The Bath Magazine December 2017

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ISSUE 183

 DECEMBER 2017

thebathmag.co.uk

 £3.95 where sold

T H E C I T Y ’ S B I G G E S T M O NTHLY GUIDE TO LIFE AND LIVING IN BATH

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Contents December 2017 5 THINGS

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TIPPING YOUR WAITER

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FAMILY FUN

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Musical director Peter Blackwood’s life in sound

Festive events for all the family to enjoy

GUEST COLUMN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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Get ready to party with a little help from the experts

Historian Dr Amy Frost of Bath Preservation Trust

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

THE WALK

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Andrew Swift explores Swindon’s industrial past

Pages of inspiration for your gift giving

TREASURE HUNT

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Melissa Blease’s insider guide to gratuities

The editor picks her favourite things to do in Bath

FACE THE MUSIC

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Sample the street food and international cuisine available in Bath

Your essential events to look forward to this month

MY BATH

ROUND THE WORLD IN ONE CITY

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INTERIORS

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A quintessentially English inn plus recipes for alcohol-free cocktails

How well do you know Bath? Test your knowledge

WHAT’S ON

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GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Jane Moore decks the halls for the festive season

Our biggest ever guide to going out in Bath

BATH AT WORK

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Portrait of the month by photographer Neill Menneer

ART FOR ART’S SAKE

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The finest homes to buy or rent

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Original pieces from the city’s galleries

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

HOT PROPERTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

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ON THE COVER

Champagne metallic magnolia garland, 1,800mm, £59, V V Rouleaux, George Street, Bath, or visit: vvrouleaux.com

The local charities making a global impact: how you can help

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

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Editors Letter December.qxp_Layout 1 24/11/2017 10:31 Page 1

EDITOR’S PICKS JEWELS IN THE DARK: as we approach the shortest day of the year, let’s turn to the brighter things in life, like twinkling lights in windows, the flickering yellow flames of an open fire and the richness of fresh fruit newly cut to reveal their juicy colours

from the

Pictured, pomegranate and orange at The Talbot Inn, Mells for the launch of Dry by Clare Liardet, photographed by Anna Barclay

EDITOR

W

e have arrived at the year’s end and in the immortal words of Fat Boy Slim, we’ve come a long, long way together, through the hard times and the good. And now I think we’ve earned the chance to let our hair down and party on into Christmas.

This very festive issue is designed to help you plan your leisure time in the run-up to the festive season and through to the new year. We’ve got the biggest What’s On we’ve ever had – you might say it’s a bumper one, plus all that’s going on for families and on the art scene.

Last Christmas our pictorial treasure hunt went down a storm with you, as eagle-eyed Bathonians enjoyed identifying the mystery places from our photographs. This year’s treasure hunt – think of it as a little gift from us – is themed around Bath’s churches and pubs (Page 44). How well do you know your watering holes and places of worship? There’s afternoon tea at The Pump Room for four at stake for the winners.

Chasing the true meaning of Christmas Jessica Hope has a gentle reminder of some of the local charities and the good work that they do here in Bath, and indeed globally, in the event of us wishing to make a donation of money or our time to help them out (Page 74). Meanwhile, Melissa Blease has compiled a special report into tipping in restaurants – food for thought as we dine out this Christmas (Page 80).

Our guest columnist historian Dr Amy Frost tells us how the Georgians celebrated Christmas in Bath (Page 22), while garden columnist Jane Moore gathers good ideas for decking our contemporary halls for the festive season (Page110). We’ve six of the best books to give as presents, plus pages of other gift ideas. And Andrew Swift has thoughtfully devised a short walk to blow off the winter cobwebs with something of interest for all ages, in the historic railway village at Swindon.

There’s plenty more in our Christmas issue, which also happens to be my last as editor. After seven years at the helm the time is right for me to venture forth, face new challenges and tackle fresh projects. But I will leave you in the very capable hands of my effervescent successor Vishaka Robinson.

Thank you to all who have extended kindness and humour, to all who have shared their creative endeavour and enthusiasm and to all who make Bath the great little city it is.

Wishing you a very happy Christmas. Peace and love for 2018.

LOOKING FORWARD: Electric Daisy Flower Farm near Bath grows seasonal flowers on its farm and has produced a beautiful calendar for 2018 featuring 12 arrangements of seasonal flowers.

Calendars to order from: electricdaisyflower farm.co.uk, £20 including post and packaging.

Photography by Alma Haser.

NATURALLY GIFTED: Helen Mulloy Reid runs a natural beauty therapy business based in Combe Down. She has a range of Bare Beauty candles made from pure organic wax, with natural scents.

They come in three sizes, priced from £7.50. The wax can also be used in a soothing, warm massage. Visit: barebeautytherapy.co.uk Picture by Paolo Ferla

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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is a crack in everything. ❝ There That’s how the light gets in ❞ LEONARD COHEN

Canadian singer-songwriter (1934 – 2016)

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ZEITGEIST

5

things to do in

December

Book Handmade baubles from The Foodie Bugle in Abbey Green

Shop We’ve got one of the finest Christmas markets in the land right here in Bath city centre, open daily until Sunday 10 December.

And there’s lots more happening in the city besides the main market, including food markets, street theatre and artisan markets.

See our What’s On, from Page 48, for more pre-Christmas events.

Bath’s multi-arts festival programme for 2018 is beginning to be unveiled, promising more events over a longer period of time, as next year’s festival will run from 11 to 17 May. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Bath Festivals there will be more than 160 events, celebrating music, literature and the arts. The first tickets have gone on sale for the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment and for singer Ben Folds – the first two concerts to be revealed by festival organisers. More will follow, so watch this space and meanwhile, concert tickets make good Christmas presents . . .

VISIBLE ON THE STREETS: The Bath Festival 2018 will be bigger and better for its 70th anniversary year Photograph courtesy of James Cheadle

Celebratee

Party Inspired by the magic of The Night Circus novel are a series of five very special party nights being run through December by renowned events organisers Festival in a Box at Walcot House, the newest gathering space to open in Bath. There’ll be a three course banquet, festive themed cocktails, music and live entertainment throughout. Find out how to get tickets, see our What’s On pages, visit Facebook.com/FestivalinaBox presents or tel: 01225 740610.

In the crush and bustle of the run-up to Christmas it’s easy to forget the joy that we used to have as children. Take time for yourself, if you can, to rekindle that Christmas spirit. Bath Abbey is hosting its annual shoppers carols session on Saturday 2 December and Saturday 9 December, with informal 20-minute long services and singing at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. All are welcome, no reserved seating or tickets required.

Or, if you’ve a head for heights climb to the top of Bath Abbey’s tower (not for the faint-hearted as it’s 212 steps) on one of the regular tower tours throughout the Bath Christmas Market. The tower tours take place every 45 minutes, until Saturday 9 December and excluding Sundays, Monday to Thursday 1.30pm to 6pm and noon to 7.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets: £6, children £3. There’s a rewarding hot chocolate or mulled wine on arrival at the

top and a wonderful view over the busy city streets below.

For more details of Christmas services at Bath Abbey see What’s On (from Page 48) and Family Diary events, Page 92.

Support

Some of the cast of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, photographed by Freia Turland

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Watching the telly’s all very well but the long holiday period is a great time to get out and enjoy some live culture. Generations of Bathonians have enjoyed – and continue to enjoy – the traditional pantomime at the Theatre Royal Bath. This year it’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, starring Jon Monie and Nick Wilton, bringing their own brand of silliness and fun. The panto runs until Sunday 7 January. Or perhaps you’d prefer a very fresh take on the Little Mermaid story, which runs at the egg theatre from Thursday 7 December until Sunday 14 January. Our heroine is a scruffy mermaid with a brave spirit and the niggling sense that she doesn’t belong. This is an imaginative, original tale of a tail which will keep all the family absorbed. For more seasonal shows, turn to What’s On and our Family Diary pages.

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THE CITY THE BUZZ

We ask outgoing editor Georgette McCready what she will be doing in December

Helping hand

Students from the University of Bath studying for an MsC in management have come up with a project to help Bath City Farm make more money from its annual fundraising Winter Fair.

The fair takes place on Saturday 2 December, from noon to 3pm. The group of 14 students and the team at the Twerton based community farm have created the Mrs Claus’ Kitchen project for the day. Children will be invited to step into Santa’s house and decorate Christmas biscuits with Mrs Claus and her elves. As well as helping the farm the students will also use the project as part of their submission to the Zurich Community Trust, a charity which will be holding a recruitment event at the university.

Explore

Andrew Swift’s walks are one of the most popular regular features of The Bath Magazine. Followers of his detailed directions know that he will never lead them astray.

He’s just published Country Walks From Bath (published by Akeman Press, £15) which charts 14 walks, all of which start from the city centre. Take in the site of an English civil war battle, climb to Iron Age hillforts, or explore the course of the long defunct Somerset and Dorset Railway. The book is helpfully illustrated with colour photographs and maps and doubles as a good armchair guide to the surrounding area, for dipping into at home with your feet up.

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What brought you to Bath?

Three decades ago I came to Bath when my husband John got a job as deputy news editor on what was the daily newspaper in the city, The Bath Evening Chronicle, as it was then. I remember driving along London Road with a crying baby (our son) in a carrycot on the back seat of our old car after picking up the keys to our first, tiny cottage in Box. We thought then that if either of us ever reached the dizzy heights of becoming an editor one day we’d probably buy a house in the Royal Crescent.

How naive we were.

What are you reading?

I always carry a book to read on the train or while I’m waiting to meet people. I’ve just finished Inventing the Victorians by Matthew Sweet, which looks at some of the myths surrrounding our 19th century forbears – it turns out they weren’t as strait-laced as we think. I’ve just started The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, set in the foggy backdrop of a rural parish, again in the 19th century.

What music are you listening to?

Usually a nice bit of tiddly-aye folk music by the likes of Show of Hands or Seth Lakeman, some stirring rebellious Pogues or Bruce Springsteen, to lift my spirits, although I’m currently obsessed with the beautifully hypnotic Blinded by Your Grace by Stormzy, which I keep hearing on the radio.

Which café or restaurant takes your fancy?

For contemplative coffee and cake I’d opt for the café at the Holburne Museum, while gazing out over Sydney Gardens, while for dinner our current favourite is the independent French restaurant Chez Dominique, where they do a very good steak. If I’m meeting people for a chat I like the Boston Tea Party on Alfred Street, where I try and bag a booth.

Which museum or gallery will you be visiting?

On a rainy lunchtime I like to pop in to the Victoria Art Gallery and go up to the first floor gallery to sit quietly on one of the green, deep buttoned seats and enjoy the paintings. I like the fact that this is a publicly owned gallery, the main rooms are free to enter and

the fact that many of the treasures here have been given by Bathonians, which makes them more special.

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

Once I leave full-time work I’m planning to have more time to see my family – my aged parents, my son and daughter, four brothers et al – and friends, and to indulge in things such as a daytime yoga course, swimming in my local leisure centre in Bradford on Avon and maybe kickstart my cross country running mojo that I used to have, when I staggered round nine half marathons and took part in various wet and muddy off-road races. I’ll also be pottering in our garden. It’s small but I have an ambition to grow enough flowers to fill a vase on any day of the year.

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

I’m not very good at going to the cinema as I am a fidget, always looking at my watch to see how much longer. I prefer to watch films at home with my legs curled under me and no distractions from noisy popcorn eaters and rustlers. So I’m eagerly awaiting The Death of Stalin, directed by the brilliantly witty and sharply satrical Armando Iannucci (who also created political satire In The Thick of It) as soon as it’s shown on TV. I might also bribe theatre critic Melissa Blease with a big bag of sweets to take me with her when she goes to review Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Theatre Royal Bath. Pantomime turns me into a big kid and I end up laughing my head off.

Tell us about your latest project.

People keep asking me if I am retiring and I keep telling them firmly: “I am not shy and certainly not retiring.” I am planning to use the creative energy and time that I have put into producing The Bath Magazine to researching and writing a novel set in Victorian London. I want you, dear reader, to read it and weep – for all the best possible reasons.

Find me on Twitter @GeorgeTMcCready. n

We’re following @Al_Humphreys, writer, adventurer and promoter of the microadventure – a short, cheap adventure near to home but which can have a transformative effect. He wants to encourage more of us to spend time in the hills or wilderness, disconnected from the world, to learn the difference between urgent and what’s important. A salutory lesson for many of us.

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7 Quiet Street Bath BA1 2JU Telephone: 01225 330563 email: info@dressingroombath.com www.dressingroombath.com

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A SEASONAL WHINGE-FEST Our roving reporter celebrates Bathonians’ skill at grumbling

Y

ou know what we’re really, really good at in Bath?

Complaining, mumbling, grumbling, griping – or mithering as my Scottish pal calls it. We enjoy a really good rant, whether it’s about the traffic jams round the city centre, the number of wobbly paving stones, our rubbish collection, the dog mess left by inconsiderate dog owners, or the tourists blocking our progress down Milsom Street as they take selfies.

I sometimes enjoy listening to my fellow passengers on a bus or train in Bath when it’s running late, or it’s overcrowded. Voices raised in disapproval and irritation quickly bond people, as the collective clucking and tutting unites us against the Transport Establishment.

After a few minutes of sharing our irritation, the mood usually turns darkly humorous, bringing out the best west country one-liners and quips and provoking a few sniggers and smiles.

We save some of our favourite whinges for things that other towns or cities would give their eye-teeth to have. Like the thousands of visitors who descend with open purses to spend money at the Bath Christmas Market. Would we really like their millions to be spent at the Swindon Christmas Market instead? Or would we sooner all those coachloads of Welsh women took their pennies to spend in Cheltenham?

I like a whinge as much as the next woman. Don’t get me started on what’s wrong with Christmas. I’m all for people singing carols and gathering their loved ones round them, but loathe the enforced jollity, the endless on-the-loop Christmas songs on the radio and standing in a queue in an overheated shop in my winter coat waiting to pay for something I’m not even sure the recipient will like . . . And why do all the TV adverts insist that we need new sofas in order to celebrate the festive season properly?

Travelling on the local trains has honed my inner moaning skills to a new level. I’d like GWR to run a big poster campaign that addresses the issue of bags on empty seats. It would simply read: “Want two seats? Buy two tickets?” That would save me standing over those handbag seats gloweringly menacingly at their owners.

And why can’t west country train users behave more like London Underground users? In the capital crowds are used to waiting beside the doors until passengers have disembarked and then helpful Tube staff will bellow at people to move on down the carriage until we’re all breathing in each other’s used air. The people of Somerset and Wiltshire are more reticent about bodily contact and passengers are frequently to be seen left hopping about on the platform hoping for a space to squeeze in. Come on, people, move on down the carriage.

More eye-rolling at the numbers of travellers who think it’s socially acceptable to be texting while descending a crowded staircase. To be honest they don’t always look as though they’ve got sufficient IQ to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, let alone select their favourite emoji while putting one foot in front of the other.

We also need to alert shoppers to the etiquette of queuing and paying. Would you mind digging your purse out from the depths of your bag before all your shopping’s been scanned and packed? Or having your loyalty card to hand, to save the rest of us huffing and puffing behind you? (I will exempt pensioners to these rules as I know they can have age-related issues). And if you should bump into some old friends in the supermarket, could you all step to one side to enjoy your reminiscences – all that “How’s your Sandra?” routine – rather than completely block the dairy aisle while you run through the current status of all your relatives.

Oh, and here’s another thing that really p****s me off. It’s people who spend all their time grumbling about things. As Eleanor Roosevelt so eloquently put it: “it’s better to light a candle than to sit in the darkness.” Now, who’s gone and put the matches in a safe place where I can’t find them? n

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FACE | THE | MUSIC

MUSIC MAESTRO PLEASE Georgette McCready talks to musical director Peter Blackwood about his lifelong love of making music

I

t’s always interesting to hear why and how people have come to Bath. Irishman Peter Blackwood came to the city to train as a graduate teacher at Newton Park (now Bath Spa University) in the 1960s. As he succinctly put it: “I came for just a year’s course and I’ve been here for 50.”

Peter is a familiar face to many in the city. He taught at East Twerton Girls School in the Hollow, at King Edward’s Junior School in Broad Street and at Bath Spa University for 40 years. Legions more will know him as a hugely respected musical director, formerly of Bodlets and currently for Bath Opera and for BODS (Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society). At the moment he ia working with BODS on its next production, My Fair Lady, which will run for a week at the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 20 – Saturday 24 February.

He is also working with Bath Opera on its production of Jenufa by Janacek, also to be staged in February (Thursday 15 – Saturday 17 February at the Roper Theatre at Hayesfield School, Bath). Next summer Peter is musical director for Bath Opera’s touring production of La Boheme by Puccini. Bath Opera has recently received the backing of former international soprano Isobel Buchanan who has settled in Bath and agreed to be the company’s patron.

Yet more people will know Peter either as music students of his or as diners in The Pump Room, where he regularly plays the piano. I asked him what the most popular tunes are among the tinkling tea cups of this historic tea room? He laughs: “I honestly don’t know. Sometimes you can play to complete silence, other times they burst into rapturous applause at every tune you play.”

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but he’s not an organist.

And when he’s not playing music Peter enjoys playing competitive bridge in afternoon sessions at The Museum of Bath at Work in Julian Road, with the Bath Bridge Club.

Peter was brought up in the little fishing village of Ardglass in County Down, Northern Ireland. His first memories of playing the piano were when he was six and used to, as he says ‘be sent out with a list of brands to buy my parents’ cigarettes.’ In the backroom of the tobacconist stood a

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piano, and the young Peter was drawn to try and coax tunes from the keys.

“An aunt then taught me the old three chord trick,” he says, and then, by the time he was eight he was having formal lessons.

His love of music has always been a driving force and he says he has been lucky to make his living from it, although that’s not how his career began. After a degree in physics he had a series of jobs before his vocation as a musician called him.

A MUSICAL VOCATION: main picture, freelance musical director Peter Blackwood Photograph courtesy of Jo Shaw Opposite page, left, a BODS production of Sweet Charity and right, Bath Opera’s production of Macbeth

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FACE | THE | MUSIC

BEETHOVEN – Piano Sonata No4 in E Flat, Opus 7 Any pianist is going to have to include Beethoven in their choice. When I was aged about 15 I asked the very talented Northern Ireland pianist Lawrence Glover, who was at the start of his career, whether I should choose music or physics. He said he wished he had chosen engineering, and that was quite a crucial moment for me. I have been lucky to make a living out of music – but if anyone has to ask that question, if there’s any doubt in your mind, then don’t. You have to have the drive.

PHIL SPECTOR – The Chapel of Love, as sung by The Ronettes This is a bit of nonsense. I am a pushover for girls’ voices singing together, whether it’s Richard Strauss or Phil Spector. I grew up on this. The Motown wall of sound. It represents that whole period.

WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS – The Host of the Air This is a great poem. I love traditional Irish music and was at a concert by the Clancy Brothers when Liam Clancy read this Yeats’ poem out. It brought the whole cult of Irish mysticism out and had them crying into their Guinness.

OLIVIER MESSIAEN – Quartet for the End of Time, third movement, Abyss of Birds for solo clarinet Messiaen was a French musician detained by the Germans in a prisoner of war camp during the Second World War when he wrote

this. He wrote it for the only instruments they had in the camp, which were piano, violin, cello and clarinet. In later life he was the organist at Sainte Trinité church in Paris, where he used to bore the pants of some of the congregations with these enormously elaborate voluntaries. I was a fan and was fortunate enough to be allowed to meet Messiaen, at an audience presided over by his second wife, who screened a queue of admirers and admitted a select few to meet the maestro. It was all very precious.

❝

My father used to bring home friends, who were not always perfectly sober and I would be dragged – not reluctantly I may add – from my bed to play the piano while they sang

❝

PETER’S TOP TEN: JANACEK – Jenufa, Final Duet as performed by Elizabeth Vaughan, Josephine Barstow and Peter Wedd I have chosen this because it’s the opera I am currently working on with Bath Opera. It’s an everyday story of small community life – it could be Peasedown St John or Ardglass.

It’s about a girl who gets pregnant but isn’t sure who the father is, and about the subsequent gossip and reaction. It’s set in the early 19th century.

DONACHA DENEHY – The Second Violinist This is an exciting new opera by an Irishman. I saw it very recently when it came to Dublin. I went over by Ryan Air for £14.

The Second Violinist is a short opera, only 75 minutes long and Denehy’s sounds are so vivid that the entire audience was completely engrossed. I slightly despair about the future of opera because it doesn’t seem to have popular appeal any more. It’s in danger of becoming fossilised, obsolete. But this is a joy. That’s one to look out for.

STEPHEN SONDHEIM – Too Many Mornings, performed by Audra McDonald and Nathan Gunn at Sondheim’s 80th birthday concert You can watch this on YouTube, it’s from the show Follies. I don’t think Leonard Bernstein realised when he wrote West Side Story how lucky he was to have Sondheim as his librettist. Sondheim is one of the great hopes

for musical theatre for the future, he has written some wonderful musical pieces.

Watch these two online. He sings to her, she sings to him, they sing together. But watch the way they act, the way she looks at him.

It’s not just about the song but the acting.

TRADITIONAL – The Mountains of Mourne, words by Percy French Quite a witty piece with a humorous, slightly anti-English slant. On early family motor car trips in the 1940s and 50s, when nobody had car radios we used to sing, all kinds of songs like Ten Green Bottles or Irish songs from both sides of the political divide. It also reminds me of the times my father, who was a sales representative, used to bring home friends, who were not always perfectly sober and I would be dragged – not reluctantly I may add – from my bed to play the piano while they sang.

JS BACH – Flute Sonatas, performed by Keith Jarrett and Michala Petri This piece rises from my rather strangely frustated love of jazz. I do play jazz, but because I came to it more lately, I always surround myself with excellent jazz musicians to hide behind. I have chosen this Bach performance because Keith Jarrett is one of my jazz heroes, a pianist who has managed to succeed in both fields, classical and jazz. I would like to have been like that.

And you’ve got to listen to this recorder player, she blows away all your preconceptions about hearing people play the recorder. I’ve taught many generations of young people, there are always young people in the house. Some of those have gone on to become musical directors in their own right.

BENJAMIN BRITTEN – Peter Grimes This is arguably the finest English opera ever written. There will be those who will say ‘rubbish!’ to that but I would argue that it is.

To conduct a score is a privilege, you have to know as a conductor what every single musician is doing. With Britten the study you have to do is amply rewarded, as not a single note in Peter Grimes is wasted. n

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Alfred and Sune Tomtebod

A wonderful range of Christmas tree decorations from Scandinavia

Belle Bird Feeder

Hammershøi Grinders

by Kähler

an throws

Green and cranberry Kastehelmi votives

Eke lund

Nordic candles

festi ve t e

a to wels

Klippan and Laup

e Iitt blu ala 30cm Taika plate in

Everything

Mini figures Moomintroll and Snorkmaiden

S annon F U R N I T U R E LT D

Moomin Spring Winter Set

Moomin Teapot

Christmas at Shannon ! more than beautiful furniture...

•

Our Scandinavian gift range is perfect for christmas presents and includes the beautiful Taika tableware, Marimekko mugs, bags and gifts, stunning iittala glassware, and fabulous table and tree decorations ...and so much more... Oh, and everything ‘Moomin’! Inspired!

68 Walcot Street Bath BA1 5BD 01225 424222 20 TheBATHMagazine

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GUEST | COLUMNIST

CELEBRATE LIKE A GEORGIAN Dr Amy Frost, senior curator at Bath Preservation Trust, reveals how the Georgians would have celebrated Christmas

H

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MASTER OF THE HOUSEHOLD: the 18th century Christmas table was groaning with festive dishes, including, inset a coveted pineapple, which was much prized as a symbol of wealth of an ordinary servant’.

When the hard work was over the servants could settle down to celebrate the day too with a hearty supper of bread, cheese, ale, or posset, perhaps followed by plum porridge.

The generous master or mistress might have presented servants with a token gift, the value of which depended on their status within the family, or allowed them to box up the leftovers to take to their own families on Boxing Day. House keepers in country houses were known to spend the forfeits collected all year from the servants (fines for such crimes as wearing a hat indoors, wiping your knife on the table or cutting too much bread) on extra provisions for Twelfth Night.

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Early mincemeat recipes contained beef or tongue and mince pies were boat shaped to represent a cradle

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ow would Christmas have been celebrated in Bath in the 18th century, especially in an elegant town house like No 1 Royal Crescent? Almost certainly with feasting and festivities that extended over the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas but perhaps in a more low-key manner than we would expect.

The social season in Bath had come to an end by December and regular city activities suspended rather than increased over the Christmas period as the most fashionable members of society left for their country estates. In 1788 Richard Tyson, Master of Ceremonies at the New Assembly Rooms, announced: “Tomorrow being Christmas Day there will be no Cotillion Ball until Thursday 1st January.” There were, however, special Christmas events like Vananzio Rauzzini’s annual Christmas Eve benefit performance of Handel’s Messiah.

On Christmas Day most people in Bath went to the Abbey service, where psalms were sung rather than carols. The day would then focus not on public events, but small sociable gatherings and Christmas dinner at home. For many people in the city it was work as usual – especially for servants employed to ensure the occupants of a house were looked after and well fed.

The Georgians were renowned for their huge appetites and eating well over Christmas was the priority, especially for the main family feast on Christmas Eve. Dining tables groaned under the weight of beef, hams, puddings and mince pies. Early mincemeat recipes contained beef or tongue and mince pies were boat shaped to represent a cradle.

Turkey was available but roast beef was still the preferred choice for the Christmas feast.

Syllabub glasses were filled with a glistening array of quivering jellies and creams and a magnificent cake was cooked for Twelfth Night (5 January), which by the late 18th century would contain two hidden beans; whoever got the beans in their piece of cake would be crowned the King and Queen for the evening.

It was still customary to welcome guests with a bowl of punch, inspired by one of the oldest English traditions, the Wassail Bowl.

Steaming wine infused with roasted apples, sugar and spices might have been prepared by the host himself, it being a potion ‘too abstruse and complex for the comprehension

Christmas decorations were simple and mainly consisted of ‘bringing in the greens’, foliage such as bay, yew or herbs which would have added fragrance to the house.

The custom of bringing home the Yule log to burn in the kitchen hearth was still observed, certainly in country houses if not in the town, and it was considered bad luck if it did not burn for at least 12 hours.

Large bunches of mistletoe was considered inappropriate as it featured in pagan legends, but it was popular with servants because of its association with love. Large bunches, or

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sometimes a ‘kissing bough’ made of a crown of candles within a sphere of evergreens, were often hung up in the kitchen to catch people as they walked past.

The Christmas tree was a German custom originally introduced into England as a table decoration by the German born Queen Charlotte, wife of George III. It was soon copied by a few fashion-conscious aristocrats wanting to emulate the queen. Although trees did not become generally popular until the mid-19th century, this year at No.1 Royal Crescent we too are emulating Queen Charlotte and introducing to our Georgian Christmas decorations a large Christmas tree.

Visit No. 1 Royal Crescent any day until Sunday 17 December to see the house decorated for a Georgian Christmas with greenery, gilded fruit and foodstuffs, spices, sparkling candles, fragrant herbs and the tree.

The house, which is decorated and furnished just as it would have been in the period 1776 – 1796, is open daily until 5.30pm (last entry at 4.40pm) and will be open until 7.30pm Saturdays and Sundays in December.

Merry Christmas! n

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Every pair of Chopard Sunglasses epitomise a stunning piece of luxury.

With glimmering jewels and opulent details handcrafted by only the finest of Swiss goldsmiths, Christmas could not be a more perfect time for sparkling, high end eyewear. Give festivity a touch of luxury this Christmas with Ellis & Killpartrick’s Chopard Sunglass range.

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

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CHRISTMAS INDIE SHOPS OF BATH

GO INDEPENDENT FOR CHRISTMAS Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone so why not make December the month to get out and about and support our fantastic independent shops.

T

he well organised or crowd-averse among us will have Christmas shopping all wrapped up by now but many will have held their nerve and waited for December to properly arrive. Now that we’re into the period the Germans call vorweihnachtszeit it’s a good time to ease yourself gently into the fray by visiting some of the city’s wonderful mix of independent shops to pick out something characterful, quirky or unique that is as much a pleasure to buy as it is to receive. These ‘little shops’ are part of what attracts so many visitors to the city and we’re lucky to have so much choice right at our feet, so even if you think you’ve got it all sorted there’s always the opportunity for a little self-gifting.

HOMEFRONT INTERIORS 10 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP Tel: 01225 571711 Web: homefrontinteriors.co.uk

MOSS OF BATH 45 St James Parade, Bath BA1 1UQ Tel: 01225 331441 Web: mossofbath.co.uk Moss of Bath is an independent television and hi-fi retailer currently celebrating 55 years in business – and Sonos One Smart Speaker is well known for big ticket items like with Amazon Alexa, £199 the very latest 4K Ultra HD OLED televisions and state-of-the-art Hi-Fi systems, however it is the perfect place for a wide range of smaller gifts. This Christmas it has an even bigger choice and more exciting new products than ever before. The team’s unrivalled product knowledge will help you choose the perfect Christmas gift for the tech-lover in your life.

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Homefront Interiors has continued to grow with an ever changing selection of homewares, gifts and cards. This little independent store offers a clever mix of vintage and contemporary alongside an ever growing selection of handmade pieces from local artists including textiles, ceramics, jewellery, art prints and cards that makes Homefront such a great destination shop. Simply perfect for Christmas gifts and unique finds for the home.

BEAU NASH 31 Brock Street, Bath BA1 2LN Tel: 01225 334234 Web: beaunashbath.com There are things you need and then there are things that spark your interest or desire and there is no better time to seek out the latter than at Christmas. Beau Nash is the place to go. The shop has two floors of antique silver and vintage objects to explore – some unique, all with provenance. Well worth making the trip to Brock Street for, we guarantee you will be glad you did.

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THE DRESSING ROOM 7 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2JU Tel: 01225 330563 Web: dressingroombath.co.uk

CLANDAR

The Dressing Room is the perfect go to place for the finest in lingerie, beach and nightwear. With the most exquisite lingerie collections from the likes of Marie Jo, Aubade and Prima Donna. The beachwear collection features many brands, including Melissa Odabash, Maryan Mehlhorn, Gottex, Seafolly, Miraclesuit and Roidal among many others. The nightwear collection boasts Olivia Von Halle, Hanro Cottons, Laurence Tavernier robes, and silk gowns from Luna Di Seta and Marjolaine.

With experienced and professional staff ready to help you, why not go along and have some fun?

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15 Cheap Street, Bath BA1 1NA Tel: 01225 335486 Web: clandar.co.uk Showcasing British textiles, Clandar excels at designing and making its own ranges of British tweed clothing – all manufactured by the team exclusively for its Cheap Street shop (close to Bath Abbey) and for its website. Also on offer are the finest Scottish cashmere and British woollens, woven in historic British mills to make you look and feel special this winter.

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CHRISTMAS INDIE SHOPS OF BATH

JODY CORY GOLDSMITHS

TAKE CHARGE BIKES

9 Abbey Church Yard, Bath BA1 1LY Tel: 01225 470072 Web: jodycory.co.uk

1 Victoria Buildings, Lower Bristol Road, Bath BA2 3EH Tel: 01225 789568 Web: takechargebikes.co.uk

Jody and her team create beautiful unique jewellery which make the perfect Christmas gifts. They are highly skilled goldsmiths working with silver, gold and platinum and using personally selected rare gemstones. Also on display is work from other designers, providing a variety of interesting and superbly crafted 18ct white gold diamond jewellery from inexpensive silver pieces to the swirl ring, £1,680 most exquisite, fine designs.

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THE BATH FRAMER

7 Walcot Buildings, London Road, Bath BA1 6AD Tel: 01225 920210 Web: thebathframer.co.uk

Framed Bus route signs

The Bath Framer, owned by Kelly, opened its doors around two years ago. This friendly boutique picture framers has a beautifully quirky front of house and an amazing naturally lit workshop. A bespoke framing service, tailored to suit all individuals’ needs, runs alongside a gorgeous selection of cards, gift wrap and wonderful stationery.

GRAHAM & GREEN

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92 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BG Tel: 01225 418 300 Web: grahamandgreen.co.uk

Could it be that the idea of pedalling up all those steep hills around Bath is putting you off the idea of cycling?

This is where the electric bike comes in. It provides all of the benefits of a regular bicycle, but with the added bonus of not arriving at your destination needing a shower. Take Charge Bikes is an awardwinning company based in Bath with additional stores in Exeter, Woking and Cheltenham. It offers a wide selection of quality electric bikes from commuting bikes, tourers, leisure, folding, cargo bikes, tandems, and mountain bikes. Put one on your list this Christmas and make 2018 your Year of The E-Bike.

AVENIDA HOME 27 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BN Tel: 01225 571718 Web: avenidahome.com

Part gallery, part showroom, Avenida Home is a relaxed place where you can find the perfect gift. The wall-to-wall display of exclusive home accessories includes wooden serving trays, unique placemats, designer dinnerware and luxury table linens. The designs are eclectic, contemporary, and make amazing gifts.

Blue cluster square placemat, £14

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SHANNON

Inspired by a love of travel and design, family business Graham & Green opened its first home interiors store in the heart of Notting Hill in 1974 and now has its company headquarters and its first store outside London on Walcot Street in Bath. Graham & Green’s expertise in furniture design coupled with strong family Octopus wine holder in gold, £35 values translates into the unique, quality furniture and accessories you see online and in-store. Head along and see the gorgeous seasonal ranges in store now.

68 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD Tel: 01225 424222 Web: shannon-uk.com

MAGALLERIA

NICHOLAS WYLDE

22a Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LN Tel: 01225 471586 Web: magalleria.co.uk

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

Once you’ve finished your copy of The Bath Magazine this month, head to Magalleria – the unique store selling one of the largest collections of international, independent and niche magazines in Europe. It imports magazines, journals and zines from all over the world, with many exclusive to its range. Magalleria also provides magazine news, reviews and interviews from its online store and blog. You’re sure to find something to curl up with and enjoy while sipping a festive tipple on Boxing Day.

The south west’s leading designer jeweller, award-winning Nicholas Wylde has been designing original, high quality jewellery since first opening his Bath store in 1987.

Nicholas Wylde is a perfect destination for anyone looking for that unique piece of jewellery to add that extra special sparkle this Christmas.

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Discover a Scandi Christmas at Shannon on Walcot Street where you’ll find possibly the Moomin Mug True to its origins best collection of real, iconic, Scandinavian designer furniture and lighting to be found outside London. There’s nothing quite like the real thing so go and explore the 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 finds from the likes of Marimekko, Klippan, Moomin and Iittala. The shop is also a Scan-tastic source of interesting and unusual gifts at affordable prices.

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CHRISTMAS INDIE SHOPS OF BATH

VERVE LIVING

SPOTTY HERBERTS

15 Walcot Buildings, London Road, Bath BA1 6AD Tel: 07785 332536 Web: verveliving.uk

5 Queen Street, Bath BA1 1HE Tel: 01225 331834 Web: spottyherberts.com

Bob & Blossom Brother all-in-one in Mouse Grey, £24

The innocence and magic of Christmas is alive and well at Spotty Herberts, Bath’s double award-winning, independent shop for children. The shop is brimming with colourful, practical, British brands of unisex clothes for children 0 – 10 years.

Collections are chosen for their thoughtful design, singularity and ethical production, often sourced locally or British-made. This is the place to find traditional, simple clever toys you can pick up and play with again and again – a warm, nostalgic experience for children, and adults, with clothing that children can grow up in, grow out of and hand on and on.

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Located on the London Road in Bath’s artisan quarter, Verve is an interiors store with a difference. For interesting and unique gifts there is an ever-changing collection of character pieces which sit alongside carefully chosen Handmade porcelain contemporary accessories – ceramics, lighting, tea light holders with textiles, glassware and more. Verve also lace designs, from £20 showcases artwork by local artists, from beautiful framed prints to original oils. It is affordable style at its best and the ranges on offer here are not available anywhere else in Bath.

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LONDON CAMERA EXCHANGE

GOLD & PLATINUM STUDIO

13 Cheap Street, Bath BA1 1NA Tel: 01225 462234 Web: lcegroup.co.uk

19 Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR Tel: 01225 462300 Web: goldandplatinumstudio.co.uk

If photography or opticals are on your Christmas list then head to LCE. On display are all the most popular camera models from entry level equipiment to top-of-the-range professional gear as well as a huge range of specialist stock such as astronomical telescopes and sport optics. The team are very knowledgable, and their customer service is excellent.

Goldsmith and gemmologist Michael Parsons and his team run a delightful independent studio. He specialises in hand making one off engagement rings and wedding rings, as well as offering a wide range of individual pieces. In addition Gold & Platinum Studio showcases a selection of independent designer jewellers.

A superb choice to suit all budgets and a great destination for jewellery lovers looking Textured sterling silver bangles - starting from £325 for that special gift.

PAUL GREEN HI-FI

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Unit 8, Brassmill Enterprise Centre, Brassmill Lane, Bath BA1 3LN Tel: 01225 316197 / 337955 Web: paulgreenhifi.co.uk From LED TV screens to docking stations, wireless hi-fi and headphones through to high end stereo and surround sound separates and speakers – the perfect Christmas techie presents can be found at Paul Green Hi-Fi. They store most major brands from Audiolab to Yamaha – and everything in between. There is plenty of free parking, disabled access and ground floor viewing and listening facilities. The staff will always try to be competitive on pricing and offer great quality advice and service.

TINA ENGELL 29 Belvedere, Bath BA1 5HR Tel: 01225 443334 Web: tinaengell.com

For a very special gift, the short walk up from the city centre is well worth the effort to visit Danish goldsmith Cup bracelet in silver Tina Engell’s Scandinavian-style shop and work space. On display are glass cabinets full of her beautiful handmade jewellery. Tina designs and makes every piece by hand, and although you can buy off the shelf, she will often work to commission, creating unique pieces of jewellery.

GREAT WESTERN WINE Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AP Tel: 01225 322810 Web: greatwesternwine.co.uk Expertise and good old-fashioned service is what sets Great Western Wine apart. The shop is an Aladdin’s cave with more than 1,000 of the world’s best wines and an eclectic range of rare, small batch spirits. Great Western Wine is constantly up to date with modern, awardwinning wines, as recognised by the International Wine Challenge, who voted GWW the Best Wine Merchant in south west England. What better place to search out that extra special bottle (or several) to see you though the festive season?

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CHRISTMAS INDIE SHOPS OF BATH

WOODHOUSE & LAW

WALLER & WOOD

4 George's Place, Bathwick Hill, Bath BA2 4EN Tel: 01225 428072 Web: woodhouseandlaw.co.uk

4 Abbey Green, Bath BA1 1NW Web: wallerandwood.co.uk

Bathwick Hill is the home to Woodhouse and Law – a unique offering of a showroom and studio for both the home and the garden. As well as an extensive range of fabrics and wallpapers by well-known names, the showroom has a hand-picked range of decorative lighting, furniture and accessories and great Christmas gift ideas for the home. Shown here are a set of 3 dramatic brass spheres priced at £350.

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MALLORY 1 – 5 Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AP Tel: 01225 788800 Web: mallory-jewellers.com

Aquamarine and diamond earrings Mallory is renowned as Bath’s set in 18ct white gold, £2850 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. 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, Fabergé, 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.

THE FRAMING WORKSHOP

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80 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD Tel: 01225 482748 Web: theframingworkshop.com In 28 years of trading on Walcot Street, The Framing Workshop has framed many weird, wonderful, beautiful and fascinating objects and collections, all of which have their own story to tell. What do you have tucked away that you could have framed and displayed to tell its own story? Paper, canvas, fabric, objects, memorabilia?

Go along and be inspired.

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MY SMALL WORLD

19–21 St Lawrence Street, Southgate, Bath, BA1 1AN Tel: 01225 312943 Web: mysmallworld.co.uk My Small World Toy Store is famous far beyond Bath’s city walls – and justifiably so! After well over a decade of leading the way when it comes to awesome shopping experiences, it is the epitome of what it takes to create a vibrant indie business. Stepping through the doors is an experience in itself as you discover toys from your childhood rubbing shoulders with brand new discoveries – you’ll be hard pressed to find as many amazing Christmas gifts for children all nestled under one roof anywhere in the UK.

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Waller & Wood showcases the original and distinctive work of Bath artists Carole Waller and Gary Wood. Inspired by Bath and made in Bath, their work reflects the textures and history of this remarkable city. Find images of the Roman Baths, Georgian architecture and quotes from Jane Austen reflected in beautiful silk scarves which tell stories. Each scarf and garment is a handpainted original piece. Find hand bound books and canvas and leather bags all using Carole’s painted cloth. Gary Wood makes distinctive stoneware and porcelain ceramics including one off sculpture, wall pieces, bowls for food and drinking vessels. He has sourced organic plant wax scented with essential oils for pots for you to treasure long after the wax has burnt out. The gallery invites guest British designers to show their original and contemporary jewellery with prices from £30. Carole’s work is found in the V&A and was stocked by Harvey Nichols and Liberty in London for many years before she and Gary decided to open this unique shop in 2015. Find a warm welcome from the owners at Waller & Wood – which will be open throughout Bath Christmas Market.

THE BLUESTONE GALLERY

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8 Old Swan Yard, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1AT Tel: 01380 729589 Web: bluestonegallery.com Venture west from Bath and you find the charming market town of Devizes, remarkably free of tourists and blessed with a host of independent shops. Among its finest is the Bluestone Gallery, which has championed British art and craft for 17 years. The secret of its success is the range, quality and variety of the work on display. If you are looking for something that has not been imported, something that is different, a gift that shows imagination and the touch of the maker’s hand, this is the place. With more than 40 jewellers represented, the choice of characterful jewellery is wide. Silver, gold, titanium, aluminium, glass, semi-precious stones, you name it, you will find it here, as well as bronze sculptures, a mix of ceramics, superb handblown glass, brilliantly turned wood and a feast of wonderful scarfs. And on the walls you will find landscapes by local artists, painted driftwood, Japanese style woodcut prints. A glimpse can be found online.

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VV ROULEAUX 

9 Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2EE Tel: 01225 618600 Web: vvrouleaux.com VV Rouleaux has recently opened in Bath selling a glorious selection of couture trimmings which can be used in the home as much as on a piece of clothing. It’s a destination for designers and decorators, and anyone looking for inspiration. There are thousands of luxury ribbons, tassels, braids, flowers, feathers, cords and other trimmings in a riot of colours.

Brighten up your Christmas and the dark days of winter with a visit to this lovely store.

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THE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

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THE NEW COLLECTION Oval pearl pendant, available in silver and gold, from £250. From the new Perla collection

by Nicholas Wylde, Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR Tel: 01225 462826.

Web: nicholaswylde.com

PIECES TO COVET An exquisite Fabergé enamel and diamond bangle set in 18ct yellow gold, £545.

Mallory Jewellers, Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AP Web: mallory-jewellers.com

 MAKE A STATEMENT

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Make a statement with a cup ring by Bath goldsmith Tina Engell. Made to order with most semi precious stones set in 18ct yellow gold and priced at £1,100 each.

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

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GOLD RINGS

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS

Beautiful, sapphire cocktail rings set in silver and 9ct gold, £495 each.

Gold and Platinum Studio, 19 Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR Web: goldandplatinumstudio.co.uk

18ct white gold diamond drop earrings (0.6ct), £2,150 Jody Cory, Abbey Churchyard, Bath BA1 1LY Web: jodycory.co.uk

YULETIDE WAVE

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This 18k plated rose gold bar chain bracelet from the new Abbott Lyon signature collection is the perfect personal gift for Christmas and the perfect piece to have engraved and personalised. Abbot Lyon, 25 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DG Web: abbottlyon.com

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SILVER BELLES Jewellery by Mackay and Pearson. Silver Ribbon adjustable bangle, £79. Mixed Tourmaline silver wrap rings from £90. Find a superb selection of British handmade jewellery at Bluestone Gallery, 8 Old Swan Yard, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1AT Web: bluestonegallery.com

OFF THE CUFF LUXURY

BAR CHAIN BRACELET

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From the fabulous Wave collection by award-winning Bath jeweller Nicholas Wylde, this 18ct yellow gold and diamond ring is the perfect present, £2,140.

Nicholas Wylde, Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR Web: nicholaswylde.com

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These elegant and iconic Montblanc stainless steel and blue goldstone inlay cufflinks will add the perfect finishing touch to any shirt or blouse, £205.

Mallory Jewellers, Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AP Web: mallory-jewellers.com

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Clandar's founder, Rianna Pritchard

BIRTH OF A HOUSE TWEED

We catch up with Rianna Pritchard, founder of Clandar, which has just celebrated its fifth year as an independent in Bath. Located near Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths, it champions the British textile industry How have the past five years been?

It’s been an exciting ride. If someone had said to me five years ago that we would be designing our own clothing ranges, having our own patterns made, designing our own exclusive tweeds and having them woven in British tweed mills . . . well, I wouldn’t have believed them!

We opened our shop in 2012, with the aim of showcasing the finest British products, but had no intention of actually making our own clothing. It came about through necessity - an organic evolution. We found it difficult to find manufacturers making clothing from British tweed and when we did, the cut was often frumpy, the linings and buttons not the best quality and we just thought, surely, this could be bettered.

So, the hard work began and now five years on, we design and make all of our own British tweed clothing for men and women.

Could you tell us about your British House tweeds?

We have been so utterly fortunate to have had our own exclusive House tweeds woven for us in a British tweed mill. I still find it quite humbling to know that these tweeds won’t be woven for anyone else in the world.

Last year we developed our first House tweed in an earthy dark brown. This year we set about creating our second House tweed in a navy. We wanted something sumptuously dark and rich that had a vibrancy to it.

Something sophisticated yet contemporary, that would look great on the streets of Bath, Milan or New York.

So, we started the process by sending a

design brief to the British tweed mill, incorporating designs and colourways we’d created on the computer.

We then travelled to the tweed mill to work on turning the brief into an actual tweed swatch.

We began with the background and after hours of discussion and looking at hundreds of threads and weaves, decided to have navy woven one way and a charcoal grey the other Clandar's first House tweed in brown

Poncho in Clandar's new House tweed Hand sewn swatch of the new House tweed

(the warp and weft). We also opted for a herringbone weave, as opposed to a twill or barleycorn.

We then moved onto the over check. The ladies at the mill actually hand sewed our over check design ideas onto the background tweed while we waited - they are so skilled! After several modifications, we arrived at an over check that was just right.

Selecting the correct pale blue for the over check proved tricky. The mill didn’t have the exact pale blue we had in mind, so they spun several shades and tones of wool together, to create a bespoke pale blue thread, which was perfect. The House tweed had been born!

We ordered 280 metres and four months later it was delivered to us in Bath. We then measured out hundreds of metres of lining, counted out around 800 real horn buttons and packed it all up to send to our various tailors to be made into ladies’ ponchos and men’s jackets, waistcoats, trousers and ties. The finished pieces are all due in by the end of November.

And the future?

The last five years have been wonderful and we’ve been so lucky to have had the opportunity to create, design, manufacture and deal with such lovely customers from the UK and abroad . . . we’re looking forward to the next five years! n Clandar can be found at 15 Cheap Street, Bath – opposite Bill’s restaurant and next door to the Christmas shop.

Visit: clandar.co.uk

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THE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

METALLIC MAGIC Turn heads this party season with the beautiful Jezebel Clutch from Osprey. Wear on the chain or as a clutch.

Currently at £69 from Clarks Village Farm Road, BA16 0BB Web: clarksvillage.co.uk

WINTER WOOLIES

THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR WALKING

Keep your loved ones warm this winter with these Just Sheepskin Duchess Slippers.

Currently £55 from The Dressing Room.

7 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2JU Web: dressingroombath.com

These Peacock Zipp boots are the perfect winter accessory. Pick them up from Chanii B Shoes and instantly transform your outfits.

Found at 9 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1BZ Web: chaniibshoes.com

LUXURY LEATHER These deerskin leather gloves are Dent’s softest with three traditional hand sewn points and contrast coloured stitching around wrist.

Available in a variety of colours for £159 from Jolly’s, 13 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DD Web: dents.co.uk

WRAP UP

SHADE-BELLS RINGING

The Clandar extra fine merino wool scarf is woven in Britain and is currently £129.

Found at Clandar of Bath, 15 Cheap Street, Bath Web: clandar.co.uk

Make a statement with these Alex sunglasses by Tom Ford and be ready for what ever this season brings.

Available from Ellis and Killpartrick, 18 New Bond Street, Bath BA1 1BA Web: ellisandkillpartrick.com

LUXURY GIFTING The Longchamp Pénélope Python Handbag is the perfect Christmas gift. Get this luxury handbag for £585 from Mallory.

Mallory Jewellers, Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AP Web: mallory-jewellers.com

SPEC-TACULAR

SNOW, SHOPPING AND SEASONAL FUN Experience a white Christmas while you shop till you drop at Southgate. With hourly snowfall until Christmas Eve, this is the shopping destination of dreams.

Southgate Street, Bath BA1 1AQ Web: southgatebath.com

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Give a nod to the classic circular sixties frame with these Jaz glasses from Ollie Quinn and let practicality meet minimalism.

Found at New Bond Street, Bath BA1 1BE Web: olliequinn.co.uk

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DASSIE

SWEDISH HOUSE

‘POPPING UP AT VERVE’ A series of collections selected to inspire and delight this Christmas Join us for our last event of the year Thurs 7 Dec 6-8pm visit verveliving.uk/events for more info & to book BAA STOOLS

EPPING SMITH

15 WALCOT BUILDINGS. LONDON RD. BA1 6AD

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THE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

CAFFEINE FREE TEA These brews are inspired by nature at its very best. Pick, steep and sip your way through a garden of delectable noncaffeinated teas that’s bound to put a smile on your dial. Get the T2 Twelve gift for the tea fanatic for £42.

7 New Bond Street, Bath BA1 1BE Web: t2tea.com

FESTIVE FEAST OF TREATS To make Christmas extra special indulge in The Luxury Christmas Hamper, £65 from Taste of Bath.

18 Vineyards, Bath BA1 5NA. Web: taste-of.co.uk

TURTLE BAY Experience the Caribbean with Turtle Bay and buy your loved ones a gift voucher to enjoy and relax.

Available online and in store.

Gift cards can vary between £5 - £250.

11 Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AS. Web: turtlebay.co.uk

THE BEST OF ITALY From Italian delicacies to gluten free, vegan or family favourites, The Italian Foodhall is a new authentic Italian store selling the best products from regional artisan producers. With hampers from £20 The Italian Foodhall is at 8 Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2EE Web: theitalianfoodhall.com

ROLY POLY ROBIN Who ate all the mince pies? Hotel Chocolat’s solid caramel chocolate Christmas robins claim they know nothing, but we’ve noticed them struggling to take flight. Get Roly-Poly Robins, £7.50 from Hotel Chocolat.

SU31, Southgate Street, Bath BA1 1AQ, Web: hotelchocolat.com

IMPECCABLE TASTE If you’d like to give the gift of outstanding food and wine, vouchers for The Olive Tree restaurant, Bath, is just the thing.

Like the hotel in which it’s found, The Queensberry, its food is award-winning, singular, informal and stylish. Vouchers start at £20.

4-7 Russel Street, Bath BA1 2QF. Web: olivetreebath.co.uk

ORGANIC HAMPER Treat yourself or spoil a friend with the ultimate luxury organic Gift Hamper Box from Riverford, £49.95.

Hamper includes: La Jara prosecco frizzante, six mince pies, Godminster vintage Cheddar truckle, Cropwell Bishop stilton, plum and cranberry chutney, Pimhill oatcakes, dark chocolate minty thins, ground Guatemalan coffee, almond cantuccini and double chocolate brownies.

Find Riverford at Limpley Stoke, Bath. Web: riverford.co.uk BREAD GALORE Have your food by the bread load with this Acacia bread knife with bread board from Pro Cook at Clarks Village. A bread board large enough for the biggest loaves and a bread knife made from richly toned acacia wood and strong stainless steel, £22.

Find this at Clarks Village, Farm Road, BA16 0BB. Web: clarksvillage.co.uk

HIGHGROVE HAMPER Enjoy Christmas in gourmet style with a classic Christmas hamper filled with treats for the festive season and beyond. A great present for food lovers, the traditional wicker hamper contains some of Highgrove’s finest food gifts, at £195.

The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Patchway, BS34 5GF Web: highgrovegardens.com

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THE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

 Wherever you ride, whether it’s the Alps, your back-yard loop or

A CLASSIC SPECTACULAR

E-BIKE IT IN 2018

Here’s the Roberts Revival RD70/DAB Bluetooth digital radio – it looks retro but is packed with all the advanced features needed. £199.95. Duck egg shown but also available in black, dove grey, leaf green, pastel cream & red. Moss of Bath, 45 St James's Parade, Bath BA1 1UQ. Web: mossofbath.com

the easy-going after work spin in the woods, the Macina Lycan is your ideal companion. The next generation of e-Bikes and an extraordinary all-rounder. The new Bosch PowerTube battery and powerful CX motor are both fully integrated into the frame, RRP: £4,799.99. Find out more from Take Charge Bikes, 1 Victoria Buildings, Lower Bristol Road, Bath, BA2 3EH. Web:takechargebikes.co.uk



THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT A very special one off cask of a now demolished distillery; Port Dundas. Only 126 bottles exist of this single grain whisky, a once underappreciated style but now exploding in popularity. Smooth, fruity with hints of vanilla, crème brûlée, xmas cake and strawberry, £38.95. Exclusive to Independent spirit of Bath, 7 Terrace walk, Bath BA1 1LN Web: independentspiritofbath.co.uk ORIGINAL GIFTS MADE

BY ARTISTS



A visit to Waller and Wood will reveal all kinds of beautiful treats and unique gift ideas. Shown here are candles in handmade ceramic pots by Gary Wood from £18–85, and painted silk scarf by Carole Waller, ranging from £65–£195. Waller and Wood, 4 Abbey Green, Bath BA1 1NU. Web: wallerandwood.co.uk

TEALIGHT DELIGHT

TRAYS CHIC Gorgeous and unique, Avenida home is a great place for gift ideas. Shown here, Pink Bouquet birch wood tray and Cats birch wood tray, £30. Avenida Home, 27 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BN. Web: avenidahome.com

Create a festive feel with these gently flickering ceramic tealight houses from Urbania. Visit Shannon for so many thoughtful and wonderful gift ideas inspired by Scandinavian designs. Shannon, 68 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD. Web: shannon-uk.com



FRAMING PERFECTION

AN ICONIC CLASSIC

Frame a child’s masterpiece or gorgeous glittery handprints as a family memento. Price from £160 for this size and specification – 510 x 535mm. The Framing Workshop, 80 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD Web: theframingworkshop.com

The original Fatboy beanbag is a lifestyle icon, with at least 3,542,897 EPS pearls in each bag you can sit, lie down or lounge any way you want for ultimate comfort. £159.

TR Hayes, 15 - 18 London Street, Walcot, Bath BA1 5BX. Web: trhayes.com

HEAVEN SCENT Lollia Candles – Pretty Paper and Velvet as Night, £38 each. These and many more great scented gifts are available from Woodhouse and Law, 4 George’s Place, Bathwick Hill, Bath BA2 4EN Web: woodhouseandlaw.co.uk

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THE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

THE MODERN HABERDASHERY The bespoke handmade wreaths from V V Rouleaux look simply stunning. Here, a vision in gold and a touch of royal blue will bring Christmas magic to your home.

9 Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2EE Web: vvrouleaux.com

ON THE DECKS Pro-ject Essential III turntable, £239.

From Paul Green Hi Fi, Brassmill Lane, Brassmill Enterprise Centre, Bath BA1 3JN Web: paulgreenhifi.co.uk

A BUST OF JANE This limited edition decoration of 1817 pieces celebrates Bath’s beloved writer in the bicentenary year of her death.

Made in copper with an etched passage from Pride & Prejudice on the back. "I sincerely hope your Christmas . . . may abound in the gaieties which the season generally brings …”

Available from Modern Souvenir – modernsouvenir.com or visit the workshop at Widcombe Old School, Alton Place, Bath

TABLE DECORATIONS Resembling volcanic stone, these light grey concrete candle holders are delicate and tasteful additions to your table top.

Available in three different sizes .

Prices: small –£9.50, medium – £14.95, and large – £20.95 Graham & Green, 92 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BG Web: grahamandgreen.co.uk

DECORATIONS WITH HIDDEN DELIGHTS Hanging glass box, perfect for the smallest and most expensive presents, £9.50. This and many more truly brilliant gifts can be found at Article, 3 Bartlett Street, Bath BA1 2QZ Web: articlebath.com

MAKE TIME FOR A MAGAZINE One of life’s joys . . . immersing oneself in a good magazine Here’s Aiden Turner gracing the cover of Article Magazine (British menswear) as it celebrates its fifth anniversary issue, £11. So many great reads for Christmas can be found at Magalleria, 22a Broad Street, Bath. Web: magalleria.co.uk

BE OUR GUEST The combination of silver candlesticks in a modern home creates a wonderful atmosphere. This set from Beau Nash is one of many gorgeous antiques that they have available.

31 Brock Street, Bath BA1 2LN. Web: beaunashbath.com

SEASONS GREETINGS There’s a beautiful selection of stationery, wrapping paper, notebooks and journals as well as simply gorgeous greeting cards from £3 available at the Bath Framer.

The Bath Framer, 6 & 7 Walcot Buildings, London Road, Bath BA1 6AD. Web: thebathpictureframer.co.uk

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POTTERY WITH SOUL This little local pottery company makes lovely hand thrown pots, cups, bowls jugs and much more. Here’s a large vase, finshed in Midnight Blue with a sky blue overcoat, £30 each.

Visit: nortonstphilippottery.co.uk or Facebook.com/Nortonstphilippottery for more details.

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CHRISTMAS | READING

A CRACKING GOOD READ Georgette McCready picks six of the best books to give as presents this Christmas, from the shelves of Bath independent bookshop Topping & Co

The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater, hardback, £25, published by Harper Collins

The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane, illustrated by Jackie Morris, hardback, £20, published by Hamish Hamilton

Nigel Slater has taken over from Queen Delia Smith as a safe pair of hands to rule over the kitchen at Christmas. Far from being one of those cooks who crave long, languid lunches in the glorious summer sunshine, he prefers the crisp, cold landscape of a British winter. And what better cook and writer to take us through the dark months, than the culinary comfort blanket of his reliable recipes? There are plump Italian sausages with creamed leeks and beans, or marmalade poached pears. And Slater is such an engaging writer that you want to curl up and actually read his paean of praise to the dishes of winter before you head for the kitchen.

Perhaps, beside you at the fireside, ‘a tiny glass of apricot brandy, glowing like a candle.’

Nature writer Robert Macfarlane and illustrator Jackie Morris, who studied at the Bath Academy, have created this spell-binding wild dictionary of once-everyday words that are slipping from our children’s vocabluary. Once children would have readily spoken of ravens, bluebells and heron – now most of them are more familiar with cartoon characters than they are with blowing dandelion clocks or playing conkers. Morris’ illustrations, weaving words among leaves, feathers and seeds and using gold leaf, are accompanied by dense, richly worded poems by Macfarlane which conjure up these half-forgotten words. Lose yourself in the pages of this large volume, which will appeal to all ages, as closely observed hares laze among the heather, herons brood in willow trees and we learn to examine the natural world all around us.

Macfarlane’s writing enchants us just as it educates – I learned, for instance, that the kingfisher is also known as the halcyon.

Alice Temperley English Myths and Legends, hardback, £45, published by Rizzoli Since she set up her own design house in 2000, just a year after graduating from the Royal College of Art, Alice Temperley has won legions of fans for her feminine, bohemian, romantic clothes collections. She’s also deeply rooted in Somerset, where her family has a cider producing farm. This sumptuously photographed book is a celebration of Temperley’s designs and her inspiration, which can come from anything from a gypsy caravan to peacock feathers. This weighty volume would make a lovely, tactile gift for lovers of beautiful things to linger over – it’s like a glorious hotch-potch of a dressing up box that invites readers to rummage through it and let their visual imagination take flight.

The Book of Dust, Volume I La Belle Sauvage

by Philip Pullman, hardback, £20, published by Penguin It’s been more than 20 years since Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy gripped readers young and old. He’s returned to his heroine Lyra, saying in recent interviews, that he was curious to learn more about her and her adventures. And this first volume of a proposed new trilogy delivers us into this other world, a world of real danger, of adventure and of big human issues to mull over.

Once again this master story teller draws us in to a richly imagined other place.

Richard Ayoade: The Grip of Film by Gordy LaSure, paperback, £14.99, published by Faber and Faber Richard Ayaode’s creation, the nerdish, know-it-all character Gordy LaSure (no, we haven’t worked out yet whether it’s actually an anagram) brings us an A to Z of film and film genres that manages to be acerbic, funny (the sort of book that actually makes you snort with laughter) and sharply observational. This clever spoof – ‘he doesn’t shoot from the hip, he shoots from the gut’ – is the geek’s guide to everything from the dos and don’ts of being a hero, to the taglines of well-known films. One minute Gordy’s picking apart Citizen Kane, the next he’s mansplaining the meaning of space jargon as used in the movies. It’s been said that humourous books for Christmas have had their time, but this spoof is so clever, with such knowledge, that it deserves success.

Annie Leibovitz: Portraits 2005 – 2016, hardback, £69.99, published by Phaidon This is a rare and lovely thing, like having an art exhibition brought to your home. Possibly the greatest living exponent of the portrait, American photographer Annie Leibovitz is as well known as many of her subjects, having first made her name for Rolling Stone magazine in the early 1970s. This large format book simply consists of her portraits from this era, which include Kim Kardashian, Steven Spielberg, Benedict Cumberbatch and the Queen (her official portrait for 2007), with captions. The high quality of the reproduction allows us to admire the doyenne

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of modern photography’s art, her composition, the light, depth and technical skill of each photograph, while leaving us also wanting to gaze more on its subjects. After five decades in the business the Liebovitz style is much imitated but never equalled. There is never an awkward pose, but always a graceful beauty to the faces she captures and her highly stylised process shows her subjects’ human frailty and dignity. This is a highly collectable book – and it may be Leibovitz’s last.

What makes this book, and all the others on this page (aside from The Grip of Film), all the more covetable, is that all will be available as signed first editions at Topping & Co, which makes your gift look even more thoughtful.

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The Lansdown Club Northfields, Bath, BA1 5TN

• Introduce your Partner to something new • Social & active at the same time • 3 month membership of The Lansdown Club • 2 hours of coaching • Free balls to get started • All for only £99

www.lansdownclub.co.uk Tel: 01225 425763

E-mail: reception@lansdownclub.co.uk

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TREASURE | HUNT

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW BATH? The Bath Magazine’s Christmas treasure hunt last year proved popular, so it’s back this year, with the theme of pubs and churches. How many can you identify? Compiled by Catherine Pitt and Georgette McCready

P

ublic houses and religious buildings are historically inextricably linked. Religious houses often created hostelries for pilgrims and upper class visitors’ comfort, the forerunner of many of the pubs and taverns we still frequent today.

Take a walk around Bath city and see if you can identify the 20 buildings we’ve selected. Ten are inns of imbibing and ten are spiritual sanctuaries – can you identify which is which and/or where they are in Bath?

There’s a suitably delicious Bath prize to be be won for the ultimate winner of our treasure hunt – afternoon tea for four people in the sumptuous surroundings of the city’s historic Pump Room, where they will soak up the historic atmosphere of one of the city’s finest interiors, while being gently serenaded with live music. What a treat to enjoy for the new year.

For fun this year we’ve added a series of questions to test your in depth knowledge of Bath. You can answer these fiendish bonus questions for the quiet satisfaction of being at Egghead level – but answering these extra questions won’t win you any prizes.

Please send your entries by post to The Bath Magazine, 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED or by email to: competitions@thebathmagazine.co.uk by midnight on Thursday 28 December. Please mark your entries Treasure Hunt 2017 and don’t forget to include your name, address and contact details, ie email and phone number so we can get in touch in the event of your winning.

We will select the winner, as we did last year, by putting all the correct entries’ names in one hat and drawing one at random. Enjoy! n

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1. Bonus question: Name the architect of this building, who is also buried in the surrounding graveyard?

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2. On which street can you find this church?

Bonus question: What was the name of the company which used to occupy this building and whose ghost sign can still be seen?

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3. Bonus Question: This church was built over the site of a much older church, can you name it?

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4 4. Can you identify this building and the street?

Bonus question: it was built in 1817 for Bath’s Freemasons lodge but acquired by the current occupants in which year?

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5. Bonus question: What is unusual about the interior of this church?

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6. Bonus question: How many memorials in total are there in this building?

8. Bonus question: Name the street that this pub is on.

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7 7. Bonus question: The organ in this church was originally built for Bath’s Assembly Rooms, but in what year?

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10 10. Bonus question: What night is the popular pub quiz held here?

9. Bonus question: In what particular architectural style is this church designed?

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11. Bonus question: Can you name the 19th century female playwright and novelist whose memorial stone was moved to this church and can now be seen inside?

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12. Bonus question: In what year did this church open in its current guise?

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13. Bonus question: What is the name of the infamous bench at this hostelry?

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15 14. Bonus question: What was the name of the business that also purveyed liquid refreshment, but of a different sort, from this building during the 18th century?

15. Bonus question: Which nearby building, destroyed during the Bath Blitz, gave this pub its name?

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16. Bonus question: What was this pub originally built as?

17. Bonus question: What is the unusual pub game called that you can find and play here?

19 19. Bonus question: Which now obsolete brewery from Weymouth is immortalised on the Public Bar window of this pub?

20 20. Bonus question: This pub was a wine and spirit merchants in the 19th century, can you name the owner?

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18. Bonus question: This pub has been recently renamed, what was the original name that it was known by, since at least 1776?

WIN AN ELEGANT TEA FOR FOUR AT THE PUMP ROOM The first prize winner of our Christmas treasure hunt will be invited to take afternoon tea with three friends at the magnificent Bath Pump Room to celebrate their success.

The prize must be taken before the end of January. You and your guests will enjoy a traditional afternoon tea including a delicious selection of sandwiches and a tasty poached salmon shot with crispbreads. Tuck into homemade scones served with clotted cream and strawberry jam, fruit, lemon and pistachio tart, Battenberg sponge, almond macaroon and chocolate choux bun with white chocolate mousse. All Pump Room teas are served with loose-leaf house teas or a pot of hand roasted coffee.

If you are tempted you to treat yourself or like the idea for a Christmas present for a loved one, gift vouchers are available to buy online at: pumproombath.co.uk, click GIFTS.

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WHAT’S ON in December EVENTS ARE LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER STREET FOOD MARKET Friday and Saturday, 1, 2, 8 and 9 December, noon to 9pm n Kingsmead Square, Bath In addition to the existing cafés and restaurants around the square, tuck into fresh cooked specialities from the Bristol street food scene, including Ah Ma’s Cantonese dumplings, South Street Kitchen’s soft shell crab and chilli squid, Alp Mac, Low n Slow barbecued meats and Pickled Brisket salt beef sandwiches. Also taking part are British street food award winners Seadog from Devon, with smoked mackerel and crab laksa, while Soviet Kitchen – as enjoyed at Frome Independent Market – will be bringing USSR inspired food.

Christmas with the National Trust at Newark House Picture courtesy of Steve Hayward

EDITOR’S PICK BATH CHRISTMAS MARKET Until Sunday 10 December n Bath city centre Bigger and brighter than ever, the annual Christmas market is a great place for a wander and to find unusual and hand crafted gifts. Many of the 200 plus chalets are run by west country artisans and if you can visit at quieter times, there’s a great chance to talk to the makers and find out more about their products.

The American Museum at Claverton Manor, dressed for Christmas

Look out for the Snow Queen at Bath Christmas Market

Wreath making at Newton Farm, Newton St Loe

THE OPEN HOUSE Until Saturday 23 December, times vary n The Ustinov Studio, Bath Will Eno is one of America’s leading contemporary playwrights and this darkly subversive family drama won accolades when it opened in New York in 2014. This is its UK premiere, directed by Michael Boyd. Tickets: from. Visit: theatreroyal.org.uk or tel: 01225 448844.

APRES SKI CHALET Daily until Tuesday 12 December n The Abbey Hotel, North Parade, Bath Take a break from Christmas shopping and snuggle up inside this Alpine themed ski chalet, with mulled wine and a party atmosphere.

GREEN PARK MARKETS Saturdays, 9am – 1.30pm Bath Farmers Market (including Saturday 23 December), Sunday 3 December, 8am – 4pm, Bath Vintage and Antiques Market, Sunday 10 and Sunday 17, 9.30am – 3.30pm, Bath Artisan Christmas Market n Green Park Station, Bath The festive season is in full swing at Green Park Station with its characterful mix of stall holders, independent shops and eateries all offering something original. Under cover browsing, brunching and feasting in unique style. For full listings visit: greenparkstation.co.uk.

A DICKENSIAN CHRISTMAS Thursday evenings throughout December, until 7.30pm n Northumberland Place and The Corridor, Bath These two characterful city centre venues are hosting a Victorian themed Christmas, with characters, music and maybe even a flurry of snow, all inspired by the work of Charles Dickens.

The Harry and Chris Show at Komedia

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BATH ON ICE Daily until Tuesday 2 January, 10.30am – 9.30pm n Royal Victoria Park, Bath This year’s open air ice rink is 50 per cent bigger and offers skating fun for all ages, with off-ice entertainment and refreshments.

Alongside is the Glow in the Dark mini golf. Skating from £7.50, including skate hire. Booking is advisable, visit: bathonice.com.

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PUPPETRY: The Last Baguette’s production of The Little Matchgirl at The Mission theatre

CHRISTMAS AT NEWARK From Saturday 2 December n The National Trust property Newark House near Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire Newark House will be beautifully decorated with greenery from the estate. Visit over the weekend of Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 December to create Christmas crafts and visit Father Christmas.

To see Father Christmas, £4 per child, booking essential, tel: 01453 842 644. There will also be a Christmas fair on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 December.

SANTA AND ELF RUN Sunday 3 December, 11am n Dorothy House Hospice, Winsley, Wiltshire The annual fancy dress sponsored dash for all the family, even the dog. Choose from a 2.5k or 5k route and walk, jog or race your way round. Sign up at: santandelfrun.org.uk.

THE CORKSCREW: A THING OF BEAUTY Monday 4 December, 1.30pm n The tea room, the Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, Bath The Christmas lecture for The Arts Society Bath is a light-hearted look at the corkscrew. John Ericson will trace the origins of this useful tool and look at how it became a collectable item. Visitors welcome, £10 at the door. Visit: theartssocietybath.com.

THE ART OF PARTYING Monday 4 December, 7.15pm n Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, Queen Square, Bath Lecturer Alice Foster will talk to the Arts Society Bath Evening group about the depiction of parties in western art. She’ll trace the variety of merrymaking, banqueting, dances and music from Greek mosaics through to 20th century art. Visitors welcome, £8, visit: batheveningarts.co.uk.

BATH SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY OPEN DAY Tuesday 5 December, 2.15pm n Manvers Street Baptist Church, Manvers Street, Bath Would you enjoy taking part in readings of plays by Shakespeare?

The society welcomes new members to join the Bath Shakespeare Society which meets on alternate Tuesday afternoons. Find out more at this drop-in open day, or contact the chairman, Dr Peter Davies, on 01380 830267, or the secretary, Diana Pidgeon, on 01225 858630.

THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 December, 7pm n The Mission Theatre, Corn Street, Bath In this madcap and heart-warming Christmas show, The Last Baguette theatre company uses visual storytelling, live music and puppetry to shine a light on Hans Christian Andersen’s winter tale.

Visit: thelastbaguette.com. Tickets: £8 / £6 concessions / £24 family from Bath Box Office tel: 01225 463362.

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WHAT’S | ON CHRISTMAS AT TYNTESFIELD Until 2 January n The National Trust’s Tyntesfield estate near Bristol The house has been dressed for a Victorian Christmas, with stockings full of presents, traditional decorations, storytelling, dancing and games. There will also be a series of concerts by local choirs in the chapel throughout December. Attend one of these and enjoy a hot drink and a mince pie. Tickets: £15, £10 children, booking essential tel: 0344 249 1895.

Gorgeous and unique gifts at Verve, London Road

PARTY LIKE IT’S 1920 Until Sunday 17 December (open Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 4.30pm) n The American Museum, Claverton Manor, Claverton, Bath The elegant manor will be decked out with 1920s inspired razzle dazzle from the Prohibition era in America. This Jazz Age Christmas includes a towering decorated tree in the central hall.

Admission: £7, £5.50 over 60s and students.

ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT Wednesday 6 December, 7.30pm, pre-concert talk 6.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire The fabulously talented Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will be joined on stage by violinist Rachel Podger. The programme includes Mozart’s Violin Concerto No1 in B Flat and JC Bach’s Symphony in G Minor. Tickets: £32 / £16 under 18s.

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

Also at the Wiltshire Music Centre this month 20TH ANNIVERSARY LAUNCH: GWILYM SIMCOCK Saturday 9 December, 7.30pm Jazz pianist Gwilym Simcock was the Wiltshire Music Centre’s first Nimmo artist in residence and he’ll be joined for the start of the anniversary season by saxophonist Rob Buckland. Following a mixed session they’ll be joined by members of the Wiltshire Youth Jazz Orchestra and the WMC chorus. Tickets: £18 / £9 u18s and students.

MICHAEL COLLINS AND FRIENDS Friday 15 December, 7.30pm, pre-concert talk 6.30pm Michael Collins, one of the UK’s leading clarinettists, presents a programme of popular favourites. He’ll be joined by a group of international chamber musicians. Tickets: £22, free under 25s.

PARAGON SINGERS Saturday 16 December, 7.30pm The choir presents an intimate performance of Advent and Christmas music spanning several centuries and including pieces by contemporary composers. Tickets: £16 / £8 under 18s.

BALSHAZZAR’S FEAST Wednesday 20 December, 7.30pm An English folk Christmas of festive music making and fun with accordianist Paul Jutchinson and vocalist, violinist and oboeist Paul Sartin. Tickets: £15 / £7.50 under 18s.

A Bunch of Amateurs at the Tovey Hall theatre

Balshazzar’s Feast at the Wiltshire Music Centre

CHRISTMAS AT HIGHGROVE Until Wednesday 20 December n The Highgrove estate, Tetbury, Gloucestershire Enjoy exclusive Christmas shopping and dining at the private estate of The Prince of Wales. The Orchard Room will be brimming with unique gift ideas and artisan wares, while a new restaurant will provide the perfect backdrop for dining. Entrance is by pre-booked ticket only. Tickets from £5.95. Book at: highgrovegardens.com or tel: 0333 222 455.

POP! THE MUSICAL Wednesday 6 – Friday 9 December, 7pm n Wroughton Theatre, King Edward’s School, North Road, Bath Writer Catherine Bruton, who also happens to be an English teacher at the school, has created Pop! the Musical, which has been dubbed ‘Billy Elliot meets The X Factor via Shameless’ and which features a talented young cast of KES students. Tickets: £9 / £7 concessions.

Tel: 01225 464313 or email: boxoffice@kesbath.com.

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WHAT’S | ON DISENCHANTED Wednesday 6 – Saturday 9 December, 8pm, Saturday matinee 4pm n The Rondo theatre, St Saviour’s Road, Larkhall, Bath Exit Stage Left presents a fairy tale musical that’s definitely not for children. Audiences aged 12 and over will love this hit musical, with its posse of disenchanted princesses. It was nominated for an off-Broadway award for best new musical in 2015. Tickets: £11 / £9 concessions. Visit: ticketsource.co.uk, tel: 0333 666 3366.

A BUNCH OF AMATEURS Wednesday 6 – Saturday 9 December, 7pm for 7.30pm n Tovey Hall theatre, Central United Reformed Church, Grove Street, Bath The Argyle Players present A Bunch of Amateurs, a comedy by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman. When fading Hollywood action hero, Jefferson Steel, arrives in England to play King Lear in Stratford he is horrified to learn that this is not the birthplace of the Bard, but Stratford St John, a sleepy village in Suffolk. Jefferson’s ego, vanity and insecurity are tested by the enthusiastic am-dram thespians.

Tickets £10 from: bathboxoffice.org.uk or tel: 01225 463362.

Ticket includes programme and interval refreshments.

THE HARRY AND CHRIS SHOW Wednesday 6 December, 8pm n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath After last year’s sell-out run in Edinburgh, Harry Baker and Chris Read bring Bath their unique mix of comedy, melody, poetry and best-matery. Their material ranges from pandas in crisis to Robot Wars. Tickets: £12. Visit: komedia.co.uk.

Also at Komedia this month KRATER CHRISTMAS PARTIES Thursday 7 – Saturday 9 December, 6pm, Thursday 14 – Saturday 16 December, Thursday 21 – Saturday 23 December, doors open 6pm, show, 8.30pm For a party night out with friends or work colleagues, enjoy a Christmas meal and show ticket for a three-course meal, comedy with two top stand-ups and a compere, and an after-show disco.

Tickets: £43 for meal and show, £18 just for show. Visit: komedia.co.uk.

CLYVE’S FUNKY CHRISTMAS PARTY Sunday 10 December, 7pm Bath born soul artist Clyve brings funk and soul grooves from various decades to a live show. He has spent the last 20 years on and off in New York and performs regularly to sell-out crowds. Tickets: £12, suitable age 14 and over.

Clyve parties on at Komedia KRATER COMEDY CLUB NEW YEAR’S EVE Sunday 31 December, doors open 6:30pm Enjoy dinner, two great stand-ups and a compere. After Krater Comedy Club dance your way into 2018 with Motorcity Gold.

Krater ticket holders can buy a Motorcity Gold ticket for £10.

Tickets from £19 (not including meal).

TUESDAY 12TH DECEMBER 2017 - 6.30PM DOORS OPEN AT 5.45 PM - ENTRY BY TICKET ONLY

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EVENT Thursday 7 December, until 8pm n Verve Living, London Road, Bath In the run-up to Christmas the shop will be running a series of pop-up events and selling an eclectic range of unusual, unique and handmade items from socks and umbrellas to cushions, cheeseboards and furniture.

A DICKENSIAN ODE TO BATH Thursday 7 – Thursday 14 December, 6pm and 8pm n Bath city centre Students from Bath Spa University have been inspired by A Christmas Carol, to create A Dickensian Ode to Bath, which they’ll perform on the streets of Bath to entertain the crowds.

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WHAT’S | ON

Land of Giants at Chapel Arts Centre

AUDITIONS Friday 8 and Monday 11 December n St Mark’s Community Centre, Widcombe The Bath School of Acting is holding an open morning for adult performing arts training, on Friday 8 December, followed by auditions on Monday 11 December. For more details visit: bathschoolofacting.co.uk.

DAME HERMIONE LEE Friday 8 December, 7pm for 7.30pm n Bath Royal Scientific and Literary Institute, Queen Square, Bath How should biographers deal with the bad behaviour of their subjects? Writer Dame Hermione Lee will address this intriguing question in her Victor Suchar Christmas lecture. Tickets: £6 nonmembers, £4 members, from Bath Box Office, 01225 463362.

CHRISTMAS AT DYRHAM Daily until Sunday 31 December, 10am – 3pm n The National Trust property Dyrham Park, off the A46 north of Bath Enjoy a 17th century Christmas at Dyrham where the house and courtyard have been decorated as they would have been 400 years ago. There’ll be carols and decoration making and a pantomime.

Wander with the Lord of Misrule on the children’s Christmas trail.

Over the weekend of Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 December, from 10am to 4pm, the Frost Fayre offers the chance to buy Christmas presents from local craftspeople.

MARTIN HARLEY (SOLO) Wednesday 6 December, 7.30pm n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Talented acoustic roots and blues guitarist and singer-songwriter with a growing global reputation. Tickets £13.50, £15 on the door, tel: 01225 461700, email: info@chapelarts.org, visit: chapelarts.org.

Also at Chapel Arts Centre this month THE FLAMING FEATHERS CHRISTMAS CABARET Friday 8 December, 7.30pm Returning for the Christmas cabaret featuring a mixed bill of comedy, burlesque, circus and dance. Tickets: £20.

LAND OF THE GIANTS Thursday 14 December, 7.30pm Cited as one of the best emerging live bands on the circuit is this lively six-piece collective. Tickets: £10.

MISS HOPE SPRINGS Saturday 16 December, 7.30pm Returning to Bath in a shimmy of sequins is Miss Hope Springs aka Mr Ty Jeffries. Tickets: £20.

THE SUPERSKAS Sunday 17 December, 7.30pm An authentic nine-piece ska band takes us through a catalogue of classics from the golden age of two-tone and ska music.

Tickets: £14, £15 on the door.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT: BATH SPA BAND Friday 8 December, 7.30pm n St Michael’s Without Church, Broad Street, Bath Join the city of Bath’s brass band and training band, featuring guest soprano Krystl Ride. Includes a tribute to Roald Dahl, favourite carols and Christmas songs. Raffle in aid of the RUH Forever Friends Appeal. Tickets: £8, Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362.

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DO YOU HAVE AN URGE TO SING?

JOIN THE SILVER RING CHOIR OF BATH TODAY MONDAY NIGHTS - 19.45 TO 21.45 MANVERS STREET BAPTIST CHURCH BATH CITY CENTRE

• Non-auditioned, mixed voice choir • Huge range of styles spanning over 500 years of music • Thriving Concert and Touring Schedule • Refreshments available at every rehearsal • Basses especially welcome!

W W W. S I LV E R R I N G C H O I R . O R G . U K FA C E B O O K : @ S R C B AT H S I LV E R R I N G S E C @ A O L . C O M R E G I S T E R E D C H A R I T Y: N O . 2 5 8 5 3 9

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WHAT’S | ON CHRISTMAS AT LACOCK Daily until Sunday 31 December n The National Trust property Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire Follow the festive family trail and meet Father Christmas. Admire the Christmas tree festival in the abbey cloister and traditional decorations adorning the Great Hall.

The carousel will be outside the Roman Baths shop from Thursday 14 December

CHRISTMAS AT PRIOR PARK Weekends from Saturday 9 December n The National Trust gardens at Prior Park, Bath Enjoy a Georgian garden Christmas. Each weekend from Saturday 9 to Sunday 24 December enjoy Georgian-style fun, with decorations, games, crafts and festive fare.

Over the weekend of Friday 15 – Sunday 17 December, 4.30pm – 8pm, Alight, is a nocturnal light and sound installation by artists Kathy Hinde and Ulf Pederson.

Nature-inspired works lead visitors through parts of the garden. Tickets: £9, £5 children, £23 family, booking, tel: 0344 249 1895.

A HANDFUL OF SINGERS Saturday 9 December, 5.45pm for mulled wine n Holy Trinity Church, Newton St Loe near Bath A concert of music for Christmas performed

by Bath’s highly acclaimed chamber choir directed by its award-winning conductor, Christopher Finch. The concert is supported

by the Patrons of Bath Festivals. Mulled wine will be served before the concert. Tickets: £15, Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk.

BATH ABBEY MUSIC SOCIETY Saturday 9 December, 7pm n Bath Abbey, Bath A Christmas celebration against the

backdrop of the magnificent Bath Abbey, with carols for choir and audience. Tickets from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362.

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS Thursday 7 December – Sunday 7 January, times vary n Theatre Royal, Saw Close, Bath The madcap mayhem is led by the reliably silly Jon Monie, ably abetted by Nick Wilton as Dame Dolly. As always the hard working troupe of dancers will be from the Bath based Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance.

Tickets, tel: 01225 448844 or visit: theatreroyal.org.uk.

Also at the Theatre Royal HETTY FEATHER Tuesday 9 – Saturday 13 January, times vary From the pen of Bath born children’s writer Jacqueline Wilson comes this delightful tale about orphan Hetty Feather. And with the added bonus of being directed by the acclaimed Sally Cookson.

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT Wednesday 13 December, 7.30pm n St Michael’s Without Church, Broad Street, Bath Join the Bath Bach Choir for a series of atmospheric carols by candlelight. Tickets: £15 – £18. The choir will also be singing on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 at the Pump Room. Tickets: £18 and £22 from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362.

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WHAT’S | ON CHRISTMAS AT AVEBURY Various dates from Saturday 9 December, 4pm n The National Trust site Avebury, Wiltshire Avebury in Wiltshire is a fabulously atmospheric place, particularly on a winter’s day. Archaeologist Dr Nick Snashall will be leading a ramble around the stone circles on Thursday 14 December from 10.30am, followed by Christmas liqueur and mince pies. Tickets: £15. Booking essential, tel: 0344 249 1895. Listen to carols while enjoying a mince pie from the café or liqueur tasting in the National Trust shop. Join a guided tour of Avebury Manor, from 1.30pm, Monday 18 to Wednesday 20 December, followed by cream tea in Avebury Manor’s tea room. Tickets: £15, booking essential.

Christmas at Tyntesfield with the National Trust Picture courtesy of Steve Hayward Artist Steven Pippin at The Edge, picture courtesy of Gavin Brown’s Enterprise

The Christmas shop at The American Museum at Claverton Manor

CONCERT: NATIVITY SCENES Saturday 9 December, 6.30pm n The Magdalen Chapel, The Holloway, Bath The Chandos Singers will be presenting a delightful concert with a Christmas theme in the setting of this historic 15th century chapel.

The programme includes Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio and works

by Monteverdi, Heinrich Schutz and Samuel Scheidt. Tickets: £12, students £5, Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362.

JUBILATE: THE MUSICAL SCENE IN 18TH CENTURY BATH Until 10 December, open daily 1 – 5pm and 11am – 5pm at weekends and bank holidays n The Herschel Museum of Astronomy, New King Street, Bath The exhibition focuses on the development of music in Bath during the 18th century Age of Enlightenment.

BATH ARTISAN MARKET Sunday 10 and Sunday 17 December, 10am – 4pm n Green Park Station, Bath Tuck into freshly made food from stalls at the artisan market while shopping for original and locally made gifts, all under one weatherproof roof.

CRAFTS AND CAROLS Sunday 10 December, 11am – 3.30pm n Newton Farm shop and café, Newton St Loe Bath Enjoy mulled wine, mince pies, brass band and the opportunity to sing or hum to a few Christmas carols. Local artists and crafters will be showing their wares. Chuffy the train will be offering rides around the village. Free entry, parking available.

Also at Newton Farm this month WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP Saturday 16 December, 10am – noon, or 2pm – 4pm Sarah Wilson of Compton Garden flowers runs a wreath making workshop. Price: £39.50 includes a warming drink and mince pie, a glass of mulled wine, tuition, all materials, fresh foliage and decorations. To book tel: 01225 873707, email: roz@newtonfarmfoods.co.uk or call into the shop.

Martin Harley solo at Chapel Arts Centre

THE CAROUSEL Thursday 14 – Sunday 31 December n Outside the Roman Baths shop, Bath The traditional carousel with its colourful galloping wooden horses, will be there for the young and young at heart to take a spin.

The Night Circus at Walcot House with Festival in a Box

THE NIGHT CIRCUS Thursday 14 – Saturday 16 December, and Thursday 21 and Friday 22 December n Walcot House, Walcot, Bath Experience a sumptuous banquet in an enchanted space, with immersive entertainment, dazzling music and festive cocktails all served with a dash of magic and mystery. All themed on the novel The Night Circus. Events organisers Festival in a Box present a popup festive experience designed to delight and enrapture. Tickets: £75 (with 5% of proceeds donated to the Jamie’s Farm charity), e-mail: thenightcircus@festivalinabox.co.uk or tel: 01225 740610.

Visit: facebook.com/festivalinaboxpresents.

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Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution Forthcoming Events: How Tolerant Are We? 5th December ● 7.30pm

The Next Generation of Dreadnoughts 6th December ● 7.30pm Bath Box Office Event

Sustainable Development in Design 12th December ● 7.30pm

Rediscovering John Cabot 10th January ● 7.30pm

Bad Behaviour in Biography Dame Hermione Lee 8th December ● 7.30pm

The Remarkable Miss Breton:

Just one of the many publications available to buy at The Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution.

16 - 18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN 01225 312 084 www.brlsi.org reception@brlsi.org

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WHAT’S | ON STORYTELLING: TALES OF BRITAIN Saturday 16 December, 3pm n The Bell Inn, Walcot Street, Bath Enjoy an hour of festive folk tales for all the family from the people working on the Tales of Britain project to revive British folk tales.

Tickets: £5 on the door.

JANE LILLEY SINGERS: CHRISTMAS CONCERT Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 December, 7pm for 7.30pm n St Luke’s Church, Wellsway, Bath The popular choir will be holding its Christmas concert, offering a mix of all kinds of music. Tickets: £12, to include a glass of wine before the show, tel: 01225 310861.

ENGINEERED EQUANIMITY: STEVEN PIPPIN Friday 17 November – Saturday 3 February, open daily (check website for times) n Andrew Brownsword Galleries, The Edge, University of Bath, Claverton Down One of Britain’s best and most inventive artists, Steven Pippin shows his skill in technological manipulation, which reveals the interrelationship between objects, mechanisms and the universe.

Engineered Equanimity offers audiences new perspectives on everything from Newtonian mechanics to the production of renewable energy. Free admission. Visit: edgearts.org.

CINDERELLA Wednesday 20 – Saturday 23 December, 7.30pm (matinees Friday and Saturday, plus Saturday’s evening show starts at 5pm) n Kingswood School Theatre, Fonthill Road, Bath The Unity Players and the Curtis School of Dance present this much loved family tale of magic and love. Tickets: £10 / £8 concessions.

Tel: 07546 910008 or visit: ticketsource.co.uk/unity.

PLANNING AHEAD WIDCOMBE MUMMERS New Year’s Day, from noon n Widcombe, Bath The Widcombe Mummers will be taking to the streets again on New Year’s Day to provide traditional street pantomine, featuring King and Queen Bladud, some battling knights, a Quack doctor, and possibly a dragon. It is conceivable that a topical joke will make its way into the script. Three performances starting at noon, at different locations in Widcombe. Visit: widcombemummers.org.uk. A collection will be made to support St Matthew’s Church.

TALK: WORKING WITH HODGKIN Friday 5 January, 6pm n Victoria Art Gallery, Bath To coincide with the current Howard Hodgkin: India on Paper exhibition, pictured, master printer Andrew Smith will be talking about working with Hodgkin. Tickets: £6 / £5 concessions, from the gallery, Tel: 01225 477233 or visit: victoriagal.org.

TREASURE ISLAND Wednesday 17 – Sunday 21 January, 7.30pm, matinees 2.30pm, Saturday and Sunday n The Rondo Theatre, Bath Bath Drama’s pantomime for 2018 is Treasure Island. Join Jim Hawkins, his extremely vivacious mother Harriet, and their friends, as they set out in search of Old Bones’ buried treasure in this fastpaced, family-friendly show. Tickets: £12 adults, £10 for adult concessions, £8 for under 12s, from: ticketsource.co.uk/rondotheatre. n

WANT TO SEE MORE? VISIT OUR WEBSITE – THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK Or follow us on Twitter: @thebathmagazine

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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

Joanna Menneer

Make-up artist and studio manager at Divine Divas

I

first came to Bath in 1984. I was training as a Norland nanny in Hungerford and visiting a friend who was studying to be a nurse. In those days the nurses accommodation was at The Bath Spa Hotel, which had been requisitioned during the war and was, at that time, a crumbling wreck. So I had a very romantic start to my days in Bath wandering through the leafy Sidney Gardens and along Great Pulteney Street.

In 1989 I was dating a dashing London photographer, Neill Menneer. We had been dating for nine months and I was completely smitten so we came to Bath for a romantic weekend.

As you do when you’re somewhere new we looked in estate agent’s windows and couldn’t believe what you could buy for your money. The most dreamy four-storey house in Camden (on the market for just £86,000) caught our eye. The catch was that it was virtually derelict, with no bannisters plus a kitchen on the top floor, but we were smitten and bought it that weekend.

While Neill was looking for a photography studio in Bath we ended up falling in love with a shop on Argyle Street and ran Postscript gift and stationery shop for six years. It was a baptism of fire, learning about retail, employing staff and running a business during a very severe recession.

By this time we had our daughter Phoebe and decided to try living in France so we upped sticks to the Dordogne. But after four months I was homesick; I missed my family but mostly my friends who had their own little babies. So we returned to Bath.

Rupert came along in 1996 and I did a bit of child minding while the children were small. In 2000 I trained as a life coach. I loved learning how to listen and question in ways that help people move forward. I set up a coaching practice called The Parent Coaching Company with an amazing woman called Sharon Charlton-Thomson who has become one of my closest friends. We had a wonderful few years and even did a pilot show for the TV company that created Super Nanny.

In 2007 Neill and I decided to work together again and went in the search of premises for his photography studio. We found the Old Methodist Church in Twerton High Street. It was in a terrible state of disrepair: trees growing through walls; a car park full of abandoned vehicles; and a family of resident rats. But it had a wonderful aura about it so we set about a year-long renovation.

It was there that we created Spirit Photographic and then three years later Divine Divas, which is our boudoir studio. I love working in the studio, particularly with the women who book Divine Divas sessions, which have become hugely popular. We’ve now done more than a thousand and average 12 a week.

I use my background as a make-up artist and my c oaching skills to get women to see themselves in a positive way. It’s so often that after having kids, or experiencing a big life change we can have a bout of low self-esteem or stop seeing ourselves as attractive. I’m here to help fix that and by the end of the threehour session – after they’ve had their hair and make-up done and started to relax in front of the camera – they feel totally transformed. n PORTRAIT: Neil Menneer at Spirt Photographic.

Visit: capturethespirit.co.uk.

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

A GIFT FROM THE GALLERIES

Christmas exhibitions to lift the spirits in midwinter and inspire some original ideas for present buying From Stert, April 2017

by Jonathan Mansfield

Ceramics

by Yvonne Elston

ART AT BEAR FLAT Methodist Church Hall, Bruton Avenue, Bear Flat 10am – 4pm, free entry BEAR FLAT CHRISTMAS MARKET Saturday 2 December

A community event is brimming with original, unusual hand-made gifts and local produce. It features more than 15 artists alongside stalls selling food, locally grown vegetables, ceramics, stationery, books and vintage items. The artists are; Wendy Batt, Kasia Black, Beth Chubb, Yvonne Elston, Caroline Heaton, Lorelei Hunt, Naomi Johns, Rachel Kerrison, Mary Liddell, Kate Marshall, Esther Norman, Kristine O’Connor, Karen Parker, Andy Rhodes and Jo Ross. A café will offer tea, coffee, cakes and lunches.

BLUESTONE GALLERY 8 Old Swan Yard, Devizes Open: Monday to Friday, 10am – 5pm, Saturdays 9.30am – 5.30pm Visit: bluestonegallery.com, tel: 01380 729589 JONATHAN MANSFIELD Until the end of December

Bluestone Gallery, which specialises in contemporary British art and crafts, is featuring original paintings by Wiltshire artist Jonathan Mansfield. Also on show, paintings on reclaimed wood by Tanya Hinton and woodblock prints by Laura Boswell. The gallery is a great source of original Christmas gifts.

WALCOT CHAPEL GALLERY Walcot Gate, Walcot Street, Bath Open: 10am – 6.30pm Visit: justdrawing-bath.tumbr.com Tel: 07766005724 JUST DRAWING Saturday 2 – Sunday 10 December A group show of drawings by recent graduates: Daniel Blumberg, Tom Harrison, Joe Hoyt, Chaz Hughes, Samantha Marshall and Liam Walker.

Most of the artists have shown and won awards including the Jerwood Drawing Prize, Scottish New Kick Away the Ladder Contemporaries,

by Liam Walker Royal Drawing School and Yale School of Art. Stylistically diverse both in their work and backgrounds, a love of drawing unites these artists and their individual practices.

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Dance by Pepa Torres

SOCIETY CAFÉ 4–5 Kingsmead Square, Bath Open: Monday to Friday 7am – 6.30pm, Saturday, 7.30am – 6.30pm , Sunday 9am – 6pm PPHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION: LIGHTS Until Wednesday 31 January

Through long exposure photography and mixed techniques of camera movement, mirror reflection and refraction of neon and LED objects, Chilean photographer Pepa Torres’s work subverts the mundane idea of light, transforming into an abstraction the original subject that now exists by its own colours and shapes. All this without image manipulation in postproduction or computer-generated images.

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

THE GUILDHALL High Street, Bath Open: Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm Email: jp_ramalho@yahoo.co.uk saatchiart.com/Pedroart Facebook.com/Pedro-Ramalho

Mango by Howard Hodgkin

VICTORIA ART GALLERY

By Pulteney Bridge Open daily, 10.30am – 5pm Tel: 01225 477233 Visit: victoriagal.org.uk HOWARD HODGKIN: INDIA ON PAPER Until Sunday 7 January Richly coloured images of India painted by a modern British painter over more than 40 years of visits to the country. He was an alumni of Bath Academy of Art, where he studied and taught. Some of the work here has never been shown before and some are from the publicly owned gallery’s own collection.

PEDRO RAMALHO: RECENT WORK Tuesday 19 December – Thursday 18 January Portuguese born Pedro Ramalho is based in Bat, where he graduated from Bath Spa Universty in fine art. His work has a strong human element ad he creates forms with an uncomfortable reality, which test our emotional relationship with the world.

He explores English archetypes and the distance of this symbolism from lived experience. Through his obsession, the artist communicates his feelings and emotions in a manner, which is both complex but comprehensible, with a deep sense of the lack of self. His work sells to regional and international clients and is represented in private collections.

THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM Great Pulteney Street, Bath Tel: 01225 388569 Open: daily, 10am – 5pm (11am Sundays) Admission is free, but for special exhibitions there is a £10 entrance charge Web: holburne.org

Bridget Riley, Ecclesia, 1985. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © Bridget Riley 2017, all rights reserved

Detail: Creation from the Gallery and Barrow collection

GALLERY AND BARROW 118a Walcot Street, Bath

Open: Tuesday to Saturday, 11am – 5.30pm tel: 01225 311379 Visit: galleryandbarrow.com WINTER SCENES Until Sunday 31 December A collection of art featuring log cabins, skiers, snow covered silver birches, mountains and snowdrops. Artists include Rennie Pilgrim, Clare Cutts, Fiona Gray, Heather Power and Michelle Loa Kum Cheung. The gallery also stocks a range of artisan gifts such as candles, lanterns, votives and vases.

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Lost Bath by Pedro Ramalho

NICK CUDWORTH GALLERY London Street, top of Walcot Street, Bath Closed on Mondays. Tel: 01225 445221 Visit: nickcudworth.com CHRISTMAS SHOW Throughout December Original oil paintings, giclée prints and cards of Bath images, still lives and figure compositions all in Nick’s unique style. Highlights of the show will be a new large oil painting The Last Over which captures the languid late afternoon light drifting across a cricket match at Norton St Philip with all the glorious colours of late summer.

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SEURAT TO RILEY: THE ART OF PERCEPTION Until Sunday 21 January The special exhibitions at the Holburne are always a pleasure and this carefully curated show highlights work from a 150 year history, exploring how the human eye sees and how the artist expresses that perception.

There’s work from pointillist Georges Seurat right through to the op and kinetic art of Bridget Riley, Jeffrey Steele and Peter Sedgeley. The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of talks and events and there is a book of the same name by Penelope Sexton and Frances Follin, which explores the development of this art movement.

Detail from The Last Over

by Nick Cudworth

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Lecture Series 2017/18

The Corkscrew: A Thing of Beauty Uncorking the bottle. From the bizarre to the technical, A history of the corkscrew from the 18th Century onwards

Lecturer: John Ericson

Pedro Ramalho Art Exhibition

at 1.30pm

18th November - 18th January

on

Guildhall, Bath

Monday 4th December 2017 at The Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street Bath visitors welcome ÂŁ10 at the door (no booking required)

www.theartssocietybath.com

(High Street, City Centre, Bath BA1 5AW)

Email: jp_ramalho@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 07900978715

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

WALLER AND WOOD 4 Abbey Green, Bath Open: Wednesday to Saturday, 11am – 5pm, Sunday, 12pm – 4pm and throughout the Bath Christmas Market Tel: 07803 033 629 Visit: wallerandwood.co.uk

Colonnade by Peter Ford

TEXTILES AND GIFTS Throughout December Long established Bath artists Carole Waller and Gary Wood have re-branded their OneTwoFive gallery as Waller and Wood.

The gallery will be open every day throughout the Bath Christmas Market selling a range of Carole’s beautiful silk scarves, from £65, a range of tote bags in canvas and leather, hand bound books and soaps wrapped in Carole’s designs.

Ceramicist Gary has made a range of pots filled with organic candles, scented with rose geranium and vanilla. Carole’s Scarves that Tell Stories collection is inspired by Bath’s historic architecture.

AXLE ARTS Leighton Road, Weston, Bath Tel: 01225 461230 Visit: axlearts.com Email: info@axlearts.com Open: Moday to Saturday, 10am – 5pm by appointment PETER FORD: NEW WORK Throughout December Peter Ford is one of the most original master printmakers in the UK. His uniqueness lies mainly in his paper pulp work, both with papermaking and castings. Ford creates his paper pulp by mulching down fibre or cloth paper, seldom adding pigment to the pulp but preferring to use the natural colour already present. Sometimes he adds glitter or pearlescent powder, creating an interesting contrast to the natural forms he usually casts such as slate, fish bones or ammonites. Ford has been exhibiting in China since 2007. He was a prize winner at the Shenzhen International Biennale in 2015 and the only UK printmaker participating in a large commission from Shanxi Province, to be shown in Taiyuan in 2018.

Kelston Roundhill and Bath from Prospect Stile by Lucy Dunnett

IMAGIANATION GALLERY 5 Terrace Walk, Bath Open: 10.30am – 5.30pm Visit: lucydunnett.com LUCY DUNNETT Throughout December

Lucy Dunnett is among the artists featured in the gallery’s Christmas show. She is known for her striking mountain landscape and ‘poster style’ paintings produced while living in Verbier in the Swiss Alps.

EMMA ROSE Upstairs at 78 Walcot Street, Bath (above Bath Sofa and Curtain Company) Visitors welcome Open: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm Tel: 07885235915 or 01225 424 424 Visit: emmaroseartworks.com THE NATURAL WORLD Throughout December This exhibition reflects the transience of light’s impact on the landscape and the colour transformations it creates through the seasons. Emma Rose’s vibrant work is inspired by the landscape, the natural world and the effect this has on the human spirit. These elements inspire her work capturing colour, emotion and life force. Alongside these are her sought after limited edition giclée prints and cards.

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Riptide by Emma Rose

Since moving to the Bath area, her attention has turned to the English landscape and she is regularly out exploring the hilltops surrounding Bath. Lucy is currently working on a series of paintings, inspired by viewpoints of Bath, which capture the city’s unique buildings and surrounding countryside. Lucy’s work is available in original acrylic paintings, screen prints, giclée prints, wood prints and postcards. Visitors are welcome at her new garden studio in Hinton Charterhouse.

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‘CHRISTMAS WRAP’

painted clothes, scarves, books and bags by Carole Waller ceramics and candles Gary Wood jewellery Annie Beardsley + more 4 Abbey Green, Bath

Extra opening hours during Bath Christmas Market mon - wed 10 - 7 thurs - sat 10 - 8.30 sunday 10 - 6

nick cudworth gallery

The Last Over – Oil on canvas.

CHRISTMAS SHOW 1 – 23 December

Original oil paintings, prints and cards of Bath, still lives and figure compositions by Nick

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

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

GALLERY NINE 9b Margarets Buildings, Bath Open: Monday to Saturday, 10am – 5pm Tel: 01225 319197 Email: info@gallerynine.co.uk Visit: gallerynine.co.uk WINTER EXHIBITION Friday 2 November – Sunday 31 December

ART SALON Broad Street, Bath Open: Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm Visit:artsalon.co.uk tel: 01225 422220 CHRISTMAS AT THE SALON Until Saturday 23 December Throughout the year the salon shows an ever-changing mix of paintings, prints, ceramics and furniture by the talents of emerging and established British artists.

At Christmas the gallery is filled with the work of young designers – from brick vases to Dennis the Menace prints, which make wonderful presents, priced mostly between £20 and £150.

A show by British and European contemporary artists, ceramicists and jewellers. Phillip Lyons captures the ever changing light of the Cornish coastline, while ceramicist Christiane Wilhelm creates modern ornaments with incised, painted and scored textures. Katharina Klug is inspired by the elemental colour and shape of ancient Korean pottery, while Ramp (Roop and Al Make Pots) treat each hand thrown piece like a painting so that everything becomes a uniquely hand crafted artwork. Maria Wodjat creates vibrantly coloured vessels and jewellers Ulli Kaiser and Robin Shelton also offer unique pieces which would make great presents.

Seasonal platter by Ramp

18th century lacquer inro with Daruma and geese and netsuke of a wheelwright

ADAM GALLERY John Street, Bath Open Monday to Saturday, 9.30am – 5.30pm Tel: 01225 480406 Visit: adamgallery.com DAVID PIDDOCK: NEW PAINTINGS Until Saturday 9 December Dave Piddock presents a new collection of characteristically semi-fictional urban

MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN ART Bennett Street, Bath Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 12 – 5pm Visit: meaa.org.uk DRESSED TO IMPRESS: NETSUKE AND JAPANESE MEN’S FASHION Until Saturday 22 April The museum has teamed up with the British Museum for this unusual exhibition of small but intricate netsuke from Japan. These tiny sculptural creations were made to fasten men’s clothing and tobacco pouches, before becoming highly collectable items. This fascinating museum has some exquisite and delicate pieces and, just inside the main door, there’s free access to the museum shop which is packed with unusual items for Christmas presents.

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landscapes. London is used as the basis for improvisation where past meets present and fact meets fiction.

Settings range from Barrier Park, the landscaped gardens alongside the Thames Barrier to station platforms and riverscapes.

There will also be art and sculpture, plundered from the great collections of London and elsewhere, which appear in unexpected places.

DAVID SIMON CONTEMPORARY 3 – 4 Bartlett Street, Bath Tel: 01225 460189 Visit: davidsimoncontemporary.com Open: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm, and Wednesday, 2 – 6pm MIXED WINTER EXHIBITION Throughout December The gallery will be bursting with an eclectic mixture of paintings, original prints, ceramics and sculpture by the gallery’s regular artists as well as new faces. Works can be collected at any point, making it the ideal opportunity to purchase a Christmas gift, or equally to find something for your own collection. A launch party will be held on Saturday 2 December from 2pm – 6pm with refreshments. Among the featured artists are; Julia Cooper, Debbie George, Jill Leman, Myles Oxenford and Mike Service.

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Cornflowers by Jill Leman

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“FROM STERT” BY JONATHAN MANSFIELD

FINE CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS

8 Old Swan Yard, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1AT

01380 729589

Buy Online from:

www.bluestonegallery.com

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Beau Nash dps THIS ONE 2.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2017 10:56 Page 1

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‘Silver for the Twelve Days of Christmas’

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1 Silver Table Bell, London 1892, £320 2 Pair of Silver Grape Scissors, Sheffield 1897, £395 3 Handmade Silver Three Piece Coffee Service, London 1977, £2,650 4 Pair of Modernist Silver Four Light Candelabra, Birmingham 1954, £595 5 Silver Five Bowl Epergne, Sheffield 1908, £2,650 6 Set of Six Silver Gilt Dessert Knives and Forks, London 1764, £660

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31 Brock Street, Bath BA1 2LN | 01225 334 234

info@beaunashbath.com | beaunashbath.com |

beaunashbath

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10 12

7 Silver Seven Bar Toast Rack, Sheffield 1897, £665 8 Silver Octagonal Jug, Birmingham 1911, £290 9 Silver Picture Frame, London 1902, £155 10 Silver Ten Petal Dish, Sheffield 1952, £550 11 Silver Vases, Birmingham 1929, £385 12 Silver Canteen for Twelve, London 1871, £4,650

Tyntesfield Bath feature.qxp_Layout 1 24/11/2017 16:02 Page 1

A VICTORIAN | CHRISTMAS

HOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST The team at Tyntesfield turn the clocks back to simpler times and invite us all for Christmas at the Gibbs family abode...

T

he days of National Trust properties battening down the hatches and simply closing up for winter are long gone. Quite the contrary, now, in fact, with elaborate, immersive events taking place in some. The team at Tyntesfield – the gorgeous Gothic revival house in Wraxall – have been hard at work since March, preparing all the various elements of the Very Victorian Christmas visitor experience, which has just opened to visitors and runs until Wednesday 3 January.

From drying natural foliage collected from around the estate’s gardens and parkland, to sewing each and every one of the Victorian costumes by hand, the whole team are involved in bringing Christmas 1891, with the Gibbs family, to life.

AN EARLY START Hugh Harris, events officer for the National Trust at Tyntesfield, is the mastermind behind the estate’s festive offering. “Christmas, for me, starts in February, pretty much as soon as last Christmas has been packed away – we always want next year to be bigger and better so we have to start planning early,” he says.

“Straight away in the spring, the whole team, including staff and volunteers from every department – curatorial, catering, retail, conservation, marketing – gets together to talk through how last year went and start generating new, exciting, festive ways to present Tyntesfield for next time.”

By the time spring ends, the garden team will have already planted the flowers and foliage which will bloom throughout the summer before being dried and made into decorations in the autumn.

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AN AUTHENTIC STORY Hardly touched in a hundred years, Tyntesfield is a unique, near-complete example of a Victorian estate and Christmas really brings its spirit to life with all its traditional decorations and costumed historical characters.

“Each character is based on a real person from Tyntesfield’s history,” explains Hugh. “For example, our butler, George Pollard, really served the Gibbs family as a butler before marrying a woman called Emily Constable, who was actually the cook at Tyntesfield at the time.

“The research into the characters was completed by a team of volunteers, who used historic photographs and the censuses of the time to make sure everything is as accurate as possible; from the stories the characters tell our visitors to the costumes that they wear – handmade by Tyntesfield volunteers and based on Victorian patterns and images.”

RICH SEAMS This year, there are several new and exciting elements to Tyntesfield’s Victorian Christmas, including the festive celebration of the Gibbs family’s estate workers, who have decorated Home Farm with all kinds of pretty, homemade decorations. These trimmings have been hand-sewn by a team of Tyntesfield volunteers who have been meeting since July for weekly sew-ins on the estate.

“We’re so lucky to have such a great team of volunteers at Tyntesfield,” says Hugh. “Their sheer passion, and the energy they put into bringing our seasonal visitor experience to life, is awe-inspiring.”

This hardworking crew won’t just be working behind the scenes either – come Christmas, many of them will be in character as Victorian residents and guests of the estate.

FESTIVE FUN: main image, join the whole Gibbs family – who bought Tyntesfield in 1843 – and their house staff around the tree this season (image: Steve Haywood) Opposite, top left, perfect your dance skills (image: Paul Blakemore), even the chapel will be bedecked (image: Peter Hall), all the decorations are handmade throughout the year by hardworking volunteers, and there’s plenty for kids to get stuck into (image: Paul Blakemore)

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A VICTORIAN | CHRISTMAS

GET INTO THE SPIRIT Visitors can join in the fun by singing traditional carols around the piano, by practising their ballroom dancing skills under the watchful eye of the lady of the house, and by pitching in with the Gibbs family’s pantomime rehearsal in the beautifully grand surroundings of the big, old house.

Additionally, for the first time, on set dates in December, visitors can learn and thing or two and watch the cook as they prepare the Gibbs’ Christmas pudding order at Chaplain’s House – which usually serves another purpose as one of the National Trust’s holiday cottages, welcoming visitors from far and wide.

SPECIAL EVENTS Throughout December, the Tyntesfield team will also be welcoming a variety of local choirs to perform festive concerts in the estate’s Victorian chapel. Visitors will be greeted with a mug of hot mulled wine and a puff-pastry mince pie at Home Farm to set the Christmas scene. Meanwhile, for children under five, along with their families, Tyntesfield’s learning team have created an especially seasonal edition of their popular Tyntetots sessions with storytelling and games inspired by a classic Beatrix Potter tale.

“We had great fun planning our Christmas sessions, inspired by The Tailor of

Gloucester,” says Tyntesfield’s learning assistant, Tish Russell. “Because the story is all about the fabrics and silks the tailor uses, it really reflects the festive opulence in the house.”

Families will be able to create their own tree decorations, test their tailoring skills, play festive games and experience the season in the traditional Victorian setting.

SEASONAL SHOPPING Within Tyntesfield’s Cow Barn shop, the estate’s retail team have been planning for months to stock the shelves with the very best in decorations and gifts, including the traditional selection of National Trustinspired collections and an ever-growing choice of locally sourced products. From hampers to homeware, decorations to board games, there’s plenty to inspire if you’re looking to get some of the Christmas shopping list ticked off, including all the traditional foodie favourites; mulled wine, mince pies and Christmas puddings galore.

On Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 December, there’s also Tyntesfield’s festive food and craft market, featuring a range of local stallholders offering freshly baked seasonal goodies, homemade jewellery, hand-crafted ceramics and lots more. ■ While pre-bookable Very Victorian Christmas tickets are sold out online, the majority of tickets are available on the day, and there are plenty of other wonderful festive events and attractions at the property.

Visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield to find out more about what’s on offer.

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BATH | CHARITIES

The view from Bath City Farm

A Foodcycle volunteer preparing Christmas dinner

A TIME FOR GIVING

Jessica Hope rounds up some of the Bath-based charities who work hard 365 days a year to provide help and care for local causes

W

hile many of us will be enjoying the festivities with our families and friends this Christmas, some will not be so fortunate. Here we reveal just a handful of the charities from around the city working throughout the year to provide help for people in the local community and abroad, as well as some of our furry friends, and we discover why they were first set up and how we can help donate and volunteer our time.

BATH CITY FARM Located on 37 acres of farmland between Twerton and Whiteway, Bath City Farm is an important asset for the local community, being a place of engagement and learning, providing support and education to vulnerable adults and children from areas of Bath that are often overlooked.

Set up by the local community in the 1990s, Bath City Farm is the second largest city farm in the UK. The farm encourages enjoyment and education in horticulture, farming and nature, as well as helping people to develop new skills and boost their health and wellbeing. It depends on its 75 volunteers, many of whom have or are overcoming illnesses.

The farm is holding a winter fair on Saturday 2 December, 12 – 3pm. There will be food, drinks, children’s crafts, music, carol singing, Christmas biscuit decorating and animals, with all money raised going towards the farm.

Thinking of a different kind of gift for someone this Christmas? You can adopt an animal for £10 – £20, and the donor will get a certificate and be invited to two ‘meet your animals’ events throughout the year.

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THE WOODWORKS PROJECT The Woodworks Project runs carpentry and upholstery workshops for people with mental and physical health conditions, and those who are recovering from addiction or trauma. After the furniture has been restored, the items are sold in the charity’s shop on Southgate Street, with all the profit going towards future workshop projects.

Set up in 2015 by Stephen Budd and Byll Pulman, the project previously ran for 10 years under the umbrella of another charity.

Since opening more than two years ago, the charity helps some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the local community with structure and new skills.

Bath’s oldest joinery firm, Hawker Joinery, recently donated more than £2,000 worth of high quality timber to the project, allowing the team to transform its workshop space.

Due to a generous donation, the charity has been able to secure new premises and expects to move its workshop in 2018, where it hopes to be able to expand and help more local people.

Visit: thewoodworksproject.com VOICES VOICES supports victims and survivors of domestic abuse with recovery programmes and advice. The charity was established in 2014 by a group of women with experience of domestic abuse who saw that there was a gap in services in Bath for victims. It aims to provide longer term, holistic support and recovery as well as peer support, and works in partnership with other local services, including those providing safe housing, high risk and specialist trauma support.

A charity spokesperson said: “Christmas is a difficult time of year for adults and

issue 183

children recovering from domestic abuse, often facing insecurity and financial need.”

VOICES will be at the Christmas Community Fair on Saturday 9 December, 2 – 4.30pm at Hedley Hall in Oldfield Park, Bath, where you can make donations, or visit: localgiving.org/charity/voices.

If you would like to volunteer with fundraising, communications or admin work, or work as a mentor, find out more online.

Visit: voicescharity.org BATH CATS AND DOGS HOME Bath Cats and Dogs Home rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes more than 1,400 unwanted, mistreated and neglected pets every year. Each animal is cared for, which sometimes involves life-saving operations, before new happy homes are found.

Set up in the 1930s, the Bath Cats and Dogs Home was established to provide shelter and safety for unwanted and stray animals. The vet team now carry out nearly 7,000 procedures each year, and the charity cares for around 700 dogs, 700 cats and 120 small pets.

A great gift for animal loving children this Christmas is membership to the Paws & Claws Club, where you can be an animal carer for the day and receive lots of free goodies throughout the year.

The charity has more than 200 volunteers in a range of roles including working directly with animals, helping fundraise or working in local charity shops.

Bath Cats and Dogs Home has launched its winter appeal to raise money for animals who will need urgent care over the cold months. Visit: bcdh.org.uk/safe to find out more and to donate.

Visit: bathcatsanddogshome.org.uk

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BATH | CHARITIES

THE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION FOR THE EDUCATION OF NEPALESE CHILDREN CFENC was established by couple Lisa Whitehouse-Foskett and Peter Foskett more than 10 years ago following a trip to Nepal.

Lisa saw how many of the children wanted to attend school and broaden their education, but were held back by the lack of facilities or supplies. CFENC provides stationery, building resources, relief, uniforms and books, as well as giving grants to students and helping to pay for tuition and other fees to enable young people to attend school, college or university.

Following the earthquakes that hit Nepal in 2015, CFENC launched an appeal and raised in excess of £25,000 in four weeks and funded the supply of tents, blankets, mattresses, medicine, drinking water, food etc to more than 20 mountain villages.

CFENC has recently finished building a school which will have a lasting legacy for the community, and according to the local education office of Soulkhumbu District and a government minister this will be used as a model for all future schools in that district.

Every year the charity holds an event in Bath called HIMAL, where beautiful cashmere, silk and woollen goods from Nepal are sold. You can also purchase items via the CFENC Facebook page.

Lisa and Peter would love to hear from individuals, schools and businesses who would like to get involved and help continue this important educational work in Nepal.

Visit: nepalchildrenseducation.org DOROTHY HOUSE HOSPICE CARE Dorothy House Hospice Care is an independent, local charity providing palliative and end of life care for people with a life-limiting illness.

Set up in 1976 by Prue Dufour, who played a significant role in the British hospice movement, Dorothy House has cared for more than 45,000 patients. The hospice supports 900 people per day both in the community through its Hospice at Home service, as well as its main hospice in Winsley and two Outreach Centres in Trowbridge and Peasedown St John.

The hospice was awarded an Outstanding rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January, placing it in the top 6% of adult social care providers nationally.

DHHC has a wide variety of volunteer roles including working in its 28 retail shops, reception desk work, companions, complementary therapists and drivers, just to name a few. Go online or call: 01225 722 988 to find out more.

The charity’s next fundraising event is the Santa & Elf Run on Sunday 3 December which is a 2.5k or 5k fun run open to all the family. Be quick as entries close at 5pm on 30 November, visit: santaandelfrun.org.uk.

The hospice also has a variety of charity Christmas cards, calendars and 2018 diaries

A HELPING HAND: A Lifeline volunteer at Genesis Trust and Joey from Bath Cats and Dogs Home

on sale on its online Christmas Shop: shop.dorothyhouse.org.uk and in the charity’s retail shops around the city.

Visit: dorothyhouse.org.uk FOODCYCLE BATH FoodCycle Bath collects surplus food from local supermarkets and prepares a three course community meal, organised by volunteers, on a weekly basis.

FoodCycle was first launched in London in 2008, and the Bath branch was set up five years ago by those who wanted to reduce food waste and tackle food poverty in the city. Across the country, 15% of guests to FoodCycle branches are homeless or living in temporary accommodation, with 42% having used or are using food banks.

In 2016 the charity saved more than 5.5 tons of perfectly edible food in Bath and cooked more than 1,000 meals with 1,900 volunteer hours.

Volunteers collect food, cook and serve nutritious meals every Wednesday evening at St Mary’s Catholic Church on Julian Road.

There is no requirement to volunteer every week or for a set amount of time, you simply sign up to whichever sessions you are able to attend using an online rota system.

FoodCycle Bath will be working hard to find extra supplies for the charity’s big Christmas meal. If you would like to help donate, then go online or email: bath@foodcycle.org.uk to find out more.

Visit: foodcycle.org.uk/location/bath GENESIS TRUST Genesis Trust Bath supports homeless, disadvantaged and vulnerable people around Bath. The charity provides food and clothing, as well as offering advice, training and work placements, with the aim of helping people move forward with their lives.

Genesis began in 1990 when local hairdresser Gail Hodges discovered teenagers rummaging in a bin for food. Realising that they were sleeping rough, she began to provide them with soup each night. The Bath Soup Run was born as a co-ordinated effort

involving many of the churches in Bath and it still runs today, providing hot food for people living on the streets.

One of the trust’s projects, Lifeline, started in 2003 and provides a safe and warm space for homeless and rough sleepers to access a hot drink, food and clothing, and where they can use computers and seek advice on issues related to housing, debt and addiction. Last year Lifeline hosted more than 8,000 visits, gave out 1,500 items of clothing and footwear and 640 emergency food parcels.

Genesis Trust has been chosen to take part in the UK’s biggest match funding campaign, the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2017.

Donations made via: theBigGive.org.uk will be doubled during the campaign which runs from 28 November to 5 December, and will help the charity to open its Lifeline Centre on Saturdays.

You can also donate online, or give furniture for the charity’s Furniture Project and warm clothing to the Lifeline Centre.

Visit: genesistrust.org.uk BATH FOODBANK The Bath Foodbank, which is run entirely by volunteers, provides food parcels to individuals and families in crisis around the city. Last year the organisation fed more than 3,000 people, and this year it has seen an enormous increase in demand by local people for a variety of reasons, such as illness, unemployment and redundancy, with the most common reason being benefit delays or changes.

Foodbank clients are given a voucher by one of more than 100 agencies throughout the city and can present it at one of the three distribution centres at Manvers Street Baptist Church, on the High Street in Twerton, and at St Barnabas Church in Southdown.

The Foodbank is grateful to supermarkets, schools, churches, businesses and individuals for their generous support in donating food.

If your business might be interested in sponsoring the Foodbank’s running costs, then go online and get in touch.

Visit: bath.foodbank.org.uk n

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FOOD | HEROES

WHEN YOU GROW TIRED OF TURKEY Melissa Blease takes a little trip around the world as she samples the street food and the international cuisine available right here in Bath

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❝

The beef chilli is the stuff of legend among hungry office workers, but absolute beginners should opt for the signature club sandwich laden with salad

❝

lthough our collective tastebuds have been awoken to the delights of far-flung flavours and inspirations gleaned from across the globe, a whopping 87% of UK families duly adhere to the “turkey for Christmas” diktat.

But even if you do choose to opt for being totally traditional on the big day itself, party menus based around far-flung flavours are trending in Bath this year. Leading by example, cosy Argyle Street bistro Chez Dominique is flaunting fully-French flavours on its festive menu, with turkey only available for those that specifically request it, and for a small supplement.

The turkey option at the lovely, lively and stylish Circus Restaurant in Brock Street, meanwhile, comes in Italian-inspired saltimbocca rather than roast format, while dishes such as cauliflower, cumin and white lentil fritters served with bahara-roasted romanesco, and a dessert of pineapple served with lychées, pawpaw and mango and jalapeño meringue, prove just how popular our taste for the exotic has become. But such a trend is most definitely for life, not just for Christmas – and we’re not all sitting down at a restaurant table to indulge.

In 2017, authentic, cross-continent street food (as in fast, freshly prepared, nonassembly line, wallet-friendly, grab’n’go grub) hit the Bath streets in a big way.

Now highly regarded for being one of the earliest ventures to both awaken our senses and change our habits, the Thai Hut opened as a pop-up venture in Green Park Station in 2015 and, having established a firm fan base and a massive reputation for greatness, has since taken over a permanent chalet specialising in authentic, affordable, freshlycooked Thai food from pad Thais and penangs to massamans, loads of veggie/vegan variations, sticky rice and nibbles such as Thai chicken skewers for just £1. You can scoff on the hoof, at a picnic table, or take your grub away for later, and even the heartiest dishes don’t cost more than £7.

Also on GPS territory, JC’s Kitchen – a more recent addition to the Bath street food scene, cooking up fabulous Filipino flavours – offers the kind of food that, let’s be honest, you’re never going to attempt to make at home (or if you do, you’re unlikely to make it as good as this.) Menus are largely based around free range chicken (lechon manok rotisserie roasted, to be precise), but belly pork features too, alongside meat-free specials. Create your own combinations dished up from huge simmering cauldrons and pots, served on sourdough flatbreads

with spuds, spicy bean rice, salads, coleslaw, sauces, etc. Service is fast, friendly and theatrical, too – presented with flourish.

Meanwhile, over in SouthGate . . . If you’ve cruised along the main SouthGate drag at lunchtime, you’ll have seen the eager queues for food at the LJ Hugs pagoda.

Music, action and food served on the street here is loud, proud and Cajun, through and through (although the company itself, established in 2013, is based in Somerset.)

The beef chilli is the stuff of legend amongst hungry office workers, but absolute beginners should opt for the signature club sandwich, laden with salad and your choice of sauce from a selection that includes piri

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piri and maple.

But we can’t talk about Bath’s street food revolution without paying a visit to a tiny little booth on the edge of Kingsmead Square. Niraj Gadher opened Chai Walla – which specialises in meat-free Indian fast food – as a pop-up experiment almost a year ago. The venture proved to be so successful that Niraj has recently opened a second popup on Bristol’s Stokes Croft. So why is Chai Walla so successful? Just one nibble of Niraj’s richly caramelised samosas, or one slurp of his velvety, comforting daal will answer that question in seconds, while going for broke – however, even a main course here won’t set you back more than around £6 – and ordering, say, samosa chaat (chickpea curry crumbled with samosa, topped with crunchy noodles and dotted with tamarind sauce), or a falafel wrap stuffed with all manner of saucy/salady options gives even the most committed packed lunch addicts more than enough reason to step away from the Tupperware.

But while restaurants that serve so-called “street food” as part of their formal menu shouldn’t have any place in this feature, there is one venture that has managed that

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FOOD | HEROES

BREAK FROM THE TRADITIONAL: main image, Vietnamese dishes served at Noya’s Kitchen Above, more mouthwatering street food from Seadog and Hoba kebabs, also to be found in Kingsmead Square during December

crossover point very successfully.

At the age of seven, Noya Pawlyn and her family fled southern Vietnam as a refugee during the 1970s conflict.

Now living in Bear Flat with a family of her own, Noya’s instinctive feel for recreating the dishes of her homeland led to her inspirational idea to host pop-up supper clubs at a tiny café around the corner from her home.

Since hosting her first pop-up in 2013, the events proved to be immensely successful; places were often fully-booked months in advance.

her own takeaway service next year.

Until then, an advance booking only supper club service offering a tasting menu based the food that Noya loves to cook will be offered from Thursday to Saturday evenings, and lunch served from Monday through to Saturday.

While Bath may not be known for a city that starts revolutions, these tasteful folk serving up their fresh, international cuisine to growing numbers of appreciative customers, are most definitely taking to the streets. n

But as of this month, we don’t have to wait quite so long to sample Noya’s vibrant Vietnamese cuisine, as she’s opened her own restaurant on St James’s Parade. Noya has created an environment that’s as warm, welcoming and sociable as her previous informal supper club – and anybody who has eaten their way around, say, Saigon, or Hanoi, or Da Nang, will know that not all real Vietnamese street food has to be eaten on the actual street; cafés, teahouses, noodle bars and restaurants offer eatin and takeaway services. Noya plans

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FOOD | NEWS

CELEBRITY CHEFS COOK FOR FILMGOERS

TITBITS

DINE IN STYLE: tables on the terrace at the Roman Baths

■ Enjoy a romantic evening by torchlight overlooking the centuries-old Roman Baths as the Victorian covered terrace is opened up for a series of pre-Christmas dinners. For £60 a head, diners will be welcomed at the Baths with a glass of fizz, followed by a five course dinner overlooking the atmospheric scene below. Searcys, the catering company which has been entertaining guests at The Pump Room and Roman Baths for many years, is hosting these evenings. The dining season runs from Sunday 17 to Saturday 23 December. To book. tel: 01225 444477.

■ Tickets have gone on sale for an evening with chef Tom Kerridge at Christ Church, Julian Road, Bath, on Thursday 18 January, from 8pm. He’ll be talking about his impressive 11 stone weight loss and sharing tips and tricks from his BBC tie-in book Lose Weight for Good. Tickets from £8 from Topping & Co booksellers, the Paragon.

Two chefs who are household names, are to turn their hands to creating delicious menus for filmgoers at a new culinary cinema experience coming to Bath in December.

Rick Stein and Tom Kerridge will craft set menus for audiences, who will be seated on comfy red sofas set up in a large movie theatre marquee in Royal Victoria Park, while they watch some classic Christmas films. A programme of around 20 films will include Christmas classics such as Love Actually, It’s a Wonderful Life and Elf, as well as other much-loved films including Casablanca and Forrest Gump.

The pop-up has been organised by The Gourmet Picture Company and will run from Thursday 14 – Sunday 24 December, and Wednesday 27 December – Sunday 7 January. Most of the screenings will take place in the evenings, as well as some matinee showings.

Rick Stein has created a menu featuring a twist on a prawn cocktail, followed by a fish curry influenced by his cookbook on India, or a Sri Lankan vegetarian cashew curry. The meal will finish with ice cream made by Tom Kerridge’s team at the two Michelin starred Hand and Flowers. This menu will be available with films being shown from Thursday 14 – Sunday 24 December.

For the second half of the pop-up, Tom

CROWD PLEASER: chef, TV presenter and restaurateur Rick Stein

Kerridge will be serving his take on some pub classics including a Caesar salad and pulled pork macaroni cheese, as well as his delicate ice cream. Tom’s menu will be on offer from Wednesday 27 December – Sunday 7 January. The menus are subject to change. This pop-up follows the sell-out success of similar summer events held at Cliveden House in Buckinghamshire and Chewton Glen hotel in Hampshire.

Tickets are now on sale. Expect them to sell out fast, visit: gourmetpicturecompany.co.uk.

BUILDING DREAM CAKES

DELICACIES: vegan pesto is just one of the specialist foods available from The Italian Food Hall, George Street

AWARD WINNER: David Waldren’s unicorn cake won silver at Cake International 2016

■ The finest Italian regional produce from small, mainly family owned businesses has been brought to the heart of Bath, as The Italian Food Hall opens at Edgar Buildings in George Street. Italian Laura Doria, who owns the delicatessen with her Italian partners Luca De Gregorio and Luca Galleti, has imported a huge array of Italian delicacies, from fresh cheeses such as burrata, ricotta and gorgonzola, cured meats, pasta sauces and pasta plus chocolates and biscuits. The Italian Food Hall also offer fresh paninis and coffee to take away, alongside tasting plates in the shop and, for Christmas, the opportunity to make up an authentic Italian hamper of goodies to enjoy at home.

Baker David Waldren has opened a new shop and cake and coffee takeaway, The Cake Architect in Silver Street in the centre of Bradford on Avon.

David, a 23-year-old architecture graduate – which is how he earned his nickname – has been designing, baking and decorating bespoke wedding cakes for several years and his new business gives him a window display to showcase them. He particularly enjoys making ambitious sculpted cakes: his incredible unicorn bust cake won a silver award at Cake International 2016.

David began baking as a child. He said: “I’ve always loved baking and cooking in general my whole life and I used to bake with my mum when I was a kid. She used to

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Portrait by Andrew Nash

make me some pretty cool birthday cakes every year.”

The Cake Architect will be selling cupcakes and hot drinks to take away and will have a Classic Range of celebration cakes to order and personalise at short notice. David, who will be working from an open kitchen at the back of the shop, will also continue to design to order, making extravagant wedding and celebration cake dreams a reality. For wedding cakes he offers a free consultation and tasting, which can be held in the living room of the flat he shares with his fiancée Esther, above the shop.

To see more of David’s wonderful creations, go to The Cake Architect’s Facebook page, or visit: thecakearchitect.co.uk.

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THE BEST OF ITALY! NEW ITALIAN SPECIALITY FOOD HALL AND DELI NOW OPEN! • Authentic Italian store selling the very best products from regional artisan producers • Huge array of traditional Italian delicacies and family favourites • Lots of gluten-free and vegan choices • Takeaway panini and coffee or try one of our tasting plates • Create your own hamper or select a gift voucher – the perfect Christmas gift!

The Italian Food Hall, 8 Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath, BA1 2EE 쏽 01225 334127 Open 10 – 7pm www.theitalianfoodhall.com @ItalianFoodHall theitalianfoodhall

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FOOD | & | DRINK

WHAT KIND OF TIPPER ARE YOU – SANTA OR SCROOGE? With festive feasting coming up Melissa Blease examines the practice of tipping serving staff and talks to some of the people at the sharp end of our gratuitous gestures

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to leave on the table after they’ve all paid their sections of the bill. This is more likely to happen if it’s a table of tourists; I think they’re thinking, ‘we’ll probably never come here again, so we don’t care what the staff think of us.’ But I’d rather have a table leave nothing at all than 84p between four of them – it’s just condescending.”

Whether we agree with the practice or not, tipping is a time-honoured way of recognising good service while offering a quantifiable thank you to a person who works in an industry that’s hardly renowned for paying generous wages. While restaurant staff wages shouldn’t be our responsibility, some restaurant owners believe it’s OK to take extra cash from their customers to contribute towards staff’s take-home pay.

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fewer than half of all restaurant workers get to keep tips given by customers

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any folk do it without giving the issue a second thought, rounding the bill up to a few quid above the bottom line. Some people apply a more studious method, “rewarding” staff for “good behaviour” and applying penalties when service hasn’t been as efficient as they’d like it to be. Others take a clinical approach, whipping out calculators in order to strictly adhere to adding 10 – 15% to the total sum (the required amount, according to Debrett’s, the UK’s number one authority on social etiquette.)

So, what kind of tipper are you: Santa or Scrooge? But be careful how you respond to that question because as many psychologists, from armchair to professional, will tell you, apparently your attitude to tipping restaurant staff says more about your personality than your job, your handwriting or your body language.

“I can always tell when I’m serving a newly-dating couple because the man – and it is still usually the man – is always particularly generous when it comes to leaving a tip . . . as long as his date can see how much he leaves!” says Erica, who works at a popular city centre gastropub in Bath. “He’s letting his date know that firstly, he’s not short of cash, and secondly, he’s not mean – nobody wants to date a meanie, do they?” Very true. But there are indeed plenty of meanies around, as Stan who works in a diner in Southgate reports.

“It’s not unusual for a table of diners to rifle around for a few coins of spare change

A recent survey conducted by the Institute for Public Service discovered that fewer than half of all restaurant workers get to keep tips given by customers, as their bosses put gratuities towards staff wages: a practice that was officially outlawed by the Government back in 2009 but apparently still goes on today, albeit in many clever disguises.

“I worked for a restaurant which only let floor staff take home tips to a maximum of £10 a week as the rest had to go towards kitchen staff wages,” says one Bath waiter.

“I’ve been told that the cost of processing a tip left on a credit or debit card comes to more than the tip itself, so the restaurant I work for can’t afford to do it,” says another.

But there’s no law that requires that tips left by customers go to the restaurant staff anyway.

Little wonder, then, that 83% of the people polled for the IPC survey – many of them former or current waiting staff

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themselves – believe that the Government should amend consumer protection laws so that both employees and customers are clear about tipping policies and cover charges.

Ah, cover charges: is this a tip – or a tax?

Cover and so-called discretionary service charges are increasingly appearing as an extra cost added at the end of our total restaurant bill.

“The restaurant I work in adds a 15% service charge to all bills during evening service,” says a waiter at a recently-opened, big name chain in Bath. “I can tally up what tips the team should be sharing at the end of any given shift just from the number of tables we’ve served, but we never get anything close to that amount at the end of the evening. The bosses say that the cover charge goes towards the general cost of servicing the whole restaurant, from cleaning the loos to changing the lightbulbs.

But when people see a service charge, they think it’s going directly to the people who served them their meal.”

There are customers, however, who may not even notice the additional charge; at the end of a convivial evening out, it’s easy to ignore the small print (and it tends to be very small indeed) which is flagging up an additional cost, generally fluctuating between 12.5 – 15%. And what if the service has been less than efficient anyway?

Asking for the charge to be removed – which you’re totally at liberty to do – isn’t an easy task, especially if there’s been more than one server involved.

Bear in mind too that many restaurants genuinely do share service charges between

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all the staff involved in making your evening go with a swing, from the meet’n’greet team to the kitchen porters who do the dishes and take out the bins – surely those hard-working people shouldn’t be penalised if your main server has been sulky, or inept, or just plain lazy?

But we’re getting perilously close to some kind of ancient master-servant power trip relationship here, far removed from a friendly “thank you” custom between equals.

Has the very concept of leaving a gratuity become outmoded altogether? “To be honest, I’d prefer to be paid a decent wage for the work I do, and not have to constantly hope that customers leave me a decent tip in order to help me make ends meet,” said one waiter – and he wasn’t alone in his opinion.

But as the convention of tipping is unlikely to be phased out anytime soon, restaurant customers can play a big part in putting a stop to bad practice. Top tips for ensuring your server actually gains from your gesture include paying all gratuities in cash so there aren’t any transaction costs to be claimed back at the processing point, and asking your server (or even the restaurant manager, or owner) if staff do indeed get their fair share of tips, especially service and cover charge supplements.

As many of us will be eating out over the Christmas holiday, perhaps it’s time we asked the right questions about exactly what happens to the gratuities.

It’s time to stop tiptoeing around the subject of what happens to tips, and demand change. n

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

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

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TRISTAN DARBY Selects three spirits for Christmas, all with a fascinating story to tell

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et’s start off with something perfect for wine-loving gin fans. Four Pillars, Bloody Shiraz (£41, Great Western Wine) is made in the Yarra Valley wine region near Melbourne. Inspired by sloe gin, local shiraz grapes are steeped in Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin for eight weeks before the fruit is pressed, and more gin added to lift the abv back to 37.8%, stronger than sloe gin to pack more of a punch.

The gin starts sweet and intensely fruity, but the juniper, herbs, citrus and spice from the dry gin kick in, leading to a delicious, orange-citrus finish. Stonking to sip on its own, an interesting alternative to after dinner port, or stretch it with ice and tonic, and add an orange wheel.

Whyte & Mackay’s Shackleton (£34, GWW) is inspired by polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. The blend is based on a 100-year-old whisky stashed beneath the floorboards of Shackleton’s Antarctic base camp in 1907. Eleven intact bottles were found preserved in the ice in 2007, the last of 25 cases of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky Shackleton took on his Nimrod South Pole expedition to boost morale among his team. Whyte & Mackay’s legendary blender, Richard The Nose Paterson, got hold of some and set about recreating it using rare antique whisky

from the company vaults. The first release was launched as The Discovery, then a second The Journey using the same base whiskies.

Shackleton is the latest incarnation based on the same flavour profile, and made with a selection of Highland single malts married together for an extended time in ex-bourbon American oak barrels and Spanish sherry butts. This is a very accessible and well-crafted blend at a great price point. Complex and smooth with notes of toffee apples, butterscotch, raisins, vanilla, honey and a hint of smoke on the finish. My current fireside sipper, well worth a try, and with such a great story it would make a great gift.

Another Highland malt with a good story is Compass Box, Spice Tree (£45, GWW). First released in 2005 to great acclaim, but discontinued as Compass Box used French oak staves inside American oak barrels – which did not sit well with the Scotch Whisky Association. The new production method involves first maturation in a combination of new and refill American oak casks but with a second maturation for up to two years in barrels with American oak bodies and French oak heads.

Each head is given one of three levels of toasting, creating more layers of complexity when the different casks are blended. Spice Tree is big and rich but there’s a lovely balance between the intense fruit, oak, and spice notes. The palate is pretty round and sweet at first, but not heavy, building to layers of cinnamon and cloves with vanilla then a tiny spot of smoky peat. Long and complex on the finish, this is a great dram perfect for end of dinner or end of night contemplation.

Join Tristan for a Christmas food and wine pairing on Thursday 14 December at Great Western Wine.

Visit: greatwesternwine/events to book. n

6.30pm Bar opens; 7pm Dinner; 12am Carriages

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MOTORING | TEST DRIVE

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MOTORING | TEST DRIVE

THE REAL MCLAREN Breaking into the 700hp+ club, this is McLaren’s most powerful Super Series car in production.

Engineered in Woking, it’s also automotive perfection.

Words by Chris Lilly

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s famous names go in the car world, there aren’t many bigger than McLaren. It has a heritage built up over more than 50 years – although predominantly as a racing team. As a manufacturer, McLaren has rather less history, technically only going back to 2010 – ignoring the part it played in the earlier Mercedes-Benz SLR and legendary McLaren F1, which were essentially just special projects.

Despite its limited impact on the timeline of the production car then, McLaren has got its skates on. Already we have had the 12C, 650, 675, 570, and P1. Considering there were convertible versions of three of those models, plus long-tail or GT specifications and various special editions, a quick count on the company’s website shows 19 models since 2010. For a company in the rarefied world in which McLaren sits, the Wokingbased firm has been rather busy.

The latest is the £218,020 McLaren 720S. This is the second-generation of McLaren’s Super Series, which sits above the Sports Series for extremely rapid sports cars, and below the Ultimate Series reserved for hypercars – which only the P1 has resided so far. The 720S is a supercar in the traditional sense, taking on the likes of Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, and Porsche in the fight for the ultimate road car.

McLaren’s stats stack up well too, giving the 720S some convincing foundations on paper at least. The ‘720’ part of the badge refers to how much horsepower it produces.

That oomph comes from a new 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8, which also produces 770Nm of torque, and it all goes through a smooth and quick-shifting, seven-speed dual-

clutch gearbox to the rear wheels.

A power to weight ratio of 561hp per tonne is good for a 0-62mph time of just 2.9 seconds. Drivers will hit 124mph from standstill in only 7.8 seconds, and the McLaren will top out at 212mph. Bona fide supercar indeed.

Numbers are only part of the game though. Apart from the engine, McLaren has also used a new version of its carbon-fibre tub – the Monocage II. A fresh design language has come through too, as has new suspension and an updated proactive chassis control system.

Starting with the Monocage II; this provides a light, but extremely strong basis around which to build the 720S, and the new version also helps with the McLaren’s practicality. Upper components are thinner than before, which creates an airy cabin with excellent visibility – for a supercar at least. It has also made the sills smaller and easier to climb over. The styling is something that sees form follow function to a degree, but the 720S – which can look a little odd in some photos – works very well as a design in the metal. It helps that when you have a look about it, you can see the channels and vents behind the bodyshell; all there to work the airflow to keep the 720S on the ground at speed without the need for flicks, flaps, and huge wings.

There is a rear wing, it must be remembered. It’s built into the smoothly sculpted rear so discreetly that I had forgotten about it until testing the brakes, when it popped up in the rear-view mirror, acting as an air brake. That air brake helps bring the 720S to a stop incredibly quickly when needs must, with a strong and progressive brake pedal giving confidence in how well you can control the McLaren.

The 720S bristles with technology, but the best bit is that it can either be used intensively, or left to its own devices and the systems get on with things behind the scenes.

The car’s suspension uses the proactive chassis control to keep things level whether accelerating or braking hard, or tipping the 720S into corners far quicker than one should. Pitch and roll is remarkably well contained, and the rest of the time – when you’re not driving on a track or like a

nutcase – the 720S behaves like a Grand Tourer with a comfortable ride and a ‘useall-day’ suppleness to its springs.

Should you wish, you can change the settings, and even split the configurations of engine and chassis control, but you will rarely need to do anything with the McLaren on the road – it’s that flexible. The gearbox is happy to let it potter along at sedate speeds around town without fear of stalling embarrassingly. Equally, the 720S is quick enough even in normal settings to reconfigure your mind to what’s possible on UK roads.

Even in fast cars, there is normally a thought process needed when you come up behind something to be overtaken. It might be clear, but is there enough space to accelerate, get past, and then drop back into the correct lane? In the 720S there is always space. The pick-up offered by that V8 shows no sign of turbo-lag, and an almost telepathic throttle response will pin you into your seat as a huge grin spreads across your face.

It’s that combination between huge speed – there is mention that the 720S is as quick around a track as a P1 – and everyday usability that makes the McLaren such a special car. In McLaren’s lowlier Sports Series, I prefer the ‘softer’ 570GT to the sharper 570S because I feel that, in the highly unlikely situation I’ll ever own one, I could use more of its potential more often.

In the 720S there is no similar need for the practical option – though there is only the S available in the 720 series anyway. The breadth of talent displayed by the McLaren means it can be both track-day superstar and GT in one. The seating position might be set up to encourage heel-and-toe driving and perfect racing lines, but I reckon the 720S will cross a continent and deliver its occupants at the other end as refreshed (and happier) then when they left.

It’s a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde creation in the best possible way, with such a blend between the extremes that it doesn’t feel as though you’ve got two different characters, but one supremely talented car. ■

• mclaren.com

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CITY | PEOPLE

CITYNEWS THE AUTHENTIC TASTE OF COLOMBIA

News

n New bollards and concrete barriers have

been installed around Bath city centre as a security measure, as they have been in other cities across the UK. To coincide with the opening of Bath Christmas Market the new barriers have been set up by B&NES Council, Visit Bath, Southgate Bath and Bath BID, working in partnership. They will help prevent vehicles from being driven onto pedestrian areas, keeping shoppers safe. These precautions are in addition to more than 200 CCTV cameras around the city.

Colombian born coffee importer Jhampoll Gutierrez Gomez – known to many Bathonians at the Bath Artisan Market and Bath Brunch Market as JP – has opened a coffee house in Abbey Green. Customers at The Colombian Company coffee house can enjoy authentic Colombian coffee, made from speciality green coffee beans from small farms. Find the coffee house near the side entrance to Marks & Spencer, where JP and his Spanish wife Veronica are also selling Colombian chocolate, coffee beans and panela (sugar cane).

WELCOME: JP and Veronica Gomez of The Colombian Coffee Company

PRIVATE WASTE COMPANY WILL COLLECT n Abbey Mews Townhouse in Pierrepont Place has won VisitEngland’s Rose Award in recognition of excellent customer service. It is the only property in the region to have won such an award. Kate Timms, owner of the holiday let property, which sleeps up to ten, said: “I fashioned the house on the Bath townhouses that were let out for groups of elite ladies in Bath’s Georgian heyday – and wanted it to be the very best in class for large groups. And I must thank everyone in our brilliant team of bookers, greeters and cleaners for their wonderful, enduring help.“ The mews house is believed to have been built on the site of an old gardener’s cottage when the area was laid out to orchards in monastic times. Visit: abbeymewsbath.co.uk.

Householders fed up with a rising tide of rubbish can use the services of family-run JW Waste Recycling which collects domestic and commercial waste in Bath and the surrounding area. Company founder Jamie Witt said: “Our company’s motto is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and since we set up the business in 2006 our aim is to be 100% diversion from landfill. This means we are committed to finding alternative greener solutions to our waste disposal, and committed to reducing our usage of natural resources.”

Now that Bath and North East Somerset Council has reduced its weekly collections of domestic waste, from once every week to once every two weeks, JW Waste Recycling believes there will be residents who will prefer to opt for this extra, private service.

JW Waste Recycling is leading the way in residential waste and recycling collection with a cost effective and reliable service, helping homes with their waste disposal services.

Jamie said: “We are collecting residential domestic waste every two weeks, in between the councils collection. Customers are able to purchase a roll of pre paid waste sacks or a wheelie bin and benefit from a free and efficient collection of any excess domestic waste. We will also collect any cardboard recycling for free with this service.”

Talk to a member of JW Waste Recycling’s team for more information on domestic rubbish collection or see the website for details of the collection in your area: jwwaste.co.uk, email: info@jwwaste.co.uk or tel: 01761 479 444.

BATH BUSINESS BAROMETER UPDATE: OCTOBER 2017

provided for

High Street Footfall (Month on month % change)

n October was a difficult month for UK retail sales with the biggest fall since the height of the recession. Bath, however, continues to provide an attractive destination with an uplift in footfall compared to September. Half-term week (coinciding with the Bath Business Improvement District’s At Home promotion) showed a remarkable additional 200,000 footfall. Saturday 7th was the busiest day of the month and the peak hours continue to be at the middle of the day.

Springboard Research Ltd.

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ocl A C C O U N TA N C Y

141 Englishcombe Lane,

Christmas is a time for giving!

Bath BA2 2EL Tel: 01225 445507

www.oclaccountancy.com

Reduce the tax bill when you sell your company When you sell your business (& meet certain conditions) you can benefit from the special entrepreneurs’ relief (ER) tax rate of 10% regardless of how much your income and other gains are.

In addition, before this ‘Capital Gains Tax’ kicks in, every individual has an amount of gain that is exempt from tax; this is £11,300 in the current tax year.

There are also special CGT rules in the case of assets transferred between spouses; if one gives assets to the other (such as shares) there is no tax payable. When the spouse who received the shares later sells them for a gain (profit) they can use their own annual exemption to reduce or remove any CGT. By this simple move you can reduce the tax burden further, benefitting from a second annual exemption.

These transfers only apply to gifts to a spouse / civil partner and not to anyone else. If you give shares to your children (so they receive money from the sale of your company) the gift would be treated as if you had sold the shares at their full value (giving rise to a CGT liability).

However, you can avoid this by claiming CGT holdover relief which gives a result similar to giving shares to your spouse. The gain is “held over” until the children sell their shares (unless they are minors).

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

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

What our clients say:

“Thank you for your excellent customer service, OCL has one of the best things we have done as a business”

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

And finally……

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients for their support and business in 2017 and to wish them every success for the NewYear.We would also like to wish the readers of this great publication the same and hope to meet more of them in 2018.

Merry Christmas and a Happy NewYear!

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t’s that time of year when we’re all thinking about gifts and giving, and looking forward to spending Christmas with family and friends. It’s also a good time of year to think about longer term giving as part of your estate planning, if your estate is likely to exceed the Inheritance Tax (IHT) threshold on your death.

As you probably know, if you plan to make substantial gifts to individuals, in most circumstances you need to survive for more than seven years for the value to fall outside of your estate for IHT. There are a number of useful exemptions to the seven year rule for smaller gifts.

In any year, you can give away up to £3,000. You can carry forward all or part of the previous year’s unused allowance to the next tax year so you could give a maximum of £6,000 in a tax year. In addition, you can give gifts of up to £250 to any individual and provided you don’t give them more than that in total in the tax year, then this doesn’t use up your £3,000 annual allowance.

You can make gifts in consideration of marriage or civil partnership to your children, grandchildren or friends; the amount you can give depends on your relationship to them but ranges from £5,000 from each parent to a child to £1,000 to a friend.

Another useful exemption allows you to make regular gifts out of surplus income. If you are able to maintain your standard of living on your income and are left with a surplus, you can make gifts from this each year and it will not need to be brought back into account if you die within seven years. For people with high income levels, this can prove to be a very useful exemption.

It may be that rather than using these smaller exemptions, you would like to make more substantial transfers to get on with estate planning.

However, if now is not the right time to give substantial assets outright to the next generation, perhaps because they are too young or not yet sensible enough to spend it wisely then a trust may be a good way of going about it.

Trusts can also help if, rather than giving cash, you plan to give away an asset with a large capital gain built into it; with a trust the gain can be held over so that you don’t have to pay any capital gains tax which you would if you gave the asset to an individual outright. This means that the gain is deferred.

The seven year rule still applies to gifts into trust and if you put in more than £325,000 initially, some tax could be payable at that point.

Trusts are a legitimate part of financial planning and anyone can set one up. There are many different types of trust but for lifetime giving, they will usually take the form of a discretionary trust. In these, the trustor will name a number of potential beneficiaries. Trustees are then appointed (these could be family members or professional trustees, or a combination of both) who will decide who benefits from the trust, at what age, and how much they receive. Although you may have a general intention that your children or grandchildren should benefit from the trust equally, you can retain flexibility and direct benefits to the right beneficiary when needed.

Another form of trust is a disabled person’s trust, which has favourable tax treatment. These can be used effectively where you have a family member whose particular needs mean that you would like to know that you have provided for their future.

So, while you are busy giving and receiving this Christmas, why not give some thought to the longer term picture too? Estate planning is sensible to identify effective and tax efficient ways to pass assets onto loved ones. At Mogers Drewett, we have been advising clients on estate planning and trusts for many years and would be very happy to discuss your individual needs.

David Hill is Head of Private Client at Mogers Drewett. Tel: 01225 750000 www.mogersdrewett.com

Call Marie Maggs, Mike Wilcox or Hannah Pettifer on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting 88 TheBATHMagazine

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Holiday Revision Courses:

11th December – 22nd December 12th – 16th February 2018

January to June A Level Re-sit Courses

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

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specialist advice across a range of financial services

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Worried about Inheritance Tax? Our financial planning advice delivers solutions tailored to your needs.

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FAMILY | EVENTS

FAMILY DIARY IDEAS FOR THINGS TO DO WITH THE CHILDREN THIS MONTH THE NUTCRACKER FAMILY SHOW Sunday 3 December, 3pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1DZ Close your eyes, make a wish and dream of a land of sweets, snowmen and malevolent mouse kings. Journey with Clara through the Enchanted Kingdom and jump through the Hoop of Talent to star in the show. Michael Loader teams up with ballet dancer Phoebe Wilkinson and members of the Lochrian String Quartet to bring to life this classic tale of magic and adventure. Tickets: £8 adults, £4 children. Visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk or tel: 01225 860100.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID AUTHOR JEFF KINNEY Sunday 3 December, 4pm n Bath Pavilion, North Parade Road Jeff Kinney, author of the international bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, will make his only UK appearance at Bath Pavilion as part of the year-round programme of events offered by Bath Children’s Literature Festival. This is a mustsee for Wimpy Kid fans. Prepare for take-off with this hugely entertaining family event, suitable for ages seven and above.

Tickets: £8.50. Visit: bathfestivals.org.uk or tel: 01225 462231.

SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS Thursday 7 December – Sunday 7 January 2018, times vary n Theatre Royal Bath This year’s big panto features Snow White who has to flee the wrath of her wicked stepmother, played by Absolutely Fabulous actress Harriet Thorpe, to the safety of the home of the seven dwarfs. Much loved comedian Jon Monie returns to Bath as Muddles, and EastEnders’ Nick Wilton will play Nursie. Visit: theatreroyal.org.uk or tel: 01225 448844.

LITTLE MERMAID Thursday 7 December – Sunday 14 January, times vary n The egg Thousands of leagues deep beneath the sea, a shipwrecked 1950s cruise liner is the grand palace where five little mermaids live – but don’t imagine this is going to be a princess story . . . Thrillingly magical, breathtakingly visual, hilarious and mischievous, Little Mermaid promises an amazing family adventure, all set to a shimmering soundtrack of classic 80s pop. Tickets: £18.50 adults, £12 children. Suitable for ages five and above. Visit: theatreroyal.org.uk.

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Bath Philharmonia presents The Snowman and The Bear © Snowman Enterprises Ltd

Also at The egg this month AURORA Friday 15 December – Sunday 7 January 2018, times vary Aurora is a brand new early years Christmas show inspired by Inuit folklore and the science surrounding one of the world’s most magical natural phenomena. Your ringside seat inside the Northern Lights awaits.

Suitable for six months – four year olds.

Tickets: £8.50 adults, £7.50 children.

GRANDPARENTS AND GRANDKIDS Saturday 8 December, 11am – noon n Victoria Art Gallery Grandparents and grandchildren can enjoy making art together in this special session.

Included in admission price, no need to book. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Visit: victoriagal.org.uk.

Also at Victoria Art Gallery this month IT’S THE MOST ARTY TIME OF THE YEAR Saturday 16 December, 10.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30 – 3.30pm n Victoria Art Gallery Create seasonal art at this family activity to take away and decorate your home. Included in admission price, no need to book.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

CINDERELLA Friday 8 – Wednesday 13 December, times vary n The Mission Theatre, Corn Street, Bath Cinderella, the old tale of rags to riches, takes a modern twist in this completely original pantomime which will have you laughing out loud. Tickets: £10 adults,

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£7 concs. Tickets available via Bath Box Office, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk or tel: 01225 463362. Visit: missiontheatre.co.uk.

CREATE: ART Saturday 9 December, 10.30am – 12.30pm n The Edge, University of Bath Spend some quality time together developing your artistic skills and learning some top tips for making art at home. Takes place in the Fine Art Studio. £5 per child, £3 per adult, children must be accompanied by an adult.

Suitable for five – 11 year olds. Pre-booking advised, limited spaces.

MEET SANTA Saturday 9 – Sunday 10 and Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 December, 12 – 3pm n American Museum in Britain, Claverton Manor, Bath Ho ho ho! Can you hear those sleigh bells ringing? Pop into the American Museum to meet Santa in his grotto, and tell him and the elves what you’d like to find under the tree on Christmas morning. £5 per child, includes a gift. Booking essential. Visit: americanmuseum.org or tel: 01225 460503.

TEDDY’S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS Thursday 14 December, 10 – 11.15am n King Edward’s Pre-Prep and Nursery, Weston Lane, Bath Head to Teddy’s Lodge at KES for a funfilled morning of festive crafts, as well as the chance to meet Father Christmas and his real reindeers. Suitable for ages two and above.

Everyone welcome. Limited off street parking available. £5 per person, booking in advance essential, tel: 01225 421681. Visit: kesbath.com.

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FAMILY | EVENTS THE LOST PRESENT Thursday 14 – Saturday 23 December, times vary n The Rondo Theatre, St Saviours Road Vic and Ed love their jobs in The Lost Present Department but they also love singing, playing games and being rascally.

Now it’s Christmas and they have more present sorting than ever . . . but there is always time for fun isn’t there? Or will there be presents that don’t reach the children? A festive, fun-filled hour of mischief and mayhem with plenty of comedy, live music and songs to make all the family chuckle.

Suitable for ages three and above. Visit: rondotheatre.co.uk or tel: 0333 666 3366.

THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 December, times vary n The Pound, Pound Pill, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 9HX The Last Baguette theatre company transports audiences to Victorian London in this touching and humorous retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale.

Tickets: £8 adults, £7 cons, £28 family. Visit: poundarts.org.uk or tel: 01249 701628.

CHRISTMAS JUMPERS Sunday 17 December, 10.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30 – 3.30pm n Fashion Museum Create some Christmas jumper decorations

for a special festive touch. Included in admission price, no need to book. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Visit: fashionmuseum.co.uk.

HOOT, HOOT FOR THE NEW YEAR Sunday 17 December, 11am – 3pm n Roman Baths Make a paper plate owl calendar inspired by Minerva’s owl. Included in admission price, no need to book. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Visit: romanbaths.co.uk.

Tilly who befriends a Polar Bear and who helps him get back to the North Pole. This will be a wonderful combination of orchestral music and animation – the perfect way to start the Christmas holidays with your family. Tickets: £18 adults, £12 under 18s. Tickets available via Bath Box Office, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk or tel: 01225 463362. Visit: bathphil.co.uk.

FAMILY CAROL SERVICE Sunday 17 December, 3pm and 4.15pm n Bath Abbey Children are invited to dress as a shepherd, angel, wise man or citizen of Bethlehem to create a festive Christmas tableau at this popular carol service. Features a real donkey.

All welcome, no reserved seating so arrive early to avoid disappointment. Visit: bathabbey.org.

BATH ON ICE Open daily (except Christmas Day) until Tuesday 2 January 2018, 10.30am – 9.30pm n Royal Victoria Park Bath’s festive ice rink returns, this year with a bigger rink than before! So grab your skates, wrap up warm and have a go at staying on your feet on the ice. Plus Bath’s adventure golf course next door will be illuminated, so you can try your hand at playing glow in the dark mini golf. There’s also plenty of delicious refreshments on offer after a workout on the ice. Visit: bathonice.com or tel: 01225 436888.

THE SNOWMAN AND THE BEAR Friday 22 December, 3.30pm n The Forum Bath Philharmonia presents a double bill of The Bear and The Snowman. After the amazing success of The Snowman, Raymond Briggs and Howard Blake were bought back together by Channel 4 to create another seasonal animation. The Bear is the story of

ART CLUB – POINTY PAINTINGS Saturday 6 January, 10.30am – 12.30pm n Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street Children can explore the work of Georges Seurat in the exhibition Seurat to Riley: The Art of Perception and learn how to re-create his ‘Pointillist’ technique. Booking essential. £10 per child. Visit: holburne.org or tel: 01225 388568. n

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CHRISTMAS | PARTIES

YOUR PARTY NEEDS YOU

Go seamlessly from work to Christmas party, with a little help from the professionals.

Photography by Paul Gillis

I

t’s the party season, when (hopefully) invitations for drinks, dinners and gatherings come, with the encouragement for us to dress up and head out to be sociable. We’re spoilt for choice for places in Bath to go for cocktails or a bite to eat and there are plenty of places that will make you want to put on your glad rags and look your best.

The canny Bath party goer has her party look all organised. She’s got the dress, shoes, bag and gorgeous occasion jacket to take her from work to sparkly gathering. She’ll also have booked herself in for a hair styling and a professional make up session.

We teamed up with the FrontlineStyle salon in Monmouth Street, which provides this professional service, along with designer re-sale fashion store Grace and Ted of Kingsmead Square, which specialises in preowned designer wear. If you want to pick up a beautiful, collectable piece by Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Prada or Gucci this is the place to go looking. Does that special someone hanker after owning a Louis Vuitton bag, but a brand new one will just break the bank? Grace and Ted may have just the piece you’re looking for and, unlike eBay, you can get a close look at the condition of the item before you buy.

THE HAIR A pre-special occasion long hair blow dry at Frontline Style is £25.

Hair stylist Ellie used System Professional Smoothen shampoo and conditioner to prep Robyn’s hair. Sebastian Stylbrid Microfine Mousse was used on the root area for body 94 TheBATHMagazine

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IN FESTIVE MOOD: top left, leaving work, with Charlie the dog, Robyn wears Alexander Wang leather jacket, £270, ankle boots by Sergio Rossi, £130 and Aspinal large Marylebone tote, £490, all from Grace and Ted, Kingsmead Square Main picture, cocktail time at The Dark Horse bar, dress by Gharani Strok, £95, Anouk pumps by Jimmy Choo, £240. On the bar, Chanel East/West flap bag, £1,300 all from Grace and Ted

and Sebastian Dark Oil to seal the hair and add shine and smoothness. Ellie used a large radial brush to add volume and create a soft curl, section by section.

The look was finished with Sebastian Shine Shaker for shimmer and Sebastian Zero Gravity for a light hold.

To get the look at home: System Professional Smoothen shampoo 250ml, £18.25.

System Professional Smoothen conditioner

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200ml, £20.95, Sebastian Stylbrid 9 200ml, £23, Sebastian Dark Oil 95ml, £31, Radial Brush Vented Ceramic, £17.50, Sebastian Shine Shaker 75ml, £21.50, Sebastian Shaper Zero Gravity 400ml £18.

THE MAKE UP Hannah Goldsmith, beauty therapist, treated Robyn to a Clarins 45 minute make up to go session, £45. She began by preparing Robyn’s skin with a refreshing and cleansing

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CHRISTMAS | PARTIES

SET TO GO: left to right, at the Frontline Style salon in Monmouth Street, beauty therapist Hannah Goldsmith applies Robyn’s party make up, before hair stylist Ellie Ellis gently curls Robyn’s long hair. Robyn wears military style velvet evening coat, Ralph Lauren, £300, jeans by 7 for Mankind, £70, gold bootees by Jimmy Choo, £210, bag by Dolce and Gabbana, £200

Clarins One Step cleanser (£21 to buy), Clarins Multi Active eye cream, £35, Clarins Double Serum, £57 and Clarins Multi Active day cream SPF 20, £42.

Hannah then applied a base of Clarins Pore Perfecting Matifying foundation £28, instant concealer, £22, Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base Rose £26.50, Blush Prodige Illuminating cheek colour, Golden Pink, £27, Ever Matte powder £27.50 and Bronzing Duo, £30.

Eyes: Clarins Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base £22, Eye Colour Palette Natural Glow £17.50, Wonder Perfect Mascara Black £21.50,and Eye Pencil Light Brown £17.50. Lips: Clarins Lipliner Roseberry £17.50 and Joli Rouge Litchi £20.

FrontlineStyle also offers an expert hands-on tutorial.

CLARINS MAKE UP ONE-TO-ONE, 60 MINS, £50 Trying different colours and application techniques under expert guidance will help you achieve a fresh and flattering new look. Whether you want a whole new make-up look or ideas for a special occasion, prepare to be inspired.

WITH THANKS To model Robyn Oakes, who is the receptionist at FrontlineStyle, photographer Paul Gillis, visit: paulgillisphoto.com, Emma and Sharon Savage of Grace and Ted designer re-sale fashion, Kingsmead Square and The Dark Horse bar, also Kingsmead Square To book hair or make up sessions at FrontlineStyle tel: 01225478478, email: bath@frontlinestyle.co.uk, or visit: frontlinestyle.co.uk. n THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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HEALTH | & | BEAUTY

A SALON TRENDSETTER

Harriet Barber reveals how B Hairdressing is paving the way among beauty establishments in the city by being a cruelty-free and ethical salon

A

t B Hairdressing we think a little differently . . . Hairdressing outside the lines is our moto. We are a gender-neutral salon meaning our pricing structure is based on your hair length not your gender. Anyone can enjoy our services; no job is too big or too small, and we can do anything from pastel tones to all over brunettes, or glamorous long waves to sharp and short cuts.

Creating gorgeous hair with an ethical edge is what we stand for. We want to use the platform we have as a business to make a change to the world around us. We’ve been a cruelty-free salon since the day we opened and we are very conscious of our carbon footprint. Being a business our footprint could be substantial, but we recycle wherever we can and are mindful about our waste.

We only use local companies for client refreshments such as Tea Huggers, Bath Water and all our delicious vegan cakes come from The Organic Cake Co. We also serve vegan milk alternatives. People are coming to our salon not only for our creative hair skills but also because of our ethos and support for local businesses.

B Hairdressing is a Signature Paul Mitchell salon, a company that was an obvious choice for us when we first started up. Not only because the hair colourants are to ‘dye’ for and the products cater for everyone’s needs, but also because Paul Mitchell has been anti-animal testing since day one.

As a stylist, I also work on Paul Mitchell’s artistic team which involves anything from photoshoots to large-scale shows, which allows me to pass on my love for hairdressing and keep the whole team up to date with all the latest trends.

We now also have Olaplex in the salon which is a hair life saver.

Olaplex is hair insurance; it’s not like the Brazilian blow dry, nor is it a conditioning treatment. Olaplex rebuilds and protects the hair from future breakage.

We asked our team member Krissy what it’s meant to her working at B and how it has influenced her decision to become a vegetarian: “I have never been a massive meat eater, generally choosing a vegetarian option when going out for a meal, so the transition to be completely meat free wasn’t particularly difficult. I can’t explain why I decided to become vegetarian, I do however think it was admiration listening to Harriet’s stories and also our clients that seek us out because of our salon’s ethos – it was their passion that gave me the final push to give it a go and I can say hand on heart it was the best decision I ever made, not only for my health but my eco footprint.”

We also asked Georgia, a regular client, why she visits B: “I chose B Hairdressing as my go to salon because of the experience that I get the moment I walk through the door. I recently had a baby so finding time to have my hair done is really hard. B is very baby friendly and the team whisk my daughter out of my hands so I can still have that salon experience I enjoyed pre-baby. Plus, the brownies are to die for!”

The cruelty-free world is evolving and we at B Hairdressing are so excited to be apart of it.

B Hairdressing, 11 Claverton Buildings, Bath, BA2 4LD. To book, tel: 01225 311332 or visit: bhairdressing.co.uk. n

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Jaime Brain Dip CDT RCS (Eng)

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The Orangery fp December 2.qxp_Layout 1 23/11/2017 09:24 Page 1

Be Christmas ready....

The perfect pre-Christmas treatments

Hydra Peel Infusion

In 4 minutes your face will change

before

after

before

after

This is a revolutionary registered system that performs a radical facial treatment through a safe, fast and efficient method.

CooLifting is a system that will improve the appearance and texture of skin in a single 4 minute session.

Hydra Peel Infusion is a treatment that combines exfoliation, hydration, chemical peeling and non-needle mesotherapy to infuse different vitamins into the skin. Treatments have no down time and are suitable for all skin types.

It can be used to target fine lines, wrinkles, dry skin, scarring, rosacea, sun damage and pigmentation as well as problematic skins.

Contact us for your FREE consultation

Dermal Fillers and Anti Wrinkle treatments Treatments performed by one of the medical team from the Dr Rita Rakus cosmetic award winning Clinic as featured in Tatler Clinic dates: Thu 30th November, Mon 4th & Mon 11th December

www.drritarakus.com

The Knightsbridge Lift Comes To Bath!

ULTRAcel is the very latest non-surgical skin tightening treatment using a unique triple-combination treatment technology for maximum results www.drritarakus.com

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

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HEALTH | BEAUTY

READY to PARTY Hannah Newton seeks insider tips and tricks from the professionals

W

e’ve asked some of Bath’s finest experts for their trade secrets, tips and tricks on how to stay festively fabulous during the sparkly season and keep looking, and feeling, box fresh for every invitation that comes your way.

1

FACE: Head make-up teacher and founder of Bath’s gorgeous independent make-up boutique, LittleLab in Broad Street, Katherine Spreadbury, shares her go-to make-up fix: “My quick fix before I am going out is always, always my Airbrush. It’s quick and you can keep layering as much as you like.

Foundation, contouring and blusher all in three minutes. The machine and pods fit into a small make-up bag. Perfect for on the go. I also like a rosy cheek, and they are easily achieved using a gel blusher. It sits better on the skin in the winter months than powder and it looks like your own healthy glow.

Finally, your eyebrows always look so much better with a thread for shape (and if you want a quick fix, let the Littlelab girls mix up a bespoke tint to suit so you don’t have to fill them in).” LittleLab: littlelab.co.uk.

2

BODY BUFF: Despite getting the face right, your body really should enjoy some attention too, and over at The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Kabir Aliri, spa manager confides his personal approach to being perfectly primed to party: “Many people focus on clothes and makeup, but I believe that true confidence starts within. I like to feel balanced before I go out to meet people. My pre-party pick-me-up consists of an aromatic body scrub, a mini facial, and a cup of hot ginger with lemon mint and coriander, taken while listening to music. However, if I’m asked by guests, I recommend a facial and a full body scrub.

This combination is perfect as the scrub

leaves your skin feeling thoroughly clean fresh and soft, and the facial helps skin to look younger and more radiant, so you end up feeling really good about yourself before you have even put your make up on. There’s nothing better than walking into a party feeling like you’ve just had a head to toe renewal and relaxation.”

The Gainsborough Bath Spa: thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk.

3

CLOTHES: Clothing in December can be tricky. Let’s face it you’ve probably been, slightly, overindulging, a little Bertinet almond croissant possibly? Just to tide you over while Christmas shopping or an extra mince pie at work? Yet, you’ve got to squeeze into something glamorous, despite sporting winter, pasty skin and feeling a tad tight round the girth. What’s the key to looking festive fabulous – but not, always, feeling it?

Personal stylist and image consultant, Michelle Sanfilippo, bares all: “The winter blues are tough, but I think it’s easy to shake them off simply by wearing a brilliantly bright lipstick: a deep orange or scarlet red work well and will lift you immediately.

“Styling your clothes for a party, despite not feeling gorgeous is also straightforward.

There are heaps of fabulously colourful coats and jackets on the high street and these will brighten up any outfit. Choose something sparkly or in a bright pop of vivid colour and will style you up instantly – then you can make an entrance!”

Stylist: michellesanfilippo.com.

4

MALE PAMPERING: Head barber, Jay Hammond, at Bath’s Dappa barbershop believes that men need a little pampering before a night on the tiles too and his advice, starts with a strong coffee: “After a good fresh coffee, make sure

PARTY TRICKS: Adam at Sub 13, the team at Little Lab and Kabir at the Gainsborough Hotel spa

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MAKE AN ENTRANCE: be bold in bright colours.

Back to black isn’t always the answer . . .

you treat yourself to a proper, relaxing, hot towel wet shave. The steam clears the pores and the shave, and essential oils will have you feeling like a new man in no time.”

Dapper: dappa.co.uk.

Katherine at LittleLab, adds: “Boys, use a matte paste moisturiser on your face, so you don’t look sweaty.”

5

THE NEXT DAY: A Christmas knees-up can be brutal on the hangover front, particularly if it was the office party and the drinks are free.

Fortunately, we have been in touch with Bath’s matchless mixologist, Adam Collier, Bar Manager at Sub 13, and his hangover cure is guaranteed to get you back on track: “When the hangover is particularly rough, get yourself a cold pressed juice, my favourite is from The Grocer on Locksbrook, where I pick mine up on my walk to work.

Anything with a hit of beetroot or spinach is best.” And for hard core types who feel a drink might just set them up, we asked tentatively? “I recommend, Corpse Reviver No2 – this combination of gin, Triple Sec, fresh lemon, dry vermouth and absinthe really restarts your motor.”

Sub13: sub13.net, juices: thegrocercafe.co.uk. n

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

HAIR * BEAUTY SPA * GIFT VOUCHERS * FREE GIFT WRAP SERVICE

BOOK AND SHOP ONLINE www.frontlinestyle.co.uk 4/5 Monmouth Street Bath BA1 2AJ 01225 478478

11 Broad Street Wells BA5 2DJ 01749 672225

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

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THE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE ENDLESS STYLING The ghd V® Nocturne Styler Gift Set £139 features advanced ceramic heat technology, a rounded barrel and smooth, shimmering deep purple plates for that superior design element.

A 30 second heat up and automatic switch off after 30 minutes of non-use makes for fast and effective styling whilse giving you peace of mind as you party the night away. The gift set includes a matching heat-resistant bag and an exclusive deep purple OPI nail polish to create your fashionable, sophisticated look.

Available at Frontlinestyle, £139, 4-5 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2AJ Web: frontlinestyle.co.uk

CHRISTMAS TRADITION

SOAP Mardin Soap Pistachio Oil & Beta Carotene with no perfumes, artificial colours or, preservatives. A gift box for any occasion £9.95 from Ancient Mesopotamia.

Web: ancientmesopotamiagifts.com

Introducing: A Festive Affair, £80. This gift box contains wood sage and sea salt body and hand wash, geranium and walnut hand cream and the wood sage and sea salt cologne. Pick one up from 6-7 Old Bond Street, Bath BA1 1BQW Web: jomalone.co.uk

GET FESTIVE

SPA, SPA AWAY

This stylish candle made with organic orange, clove and cinnamon essential oils provides a warming and uplifting fragrance that captures the magic of the winter season.

Presented in a subtle frosted glass jar with a wooden coaster lid and boxed with a porcelain Christmas tree decoration, this is a wonderful gift, £30.

Made for Life Organics will also be at The Bath Christmas Market: Chalet 127 on Bath Street.

Web: madeforlifeorganics.com

Thermae Bath Spa vouchers make a great gift for friends and family. They include full use of the spa and a range of specially selected spa packages. Gift vouchers are available from: thermaespa.com and the Thermae Bath Spa Shop, Hot Bath Street, BA1 1JJ

EAU DE MIKLOS When publisher Steve announced he just made a smell, a moment of awkward silence befell the offices at The Bath Magazine.

He then went on to explain that it’s now possible to blend one’s own perfume or cologne with uniquefragrance.co.uk If you know what scents you like then why not create your very own personalised label. The chances are it’ll be better than a Beckham or Britney.

PERFECT PAMPER

TREAT YOUR HAIR

Gift vouchers for the perfect pampering treatment are available from The Orangery Laser and Beauty Clinic, No.2 Kingsmead Street, Bath BA1 2AA Web: theorangerylaserandbeautybath.co.uk

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Totally transform fragile hair with this weekly deep conditioning treatment from B Hairdressing. KeraTriplex® rebuilds and repairs lacklustre hair, while Awapuhi extract replenishes every strand with intense moisture and shine. This product is also paraben free and color safe.

The Awapuhi Wild Ginger Keratin Intensive Treatment is £25.75 from B Hairdressing.

Hairdressing Bath, 11 Claverton Buildings, Bath BA2 4LD Web: bhairdressing.co.uk

BEAUTY BY THE BAG LOAD This Danica studio cosmetic bag £34,makes the perfect gift - all beauty essentials can be stashed in style.

Homefront Interiors are full of unique and interesting gift ideas at 10 Margaret's Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP Web: homefrontinteriors.co.uk

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'tis the season

to be thoughtful

Gift Vouchers available for all the girls on your list the orangery l a s e r

&

b e a u t y

c l i n i c

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

#hairdressingoutsidethelines We are a Paul Mitchell Signature salon, PM love animals and so do we! All PM colourants and products are cruelty-free, we are even cruelty free down to our cleaning products. At ‘B’ we are proud to say we’re slowly becoming vegan. We are a gender neutral salon meaning our pricing is based only on your hair length not your gender.

Santa is coming!....Don’t forget to book your festive party hair!

We think outside the lines in every way, all services are personalised to you. We pride ourselves on being one of the most fashion forward and creative salons in the area.

B Hairdressing is situated in the Artisan quarter of Bath that is Widcombe, only a stone’s throw from Bath Spa train station.

B Hairdressing 11 Claverton Buildings, Bath, BA2 4LD Tel: 01225 311332 • bookings@bhairdressing.co.uk • www.bhairdressing.co.uk – you can even book online

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THE | WALK

PUFF ROUND OUR INDUSTRIAL PAST

Our Christmas walk is a short exploration of Swindon’s railway village Andrew Swift plots a short, family-friendly route

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n 1840, Brunel opened a station in open country a mile north of the small hilltop town of Swindon, near the junction of two canals. Nearby, he decided to build the factories which would produce the locomotives, carriages and everything else needed to run his Great Western Railway.

The railway works, which stood to the north of the line, eventually covered 300 acres, while to the south he built a village to house some of the 12,000 men who would work there.

The works closed in 1986, but their legacy lives in on STEAM, the Museum of the GWR, established in 2000 on part of the site. Most of the village survives as well, and is recognised as one of the best preserved examples of early industrial housing.

Our December walk explores the history and hidden corners of this fascinating village, on a 2½ mile walk which could easily be combined with a visit to STEAM for an ideal day out by train from Bath.

At the end of the street is a water tower installed in 1872, and lofty enough to provide a high-pressure supply of water throughout the carriage works for fire-fighting purposes. Beyond it, gates led into a school built by the GWR. Turn left along Church Place and left again into Bathampton Street. This was originally Bath Street, named, like most of the streets in the village, after places served by the GWR, but renamed in 1901 to avoid confusion with Bath Road.

At the end is the Baker’s Arms, currently closed, but once a bakerycum-beerhouse. Turn right and right again, past the Cricketer’s – also closed – along Exeter Street.

Carry straight on through gates into a park laid out by the GWR, and once famous for fetes organised by the Mechanics’ Institute. In 1904, 38,000 people came to a fete here, consuming 3.5 tons of cake and 1,200 gallons of tea. More recently, in 2007, several sarsen stones were installed in the park. Turn right and, as you follow the path along the north side of the park, you can see St Mark’s Church, built by the GWR and consecrated in 1845, to your right.

Turn left along the west side of the park, but, after passing a building, turn right through a gateway, cross at the pedestrian lights and turn left. At the end, carry on past the former Ship Hotel – with some impressive ghost signs – cross another set of pedestrian lights and turn left past the Greyhound pub.

Cambria Place, which lies beyond it,

DIRECTIONS Leaving Swindon station, turn right along Station Road. After 200m, you will see a footpath leading to a subway under the line. This follows the course of one of the canals which predated the railway – the North Wilts.

Cross at the pedestrian lights and, after 150m, with the carriage works on your right, you come to London Street, the start of the railway village. Like most of the village, the houses here are of Bath stone dug out during the construction of Box Tunnel.

At the end of the terrace is the Mechanics’ Institute, built by GWR’s workers, and opened in 1855. It housed the country’s first lending library, ran classes and provided a health service. A large theatre was later added, but the institute closed, along with the works, in 1986.

Opposite, the tunnel under the line, once the entrance to the works, now leads to STEAM. Carry on along Bristol Street, the earliest row in the village, dating from 1842. The charm of these cottages belies the paucity of their accommodation – most had only two rooms. There were larger cottages at the ends of the rows, but these were for foremen.

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is an outlier of the railway village, built – of Swindon rather than Bath stone – to house Welsh ironworkers who came to work in the rolling mills in the 1860s. No 171 – now the lefthand side of Diwali restaurant – was the home of Rachel Thomas, grandmother of the poet Edward Thomas, who spent many summer holidays here as well as a term in a local school.

Turn right by No 159 and ahead you will see a Baptist chapel which could have been transplanted from a Welsh valley. Turn left before you reach it, then right up Cambria Bridge Road, and after 75m you come to a bridge which now crosses a cycle track, but, when all that lay ahead was open country, spanned Swindon’s other canal, the Wilts & Berks. Like the North Wilts, it was abandoned in the early 20th century.

Head back down Cambria Bridge Road and turn right along Lorne Street. Turn left at the end, cross at the pedestrian lights and carry on along Church Place past Park House Business Centre, once the home and consulting rooms of the GWR’s chief medical officer.

As you turn right along Taunton Street, look to the right to see all that survives of a row of cottages demolished in 1970 – the gateways to their back yards. The redbrick building on the far side of the road, built in 1892, was the GWR Medical Fund Dispensary & Swimming Baths.

The Central Community Centre, on your left, started life in 1861 as a drill hall for local rifle volunteers, but nine

BACKTRACKING: main image, Taunton Street was partially demolished in 1970 Opposite page, left, the Barracks, centre the courtyards behind Reading and Oxford Streets and far right, the water tower built in 1872

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THE | WALK

years later became the GWR Medical Fund Hospital, a role it fulfilled until 1960.

Carry on across the end of Emlyn Square to another extraordinary building. Built as a lodging house for GWR workers and known as the Barracks, it quickly folded after they shunned its Spartan facilities. In 1869 it was converted to a Wesleyan chapel and in 1962 became a railway museum, the predecessor of STEAM. The cottage beside it, with an unfeasibly tall chimney, formed part of the museum, having being restored to its original condition, and is occasionally open to the public.

Carry on along the terrace and turn left along East Street. Continue past Reading Street, and after 20m turn left through a

Gothic archway to walk through one of the courts – or ‘backsies’ as they are known locally. At the end turn left along an alley and then right to find the only pub currently open in the railway village – the award-winning Glue Pot, originally the London Stout Tavern – and the end of this brief tour.

For STEAM, turn right and, at the end, head through the tunnel a little way along to the left. For the station, turn right, then right again long Oxford Street. Turn left at the end and right along the main road. n Andrew Swift is the author of On Foot in Bath: Fifteen Walks Around a World Heritage City and co-author, with Kirsten Elliot, of Ghost Signs of Bath.

FACT FILE ■ Length of walk: 2½ miles ■ Along the way: STEAM is open daily, except 24 – 26 December and New Year’s Day. Visit: steam-museum.org.uk.

■ Refreshment stops: Platform One Café at the STEAM museum is open daily, 10am to 4pm. It serves hot food, including pies and toasted sandwiches, as well as salads, pastries and cakes.

There are also hot and cold drinks.

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CITY | INTERIORS

AN EYE FOR DESIGN

Bath based interior designer Clair Strong suggests some gifts for interior design lovers

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ood design isn’t just beautiful – it’s functional, innovative and often surprising too. It delights and inspires, which is why a thoughtfully designed object makes such an excellent gift.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a gift list for the interior design enthusiasts in your life. Featuring objects from design icons such as Tom Dixon and a modern marvel from Made.com, there is bound to be something to impress. And with options from high street favourites, online specialists and designer boutiques this gift list works for a range of budgets.

Stelton Theo Filter Coffee Maker, Black by Design, £54.95 An award-winning coffee maker for those who are serious about their caffeine intake. This sleekly stylish filter coffee maker was designed by Francis Cayouette. It’s made in matt black Scandinavian stoneware with a shiny glaze and features a bamboo wood lid. Designed to create a flavoursome and aromatic slow brew, this coffee maker is as useful as it is beautiful.

Jean-Michel Basquiat Pez Dispenser 1984 framed print, Heals, £75 Art lovers will be familiar with the important work of Jean-Michel, a graffiti artist who brought his unique style to galleries and museums around the world. Much of his work had never been reproduced as prints in Europe until King & McGaw secured the rights from his estate. This print has been produced to museum conservation standards on heavy watercolour paper. Visit: heals.com.

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V&A Clock, Made.com, £20 This clock was designed in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum for the Plywood: Material of the Modern World exhibition. It was designed to celebrate the unique qualities of plywood, an often over-looked but ultimately very important material. With its colour-pop face and seventies influence, this clock is somehow both trendy and timeless. This museum-worthy piece doesn’t just look great, it tells an interesting story too.

Tom Dixon Stationery, from £15 Tom Dixon is an extraordinary lighting, furniture and accessories designer. Known for his truly ground-breaking designs, Dixon’s work has been showcased in museums around the world. In 2015 he turned his talents to stationery and created a range of fantastic tools for the office. Tom Dixon’s stationery is the perfect gift for anyone who takes pride in their work.

Visit: tomdixon.net or nest.co.uk.

Osaka LED Pendant Light, Rockett St George, £129 Brighten someone’s day with this eye-catching pendant light. The large bronze ring lights up to emit a beautiful glow. This is a striking and unusual piece that really challenges the standard pendant light design. It looks especially great styled in multiples for dramatic effect.

For more unique lighting options, check out the rest of Rockett St George’s collection.

Visit: rockettstgeorge.co.uk.

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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A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS: clockwise from top, the Coach House laid for diners at The Talbot Inn, chef and writer Clare Liardet, a roaring fire awaits, the courtyard of the old coaching inn, and pheasant feathers are incorporated into the inn’s Christmas decorations Opposite, dry cocktails from Clare’s book Dry and interiors at The Talbot Inn Much of the renovation work at The Talbot was done in conjunction with McIntosh Design Build Restore of Frome

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CHRISTMAS | INTERIORS

WARM AND DRY FOR CHRISTMAS A new book dedicated to non-alcoholic cocktails makes an ideal Christmas gift for all kinds of people.

Georgette McCready talks to author, chef and country publican Clare Liardet about Dry. Photography by Anna Barclay

A

visit to the Somerset village of Mells is like stepping into a Merchant Ivory film. Above and between mellow stone walls and avenues of mature trees, you catch glimpses of fine old farmhouses and the ancient parish church. You half expect a horse drawn carriage to roll up in the lane, decanting women wearing buttoned boots, fur wraps and elegant hats.

And with Christmas approaching this timeless English country scene is completed by the presence of a charming old stone pub – the former coaching inn, The Talbot Inn. Its coat of arms bears the noble hound himself on the pub sign, a breed of ‘good mannered’ hunting dog that’s now extinct, bred out by other hunting breeds. Owners, Matt Greenlees business partners Charlie Luxton and Dan Brod and Matt’s wife Clare Liardet have renovated the inn and its guest rooms, to create a welcoming and stylish, modern yet classic, venue.

Clare and Australian born Matt met when she was managing The Engineer in Primrose Hill, back in the day when the term gastro pub had just been invented. Over the succeeding years Matt spent time as general manager at über cool Babington House, while Clare’s career included a spell as a chef at the Bradford Photography Museum in Yorkshire, running her cookery school Kitchen Table Cookery with partner Jo Weinberg, and, in recent times, as publican of this popular country inn. Clare has honed all those skills to write a book, Dry, dedicated to delicious non-alcoholic cocktails, cordials and clever concoctions.

This stylish little hardback is filled with recipes for imaginative, grown-up, nonalcoholic alternatives for people choosing not to imbibe, whether as a designated driver, a mother-to-be, or simply as someone who prefers not to drink alcohol.

Clare says of the inception of Dry: “I felt

there was a gap in the market for a book of inspirational drinks for people who choose not to drink. There are so many reasons why they may have made this decision – for health reasons and a dry January, for financial reasons or for religious reasons.”

“Imagine you’ve arrived at a dinner or a party and your host greets you with a delicious drink to sip, a drink with many more layers of flavour than a standard soft drink. What could be nicer? There shouldn’t be the feeling that you’re depriving yourself, or that the non-alcoholic drinks shouldn’t be as delightful. Set a big glass jug, with lots of ice, on the side and let people help themselves.”

Clare used her culinary knowledge to create her own cocktails, using every day ingredients such as rosemary, fruit, spices and herbs. Mindful of the adult palate she has cleverly come up with concoctions that have the taster wondering what the

mysterious ingredients are that give it a pleasant kick, or a smoky back note.

“I experimented with Lapsang Souchong tea and came up with a smoky syrup – quite intense so you don’t need much – to provide a hint of the smoky, caramel taste of a Highland single malt whisky.” That syrup becomes an ingredient in a Smoke and Ruby Tumbler, which combines the bright, citrus of ruby grapefruit juice with fresh lemon juice, all with that underlying hint of smokiness. As Clare writes in the book: “It’s delicious to drink by a bonfire when your cheeks are hot and your feet are cold.”

Another winning element of Dry is that the book itself is a pleasure to hold and to read. Each recipe is accompanied by photography by Jason Ingram. There is an equipment list at the beginning of the book and the good news is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money on shiny kit. If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, a large jam jar ➲

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CHRISTMAS | INTERIORS with a screw-top lid will do just as well. And fruit syrups made with herbs or berries, water and sugar, can be kept in sterilised jars in the fridge for a week or two.

Clare has set her recipes out according to mood or occasion. There are chapters for Friday nights ( how about a blood orange and sage margarita served with lime and salt in a chilled coupette?), for lazy Sundays (a cooling yet spicy watermelon Mary with a gazpacho vibe) or those quiet fireside moments when you gaze into the flames, perhaps with an espresso mint Martini, served in a chilled Martini glass, naturally.

These drinks bring with them a sense of occasion and ritual lacking in the pouring of a plain old orange juice or a diet cola. But, as Clare says: “You can have fun with them. Use everyday ingredients to make those layers of flavour.”

She had a bit of fun with customers at The Talbot Inn when she was creating her Drivers’ Pimm’s Cup, whose hidden ingredients number black tea and a clever ginger and black peppercorn syrup. “We served this in a big jug with borage flowers, cucumber and orange slices and most people genuinely couldn’t tell whether it contained alcohol.”

The Talbot Inn is hosting an indoor Christmas market, packed with local produce, on Saturday 9 December.

Look out too for a new development in the new year, when Matt Greenlees and his partners plan to open wine shop in Saville Row, Bath, where people will be able to taste from a range of around 400 wines and enjoy cheese or meat platters in stylish surroundings. The company already runs a similar set-up, The Beckford Bottle Shop in Tisbury, Wiltshire. n Dry by Clare Lairdet is published in hardback by Bantam Press, £9.99. Clare will be hosting a Dry cocktails launch at Topping & Co bookshop on Tuesday 12 December from 7.30pm. Tickets: £9.99, redeemable against the price of the book. Tel: 01225 428111 or visit the bookshop at the Paragon, Bath.

Pear and Rosemary on the Rocks Per person: You will need a tumbler, a shaker and a strainer Ingredients: 60ml pear juice from two small pears, or good quality shopbought pear juice (but not from concentrate) 30ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 25ml simple herb syrup made with rosemary ice cubes sparkling water a sprig of rosemary and a slice of pear to garnish Method: To make a simple herb syrup put 200g sugar into 200ml water in a pan and gently heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves.

Bring the syrup to a simmer, add two sprigs of rosemary, then continue to simmer for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

To keep the rest of the syrup put it into a sterilised jar in the fridge.

Combine the pear juice, lemon juice and rosemary syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice and

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shake well. Strain into a rocks glass and top with a splash of sparkling water.

Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of pear.

Pomegranate Negroni Per person: You will need a tumbler Ingredients: 20ml pomegranate juice 2 teaspoons Montmorency cherry concentrate ice cubes 3 good dashes of Angostura Bitters a twist of orange peel Method: Pour the pomegranate juice and cherry concentrate into a glass of ice, then stir well before shaking in the Angostura Bitters. The drink should have a bitter-sweet tang, so add more Angostura if needed. Twist the orange peel on top of the drink to release the oils. The cherry concentrate gives an extra layer, but isn’t essential.

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Hot Buttered Spiced Apple Per person: You will need a heatproof glass or mug Ingredients: 250ml cloudy apple juice juice of half a lemon and of half an orange, plus a strip of zest from each ½ cinnamon stick 1 clove 2 allspice berries ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds small whole red chilli (optional) ½ teaspoon unsalted butter, softened cinnamon stick for garnish Method: Add the apple juice, lemon juice, orange juice, zests, spices and fennel seeds to a pan. Simmer over a medium heat for 20 mins but do not allow to boil. If you’re adding chilli, do so halfway through and keep tasting. Remove if it starts to become too spicy. Ladle the liquid into a heatproof glass or mug, leaving the zest and spices in the pan if you wish. Add about half a teaspoon of butter to your glass and serve with a cinnamon stick to garnish. It might sound odd to use butter in a drink, but it adds a lovely savoury depth. n

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GARLANDS FROM THE GARDEN Deck the halls this year with greenery from your garden, says Jane Moore

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t’s absolutely no use me talking ‘proper’ gardening to you this month.

You might hope that you’ll get some real gardening done and you just might do it – we’ll manage a few bits and bobs here at The Bath Priory, I’m sure. But we won’t start anything major: that replanting job, moving that established shrub from here to there or scarifying the lawn.

Why? Because you and I both know that December is just a giant run up to Christmas and New Year. You might deny it, rail against it even, but let’s all accept the inevitable and just get on with it.

My advice this month is to treat your garden as a florist would: snipping, gathering and arranging as if you were Sarah Raven herself. With this in mind I have enlisted the help of The Priory’s super florist Deb England to give me some tips and tricks to make it all look just that bit more professional. Left to my own devices I would probably just gather a few red stemmed dogwoods in a vase and call it a day but Deb has encouraged me to go that bit further and hopefully the results will speak for themselves.

WINDOWS AND DOORS We’re starting outside first and I’m happy, totally within my comfort zone. I’m sure Deb has done this on purpose but I’m not complaining. First impressions count and we’re tackling pots by the front door and window boxes.

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good little show with seasonal specials such as baby cyclamen, little berried skimmias, solanums and so on, augmented with perennial stalwarts such as gold and silver ivies, little box plants, conifers and variegated hollies for larger pots.

Deb says: “Pick a theme like red cyclamen and gold ivy and stick to it. Too many colours and different plants and it all becomes a jumble.”

If you don’t fancy getting involved with making a wreath for your front door, Deb has a simpler suggestion.

“Just arrange a nice bunch of your favourite foliage so it will hang nicely on the door, pointing upside down,” she says.

“Then add some baubles or cones and a huge great ribbon to hide all the gathering, twine and gubbins and hang it up. Job done.”

THINK BIG “Making a small arrangement such as a table centrepiece is often harder than a big, bold arrangement like a mantelpiece,” says Deb, confidently sweeping away the ornaments on the mantelpiece.

We’ve moved indoors at The Priory this time as I don’t have a mantelpiece at home – although Deb has helpfully suggested I make up a basket of pine cones and twiggy stars and such like to place next to my woodburning stove when it’s not in use.

“Think about proportions and divide up the space so it balances,” says Deb. “Don’t be afraid to play around with ideas and have some fun but get this first bit right and it will all follow on from there.”

She’s using that florists’ favourite Oasis to give the scheme some longevity. Two of the

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water retaining spongy rectangular blocks in trays provide the base for all the foliage we have collected, sprigs of evergreen viburnum, sarcococca or Christmas box, ruscus or butchers broom augmented with some bought eucalyptus make a framework within 10 minutes. We also used the lovely heart shaped leaves of epimedium which was new to Deb. “You want a nice mix of textures and colours to provide a base for the colourful bits and pieces,” says Deb. She added that the epimedium was especially good for covering up the Oasis while the butchers broom and Christmas box softened the scheme.

“Don’t fill up every bit of space with foliage,” counsels Deb. Ah, that’s always my mistake. “You have to leave enough room for the other things without it becoming too crowded,” she adds.

Then comes the fun bit: adding berries in the form of orange pyracantha, which Deb wasn’t too keen on due to its thorns, although hypericum, skimmia and other berried shrubs would work just as well. Then we added the fruit. Fruit?

“Fruit is such an easy, cheap way to make an arrangement look fresh and colourful,” exclaims Deb at my sceptical expression.

And sure enough, those tangerines really pick up the orange of the pyracantha berries.

Shiny red and green apples, lemons and limes, nuts and pine cones all have their possibilities along with tea light glasses and big pillar candles.

“You don’t need to light the candles for them to look lovely. It is important to be ‘flame aware’ with candles,” she says.

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CHRISTMAS | GARDENING

A NATURAL APPROACH: main picture, Jane Moore and florist Deb England gather greenery from the garden at The Bath Priory Above, use found items such as ivy and readily available fruit for pops of colour

KEEP IT SIMPLE If you don’t want to get too carried away, then Deb advises just having a go.

“You don’t need to go mad and spend a fortune on flowers,” says Deb. “Swags of ivy cut from the garden look great draping a mantelpiece or an empty fire grate.

Add a few candles and pots of cyclamen for colour and you can simply leave it at that.”

Another easy idea Deb suggests is to use a collection of vases and containers of different sizes but the same colours to make a display. Stick

chuck it in the composting bin, and use the fruit for making some mulled wine.”

Oasis and other floristry bits and pieces are available from Prior Park Garden Centre.

Deb England, Bespoke Floral Design, tel: 01454 776653, mob: 07795 848988, email: debenglandflorist@virginmedia.com. n

to glass and silver vases or terracotta pots and fill them with cut foliage such as holly, viburnum and aucuba japonica, clusters of red dogwood stems and perhaps a handful of cut flowers such as red chrysanthemums or amaryllis.

Table centrepieces could be a pretty pot filled with a few sprigs of sarcococca, variegated holly or ivy and a gold candle; or a red candle on a glass dish of cranberries, conifer and tiny pine cones. Yes fruit again.

“It’s cheap and most people have it to hand,” says Deb. “The main thing is to have some fun. If it dies, then

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

Follow her on Twitter: @janethegardener.

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the directory

to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

Electricians

Holiday Rental

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House & Home

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PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

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s its name suggests, The New House is a modern family home, but it built in a style which blends with neighbouring period properties. It stands in a quiet position in the heart of Bathford with all day to day amenities on hand. There are two floors of living space with an internal area of 1645 sq ft. On the ground floor there is a large, triple aspect sitting room, modern streamlined kitchen/breakfast room, separate dining room, utility room and cloakroom. The sitting room has a cosy fireplace and full length glazed French doors leading out to the gardens. Upstairs there are four bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of which is en suite to the master bedroom. The large mature gardens are a delight with lovely open views and there is a detached double garage and driveway parking for several vehicles. The New House is an attractive and practical family home in a sought after village and early viewing is recommended. Agents are Pritchards.

THE NEW HOUSE PUMP LANE, BATHFORD

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

Guide price: £895,000

• 4 bedroom detached family home • 2 bathrooms • Sought after village • Lovely gardens with views • Double garage

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DECEMBER 2017

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ThEBATHMagazinE 113

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Crafting beautiful homes in stunning locations Bath | Somerset | Wiltshire | Cotswold | Dorset

Norwood Dene, Bathwick Hill

Seven traditionally designed and built apartments offering contemporary sophisticated living with highly specified and detailed interiors

01225 791155

From ÂŁ895,000

ashford-homes.co.uk

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DeCeMBeR 2017

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issue 183

pritchards-bath.co.uk

Staples Hill, Freshford

Prospect Place, Camden

An intriguing, and deceptively large, 4 bed detached family home in this sought after and stunning location, enjoying superb south facing views across the Iford valley. Comprehensively refurbished and extended by the current owners. Attractive, established mature gardens of around 1 acre.

Integral garage. Excellent village amenities available nearby with station. Off road parking for several vehicles. Floor area: 199.9sqm 2152sq ft (incl garage)

An exquisite 3 double bed, Grade II Listed, Georgian townhouse dating back to 1736 in a desirable residential area, less than ten minutes walk from the centre of Bath. Secluded rear garden backing onto woodland. Beautiful period features. Residents parking permits for 2 vehicles. Floor area approx.

1335 sq.ft (124 sq.m).

Guide Price: £1,150,000

Guide Price: £765,000

Hantone Hill, Bathampton

Great Elm, Frome

An impressive detached 5 bed family home standing in attractive mature gardens backing onto woodland enjoying pleasant views in front across the city. 3 reception rooms, study & further reception room with kitchenette Quiet, elevated position on the eastern fringes of the city.

Garage & driveway parking for 4 vehicles. EPC D. Area including garage 1996 sq ft/185.5 sq m (Main shot is rear elevation)

An attractive 4 bed detached period house enjoying light and versatile accommodation and standing in good sized delightful landscaped gardens in a small popular village on the edge of Frome. Elegant sitting room with woodburner. Impressive kitchen/dining room with pitched ceiling.

Fabulous well tended gardens principally facing south. Secure driveway parking for 4/5 cars behind electric gates. Int area: 1764 sq ft/163.9 sq m.

Guide Price: £750,000

Guide Price: £760,000

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

Tel: 01225 466 225

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Why you should have your home on the market over Christmas Peter Greatorex, managing director of The apartment Company

I

t’s the season to be jolly, but is it the season to be selling your home?

YES! … as long as you are prepared to be sensible with the decorations. There’s no denying that the housing market is traditionally slower over Christmas as buyers are distracted with their celebrations, but it is still possible to attract a buyer.

Portals such as Rightmove release impressive stats each year, that show their website hits soar over the festive season. For example, Christmas 2015, Rightmove enjoyed record traffic for both sales and lettings. Page views on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day were up 22 per cent on 2014, whilst on Boxing Day there were almost 31 million page views on the site, rising to 44 million on December 30. These are stats to be listening to!

Everybody loves to settle into Christmas and feel all snug and warm, so winter is actually the perfect time to play on your home’s cosy, family-friendly charm. Buyers tend to be more serious at this time of year too.

So how do you attract a Christmas-time buyer?

First up – decorations. I have two rules for this…. One for viewings and the other for photographs.

For viewings, try and keep them tasteful, and limited. You want buyers to imagine spending Christmas there, but don’t want to distract them from the apartment itself. A fresh Christmas tree, lit candles and a pretty wreath on your front door can add huge appeal. Avoid lots of twinkly lights, imitation snow, inflatable reindeer and sparkly tinsel for example.

When your estate agent takes pictures for brochures, the website and so on, remove your decorations altogether. This is because Christmas photographs become dated very quickly, and in the new year, buyers will know immediately how long you’ve been on the market for. You want to avoid that scenario, otherwise they can start to question why you haven’t sold yet.

On viewing days, light the fire if you have one, put the heating on and add in some soft furnishings such as faux fur throws and cable knit cushions, to help them feel warm and cosy.

Use a good estate agent. They will implement a cohesive strategy that ensures your apartment is being promoted to the public appropriately, whilst setting a realistic price bracket too.

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

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issue 183

Rainbow Wood Lodge, Widcombe Hill A light and spacious three bedroom detached house that has been recently redecorated and benefits from secure off-street parking.

Situated in a highly sought-after residential area at the top of Widcombe Hill, the property benefits from breath-taking views across Bath city centre, and is close to a number of excellent primary and secondary schools.

Rent: ÂŁ1,750 pcm* spacious living room | elegant feature fireplace | dual aspect dining room | fitted kitchen | utility room | stunning views | 3 good sized double bedrooms | family bathroom | secure single garage | off-street parking | secure store room Reside Bath | 24 Barton Street Bath BA1 1HG | T 01225 445 777 | E info@residebath.co.uk | W www.residebath.co.uk

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

RESIDE December.indd 1

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Central

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Northend, Batheaston, BA1 ÂŁ675,000

01225 809 571

A superb detached family home set in the heart of the popular village of Northend to the east of Bath city centre.

The property benefits from spacious, flexible, open accommodation spread over two floors as well having pretty landscaped gardens, garage and parking. Energy Efficiency Rating: D

central@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

Bear Flat

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Longfellow Avenue, BA2 ÂŁ675,000

This refurbished three storey, four bedroom Edwardian family home is situated in Poets Corner, Bear Flat.

Offering 1,446 sq ft of accommodation, it is rich in period details and original character.

Energy Efficiency Rating: D

01225 805 680 bearflat@andrewsonline.co.uk

Andrews December.indd 1

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

21/11/2017 14:57

Newbridge Andrewsonline.co.uk

Newbridge Hill, BA1 3QB £650,000

A well-presented detached home perfectly located to the west of Bath. With four bedrooms there’s also an extended kitchen/diner, a spacious lounge which overlooks an award winning garden that wraps around the house. Ample off street parking, garage, greenhouse and tool shed. Energy Efficiency Rating: E

01225 809 685 newbridge@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

Camden

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Seymour Road, BA1 £529,950

A lovely period home in a great Camden location, less than a mile to Bath city centre. This Victorian property has three double bedrooms, period features and a pretty south facing garden. Energy Efficiency Rating: D

01225 809 868 camden@andrewsonline.co.uk

Andrews December.indd 2

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

21/11/2017 14:58

GRANVILLE ROAD, Lansdown

Guide Price ÂŁ875,000

Sleek, contemporary two bedroom apartment in desirable Lansdown, Bath with stunning views. Comprises open plan kitchen diner, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, study, roof terrace, shared garden and parking for 2 cars.

EPC: B

Fine & Country December.indd 1

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THE STREET, Yatton Keynell

Guide Price ÂŁ1,100,000

Set on the high street of Yatton Keynell, and offered for sale chain free, this five bedroom Grade II period property is set within fantastic grounds. In need of refurbishment. Accommodation comprises three reception rooms and garden room, five bedrooms, and ample off road parking.

EPC: Exempt Grade 11

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®

Henrietta Street

£1500 pcm

Grade I listed · Georgian apartment · Three bedrooms · Kitchen/breakfast room · Stunning views · Central location · Available Now · Agency fees £420inc · VAT Council Tax Band D

T D LE EE R AG

Park Street

£1050 pcm

Unfurnished · Two double bedrooms · Allocated parking · Short walk to City Centre · Council Tax Band: D · Agency fees £420 including VAT · Available 22nd December 2017

T D LE EE R AG

Great Pulteney Street

£1850 pcm

Furnished · 2 double bedrooms · Luxury bathroom and shower room · Stunning refurbishment · Residents parking · Council Tax Band: E · Agency Fees £420 inc VAT · Available 18th January 2018

T D LE EE R AG

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Great Pulteney Street

£995 pcm

Belvedere

£850 pcm

Millennium House

£2000 pcm

Part Furnished · One Bedroom Second Floor · Period Features · Residents Permit Parking · Short Walk to City Centre · No Students Council Tax Band: C · Agency Fees £420 inc VAT

Part Furnished - Sofa & Br Stools · Private vaults · Private courtyard · Communal garden · Central location · No Pets Council Tax Band B · Agency fees £420 inc VAT · Available 2nd January 2018

Unfurnished · Two Double Bedrooms · Two En-Suites · Private Parking · Cloakroom WC · Landscaped Gardens · Superb Finish · Council Tax Band: TBC · Agency Fees £420 including VAT

Portland Place

Chatham Row

Paragon

£875 pcm

Furnished · Large double bedroom · Wet room · Great views · Parking Permit · Close to City Centre · No Students · Council Tax Band B · Agency Fees £420 inc vat · Available 3rd December

SALES

01225 471 14 4 The Apartment Company December.indd 1

LETTINGS

£800 pcm

Unfurnished · One Bedroom Apartment · Good Sized Living Room · Close to Shops and Amenities · Council Tax Band: B · Agency fees £420 inc VAT · Available 8th December 2017

01225 303 870

£850 pcm

Unfurnished · One double bedroom · Shower room · Close to shops/amenities · No pets Stunning views · Council Tax Band: C · Agency fees £420 inc vat · Available 29th November 2017

sales@theapartmentcompany.co.uk

24/11/2017 15:49

®

Raby Place

O.I.E.O

£575,000

Grade II listed · Georgian · Upper Maisonette · Generous living space · Three bedrooms · Far reaching views · New kitchen and bathroom · 1113 Sq ft

LD O S TC S

Equus House

Leopold House

O.I.E.O

£500,000

Modern apartment · Two bedrooms · Far reaching views · Close to City Centre · Secure parking · Lift access · Top floor apartment · 840 Sq ft

£675,000

Abbey Court

O.I.E.O

£425,000

Grade I Listed · 2 double bedrooms · Beautifully presented · Excellent views · Communal gardens · Upper maisonette · Garage access · 1280 Sq ft

LD O S TC S

LD O S TC S

O.I.E.O

Lyncombe Hall

O.I.E.O

£450,000

Rivers Street

O.I.E.O

£280,000

Bespoke architectural design · Contemporary finish · Stunning uninterrupted views · Two double bedrooms · Large garden · Secure gated driveway · Private parking · 1367 Sq ft

Modern property · Top floor · Lift access · Three double bedrooms · Prime location · Stunning views · Large Garage · Approx 871 Sq ft

Georgian apartment · Prime central location · Period features · Spacious sitting and dining room · Large bathroom · New kitchen · Highly recommended · 631 Sq Ft

Northfields House

Paragon

Circus Mansions

O.I.E.O

£325,000

Grade II listed · Georgian apartment · Two bedrooms · Prime location · Off road parking · Period features · Communal garden · 749 Sq ft

O.I.E.O

£275,000

Georgian apartment · Grade II listed · Original features · Prime central location · Beautiful city views · Ground floor · Communal garden · Central zone parking · 585 Sq Ft

O.I.E.O

£240,000

Georgian property · Grade I Listed · Top floor apartment · Open plan living area · Central location · Stylish bathroom · Permit parking · 391 Sq Ft

www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk

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