebrating its second anniversary, brings a unique selection of fine art and contemporary craft to the centre of Bath. Owner Evie Williams specialises in curating mixed disciplinary displays, allowing visitors and collectors to discover the work of leading contemporary artists from ceramics, jewellery and original prints to paintings, sculpture and textiles.

MALLORY 1 – 5 Bridge Street, Bath. BA2 4AP Tel: 01225 788800

Mallory is renowned as Bath’s destination jeweller. Now in its fifth generation, Mallory is one of the country’s oldest family owned and run jewellers, established over 117 years ago in its original Bridge Street premises. Today Mallory boasts one of the largest in-house workshops in the UK, employing four master goldsmiths trained to the highest calibre, who create the most exquisite bespoke-made jewellery, as well as two fully accredited watchmakers and a technician, who are qualified to maintain the finest of timepieces. Inside the showroom you will find a majestic emporium of fine and contemporary jewellery, watches, and luxury gifts and accessories from the world’s most exclusive brands. The imposing frontage may look daunting, however Mallory’s offerings encompass something to suit all pockets, with international names such as Patek Philippe, Rolex, Cartier, Bulgari, Chopard, Montblanc, Tag Heuer, Longchamp, Longines, Breitling, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Georg Jensen, Fope and Mikimoto, as well as an extensive collection of jewellery designed by Mallory.

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BEST LITTLE SHOPS

GRASSE 3 Argyle Street, Bath BA2 4BA Tel: 01225 444260

MOSS OF BATH

Grasse in Southern France provided the initial inspiration for owner Joanna Davies’s shop in Bath, which opened six years ago. It stocks beautiful and useful items for every room in the house and has a hand picked collection for the garden. Joanna’s talent for buying ensures that nothing here would look out of place in the style pages of an interiors magazine .There are antiques from around the globe and everything sourced is unique and special, to create an eclectic, natural feel. Grasse is a main stockist of the Neom organics range, one which Joanna is extremely passionate about. The award winning collection contains nothing but organic and natural essential oils with 100% vegetable wax. The perfect pampering treatment for you, while scenting your home beautifully. Grasse is a cornucopia of elegant household accessories and stylish items for the garden.

45 St James Parade, Bath BA1 1UQ Tel: 01225 331 441 Moss of Bath is an independent television and hi-fi retailer in the historic heart of Bath. The business specialises in providing bespoke home entertainment systems designed to meet individual needs, installed and serviced by a team of experienced and highly trained professional staff. Moss of Bath has gained an enviable reputation as specialists in modern home entertainment technology with a state of the art showroom, a hi-fi demonstration lounge and a Service Centre, all within the city centre store. Moss of Bath’s excellent reputation is built on outstanding service and repeat custom and the team is proud of the fact that so many people have been shopping with them for years. Established in the city for 53 years, the team continues to look forward to an exciting future as one of Bath’s most longstanding independent retailers.

JODY CORY GOLDSMITHS

SHANNON

9 Abbey Church Yard, Bath BA1 1LY Tel: 01225 470072

68 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD Tel: 01225 424222

Jody Cory Goldsmiths in Abbey Church Yard, is an independent jeweller and member of the National Association of Goldsmiths with over 25 years of experience. With Jody’s lovely creations all handmade in her workshop on the premises, what better way to mark an occasion than with a beautifully crafted and unique piece of jewellery? Friendly advice is available seven days a week from a team of highly skilled goldsmiths who create unique and extremely covetable silver, gold and platinum jewellery using personally selected rare gemstones. Old or broken treasures can be repaired or remodelled, to become exciting new pieces to be enjoyed all over again – a free design service is available. Jody also offers restringing, rhodium plating and valuations. On display too is work from other contemporary designers, providing a variety of interesting, superbly crafted jewellery from inexpensive silver pieces to diamond set engagement rings and both traditional and contemporary wedding rings to suit all tastes.

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Original Scandinavian Design

Shannon occupies an old town house on Walcot Street and has possibly the best collection of real, iconic, Scandinavian designer furniture and lighting to be found outside London. And there’s nothing quite like the real thing; with an impressive line up of products from acclaimed designers such as Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, and Fritz Hansen, the shop is jam-packed with furniture, fabrics, lighting and wonderful, colourful gifts from Marimekko, Klippan, Moomin, and Iittala. Owner Sue Shannon opened the shop in 2000 and has built up a superb reputation with architects and interior designers from all over the UK who rely on her knowledge to source and deliver classic pieces of timeless design and of the highest, authentic quality. Best buy this month: 2015 Limited edition summer Moomin mug Moment on the Shore.

AUGUST 2015

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BEST LITTLE SHOPS

AVENIDA HOME SAVANNAH HOME

27 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BN Tel: 01225 571718 Avenida Home offers a unique experience in shopping for the home. The family who run the business, which was founded in 2010, wanted to create a distinctive new style of shop where customers can find kitchen and dining pieces in a relaxing and inspiring setting, so they opened the concept store in Walcot Street last summer. All the pieces are exclusive to Avenida Home and feature beautiful art and original designs. The light and airy shop is stocked with a broad selection of placemats, tablemats and drinks coasters made here in the UK, hand glazed ceramics and exquisite European table linens. The design team also offers a bespoke service of decorative accessories for the home. Go and see for yourself and be inspired.

25 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DG Tel: 01225 317272

SILVERSHOON 11 Upper Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1RG Tel: 01225 469735 Silvershoon offers a veritable feast of footwear delights.The Bath shop was Shoon’s very first shop, which opened more than 20 years ago (there are now ten branches across the south of England) It can be found on the corner of Upper Borough Walls and New Bond Street Place. Stepping into Silvershoon is akin to finding a hidden gem – stylish and comfortable footwear styles supported by friendly and knowledgeable staff. Silvershoon’s ranges are sourced from around the world – an eclectic mix of well-known and harder-tofind brands alongside some specially selected SHOON shoes. What they all have in common is the attention to detail, quality, materials and, most importantly, comfort, which will leave you looking and feeling good. Mix in some well-chosen accessories such as handbags and scarves and you’ve a treat in store.

LONDON CAMERA EXCHANGE 13 Cheap Street, Bath BA1 1A Tel: 01225 462234 London Camera Exchange is one of those Bath institutions where you know you will get personal and helpful service from the very knowledgable staff. The company, which has 28 branches nationwide, can trace its origins back to the original photographic studio in Guildford in the 1950’s. Each branch retains its individuality and the Bath store carries most popular camera models as well as a range of stock chosen by the manager and staff specifically to suit their clientele. There is an excellent part-exchange service so that customers can either trade up with the latest photographic equipment or choose from the selection of used items. Space is also devoted to other types of optical equipment such as binoculars and telescopes. Staff who really know their business and competitive prices are what make a visit to London Camera Exchange a rewarding experience.

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Savannah Home is a veritable treasure chest for those looking for beautiful and unusual items for the home. The shop, at the top of Milsom Street, was established to bring together the unique elements of interior design, cutting edge products and the beauty of antiques. Showing how the modern and antique can blend together to give an opulent, comfortable interior while displaying the individualism we all seek. Coupled with a very personalised service, this is a must see emporium.

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BEST LITTLE SHOPS

THE DRESSING ROOM 7 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2JU Tel: 01225 330563 Since opening in Bath in 1985, The Dressing Room has maintained its reputation as the ‘go to’ place for beautiful lingerie, beach and nightwear. While offering the most exquisite lingerie collections from the likes of Marie Jo, Aubade and Lise Charmel, the shop also has a wide rande of very basic t-shirt bras and invisible briefs. Their beachwear collection features many brands, including the likes of Melissa Odabash, Maryan Melhorn, Gottex, Seafolly, Miraclesuit and Roidal amongst many others. The nightwear collection boasts Olivia Von Halle pyjamas, Hanro Cottons, Laurence Tavernier robes, and silk gowns from Luna Di Seta and Marjolaine. With experienced and professional staff ready to show you around, why not go along and have some fun?

MAGPIE AND BEAR 7 Green Street, Bath BA1 2JY Tel: 01225 446909

Magpie & Bear is recommended by several city tourist guides as ‘one of the shops you must visit’. As its name implies, your eye will alight on beautiful items that you’ll covet and want to take home. Friendly customer service and a seasonal collection of jewellery, scarves, bags, toiletries and gifts for both men and women makes this Independent a popular place with both locals and tourists. Enjoy browsing in this bright airy shop and find unique quality items that you will treasure.

BISQUE

SPOTTY HERBERTS

15 Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AE Tel: 01225 466367

5 Queen Street, Bath BA1 1HE Tel: 01225 331834 Spotty Herberts is a warm and welcoming shop for children aged 0-10 years selling playful unisex clothing by British designers such as Tootsa MacGinty, Bob & Blossom, Boys & Girls and Marmalade & Mash. Also to be found are carefully chosen simple toys, treasures and trinkets ideal for pocket money purchases. Keep an eye out too for its new website launching this summer.

You may have seen Bisque’s stylish radiators featured in glossy interiors magazines, and you can see these unusual pieces at first hand in its showroom in Kingsmead Square. The showroom opened in 1986, and is still the hottest place to buy radiators, with almost 100 beautiful yet practical designs on display, in a huge range of sizes, colours and finishes. With many years’ experience in the interiors world, Bisque offers a professional and personal service, ensuring that the customer always comes first.

BATH AQUA GLASS 14 Cheap Street / 15 Abbey Churchyard, Bath BA1 1NA Tel: 01225 428146 Bath Aqua Glass specialises in unique, traditionally handmade glass items. You can watch its expert glassblowers creating exceptional pieces of art in its Walcot Street studios and workshop, or you can view the stained glass artists and purchase a large range of gifts in the shop next to the Abbey. If you want to have a go yourself, Bath Aqua Glass also offers experiences in glassblowing, lampworking and stained glass creation.

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

AUGUST 2015

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BEST LITTLE SHOPS

QUADRI 6 Milsom Place, Bath BA1 1BZ Tel: 01225 329212 Quadri is one of our favourite destinations for gift buying. It’s a well established luxury shop which specialises in strong design and high quality products for the discerning customer. In particular the focus is on fine precious jewellery, fashion jewellery, home ware and contemporary watches, with brands including Skagen, Jacob Jensen and Michel Herbelin. Find Quadri in Milsom Place, where your eye will be drawn to its stylish window displays, the ideal shop to look for someting extra special.

JOHN MOORE SPORTS 2 Argyle Street, Bath BA2 4BA Tel: 01225 466341 Independent sports and school outfitter, familyrun John Moore Sports was founded in 1912 and is well-known for its exceptional customer service. An exciting combination of heritage and cutting edge sports equipment, the recently relocated John Moore Sports stocks equipment and clothing for a whole host of sports from badminton, cricket and football to squash and tennis. The departments worth a look this month are womenswear, swimwear, and running, particularly for its fitness monitors. We know parents value its fantastic printing and embroidery service for school and team wear. It also caters for corporate workwear and one-oﬀ personalised pieces. And if you want to get into the Rugby World Cup spirit, why not head up the road to its sister shop, JMS Rugby opposite the Guildhall? To make the shopping experience even nicer, JMS Rugby has just had the ground floor renovated and has been rebranded to look a little more like it’s big brother John Moore Sports in Argyle Street.

SEVEN BOOT LANE

BATH ANTIQUES

23 Milsom Place, Bath BA1 1BZ Tel: 01225 319479

1 & 2 Orange Grove, Bath BA1 1LP Tel: 01225 975120 This delightful little shop can be found in one of Bath’s landmark listed buildings on the corner of Orange Grove. Annette Dolan of Bath Antiques shares the building with local artisan crafts supplier Handmade in Bath. If Wedgwood jasperware, antique tableware and decorative arts are your thing, Bath Antiques has four floors of brica-brac, furniture, ceramics, silver, and objects of vertu to browse and marvel over. If you are looking for a valuation or to sell then, make an appointment to take your precious items to Bring-in-Wednesdays.

GOLD & PLATINUM STUDIO 19, Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR Tel: 01225 462300

When Pippa Middleton was snapped wearing a pair of suede boots by Seven Boot Lane, sales shot through the roof. Established in 2012, the brand continues to build its reputation for women’s footwear that stands the test of time, both in quality and design. True to the trends but always treading their own path, the collections have a unique design handwriting that combines the understated with the innovative. Crafted from natural, locally sourced materials, these shoes and boots are comfortable and made to last.

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Traditional goldsmith and gemmologist Michael Parsons, with his highly experienced team run a very pretty shop offering a range of beautifully crafted engagement rings, wedding rings and fine designer jewellery. As well as its workshop’s own creations, pieces by other notable British and European designers are also on display – offering a superb choice to fit all budgets. Above the gallery, Michael runs the workshop where he undertakes special commissions, but also carries out repairs, and jewellery adjustments. Trading in Bath for more than 40 years, with an enviable reputation, makes a visit to the Gold and Platinum Studio an absolute pleasure and its jewellery will always be treasured.

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BEST LITTLE SHOPS

AVONVALE CARPETS

BEAU NASH 31 Brock Street, Bath BA1 2LN Tel: 01225 334234 There are things you need and then there are things that just spark your interest or desire. For the latter, Beau Nash is the place to come. The shop has two floors of antique silver and vintage objects to explore – some quite literally unique, all with provenance. Well worth making the trip to Brock Street for, we guarantee you will be glad you did.

37 Kingsmead Street, Bath BA1 2AA Tel: 01225 427057 Avonvale Carpets featured in our Best Little Shops of 2014, and we’re delighted to feature it again. It has served homeowners and businesses throughout the city of Bath and Wiltshire for over 40 years, providing an excellent choice of flooring, in-depth expertise and perfect fitting. An independent, familyrun business, Avonvale Carpets employs its own professionally trained fitters and offers customers a great selection of quality flooring that’s truly second to none – woollens, naturals, stain resistant, vinyls and tailor made too. Pictured: Paul, Amy and Jim in the showroom.

BRORA 6 Bridge St, Bath BA2 4AS Tel: 01225 331518 Brora is one of Britain’s bestloved and most successful modern cashmere brands. It has steadily grown into a fullfledged fashion label with its own distinctive viewpoint – wearable, subtle but highly individual, mainly Britishmade with Scottish cashmere at its heart. Brora remains true to its quirky, slightly vintageinspired self, while moving with the turn of fashion’s wheel each season. From pretty pastel cardigans to generous throws there’s plenty to keep out the chill.

Look out for our window sticker, which we have issued to all our Best Little Shops

THE BEST LITTLE SHOPS of BATH 2015

COOPERS ELECTRICAL SUPERSTORE 13 /15 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BN Tel: 01225 311811 Coopers is a family owned business that has been trading since 1948. Back then founder Harry Cooper sold from a small shop in Mitcham South London. His son Paul joined the business in 1973 and now operates from a large showroom right in the centre of Bath. Back then Coopers sold (and repaired) lots of small appliances as well as TVs, radiograms (remember them?) washing machines and cookers. In the early days no one even dreamt of owning a dishwasher or tumble drier. Today Coopers specialises in white goods – kitchen appliances, built in and free standing, luxury and basic. Over the years Coopers has built a strong reputation – great products, fantastic friendly knowledgeable staff and highly competitive, fair prices. This is independent retailing at its best – values driven and customer focused – a real antidote to the soulless online shopping experience and for four years running, a regular entry in our best little shops of Bath list. Pictured: The Britannia Pollock inspired range cooker

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BEST LITTLE SHOPS

TOPPING AND COMPANY The Paragon, Bath BA1 5LS Tel: 01225 428111 Topping & Company Booksellers share a love of the physical book, a love shown in the way they stock their shelves. They hold over 50,000 titles, including gems you wouldn’t find anywhere else. With signed first editions ready to browse, complimentary tea and coffee and expert knowledge, they aim to provide a reading experience like no other.

UP TO SEVEN 6 Pulteney Bridge, Bath BA2 4AX Tel: 01225 422333

TOTAL FITNESS 3 Saracen Street, Bath BA1 5BR Tel: 01225 444164 Road, cycleways, triathlon, mountain biking, leisure riding, commuting or kids bikes – Total Fitness has it all. Stocking specialised bikes and lots of clothing, accessories, shoes, helmets and much more to make your cycling experience comfortable and enjoyable. Make sure to visit them on Saracen Street to have a nose through the shop or if you need advice on any aspect of cycling they are always happy to help.

TINA ENGELL

Have you visited Up To Seven in its gorgeous shop on Pulteney Bridge? The store has an exciting mix of children’s clothes for this season, with dresses, sunhats, appliqued tshirts and baby clothes, as well as its famous strawberry hats, many of them made right here in Bath, or by small manufacturers from across the country. Up To Seven places an emphasis on supporting British businesses but also stocks a range of items from around the world, all carefully vetted to make sure they are fairly traded and sold to help the local communities that make them. If you’re looking for a gift for a new baby, a frock for a special occasion or clothes for your kids to be comfy in, pop in to Up To Seven.

KINDLE STOVES

29 Belvedere, Bath BA1 5HR Tel: 01225 443334

2 Sussex Place, Widcombe, Bath BA2 4LA Tel: 01225 332722

Is it a workshop or a shop? In Danish Goldsmith Tina Engell’s Scandinavianstyle space you will find glass cabinets full of beautiful handmade jewellery, as you would expect. Perhaps more unusually, this is also Tina’s workshop, with a huge workbench illuminated by industrial lamps and covered in precious metals, stones, hammers, chisels and clamps. Tina designs and makes every piece by hand, using traditional methods. Although you can buy off the shelf, Tina often works to commission, creating unique pieces of jewellery to order. She can design and make a bespoke piece, or take inherited jewellery and refashion it. In this open-plan space the entire creative process is visible, and the results are bold and individual.

Family run Kindle Stoves are specialists in a new generation of wood burning and multi fuel stoves that are high efficiency, clean burning, and are approved for use in Smoke Control Areas. Now we are all able to benefit from carbon neutral energy and a real log fire at the heart of our homes – and can save money on fuel bills too. Kindle Stoves offer a full supply and installation service, with stoves to suit everything from a modern apartment to a Georgian family home. The showroom has three rooms to explore with stoves from well-known brands such as Clearview, Aga and Burley as well as Bath stone fireplaces, locally woven baskets and lovely fireside accessories.

SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATES & MORE DETAILS www.thebathmag.co.uk

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CELEBRATING | BEES

BEE AN ACTIVIST

Mankind has a long, mutually beneficial relationship with bees – find out how easily you can make them welcome in your garden, or even windowbox

here is much debate surrounding the state of the humble bee – it’s even been argued that without their ministrations to our flowers, fruit and vegetables, mankind would die out. They are celebrated in art, literature and in our everyday language – ‘bees’ knees’, ‘making a beeline’, ‘busy as a bee’ and ‘honey’ is widely used as a expression of affection. But we must not be complacent about the furry little workers always being there for us. A recent survey showed that the overall population loss of honey bee colonies was a despressing 14.5 per cent for 2014/15 – and in Bath and the south west there was a population loss of 12.1 per cent. In July the Bath Beekeepers’ Association reported several cases of EFB (European Foulbrood), a bacterial disease, which forced the destruction of at least half a dozen colonies. According to the British Beekeepers Association this year’s loss of bees rose by over 50 per cent in comparison to last year (9.6 per cent in 2013/14), and despite not being as high as the decline rate in 2012/13 (when it was 33.8 per cent), the results show that colony losses remain at an unacceptably high level. Poor and variable weather, bee diseases and pests such as Varroa and starvation due to lack of honey stored in the hive are all suspected to have contributed to the decline – underlining the importance of plenty of good nectar and pollen forage being available for honey bees. And although 63 per cent of British adults are aware that honey bees are on the decline and 86 per cent understand the vital part that honey bees play in the health of the environment, two-thirds of us have little or no idea of what we can do to help, according to supporting research among 2,000 British adults and children. And so a call to arms has gone out for all of us to do our bit to encourage and protect the honey bee. The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) is using children’s favourite character, the honeyloving Winnie the Pooh to front the campaign to befriend the bees. It has created a friendsofthehoneybee.com website, inspired by AA Milne’s bear and his friends in The Hundred Acre Wood and come up with some simple ways that we can be active in helping.

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PLANT YOUR OWN WINDOW BOX This is the perfect way to help provide much needed food (forage) for honey bees, no matter how much outdoor space you have. Choose what type of window box you’d like to create for the honey bees – it could be a pretty floral display or a fresh herb box for your kitchen windowsill. If you decide on flowers, try to layer spring and summer flowering bulbs or perennials to ensure you have a bright windowsill that keeps the bees happy all year round. Good flowering plants to consider include cyclamens, crocuses, tulips, violets, poppies, fuchsias, geraniums and lavender. When it comes to tasty herb boxes, choose plants such as rosemary, thyme, chives, oregano, marjoram and sage, allowing them all to flower. Mint can be a little strong smelling for honey bees, so it’s best to plant it separately. CREATE A VEGETABLE PATCH By growing your family’s favourite fruit and vegetables to enjoy each season, you will also be helping to provide

AMBER NECTAR: to produce 6lbs of honey, bees have to clock up 150,000 miles of flight from flower to hive to flower and back

nectar and pollen as food for the honey bees. From strawberries and squashes, courgettes and cucumbers, to raspberries and runner beans, there is a huge variety of bee-friendly fruit and vegetables to grow that you can also enjoy adding to your own plate. If you don’t have a large garden or allotment, you could still plant a vegetable tub. Many varieties of fruit and vegetables will thrive in a smaller container. PLANT A FLOWERING TREE Bring the bees to your back garden by planting a flowering tree – the blossom not only looks beautiful, but the tree will provide nectar and pollen as food to help honey bees thrive. From cherry trees to crab apple trees, horse chestnuts to hop vines, there is a wide variety of bee-friendly trees that will encourage honey bees. MAKE SOME SEED BALLS Distributing seed balls is a great and fun way to brighten up an area of land, by encouraging native flowers to grow and provide essential food for honey bees. These small balls are made up of soil, clay and seeds, and work by protecting new seeds from the heat of the sun, strong wind, heavy rain and animals that would eat them. This gives the new seeds the best chance of growing. Seed

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CELEBRATING | BEES EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION Spend time talking with your children about the importance of honey bees, and the essential role they play in the environment, through fun arts and crafts activities. Sparking children’s interest in helping bees will ensure that we continue to look after our honey bee population for many years to come. For arts and craft ideas, visit the BBKA’s Children’s Corner on its website: bbka.org.uk. BECOME A BEEKEEPER If you’re lucky enough to have your own garden, farm, orchard or land you can offer it to local registered beekeepers to house their hives. The Bath Beekeepers Association runs workshops to pass on their members’ skills. You’ll be able to meet members at Kelston village fete on Monday 31 August and at Claverton fete on Saturday 5 September.

BEE POSITIVE: Illustration by Mark Burgess after E H Shepard. ©Disney 2015

balls should be gently thrown one at a time over the area to be planted, and don’t need to be buried or watered. You can make your own – the secret is to use a little chilli powder to deter animals from eating them – or buy them from makers such as Seedball or Meadow in my Garden.

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BUY LOCAL Support your local beekeepers by buying the honey they produce and using it to bake delicious cakes, breads or simply to spread on your morning toast. By buying your honey from a local beekeeper, you’re supporting the honey bee colonies they look after and helping to give the honey bees the best opportunity to thrive year after year.

BUILD A BEE HOUSE Bee habitats can help to provide a safe home for solitary bees to rest in between their search for nectar and pollen from fresh flowers and vegetables. You can put together your own bee house and hang it on a tree or an outside wall as a shelter for solitary bees, similar to a birdhouse. IF YOU SEE A SWARM Don’t panic if you see a swarm of honey bees, stay away and contact your local swarm collector. You can check it’s really bees by watching the film clip on: bbka.org.uk. A honey bee colony swarms because it’s searching for a new home and they are sated with honey. The swarms sometimes cluster on a tree branch, in a hedge or even on a lamppost. Although they make a loud humming noise, it doesn’t mean the swarming honey bees are angry. However, you should still stay clear because they’re wild insects. A great way to help swarming honey bees is to contact your local swarm collector, who can collect the swarm and provide them with a new home. There are over 1,200 registered BBKA members available to collect swarms in the UK. For help with identifying honey bee swarms and finding your local swarm collector, contact Bath Beekeepers Association, via: bathbeekeepers.com. n

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FAMILY | FUN

ENTERTAIN YOUR (HOLIDAY) CREW We’ve come up with 31 things to do with your children – an activity for every day of the month. Ensure there’ll be no more mutiny in the ranks with these fun-packed ideas for August

rom tumbling toddlers to teenage dawdlers, sometimes filling those long school holidays can be a challenging time for parents. We’ve come up with an idea of something to do with the children for each day of August – some of them free and others that may be more of a treat. It’s fun to have a day out, but it’s also OK to let them complain about being bored at home sometimes.

Tackle the Two Tunnels circular bike route. This is an adventure for enthusiastic cyclists of all ages. The full route is 13 miles long, some of it on country lanes and with some hills. There’s also the Combe Down tunnel, the longest bike tunnel in the UK, so lights and bells on bikes are advisable. Take a picnic and the downloadable map from: visitbath.org.uk which shows exit points along the route, refreshment places and public loos.

Take part in the Summer Reading Challenge at Bath’s libraries. Young readers are being challenged to read at least six books this summer. Collect stickers as you go and after six completed books you’ll get a wristband, a medal and a certificate.

2 INTENTS FUN: below, take the family camping, even if it’s just for one night under the stars, get them cooking with mealsandmakes.com and encourage their reading habits

Cook together. Bath mum of twins, Kate Gordon-Brown, who has a background in the food industry, runs a family-friendly cookery and creative blog called mealsandmakes.com. This is brilliantly inspiring for any parent who has wondered what to feed the family tonight. Children can get involved in the making, whether it’s simply stirring or learning to chop vegetables, as in Kate’s delicious, easy to make halloumi kebabs recipe. Her dishes are inspired by flavours from all over the

world and can be enjoyed, sometimes with a little modification by adults as well as children. She often suggests a craft project for children to make alongside the recipe. National Trust days out. Grandparents are increasingly involved in childcare, and never more so than in the long summer holidays. For days out that will keep both generations entertained, National Trust properties are a good port of call. Pack a picnic, or choose a property with one of the trust’s excellent cafés, and let the kids run off excess energy in the gardens of Lacock Abbey or rolling down the slopes at Dyrham Park. Then there’s time for a little history lesson as you explore the interior. With Stourhead, Tyntesfield, Prior Park, Dyrham and Lacock all in reach by car for a day out, the membership fee will soon pay for itself.

Catch a bus. For some car-bound families, taking a bus is an adventure – but for growing children it’s a valuable life skill. Get them used to travelling on a bus, reading a timetable, buying tickets and looking out for when to get off. It’s also a good way to get to know your home city a bit better. Everyone will want to have a turn at ringing the bell to request the driver to stop.

Get your free Discovery Card and enjoy free visits to the Roman Baths, Parade Gardens and the Fashion Museum. If you live in Bath and North East Somerset you’re entitled to apply (in person) at the Roman Baths or the council One Stop shop in Manvers Street for an ID card. At the Roman Baths every Tuesday in August, between

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6pm and 8pm, there’s the chance to handle authentic artefacts, some of them many centuries old. Go to the park. Bath is blessed with some great parks, which are mostly free to enter (with the exception of Parade Gardens, for which you’ll need a residents’ Discovery card for free entry) Spend time in Alexandra, Alice, Hedgemead parks or Henrietta and Sydney Gardens. One of Bath’s finest playgrounds can be found in Royal Victoria Park and there’s room on its lawns to throw a frisbee or learn to roller skate.

Crafty Fridays. If, heaven forbid, we get rainy days this holiday, pop into Bath Central Library on any Friday from 10.30am and make stuff. It’s free for children aged five and over, but they must take an adult.

Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park between Keynsham and Saltford. There are 80 acres to roam around at the park, including an adventure playground, an obstacle course and a ride-on miniature railway. There are farm animals to meet and a café too, although you can take a picnic. Interestingly this is one of those rare places where kids’ tickets are dearer than adults’ – £8 for adults, £8.50 for children, toddlers’ admission is £2.

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FAMILY | FUN Learn survival skills inspired by Native Americans. The American Museum is holding two sessions, on Tuesday 4 and Tuesday 11 August (1.30pm – 3.30pm) for children aged six and over to join EcoWild for wilderness adventures. You must book as places are limited (£10 per child). Also at the American Museum this month, Mini Heroes, on Thursday 13 August. Be inspired by the museum’s textile figures of the Obama family and create your own miniature hero or heroine to take home. Drop-in sessions, suitable aged three and over. On Tuesday 18, from 10am until noon, children aged eight and over can join illustrator Hannah Carding, who draws characters that are bursting with personality. Booking is essential, £10, tel: 01225 820868. On Thursday 20, between 1pm and 4pm there’s a drop in session to make a fancy frame to display a photo of a special person. On Thursday 27, between 1pm and 4pm, join a drop-in session with illustrator Hannah Carding and create a 3D memory sculpture to take home.º

Inspiration from historic dollshouses at No 1 Royal Crescent museum with drop in workshops on Fridays, 7, 14 and 21 August, 11am – 1pm. Friday 7: create a shoebox dolls’ house room. Add printed wallpaper, miniature furniture and other decorations inspired by Small Worlds, the historic dolls’ house exhibition. Who can design the most imaginative dream world? Friday 14: build your own den – Practice your den making abilities. Paint an object inspired by items in the exhibition, to furnish your den. Friday 21: All about my Doll. Make and dress your own peg wooden doll. Use paint and fabrics to design a doll and create a character for them. Create a My Doll scrapbook. Workshops are free with normal admission to the museum.

Crazy golf. They don’t call the Victoria Falls Adventure golf course crazy, and true, it doesn’t have any brightly coloured windmills on any of its 18 holes, but having said that this is a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. The course, in Royal Victoria Park, can be enjoyed by children and adults.

Go camping. Every child should experience the delights of camping at least once in their lives, it’s an adventure for them to enjoy. It need not be expensive – Millets and Blacks sell reasonable priced tents and you could start with just one night

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at Stowford Farm Camping, near the river and near Farleigh Hungerford Castle. In August you’ll need to book, ideally go for a weekday night. To pitch a tent with two adults costs £16 a night, with additional children at £3 a head. Hire a fire bowl for £5, bring some wood and enjoy toasting marshmallows. This delightful farm site has a stylish rustic wash house and cream teas are available to supplement camp stores. Summer Sewing School for children aged five to 11. Learn more about the creative art of stitching and sewing at Bath Central Library every Thursday in the school holidays, 1.3pm – 3pm. It’s free but you’ll need to take a grown-up.

A day out at Bowood, near Calne in Wiltshire. Not cheap, but this historic house and extensive grounds provides hours of entertainment, not least at its brilliant adventure playground. If you can tear the children away from that there’s a ha ha to jump across, grassy banks to roll down, a lake complete with picturesque folly and a stone grotto, which includes a dark tunnel to walk through – hold hands and dare go through.

Have fun with history at the Roman Baths. Every Monday throughout August there are different themed creative activities for families at the Roman Baths. Admission is free with a Discovery card and all the drop-in sessions run from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm. On 3 August, find out about Corinthian columns and have a go at creating the special design. On Monday 10 August, get up close to Minerva and make a Minerva mask. On 17 August, explore Roman pottery, discover how it was made and how archaeologists restore it. Make a ‘reconstructed’ Roman pot to take home, and finally, on Monday 24 August Roman Revamp, discover how fashionable Romans decorated their homes using evidence found by archaeologists around Bath. Create your own decorations.

Creative free workshops at the Fashion Museum (for ticket holders and residents with a Discovery card). Every Tuesday, between 10.30am and 12.30pm, or between 1.30pm and 3.30pm, families are invited to take part in making things. On 4 August: use paper in a variety of ways to make a lace effect fashion design. On 11 August: explore how designers use shape to create mermaids and sea beasts. On 18 August: make a posy of roses and, finally, on Tuesday 25 August explore feather fun.

MESSING ABOUT: hire a skiff on the River Avon, but make sure your crew are swimmers or wearing life vests

Make a family challenge to see how many of the 50 Things to do do before you’re 11¾ campaign launched by the National Trust. You don’t need to be an NT member, or even a child (mums and dads can take part too) to see how many things you can do from a list which includes climbing a tree, skimming a stone, making a daisy chain and climbing a huge hill.

Get your pirate gear on, me hearties. It’s pirates ahoy! at the National Trust’s Tyntesfield house and gardens, daily between 3 and 9 August. The grounds will be invaded by a motley band of pirates and their cannon. Loud bangs and jolly roger japes and a pirates’ treasures hunt round the Tyntesfield estate. Shipshape fancy dress recommended.

Row, row, row your boat. A perennial favourite with Bath families is a trip to the Bath Boating Station on the River Avon at Bathwick (behind the fire station and follow the signs) where you can mess about on the river in a Thames skiff, a punt or a Canadian style canoe. The first hour is £7 for adults, £3.50 for children, but you can take boats out for longer at reduced rates after the first hour. You can get as far as the weir at Bathampton and along the way look out for kingfishers, heron and possibly otters.

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FAMILY | FUN Summer story making school, Monday 3 – Friday 7 August at The Pound Arts Centre in Corsham. Working parents can find it a challenge to find somewhere for their children to go, particularly if their child is not sporty. The Pound is running a tall story week, culminating with a performance on the Friday. The days run from 9am (for breakfast) to 4pm. There’s also an art and crafts course the following week, 10 – 14 August, both suitable for seven to 11-year-olds. £90 for the week. Find out more: poundarts.org.uk.

Woodland Play area, off Claverton Road, Bath. Join in the fun in the woods, with on Wild Wednesday, 26 August, 10.30am – 12.30pm. Take the City Sightseeing tour bus from town and get off at the bus stop M at Claverton, then follow the National Trust signs.

A day at the seaside. To be honest Weston isn’t our favourite beach, but nearby Berrow Sands is a great place to take the children, with plenty of space for sandcastle building. It’s just over an hour’s drive from Bath and you could combine it with a wild and windy walk over Brean Down to blow away the cobwebs.

Make some music. the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon is holding a summer holiday festival for children with all sorts of activities for youngsters from tiny tots to teenagers. On Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 August there’s a twoday rock school, while on Thursday 13 August the Ashley Road building will resound to African drumming for five to seven year olds. Workshops, which range from £3 to £60 for longer courses, can be booked on: wiltshiremusic.org.uk, where you’ll also find full details of the three week school holiday festival.

28 stitch design. On 12 August under sixes can dress up in clothes from the past and create portraits using collage. On 14 August, for children aged five to 11: create maps of your identity inspired by Grayson Perry and make a self-portrait. On 19 August, children aged three to 11, be cake creative using tissue and collage materials.

Creative fun sessions at Victoria Art Gallery – children must bring an adult with them. Wednesday morning sessions, from 10.30am until noon and at the same time every Friday throughout August. On 5 August, for children aged three to six: create some seasonal weather pictures. On 7 August, a Sewing Special for children aged five to 11: explore 18th century fashion in the exhibition and sew a simple cross

Excess energy and rainy days. When the children are bouncing off the sofa, fighting and restless and you can’t hear yourself think, it’s time to find somewhere they can let rip. Time to bundle them into the car and take them to the indoor playbarn at Farrington’s in Farrington Gurney, Somerset. Fun for toddlers and children aged up to 12 – dare they tackle the Death-tastic slide? They play, then you can refuel them on fish and chips on site before taking them home. Open daily and there are some great outlets on the complex for coffee and a little light retail therapy for mum and dad too.

24 BE CURIOUS: above, Secret World at Highbridge, Somerset has native British animals Below, African drumming at Wiltshire Music Centre, and the wide open sands of Berrow beach

Original drama, local talent. This is the 18th year that young actors in Bath have been able to take part in Storm on the Lawn, in which they form an impromptu theatre company, rehearse and perform, all in their school holidays. Your child may not be lucky enough to be one of the 60, but they may be inspired (in a good way, we mean) by this year’s musical based on the true story of a British schoolboy who turned mass poisoner. The Teacup Poisoner runs from Wednesday 19 to Sunday 23 August at Prior Park College. For ticket and full performance details of this al fresco production tel: 01225 823409 or visit: theatreroyal.org.uk/the-egg.

If you’re looking for family-friendly events any time, visit our new website: thebathmag.co.uk Everything good about Bath, all in one place

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British wild animals up close. If you’re going down to Brean why not spend a few hours at the nearby Secret World at Highbridge in Somerset. Over the weekend of 29 to 31 August there’s a Nature’s hunters wildlife weekend. See badgers in a sett, watch foxes at play, meet birds of prey and enjoy the spectacle of ferret racing. Admission is free but donations are invited. Secret World is open 10am to 4pm daily. Learn more about fascinating Japanese culture and customs. The Museum of East Asian Art in Bennett Street, Bath is holding an afternoon for families on Monday 17 August from 2pm to 4.30pm. Create your own Manga comic book, make Japanese dolls, learn how Japanese serve tea traditionally, rummage through a collection of costumes and have some dressing up fun. All materials included. £3.50 per child.

Visit the city farm. Bath City Farm celebrates its 20th birthday this year. Head up to Kelston View, Whiteway any time between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Saturday. Meet the animals, which include pygmy goats, free range chickens, ducks, sheep and pigs. For £2 children can be taught how to brush one of the resident (friendly) Shetland ponies. Admission is free, there’s a cafe and some of the best views in Bath. On Saturday 22 August, noon to 2pm, there’s a barbecue and a bouncy castle.

Visit At-Bristol. This fabulous hands-on science museum near the Harbourside in Bristol is a brilliant, inter-active experience for curious youngsters. Awaken their interest in how things work, from the human body to the universe. Fun for adults too. Admission: £13.90 adults, £8.95 three to 15 years. Visit: at-bristol.org.uk. n

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CHILDREN’S | LITFEST

GOOD READS FOR SUMMER Ahead of September’s Bath Children’s Literature Festival the team at Bath Waterstones have picked some great books for children to enjoy, with the prospect of meeting the authors when they visit the festival

ome of Britain’s best loved writers and illustrators will be visiting Bath this autumn for the children’s literature festival. Before you go and see them talk about their work and read from their books, why not enjoy their stories at home this school holidays? Love Monster by Rachel Bright (Harpercollins) £6.99 Being the only monster in Cutesville is tough but Love Monster is not one to sit around and mope. He sets off on an adventure to find someone who will love him for who he is, and, after searching high, low and everywhere in between, he finally does. A charming main character brought to life by the fabulously talented Rachel Bright, Love Monster will steal your heart. Suitable for age four and over. Rachel will be at the Widcombe Institute on Sunday 4 October, 1.15pm for fun, games and storytelling. This Book Just Ate my Dog by Richard Byrne (Oxford University Press) £6.99 Bella is understandably a little confused and concerned when her dog disappears into the page as she takes it for a walk. The book continues to swallow all sorts of other characters trying to help, including a fleet of emergency vehicles and eventually Bella herself. How on earth will they get back? This is where you come in. Can you persuade the naughty book to let them go? An enchanting story that will get everyone involved and laughing out loud. Suitable age five plus. Richard will be at the Widcombe Institute on Sunday 4 October, 10am, teaching young readers how to draw their own lovable pooch. Sir Charlie Stinky Socks: The Pirate’s Curse by Kristina Stephenson (Egmont) £6.99 With the help of his trusty cat, Envelope, and his good grey mare, Charlie finds a ship and sets off for the seven seas. He battles sea monsters and meet pirates and, of course . . . uses his stinky socks. Will this gallant hero manage to save the day? Are pirates really as scary as they seem? A perfect read-aloud story. Join Kristina at the festival for a musical storytelling bonanza and live performances of the 34 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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songs from the books. Suitable age four plus. Kristina will be at the Guildhall on Saturday 26 September, 3.15pm, for musical storytelling, complete with pirates. The Bolds by Julian Clary (illustrated by David Roberts) (Andersen Press) £6.99 In most respects, the Bold family are very average. They have a nice house, Mr and Mrs Bold have jobs and the children love to have fun. The abnormal fact of the matter is, the Bold family are hyenas. Tucking their tails into trousers, they have got away with ‘fitting in’ until now. A nosy neighbour has become suspicious about the family and contacts the local wildlife centre. Cue utter chaos! Clever characters, hilarious misunderstandings and brilliant illustrations. Suitable age seven and over. Julian will be at the Guildhall on Sunday 4 October, 1.45pm, giving hilarious readings from the book. Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls By Liz Kessler (Orion) £6.99 Emily is not your average girl. As she discovers in her first swimming lesson at school, she grows a tail whenever she’s in water. Soon she meets other mermaids who introduce her to a whole new world under the sea. Emily and her friends get more than they bargain for on a school trip to a strange island.

ENGAGING: comedian Julian Clary has dropped his adult persona and adopted a familyfriendly approach for his hilarious tale The Bolds, about a family who aren’t quite what they seem to be

Rumours are flying as a ship disappears. Does the answer to all this mystery lie with the lost city of Atlantis? Beautifully written and illustrated, this series has been captivating children for years. Suitable for age seven plus. Liz will be at the Guildhall on Sunday 27 September, 4pm, to take her audience on a journey through Emily’s magical world. Danger is Everywhere by David O’Doherty and Chris Judge (Puffin) £7.99 Do you know what to do if there is volcano under your house? Or how to tell if your Granny is a robot? Neither did we. But now we can deal with everything from shark attacks in the home to Vikings to musical dangers thanks to this handbook for avoiding danger. Informative with helpful diagrams, you will finish this book feeling confident you could survive almost anything. Genuinely laugh-outloud funny. The experts will be at the festival, on Sunday 4 October, 1.45pm in the Guildhall, to teach a lesson on Dangerology. The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell (Random House) £7.99 Japanese teenager Sora has recently been diagnosed with ALS so he turns to the ancient wisdom of the Samurai for courage and internet forums for comfort. There he finds friends that accept him for who he is. A story of the beauty of life, friendship and the power of feeling connected. Suitable for teens/young adults. Rising star Sarah will be at the Mission theatre on Sunday 27 September, 2.30pm. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (Walker Books) £12.99 Award-winning Patrick Ness encourages us to find the extraordinary in the everyday ordinary. Mikey is not the ‘Chosen One.’ He is very happy not being the ‘Chosen One.’ Teenage life is hard enough with exams and prom and trying to convince the girl you love to love you too without being the God of Mountain Lions as well. Fantastically original, poignant, painful and very witty. Suitable for teens/young adults. Patrick will be at the Guildhall on Saturday 26 September, 6.45pm, to talk about his books. n For tickets visit: bathfestivals.org.uk

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WHAT’S ON in August EVENTS ARE LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

Lucinda Belle at Iford Manor

ALAN BENNETT’S TALKING HEADS Wednesday 22 July – Saturday 8 August, times vary n Theatre Royal, Sawclose, Bath Stephanie Cole is one of the UK’s best loved actresses and she starred in the first series of Talking Heads in 1988. This production includes her reprise of A Cream Cracker Under the Settee, along with two other classic pieces, A Lady of Letters and A Chip in the Sugar with Siobhan Redmond and Karl Theobald. tel: 01225 448844. Also at the Theatre Royal this month MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS Saturday 15 August – Saturday 5 September, times vary This is the first chance to see a new musical based on the film starring Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins. It tells the story of the real-life Windmill Theatre’s notorious nude girl shows and its famous slogan ‘we never close’ celebrating the spirit of the Blitz. The lyrics are by Don Black and the show stars Olivier award winner Janie Dee and Ian Bartholomew.

JERRI HART Sunday 9 August 2pm n The American Museum, Claverton Manor, Bath We usually enjoy busker Jerri Hart’s singing and trumpet playing while we’re walking through the streets of Bath, but the museum is showcasing this talented and experienced musician’s work and giving his audience the chance to sit down and listen. He’ll run through a range of classics from the American Song Book and the Rat Pack in the intimate indoor setting of The Stables at the museum. Admission is included in the price of a museum ticket.

Siobhan Redmond

Jerri Hart

Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra

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Stephanie Cole PICTURE: Mark Douet

OPERA AT IFORD: AGRIPPINA Wednesday 29, Friday 31 July, Saturday 1 August, Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5 August, gardens open for picnics from 6pm n The cloisters of Iford Manor, Wiltshire Relax over a pre-show picnic in the tranquillity of the Peto Garden overlooking the idyllic Iford valley. Iford Baroque Period Orchestra plays for Handel’s opera, which will be sung in English. The conductor is Christopher Bucknall, the director is Bruno Ravella. Tickets £113 (Mon – Fri) £117 (Sat) Also at Iford this month JAZZ AT IFORD: ANOTHER WORLD Saturday 8 August, picnics and music from 6pm Lucinda Belle: “A sultry tone, seducing the audience with a gently brazen charm” The Times. Cable Street Collective: “Their music is guaranteed to bring the sunshine, whatever the weather” XFM’s new music guru John Kennedy. Tickets: £34. MOSTLY AUTUMN Sunday 2 August, from 7pm n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath Winners of Best Live Concert and Best Female Vocalist 2014 (Olivia Sparnenn-Josh) in the Classic Rock Society awards, Mostly Autumn draws on influences from the golden age of rock, but has developed its own sound that captures the essence of that era and yet looks forward. Tickets: £15. Also at Komedia this month KRATER COMEDY CLUB Saturday 8 August (also 15 and 22 August), door opens 6.30pm Four times winner of the Best Comedy Venue in Wales & The West at the Chortle Comedy Awards (2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015). Komedia this evening features comedians Ben Norris, Ellie Taylor, Duncan Oakley and MC Mark Olver. Tickets from £10 (meal deals are also available). And if you want to stay and dance afterwards, entrance to Motorcity is free to Krater ticket holders. All ages hit the dance floor from 11pm onwards.

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THE MINISTRY OF BURLESQUE’S TWISTED CABARET Friday 28 August, doors open from 6.30pm The Ministry of Burlesque showcases the best of true burlesque – a provocative blend of new variety, historical chic and contemporary cabaret. Prepare for a feast of unexpected marvels and get ready for high camp comedy, risqué songs and Victorian villainy. Suitable for 18s and over. Tickets from £10 (meal deals are also available). CHARITY CRICKET MATCH Thursday 6 August, gates open at 4pm n Hinton Charterhouse Cricket Club, Hinton Charterhouse Hinton Charterhouse cricket team take on the might of Bath Rugby’s Legends team for a charity evening. The fun starts with a minis rugby kicking competition followed by a barbecue with a steel band. The cricket match begins at 6pm. Entrance is £3, under 16s £1. BATH MINUET DANCERS Thursday 6 August and Thursday 13 August, 5pm – 7pm n Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge Street, Bath To coincide with the Jane Austen’s Bath exhibition – which shows us what the city was like 200 years ago – there will be free displays of Regency dancing (for ticket holders and Discovery card holders) in the gallery. Also at the Victoria Art Gallery this month JANE AUSTEN DANCERS Thursday 20 and Thursday 27 August, 5pm – 7pm This troupe of authentically dressed dancers, pictured, will show the sort of dances enjoyed by Regency bucks and their belles at the balls in Austen’s novels. Picture courtesy of Ferla Paolo: ferlapaolo.com. QUICK START OIL PAINTING WORKSHOP Saturday August 8 10am – 5pm n Bath Artists’ Studios, Comfortable Place, Upper Bristol Road, Bath Bath based artist Rob Lunn has teamed up with road safety charity Brake to run this one-day painting course in memory of those who have lost their lives on Bath’s roads. The charity helps to support families left devastated by deaths and injuries – every day in the UK, five people die on roads and about 60 more are seriously injured. Learn how to paint a still life in oils. All materials are provided. Participants also receive a full-colour handbook so they can carry on painting at home. All profits from this workshop will go directly to Brake. To book contact Rob, email: workshops@roblunn.co.uk or call 07817733510. RAY DAVIES Saturday 8 August n The grounds of Glastonbury Abbey Ray Davies, former lead singer with the Kinks, is the star of this year’s Extravaganza. He’ll be supported by current chart hit country duo The Strokes and by Joan Armatrading. Tickets: £35 adult and £20 (children six to 16), or £40 adult, £25 children on the day. The evening will end with fireworks. Visit: glastonburyabbey.com/Extravaganza2015. WORKING FROM HOME Until Monday 31 August n Museum of Bath at Work, Julian Road, Bath Artist Julie McCalden presents an installation produced in response to the Museum of Bath at Work’s collection. Engaging with the life of an early 20th century woman, it camouflages signs of industrious activity in a domestic setting. Camouflaged objects include a kitchen range, cooking equipment, cleaning supplies, laundry on a washing line, match box assembly, and toys. WRITE AND PERFORM WORKSHOP Saturday 8 August, 10.30am – 1pm n Diana Cambridge’s studios, Camden, Bath Experienced book and magazine writer and editor Diana Cambridge will be joined by actor Andres Bolado to give advice to writers on bookshop readings, speaking in public and running workshops. Plus individual story critiques, places are £25. To book email: diana@dianacambridge.co.uk. Continued Page 38>> WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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WHAT’S | ON

LIVESTREAM GLYNDEBOURNE Sunday 9 August, doors open 4.30pm ■ Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1DZ As part of a series of Livestreaming from Glyndebourne’s annual summer opera season, tonight it’s The Rape of Lucretia, Benjamin Brittem’s dark masterpiece. Bring your own picnic and enjoy drinks from the bar. Tickets: £15. tel: 01225 860100 or visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk. Also at the Music Centre this month WILTSHIRE & SWINDON YOUTH ORCHESTRA: MUSIC AMERICA Friday 28, 7.30pm and Saturday 29 August, 3pm A powerful programme putting American music in the limelight from this talented young orchestra under conductor Timothy Redmond. It features two iconic works with genuinely American voices: Leonard Bernstein’s brilliant Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, with its raucous, pulsating energy, and Charles Ives’ landmark Symphony No 2. Tickets: £15, £9 under-18s and students. Learn to be a Natural

POETRY ON THE PARAGON Tuesday 11 August, 7.45pm ■ Topping & Co bookshop, the Paragon, Bath Bath poet Claire-Louise Price launches her collection of poems, Walking with Angels, which encapsulates and celebrates the elusive, and often overlooked, qualities of human existence. Her work praises life in all its glory. Tickets: £5 from tel: 01225 428111. NATURAL THEATRE COMPANY YOUTH DRAMA COURSES Monday 10 – Friday 14 August for 10 – 16-year-olds Monday 17 – Wednesday 19 August, for seven to 11-year-olds ■ The National Trust’s Prior Park gardens, Bath and at the Natural Theatre’s headquarters in Widcombe Bath’s brilliantly hilarious world renowned Natural Theatre Company present a unique week long course for young people aged ten to 16, of fun, games and performance in the grounds of Prior Park, culminating in an outdoor performance. The cost is £140 for the week. A second Street Theatre Adventure course for younger children will take place at the Naturals studio in Widcombe. This is a condensed course which will also make new characters and will allow participants to use props and costumes from the Naturals’ huge wardrobe. The three day course is £90. To book, visit: naturaltheatre.co.uk, email: info@naturaltheatre.co.uk or call 01225 469131.

Prepare for next month’s Weston Flower Show

Family fun at Bath Cats and Dogs Home

BATH CATS AND DOGS HOME FAMILY DAY Monday 31 August, 11am – 4pm ■ Bath Cats and Dogs Home, Claverton, Bath Bath families love this annual day, which includes a fun dog show, dog agility and dog-themed games. There’ll be music from Heart FM, dance shows and artisan stalls, with refreshments from the BBQ, a bar, tea and cakes. There is plenty to keep children entertained in the Kids Zone, from face painting, magician and bouncy castle to arts and crafts. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome. Tickets £4 adults, £3.50 senior citizens, £2 children (aged 5-16), under 5s free. A family ticket (2 adults + 2 children) is £10. Tel: 01225 787334 or visit: bcdh.org.uk

FOLK N FUNNY 3 Sunday 16 August, 6pm ■ The Love Lounge at The Bell, Walcot Street, Bath The Unrelated Family and very special guests present an hour or so of the funniest numbers in the folk songbook, from Jake Thackray, Rambling Syd Rumpo and Adge Cutler to Bill Bailey, Victoria Wood, Vic and Bob, Neil Innes and more. £3 on the door, details: bathfolkfestival.org.

Derry Watkins’ open gardens

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BOOKS BROUGHT TO LIGHT: THE 18TH CENTURY BOOK EXPLOSION Until 5 September, 10am–4pm Monday to Saturday ■ Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution, 16 Queen Square, Bath BRLSI is displaying books from its historic library to reveal the story of the 18th century Enlightenment, the age of reason and learning. Bath was

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a particularly lively setting for discovery and debate, with pioneers such as William Herschel and Joseph Priestley making extraordinary discoveries. On display will be the journal of Edmund Rack, one of the founders of the Royal Bath and West Society, an intriguing mixture of the humdrum (like the price of starlings in Bath Market) and the serious, and his reflections on science, morality and the absurdities of social life throw light on all aspects of the Enlightenment. He has been recreated in cartoon form by cartoonist Sally Artz. ROB HERON AND THE TEA PAD ORCHESTRA Friday 28 August, 7.30pm n The Chapel Arts, St James’ Memorial, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Bringing a mix of infectious jazz, gypsy, ska and blues music, Geordie band Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra have deservedly earned themselves a sizeable fan base in the UK, Ireland and beyond. They call their style of music North Eastern Swing. Tickets: £10, £12 on the door. Tel: 01225 461700, or visit: chapelarts.org. WATERLOO AND THE MARCH OF SCIENCE Until 14 December n The Herschel Museum, New King Street, Bath The home of astronomers William and Caroline Herschel is holding an exhibition which invites us to consider 1815 and what was happening during this golden age of advancement. The museum has been selected as William Herschel had a meeting with Napoleon in France and wrote about the encounter. TREEFEST Saturday 29 – Monday 31 August n Westonbirt Arboretum, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire There are more than 100 exhibitors at this annual celebration of the natural world. Browse among stalls selling everything from crafts, art, gifts and jewellery, to accessories for the home and garden. Westonbirt has partnered with Love Food Festival to showcase local culinary treats from the region’s independent food producers. There’ll be live music and tree carving to watch. Children can enjoy a host of activities

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from den building to tree climbing and zip wires. There’s also an arena with displays of falconry and other entertainment.Tickets: adults, £15, children under 18 free. From: forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt-treefest. SMALL WORLDS DOLLSHOUSE EXHIBITION Until 8 November n The Brownsword Gallery, No 1 Royal Crescent, Bath A collection of historic dollshouses and furniture. Free with admission to the museum. Adults £9, concessions £7, children £4. TEXTILE FAIR Saturday 22 August, noon to 5pm n The America Museum at Claverton, Bath Last summer’s textile fair proved so successful it’s back, giving visitors the chance to browse among yarns, fabrics, books and other specialist products. SPECIAL PLANTS: OPEN GARDEN Thursday 20 August, 11am – 5pm n Greenways Lane, near Cold Ashton SN14 8LA Derry Watkins is a well respected and extremely knowledgable plantswoman who has cultivated this varied plot since 1996. There are exotic plants, a beautiful black and white themed area, a bog garden and a gravel section. Be inspired for your own plot. Open for the NGS £4.50 entrance. Teas will be on sale.

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WHAT’S | ON HOLBURNE UP LATE Friday 28 August, 5pm –9pm n The Holburne Museum Enjoy a summer’s evening and after hours access to the galleries and exhibition. Relax with a cocktail, wander the grounds and enjoy live music. PLANNING AHEAD WESTON FLOWER SHOW Saturday 5 September, 2.30pm n All Saints Centre, High Street, Weston, Bath This is a popular community event with classes for flowers, vegetables, fruit, homecraft, handicraft, art and photography as well as a scarecrow competition and classes for children. There’ll be refreshments, including homemade cakes and a plant sale organised by the gardening club. Schedules are on sale at Weston Fruit Stores and Kit Johnson Residential in Weston High Street, for £1.50. The schedule includes an entry form. Children’s classes are free to enter, others are 20p per class. The deadline for entries is the Wednesday before the show. Admission on the day is £1.50 (with the schedule) Visit: westonvillagegardeningclub.co.uk. THE JANE AUSTEN FESTIVAL Friday 11 – Sunday 20 September n Various venues around Bath This will be Bath’s 15th Jane Austen Festival, the biggest to date with over 100 events over

Ventriloquist and comedian Nina Conti

helping combat stress in servicemen and women. THE TELEGRAPH BATH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL 25 September – 4 October Tickets for Britain’s largest dedicated children’s book festival have gone on sale. This is a festival bursting at the seams with activity for children of all ages, their families and friends. There’ll be visits from Julia Donaldson (The Gruffalo), Jacqueline Wilson (Hetty Feather) and Chris Riddell (Goth Girl) among over 100 events. For tickets visit: bathfestivals.org.uk, or tel: 01225 463 362.

the ten-day festival. There are talks, two balls and a public reading of Emma, beginning on Sunday 13 September at Bath Central Library from 2pm. Pick up a full programme from Bath Tourist Information Centre or visit: janeaustenfestivalbath.co.uk. CONCERT IN AID OF SOLDIERS, SAILORS & AIRMEN & FAMILIES ASSOCIATION Saturday 12 September, 7.30pm n Bath Abbey The band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines and world renowned organist Dr Jennifer Bate OBE will be putting on a rousing programme, to include works by Bach, Walton, Holst, Franck and Saint-Saens. Tickets are from £10, tel: 01225 463362, with proceeds for SSAFA

NINA CONTI: IN YOUR FACE Sunday 8 November, 7.30pm n Theatre Royal Bath British Comedy Award winner Nina Conti straps a member of the audience into a mask and works them as a ventriloquist’s dummy. Very funny for anyone watching and a bit nerve wracking for her ‘volunteer’. Tickets: £15/£20. Tel: 01225 448844. Also coming to the Theatre Royal Bath ALAN DAVIES: LITTLE VICTORIES Sunday 29 November, 7.30pm The perennially popular Alan Davies, stand-up comedian, actor and team captain on QI, sold out during his recent year-long tour of his latest show, so he’s added some more dates, including Bath. Tickets: £27.50. n

Now you can post your What’s On listings to our website. Visit: thebathmag.co.uk

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CITY | OF | FESTIVALS

COOL AS FOLK

For nine days this month there’ll be roots music in venues across the city – and much of it is free, writes Georgette McCready

hose who claim they don’t like folk music, may as well say they don’t like music. The 2015 programme for Bath Folk Festival, which opens on Saturday 8 August, demonstrates that there is music for every taste, from the pure guitar playing of the trad musicians to the wild party music of Bollywood and bhangra. Like the Exmouth Folk Festival, which is a huge annual event taking over the whole seaside town, the Bath festival spreads its love by staging events at pubs, schools, halls and public spaces all over the city. And what’s more, a lot of those musical events are free. Here are some festival highlights: l Flook: Saturday 8 August, 7.30pm at Beechen Cliff School. An exciting and well established Anglo-Irish band, featuring Bath raised Ed Boyd in its lineup, which plays some very accomplished sets. You’ll need to buy a ticket for this gig. l Music in shops. When you pop out to buy a loaf of bread or a smoothie, you’ll be able to enjoy some live music. Harvest

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in Walcot Street, Beyond the Kale and Green Park Station are all staging bands throughout the week Monday 10 – Friday 14 August. l RSVP Bhangra: at The Nest in the Paragon, 8pm, Thursday 13August. This is the ultimate party band who’ll guide you through losing some inhibitions and throwing some Bollywood shapes on the dancefloor. l Bath City Farm free family fun day: Saturday 8 August, 10am to 3pm. Hoe down to Kelston View with the children and enjoy the bouncy castle, a craft fair and some live music. l Dance the evening away at a free ceilidh in Green Park Station from 6.30pm on Tuesday 11 August. Take the children and follow the moves as they’re shouted out by a caller. l Shop and listen at Bath Artisan Market, 10am to 4pm, on Sunday 9 August in Green Park Station. While away a lazy Sunday browsing among 70 stalls and enjoying music from Kadia and Lampa bands. l Enjoy the camaraderie of meeting other music lovers. The festival is setting

PUB SESSIONS: pictured are Amadou Diagne and Katherine Mann, in just one of the events taking place in venues such as The Bell, Giraffe, the Royal Oak and the Hive

up a campsite on Hicks Field, by the rugby training ground off London Road, with showers, loos and a bar in the evenings. Nightly, after 8pm there’ll be a chance to gather round a bonfire – no doubt a few impromptu jamming sessions will take place. l Learn to play at workshops for all ages. These will be held at The Edge, the new arts centre at the University of Bath, led by some world-class tutors. l Visiting musicians from Hungary and Denmark will bring their own brand of folk music to the free Folk on the Cliff event on 15 August. These are just a handful of events taking place, including a talent competition throughout the festival. Find out where you can enjoy live music, visit:bathfolkfestival.org. n

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FESTIVAL | OF | BOOKS

A NEW CHAPTER UNFOLDS

Look forward to hearing some of your favourite writers this autumn as Bath independent bookshop Topping & Co unveils its new season

ome cities celebrate visiting rock stars but here in Bath we’re much more likely to get excited about welcoming the writers of our favourite books, whether that be people who have made their name in other fields, such as actors and chefs, or those dedicated to the art of fiction. September looks like being the most Shakespearean of months this year as Topping & Co bookshop has lined up a series of events loosely linked. Antony Sher is one of our most acclaimed classical actors and he’ll will be in the city on 12 September talking about playing Sir John Falstaff. He has played Richard III, Prospero, Iago, Cyrano de Bergerac and Tamburlaine, and leading roles in Tom Stoppard’s Travesties, Terry Johnson’s Hysteria and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. In 2014, he was cast as Falstaff in both parts of the RSC production of Henry IV. Both the production and Sher’s Falstaff were praised by critics and audiences alike. Year of the Fat Knight is Anthony Sher’s account of researching, rehearsing and playing one of Shakespeare’s bestknown and most popular characters. In it he shares his doubts about playing the part at all, his concerns about reconciling Falstaff’s obesity, drunkenness, cowardice and charm, and how he explored the complexities and contradictions of this comic yet dangerous personality. It’s a thoroughly engrossing book, full of humour, and a great celebration of the creative life, it is also full of insights into the craft of acting. Next April marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. To mark this, The Hogarth Shakespeare has asked some of today’s most celebrated international writers to re-imagine Shakespeare’s plays. The books will be true to the spirit of the original, yet still bold, fresh and original. The series launches with Oranges are Not the Only Fruit author Jeanette Winterson’s take on The Winter’s Tale, The Gap of Time when she visits Bath on 29 September. She has long been inspired by Shakespeare for many years. Readers familiar with Winterson will know that ideas of family and betrayal are at the heart of her work. Yet, despite the darkness of her themes, she writes with sharp humour and emotional 42 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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honesty: The Gap of Time promises similar complexity. Nicholas Shakespeare’s blend of storytelling and acute observational skill have made him one of the country’s most highly regarded writers, he’s coming to the city on 26 September to talk about his new collection of short stories. His novels, among them The Dancer Upstairs and The Vision of Elena Silves, have often traced the stories of ordinary people, placing them against a backdrop of international and political upheaval. This sense of history and place shine through in his new collection, Stories from Other Places, in which he showcases his fascination with connection and disconnection and cultural misunderstanding. The stories draw on people and places from around the world – from the faded glamour of 1930s Bombay to early 20th century Bolivia. September also sees masters of the creative and culinary world. Rick Stein is one of our most original and favourite

POWERFUL PERFORMANCE: Antony Sher will be talking about his diary-based book on playing the challenging role of Falstaff

TV chefs and is back in Bath on Monday 7 September with a memorable new food odyssey, From Venice to Istanbul, in which he uncovers the littleknown history and cuisine of the Byzantine empire, by exploring, sampling and cooking the food that most people associate with holidays in the eastern Mediterranean and the Adriatic – healthy, light, tasty dishes that go so well with sunshine, remote islands, chilled wine and clear, aquamarine seas. Rick Stein is a vivacious and captivating speaker and this will be an extremely entertaining evening with him at Komedia, taking to the gas burner to cook dishes from the book. Kaffe Fassett, the world’s best-known textile artist and colourist, has a huge following in Bath – as witnessed by his extraordinarily popular exhibition at the American Museum last year. Worldrenowned knitwear and textile designer and author of a kaleidoscope of books on knitwear, needlepoint, embroidery and quilt making, Kaffe has captivated

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FESTIVAL | OF | BOOKS

ECLECTIC MIX: Sebastian Faulks, Rick Stein, Kaffe Fassett and paper artist Jessica Palmer’s new book on paper cutting

generations and transformed the textile world. He will give an illustrated talk on 16 September to celebrate his two new books Heritage Quilts and Brilliant Little Patchwork. Another master – rather mistress – of her craft is Bath based paper cutting artist Jessica Palmer, who’ll be launching her beautiful new book The Art of Paper Cutting with a launch party on 25 September. Jessica also teaches others and is inspiring on the theme of ‘how to draw with a knife.’ Prize-winning novelist Andrew Miller

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returns with The Crossing on Wednesday 30 September. Ranging from the west country to an isolated orphanage in Brazil, this is the mesmerising story of an enigmatic woman and her emotional journey – as deeply affecting as her physical journey becomes nail-bitingly dramatic. This is a truly exceptional novel and reaffirms Andrew Miller as one of our finest novelists. Lastly, but by no means least, is the much anticipated return to Bath of Birdsong author Sebastian Faulks,

who’ll be delighting his legions of followers on Thursday 24 September. His fans will barely have had time to read his new novel, When My Heart Used to Beat, as it’s published on 10 September, but as always, they will be happy to listen to this most engaging and charismatic of writers. The new novel promises us characters which direct us to take a long and baleful look back over the 20th century. For details of these and many more literary happenings this autumn in Bath visit: toppingbooks.co.uk. n

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

A RICH SUMMER HARVEST An eclectic mix of arts for all tastes features in the city’s public and private galleries in August

Sea Monster by Oliver Goodson

ILLUSTRATOR OLIVER GOODSON Artist in residence Oliver Goodson is sharing his love for print by holding an exhibition of print works and techniques, alongside and a pop-up shop selling affordable works, including hand printed books, limited prints, T-shirts and cards.

44AD GALLERY 4 Abbey Street, Bath BA1 1NN Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 6pm Sunday 10am – 4pm PHOTO|BATH PRESENTS: STREET SEEN 18 – 23 August, noon – 6pm Featuring work by Phil Hendy, Anna Kot, Jon Leahy, Carlos Ordenez and Simon Taylor, the Photo|Bath collective. This exhibition showcases the exciting and eclectic range of photography the founding members produce. From the lyrical to the ironic and incorporating the abstract, all five artists demonstrate a strong but individual set of images in response to a common theme. For more information and how to join, visit: photobath.co.uk. Meet the artists on Tuesday 18 August, 6pm – 8pm.

Stairway to Heaven by Anna Kot

THE ROPER GALLERY The Old Malthouse, Comfortable Place, Bath BA1 3AJ 30 July – 6 August, 11am – 5pm

ALSO AT 44AD GALLERY MICHAEL PELL Tuesday 25 – Friday 28 August Michael Pell, a talented local artist and head of art at King Edward’s School, Bath, is proud to launch his newest exhibition showcasing his recent work. As the son of an artist, Michael spent his formative years surrounded by painters, printmakers and designers which evoked his creative passion for forming connections with urban surfaces: walls, signs, symbols and marks that denote a human presence. Michael’s distinctive tactile multi-layered images use colour, markmaking and textured surfaces to develop their own history through the process of constructing collaged layers and over painting as well as deconstructing techniques such as scraping and eroding. To find out more about his work visit: michaelpell.squarespace.com.

THE CIRCLE HOSPITAL Foxcote Avenue, Peasedown St John Monday – Sunday 8am – 8pm

Mr Satie at the Piano by Nick Cudworth NICK CUDWORTH GALLERY London St, top of Walcot Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 445221, visit: nickcudworth.com ACROSS THE BOARD Until 29 August A chance to revisit a wide range of signed, limited edition prints taken from original oil paintings and pastel drawings over several years.These represent Nick’s many varied interests often with an unusual perspective. A selection of paintings will also be on show.

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Beckham by Michael Pell

Forsythia by Julie Starks (detail)

MICROBIOPHILIA & CELLULAR LANDSCAPES Until 30 September Stephen Magrath uses images from biomedical sources to inspire his experiments with abstract images. Julie Starks’ artwork is inspired by her fascination for ecosystems. Much of her work is based on looking closely at the small worlds that surround us.

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ART | EXHIBITIONS ROSTRA GALLERY George Street, Bath

Artist Bonnie Helen-Hawkins THE PRINCE’S TRUST CHARITY ART AUCTION AND DINNER The Assembly Rooms, Bath Thursday 8 October Tickets have gone on sale for the Prince’s Trust fine art auction, held to raise money to support disadvantaged young people in the south west. Sponsored by Coutts & Co, Reside and Withy King, more than 40 artists have donated work. The previous two art events have raised £170,000, which has been used by the youth charity to help young people in the south west get into work, training or education. This year’s event hopes to raise over £75,000. One of the artists giving work is Bonnie HelenHawkins, who when she was starting her career, was backed by The Prince’s Trust. Tickets: £1,500 for a table of 10 and £150 for individuals. This includes the reception, and dinner. For more information, email: Katherine.morgan@princes-trust.org.uk.

Above,Throwing the Bouquet by Richard Burel Below, Screen print by Alison Holdoway

BATH CONTEMPORARY 35 Gay Street, Bath BA1 2NT Email: gallery@bathcontemporary.com Visit: bathcontemporary.com Tel: 01225 461230 Opening times: 10am – 5pm, Mon – Sat SUMMER EXHIBITION Until 29 August New work from Nicholas Turner, Peter Kettle and Louise Davies. The soft nostalgic atmosphere of Turner’s work contrasts with the rugged materiality of Kettle’s weather enduring elemental terrains, which slides into the sophisticated layering of colourful landscapes from federation printmaker Louise Davies.

CASTLE FINE ART Old Bond Street, Bath

UNIVERSITY OF BATH Galleries 1, 2, and 3 The Edge, University of Bath, Claverton Down BA2 7AY Free admission, all welcome

MARVEL SUPERHEROES From the end of July Six limited edition prints of comic book covers (signed by the legendary comic book writer Stan Lee, who is now 92 years old) feature Captain America, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Mighty Thor, The Invincible Iron Man, The Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine.

ALAN COTTON: CONTOURS IN COLOUR Until Saturday 12 September, Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm Alan Cotton, one of Britain’s most distinguished painters, is to have a major retrospective exhibition at The Edge, the university’s new arts centre which is open to all.

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MADE IN BRITAIN 7 August – 7 September New work from local and UK based artists, particularly highlighting local artists and encouraging us all to embrace original handmade artwork. Highlights include Richard Burel’s original paintings that capture the colour and life of Bath’s buildings and gardens. Stunning bronze sculptures by Bristol based artist Helen Gordon, her work captures the movement and character of some of the world’s most majestic animals. Hand finished ceramics by Julia Davey will be on display showing off the local artist’s creative flair for butter dishes, toast racks and mugs. Introducing Sally Gardiner with her raku fired ceramic hares and Alison Holdoway with her bold abstracted screen prints, Alison joins the gallery after winning the Rostra Prize at the Bath Artists Society Exhibition at the Victoria Art Gallery.

Near Borth Y Gest by Peter Kettle

Tibet Sunlit Peaks and Deep Shadows on Everest by Alan Cotton

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ART | EXHIBITIONS DAVID SIMON CONTEMPORARY 3 – 4 Bartlett Street, Bath BA1 2QZ Tel: 01225 460189 Visit: davidsimoncontemporary.com Mon – Sat 10am – 6pm, Sunday afternoons COASTAL ELEMENTS Until 29 August Ian Rawnsley and Tony Scrivener are two artists connected by their fascination and desire to interpret the coastal landscape of their respective environments, in the south-west of England and the East coast of Scotland. With two very different approaches, there is a great variety in this exhibition. Rawnsley’s painting captures the power of the sea and the play of light and textures on waves and wet sand while Scrivener builds a representation of the coastal landscape through his own language of bold forms and lines. In this exhibition we also see wonderful still life compositions by Tony Scrivener which, like his landscape painting, are paired down to the subject’s essential characteristics.

Murmuration by Laura Ellen Bacon THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM Great Pulteney Street, Bath Murmuration: a new work by Laura Ellen Bacon Until 4 October Sculptor Laura Ellen Bacon has transformed the façade and interior of the public museum with a unique installation of Somerset willow. She was inspired by flocks of starlings in flight – as seen in one of nature’s most spectacular phenomenons, the annual murmurations of birds over the Somerset Levels.

QUERCUS 1 Queen Street, Bath BA1 1HE Tues – Sat, 10am – 6pm, Sundays, 10am – 4pm ENCLOSURES Until 15 August A cool, calm collection of original prints, works on paper, paintings and sculpture, bringing together work by Katherine Jones, John Mitchell and Sandra Porter. Each artist’s work references different forms of enclosure, whether this be the physical structure of a built form or the concept of enclosed, confined space. Also featuring new ceramics by Desa Philippi and sculptural silver jewellery by Somerset jewellery designer Penny Price. GROUP SHOW 29 August – 26 September A mixed show for late summer celebrating work by Quercus’ current artists and showcasing new artists for the season ahead. Call in to view a diverse array of paintings, original prints, mixed media work, ceramics, jewellery and textiles, including new work by

Middle Summer by Emma Rose EMMA ROSE Upstairs at The Bath Sofa and Curtain Shop, 78 Walcot Street, Bath Mon – Sat, 10am – 5pm Tel: 01224 424424 Visit: emmaroseartworks.com LONG HOT SUMMER Throughout August From seascape to landscape Emma Rose has encompassed the true essence of natural elements with her energetic paintwork techniques and use of colour. Her work bridges the gap between abstraction and realism whilst remaining authentic to the subject matter and mood that it evokes.

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Hale Estuary III by Tony Scrivener

An Old Friend’s House by Katherine Jones Vanessa Gardiner, Helen Booth, Dean Byass, Henrietta Corbett and Matt Waite ceramics. There will also be new jewellery collections by Adele Brereton, Rhiannon Lewis and Heather McDermott. GALLERY NINE 9b Margarets Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP Tel: 01225 319197 SUMMER SHOW Until 31 August A group show, with Richard Bawden, son of artist Edward Bawden, presenting watercolours of rural and domestic scenes and Kevin Hughes offering new watercolours including local scenes. Matthew Chambers’ ceramic sculptures portray 3D patterns of beauty, rhythm and symmetry in abstract form, while Adan Frew’s work is centred on the potter’s wheel using traditional eastern forms to inspire him. Jeweller Tanja Ufer is inspired by colours, textures and shapes she sees in everyday life. Silver and gold jewellery by Jane Adam and Jennifer Wall will also be shown.

Bandits at 12.0’ clock – Signed, Limited Edition Giclee Print

ACROSS THE BOARD – SUMMER EXHIBITION 1 July – 29 August

A chance to revisit a wide range of signed, limited edition prints taken from original oil paintings and pastel drawings over several years.These represent Nick’s many varied interests often with an unusual perspective. A selection of paintings will also be on show.

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

T H E A R T G A L L E R Y

Andrew Mcneile Jones – Original Oil Painting - Framed

nick cudworth gallery

(21’’ x 16’’ £1350)

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Spencer House, 34 Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8AQ Tues-Sat. 9.30-5pm. Tel: 01666 505152 help@artgallery.co.uk art_gallery_uk artgallery.co.uk

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AUGUST 2015

TheBATHMAGAzine 49

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BATH @ WORK

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

Robert Barnard-Weston Social entrepreneur

or a local peasant and former young offender, I am ridiculously lucky: I live in the place I love best in the world. Not only is Bath the most beautiful city on Earth, our house is gorgeous too – because the Georgians understood proportion, human scale, sacred geometry and delicious materials. There is nothing so exquisite as sunlight on Bath stone against a blue sky with fluffy white clouds (actually, my wife says there is but I’m not going into that here). And what I love most about Bath stone is that it was the basis of a social enterprise, which is also my stock-in-trade, so I am a humble apprentice in a long line of social entrepreneurs who have graced Bath with their vision and their business acumen. There are few better exemplars than Ralph Allen. Ralph Allen, as many of us know, performed what we would now call a corporate turnaround on the English postal system in the early 18th century. Having more balls than most, he managed this astonishing feat while still a very young man and made a fortune. He then turned to stone, so to speak. Being a hawk-eyed entrepreneur, Mr Allen had spotted another market opportunity most had missed. He began quietly to implement his plan: first he bought up the land at Combe Down under which all this yummy Bath stone lay; then he commissioned John Wood to design the most beautiful house imaginable, both overlooking and visible to the grubby medieval town below. Next he invited all the great and the good to free parties at his gorgeous home (Prior Park and it’s still, for me, one of the most beautiful houses in England). While walking around enjoying Mr Allen’s complimentary cocktails, the wealthy guests were encouraged to consider creating a tourist destination focused on the healing spring waters that had delighted Queen Anne some years earlier – a PR opportunity that, again, no-one else had spotted. When these intrigued and happy venture capitalists looked at the spreadsheet – or spread scroll – that Allen presented, they agreed to fund the thing and Georgian Bath got built. The thing is, they all had to come to Ralph Allen for the materials and he made a second vast fortune. Many years later, when he died, it was revealed that Sneaky Ralphie had been giving away copious amounts of money to feed the starving, clothe the naked and house the homeless. And he had been doing it anonymously. Few things could be more noble and closer to God’s work – or, as we call it at Groundswell, ‘evolutionary enterprise’. Groundswell is a corporate social investment consultancy. CSI is a set of tools and disciplines I developed over three years as an evolutionary development out of the more broadly practised corporate social responsibility. The idea is that if corporations invest in society, she pays back – we have the means to benchmark, optimise and measure performance in all relevant areas: socially, environmentally and economically. In essence, we help companies to become more profitable by doing good – and we can measure it, which is the Holy Grail! Groundswell persuades the great and the good – and today that means wealthy corporations – to fund social enterprises that reduce crime, poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, climate change, inequality and social unrest. And we give the funders a very healthy return on their investment, just like that rascal Ralphie. My house, too, is open to the great and the good (it’s also an ecoguest house), so if you’d like to become a social investor, come and see us . . . n

PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic. Visit: capturethespirit.co.uk, tel: 01225 483151. WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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CITY | ARCHIVE

A GEORGIAN JK ROWLING

Eirlys Penn uncovers the story of Sarah Fielding, sister to novelist Henry, author of what is almost certainly the first boarding school bestseller, paving the way for Mallory Towers, Greyfriars and Hogwarts

THE MOTHER OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE A century-old bronze plaque above the honeyed Bath stone gateway to Widcombe Lodge (formerly Yew Cottage) in Church Street states that Henry Fielding and his sister Sarah both lived there in the mid-1700s. You’ve probably heard of Henry (1707-1754) – one of the celebrated fathers of the English novel – but Sarah (1710-1768) is an altogether more shadowy figure. We don’t even know what she looked like as there is no confirmed portrait. Which is a pity because besides writing her own successful novels, she contributed significant sections to her brother’s books, wrote biography, translated the odd major classical work (another passion she shares with JK), and was also a pioneer of children’s literature. Sarah Fielding wrote the first sustained narrative in English aimed squarely at children – girls in particular – and the first children’s book set in a boarding school. The Governess was published in 1749 (the same year as her brother’s Tom Jones). It was hugely popular, remaining in print continuously for the next 55 years and inspiring a 52 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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slew of imitators. The book might read a little sternly to us today, but it was slated at the time as ‘frivolous’ and must have come as a complete breath of fresh air to the average girl. SPARE THE ROD Before Sarah, the 18th century attitude to children’s literature could be summed up as ‘Why include fun when you can have straight moralising?’. Moral correction was up front and central with no attempt to sugarcoat: think cautionary tale but heavy on the caution and absent the tale. And it was considered downright dangerous to stimulate a child’s imagination with storytelling. All manner of corruption might ensue. SUBVERSIVE STORYTELLER What Sarah Fielding did differently was to include those dodgy fables and fairy stories, and set them within a broader novel-type structure. All to make her points the more persuasively because, as she understood well, more is achieved with honey than vinegar.

ON SARAH’S TRAIL: main pictures, Widcombe Lodge; home to Henry and Sarah Fielding, as seen in the 1920s and today Inset, the 1,000 year old St Mary’s Church at Charlcombe where she is said to be interred

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She was encouraging girls to learn to think for themselves and apply their own insights

❝

ucked away in an idyllic corner of Widcombe stands the home of an 18th century female writer who penned the very first children’s bestseller set in a boarding school. Visitors to the Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival next month might be surprised to learn how indebted today’s children’s authors are to this Georgian JK Rowling. Because she basically invented children’s literature as we know it, and got there almost 250 years before Harry first caught the express to Hogwarts.

The Governess; or, Little Female Academy follows nine girls and their governess, Mrs Teachum, through nine days at boarding school. Each girl tells a story revealing a particular human failing. Discussions between the girls after each tale, led by their governess, drive the moral lesson home. Superficially, Sarah Fielding was inspiring traditional female virtues –

Archive picture courtesy of: Bathintime.co.uk

such as obedience – within a more appetising package than was normal. But she also laced in some subtle subversion of the status quo. She was encouraging girls to learn to think for themselves and apply their own insights. They might then choose to be obedient of their own volition, if it was appropriate. Fundamentally, she was a proto-feminist, challenging the prevailing conditions that denied women the most basic choices in education, employment and marriage. Simply being a female writer was an audacious act in the 18th century and carried the faint whiff of scandal, a status reflected in the coy title page of The Governess which doesn’t even give the author’s name. BECOMING SARAH Sarah Fielding wasn’t a mother and didn’t teach. But The Governess grew from her own direct experience. Her mother had died when she was just seven, so Sarah and her two sisters were packed off to Mary Rookes’s boarding school in Salisbury, while Henry went to Eton. Sarah seems to have been a capable scholar and loved the Classics, being much better at Greek than her

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CITY | ARCHIVE

WOMAN OF MYSTERY: above, novelist Henry Fielding was Sarah Fielding’s brother – but no portrait remains of her Right, the frontispiece of her schooldays tale, without revealing that it has been written by a woman

more expensively educated brother. There was no chance of university for women, the default being marriage, childrearing and all things domestic. But a reckless father (who eventually died in debtor’s prison) meant no dowry and no realistic prospect of getting married. So the Fielding sisters were forced to live by their wits – while Henry went off to Leiden to study Classics and Law. Sarah moved to London, remaining dependent on the hospitality of friends and family. She began carving out a literary career for herself while housekeeping for her brother, helped by friends such as the novelist Richardson (her brother’s literary rival) and Ralph Allen (who probably lent her the Widcombe cottage when she moved to Bath around 1751, and eventually left her an annual legacy) and Elizabeth Montagu, Bluestockings Society founder. Though she basically supported herself through her writing, it was always a struggle to make ends meet. How ironic when you consider that her writings were so popular, possibly even outselling those of her brother. GROWING INVISIBILITY Sarah ended up somewhere in Walcot where she died in 1768. She was apparently buried in the ancient little church of St Mary’s, Charlcombe. But there is no grand memorial, no

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elaborate grave such as the one that celebrates her brother’s life. Not even a simple marker. By the time Sir Arthur Conan Doyle unveiled that bronze plaque in Widcombe in 1906, she had disappeared into obscurity – though The Governess had been reprinted in a collection of stories as late as 1870. It’s almost as if she’d donned some kind of literary invisibility cloak. It’s hard to believe that Sarah Fielding – who paved the way for children’s literature as we know it, who enjoyed huge popularity in her own time, who was part of the great Georgian tradition of independent, freethinking, female educators standing up to challenge a very unequal world – has been almost completely effaced. SAVING SARAH Pay your respects to the woman who paved the way for children’s books as we know them today. Trace Sarah Fielding’s trail by looking out for: 1 Widcombe Lodge – where Sarah Fielding lived for many years, though it would have been more modest in her day. Stroll up Widcombe Hill and look out for the plaque above the gateway. 2 St Mary’s Church, Charlcombe – the tiny 1,000-year-old church where Sarah Fielding was buried, though there is no marker. Coincidentally, this is also where her brother married Charlotte Craddock after their 1734 elopement.

3 Bath Abbey – a memorial plaque to Sarah Fielding is rumoured to exist in the west porch, but despite searching we have been unable to find it. 4 Sharpham Park, near Glastonbury – home of Sarah Fielding’s maternal grandparents and where Sarah lived for a while as a child. Now owned by Roger Saul, former Kingswood schoolboy and famous for both his Mulberry handbags and spelt flour. n

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FOOD | NEWS

Titbits

■ The very aﬀable, charming king of the wok, Ken Hom, is coming to Bath on Tuesday 1 September to meet fans and to demonstrate some of his sure-fire recipes. The man who did more for wok sales in this country than any other will be at Kitchens in Quiet Street from 6.30pm. Tickets are £5, which will include a glass of bubbly and the chance to sit in a roped oﬀ seated area in store where you can hear Ken speak and watch the great man cook at close hand. Pick up a ticket in Kitchens. ■ Look out for Somerset delicacy, hot sausage rolls at fairs and festivals this summer. These delicious goodies are made by Little Jack Horner, which is based in Mells. You’ll be able to sample their wares at the Frome Cheese Show on 12 September, Upton Cheyney Chilli Festival over the weekend of 12/13 September and then at the Weston super Food Festival on 26/27 September, when they’ll be joined by producers from across the whole region. ■ Delicious local ice cream brand, Marshfield had the judges swooning at the Great British Food magazine Farm Produce Awards. Marshfield’s Blackcurrants in Clotted Cream ice cream was the overall winner in the dairy category, beating hundreds of hopefuls including Daylesford and Just Rachel Quality Desserts. The judges wrote: “Wow – this is in a league of its own! The blackcurrant swirl had an amazing, deep, fruity flavour which cut through the luxurious, velvety clotted cream perfectly. One of the best ice creams we’ve ever tasted.” Owners Will and Dawn Hawking said: “Our Blackcurrants in Clotted Cream ice cream is already a three-star Great Taste Award winner and has been awarded Best Ice Cream in the South West by Taste of the West – we're over the moon at yet another accolade.” Try it for yourself at £4.99 for a litre tub.

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STAR OPENS CHARITY COFFEE SHOP

Three decades, almost to the day, since Midge Ure did his bit for global charity at Live Aid 1985, he was doing another good deed for charity, by opening a new venture in Bath for Dorothy House Hospice Care. The singer-songwriter and local resident was invited to cut the ribbon at Coffee House 76, the hospice’s new charity shop and café on Bridge Street. The ground floor houses a vintage, retro and eclectic clothes shop, with the coffee shop on the first floor. Coffee House 76 is a name chosen by staff from Dorothy

VIP: Midge Ure cuts the ribbon on Dorothy House’s new charity shop and café House and it celebrates the year the hospice was founded in Bath. Customers can enjoy homemade cakes, panini,

toasties and salads, along with coffee, blended and roasted locally especially for Coffee House 76.

CHEERS! WIN FOR WINE MERCHANT

Bath wine merchant Great Western Wine has scooped the top award for the second year running, as south west wine merchant of the year at the International Wine Challenge. The results were awarded at an awards ceremony for over 800 people, at the Grosvenor House in London. For the third time in four years, the team at Great Western Wine were crowned the best wine company in the south west. A team of wine industry business leaders and wine writers judged a shortlist of wine merchants on a number of criteria, including their range, service, staff knowledge and involvement in the community. GWW retail manager, Richard Lecoche said: “The International Wine Challenge awards are the industry Oscars and the best possible recognition of a busy year for the GWW team,

ACCOLADE: International Wine Challenge co-chair Charles Metcalfe presents Great Western Wine’s Vicki Wheeler with the award for best wine merchant in the south west our winemakers and our customers.” More than 100 wines stocked by Great Western Wine have won awards in this year’s competition.

LIVE LOBSTERS TAKE OVER OLD CHAPEL

Burger & Lobster – which boasts the very simple concept of having just two main items on its menu – is busy refurbishing the historic Octagon just off Milsom Street in Bath to house its 13th restaurant. The former Grade II listed chapel with its distinctive lantern roof, will open as a 240 cover restaurant and bar on 11 September. Diners will be offered a choice of a 10oz burger,

whole lobster or lobster roll, served with chips and salad, all priced at £20. Big boys or jumbo lobsters are sold (by weight) for sharing. For lunch, during the week a baby burger and chick lobster are offered at £12. Cocktails will also be a speciality of the house. Pictured is a glimpse of what the new Burger & Lobster restaurant in the Octagon will look like when it opens in the autumn.

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The Diner’s Digest SIX OF THE BEST

For families

The school holidays are upon us and there are hungry mouths to feed. Melissa Blease suggests some family-friendly pit stops

KOMEDIA ARTS CAFÉ

Despite the comedy shows, club nights and cabaret events that may give the impression that Komedia is an adults-only affair, this vibrant, diner in Bath’s liveliest pleasuredome is family friendly during daylight hours. The KAC was the first eaterie in Bath to earn the Soil Association’s GOLD Food for Life catering mark, awarded for the kitchen’s imaginative use of locally sourced and organic ingredients. Even the pickiest of little eaters will be satisfied with the dippy eggs, homemade beans on toast and other kid-themed scrummies on the children’s menu (I am too!) and there's plenty of space to store all the usual kids-in-tow paraphernalia while you’re refuelling. But there’s yet more on the family fun timetable to whet your appetite: in partnership with the Little Theatre Cinema, Big Scream screenings welcome young children accompanied by parents and carers while weekly Toddler Time screenings allow preschool children access, adding a new dimension to the notion of snuggling up in the back row. Komedia Arts Cafe, 22-23 Westgate Street, Bath BA1 1EP; web: komedia.co.uk/bath/artscafe.

COSY CLUB

While cosy isn’t a word one would normally associate with a modern shopping centre, the Bristol-based operators behind the Lounge chain of café/bars have managed to bring something pretty special to the mix. Take a trip upstairs (in the lift, if you’re bringing a pushchair) beyond a rather obscure door and prepare to be impressed. This is a welcoming space where 18th century gin palace meets vintage flea market by way of Laurence Llewellyn Bowen in his Changing Rooms heyday: flamboyant, wittily ostentatious, with contemporary twists. Kids love getting Cosy as much as grown ups do, thanks to a £4.95 little people menu that runs the full gamut from eggs and beans on toast and mac’n’cheese, to fish fingers, mezze platters and burgers priced at £5.50, including a Feel Good juice. Cosy Club, SouthGate, Bath BA1 1AP Tel: 01225 464161; web: cosy club.co.uk

THE EGG CAFE

Readers who have been paying attention at the back will have digested our feature in last month’s issue all about the wonderful work of The egg Theatre. But for the purposes of this month’s family friendly watering hole round-up, we’re revisiting The egg to urge those with little folk in tow to make use of what’s arguably the ultimate family friendly refreshment pitstop in Bath, specifically designed to be accessible to pushchairs, toddlers and small children, complete with welcoming baby feeding zones and an imaginative creative play area to guarantee that a family lunch can be an easygoing pleasure that spans the generations. Full-on lunches, substantial nibbles and healthy options abound alongside superb coffee for grown ups in need of a wake up call and tables

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aUgUST 2015

outside add to the year-round summer holiday vibe. Pick up a copy of the latest egg programme; many shows are designed for the youngest audiences, while Dinkies sessions offer drama and craft workshops run by experienced hosts on Friday and Saturday mornings. The egg Cafe, St John’s Place (off Saw Close), Bath BA1 1ET Tel: 01225 823409; web: theatreroyal.org.uk

While the franchise food invasion may cause unrest in the anti-globalisation camp, surely a chain that has a ‘fresh, lively food [with soul]’ ethos at its core can’t be all bad? And actually, Wagamama is pretty much all good, especially for families keen on adding a side order of fresh flavoured discovery to a meal out. All dishes are cooked from totally, absolutely, fully fresh in spacious canteen-style surroundings that erase worries about noise levels emitted by your brood, while the open kitchen reassures provenance and provides an entertainment focal point. Ramen, yaki sobas, katsus and freshly grilled protein served with rice and vegetables are available in small person sizes with prices to match, while mini juices and natural juice lollies add healthy sweet flourishes. Service is fast and friendly while allergy advice and vegetarian/vegan options flow at a similarly lively pace. Got a pushchair? Need a highchair? Gotta do a nappy change, fast? Sorted! Although the Japanese word 'wagamama' means 'naughty child', yours most definitely won't live up to the translation here. Wagamama, 1 York Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2EB Tel: 01225 337314; web: wagamama.com

THE REAL ITALIAN PIZZA CO Why is pizza like Rod Stewart? Because it can pull in the crowds with a menu of greatest hits, while sorry cover versions of the originals can be found in high street franchises, supermarkets and delivery outlets across the western world. Ta-da! But the RIPC is the real McCoy of the pizza world: a long-established, buzzing, contemporary family trattoria with a bright and breezy ambience, an open kitchen and, to the rear, a walled terrace that compensates for a lack of cityscape views with its close proximity to Bath Abbey, the walls of which loom over a

TURTLE BAY

While the former Duck, Son and Pinker site may be unrecognisable beyond the retained frontage, one can't deny that an interior that's been remodelled to replicate a Jamaican beach shack is maintaining a unique (to Bath, anyway) vibe. Turtle Bay is a totally tropical experience with broad appeal to children and teenagers, thanks to walletfriendly menus that tease, tantalise and of course jerk all palates out of complacency. While there’s no specific children’s menu, dishes from the small sized Cutters selection such as sweetcorn fritters, pulled pork salad

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PICTURE: Philip Vile

space for some 40+ diners. Children can create their own pizza toppings, the restaurant hosts regular pizza and cupcake classes for youngsters and the Real Italian Ice Cream Co (which is just a few doors down) serves probably the best real Italian ice cream in Bath. So, why is pizza actually nothing like Rod Stewart? Because if you tell the kids that that’s what’ll be entertaining them tonight, they won’t dismiss you as an old fogey. The Real Italian Pizza Co, 16 York Street, Bath BA1 1NG Tel: 01225 330121

and ribs, or burgers, wraps and buns from the Lunch and Lighter range are easily adaptable for younger tastes and appetites, and can be served without the accompanying hot sauces that grown ups go crazy for. The youthful, energetic staﬀ oﬀer a welcome far removed from the robotic, chain gang script, and are unfazed by the demands of fractious little people. If the adults manage a sneaky cocktail while the little ones are distracted, they will be too. Turtle Bay, 11 Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AS Tel: 01225 444052; web:turtlebay.co.uk.

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THE US DELICIO GUIDE One of the country’s leading Indian establishments, The Rajpoot was founded

LOOKING FOR RESTAURANT INSPIRATION? The Delicious Guide to Bath 2015 featuring all our fave eateries and foodie treateries is available online at our website www.thebathmag.co.uk

with great fanfare. The business prides itself on providing innovative, top class Indian cuisine in an elegant and intimate setting. Its stylish dining rooms are hung with beautiful lanterns and service is always professional and charming. Rajpoot’s internationally acclaimed fare is fashioned through gentle layers of spicing, use of the best ingredients, and delicate but fastidious preparation. The restaurant is a frequent haunt of celebrity diners, and boasts an equally impressive list of awards, which is a testament to the quality it has maintained over its three decades of service. The restaurant’s team of long-serving chefs, alongside owner Ahmed Chowdhury, presistently looking to improve and build on the Rajpoot’s impressive reputation, continuing their dedication to the art of fine Indian dining each and every night.

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AUGUST 2015

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FOOD | REVIEW

CIAO CIAO Beau Nash House, Saw Close, Bath, BA1 1EU. Tel: 01225 330030

R E V I EW

BRING ON THE PROFESSIONALS

here are many reasons why people like to go out to eat, ranging from the ‘too tired to cook’ to ‘let’s celebrate this special occasion.’ But one of my favourite reasons to go to a restaurant is the chance to eat dishes I wouldn’t get at home. Just as cutting your own hair with nail scissors isn’t going to achieve the same look as going to a trained stylist, so boiling up a bowl of pasta at home is a long way from how pasta can look and taste in the hands of a professional chef. Sicilian born chef Giacomo Carreca is proof that, in the right hands, simple ingredients can be transformed into something memorable. He’s the man in the kitchens at Ciao Ciao, the independent Italian restaurant which opened in what used to be Popjoys next to the Bath Theatre Royal. Don’t be deceived by what looks to be a traditional Italian menu, beginning with zuppa di stagione – soup of the day – and travelling through pasta and gnocchi themed plates to some seriously tempting mains. What Giacomo does is take a combination of Italian produce and British seasonal items and produce combinations of texture and flavour that are easy on the eye and even easier on the palate. Ciao Ciao occupies two floors in what used to the home of the Regency party animal Beau Nash. He hung up his dancing shoes when he lost a lot of money gambling and one of his

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mistresses, Juliana Popjoy, kindly moved him into these simple but elegant surroundings. That 18th century style has been respected in the dining room, which is all pared back beauty, allowing detail, such as the Robert Welch designer cutlery, fine china and glasses, to shine. Front of house is Gianluca, the Italian manager and a sommelier, and his easy charm and impeccable service is matched by the rest of his team. From the opening appetiser of some delicately marinated sticks of raw carrot and celery and a glass of chilled Prosecco, as we settled down to read the menu, we knew we were in for a fine dining treat. Every dish was faultless, even down to the Italian artisan breads, all but one baked fresh in-house. John’s starter of crispy calamari (tender squid with none of that elastic band texture you sometimes experience) was subtly warmed with chilli chutney and teamed with vegetable crips and plump deshelled tiger prawns. Mine was a pair of perfectly cooked king scallops, which I had to restrain myself from wolfing down like a teenage boy, but unusually teamed up with an undercurrent of chicken parfait, a splash of green parsley dressing and some witty dots of popcorn and sweetcorn for contrast. And yes, it is a combination which works. Highlight of the evening for both of us was the slow roast suckling pig that John ordered and I shamelessly plundered with my greedy fork. I

ITALIAN ARTISTRY: left, simple but beautiful table settings in the 18th century dining room (there is a second dining room on the first floor which is already being booked for Christmas gatherings) Right, beetroot tortellini stuffed with creamy goats cheese

couldn’t achieve pork this tasty in a month of Sunday roast dinners. When Gianluca explained it takes several days to prepare, I began to understand. As I said, some things are best left to the experts. The beetroot tortellini stuffed with creamy goats cheese is one of Ciao Ciao’s best sellers, and you can see why from the professional photograph of the dish, above. A veritable work of art, its component pieces, like the toasted walnuts, the slightly salted ham and crisps of sweet beetroot, all bringing something to the party. With all these delights we toasted our good fortune with a gentle red Pinot Nero (£24.50) from the Veneto region. I’ve just got room – as indeed I did that evening – for one of Giacomo’s divine desserts. Once again, as good to look at as to eat. A wheel of Genoise sponge rolled in crushed hazelnuts and amaretto biscuits and filled with white chocolate ice cream, like a very posh Arctic Roll. The succulent marinated cherries were, we were told, inspired by a similar Italian childhood sweet, taken to a grown-up level. Food porn at its seductive best. Starters are priced from £7 to £13, mains from £10 (for pasta) to £26. Puddings are £7.95. There is also a lunch time and pre-theatre deal of £15.95 for two courses, or £23.95 for three. Do go and say ‘hello’ to Ciao Ciao.

GMc

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COMPETITION

THE WINE COLUMN Angela Mount, wine and food critic picks some pretty in pink rosés

WIN A FABULOUS DENTS HANDBAG, HAT or SCARF

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e wine writers constantly profess that rosé wines are for all year, not just for summer (and indeed they are); and fabulous food partners with everything from tuna nicoise, to the spiciest of Indian dishes. However, if I’m totally truthful, there’s never a better time for pink wines to shine than summertime. Look at a shelf of pink wines, and the kaleidoscope of colours ranges from the palest of peach, to lurid, Barbie hues. Many of the deeper pink wines are from the New World – Chile, Australia, South Africa, California, and they deliver fantastic flavours, vibrant character, and styles that range from bone dry to super-sweet. However, this is European summertime, and many of us will be heading south towards the Mediterranean, so what better time to celebrate Southern European rose-hued wines than now? Here’s my selection of fresh, fruity, dry rosé wines for summer – all dry, vibrant, bursting with fruit, and all perfect for enjoying outside, or even for a glass while huddled under an umbrella. La Vidaubanaise, Cotes de Provence 2014 ( GWW £9.50) is the epitome of summer, with its trademark, hourglass-shaped bottle, which never fails to conjur up images of sun-drenched lunches under azure skies, by the pool, or gazing out at the glittering sea. With the palest of peach hues, it’s gossamer light and delicate with a gentle fragrance of red cherries, and wild strawberries. Chill it right down and the soft, bone dry, red berry flavours, bolstered by a delightfully fresh edge of citrus, make for the ultimate in refreshing summer drinking – especially when served with Rivierainspired food such as tuna niçoise and seafood. Staying with the peach-hues, another favourite hails from southeast of Lisbon – Ribafreixo Pato Frio Cashmere Rose 2014 (GWW£10.75); despite the baking heat of the Alentejo region, this is an extraordinarily delicate, tremulously pale, bone-dry pink, infused with the merest blush of gentle peach colour. Don’t expect big, bold flavours here, although the wine is made from exactly the same grape that is one of the main ones used in Port production. Deceptively light, it has hints of redcurrants, raspberries, and scented lemon peel. A perfect aperitivo, and a delicious lunch wine with crisp salads and fresh prawns. Sticking with the paler shades of rosé, the sun-drenched island of Sicily, is also now firmly on the quality wine map, and producing some absolute gems. As far as pink wines are concerned, Sicily’s leading wine producer has definitely proved that hot weather doesn’t mean neon-pink, sturdy wines; Planeta Rose 2014 (GWW £9.24) is a subtle salmon pink, and delivers bags of flavour. The colour is quite deceptive in its delicacy, as it’s packed full of character; juicy, fruity, raspberry-scented Syrah, with hints of wild herbs and lemon balm. I tried this with pan-fried salmon and summer roasted vegetables – spot on. For those preferring brighter shades of pink, the new vintage of Massard Mas Amor Rosado 2014 ( GWW £9.95) is bold and sassy on all fronts – rose pink, and with a funky, graffiti-inspired modern label, this wine with attitude, certainly struts its stuff. Spain is an exciting place for wine right now, and Franck Massard, ex UK sommelier of the year, now turned winemaker, is one of the new breed putting new wave Spanish wines on the map. Try this one to start with – it’s bursting with succulent, super-ripe summer pudding berry fruit,, with a whack of citrus and a brush of lemon thyme. Bold enough to handle slightly spiced seafood and chicken, and also great with charcuterie. Finally, my top tips – rosé is for drinking young, so make sure that you’re picking out bottles from the latest vintage; the European 2014 vintages have just hit the shelves, so will be at their peak of freshness – as they age, they lose their vibrancy, fruitiness and joyfulness . . . and chill them right down, to enjoy them at their lip-smacking best. 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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CITY | SCENE

A FIVE STAR SPLASH

The long-awaited five star Gainsborough Hotel and Spa in central Bath has opened its doors to visitors. Georgette McCready looks at the story behind the making of the hotel and meets its renowned executive chef

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the World, such is its level of design, facilities and service. Its interior would not look out of place in London, or New York, cool, calm and contemporary but with a nod of recognition to the buildings’ listed status, high ceilings and big windows. And although it is an international hotel there are lots of British elements, the bedrooms are furnished with enormous beds by Sealeys, Roberts radios stand on the bedside tables and Dorset made Neal’s Yard Remedies products are used throughout the bathrooms and in the spa, where the emphasis is on creating the ideal aromatherapy treatments for each individual’s mood. The kitchen sources its vegetables from local supplier Eades, the Pong cheese is from Peasedown St John and in the chic cocktail bar Bath Gin is featured among the artisan gins on the shelves. The Gainsborough has 121 staff, many of them recruited locally, which is more good news for the local economy. They’re led by manager Martin Clubbe, former manager at the MacDonald Bath Spa Hotel. Bath’s famous waters are pumped directly into the hotel – the only hotel in the country that can genuinely boast this feature. The rooms have three taps, hot, cold and heated spa water, so every time a guest washes they can choose to use the mineral rich spring water. Quite rightly the waters are the star of the show, given a decadently gorgeous pool surrounded by Roman columns and with a glass roof at the heart of what’s known as the Spa Village. There are 11 treatment rooms, an aroma bar where guests have their individual treatments created, and a small fountain room where they’re invited to write their intentions or wishes on a wax tablet and leave them behind. As you’d expect from a five star spa there are steam rooms, rainforest style showers and tranquil little corners. Particularly impressive is the enormous wooden bath in the couples’ treatment suite and the ice alcove in which an imposing lion’s head majestically emits ice from its mouth into a basin below. Chairman of the Gainsborough Bath Spa, Colin Skellett, said: “This will be a great addition to the city’s existing attractions, bringing visitors from London and overseas to stay a few days. It’s really a first class product and worth the wait.”

ON THIS SPOT Part of the new five star hotel lies across the street, reached via a light-filled tunnel from the main building. Bellott’s has its original roots in Bath’s philanthropical past, having originally been built a few years after the death of Queen Elizabeth by Thomas Bellott. It was he who founded the original Royal United Hospital on the site.

BURIED TREASURE

FIVE STAR LUXURY: the heart of the new spa and the imposing frontage of the Gainsborough Hotel Right, Roman coins from the Beau Street Hoard Next page, bottom right, in 1998 the cleared site of the Beau Street Baths, giving an uninterrupted view of what is now the Gainsborough. Archive photo courtesy of: Bath in time.co.uk

few short years ago the former city centre building on Beau Street lay empty, haunted only by pigeons. To the casual passer-by it seemed more of a white elephant than an opportunity waiting to be seized. But Bath property entrepreneur Trevor Osborne saw its potential and acquired the site with his eye on creating a luxury hotel and spa from the shell of the listed building. And now Trevor’s dream has finally been realised – not by him, and months behind deadline – with the opening of the five-star Gainsborough Hotel, the only hotel in the UK to have access to natural, heated spa waters fresh from the spring. The Gainsborough – named after the artist who lived in Bath – is owned by Malaysian YTL group, which has luxury resorts all over the world and is one of the Leading Hotels of

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An elaborate mosaic takes pride of place on the floor of the new spa in the Gainsborough, but what visitors may not realise is that this is an exact replica of a Roman mosaic floor dating from the 4th century. That was unearthed in Victorian times when work was taking place on the old Royal United Hospital. Also found was a glass capsule containing two 18th century documents which had been buried as a time capsule to commemorate the building of the Albert Memorial Wing of the hospital. But it was a more recent find that revealed one of the most significant archeological finds the city has ever seen. In 2007 what has become known as the

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Beau Street Hoard was excavated in the foundations. Historians were excited to find 120kg of Roman money, 17,577 Roman coins from the period between 32BC and 275AD contained in eight bags, which had been fused together over the centuries. No one knows how the bags got there, why they were put there, or why no-one ever returned for them. We may never find out the true story. The Gainsborough has a display from the Beau Street Hoard in a cabinet in the hotel foyer and we can see more of them at the Roman Baths.

THE RESTAURANT YTL Hotels have a long association with Johann Lafer, one of the world’s leading chefs, who has lent his name to the new restaurant in Bath. Johann Lafer at the Gainsborough is his first venture outside Germany, where he holds a Michelin star at his castle hotel, has a TV show and writes bestselling cookery books. We were lucky enough to meet chef Johann on one of his regular visits to Bath, where he has been researching food producers and suppliers and preparing his new kitchen team. The cuisine in the stylish, contemporary dining room of the Gainsborough will include dishes inspired by his award-winning cook book Two Friends, One Cuisine, cowritten with Malaysian Chef Wai, the YTL Hotels group corporate chef. The two longtime friends and chefs, explore the ingredients from their respective homelands as well as varied cooking techniques. Chef Johann said he was sourcing the best local ingredients. “It’s important to remember that the star is the product, not the chef. We have to source the best ingredients, and yes I would like to buy vegetables from Prince Charles. He also understands that nature is our future.”

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MICHELIN STAR: Johann Lafer Chef Johann is looking forward to welcoming locals into the restaurant and was very happy that within a few days of opening Bath’s fellow professionals had been in to sample the fare. While Johann is working with Asian fusion, he also wants to bring dishes that pay tribute to his Austrian childhood, where growing up on a small farm the emphasis was on food such as tasty game, wild mushrooms and lingonberries. He maintains a close working relationship with his head chef on the front line in Bath, George Schneeberger. But back in Germany Johann is a busy man, where among his other projects is a Food Education school canteen, which feeds 700 secondary age children daily on healthy, freshly prepared food. In three years, and with investment from his own money, Johann and his team have converted the youngsters from prepackaged food to healthy dishes. He said: “People like to see what they’re eating, to understand what it’s made from. “For me the biggest pleasure is seeing a room full of people enjoying themselves. That’s what it’s all about for me. That’s what makes me happy.” ■

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CITY | BUSINESS

News in brief

n You may have noticed a few things have changed with one of our favourite salons, which is on Saville Row, near the Fashion Museum. It has a new name Number Three. It’s stripped back its brand to let the salon’s creativity speak for itself. The team have also got a new website which illustrates how they have grown over the years and better reflect the services they have to oﬀer. The salon is a beautiful space, with a little garden at the back, so why not swing by, say hello and find out for yourself. Check out the website at: numberthreebath.com. n Expert dentists Edgar Buildings Dental Care, in George Street, Bath has been named Practice of the Year at an award ceremony held by the Portman Dental Group in Stratford-upon-Avon. Portman Dental CEO, Sam Waley-Cohen said: “We have some particularly great practices in the Portman Group, but Edgar Buildings has really stood out this year. We looked at the feedback our patients had provided and we were delighted by the cohesive service provided by the team which really puts the patient first.” Principal dentist at Edgar Buildings Philip Pettemerides said: “This is fantastic recognition of the passion and dedication shown throughout our team. We are delighted with the award and wish to thank all of our patients who took the time to leave their feedback.” For more information visit: SmileOfConfidence.com or call 01225 466086. n Bath City Farm has been awarded £8,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which it will use to create a history trail at its Twerton site. The Walk Through History trail will have 10 diﬀerent points that will take visitors from the Jurassic period right through to the modern industrial era. Locally found fossils will be part of the installation, as will a replica of a Second World War air raid shelter. Curo Housing and Rotork have also contributed towards the funding of this grass roots community project.

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PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE

n The old chocolate factory site, Cadbury’s in Keynsham, has been acquired by Freeman Retirement Living and Taylor Wimpey on behalf of the not-for-profit St Monica Trust, and will be developed into a retirement village. The landmark buildings will be converted into 120 assisted living apartments and a 105-bed care home for elderly people. It is also hoped that the new centre will provide shops, a hair salon, GPs’ surgery and a restaurant. The St Monica Trust is a Bristol based charity that’s celebrating 90 years of working to improve lives.

n Former Coronation Street actor Will Thorp has teamed up with the Vitality Bath Half marathon to help announce the charities which will benefit from the 2016 race. The lead charity for the race – which last year raised in excess of £2m for good causes – is Macmillan Cancer Support. The Bath Rugby Foundation, which does great work with young people in the community, will benefit from money raised by the family fun run. Places for the half marathon are now open. Visit: bathhalf.co.uk to find out more about the charities which have places in the race and need runners to support them. n Bath Building Society has given grants to 11 local good causes as part of its annual charity awards scheme. A total of almost £7,000 was

GRANT AID: Dick Jenkins, chief executive of Bath Building Society with Claire Tinker and Emma Reeves from the Trauma Recovery Centre and Bath Mayor Will Sandry

shared out to charities and community groups, with the Trauma Recovery Centre named as the charity of the year for the building society. n The Quartet Community Foundation has said goodbye and thank you to Alice Meason, grants director at the charitable institution, who has retired after 28 years. She said it had been exciting to see the growth of philanthropic work in the UK and working with one of the top ten independent grant makers in the voluntary sector. Alice’s role will be taken by Ronnie Brown.

SPONSORS’ PLEA TO PAY SCHOOL FEES Bath chiropodist Lisa Whitehouse has put out an appeal to the city’s businesses to sponsor children orphanned by the Nepal earthquake in April. Lisa, who runs the Charitable Foundation for the Education of Nepalese Children, has worked tirelessly for years for the people of this country, many of them living in remote villages. Lisa has the names of 19 children whose parents were killed in the earthquake and who desperately need financial support to help them attend school. Sponsorship can be undertaken as an individual or as a group. A commitment of two to three years would give these children assurance. For £800 to £1,000 a year the children would be able to attend boarding school, receive three meals a day and be covered for uniforms and school books. If you would like to learn more or talk to Lisa about the work the charity does, feel free to email her at: cfenc@bitinternet.com.

KEEN TO LEARN: Nepalese children value their education

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College merger creates greater opportunities for adult learners An exciting new series of short courses for adults, from the creative and practical to the academic and career based, is launched in Bath and in the Somer Valley area next month – apply now with 10% discount on leisure courses

he merger of City of Bath College and Norton Radstock College to create the new Bath College opens up many opportunities to people across Bath and North East Somerset, with an even wider range of courses in more subjects. For the fourth year the college’s Love2Learn range of courses has grown, offering adult learners the opportunity to learn new skills which allow them to improve or change their career, or simply for their own fun and satisfaction. The new programme, which starts in September, encourages people of all ages to learn something new and has been designed to fit around people’s busy lifestyles with courses running in the daytime, evening or on Saturdays. If you are looking to further your career the college offers professional qualifications, such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants diploma, Professional Certificate in marketing and ILM Diplomas in leadership and management. For a more leisurely course choose from courses in creative areas such as art, craft, photography and cooking, practical areas such as

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plumbing, woodwork or stitch and mend, or useful courses such as languages and selling on eBay. There are also a growing range of courses in Art, Animal Care, Home Crafts, Horticulture, and property maintenance at the Somer Valley Campus in Westfield (formerly Norton Radstock College). Norman Barnes, 60, was a student enrolled on a recent 4 day summer workshop for Portrait Sculpture, creating a portrait in clay before making a wax cast to produce a final piece in plaster. Norman has been travelling the 40 miles from his home in Yeovil to the college for the last four years as he enjoys the courses so much and enjoys the atmosphere in Bath. He said: “I keep coming back because the tutors and facilities at the college are great and I like coming into Bath itself to experience the culture of the place.I also like the flexibility the college offer as I started off just doing the college summer workshops as work commitments prevented me doing evening classes. Fortunately this has changed and I have now been able to complete some evening classes too. Many of the pieces I have created at college are on display at home but I am running out of space now so I hope to find the room somewhere for this new piece.” The college will also continue to run its popular mystery courses from September for those with a sense of adventure. Sign up for one-day courses without knowing exactly what it is you will be learning. Bath College Principal Matt Atkinson said: “We pride ourselves on being a College at the heart of the community; we provide quality learning opportunities for people of all ages – our oldest student is 96! “Learning has been shown to be a good way to improve our memory and our health and wellbeing particularly when we combine using our brain and our hands. “We are delighted to offer courses in the Somer Valley area at our new Somer Valley and Centurian Vocational Centre Campuses. “We have lots of part-time courses starting in September, many of them in the evening and at weekends to fit around people’s busy lifestyles.” The Love2learn range of courses is on the college’s new website or the prospectus is now available to pick up at the Student Advice Centre in the Roper Building on James Street West, Bath or from Reception at the Somer Valley Campus, South Hill Park, Westfield. For further information email: courses@bathcollege.ac.uk, telephone the Student Advice Centre on: 01225 328720 or visit: www.bathcollege.ac.uk. If you book online, you can enjoy a 10% discount on leisure courses. Follow Bath College, on Twitter @BathCollege or on Facebook at facebook.com/BathCollege. n

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SPORTING | CITY

SEE THE OLYMPIANS UP CLOSE

The University of Bath’s Sporting Village is the scene of the Modern Pentathlon European Championships this month – and Bathonians are invited to take up a ringside seat to watch the elite compete for places in the Olympics at Rio next year

fter the sporting successes of London 2012 and Glasgow 2014, it’s time to enjoy Bath 2015 – the Modern Pentathlon European Championships. More than 100 of the planet’s top allround sportspeople – including reigning Olympic and World Champions – are heading to the city during August looking to fence, swim, ride, run and shoot their way to glory. All of the action will take place at the University of Bath and spectators will get to see potential stars of Rio 2016, with the event doubling as a qualifier for next summer’s Olympic Games. There will also be chance for young athletes to try out running, shooting and swimming in two junior competitions during a family-friendly week of fun activities and world-class sport. Hoping to give the home fans plenty to cheer are the men and women of Pentathlon GB, all of who live and train in Bath. The city has been home to the sport’s national body since 1998, during which time modern pentathlon has become one of Britain’s most successful sports. Athletes have won medals at each of the last four Olympic Games, starting with Dr Stephanie Cook’s famous gold at Sydney 2000. The most recent success came at London 2012 where Samantha Murray won Team GB’s last medal of the Games. Samantha, one of two former World Champions in the current Pentathlon GB squad, remembers just how crucial home support was in spurring her on. She said: “From my experience in London I know it will be a fabulous occasion for British athletes to compete on home soil in front of friends, family and supporters, and that’s always an advantage.” Fellow Olympian Mhairi Spence, who won the world title in 2012, is also urging the people of Bath to turn out in force for the European Championships, taking place from August 18-23. “Every time we compete in front of a home crowd it’s great,” she said. “The spectators really build the atmosphere and push us on to perform even better. I’ve lived in Bath for 12 years, it’s my home, and this is our turf as pentathletes. I speak to people in town, in the post office, having my hair cut, and they ask me about what we do, so this is the perfect opportunity to really see for themselves. I think they will be pleasantly surprised.” All the action will be taking place at the university’s £30 million Sports Training Village, with the show-jumping being staged on the athletics field. Nick Woodbridge, an Olympian at 70 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Beijing 2008 and London 2012, said: “Modern pentathlon is a different sport for people to enjoy, certainly something you don’t get to see every day.” The day-long competition involves a 200m swim in the London 2012 Legacy Pool, fencing and the show-jumping where, to add to the spectacle, riders are randomly allocated a horse. It then concludes with a combined run and shoot, with the first to cross the line in the final taking home the gold medal. There are also eight coveted Olympic qualification places up for grabs. There will be six days of action to enjoy, starting with the relay events on Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19, then men’s and women’s qualification on the Thursday and Friday before the finals over the weekend. Tickets are just £1 for under-18s and Kara Luck, event director for the European Championships, believes it will be a great day out during the school summer holidays. “People can buy tickets to see a whole day of sporting action, but we also offer really affordable afternoon tickets which are ideal for families,” she said. “The afternoon offers the chance to see the show jumping, which is always a great spectacle, as well watching a

SPORTING ELITE: top right, clockwise, Kate French, currently the highest ranked British pentathlete, former World Champion Samantha Murray, Bath based medallist Dr Stephanie Cook bringing home Gold in 2000, and double Olympian competitor Nick Woodbridge

thrilling end to the day with the combined run/shoot. “In addition to the world-class sport, there will be lots of other fun activities such as having a go at shooting and fencing or enjoying the atmosphere of our spectator village.” Sporty youngsters can get fully involved through the two free-to-enter competitions. A running and shooting event will take place on the Tuesday morning, followed by a running and swimming competition on the Saturday. Entries close on August 8, email: rachel.Wreyford@pentathlongb.org for more information. As part of their entry, all participants will be able to stay and watch the elite competition as well as bring an accompanying adult with them. Here is some of the timetable for the competition: Tuesday 18 August, 10am – mixed relay. Wednesday 19 August 9am – men’s and women’s relays. Thursday 20 August, 8.30am – men’s qualifying. Friday 21 August, 8.30am – women’s qualifying. Saturday 22 August, 8.30am – men’s final. Sunday 23 August 8.30am – women’s final. The action should finish at around 5 – 6pm every day. To find out more or to buy tickets, visit: pentathlongb.org/euros2015. n

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

HOW WILL THE BUDGET AFFECT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS? The first Conservative budget for many years included a number of important tax changes for businesses. Jon Miles, tax director at accountancy firm Richardson Swift, explains how the changes could affect local business and property owners.

t the time of writing this, the detailed draft legislation is yet to be released, and the financial implications are still being considered by the tax profession. Naturally people want to know whether and when there will be a net saving for them, or their business, and the opposing impacts of some of the changes will need working through. Whether you will be a winner or loser depends on your specific circumstances. Do you currently operate through a limited company or are considering acquiring a business soon? Do you own residential property that you let out, which is funded by debt? Or is your business planning significant capital expenditure soon? If so, the following Budget changes could affect you. Corporation Tax rates These will be reduced to 19% for financial years beginning 1 April 2017 and eventually to 18% on 1 April 2020. As the UK is already a relatively low corporate tax environment, this is clearly good for some companies. However, the cash-flow benefit will not be seen for some time, and for businesses that make little or no profits, it is not going to be a game changer. Furthermore, if your business is affected by the new Living Wage (£7.20 per hour from April 2016) there may be an initial negative cash-flow impact to consider. Dividend Tax Do you receive dividends of more than £5,000? If so, it seems you will have to pay more tax after April 2016. The current tax system has undoubtedly been difficult to explain to the layman, and whilst the pending change seems simpler in some ways, it also adds further complexity with three new rates of income tax. These are 7.5%, 32.5%, 38.1% for basic rate, higher rate and additional rate taxpayers respectively. The interaction with corporate tax means that, for higher earners who need to draw out most of their profits to live on, a partnership structure may now actually be more tax efficient. Each case will need to be considered separately though, and if you intend to reinvest a reasonable proportion of profits back into the business, a company may still be the most tax efficient structure. This change seems to be targeted at successful partnerships that incorporate for purely tax reasons. Also, do you currently have a high dividend/low salary income ratio? Whilst this is still likely to result in the lowest overall tax cost, the overall saving appears to reduce from April 2016. Goodwill Tax Relief Until 8 July 2015, if a company wanted to buy another business, and the agreed price exceeded the value of the tangible assets (e.g. property) an early tax deduction was available for the amount of this excess (generally called “goodwill”). This made it more attractive to the buyer to negotiate an acquisition of the assets, rather than the shares. This cash-flow benefit has gone with immediate effect and although your company will be able to claim WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

tax relief if the business is sold, this could be a long time coming. The aim was to bring the UK in line with other countries and to create a level playing field between share and asset deals. An asset deal may still be appropriate though depending on circumstances. Additional Investment Allowance The current limit of £500,000 for this 100% tax deduction for expenditure on plant and machinery was meant to be temporary. For a while, it was expected to fall to £25,000 after 31 December 2015, and so the announcement that it will now be “fixed” at £200,000 for the foreseeable future from 1 January 2016, should be welcomed by most businesses, such as those in the retail or hotel sector, who should be able to spread their planned expenditure more evenly, with more certainty, and without having to accelerate this before 31 December 2015. There is still planning to be done in advance though, and businesses that have very high capital expenditure planned may still need to bring some forward. Property Mortgage Interest Relief HMRC has targeted high earners who let out residential property, and claim the mortgage interest as a tax deduction. This relief is to be restricted to 20% (as opposed to 40% or 45%) by 2020. For landlords who have a reasonable level of debt on their investment property portfolios, where profits are reinvested for the longer term, and depending on their exit plan, this could actually make holding the property portfolio in a company more attractive. If you would like to explore a specific change in more detail as it applies to you, please contact Jon Miles or Geoff Don at Richardson Swift on 01225 325580. Jon Miles

www.richardsonswift.co.uk 11 Laura Place, Bath BA2 4BL • 01225 325 580 AUGUST 2015

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

BEAUTY

and the Bees

CELEBRATING THE POWER OF HONEY

There’s a growing movement of people opting not to shampoo their hair with commercially made products, but instead using just water and essential oils to keep their hair healthy. Beauty blogger Lauren Geertsen of Empowered Sustenance recommends a mixture of raw honey, filtered water and a few drops of essential oils, such as lavender or carrot seed oil, instead. Mix a tablespoon of honey with three tablespoons of filtered water. If necessary slightly heat the honey to make it runny (it’s meant to be watery) Add a few drops of essential oil, then wet hair before massaging in to the scalp. Rinse well.

NATURAL LIGHT: Lucy Simon hand-rolls the beeswax candles she sells in her Bath shop, Article on Bartlett Street, using English beeswax. The secret to getting the non-drip quality, she says, is to make sure you get exactly the right wick diameter, relative to the width of the burn-pool. She says a lot of hobbyists don’t realise this, which makes all the diﬀerence to the length of burning time, which should be about 12 hours for a one inch wide long dinner candle. These cost £3, and are also available in seasonal pastel shades, from Article. Lucy also sells hand-poured scented soy candles in glass votives. www.articlebath.com

NATURALLY KIND: Good Things Manuka Honey is made with antibacterial honey, Royal jelly, rich in amino acids, beeswax to soothe and comfort and black raspberry extract packed with antioxidants. It’s created by Alice HartDavis, costs £4.99 and is available from Boots

Farm shops are a good source of locally produced honey and bee products. Hartley Farm at Winsley and Neston Farm Shop, near Atworth, both owned by the Bowles Family, stock a wide range. There are beautiful beeswax and honey hand creams by the Wiltshire Bee Keeper, the perfect gift for a friend or yourself. Flavours of lavender, honeysuckle and rose are indulgent and kind to the skin. The Wiltshire Bee Keeper also makes a variety of set and clear honeys, with a teddy bear squeezy bottle to make that morning slice of toast more fun. Also stocked at both farm shops are beefayre cosmetic products. The shops stock beefayre body butters, aloe vera lotions and body wash, which are all promoting the message ‘bee kind’, ‘bee happy’ and ‘bee calm’. Beefayre gives 3% of its profits to bee conservation. The scents on offer are orange and jasmine, lavender and geranium and rosemary and neroli.

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KIND TO BEES, VERY KIND TO SKIN: Neal’s Yard Remedies, the Dorset based business which makes beautiful, skin-friendly natural products, has created a deliciously softening rich, creamy body butter which is a real pleasure to use. Bee Lovely Body Butter is part of its Bee Lovely range, and is made from organic honey, shea and cocoa butter with a gentle scent from uplifting orange essential oil. It goes on to summer skin very easily, smells divine and hydrates immediately. It can be used by the whole family too. It’s £23 for a 200g tub, from its Bath store in Northumberland Place and NYR is donating £10,000 a year from sales of Bee Lovely products to projects which help save bees. NATURALLY GOOD: as we were researching this feature we heard that Burt Shavitz, the founder of Burt’s Bees, had died at the age of 80. The original Burt was a reclusive beekeeper in Maine, America, who began making beauty products in the 1980s as a bi-product of his beekeeping. The range, which is stocked in Bloomsbury, Milsom Street, is 100% natural and includes soothing lip balm and hand cream. It’s all so gentle that there’s even a beeswax based nappy cream for babies. Prices from £3.69.

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beauty review AUG.qxp_Layout 1 24/07/2015 10:03 Page 1

REVIEW

Daphne visits Green Street House

SWEET SENSATION The new spa at Lush offers a sensory experience to visitors. Lauren Morris escapes to blissful Wonderland

Removal of moles, skin tags, cysts and other skin lesions If you have been thinking about getting rid of an annoying or unsightly skin lesion that is not covered by the NHS then we can help you

• Removal of single or multiple skin lesions • • Simple, surgical procedure using local anaesthetic • • Delivered by doctors experienced in minor surgery • • Convenient ‘one-stop’ appointment including consultation and procedure • • Easy-access clinics in BANES with free parking • Please contact us or visit our website for further information including details of clinic locations and prices for this private service GREEN KITE HEALTHCARE Registered with the Care Quality Commission (ID: 1-1603137933) www.gkhealth.co.uk • Email: info@gkhealth.co.uk • Tel: 0333 332 1491 74 TheBATHMagazine

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f you can imagine for a moment the feeling of falling down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, merged effortlessly and euphorically with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and then being swaddled in a giant hot duvet; you’ll come somewhere close to my experience at Lush Spa in Bath. I was welcomed to the newly refitted store in Union Street by the cheerful and knowledgeable team. After having a peek at the products, I was greeted by therapist, Melissa, and then shown down to the treatment rooms. A million miles away from the bustle of the shop and the street, a world of calm and serenity greeted me. Kilner jars filled with delicious smelling rubs and scrubs glinted in the candlelight. Simply breathing in the heavenly scents induces a calm feeling. For my treatment – The Comforter? (£75) – I had the pleasure of experiencing Lush’s unique and original hot chocolate body scrub, which is solid in form, but then melted to extract all the heady goodness. The decadent smell warmed me from the inside and reminded me of being on holiday in France at Christmas. The scrub was sweet, thick and grainy and designed by Helen Ambrosen, Lush co-founder, who used raw cacao liquor, as drunk thousands of years ago by the Aztecs. The product moisturises, exfoliates, brightens and softens skin, using ground uduki beans, carob syrup, dates and papaya. One of the main elements, tamarind, is used as an enzymic polish and if left on the skin, continues to work its magic. Melissa explained that she would pour the hot melted product on to my arms, legs, back and chest and rub deep into my muscles. After each application, she covered me with the heated duvet and moved on to the next area. Using a rolling massage technique and her forearms she buffed and massaged me to relieve tension and worked the product into the skin. Once removed with warm, cosy gloves, which was relaxing and rejuvenating, Melissa moved on to massaging in the second product: the rose serum. Made from rose clay infused with argan oil to feed the skin, limes to detoxify and tamarind to polish; and an amalgamation of rainforest butter and shea butter. Although the treatment has you wrapped up, creating a cosseted experience, afterwards I was more than ready to take on the world and was walking on air. The Comforter? offers pure escapism and performs a transformative effect on your psyche. Snuggling into the experience, all your senses are engaged. My ears started to pick up familiar songs. Simon Emmerson has lent his quirky musical talents to 1950s classics and re-imagined them as English folk songs. The tunes move through a range of emotions, their sweet and happy undertones leaving you on a high note. The theme behind The Comforter? is sweet bliss, and I wasn’t at all surprised when I heard Emmerson’s take on songs from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. After finally coming to, and slipping my soft skin back into my clothes, it was time for my tastebuds to be seduced. A martini glass, filled with a foam of candyfloss perched temptingly on a rustic table. I poured a glass bottle, similar to the one that tempted Alice to ‘Drink Me’, over the cloud and watched as it fizzed and melted. Rowena Bird, co-founder of Lush who created The Comforter? wanted to end on a sweet note. She created this treatment for those who like to smile, to be happy and to remind us not to take life too seriously. As I left the spa I felt that blissful candy cloud beneath my feet, and just couldn’t stop smiling. n Lush Spa, 8 Union Street, Bath, tel: 01225 428271.

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AUGUST 2015

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THE | WALK

THE PATH LESS TRAVELLED Historic sites including an old castle, a colliery and a former railway can all be glimpsed in the landscape. Andrew Swift shows us where to look

ugust’s walk is a day-long ramble from Bath through some of the most outstanding and unspoilt scenery in north east Somerset, albeit with reminders of the area’s mining heritage. There is also the option of a lunchtime stop at a country pub along the way. From Queen Square, head west along Charlotte Street and carry on along the Upper Bristol Road. After the second set of lights, turn left along Victoria Bridge Road, cross the bridge, carry on across the Lower Bristol Road and head up Brougham Hayes. Just before the railway bridge, turn right down steps to follow a path alongside the line. Cross the road by Oldfield Park station, carry on along a footpath to Bellotts Road, cross and head along another footpath. At the road, continue with the cemetery on your left for 50m, before crossing to go past wooden posts onto the railway path and bear left (ST733646). After crossing the railway, bear right at a crosspath. After 50m, bear left towards garages and then right along King George’s Road. At the end, turn left up Lansdown View, and, at Shophouse Road, turn right downhill. After passing Innox Road, turn left through a kissing gate (KG) into Innox Park and bear left uphill beside the hedge (ST728644). At the top corner, carry on up a path, turn left at the road and right at a T junction. At the miniroundabout, turn left along Mount Road. At the next mini-roundabout, bear right and after 100m bear right to climb Twerton Round Hill. Arriving at the summit, head down to the two rows of modern houses built on the site of the Jubilee Inn. Cross the road, turn right and, just before the garden centre, turn left down Haycombe Lane (ST723632). After 750m, turn left following a public footpath sign towards Inglescombe Farm. After passing the farm, carry straight on, heading back in the direction of Twerton Round Hill. Carry on along a farm track, but, when this curves uphill, follow a path straight ahead and go through a gate leading into a holloway (ST720632). The official footpath goes through the KG opposite, before bearing right to join the holloway further downhill, but it seems little used and you may find it blocked by vegetation. The holloway runs down to a ford and a footbridge across a brook. Carry on as it heads up 76 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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the other side of the valley and, when you come to a lane, you will see the remains of Culverhay Castle on your right. Turn right at the end, and right again when the road forks. After passing Englishcombe church, the lane curves up to the tithe barn, where you turn right, carrying straight on when the road forks to continue along a green lane. This eventually drops down a rocky way to a muddy causeway across a brook, before climbing to resume its level, tree-shaded course. At Inglesbatch, bear right at a T junction, carry on, and, after passing a former chapel, fork right by a phone box. At the farm gates, follow the lane right (ST702613). When the lane ends at a gate, turn left along a path which drops down to a ford before climbing to emerge in a field. Head towards Priston Mill on the far side of the field, and cross the Conygre

Brook on wobbly rocks. Head up past the mill, turn left past the tithe barn, and continue along a lane. After 250m, turn left along another lane (ST692614). At the end, turn left at a T junction and left again into Priston and the Ring O’Bells pub. Carry on through the village, and after 100m turn right along Priston Lane. After another 300m, when the lane forks, bear left (ST693602). A few metres on, when the lane bears right up to a house, carry on along a footpath beside a stream. Go through a KG and carry on, keeping to the right-hand side of a hedge. At the top of the field bear right along a track. Bear left, following a farm track through a gateway, and at the end of the field turn right along a crosspath under a vault of trees. After emerging into the open, you will see the spoil heap of Priston Colliery ahead. Turn left at the main road for 50m, before turning right down Stoneage

ALONG THE WAY: the rise and fall of the path between Inglesbatch and Priston Mill

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THE | WALK Lane (ST692593). After heading downhill, the lane swings right past Bridge Farm, then left over a bridge that once crossed the Camerton & Limpley Stoke Railway (ST695585). Just past Cam Barn, turn left along a bridleway, and, after crossing the Cam Brook, you will see the spoil heap of Dunkerton Colliery towering above you on the left. At a lane, turn left, crossing a bridge, and at a junction turn right to continue along the valley (ST701590). At Dunkerton, turn left up a lane. Just past the village hall, Viaduct Cottage recalls a railway viaduct that crossed the road here. A little further up, an aqueduct carried the Somersetshire Coal Canal over the road. Little trace of either structure remains. After Manor Farm, the lane grows steeper and narrower, before curving up to a busy road. Cross and turn right for a few metres, before following a footpath sign to the left. Carry on through a handgate and follow a path along the edge of a field. Carry on into another field, and at the end go through a handgate (ST707607). After passing buildings, turn right along a lane. Carry on at a crossroads, but, when a lane branches right, turn along it. After 1200m, just before cottages at the edge of woods, cross a rickety stile on the left (ST723615) and carry on with the hedge on your right. At the end of the field, cross a stile, go through a KG and head

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straight on downhill. When you come to where the hedgerow juts out, bear right to follow a track downhill in the direction of a large modern building, home to Bath Community Academy. Go through a KG and carry on down the valley. After crossing a footbridge, go through a KG and follow a path up a slope. When the path forks, follow steps up to the right and carry on between fences. Go through a KG, carry on to the main road, cross and turn right up Rush Hill. After 400m, turn left along Summerdale View and right up a path at the end. Head east along the road leading away from the escarpment, and, at the second crossroads, turn left along Bloomfield Drive. At the main road, either turn left downhill or catch the No 14 bus to return to the city centre. Level of challenge: Mostly on lanes or footpaths, which may be muddy. n

PEACEFUL SPOT: cross the brook on wobbly stones at Priston Mill

FACT FILE ■ Length of walk: 16 miles (three miles can be cut at the start by taking the No 10 bus to Twerton Round Hill and there is the option to cut three miles at the end by taking the No 14 bus from Bloomfield Road into central Bath) ■ Time of walk: seven hours plus time for lunch ■ Map: AA Walker’s Map 25 (1:25000) covers the whole route ■ Refreshments: The Ring O’Bells at Priston. Lunch 12 – 2pm, Wednesday to Saturday, 12 – 3pm, Sundays. Tel : 01761 471467. Visit: priston.org.uk/ringobells

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Interiors AUG.qxp_Layout 1 23/07/2015 09:09 Page 1

INTERIOR | TRENDS

A TOUCH OF BOHEMIA

Bath interior designer Clair Strong demonstrates ways to achieve a relaxed bohemian vibe without slipping into hippie dippy mood

t’s really easy to fall in love with a trend and want to incorporate it into every aspect of your home design, but doing so can be quite overwhelming. In my experience, the most chic and stylish spaces are those that hint at particular trends without going completely overboard.

The bohemian trend is one look that can very easily go from 0-60 in ten seconds. To avoid your home looking like a cliché, I recommend pairing some of your favourite features from the trend with a touch of modern minimalism. It’s a pared back look that gives you all the joys of boho without the ‘oh no’.

A NEUTRAL COLOUR SCHEME

PLANT LIFE

Plants, whether real or otherwise, are practically a necessity for an authentic bohemian look. The boho trend is very much in touch with nature so you’d better load up on those pot plants. Exotic plants like cacti, succulents and palms are the most visually striking choices for this scheme. All that lush greenery goes especially well with the texture, colour and patterns of boho textiles too. How you display the plants is equally important so give careful consideration to placement. I recommend mixing neutral terracotta or stone plant pots with a light-handed dose of macramé hangers and decorative vases. LIGHT TOUCH: monochrome plant holders by Rigby and Mac

Start with a very modern and fresh colour scheme of white or grey. White walls, white floors – a neutral foundation on which to layer the more boho elements. I’d also ensure the paint job is crisp and pristine. Boho chic is traditionally very colourful with rich jewel tones and dusky desert hues, but it can all be a little overbearing. The neutral backdrop acts as an anchor, it brings everything together and creates a sense of calm so you can go wild with accessories and furniture. COSY: Schnuffle pouffe by Loaf

PRINT AND PATTERN

An iconic aspect of the boho trend is layers upon layers of pattern and colour. Think rugs, blankets, cushions, tapestries and curtains in clashing, eclectic prints.While this really works in boutique hotels or perfectly styled magazine photo shoots, it’s not practical for everyday life. I think a simplified look of a few key pieces has more impact than heaps of unnecessary textiles that overwhelm the eye. Textiles are often inspired by traditional ethnic patterns and weaving techniques like ikat, Kilim and Moroccan tile. PATTERN: left Blackberry collection china from Marks & Spencer and, above vintage style cushion, also M&S 78 TheBATHMagazine

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DON’T CONFORM

I’ve already hinted at this but a really important aspect of boho is a nonconformist attitude. You can be really subtle here and think about new ways to display things or unconventional furniture choices. Like a daybed instead of a sofa and big, comfortable floor cushions instead of armchairs. You might make a statement with the way you display art or collect unique items and create vignettes. Have fun, be creative and see what works. Velvet cushions by Rockett St George

ACCESSORISE

It’s the little things like ornaments, art work and lamps that really finish a space. When you’re working to a particular ‘theme’ or trend it’s easy to make obvious choices, like picking a lighthouse sculpture for a nautical bathroom or a Moroccan lamp for a bohemian living room. Think outside the box and pick accessories that only give a sly nod to the trend. For example, this Cactus Vase by Rockett St George is charming, playful and stylish and would look great in a boho space.

VINTAGE FURNITURE

Black rattan chair by Alexander & Pearl

MJ Finishes offer unique wall and floor finishes to transform any room. Beton Cire is a polished concrete resin, which comes in a range of exciting colours. Beton Cire is totally waterproof, ideal for bathrooms, wetrooms and kitchens. No grout needed! This durable product can transform dull rooms into stunning living spaces.

Bohemian chic has a carefree, relaxed attitude. It’s about breaking free from convention and dancing to your own tune. Repurposing well-loved and well-worn vintage furniture is as much a part of this trend as sourcing ethnic textiles. Finding one-oﬀ, unique pieces to decorate your home allows you to channel that bohemian spirit. Clair suggests combining vintage and modern pieces for a balanced look. If you want to buy all vintage, choose pieces that complement each other, leave the clashing to the textiles.

Clair Strong Interior Design is a small, friendly, creative business based in Bath and London, providing services for residential and commercial clients. Visit: clairstrong.co.uk or contact: clair@clairstrong.co.uk.

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www.mjfinishes.co.uk • mjfinishes@gmail.com

AUGUST 2015

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CITY| INTERIORS

BRIDGE WORKS

Alison Peach had always wanted an AGA cooker, but it wasn’t until the City60 came along that she found one to fit into her life...

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cupboards which went quite high. It had a gas hob and a fan oven and it was just stuff that we’d had so many times before. We just wanted something different. We’d always liked the idea of a kitchen with a big table so we could have lots of people round.

❝

THE PERFECT FIT: main picture, the quirky Regency house on Cleveland Bridge. Above, Alison with her Aga City60.

When the AGA City60 came out it was perfect

❝

hen Alison Peach and Peter Holloway decided they wanted to escape the rat race they upped sticks from West London and found a house in Bath. The friends – who have shared a home for five years – fell in love with a decidedly quirky property. The Regency house – with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sitting room and kitchen – sits on one of the city’s main bridges over the River Avon, opposite the original tollhouse. “There are no special rules to living on a bridge,” Alison says, “but there are some interesting rules about living on a river. Apparently, if the carcass of a cow were to wash up, we would have to give a tenth of it to the church!” Peter, a music teacher, and Alison, who works in higher education, wanted to make the house, which is built over three floors, their own, particularly the kitchen. “There was an island unit and fitted

“We brought the old cabinet that Peter’s parents had bought new in 1940 when they were married. We wanted to build something around that and we wanted it to be slightly quirky. We found a local carpenter and they put together all the woodwork. We had some freestanding pieces we put in, including a butcher’s block from Habitat.

“I had a solid-fuel Rayburn when I lived in Lincolnshire and I loved the way it cooked. Ever since then I was determined I would have an AGA or Rayburn cooker. I was put off before, because they were so big, which felt like too much for one or two people. When the AGA City60 came out it was perfect. I could have an AGA cooker without feeling I had to have a family and three dogs to go with it. “At the moment we’re only here at weekends. It’s great that we can arrive and turn it on. We leave it on all weekend and we definitely cook more since we’ve got it. Peter used not to cook at all, but now we have the City60 he’s got into preserving, making chutneys and marmalades. I cook roast dinners, I love doing a slow-roast shoulder of lamb in the simmering oven, lots of vegetarian food and I’ve also done more baking than I would like as there are always far too many cakes and biscuits around tempting me!”

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AUGUST 2015

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CITY| GARDENING

A ROSY FUTURE Jane Moore is beguiled and bewitched by beautiful roses and picks some of her favourite varieties for summer-long displays of colour and show

t is, as they say, a good year for the roses. There’s always some truth behind these comfortable homilies and it’s true that some years are better for roses than others. This, so far is a good one. There are those that don’t like roses – I have met them and they’re difficult to dissuade from their single-minded dismissal of one of the loveliest summer flowers. I can forgive those that don’t like particular colours or types of rose – I’m not keen on standard roses myself and my friend Hugh abhors eloquently the horrors of rambling roses in trees. But to dismiss roses wholesale is to shut yourself off from a world of scent and colour. I think there’s a rose to suit all tastes out there – it’s just a matter of working out what you want. MODERN ROSES Here at the Priory all my David Austin stalwarts have been simply gorgeous and are gathering themselves for a, hopefully stupendous, second flush and a third go in September. Most of the roses I grow these days are Modern English types, which repeat flower very well. You get the first ‘wow’ in mid to late June followed by spasmodic flurries throughout July and August and then the final show in early autumn. Some say you don’t get as much flower in one fell swoop as with ‘one flush’ roses but I don’t think so. Also they are bred for greater disease resistance which means less spraying – always a good thing. 82 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Listing the ones I like would take more room than I have here and more patience than you have so I’ll just mention a few favourites. Gertrude Jekyll has scent, super pink flowers and a neat habit while Graham Thomas is a muted yellow which warms the garden. The Pilgrim, another soft yellow, is growing on me more as each year goes by as it shows every sign of exhausting itself with flowers yet never does. Finally Tess of the d’Urbervilles is every bit as passionate and beauteous as its namesake and is a lovely deep magenta red which looks great set against our Bath stone walls. ROSES IN A MODERN STYLE There is nothing more dull than a rose garden when those roses are not in flower so try to combine them with other things that have more long-term interest. I’ve seen some lovely plantings of grasses with rich pink roses and the strong shapes of clipped box and yew set off billowing clouds of roses beautifully. You can get clever and time other plants to flower alongside the roses. Things such as penstemons, hardy geraniums and asters last reasonably well and look great with all sorts of roses, as do clematis. What about lavender? They are a match made in heaven but bear in mind that while lavender prefers poorer, dryer soils, the roses will thrive on our Bath clay mixed with plenty of garden compost so it’s a tricky combination to pull off

STARS OF THE BORDER: main picture Gertrude Jekyll, and inset, the soft yellow Pilgrim

successfully for more than a year or two as either the lavender gets leggy from the rich soil or the roses deteriorate. If you’re short of inspiration or funds just sow cottage gardens annuals such as nigella and calendula in spring for a splash of seasonal loveliness. CLASSIC ROSES While I love these modern roses with all their stylish good looks and poise, there is still a lot to be said for some of the older ones. Take Constance Spry for example, not so old as roses go but nonetheless a one hit wonder. But, ooh what a wonder she is and still one of my eternal favourites. Another jawdropping one hit wonder is my favourite rambling rose Paul’s Himalayan Musk which is the only rose I have in my garden at home where it has completely taken over a holly tree to glorious effect in June. It’s a huge grower, despite its

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CITY | GARDENING

IN THE PINK: above, the classic Constance Spry, as reliable as her namesake, and right, the prolific Paul’s Himalayan Musk, beautifully showy grown up into a tree

delicate looking stems and dainty scented flowers, but I love it beyond all sanity as does David Austin of David Austin Roses, so I’m in good company. Some of these old roses are repeat flowering if you choose wisely. Another David Austin favourite is the dark and handsome William Lobb, which is a robust grower and great for a tripod, or structure in the border with its rich, dark crimson flowers. A favourite climber of mine for a dark wall or fence is the Old Glory Rose Gloire de Dijon. This grows so strongly it’s a joy to train and the flowers are tricky to describe with shades of buff

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and apricot and almost antique gold. It’s a beauty but not for a Bath stone wall as you can hardly see it. NATURAL STYLE ROSES Even the determined rose naysayer may concede the value of roses to the mixed, natural style shrub border, especially if they have good hips. Even Hugh will grudgingly acknowledge the use of something like the beautifully blueleaved rosa glauca in a wild and woody border, although only if it’s allowed to hip and not deadheaded. And I wouldn’t dream of deadheading it, not when the orange-red hips last so long into the autumn.

Roses like this have the single flowered simplicity of our native wild roses and should be allowed to behave a bit recklessly. I’m a huge fan of the ferny leafed Rosa xanthina Canary Bird with its masses of really early, unerringly cheerful single yellow flowers or there is Rosa moyesii Geranium which has fantastic red hips after a mass of brilliant red flowers studded with yellow stamens. n Jane Moore is the award-winning head gardener at the Bath Priory Hotel. She writes regularly for the Telegraph and can be followed on Twitter @janethegardener.

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the directory

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Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

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House & Home

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PROPERTY | THINKING

Four great tips to get your apartment sold this summer By Peter Greatorex, managing director of The apartment Company offers advice on getting your home ready to sell

o, your apartment is on the market and, as it is often documented, summer can be one of the hardest seasons to sell. But if you want to help get your house SOLD this summer, we have top four tips that will help win you buyers and deliver you the best possible price for your home. 1. Emotionally Ready? It’s wonderful that you have your apartment on the market but if you are not emotionally ready to move then this will prevent any sale. - Why? A home is encased in so many memories and emotions, that it simply cannot be compared to selling the likes of a car or an old computer. Trying to sell when you’re not ready to say goodbye could leave the door open to selfsabotage, for example, by setting the price too high – which will always result in what we call a ‘sale fail.’

2. The Wow Factor - What is your apartment’s best feature? Whatever it may be, be sure to take advantage of it by enhancing it and making it a focal point of the property. In Bath we are truly blessed with the stunning Georgian architecture on offer, which may very well be your apartment’s best feature; the architecture itself. 3. The Personal Touch Viewings are all about the people coming to view your home. So invite them in and make them feel truly welcome by adding personal touches, such as: - Fresh, vibrant summer flowers will inject a little colour and provide a subtle fragrance too. - Opening windows and patio doors will keep the rooms cool and inviting. - The aroma of coffee brewing or fresh baked bread will help create a truly delicious entrance. - Add crockery to rooms according to their function - Providing a jug of something temptingly refreshing will give your viewing that extra personal touch. 4. Availability As it is the holiday season, if you’re planning on going away at the same time as trying to sell your home, make sure that your estate agent has the keys, so they can do the viewings for you while you’re away. We want to get your apartment SOLD this summer, so follow our top tips and you could be opening a bottle of Champagne sooner than you think. n

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The future looks bright The pull of Bath for Londoners is about to get stronger, according to Duncan Nash, managing director of estate agent nash & Co

ondoners who are thinking of moving out of town are sometimes nervous about what life in the provinces will be like. But Bath is reassuringly close enough to London in many ways to take away their anxiety. It’s like having Dulwich, Hampstead and the Westminster Abbey all within walking distance. And for the same money as they sell their London house they can get a bigger and better house here in Bath. And you can add to those advantages the topflight schools, both state and independent, with all the countryside you could want on your doorstep. Oh, and then there’s the amazing cultural life of the city. No wonder Bath is a draw but I believe the pull of Bath is all set to become even stronger. I am confident the demand for Bath properties will increase significantly over the next four years. And my reasoning for saying that? It’s all to do with the improved train times to Paddington and the City of London which start to come on-stream from 2016 onwards. Currently the train journey time from Bath to Paddington is approximately 90 minutes. That’s assuming the train is up and running and is on time – which is not guaranteed. To get across to Liverpool Street and the heart of the City adds another 30 minutes. And there’s the journey time from home to Bath Spa as well as at the other end. It all makes for a long commute there and back – especially return leg of the journey, when one is tired. But that lengthy commute is about to get noticeably shorter, making London even closer to Bath. The first big improvement comes from the electrification of the line from Bristol to Paddington. Although there will be major disruption this summer as work gets underway to enlarge Brunel’s famous Box Tunnel, once the service is operational with the new trains, journey time will be just over an hour. But that’s not all. From 2018 onwards, the new Crossrail service will be up and running. Paddington to Liverpool Street will then be 11 minutes and only 17 minutes to Canary Wharf. So journey time from Bath Spa to Liverpool Street will be a manageable 75 minutes instead of two hours. Right now, you can easily spend an hour on the Tube getting in from the London suburbs. Even the whopping £9,000 for the annual season ticket, which must be a hard pill to swallow, may not be so hard after all. Once you have taken off the annual price of a Tube ticket and the savings from a lower mortgage, then it looks very do-able. All those factors are bound to have an impact on demand for Bath properties, which inevitably means that house prices are likely to rise faster than other parts of the country. Today the average price of a Bath property is in the region of £275,000. In London the average property is a good deal more expensive, at £500,000. For those working in professions, the average price differential is likely to be even greater. That’s a nice differential for them. But that difference could erode if Bath prices rise faster than London prices and it’s very likely that canny Londoners have worked that one out, so they could well try to get in before the rush. Only the other day we saw the archetypal young couple in wanting to check out the Bath property situation. They are the young professional couple, getting ready to move out in a year or so, with a London flat to exchange at the same price for a four bed period house. These benefits are certain to be felt along the length of the GWR corridor but Bath will always be the first choice for many of those looking to leave London for the good life. n Nash & Co, 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath tel: 01225 444800

NASH & CO

Pritchard PIF August 15.qxp_PIF Full Page 22/07/2015 11:05 Page 85

PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

eech Wood is a charming detached colonial style 1920s house standing in wonderful mature gardens in a peaceful road with all the amenities of Combe Down village to hand. The accommodation is spacious and versatile, particularly on the ground floor and currently comprises a reception porch and hallway, four bedrooms, en suite bathroom and three further en suite shower rooms, a large kitchen/dining room, sitting room, snug and utility room. The gardens are a real feature of this property. Mostly facing south west, they have been beautifully landscaped and maintained and two summer houses enhance the opportunities to enjoy the differing aspects. There is a detached double garage and ample driveway parking. This lovely home will appeal to the green fingered lovers of the good life and can be viewed by appointment with agents Pritchards.. Pritchards, 11 Quiet Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 466225

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

BEECH WOOD SHAFT ROAD COMBE DOWN • Four Bedrooms • En suite bathroom plus three en suite shower rooms • Magnificent and private landscaped gardens • Sought after road, Combe Down village

Price: £1,250,000 AUGUST 2015

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pritchards-bath.co.uk

Weston, Bath A substantial 5 bedroom semi detached well proportioned Georgian G II Listed Townhouse in superb position on the edge of the City. With separate apartment for home working/ancillary accommodation). • 5 bedrooms, 2 bath/shower rooms & 3 cloakrooms • 3 receptions, office & additional room, kitchen & utility • Beautiful landscaped private rear gardens & ample forecourt parking • Possible self contained apartment at lower ground floor level • 3118 sq ft/299.66 sq m. Convenient location, ideal for Bath Centre, Bristol & M4

Guide Price: £1,250,000

Colerne A charming detached Grade II Listed former yeoman’s house retaining a wealth of character and enjoying wonderful far reaching views. • 3/4 bedrooms, bathroom, en suite shower, 2 receptions & a conservatory • Lovely south facing garden & parking • Planning consent to refurbish existing lean to/conservatory • 6 miles north east of Bath • Floor area approx. 1,773 sq.ft./165 sq.m.

Guide Price: £650,000 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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pritchards-bath.co.uk

Box A most attractive Grade II Listed 4/5 bed detached house believed to date back to the 18th Century & offering an abundance of character & charm. Numerous period features incl flagstone floors & exposed beams. • 4 bedrooms, loft room/study/bed 5, 2 bath/shower rooms • Sitting room with fabulous open fireplace, dining room, ‘farmhouse style’ kitchen to garden • Utility & cloakroom • Enclosed garden • Int area 1718 sq ft/159.7 sq m

Price: £575,000

Freshford A recently refurbished light and airy detached bungalow in a peaceful elevated position enjoying wonderful views, in the heart of this highly sought after village, south of Bath. • Quiet elevated position in the heart of this desirable village • Lovely southerly aspect over the village • 2 double bedrooms, shower room • Sitting room, well fitted kitchen, dining room and garden room • Delightful decked sun terrace and further attractive gardens • Double garage with planning consent for 3rd bedroom • Int area 1456 sq ft/135 sq m

Price: £549,500 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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pritchardsapartments.co.uk

Lansdown Place West

Edward Street

A rare opportunity to purchase a Grade II Listed 3 bed maisonette forming part of an attractive Georgian townhouse well situated on the northern slopes of Bath.

A light, wonderfully proportioned 1st floor apartment in a Georgian building with original period features & balconettes to front & rear. Sought-after road immediately off the impressive & historic Great Pulteney Street. • 1 double bedroom, bathroom, private entrance hall • Sitting room with fireplace & attractive views • Modern quality fitted Ultima kitchen with area for breakfast table • Well maintained common areas • Floor area approximately 712 sq.ft (66.1 sq.m)

• 3 bedrooms, 1 reception room, kitchen/diner • Good sized walled garden • Double sized garage • No onward chain • Gross internal area 1938 sq ft/ 180 sq m excl garage.

Offers In Excess of £700,000

Price: £370,000

Green Park

Empire, Grand Parade

A light & spacious 2nd floor apartment forming part of an elegant Grade II Listed townhouse adjacent to Green Park and just a few minutes walk from the centre of Bath. • 2 double bedrooms & shower room • Sitting/dining room, kitchen • Gas fired heating • Pleasant views to front over Green Park • Popular no through road • Level walking distances to bus & train stations • Internal area 666 sq ft/61.8 sq m.

An elegant light & airy third floor apartment enjoying magnificent far reaching views over the River Avon, Parade Gardens & across the forming part of this impressive development. Age restriction. • Private entrance hall, sitting room, kitchen, double bedroom and shower room • Ownership of the apartment benefits from the splendour of The Empire, and all the “luxury hotel-style” facilities provided • Yards away from city centre shops and amenities • Easy level walking distance to train and bus station

Price: £349,500

Price: £325,000

11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

Zest AUGUST FP.qxp_Layout 1 16/07/2015 16:21 Page 1

Darlington Mews House A unique and truly impressive two bedroom Georgian mews house, situated in a private and secluded courtyard behind Darlington Street, providing spacious and contemporary accommodation over two floors. The property also benefits from access to two private garages.

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

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

TOWNHOUSES PROVIDE PERFECT RIPOSTE TO A NEW LIFESTYLE There are numerous reasons to move home

or some it’s the first step on the property ladder while for others it represents the opportunity to change the way they live and try something completely new. At Crest Nicholson’s Bath Riverside development, sales, which currently include a selection of stunning new townhouses, have continued unabated, with many of those who have chosen to live on the banks of the River Avon discovering a new lease of life. One huge advantage of Bath Riverside is its location. Close to Bath’s vibrant city-centre means those who have now made it their home can take advantage of all the attractions the world heritage city has to offer. With a renowned creative flair, there is always something going on in the city and the adage ‘west is best’ coupled with it’s laid back character has also acted as a catalyst for many people looking for a new way of life. The development also reflects this exciting, modern attitude with all of the properties, while remaining true to the Bath’s Georgian design, offer a specification and layout that better suits the needs of today’s discerning house hunter. With over 200 private sales it is evident that those looking for a new style of living have liked what they see and is a clear vindication that Bath Riverside has provided quality homes for a wide range of people. Families looking to move will be interested to know that the development is close to numerous primary and secondary schools, while Bath also has a number of well renowned private schools.

Limited Release Current availability includes a select release of new townhouses. Priced at £595,000, these four-storey, three-bedroom homes are available for a prescribed period of time as a New Limited Release. Built from traditional Bath stone these properties are much more modern than their Georgian counterparts and features bi-fold patio doors, composite stone kitchen worktops and built-in wardrobes. Susan Young Crest Nicholson marketing director said: “Living at Bath Riverside realises a lifestyle many have dreamt about and a lot of our buyers have moved from much larger family homes.

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“Not only do you have everything on your doorstep, there is now a growing sense of community with many residents making use of the private courtyards, landscaped seating areas and herb sensory gardens. “Although the appearance of these homes reflects the design of the classic Georgian terraces that are such a feature of Bath, they have the advantage of being built to modern standards and therefore have lower running costs as they are more energy efficient.” The townhouses feature a spacious family breakfast room on the ground floor with a designer Alno kitchen and bi-fold patio doors leading out onto a decked terrace and private garden. The kitchen includes integrated Siemens appliances to include a steam/combi oven, single oven, dishwasher, wine cooler, fridge/freezer and induction hob. The first floor comprises a living room with an area that can be used for dining or as a study for those working from home. On the second floor are two bedrooms, one with a built-in wardrobe, plus a bathroom and airing cupboard. The en-suite master bedroom comprises the whole of the third floor, and has ample wardrobe space and a second airing cupboard. For further information please call 01225 463 517 or visit www.crestnicholson.com/bathriverside

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Richmond Place, Bath

£1,950 pcm

Stunning period house located in the highly sought after location of Richmond Place. Presented to a high standard throughout boasting tasteful décor and a quality finish. Richmond Place is very convenient and within close proximity to many schools such as St Stephens, The Royal School and Kingwood. Access to the Motorway is accessible via A46 or Lansdown lane

Bannerdown Road, Bath

£3,500 pcm

Hillside house is a unique five bedroom detached period family home, originally built circa 1900’s and has been thoughtfully extended in recent years, situated over three floors the property boasts a wonderful living space. The plot is elevated off the Bannerdown Road and offers off street parking for several cars, private manicured grounds.

Cranwells Park, Bath

£3,500 pcm

Detached five bedroom, three reception family home offering fantastic living space inside and out. Offering a spacious open plan kitchen, dining linked family room which leads onto the pleasant landscaped rear garden via large bi-fold doors creating the perfect entertaining space for friends and family and a real sense of inside outside living.

Richmond Place, Bath

£2,500 pcm

Delightful Grade II listed three storey house will make the ideal family home. The property offers good living space inside and out with a lovely court yard entrance plus mature landscaped garden to the rear. With fantastic access to local schools.

Bath Office

Lettings 01225 458546 | Sales. 01225 459817

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Wentworth August.qxp_Layout 1 16/07/2015 16:22 Page 1

Due to an extremely successful start to 2015. We are currently building a new summer portfolio of properties within Bath and the surrounding villages.

Instruct Wentworth to sell your home before the 30th September and receive our professional service for 1.25 % + vat. This is what our Clients Say about us……

‘‘ ’’ ‘‘ ‘‘ ’’

We just want to thank you for your sterling work in the sale of our flat recently. We will be recommending you to everyone we

‘‘ ‘‘

It was a pleasure to deal with Wentworth. I was really

impressed with the communication at every stage. I was

able to discuss our sale with any member of the team and was confident that they knew exactly where we were at. I would

highly recommend them and will definitely use them again in the future

I recently bought a house in Bath through Wentworth and

found the process &, more importantly, their people to be

open, honest and straightforward. Communication, through Wentworth, with the vendor during the sales process was

unbelievably smooth to the extent rarely experienced in the property market. I cannot commend them highly enough

T: 01225 904904 for a free valuation 25 Monmouth St, Bath BA1 2AP

know for your determination, professionalism and sheer hard

work on behalf of your clients. We couldn’t have asked for a better service

’’ ’’ ’’

It was a pleasure to work with Wentworth Estate Agents on our recent sale. At all times the service was professional, friendly and thoroughly competent

I had unsuccessfully been trying to sell my property for a number of years when I was introduced to Wentworth's. Initially I was

reluctant to believe they could sell it as quickly as they suggested - how wrong I was! I had more viewings in the first week than I

had in a year with the other agents I had used, and an acceptable offer by the end of the week. Highly recommended

www.wentworthea.com

Subject to terms and and conditions

fidelisinbath.co.uk GUILDPROPERTY.CO.UK

ÂŁ455,000

Proud sponsors of Beechen Cliff School Fidelis August.indd 1

17/07/2015 12:06

01225 421000

Fidelis

ÂŁ290,000

Thinking of Selling in 2015? Fidelis August.indd 2

17/07/2015 12:06

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Mark Naylor - August.qxp_Layout 7 16/07/2015 16:24 Page 1

ST CHRISTOPHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CLOSE - ÂŁ495,000 A lovely and spacious semi-detached home with 3 bedrooms and delightful gardens just a short stroll from the City Centre, Sydney Gardens and Henrietta Park. It occupies a most sought-after cul-de-sac position, perfect for families and close to excellent nurseries and schools. Entrance porch, hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, downstairs cloakroom, 3 bedrooms and shower room. Single garage and attractive gardens with tandem off-road parking for 2 vehicles. Gas central heating and double glazing. No onward chain. Approximate gross internal floor area: 1,380 square feet / 128 square metres.

k Mar r o l y a N

01225 422 224 www.mark-naylor.com

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NORTH STREET, NORTON ST PHILIP - ÂŁ550,000 This cottage is a stunningly characterful, grade II historical family home featuring most spacious accommodation and charm in abundance dating back to the 16th century. The property enjoys a tucked away position on North Street (off the main high street) and presents period features such as wood panelling, multi-paned sash windows and exposed ceiling joists. Entrance hall, sitting room, snug/office room, dining room, kitchen, boot room, cloakroom, 3 bedrooms, library/potential bedroom 4, family bathroom, 25â&#x20AC;&#x2122; vaulted studio area, additional loft store. Front garden with potential parking space and small rear courtyard. Central heating. EPC = E. Approximate gross internal floor area: 2,765 square feet / 257 square metres.

k Mar r o l y a N

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NASH & CO

Combe Down, Bath

Price On Application

A classical Georgian, double fronted Grade II listed townhouse, beautifully apportioned and located in the residential area of Combe Down to the southern slopes of the world heritage city of Bath. The house measures in the region of 3500 square foot including garaging, (Main house 3137 sq ft). The main part of the house was built in the 1770’s with further additions made around 1815, with the balcony added circa 1840. The property which was built by the Earl of Montalt, certainly has a feminine charm, which is probably why Isabella Place was named after the Earls second wife. The building of Isabella Place all coincided with Bath being seen as a fashionable place to take the medicinal hot spring waters during the late 18th Century, with the south facing slopes of Combe Down seen as an ideal spot for convalescing. In modern day times, Combe Down has become a thriving village with its on hub and is seen as a desirable location to live and enjoy, whilst still being close to the City and accessible to the M4 and A4 to Bristol.

enquiries@nashandcobath.co.uk 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath, BA1 2ED

• Georgian Double Fronted Property ● Drawing room with Drawing Room, Dining Room, Study, Snug • 6 Bedrooms with Dressing Room off Master Bedroom ● D/s Cloakroom, Family Bathroom, Shower Room & 2 Separate WC’s ● Double Garage

Tel: 01225 444 800

.co.uk

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NASH & CO

robably the most celebrated man in eighteenth century Bath was Beau Nash. More than anyone he made Bath into the ultra-fashionable city that has made it famous all around the world. Not far from where Beau Nash lived, another Nash has taken up residence. This is in the form of Nash & Co. Duncan Nash is the man behind Nash & Co, the newest independent estate agency serving Bath’s vibrant property market.

equally importantly he has built a reputation for providing a service that is truly personal and one based on integrity and honesty.

Truthfully, this is more of a case of old (and therefore the best) wine in a new bottle. That’s because Duncan Nash has been in the property business for almost 30 years, having learnt his trade in the hurly-burly of London before moving to Bath twenty years ago. Having initially run a successful branch of a well known estate agency in Bath for a decade, Duncan has continued to be a major player in the Bath property market and is now delighted to be launching Nash & Co under his sole ownership. The operational base of Nash & Co will be in the prime location of George Street in the heart of the city.

Looking further ahead, Duncan is confident that Bath is going to prove even more attractive as a place to live in after the train line to London is electrified taking nearly one third off the journey time to Paddington. ‘Once that happens’ says Duncan ‘the journey from Bath to London is not much more than a tube journey and a better ride’.

Duncan has an unrivalled knowledge of the Bath property scene and

enquiries@nashandcobath.co.uk 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath, BA1 2ED

Duncan is optimistic about his new company. ‘Bath is such an amazing place to work in and it has a fantastic range of properties. I know people poke fun at estate agencies for their clichés but can anyone show me a more desirable location or such a well-appointed city?’

Everyone says that buying and selling a house is one of the most stressful of all human activities. At those times you want totally reliable and trustworthy people to steer you through the process, especially at the crisis times. Nash & Co is certainly a company that ticks all those boxes.

Tel: 01225 444 800

.co.uk

Fine & Country August.qxp_Layout 1 21/07/2015 11:20 Page 1

Kilmersdon This beautiful stone house sits in the heart of the picturesque village of Kilmersdon, opposite the church. It is under two kilometres from the well known Babington House.

with under-floor heating .The garden wraps around the house and we have divided it into two areas: a large lawned area with fruit trees and a vegetable patch, and directly in front of the house is a more formal area walled with The house is thought to date back to medieval yew with a long canal for koi carp.” times, but recently renovated, is now an immaculate family home. Lizzy says: “ The house Impressive Grade II listed former retains all the original features: beautiful shell vicarage. Accommodation comprises cupboards, original doors, mullion windows complete with shutters and a stunning Tudor dining hall, drawing room, study, fireplace. The entrance hall is extremely sitting room, cloakroom, spacious and still has the medieval casein floor. The layout is perfect because each of the main kitchen/breakfast room, family room, living areas flow from it. We particularly like the downstairs shower room, master living room with its Georgian French windows that open out onto the terrace.” bedroom with en-suite, 5 further Christopher adds: “We also have renovated the coach house. It is a large double height space

bedrooms, bathroom, coach house, established gardens

THE OLD VICARAGE DINING HALL • DRAWING ROOM • STUDY • SITTING ROOM • CLOAKROOM • KITCHEN/BREAKFAST ROOM • FAMILY ROOM • 6 BEDROOMS • BATHROOM • COACH HOUSE • ESTABLISHED GARDENS

Contact: 01225 320032

Price: £1,250,000

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Bath The Empire is one of Bath's landmark buildings situated in the very centre of the City. Originally built as a hotel in 1901, commissioned by the Admiralty during the war years, and, in the mid 1990's, converted into exclusive apartments for the over 50's. A grandiose entrance hall and original mahogany staircase immediately establish this building's credibility. Residents' drawing and function rooms are located on the ground floor, along with lifts that provide access to the lower ground floor communal facilities and to all apartment levels. Apartment 12 is located on the second floor and offers one bedroom, sitting room with access to a full length balcony, high ceilings and wonderful views across the Avon valley, river and weir.

Communal facilities include guest suites, cinema room, laundrette, billiard room, craft room, exercise room, sauna, library and roof garden.The Empire will appeal to those seeking a rather special secure base in the City centre, with glorious far reaching views, and Bath's fashionable shopping areas on the door step.

One bedroom apartment with balcony in The Empire, a landmark building in central Bath, built in 1901 and converted into exclusive apartments for the over 50’s in the mid 1990's.

THE EMPIRE 1 BEDROOM • SITTING ROOM • KITCHEN • SHOWER ROOM • FULL LENGTH BALCONY • COMMUNAL FACILITIES TO INCLUDE: ROOF TERRACE • GUEST SUITES • CINEMA/MEETING ROOM • LAUNDRY ROOM • SAUNA • EPC RATING: C

Contact: 01225 320032

Price: £340,000

Selling & Letting Bath’s finest apartments

West House

OIEO £550,000

Victorian apartment First floor Modern kitchen Two double bedrooms • Third bedroom/Study • Beautifully presented • Garage • Parking • Approx. 870 Sq Ft •

•

Located in the highly desirable Bathampton village, moments away from the canal, with easy access to the City, offering an exquisite three bedroom apartment. The property is situated on the first floor, affording picturesque views. To the front of the property are the three bedrooms; master bedroom with luxury en suite, second double bedroom and a third bedroom/study, all with extensive storage. At the rear of the property is a spacious sitting room with an impressive bay housing three large sash windows, a beautifully appointed separate kitchen with a dining area and modern bathroom.

Cavendish Place

OIEO £535,000

Grade I listed • Georgian apartment • Lower ground floor • High specification kitchen • Pretty courtyard • Large sitting room • Two bedrooms • Prestigious address This fabulous Georgian apartment is entered at lower ground level through the front courtyard, and boasts stunning accommodation throughout. When entering the apartment you will find yourself in a small vestibule, leading into a large sitting room with splendid sash windows, and then into a separate high quality handmade painted kitchen, a very spacious master bedroom and shower room. To the rear of the property you will find the second bedroom, a bathroom, and a walk in wardrobe. There is a door leading into the rear East facing courtyard, which enjoys morning and afternoon sun and is perfect for alfresco dining.

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Sutcliffe House

OIEO £400,000

Grade II listed • Open plan living area • Modern kitchen • Two double bedrooms En suite and bathroom • Allocated parking space • Approx. 958 Sq Ft

•

Tucked away in Sutcliffe House, just set back from London Road, is a stylishly presented two bedroom first floor apartment. The accommodation comprising: large open plan living area boasting an abundance of light, where you will find the sitting room/dining room and kitchen. At either end of the apartment are double bedrooms one with en-suite, the other with main bathroom. The property boasts allocated private parking. A superb opportunity to purchase a gem of an apartment, which is quietly situated, yet five minutes’ walk from a local supermarket, amenities and a regular bus service.

Druids Garth

OIEO £375,000

Victorian building • Modern kitchen • Spacious sitting room • Two double bedrooms • Period features • Garage • Parking • Approx. 840 Sq Ft The Apartment Company are delighted to market this beautiful two bedroomed apartment located on the first floor within a converted Victorian building, just moments away from the canal and picturesque village of Bathampton. The spacious property comprises: entrance hall, large sitting room with three sash windows and a feature fireplace, modern fitted kitchen with space for dining, master bedroom, second bedroom, and contemporary bathroom. This apartment also has the advantage of a single garage and off road parking. With its stunning views and spacious accommodation, this is one not to miss!

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Camden Crescent

OIEO £375,000

Great Pulteney Street

OIEO £325,000

Grade I Listed • Georgian • Courtyard apartment • Two double bedrooms • Spacious • Sought after location • Highly recommended

Grade I listed • Georgian apartment • Top floor • Large double bedroom • Modern kitchen • Spacious accommodation • Approx. 700 Sq Ft

This spacious property comprises: large sitting room with attractive wood flooring, fitted kitchen with dining area with access to an outside terrace, two double bedrooms and a bathroom.

Enjoying dual aspect windows throughout and offering generous room sizes, including a large sitting room, fitted kitchen with a dining area, double bedroom and bathroom.

Grosvenor Place

The Hexagon

OIEO £295,000

Grade I listed • Georgian apartment • First floor interior • One bedroom • Modern shower room Sq Ft

• •

Stylish Approx. 689

The apartment offers an extensive open plan living area with wonderful floor to ceiling wedding doors, ornate cornicing, a modern kitchen, double bedroom and a shower room.

The Apartment Company August.indd 3

OIEO £295,000

Grade II listed • Georgian apartment • First floor • Modern kitchen • Two double bedrooms • Modern bathroom • Spacious • Approx. 700 Sq Ft This modern first floor apartment comprises: entrance hall, spacious open plan living area, with a modern fitted kitchen, two double bedrooms and a modern bathroom.

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Great Pulteney Street

£1,650 pcm

Master bedroom and en suite • Second bedroom • Balcony • Private parking space • No students Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available Now

•

Stunning two bedroom second floor apartment located in the World famous Great Pulteney Street, with a high specification used throughout.

Catharine Place

Centrally located this “light and airy” basement apartment offering well planned accommodation to include three vaults which could be utilised as games/ hobbies rooms or other.

£995 pcm

Holburne Place

£1,200 pcm

A stunning contemporary two bedroom apartment with the rare advantage of lift access and private parking moments away from the City Centre.

Claverton Lodge

£1,200 pcm

Two double bedrooms • Three vaults • Sitting room Second floor • Two bedrooms • No Pets • with kitchen area • No pets • Council Tax Band C • Immaculately presented • One allocated parking Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+ vat • Available Now space • Lift • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available 18th July 2015

Kensington Place

£850 pcm Royal Crescent

£775 pcm

Two bedrooms • Large sitting room with dining area • Fitted kitchen • Luxury shower room • Off road parking • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available August 6th 2015

Bright and airy • Council Tax Band B • On street parking • No pets • Non-smokers • Communal vault • Furnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available September 1st 2015

Suit professional person • No pets • Parking permit parking • Fantastic views • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available August 1st 2015 or before by arrangement

Beautifully presented two double bedroom first floor apartment located on Bathwick Hill with well-manicured communal gardens and views.

The beautifully presented and spacious apartment comprising a sitting room with three bay windows to the rear, open plan fitted kitchen, double bedroom and a luxury bathroom.

A stunning studio apartment with lift access and far reaching views, situated in the much sought after Royal Crescent a short walk to the shops and amenities.

Hay Hill

Monkton Combe

Marlborough Buildings

£1,200 pcm

£875 pcm

£995 pcm

Georgian • Second floor • Two bedrooms • Sitting room • Views | City Centre location • No pets • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available mid-August

One double bedroom • Kitchen with breakfast area • Stunning Views • Council Tax Band A • No students • Furnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available August 22nd 2015

Second floor apartment in the highly sought after location of Marlborough Buildings, adjacent to the Royal Crescent, offering two bedrooms.

The accommodation comprises a good size sitting room A second floor apartment forming part of an old with modern kitchen, fitted kitchen with breakfast area, converted Malthouse, with excellent transport links with double bedroom and bathroom. Bath and surrounding area including Trowbridge.

The Apartment Company August.indd 4

Two bedrooms • Sought after location • Well presented • No pets • Stunning Views • Garage and parking • Part furnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available now

21/07/2015 13:34

North Road Iconic Grade II listed 1930s villa set in its own secluded and private grounds in this highly sought-after area

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley Augsut.indd 1

16/07/2015 16:25

Shepherds Walk A substantial detached house providing over 3,000 sq. ft. of accommodation, wonderfully positioned on the edge of Bath with approx. 5.3 acres and valley views

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley Augsut.indd 2

16/07/2015 16:25

Freshford A most appealing detached 5 bedroom house, positioned in this highly sought-after village and with the benefit of its own paddock

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley Augsut.indd 3

16/07/2015 16:26

Upper Swainswick A quintessential Grade II listed detached stone built cottage in a pretty village approximately 3 miles north east of Bath

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley Augsut.indd 4

16/07/2015 16:26

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

Ripples Bath fp.indd 1

17/07/2015 12:08