The Bath Magazine February 2016

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ISSUE 161 | FEBRUARY 2016 www.thebathmag.co.uk

£3.95 where sold

ROMANCING THE CITY – WHY EVERYONE LOVES BATH

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

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THE | CONTENTS

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5 THINGS TO DO What we love in February in Bath

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38 ART IN BATH

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The current exhibitions in town

10 MY BATH

44 A REGENCY ROMANCE

12 GUEST COLUMNIST

48 RESTAURANT REVIEW

Jan Cottington of Chapel Arts Centre

An elected Mayor: why we should vote

16 WHY WE LOVE BATH A paean of praise for our city

22 FACE THE MUSIC Meet The Man Who Can

24 BEAUTIFUL BACH International stars play at festival

26 WHAT’S ON Bath’s rich cultural calendar

32 LOOK OUT FOR LAURA Profile of singer-songwriter Ms Doggett

34 MEET THE AUTHORS Highlights of the Bath Lit Fest

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HEALTH & BEAUTY Unthaw with some hot stone therapy

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The elopement from Bath

THE WALK Be diverted by Devizes

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Sunny Yammo Italiano

GARDENING Jane Moore: food from the allotment

50 6 OF THE BEST

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For cocktails and dinner à deux

52 FOOD HEROES

Clair Strong: kitchen storage solutions

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Fresh fish from Wings of St Mawes

54 TAKE A BREAK

OPEN HOUSE A six bed family home in the country

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Travel: the Isles of Scilly

INTERIOR TRENDS

PROPERTY Beautiful homes to buy or rent

56 BATH AT WORK Neill Menneer’s portrait of the month

ON THE COVER

62 FAMILY DIARY Things to do at half-term

The mood is romantic for February with stylish monochrome florals

68 TREAD SOFTLY Walking your way to wellbeing

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

THE BATH MAGAZINE IS PROUD TO BE A MEDIA PARTNER OF THE INDEPENDENT BATH LITERATURE FESTIVAL

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Editors Letter Feb.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2016 15:19 Page 1

from the

EDITOR

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ell people you live or work in Bath and you generally get a positive response. But, beyond the Georgian splendour what is so special about our city and how does it actually get a hold of our hearts? We have chosen this Valentine’s issue to compose a love letter to the golden city, with a little help from some friends. Turn to Page 16 to see if you agree with our choices of why we love Bath.

There’s lots more good stuff to read. Jane Moore seeks culinary inspiration on a Bath allotment (Page 76), Catherine Pitt has researched the real-life love story between Caroline and her romantic playwright Sheridan (Page 44), and Melissa Blease has met the man who ensures land-locked Bath is supplied with fresh fish (Page 52). Tamsin Treverton-Jones extols the benefits, mentally, physically and spiritually, of walking (Page 68) and Demelza Durston has interviewed up and coming singer songwriter Laura Doggett, who honed her performance skills while busking as a student in Bath (Page 32).

We bring you some jolly fine reasons to buy tickets for the Independent Bath Literature Festival, the Bath Bach Festival and the celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of the Bard, with Shakespeare Unplugged. There’s inspiration to for wooing your partner over cocktails for Valentine’s Day and for entertaining your children at half-term.

One sees the city in quite a different light when you’re running round it, as so many of us are currently doing, in training for the Vitality Bath Half marathon on Sunday 13 March. In running gear the hills seem a steeper and longer, but the views when you get to the top are all the more rewarding for having been hard earned.

Anyone who’s met me will agree that I am not built like an athlete. My running style is best described as more Mrs Tiggywinkle than Paula Radcliffe. I thought I’d hung up my running shoes a few years ago. But now my grown-up kids have cajoled me into running the Bath Half. So I’m fundraising for the national charity the Alzheimer’s Society, partly in tribute to my mother-in-law Doris and partly to help the good work done by the charity in the Bath area. It funds all kinds of services for those with dementia, including singing sessions to stimulate the brain, care centres and home support for sufferers and carers. There is no cure for dementia. It affects 850,000 people in the UK right now and that figure is predicted to reach a million people by 2021. If you’d like to give to Alzheimer’s Society please visit my Just Giving page, justgiving.com/GeorgetteMcCready1.

Thank you. Enjoy the February issue, now I’ve got to run . . .

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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EDITOR’S PICKS DREAMING OF SUNSHINE: it’s that time of year when we start planning a holiday, a break from the norm, a rest, or an adventure.

This year could be the summer you break away from far-flung destinations to explore an archipelago close to home – the glorious Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall. Find out why the islands have attracted such a loyal following, Page 54.

BILL AND COO: we were charmed by The Little Book of Garden Bird Songs, a board book with buttons to press for each birdsong. Now Fine Feather Press is releasing a sequel, The Little Book of Woodland Bird Songs (£12.99) with more calls to identify, along with facts about birds, including wood pigeons, pictured, who mate for life.

A GOOD READ: there are some writers who just make you feel better about the muddle you make of your own life, juggling work, family and friends and managing to get out of the house without your skirt tucked into your knickers. Best selling author Marian Keyes is just such a writer. She’s coming to Bath on 28 February to talk about her latest book, a collection of musings.

In her own words . . . see Page 36.

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True happiness is... to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future

LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA: ANCIENT ROMAN PHILOSOPHER

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ZEITGEIST

5 February things to do in

Love

Zandra Rhodes

Book Flamboyant British designer Zandra Rhodes is among this year’s line-up for the 2016 Bath In Fashion event, which runs from 18 – 24 April.

At the time of writing there are all sorts of plans in the pipeline for catwalk shows, yarn bombing exploits and advice for people wishing to make a career in the fashion/retail business.

As well as Zandra Rhodes, who’ll be discussing her colourful work and career, there’ll be selfconfessed dandy and art historian Sir Roy Strong, and Welsh designer Julien Macdonald – so never a dull moment. To mark the 100th anniversary of Vogue Bath based fashion writer Iain R Webb is working on a Vogue colouring book and there’s talk of creating a giant colouring wall as an homage to the magazine in Bath. Bath in Fashion attracts fashionistas and journalists from some of the world’s trendiest magazines and blogs. Follow @BathinFashion on Twitter and #bathinfashion. Tickets go on sale on 22 February. We’ll bring you more news in our March issue.

Time What are you going to do with the extra day?

Monday 29 February is a Leap Day, in which tradition says that women can propose marriage. The customs surrounding this differ around the world. In Denmark, for instance, it is not supposed to be 29 but 24 February, which hails back to the time of Julius Caesar. A refusal to marry by Danish men means they must give the woman 12 pairs of gloves. In Finland, it is not gloves but fabric for a skirt and in Greece, marriage in a leap year is considered unlucky, leading many couples to avoid it. Back in the UK we might simply prefer to do something purely selfish on this gift of a day – like take it as a day just for ourselves.

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It’s hard to avoid the hype that surrounds Valentine’s Day, but may we suggest that you make one quiet, stylish gesture this year? Forget the mass produced card and make a homemade one instead. Eschew overpriced imported red roses and buy instead a bunch of jewel-bright British anemone. And rather than Champagne, why not order a lipstick hued cocktail?

This French Martini can be enjoyed at the Old Q bar at The Queensberry Hotel in central Bath. The recipe goes something like this: 25ml Square One rye vodka, 50ml fresh pineapple juice, 25ml Crème de Mure, half a dozen fresh raspberries (plus a couple to garnish the glass) and caster sugar to frost the glass. Crush six raspberries in the base of a boston shaker, add vodka, pineapple juice and crème de mure. Fill the shaker with ice. Shake vigorously until the shaker frosts. Fine strain into the frosted Martini glass and garnish with fresh raspberries.

Celebrate Good old William Shakespeare, master storyteller, died 400 years ago this April and to celebrate his life and work there’s to be a Shakespeare Unplugged festival in Bath. It all kicks off with a FREE open day at the egg theatre. Between 11am and 4pm on Sunday 14 February people of all ages are invited to drop into the city centre theatre (it’s just off Saw Close or Monmouth Street, depending on which way you approach). There’ll be a Shakespearean treasure hunt, a mask making workshop, pies and trifles and performances from the Theatre Royal Bath Theatre School.

For more details of more events at the Shakespeare Unplugged festival turn to Page 63.

Think The end of February sees Bath become a literary salon – where we’re invited to contemplate life, love, death and outer space. The Independent Bath Literature Festival, now in its 21st year, takes the theme of Forever Young, One of British thinking women’s most inspiring figures, broadcaster and writer Joan Bakewell, will be among visiting luminaries. She’ll be at the Bath Guildhall on Sunday 28 February from 11.15am, talking to fellow journalist Mark Lawson about her moving and thoughtful new book, Stop the Clocks: Thoughts on What I Leave Behind. For details of this and other litfest events turn to Page 34 for highlights, or pick up a festival programme.

Joan Bakewell

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THE CITY THE BUZZ

My BATH

We asked Jan Cottington manager at Chapel Arts Centre what she’ll be doing this month

What brought you to Bath?

An Easter trip at the age of 20 to visit my brother who was studying for a degree at Bath University.

I was only meant to be visiting for a week, but I fell in love with the place as soon as I stepped off the train. In fact it took me four months to actually travel back up north to collect more of my belongings and then I was straight back on the train again – the local launderette knew me by name during that time…

What we wore The Fashion Museum is to unveil a new exhibition A History of Fashion in 100 Objects on Saturday 19 March, celebrating fashion throughout history. The exhibition will run until 1 January 2018, and will feature garments and fashion accessories that created the look of history or hit the headlines. From a late 1500s ‘blackwork’ embroidered man’s shirt, dating from the time of the Spanish Armada, to a ‘body-con’ Galaxy dress of the early 2000s, at a time when the world was facing economic downturn, the exhibition will present iconic and influential garments and accessories spanning five centuries of innovative fashion design. The Fashion Museum is run by Bath & North East Somerset Council.

Radio 6 festival

Just up the road this month is the BBC 6 Music festival, taking place in venues across Bristol over the weekend of Friday 12 – Sunday 14 February.

The line up includes Primal Scream, pictured, Massive Attack, Guy Garvey of Elbow, Laura Marling, Suede and Roni Size.

Here in Bath we’ll be able to listen to Lauren Laverne and Mark Ratcliffe with Stuart Maconie broadcasting their shows from Bristol. Tickets for the festival start at £35 a day, available from the BBC website. BBC Radio 6 Music will be broadcasting many performances live.

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What are you reading?

I have just completed reading The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. It’s a story about a 39-year-old geneticist who devises a scientific test to find the perfect partner, enter Rosie, the world’s most incompatible woman who turns his experiment completely on it’s head for all manner or reasons – it had me laughing out loud.

What is on your MP3 player?

I love anything Motown – Al Green, Barry White, James Morrison, Rod Stewart and Peggy Lee. My husband and daughter will cringe when they read this!

Which café or restaurant takes your fancy?

For a great cup of coffee with lovely friendly staff who actually don’t smirk when they put my two sweeteners in the cup, and provide both chocolate and cinnamon sprinkles for my topping (it was a very pleasant mistake, wayback) it has to be Boston Tea Party. For a restaurant, Koh Thai Tapas on Broad Street. I love it because, as well as having efficient, friendly staff, they have small dishes which means you can order two or three per person and just share it all amongst your friends and family, plus I am a vegetarian, and they have many choices.

Which museum or gallery will you be visiting?

I would be telling fibs if I said I actually went to these places on a regular basis, I just don’t have the time with the work I do – but I will say that when I have been to the Fashion Museum, I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

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

If walking my beautiful labradoodle Emma is a hobby or interest, then that’s what I will be doing.

We drive out to Midford or The Skyline and walk through the bracken and farmland. It’s so peaceful and helps to clear my head.

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

This is a difficult one, since I work nearly every weekend at The Chapel Arts Centre, so while one might be arranging a nice day trip at the weekend, I will be getting ready for another night of live music and entertainment at the centre. I work rather unusual and varied hours.

2 – 6pm in the office during the day, looking at artists websites and responding to booking enquiries, lots of YouTube trawling, deciding on what my customers would like to see at Chapel.

My customer demographic is around 35 – 85 but mainly 40 – 60, and they absolutely love the nostalgia of a great tribute band, when they can have a boogie, as well as the more serious music/entertainment. I will also be working whenever I have an event on in the evening which could be wine tasting on a Monday, to a private function/conference mid-week, to live music and entertainment from Thursday to Sunday which usually starts off with the artists/bands arriving around 4pm and leaving, after packing away their equipment and instruments, around midnight.

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

I would love to see Joy, which is a film about a single mother whose invention goes on to be a best-seller, but the real reason I am going is because I love anything with Robert De Niro in it, and I have heard it is hilarious.

What’s your latest project?

I don’t particularly have a project as Centre Manager of Chapel Arts, all I can say is that I am continuing to explore more varied artistic projects which I hope my customers will all enjoy and be entertained by – an example of this would be An Evening with Groucho. You can see what we have to offer at Chapel Arts, visit: chapelarts.org and please note we are a not-for-profit organisation and I have been told on many occasions, that we have the best acoustics/sound in Bath. We are able to set the room out either cabaret style (small round tables), or clear the room for standing or dancing, and offer an Early Bird Dinner option at weekends in the vegetarian café below, plus we have a bar in the auditorium, which is where you will find me if I am not taking tickets on the door. n

We’re following @The_Six_Nations tournament which runs from 6 February to 19 March. Some of us are following as avid rugby fans keen to keep up on the latest scores, even if we can’ catch all the games. Others use it as a bluffers’ guide to discover out of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy which is on their way to lifting the trophy

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CITY | BUSINESS

THE | COLUMNIST

HAVE YOUR SAY ON ELECTED MAYOR ONE OF THE CAMPAIGNERS FOR AN ELECTED MAYOR, PHILIP RABY, URGES BATHONIANS TO USE THEIR VOTE – WHICHEVER VIEW THEY TAKE

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geographical scope of an elected mayor’s authority.

The Campaign for an Elected Mayor for B&NES takes the opposite view. They feel that the change they are arguing for will provide democratic, dynamic and decisive leadership.

There is also evidence that elected mayors cut costs, increase efficiency and reduce waste rather than extra money spent.

It has been argued that B&NES is badly in need of unifying leadership and an elected mayor is the model that is being offered. The assertion is that an elected mayor would work alongside a cabinet that can represent all parties and areas.

This stepping away from party politics has been seen as a useful mechanism at the local level ensuring that the most talented councillors are in the cabinet regardless of their party politics. Add to that the fact that as a mayor is voted for across the region it is in the mayor’s interests to represent the entire region and the evidence for is compelling

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One feature of the elected Mayor system is that it allows anyone to stand for office; you don’t have to belong to a political party

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etween now and Thursday 10 March, the voters of Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) have a once in a generation chance to think about the way they are governed, and then – on referendum day – make a choice. They can choose between a system that they are familiar with, and one that will change the way the council is run.

We can all agree that Bath, along with the towns, villages and surrounding countryside that make up B&NES, is a superb place to live, to work, to study and to visit. We are lucky to be part of an area which has an amazing past, as well as a potentially exciting future.

When I first came here in 1977, it was known as the graveyard of ambition, but it is and has always been the birthplace of creativity, where world famous companies have their home, and from which they draw their inspiration.

For nearly 20 years, since B&NES was brought into being on April Fool’s Day 1996, the political system at local level has been based around a leader of the council, and a Cabinet drawn from whichever party or parties have control.

This system was chosen in 2000, instead of the two other alternatives, elected Mayor with cabinet or elected Mayor with council manager. It is a system that in the eyes of local politicians serves the electorate well.

However, in 2014, a group of residents, who felt that better leadership might provide more successful results, began the process of making it possible for voters to choose an elected Mayor with cabinet model.

This involved collecting handwritten signatures of 5% of the electorate; a little over 6,400 people which meant standing in the street asking people to sign and going to their doors with the same request. More people were happy to sign than refused.

Once these signatures had been validated, a referendum was agreed, and three months later, a date was announced – 10 March.

The key issue is one of leadership. The existing leader of the council, Tim Warren, has publicly said that he prefers to keep a relatively low profile.

He and his cabinet work alongside Jo Farrar and her council officers, to manage a £400 million budget which is what B&NES has for its 180,000 population.

Tim’s argument, along with that of his party and the Conservative MP, is that the current system works fine, and that choosing an elected mayor involves taking risks with money, power and the

There are those who want to know who the elected mayor will be, but that is a matter for a crystal ball.

The referendum on 10 March is simply a choice between change and the status quo. If the choice is for change, you won’t be able to hear yourself think for the sound of hats being thrown in the ring – hopefully women’s hats as well as men’s.

One feature of the elected Mayor system is that it allows anyone to stand for office; you don’t have to belong to a political party.

Looking around the country for examples of this relatively unusual political model, we find George ‘Marmite’ Ferguson in Bristol, Boris Johnson in London, and 16 others, all belonging to different political parties or none at all. Statistics show that they are usually re-elected to office.

Other factors need to be considered. The current government is keen to have regional devolution.

You, as a voter, need to decide whether B&NES

MAKING CHANGES: the first elected Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson has been a high profile figure – now it’s time for BANES to choose whether they want an elected Mayor, or not. will do better in the wider West of England region with an elected Mayor or a council leader. Who will ensure that we retain our unique identity while at the same time making the most of whatever is on offer?

Is it better to have a system where as one civil servant put it ‘there is a natural tendency towards delaying decisions’; or a new one where there is ‘a bias for change’? Some will argue that acting decisively is better than putting things off; others maintain that for the best decisions to be made, you need to spend as long as possible discussing them.

In the end it comes down to one thing: are you happy with the way things are, or would you prefer a change?

Either way, it is crucial that you take the time either to vote by post, or pop down to the polling station on 10 March and make the decision that will have a huge impact on all of us. n You need to register in order to be able to vote in elections and referendums, as well as if being useful if you want to apply for credit (eg a mortgage). You can now register online: gov.uk/register-to-vote. Everyone has become responsible for registering themselves.

You will need to provide your National Insurance Number and date of birth. This is to make the electoral register more secure.

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Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

See more online www.thebathmag.co.uk

Contact us: Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Editor Tel: Email:

Georgette McCready 01225 424592 georgette@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Financial Director Email:

Jane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

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

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

2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Telephone: 01225 424499. Fax: 01225 426677 www.thebathmag.co.uk Š MC Publishing Ltd 2016 Disclaimer: Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Bath Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers.

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A LOVE LETTER TO BATH As tourists prepare to flock to our beautiful city for a romantic break this Valentine’s Day, Georgette McCready asks some of those who live and work here what they love best about Bath

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ear Bath, how do we love thee? Let us count the ways. From the tessellated tiles of the long buried Roman pavements, right up to the serried ranks of chimney pots along the tops of the tall, Georgian townhouses, we adore your golden hued beauty.

While we enjoy the buzz and bustle of the central shopping spine of Bath, stretching from SouthGate up Stall Street and into Milsom Street, we also love being able to duck out of the crowds and into all those little alleys and side streets which unfold their secrets as you explore. Because ours is a small city, it’s possible to find all sorts of hidden treasures and viewpoints if you’re prepared to walk.

Here are a few of my favourite places for a wander: On a rainy day, the play of water and light on the paving stones of Margaret’s Buildings, tucked away between the Circus and Royal Crescent, renders it like a living watercolour painting.

Or, if the sun’s shining, take a book and a sandwich and lose yourself in the George V memorial garden in Henrietta Park. Behind the railings is an almost secret, serene place where you can sit in the warmth of the sun on a bench and listen to the bees busy among the lavender flowers and the gentle splash of water from the fountain in the pond.

If I’m feeling energetic I will take the ultimate outdoor workout and climb the steep steps in the hillside from Lyncombe, known as Jacob’s Ladder, 16 TheBATHMagazine

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and puff my way up to Alexandra Park at the top for some of the best views over all of Bath. Once I was toiling my way up here, among the trees, with the city stretched out below, when a mighty roar of a cheer swept up the hillside from the crowd watching Bath Rugby score on Bath Rec. It was such a powerful sound, so filled with triumph, that it literally raised the hairs on the back of my neck.

The view from Alexandra Park is only rivalled by the wildflower meadows of Smallcombe, above Widcombe, where you can lie in the long grass and drink in the magnificent vista – with your feet in the country and your eyes on the city.

And when my mood is low I never fail to gain comfort from the fact that you can see green hills and trees from almost anywhere in the city centre, reminiscent of that line in Psalms from the Bible: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.’

We’ve been fortunate to borrow some beautiful images of Bath. The photographs of the architecture are from the book, Bath, written by historian Kirsten Eliott with photography by Neill Menneer. The book was originally published over a decade ago but was updated recently to include additions such as the Bath Thermae Spa and the Holburne Museum extension. Bath has been described as the classic book on the city. It’s published by Francis Lincoln, £25, available in Topping & Co and other good bookshops. Here are some thoughts from people on their favourite bits of Bath.

NICK CUDWORTH Artist Nick Cudworth has painted aspects of the city for many years. He enjoys the contrast between rural spots and the built environment. “I love painting Bath’s wonderful architecture but I am also inspired by walks along the waterways that run through the city. A favourite is the canal path from Sydney

AN ARTIST’S VIEW: main picture, Bath Thermae Spa taken from by the Cross Baths by Neill Menneer from Bath, words by Kirsten Elliott, pictures

by Neill Inset, Sydney Garden Bridges by artist Nick Cudworth

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ROMANTIC | CITY

THE MEDIEVAL LANE UNDER EAST GATE Sally Helvey, who runs Bath with Sally/City-Secrets guided tours, said: “I love showing visitors this little lane running underneath the East Gate – it makes them stop in their tracks.

The modern features belie just how old this spot is so I back up the view with an old map on my i-Pad illustrating how this archway formed part of the medieval wall around the city 500 years ago, 12 feet below our current street level.”

QUIET CORNERS: photograph of the Botanical Gardens by Neill Menneer from the book Bath THE BOTANICAL GARDENS, ROYAL VICTORIA PARK Will Sandry, the Mayor of Bath: “The place in Bath that makes me happy . . .

I love the Botanical Gardens in Royal Victoria Park, there’s usually something in flower all year around, it’s tranquil and calming and I love being in there. The long herbaceous border and the Bath WI garden are absolutely fabulous in summer.”

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Beneath Lady Bath’s superficially starched petticoats there’s a vibrant, modern metropolis

Gardens to where it meets the River Avon then walking along the riverside to Pulteney Bridge.”

SALLY HELVEY Bath tour guide Sally Helvey said: “I love taking people to the back of Pulteney Bridge after they have seen its beautiful facade. Long before the bridge was built in 1774 this part of the river was a ferry crossing for local marketeers bringing produce from Bathwick to the Market Place via the bustling Alvords Lane (now known as Slippery Lane).”

ANNE GORRINGE Travel writer “What I love about Bath are the great independent shops . . . and, my secret passion is a trip to Vintage to Vogue – an amazing treasure trove near the top of Milsom Street. I once bought a fabulous 1980s Givenchy black and white suit from there, which I adore. And WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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SIMON HEPTINSTALL Travel writer Simon Heptinstall, editor and well-travelled writer, loves the unpolished parts of the city: “I like the non-boutique, non-designery parts of Bath, reflecting its genuine history as a rough old Somerset market town rather than the gentrified citybreak destination dreamt up by VisitBath.

“So, for my favourite spots I’d choose authentic pubs like The Star on the Paragon and Old Crown in Twerton, traditional shops like Rolfeys on Bear Flat. As for my favourite view.

I’ve liked the panorama from Beckford’s Tower on Lansdown ever since I had a profound romantic experience at the top.”

I’m in good company, TV crews, regularly raid their rails for period clothes to ensure authenticity on top series including, I’m told Downton Abbey. They also sell great costume jewellery – which makes ideal presents.”

JANE JOHNSON Ex-pat Jane Johnson, formerly Jane Box, from Bath, is now married to an American and lives in a small town called Fairview in Pennsyvania.

She says that she’d give a lot to be able to take a country walk back in England: “I would love to take a springtime walk, to climb to the Pepperpot in Sally in the Woods, head out along the ridge, then down through Conkwell and back across Dundas Aqueduct. I would enjoy a profusion of primroses along the way. We daren’t walk in the countryside over here (in the States) for fear of being shot at!”

EMMA ROSE Artist Emma, who paints from a studio in Wellow and a city centre base in Walcot Street: “My first visit to Bath was with my father, when I was 10, we stayed at Pratts Hotel and went to the theatre – the palpable sense of history electrified me as did the extraordinary sound of seagulls.

I’m quite sure that is why I came to settle here years later. Now I especially love the hills, horizons, the alleyways and colour of stone and cobbles.”

Others are born here but move away. Even then their memories of home are vivid.

MELISSA BLEASE Writer “Walking across Abbey Church Yard late at night, or early in the morning, or on a quiet Sunday evening, I often feel as though I’m walking alongside somebody else’s history while walking towards my own tomorrow. It’s at once a mildly disconcerting but really peaceful experience and it always makes me feel at home. And why would I not want to be reminded that the city I adopted as my home 16 years ago has a big history? Okay, so it looks like a film set, has a reputation for snootiness and couldn’t be described as the kind of place

CITY FOR ALL SEASONS: Snow at the Royal Crescent by artist Emma Rose, who fell in love with the city as a child

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ROMANTIC | CITY one would expect to find a new Banksy.

But beneath Lady Bath’s superficially starched petticoats, there’s a vibrant, modern metropolis that maintains a thriving programme of cultural, hedonistic and trivial pursuits to keep attention levels up at all times – and I never, ever find myself bored.

Food (yay!), festivals, friends and full-on fun; this tiny city goes large, providing a remarkable backdrop against which to set your own contemporary scene involving every factor that constitutes modern urban life, from high culture to frivolity and back again via shops, restaurants, cafés, parks, theatres, cinemas, markets and more – all compressed into one gloriously pretty setting.

When I push through crowds of tourists on a weekend afternoon lugging my carrier bags home, I take great pride in the fact that many of those tourists wish that they too could call themselves an adopted Bathonian.”

CATHERINE PITT Historian “I love Bath’s vintage and antiques scene. From the Sunday Vintage & Antique Markets to the Saturday flea market on Walcot Street, you can find something for any budget in Bath. I love exploring the vintage ranges of the charity shops then slip down the alley off Milsom Street to Vintage to Vogue or the hidden gems of Margaret Buildings and Broad Street to browse the period clothing and admire the accessories. In such an historical city such as Bath it's great to be able to feel, touch and smell history too.

I love the hidden bars and pubs of Bath. Sipping a cocktail in The Confessional or down in the Dark Horse I feel as if I’m in another era, that of the speakeasy. For pubs I love the range and depth, from the very special Star to the local New Inn, they’re a perfect haven to sup a local ale in after a busy day.

I also enjoy getting into Bath really early and taking a walk through the streets. If it’s a sunny day it’s even better. The streets are quiet, no tourists about, and the sun begins to warm up the buildings so they start to glow in that lovely creamy hue.

One of my favourite places is to stand overlooking Pulteney Weir and watch the water cascading down. A bit later on I can escape into the Parade Gardens with a picnic and relax.”

HANNAH NEWTON Writer “Just like my fellow rustic traveller, King Bladud, nothing gets your heart beating faster and your soul fed quicker than traversing the beautiful Woolley Valley. Enter this luscious verdant spot via Upper Swainswick and cross the hill into its Saxon heartland. Woolley is a Thankful Village, one of a handful in England to have all its men returned safely from the First World War. From here clamber the slopes, taking 18 TheBATHMagazine

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a moment to enjoy the view over the pastures behind you, breathe in the glorious air – ahead, inspecting the lie of the city is Beckford’s Tower. But hang a left, go past the Hare and Hounds and Kingswood School.

Later, drop down into the city and head to the Little Theatre cinema to rest your feet and take in a film. Do it alone or with someone you love – lose yourself in the story on the big screen and, if you play your cards right, they might buy you a glass of red and some smoked almonds.

For weary travellers who have scaled valleys and city streets nothing says ‘I love you’ better than a long walk rewarded by the simplest treasure of a story and a delicacy or two.”

PEOPLE MAKE A CITY We all know there’s a lot more to Bath than Jane Austen, Georgian crescents and, er traffic jams . . .

It’s the people who make the city what it is. Down through the centuries it is they who have made Bath the quirky, beautiful, complex place it is today.

These characters range from the wealthy philanthropists and landowners who comissioned some of the city’s most iconic buildings, to the friendly bus passengers of today who alight with a cheery west country: “Cheers, drive!” by way of thanking the driver.

When visitors ask for anecdotes about Bath, I like to tell them about how, in a world of international corporations, The

ECCENTRIC CITY: this photograph by Neill Meneer from the book Bath, shows one of the four toll booths on Cleveland Bridge, built in 1826, they were designed to look like temples

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ROMANTIC | CITY

PETER BROWN Artist Bath artist Peter Brown, nicknamed Pete the Street, has looked at the streets of Bath with a closer eye than most of us, having stood out in all weathers with his easel. He submitted two images to share the parts of Bath he loves. The first is Walcot Street, Night. He said: “Recently I have been painting Bath at night. You can’t see much! But I have always loved Walcot Street winding down from Hedgemead into the centre from the second hand clothes shop Jack and Danny’s to Sue Shannon’s furniture shop. Plus I have always loved Schwartz burgers!”

The second piece is Somerset Place. Peter says: “I just love this bit of Bath with the undulating road concave and convex Somerset Place and Lansdown Place West. It’s a treat to draw and paint.”

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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Toleration and consideration for others is the key to all human happiness, wherever you live

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Bell Inn in Walcot Street, was bought by its customers. Its owner had put the pub on the market, sending its loyal customers into campaigning mode. But rather than merely sit over their pints of cider and complain that they didn’t want the building to become a poncy wine bar or a branch of Tesco Express, they whirled into action and launched a crowd-funding mission to raise funds to buy the pub themselves.

One of the methods The Bell supporters used was to take to social media, contacting now-famous musicians via Twitter, to remind them of their earlier careers, playing on the tiny platform that serves as a stage in the pub. As a result of this and a series of meetings, enough shares were sold for The Bell to be bought by the people, for the people.

The city has a long tradition of tolerance too, that we’re reminded of when we see passers-by stopping to chat to a homeless man sitting on a square of cardboard outside Waitrose. Visitors from London observe that you simply don’t see that in the capital, where passers-by ignore vulnerable people, as if they’re invisible.

You’ve only got to look at some of the old sites to see the melting pot of accepting others’ way of life goes back a long way. There are many non-conformist chapels dotted about the city, as well as a historic Quaker burial ground in Widcombe and an old Jewish cemetery in Combe Down.

Ours is a friendly city too. On the whole our shops are staffed by people who will pass the time of day with you, and for every incidence of road rage in the city centre, there’s someone else picking up a lost glove and re-uniting it with its owner.

I have been surprised on several occasions in Bath car parks to be approached by a

ANCIENT AND MODERN: the 2011 extension by Eric Parry architects on the Holburne Museum photographed by Neill Meneer from the book Bath

departing motorist proffering a ticket with unexpired time remaining – is that sort of kindness from strangers universal, I wonder?

When we asked Neill Menneer about his favourite aspects of his home city, I don’t think we expected this. He like many others in the city, is appalled by current world events – the poverty, the refugee crisis, the hunger and the violence.

How lucky we are to be in a city where the thing that outrages us most is the crisis of our recycling collection not being met on time.

NEILL MENNEER Photographer Neill Menneer of Spirit Photographic studio: “There so many things really, that I love about Bath. I do feel lucky to live here especially when you see such violence, bloodshed, intolerance, corruption, deprivation and general mayhem erupt around the world. Apart from it’s obvious natural beauty (that I tried to reflect in the Bath book) the people of Bath are special: friendly, tolerant and kind.”

Toleration and consideration for others is the key to all human happiness wherever you live.” n

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FACE | THE MUSIC

CAN HE FIX IT? YES HE CAN Mick Ringham talks to Christopher Greaves, the Man Who Can about starting his own business and about romance, as he picks his top ten favourite tunes

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his month’s story tells of a man who can. He’s someone who you can call on to fix that annoying dripping tap or stop that sash window from rattling. But he’s also a man with romance in his heart, fittingly for the season of Valentine hearts and flowers.

Christopher Greaves, a former soldier, launched his handyman business, Man Who Can, literally from the back of his old car in 2009, and has never looked back since. His firm now employs two office staff and seven out-workers and is currently enjoying a healthy reputation fixing all kinds of things in homes in and around Bath.

He is married to Poppy, who he met on a blind date at the Theatre Royal.

More than a decade after that first meeting the pair were married on the stage of the Theatre Royal, surrounded by family and friends. The pair have eight children between them and a growing clutch of grandchildren.

Christopher grew up in rural Derbyshire in the early 60s and attended Bakewell Grammar school before enrolling at Welbeck College, which specialised in technical education for branches of the ministry of defence.

He later went on to train with the Army at Sandhurst and was 22 TheBATHMagazine

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commissioned into the British Army where, at the age of 31, he reached the rank of Major in the Royal Engineers.

After nearly 24 years in the armed services and with several tours of duty behind him Christopher made the decision to leave his uniform behind and head for Civvy Street and put the skills he had accumulated over those years to good use.

He set up home in Somerset and embarked on a new career, becoming one of the vast army of the selfemployed. This saw him at that time, working in a variety of jobs including business consultancy and operations director for a joinery company.

During his spare time Christopher’s interest in showbusiness began to develop and he joined local amateur dramatic and operatic groups, playing a General at one point in Evita at the Bristol Hippodrome. He also played many odd yet lucrative roles for television and film companies as one of their invaluable extras.

But it was on a blind-date with a fellow amdram enthusiast that he was to meet Poppy.

I asked him what made him go into the handyman business in the first instance.

He said: “I was doing a few small jobs

for people and really enjoyed helping out, but it was my wife who suggested I do it professionally. I had the experience from my days in the Army so I had some cards printed, put a sign on my car window and over time, the phone started to ring and I was up and running.”

The largest job he and his workforce have undertaken was a complete home refurbishment and the smallest was changing a light bulb on a staircase for an elderly couple, although Christopher is at pains to point out: “I didn’t dream of charging for that.” Should there be any work that requires specific expertise then he will put people in contact with the relevant suitable professionals.

Outside work his interests include, walking the dogs, cooking for his wife and naturally, the theatre. He has four children from a previous marriage and ten grandchildren and says he loves his life here in the city and his job.

Remember the old joke about ‘what makes a handyman? – he only lives down the road!’ Thanks to the internet and mobile phones that may now be a distant memory; however people will always require a little help now and then to repair that certain something around the house.

Now I must get around to fixing that back gate – if only I could find the time.

ACTION MAN: Christopher Greaves, a former soldier who’s carved a new career as a Mr Fix It handyman

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FACE | THE MUSIC

CHRISTOPHER’S CHOICES: Felix Mendelssohn – O for the Wings of a Dove I started singing in the local church choir as a boy and loved it. I remember singing this rather badly, but if it is sung well, it displays the clarity of a boy soprano. I have always been an admirer of choral and sacred music such as Handel and Mozart, but this piece holds particular memories of that time and growing up in and around the Dales of Derbyshire.

George Frideric Handel – Hallelujah from the Messiah Our church choirmaster always stretched us and this was my first big performance as a chorister. Obviously it made a great impression on me at the time and I still have a go, at the top of my voice, singing it today. It is such an uplifting piece of music and never fails to lift the spirit. It’s remarkable to think he completed the whole of the Messiah in just 24 days; it took me a lot longer than that to learn it!

Fats Waller – Ain’t Misbehavin’ This is trad jazz at its very best. My Dad had a collection of old jazz records which he and later I, would play on his ancient radio-gram. He also had a massive collection of old 78rpm wax records which collectors today would I’m sure love to acquire. It’s strange that certain music has the ability to paint a picture of past times. I can listen to this and I’m back in the family home and wearing short trousers again.

Glen Miller – In the Mood Again, this is a tribute to my parents and my dad in particular and his love of big band music. I didn’t realise the history behind the Miller Band until I was older.

They were huge in the early 1940s and travelled extensively during the Second World War to entertain the troops. Glen Miller’s plane disappeared in bad weather over the Channel just before the end of that war. Miller was only 40 years old when he died but he left behind a massive legacy of dance music.

CHRISTOPHER’S JUKEBOX: left to right, Status Quo Deeper and Down , Michael Ball Aspects of Love and Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells

me. Poppy and I got married in 2013 on the stage at The Theatre Royal and I surprised her by singing this number to her. It was an incredibly emotional moment for us and even the Registrar had a tear in his eye.

Inset, Poppy and Christopher on their wedding day at the Theatre Royal Bath

Monty Python – Always Look on the Bright Side of Life We chose this as the exit music from our wedding as we walked off the stage and though the stalls. It was really amazing to hear all our 350 guests singing along to this record. There are such heartfelt sentiments in this song and I honestly believe that they strike a chord with most people because sometimes, as the lyrics say, life can be too short to be serious. n Visit: amanwhocan.info or tel: 01225 430576.

The Beatles – Let It Be I suppose I could have chosen any record by them as they were all indicative of the period. People of my generation literally grew up with them as the soundtrack of our teenage years. Growing up during the 60s was a wonderful experience and it seemed to me that everybody was into some kind of music. The Beatles’ lyrics, harmonies and production were fantastic and I genuinely feel they were the best contemporary songwriters ever.

Status Quo – Deeper and Down This sums up the 70s for me. I was a young officer at the time and taking part in various tours of duty, including Northern Ireland. It was a dangerous time for all of us, but we still managed to let our short hair down and have some fun at a few discos. It’s good to know the band is still going strong and I’m sure they are still playing this old hit.

Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells Having grown up in a small rural community in Derbyshire I can easily relate to this wonderful instrumental album. It conjures up an incredible feeling of space and presence. Returning home in the evening and playing this record, which was released in 1973, was part of the background of my youth at the time. For me it still enjoys that certain quality and can quite easily transport me back to those carefree days.

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There’s no two ways about this overture.

It’s big, bold and full of power.

Everything is in there from cannon fire to ringing chimes and of course the brass fanfare finale. I would love to hear this played at Bath Rec. as part of the firework display.

Michael Ball – Love Changes Everything From the marvellous Aspects of Love and a track which is very personal for

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BEAUTIFUL BACH

Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani

Bath basks in the unseasonal warmth of the music of JS Bach over the weekend of Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 February with three days of international standard musicianship

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ot on the heels of the best ever Bath Mozartfest – happily since it was a thoroughly celebratory 25th anniversary – the organisers have now turned their attentions to the forthcoming Bachfest. Diminutive in size compared to its more mature sister festival, the Bachfest is nevertheless going from strength to strength, gaining loyal fans and attracting new audiences. This is its fifth year in the current format of a three-day series of concerts produced by the Mozartfest team, but it grew out of the long-running Bath Bach Festival which was founded by Cuthbert Bates in the 1950s, and later directed by his daughter, Elizabeth, who is now the Bath Bachfest’s Patron.

The Mozartfest is famously cavalier, not limiting itself to the music of Mozart. Its artistic director, Amelia Freedman, managed to range from Monteverdi to Mendelssohn, via Wolfgang Amadeus. No matter, it attracted full houses, thrilling audiences and critics alike.

In the Bachfest, however, Johann Sebastian does get the lion’s share of attention. But not all. His works feature in four of the five concerts, and one of those is an all-Bach programme, but this delightful mini-festival gently introduces some of his Baroque contemporaries who were composing during this most musically fruitful period.

Three orchestral concerts form the backbone of this year’s programme.

First, on Thursday 18 February at 7.30pm, the celebrated Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will perform music by Bach’s friend Telemann and his exact contemporary, Handel. The Georgian Assembly Rooms will provide a perfect backdrop for the most famous period instrument orchestra – known for its residencies at both Glyndebourne and London’s South Bank Centre.

Internationally acclaimed tenor, Ian Bostridge, will join the OAE with sacred and operatic music by both composers.

Friday 19 February, will see Florilegium making a welcome return to the city, and performing three of Bach’s much loved Brandenburg Concerti – numbers 3, 5 and 4. Also playing on period instruments, Florilegium’s fine musicianship will draw on the forces of strings, flutes, recorders and harpsichord in a programme interleaved by the great Venetian, Vivaldi’s, double Concerto and one volume of Telemann’s popular Musique de Table.

Then to Bath Abbey with the Academy of Ancient Music directed by Richard Egarr. This concert will open with Bach’s first Brandenburg Concerto. Then the soprano, Mary Bevan, winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award 2015, will sing a dramatic motet by Vivaldi and a joyous Wedding Cantata by Bach.

Any music lover not tied to their desk is urged to attend Rachel Podger’s solo violin recital at 1pm on Friday 19 February at the Guildhall. At just one hour in length, this concert can be slotted into the working day. Rachel Podger’s enthusiastic and charming delivery ensured her recordings of Bach’s sonatas and partitas for solo violin were best sellers, and her performance of the first of his sonatas and the first of his partitas, or dance suites, promises to thrill. She adds a violin adaptation of the Partita for solo flute, a perfect expression of Bach’s miraculous way with a single melodic line.

Saturday morning is the time for a two-hour concert, featuring harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani. Mahan has become an internationally acclaimed recording artist since he made his appearance at Bath Bachfest in 2013. Twice nominated as Gramophone magazine’s Artist of the Year, he is a persuasive advocate of the harpsichord and its repertoire.

So, three days of glorious music making with fine international artists.

Full details of all concerts: bathbachfest.org.uk. Tickets: £10 to £36, online or from Bath Box Office, Abbey Chambers, Bath, tel: 01225 463362. n 24 TheBATHMagazine

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WHAT’S ON in February EVENTS ARE LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER PRAGUE: THE CITY OF THE WINTER QUEEN Monday 1 February, 7pm n Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath A Bath Evening Decorative and Fine Arts Society lecture by Douglas Skeggs. This lecture looks at the rich fabric of Prague’s past, its legends and history, as well as the artists, composers, statesmen and rogues that have illuminated this fairy tale city. Pre-booked visitors £7, students free, tel: 01225 742989, visit: bedfas.co.uk

EDITOR’S PICK GRAYSON PERRY: THE VANITY OF DIFFERENCES The romantic city of Prague: subject of a lecture at the Holburne

Detail from The Expulsion from Number Eight Eden by Grayson Perry at Victoria Art Gallery

From the Welsh Valleys to Wiltshire: Cory Band

Bath Philharmonia will provide live music and a screening of Moulin Rouge

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Until Sunday 10 April n Victoria Art Gallery, Pulteney Bridge, Bath Even if you don’t normally stray into an art gallery, it’s worth making an exception to see these huge brightly coloured tapestries depicting British life. The council owned gallery is open every day but Monday and Sunday mornings.

DORIC STRING QUARTET Wednesday 3 February, 7.30pm (6.30pm pre-concert talk). n Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford-on-Avon Described by Gramophone as ‘one of the finest young string quartets’ the Doric String Quartet has emerged as the leading British string quartet, receiving glowing responses from audiences and critics across the globe.

This programme comprises: string quartets by Haydn, Op76 No 6, Debussy, in G minor Op10 and Beethoven, in E minor Op59 No 2.

Tickets: £20 (£19 multibuy) Free under-25s. Tel: 01225 860100 or visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk Also at the Wiltshire Music Centre this month WELSH SINFONIA Friday 5 February, 7.30pm The chamber orchestra makes a welcome return with a trip through Italy’s musical history. Beginning with Schubert’s tribute to Italian opera this programme includes masterpieces from 18th century Venice, leading to Charlie Barber’s modern reworking of the Italian Baroque style, and finishing with Mendelssohn’s Fourth Symphony Italian. Tickets: £24 / £21 Concessions / £5 Under-18s CORY BAND Sunday 7 February, 7.30pm Hailing from the Rhondda Valley, the Cory Band has thrilled audiences from Swansea to Sydney. Experience an eclectic programme ranging from traditional brass band repertoire to innovative new compositions and arrangements from a variety of musical genres. Tickets: £22.50 CITY OF LONDON SINFONIA Friday12 February, 7.30pm Under the direction of Michael Collins, the Sinfonia offers a rare opportunity to hear Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, re-imagined for salon ensemble with two vocalists, mezzo Anna Huntley and tenor Gwilym Bowen. Strauss waltzes set the scene for the epic grand finale alongside two new JS Bach arrangements by jazz pianist Gwilym Simcock and Australian composer Luke Styles. Tickets: £28 / £14 Under-18s.

FAY HIELD AND THE HURRICANE PARTY Saturday 13 February, 7.30pm Folk singer and leading member of The Full English fronts a stellar supporting band of some of the finest folk musicians working today: with Rob Harbron (concertina), Sam Sweeney (fiddle) and Roger Wilson (guitar). Deeply rooted in centuries-old tradition, their material is fresh and the showmanship second to none. Tickets: £16 / £8 Under-18s.

QUARTETTE Wednesday 3 – Saturday 6 February, 7pm n The Rondo Theatre, St Saviour’s Road, Larkhall A new Bath theatre company The Old Bag Theatre Company premieres four short plays which examine women’s roles throughout history and take a look at events, real and fictional, from the women’s perspective.

Tickets: £8 and £10, from: ticketsource.co.uk/rondotheatre or tel: 0333 666 3366 a booking fee applies.

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The 39 Steps is coming to the Theatre Royal Bath COMEDY: PAPPY’S LIVE Friday 5 February, 7.30pm n The Pound Arts Centre, Pound Pill, Corsham Catch Britain’s Best Live Sketch Team at The Pound for one night only, performing some of their classic sketches and some new bits. ‘One of the finest sketch troupes of the last decade’: The Guardian. Tickets: £10 (£9 concessions) Box office: 01249 701628, visit: poundarts.org.uk Also at The Pound this month GORDIE MACKEEMAN AND HIS RHYTHM BOYS Saturday 27 February, 7.30pm The multi-award winning Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys serve up old-time roots music with an energy level that practically yanks you out of your seat by the collar. His thrilling dance style, while simultaneously playing the violin, mixes with the lively multiinstrumental talents of the band. Tickets: £14 (£13 concessions).

BEAUS AND BELLES GALA EVENING Saturday 6 February, 7.15pm n The Banqueting Hall, the Guildhall, Bath The Chairman of Bath & North East Somerset Council, Councillor Ian Gilchrist is holding a themed event inspired by entertainment held in Bath in Georgian times. The event will raise money for the Chairman’s charities; Bath Cancer Support Unit Group, Julian House and the Quartet Community Foundation. Tickets, £45 – to include a cocktail reception, a three course dinner, entertainment, music, an auction and a raffle – tel: 01225 394235. Email: chairs_office@bathnes.gov.uk A SPECTACULAR SPECTACULAR! Saturday 6 February, 7.30pm n The Forum, SouthGate, Bath As we approach Valentine’s Day, Bath Philharmonia combines the romanticism of the greatest moments in opera, sung by soprano Ania Jeruc and tenor John Hudson, including Puccini’s Your Tiny Hand is Frozen and They Call Me Mimi, with Baz Luhrmann’s visuallyimpressive film Moulin Rouge starring Nicole Kidmann, Ewan McGregor and Jim Broadbent. This film is based on three great opera libretti, all sharing as a backdrop, the sights and sounds of Paris.

Offenbach’s Orpheus conjures up the atmosphere of Toulouse Lautrec’s Can Can Girls, while the great tragedies of Traviata and La Bohème are set against the bac drop of the life of the Parisienne courtesan. A unique opportunity to encounter live opera in the first half and a feature film in the second. Tickets £25/£20/£15/£5(u16s), tel: 01225 463362, or visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk or tel: 08448 889991, visit: bathforum.co.uk A HANDFUL OF SINGERS Saturday 6 February, 7.30pm. n St John’s Church, South Parade, Bath A Handful of Singers, accompanied by baroque chamber orchestra, Quorum, complete with trumpets, perform an all-Bach programme featuring three works to warm the heart and lift the spirits: the joyful cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo; the earliest and most symmetrical of his six motets, Jesu, meine Freude; and his exquisite setting of the Magnificat – exuberant, reflective and lyrical, packed into 12 short movements, each one a musical gem, all under the baton of conductor Christopher Finch.Tickets £15, £5 u25s, tel: 01225 463362.

BATH CAMERATA: THE MUSIC OF LOVE Sunday 7 February 7pm n St Mary’s Church, Bathwick Featuring the beautiful, rich tones of Brahms’ collection of love songs, the Liebeslieder Waltzes, Bath Camerata’s programme, conducted by Benjamin Goodson, spans music from 16th century Italy to contemporary America via Shakespeare, the Song of Songs, madrigals, northern lands and 1940s romance. Visit: bathcamerata.co.uk. Tickets: £15 adults; £5 u25s from: bathcamerata.co.uk or tel: 01225 463362 Continued Page 28 WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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THE 39 STEPS Monday 8 – Saturday 13 February, times vary ■ Theatre Royal, Sawclose, Bath Direct from the West End is this inventive, fast-paced and funny version of Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller, now on its tenth anniversary tour. For ticket details visit: theatreroyal.org.uk, or tel: 01225 448844.

Also at the Theatre Royal this month ALAN AYCKBOURN: CONFUSIONS AND HERO’S WELCOME Tuesday 15 – Saturday 20 February, times vary The Stephen Joseph Theatre Co from Scarborough will be putting on a revival of the 1974 West End hit Confusions and bringing the premier of Hero’s Welcome. A treat for Ayckbourn fans – would they be Ayckolytes?

HOBSON’S CHOICE Wednesday 24 February – Saturday 5 March, times vary Christopher Timothy and Martin Shaw celebrate the 100th anniversary of Brighouse’s comedy to the Bath stage prior to a West End run. Catch it here first.

Lady Margaret presides over Vera Valentine’sVariety Bandbox

EDITOR’S PICK VERA SIDEBOTTOM PRODUCTIONS PRESENT VERA’S VALENTINE VARIETY BANDBOX Saturday 13 February, 7.30pm ■ Bath Cricket Club, North Parade Bridge Road, Bath Featuring: Boxcats: Blues to make your heart happy, Bill Smarme: International entertainer and loved-up ladies’ man, The Widcombe Players: Dates couldn’t be blinder and The Jazz Bears: Bitton’s jazz quartet. A raffle wil be drawn by Lady Margaret.

Tickets £12 from: ticketsource.co.uk/verasvalentine

THE POETRY HUB PRESENTS: JOHN BURNSIDE Tuesday 9 February, 8pm ■ Burdall’s Yard, Anglo Terrace, London Road, Bath John Burnside, winner of the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize, Whitbread Poetry Award, TS Eliot Prize and the Petrarca Preis for poetry, reads from his latest poetry collection, All One Breath. Tickets £5 (concessions £3), visit: bathspalive.com Also at Burdall’s Yard this month THESE BEAUTIFUL THINGS Thursday 11 February, 8pm Hear emerging music industry talent perform their favourite music, broken down, remixed and re-imagined. Featuring students and graduates from Bath Spa University’s songwriting and commercial music courses. Tickets £5 (concessions £3) WORDPLAY Saturday 13 February, 2pm and 7.30pm Final-year acting students from Bath Spa University present new theatre scripts at this rehearsed reading event. Discover gems of writing and playwrights’ stories. Tickets £7 (concessions £5) THE BIGG JAZZ NIGHT Friday 26 February, 8pm Tutors from Bath Spa University’s jazz course join forces, led by pianist Adam Biggs, to showcase their talents and compositions. Tickets £7 (concessions £5) MONOLOGUE KNOCKOUT! Saturday 27 February, 4pm Acting students go head-to-head with monologue performances and the audience votes its favourites through to the final, taking place at Bath Fringe Festival in May. Tickets £3

Imbalance at The Edge

Kate Daniels at Chapel Arts Centre

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IMBALANCE: JOLI VYANN Thursday 11 February, 7.30pm ■ Weston Studio, The Edge, the University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath Joli Vyann presents Imbalance, integrating exciting acrobatic skills with athletic yet graceful dance in an energetic performance that explores our obsessive dependence on technology. Are our lives out of balance?

Tickets: £10/£8 concessions. Tel: 01225 386777 or visit: icia.org.uk Also at the University of Bath this month FILM: THE GRANDMASTER Thursday 25 February, 7.30pm Academy award winning epic film by director Wong Kar-wai, inspired by

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the life and times of legendary kung fu master Ip Man. There will be a post-show talk on contemporary Chinese cinema with Antoaneta Becker of the China Britain Business Council.

Tickets: £8.50/£6 concessions.

Mistoffelees, Rum Tum Tugger, Skimbleshanks and Grizabella who sings the hit song Memory.

Tickets: 01225 835301 email: tickets@zenithytc.co.uk, £12 / £10 concessions, (Wed and Thurs only), Sat matinee all £8.

MY FUNNY VALENTINE: KATE DANIELS QUARTET Saturday 13 February, 7.30pm n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Herald in Valentine’s Day wth some wonderful songs from the romantic era of the Great American Songbook in the company of singer/songwrter Kate Daniels. Tickets, £12, tel 01225 461700 Also at Chapel Arts Centre this month BUDDY HOLLY’S 80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Saturday 20 February, 7.30pm Marc Robinson from Buddy the Musical celebrates in company with the Counterfeit Crickets Band playing some of Buddy Holly’s greatest hits. Suitable for all ages. Tickets: £15 (£17 on the door).

BROOKS WILLIAMS AND KEITH WARMINGTON Sunday 21 February, 7.30pm Brooks Williams is ranked as one of the world’s top 100 acoustic guitarists. He plays panAmerican roots and blues and has been seen at the Cropredy Festival and the Kerrville Festival in Texas. Keith learnt the harmonica in the 60s and has played with the likes of John Martyn and Andy Sheppard. Tickets: £10 (£12 on the door).

JERRY LEE MEETS GENE VINCENT

RIGHT NOW Thursday 18 February – Saturday 19 March, times vary Ustinov Studio, Bath Let it not be said that Bath doesn’t have any ground-breaking theatre. The Ustinov continues to make waves and stir audiences with yet another UK premiere. Written by awardwinning Canadian playwright Catherine-Anne Toupin and directed by former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company Michael Boyd, this is a dark comedy centring on a couple whose neighbours get just a little too close for comfort. Tickets: from £12. Tel: 01225 448844.

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Brooks Williams Friday 26 February, 7.30pm Well, obviously it’s not the real thing but blazing rock and roll energy is live and authentic as New Yorker Lars Young and Jerry Lee impersonator Peter Gill bring you their greatest hits. Gene Vincent’s own bass player Eddie McManus is part of the supporting band.

Tickets: £13.50 (£15 on the door).

CATS Wednesday 17 – Saturday February, 7.30pm n Kingswood Theatre, Kingswood school, Lansdown, Bath Zenith Youth Theatre Company present Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats by TS Eliot. It revolves around the antics of such feline characters as Old Deuteronomy, Jennyanydots, Mr.

BATH OPERA PRESENTS: MACBETH Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 February n The Wroughton Theatre, King Edward’s School, Bath Bath Opera is putting on a fully staged production of Macbeth by Verdi, sung in English. Tickets: £20, students £10, from the Bath Opera hotline 01935 475219, or tel: 01225 463362 or visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk.

VILLAGERS Wednesday 10 February, 7.30pmy n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath One man, Conor O’Brien, and his guitar singing Continued Page 30

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WHAT’S | ON songs to enthrall his audience. Check him out on YouTube and his collection of songs Where Have You Been All My Life? He’s been getting some rave reviews. Tickets: £16.

Also at Komedia this month BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 February from 6.30pm After previous sell out shows, the world’s most prestigious mountain film festival returns with a collection of short films to inspire real-life adventurers and couch potato explorers equally.

See footage of adrenaline packed action sports and be inspired by thought-provoking pieces shot from the far flung corners of the globe, with two evenings of entirely different film programmes. Price per day: £13.50.

TOM HINGLEY Sunday 21 February, 8pm In the intimate setting of Komedia’s art cafe, which holds around 80 people, Tom Hingley, the former frontman of Inspiral Carpets will be performing a mix of his solo numbers along with some of the band’s classics. Tickets: £8.

KNIVES IN HENS Wednesday 17 – Saturday 20 February, 8pm n The Rondo Theatre, St Saviour’s Road, Larkhall Bath’s Playing Up Theatre Company presents an original production of David Harrower’s debut play, Knives in Hens. It now returns to Bath for the first time since it was first seen at The Ustinov in 2008. Set in a God-fearing, preindustrial rural community, a young woman comes to terms with old grudges and factions, an unexpected betrayal and a growing

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Aristocrat, Suffragette, Martyr which was shortlisted for the Slightly Foxed Best First Biography prize and named one of the biographies of the year by the Sunday Times.

Tickets from the Rondo Theatre Box Office, visit: ticketsource.co.uk/rondotheatre, tel: 0333 666 3366.

Prue Leith, doyenne of British cookery, at the Bath LitFest awareness of her place in the world.

Tickets: ticketsource.co.uk/rondotheatre or tel: 0333 666 3366.

Also at the Rondo Theatre this month LADY CONNIE AND THE SUFFRAGETTES Friday 26 February, 8pm Lady Connie and the Suffragettes is a new play

by Ros Connelly currently on tour. It tells the true story of how a shy woman from the heart of the establishment, daughter of a Viceroy of India, sister of a peer in the House of Lords, became one of the bravest icons of the suffragette movement and a criminal in the eyes of the law. Lyndsey Jenkins will be giving a preshow talk on her book, Lady Constance Lytton:

THE INDEPENDENT BATH LITERATURE FESTIVAL Friday 26 February – Sunday 6 March n Various venues in Bath This is the 21st anniversary of the festival dedicated to books and the great themes of life, in the company of guests including feminist Gloria Steinem, politician Vince Cable, comedian Al Murray, actor Brian Blessed and writers Tracy Chevalier, Marian Keyes and Deborah Moggach. Pick up a programme or visit: bathfestivals.org.uk. To book tickets tel: 01225 463362.

BATH MEN’S WALK Saturday 27 February, 1pm n From Dorothy House, Winsley This is the fourth annual sponsored walk from Winsley near Bradford on Avon, along the Kennet and Avon Canal, to the Rec in Bath, home of Bath Rugby. Chaps of all ages can sign up to take part at: bathmenswalk.co.uk. Places are £23, to include a pie and a pint at the Rec at the end of the eight-mile walk, with the chance to watch the England-Ireland game as part of the Six Nations. Money raised will go to Dorothy House and its hospice work and Bath Rugby Foundation.

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VOCES DEL CAMINO Saturday 27 February, 7.30pm n Bath Abbey, Bath In 2015 Bath-based choral director Nigel Perrin realised a long-cherished ambition: to travel with a group of invited singers along part of the Camino - the spiritual pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain – singing as they went and ending with a concert of renaissance Spanish and English music in Santiago Cathedral. This hourlong concert will be repeated by Voces del Camino in Bath Abbey, in aid of the Footprint Appeal. 7.30pm; admission free; retiring collection.

PLANNING AHEAD PARAGON SINGERS: STABAT MATER Saturday March 5, 7.30pm n Church of St Alphege, Oldfield Lane, Bath The Paragon Singers directed by Keith Bennett present three settings of the Stabat mater text. John Browne’s late 15th-century setting is a glorious example of late medieval polyphony; Palestrina’s double-choir setting a beautiful, plangent lament; and Domenico Scarlatti’s ten-voiced setting a baroque masterpiece, a complex and varied interpretation of this powerful text. Also Purcell’s Funeral Sentences and Arvo Pärt’s lovely lament of Babylonian exile. Tickets: £12/£6 from Bath Festivals Box Office, tel: 01225 463362.

BATH CONCERTINO Saturday 5 March, 7.30pm n St Bartholomew’s Church, King Edward Road, Oldfield Park, Bath Bath Concertino presents a concert in aid of the Dorothy House Foundation, with pieces by Grieg, Krommer, Fauré and Bartok. Entry by programme on the door £10. Accompanied children free.

BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST & WEST SIDE STORY Friday 11 March, 7.30pm n The Forum, SouthGate, Bath Bath Philharmonia is joined by Bath Spa University Choir and South West Festival Chorus for one of the most epic classical music productions of the year. Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast is presnted with an ensemble numbering nearly 300 musicians. Music director Jason Thornton highlights the orchestra’s virtuosity with Britten’s poignant Four Sea Interludes and Bernstein’s urban remake of the Romeo and Juliet story in Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. The concert is dedicated to British baritone John Shirley Quirk. Tickets £25/£20/£15/£5 (under 16s), Bath Box Office or tel: 01225 463362, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk, or through Ticketline, tel: 08448 889991, visit: bathforum.co.uk AN EVENING WITH LULU Wednesday 20 April n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath Grammy-nominated singer Lulu will be performing hits from her 50 year career, such as To Sir With Love, The Man Who Sold The World, Relight My Fire and Shout. She’ll perform songs from some of her musical heroes, such as soul legends, Ray Charles and Otis Redding and taking her audience on a musical journey with anecdotes.

Lulu says: “From performing at Glastonbury, releasing my first self-penned album and touring the UK, solo with my fabulous band for the first time in 10 Lulu at Komedia years. I had so much fun, I’ve decided to get back out there to do it again and I can’t wait!” Tickets: £37.50, tel: 0845 293 8480.

BATH BACH CHOIR: RACHMANINOV VESPERS AND PRELUDES Saturday 19 March, 7.30pm n Bath Abbey International concert pianist Peter Donohoe is to share a platform with Bath Bach Choir, who will also be joined by the Exeter Festival Chorus for a dramatic, a cappella performance of Rachmaninov’s Vespers, sung by 150 voices. Tickets: £28/£25/£20/£15/£8 through Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463 362, or visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk. n WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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MUSIC | PROFILE

LISTEN OUT FOR LAURA Demelza Durston talks to rising star Laura Doggett about her days as a student in Bath and the development of her music career

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ONE TO WATCH: Laura Doggett made me feel less conscious that I was destroying the meaning in my songs by being myself and laughing on stage. I try to always remember what made me fall in love with writing songs in the first place and hold on to that spark. Someone like Imogen makes me remember that pureness.”

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Busking in Bath helped me learn who I want to be – and who I don’t

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aura Doggett, with a unique, powerful voice that belies her 22 years, and evocative songwriting talent tapped into the nation’s consciousness when her song Old Faces was used over the title sequence of TV series Broadchurch, starring David Tenant and Olivia Coleman.

If you’ve not seen Laura in concert – and you should if you get the chance – you may recognise her face from the streets of Bath where she used to busk while studying music and songwriting at Bath College. It was here that Laura began to develop a sense of direction – forging an identity carved quite clearly, out of her passion for performance, theatre and music.

She says: “For me, Bath was a place I could be free without judgment. I would play music in bars, busk and go to the spa, sit by the weir and dance in dodgy nightclubs. It was all naive and beautiful. In Bath, people are just sharing space.

It’s real. I love it for that.”

Performing her music in and around Bath was the perfect balance of exposure combined with playing in venues with receptive and supportive audiences. That hard work in her teenage years has paid off as she has since played some high profile gigs, including charming the crowds at the Larmer Tree Festival last summer and supporting Taylor Swift, no less, in Hyde Park. Nearer to home, she’s also done gigs at The Nest in the Paragon, Bath.

She talks about her musical development: “Busking in Bath helped me learn who I want to be – and who I don’t. It helped me build a thick skin. Not everybody will stop and listen, but you might attract the odd few. It is those people who you can communicate with and that’s still really special. That’s where it begins.”

“Since then I have learnt the craft of songwriting and the importance of melody and how it doesn’t distract from the meaning, but enhances it.”

The years spent in Bath were formative to Laura’s songwriting and her sense of self – not only from her immediate surroundings, but drawing upon her personal inspirations in the form of songwriters Tracy Chapman, Imogen Heap and Annie Lennox. She’s also been compared in her performance style to another great female singer-songwriter, Kate Bush.

There is something in her music which shares that sense of isolation, those times of feeling as though the world doesn’t understand us, of shutting oneself away with just music for company. Laura too, gained strength from those times: “I saw Imogen (Heap) live recently, it blew my mind. Her songs are so serious but her personality is so light. It was endearing and

“I cannot help escaping into my own world while performing my songs. I just escape into them and into singing. I love it and I thrive off the audience’s energy. And when the song ends, I become myself again. And that’s how it seems to work and I’m not trying to change it anymore.”

Laura is also a socially conscientious person, with an awareness of the reality existing not only within the music industry, but in the wider world. Her potential to help guide future generations, while also being grounded enough to realise that she, too, is gracefully navigating her way through often uncertain territory.

She says: “I’d love to be an empowering role model for girls. I feel that women are still under-represented in the industry. We see this from male-dominated festival line-ups to the ratio of females in powerful positions as opposed to males at the top of the big music firms.”

The desire to create original, heartfelt music has always been her number one priority – and part of this has been her respect and adoration of the theatrical arts, which has filtered through to her own performances. Yet she is a firm believer in staying true to herself and communicating her songs in their most honest form: “I think artists who re-invent themselves are masterful. My goal was to make timeless music – but the industry is changing, and artists drop music and change with the times – which is a skill in itself. You need to mould as the world changes so as not to get left behind. If you can keep your thread running through it, then that’s mastering your art. And it’s awesome.”

And what is her advice to up-and-coming younger artists?

“I say, find your unique thing to offer. If you’ve got something nobody else can deliver then you can walk into any room and own it.

Everything is a song to me. Every saying is a title. It’s how my brain works. If you’re like that, then you need to be writing. It’s in your blood.”

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LAURA’S MUSICAL INFLUENCES We asked Laura to share some of her musical influences.

Fast Car – Tracy Chapman I remember my dad giving me the album when I got home from school one day and I just sat and stroked my cat and cried a lot. The honesty of her lyrics hit me like a ton of bricks and have been an influence for me since the beginning. She also inspired me to have a social conscience when thinking about song subjects. I want to document the world as part of my music.

Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers This was one of the last songs I ever performed at school with my friend Rob. It was really funny and we were absolutely under-prepared and it was to get grades for GCSE music. But we had incredible feedback and I remember it being one of the proudest moments for my parents.

Both Sides Now – Joni Mitchell I remember seeing this on Love Actually for the first time and I fell in love with her voice – it’s heartbreaking. And the lyrics of how you’ve been everywhere and you still don’t quite understand is so bittersweet and relatable.

Running up that Hill – Kate Bush The lyrics. The video. Her performance. I love how she was never safe and always pushed the boundaries – and that was continuing with when I saw her last year at the Hammersmith Apollo. She pushed the boundaries of live music with visual and theatrical effects.

I Need My Girl – The National The particular things the lyrics picks up on and the way he’s so solemn.

It’s so unusual to have a baritone singer and I fall into his voice like a marshmallow and roll around.

Heroes – David Bowie How could I not? I first fell in love with this song quite late – it was the scene in the film The Perks of being a Wallflower – watch!

Send Me on My Way – Rusted Root This is so happy – before any recording I play this and it lightens everyone’s mood and it’s just so so fun. I adore his vocal performance – it’s CRAZY. Laura will be touring later this year, but dates have yet to be announced. She has released the first track from her EP, Mr David, produced by Matt Johnson, keyboard player with Jamiroquai. n WOMEN IN MUSIC: Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman and Kate Bush

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LITERATURE | FESTIVAL

MEET THE AUTHORS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, VIV GROSKOP WELCOMES US TO THE 2016 INDEPENDENT BATH LITERATURE FESTIVAL

Wondering who to see at the Independent Bath Literature Festival? Georgette McCready picks her highlights

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his year the Independent Bath Literature Festival marks its 21st birthday. So we’ll be doing what everyone does on their 21st birthday: having a lot of entertaining people round to our house for a party.

There might not be quite as much booze as we’d hoped. And the vol-au-vents are bound to run out early. But the city of Bath provides pretty much the best front room you can think of. I’ll be relying on Al Murray, the pub landlord, to roll the carpet back and start the knees-up.

Our theme to celebrate 21 years of books and debates is Forever Young. We have the largest number of debut authors ever featured across our programme of over 130 events over ten days, some of them fighting it out as cult show Literary Death Match comes to Bath for the first time. Our Big Bath Read is debut fiction sensation Claire Fuller, with her suspenseful, twist-in-the-tale novel Our Endless Numbered Days, also a 2016 Book Club pick with Waterstones and Richard and Judy. (I hugely recommend it, though it’s not for the faint-hearted.)

Proving, however, that a youthful attitude is not just for the young are Joan Bakewell, octogenarian supermodel Daphne Selfe, political campaigner Harry Leslie Smith and – appearing on her first visit to the UK in 20 years – feminist icon Gloria Steinem, now 81 and inspiring a new generation.

We have our usual pick of the best of the literary world: Birdsong author Sebastian Faulks, Booker prize winner Pat Barker (The Ghost Road) and Tracey Chevalier, author of The Girl with Pearl Earring. For politics and current affairs fans we have debates on the EU and on the dominance of British culture and events on the Middle East, Russia and the impact of the Paris attacks. And Vince Cable will be analysing the economy – and what went wrong for the Liberal Democrats.

We’re kicking off global celebrations for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with an exciting, entertaining and accessible look at his work with our Shakespeare Gala double bill on Saturday 27 February.

Salon Collective of London’s Cockpit Theatre (patron: Miriam Margolyes) present a series of Shakespeare’s greatest hits, performed as they would have been in Elizabethan times: with each actor knowing their own part, but not the rest of the script. Then Extempore Theatre perform Rhapsodes, the only improvised show in the world performed in Elizabethan language, a Shakespeare play made up entirely from audience suggestions.

Where to hang out if you want to see the authors and speakers off stage? Waterstone’s book shop cafe in the Guildhall is the place to be. Or if you’re up late, there are usually a few familiar faces propping up the bar in the Abbey Hotel. We will all be pretending we’re 21, after all...

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A LITERARY JOURNEY: illustration by Barbara Yelin

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busy professional woman said to me the other day that she’d love someone else to go through the Bath LitFest programme with a red pen and choose the top ten events that she should go to.

So, bearing in mind that this is a purely subjective thing – and that you’re able to get the time off work/childcare to go, here are my personal top ten.

I was an undergraduate the first time I encountered any graffiti. Scrawled across the lavatory doors in the university library, alongside: ‘Feel a little fresher this week’ was the line ‘A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.’ Back then that was a pretty original thought and while I didn’t know then who US feminist Gloria Steinem was, her wise words and sayings have had resonance for generations of women. Her visit to Bath looks sure to be one of those momentous occasions that you’ll remember for a long time to come. She’s come out with some real gems over the years, including food-forthought: ‘A pedestal is as much a prison as any small, confined space.’

On her first visit to the UK for 20 years, the veteran campaigner, whose anger at inequality remains undimmed, will be in conversation with Woman’s Hour stalwart Jenni Murray on Saturday 27 February. Who knows, we might hear some new bon mots from Steinem.

On my shortlist of favourite novels is Birdsong – a modern classic by Sebastian Faulks, beloved by so many readers. He manages, on the whole, to walk the tightrope of writing literary novels that are also emotionally engaging, and most – although not all, sadly – of his works have gripped me from the first pages. I have yet to read his latest Where My Heart Used To

Beat, but I am sure that Faulks will speak so engagingly that I will scurry off to secure it in paperback.

Faulks will be in conversation about his life and work with Observer writer Elizabeth Day on Saturday 27 February at the Forum.

Another writer who unfailingly captures the humanity to be found in the midst of the horror of war, is awardwinning Pat Barker. She wrote the moving Booker prize winner The Ghost Road, one of a trilogy set in the First World War. Now, for the first time, with Noonday, she turns her attention to the Second World War. A thoughtful sensitive writer, she will be at the Guildhall on Friday 26 February, talking to former Booker judge Alex Clark.

Reading shouldn’t be cosy and it needn’t even be solitary. I think we should stir ourselves on Thursday 3 March to attend the intriguingly titled Literary Death Match at the Abbey Hotel. This is a growing worldwide phenomenon, described as ‘highbrow smackdown’, in which four writers read extracts aloud in front of three judges and an audience. Then, like X Factor or The Voice, the judges have their say and eventually a winner is picked. It sounds edgy and a tad brutal, if I’m honest, but also riveting listening. This is the first time this gladiatorial write-off will have taken place in Bath, and I have a feeling people will want to be able to boast that they were in the craze from its early days.

There’s a man on the train I commute on who reads graphic novels and I as I tuck in to my word-only book, I sometimes wonder what the appeal of these picture books for grown-ups is all about. He seems to be thoroughly absorbed and this is a growing genre, so I guess I should head to the Guildhall on Friday 4 March to hear graphic novelists

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WORTH A LISTEN: left to right, Tracey Chevalier, Gloria Steinem and Sebastian Faulks

Reinhard Kleist (author of An Olympic Dream) and Barbara Yelin (author of Irmina). They’ll be talking about the combined skill of writing and illustrating and the journey from pencil to publication. Maybe they’ll make a convert out of me.

If you’ve ever stood in a library or bookshop, not wanting to be swayed merely by a bookcover, but looking for new authors to discover, you may enjoy the evening dedicated to new writers.

Artistic director Viv Groskop will be hosting this evening of seven new novelists, all of them hand-picked by

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publisher Bloomsbury. This is at the Guildhall on Thusday 3 March, get ready to make note of those you enjoy.

When you meet a writer you’ve admired and they turn out to be friendly, delightful company, it imbues a sort of loyalty to their work. For this reason I would definitely recommend you go and hear Tracy ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’ Chevalier talking about her new novel, on Friday 4 March, and Deborah Moggach, who is now best known for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. She’ll be talking to fellow writer Tess Hadley on Tuesday 1 March.

If you love books and Bath, I’d certainly recommend one of Kirsten Elliott and Andrew Swift’s guided literary walks, which take place throughout the festival. With themes including windows and Victorian pubs, they shed Bath in a new light.

Finally, for pure self-improvement reasons, I’d elect to go and hear Bath academic and all-round inspiration, Linda Blair talking on the subject of life’s clutter, how to plan ahead wisely and when to say ‘No.’ That’s on Friday 4 March and for sure, an event for all we procrastinators. n

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5

MINUTES WITH author Marian Keyes

H

i Marian, we’re looking forward to welcoming you to the Bath Literature Festival on Sunday 28 February. This is your first visit to the Bath Lit Fest. Do you enjoy getting up on stage and talking about your work, and meeting your readers?

I do, I love it, it’s the favourite part of what I do. I’m always immensely grateful that people would come, and the fact that they’ve gone to so much trouble is an indication that we like a lot of the same things, so my Q&As usually transpire to be very chatty events – often with the audience talking almost as much as I do. I get great pleasure from them and they’re always huge fun.

Have you been to Bath before, and if not is there anything you’d like to do while you’re here?

My publisher, a fabulous woman called Louise Moore, Making it up as I Go Along by Marian Keyes, visits Bath regularly (her hardback, published by Michael Joseph, £14.99 parents live there) and insists that I must take the waters, and I always do exactly as she tells me. Also, I’m really looking forward to seeing Bath’s wonderful architecture.

Your characters are so real, are you ever tempted to ‘steal’ from real life?

And if so, do the people you have borrowed from ever spot themselves?

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I’d never knowingly put a real person into any of my novels – it seems to me to be a terrible abuse of power. However, on a subconscious level, I’m continually taking notes about nearly everyone I meet, and filing their idiosyncracies in my brain. When it’s time to create new characters, I’ll assemble people from the jumble of characteristics that I’ve accumulated. So there have been times when a person has noticed a characteristic from a reallife person attached to a person in one of my books and concluded that both ‘people’ are one and the same – but honestly, that’s never my intention.

What sort of mishaps will you be sharing from your new book?

Making it up As I Go Along is a compendium of all kinds of pieces: there’s a sizeable travel section about trips I’ve made to places as farflung as Morocco and Antarctica; I’ve included several articles on navigating the challenging world of personal grooming, from neutralising hostile hairdressers to avoiding getting addicted to eyelash extensions. There’s a whole chunk devoted to my large, unruly, delightful extended family, and there’s a collection of what could be called ‘life advice’ where I offer my thoughts on issues as diverse as insomnia to the power of apologising.

Have you any ground rules/advice for anyone using Twitter?

I absolutely love Twitter, I find it’s great fun but it’s important to stress that it’s not for everyone. For example, my beloved friend Posh Kate finds it far too zippy and fast. So if it isn’t working for you, just give it up – life is too short to be wasting time on things that don’t bring us happiness. However, if you’re interested in giving it a go, follow people you admire In Real Life and who perhaps share your interests (Politics? The Great British Bake-off?

Poldark with his shirt off?) and see if you like their tweety carry-on. Watch who they interact with and if you like them, follow them also. You don’t have to comment or like anything, but if you feel the need, work away! It should be an organic process, it should unfold in the way that friendships and connections do in real life. If it feels too much like work, don’t feel bad about stepping away from it. I was on Facebook for about five minutes and I didn’t enjoy it at all (way too many ‘hun’s and ‘lol’s) – so I stopped.

Finally, as I know you are a Strictly super fan, would you?

The thing is I really really REALLY love the show, it brings me untold pleasure as a viewer. But I happen to be one of the worst dancers on the planet – I’m almost comically clumsy so I’d be (quite rightly) criticised mercilessly. And my fear is that the memory of Craig’s tongue-lashings would interfere with my subsequent watching of the show. n

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

THE SEASON FOR LOVE

There’s plenty to beguile and seduce on the walls of Bath’s public and private galleries in February

HOLBURNE MUSEUM Great Pulteney Street, Bath Tel: 01225 388569 Daily, 10am – 5pm (11am Sundays) IMPRESSIONISM: CAPTURING LIFE Saturday 13 February – 5 June This exhibition unites 28 masterpieces from British public collections to celebrate the Impressionists’ observations of humanity, curated by museum director Jennifer Scott. Artists include Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley.

CATHERINE BEALE PORTRAIT STUDIO The Gallery, Victoria Hall Arts Centre, Radstock BA3 3QG. Visit: catherinebeale.com tel: 07891 409490 INNER LANDSCAPE Friday 5 – Friday 19 February Meet the artist: Friday 5 February 7pm onwards Catherine’s recent sketches and portraits of Bath Dance College dancers will hang in her exhibition beneath the practice rooms at Victoria Hall. Her new gravity painted landscapes will accompany them to illustrate works that she is introducing to schools and visitors through a series of workshops.

EMMA ROSE Upstairs at 78 Walcot Street, Bath Mon – Sat, 10am – 5pm Tel: 07885235915 / 01225 424 424 Visit: emmaroseartworks.com THE COLOUR OF LOVE Throughout February The rich colours of love – hot reds, burnt oranges, warm ochres, gleaming golds and Venus pink are celebrated. Real and imagined landscapes, inspirational seascapes and flights of fancy created with glowing Indian inks and acrylics.

ADAM GALLERY John Street, Bath BA1 2JL Tel: 01225 480406 Open Monday to Saturday 9.30am – 5.30pm

The Dance Class by Catherine Beale

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RICHARD CARTWRIGHT: SOME KIND OF ENCHANTMENT Saturday 20 February – Wednesday 10 March Bristol artist Richard Cartwrights’s paintings offer glimpses into a deep dreamlike world, charged with symbolic imagery and rich colours, where glowing moonlight falls on solitary figures, and illuminates vast, dark landscapes. Cartwright chooses to paint ‘after midnight’: a time when there are fewer distractions, when he can be more daring, and more seems possible.

Paisley Lawn Tennis Club 1889 by Sir John Lavery From the Paisley Art Institute Collection

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The course of true love never did run smooth...

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Visit our lovely gallery in Margarets Buildings, Bath, contact us directly or via the website to discover a lasting gift.

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

Inside Out - Outside In by Sumi Perera

DANCE: BATH SPA UNIVERSITY The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath Free admission, all welcome Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 February, 1– 4pm Final year dance students from Bath Spa University will be giving exhibits at the Holburne Museum through a series of short performances. The dance works have been choreographed by students in response to the spaces and displays at the museum, which is a cultural and academic partner of the university. Booking is not required for this free event.

BATH CONTEMPORARY 35 Gay Street, Bath Email: gallery@bathcontemporary.com Visit: bathcontemporary.com Tel: 01225 461230 Open: 10am – 5pm, Mon – Sat SUMI PERERA Monday 15 – Saturday 27 February International award-winning printmaker Sumi Perera subtly fuses the expertise of traditional printmaking techniques with contemporary production processes. She creates beautifully constructed images and assemblages with architectural precision, incorporating processes such as stitching, laser cutting, folding, sandblasting and engraving. Her background working as a doctor and a scientist feeds into her artistic practice and is reminiscent of the Renaissance’s integration of the arts and sciences. This exhibition sits alongside a mixed show of gallery favourites, running throughout February.

LANE HOUSE ARTS 5 Nelson Place East, Bath Tel: 07767 498403 Visit: lanehousearts.co.uk

Photography by Rabban

OTHERNESS Friday 6 – Saturday 13 February Gallery owner Jenny Pollitt has invited artist Rabban to curate a show this month, an exhibition of dark, mesmerising and provocative work. Rabban, a recent graduate from Bath School of Art and Design, has chosen two established and highly acclaimed European photographers to show alongside his own work in Otherness, an exhibition dedicated to photography. Preferring to use black and white film, Italian Stefano Bernardoni’s photographs

show an intensely personal vision of the world around him. Based in the Netherlands, Eli Dijkers work is intuitive, raw yet very connected and always about people. Bath based Rabban specialises in dark, romantic and Gothic photography.

REFLECTIONS: CONTEMPORARY INK PAINTINGS BY WU LAN-CHIANN Until 15 May Reflections is the first UK solo exhibition of Wu Lan-Chiann, Chinese ink painting artist.

At the core of Wu Lan-Chiann’s work, is a deep personal contemplation of universal themes and values that connect people across time and place. While continuing a tradition that is centuries old, her paintings are distinctly contemporary. This show consists of a selection of her work from the past 20 years.

New Way of Seeing by Wu Lan-Chiann

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Screenprints by Freya Cumming

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

Linocuts by Steven Hubbard DAVID SIMON CONTEMPORARY 3 – 4 Bartlett Street, Bath Tel: 01225 460189 Visit: davidsimoncontemporary.com Mon – Sat 10am – 6pm, Sunday afternoons IMPRESSIONS ON PAPER Until 27 February An exhibition devoted to works of art on paper through watercolour, drawing, etching, linocut and wood-cut prints. The show incorporates watercolour paintings of architectural manuscripts and library interiors by one of Britain’s finest contemporary watercolourists, Hugh Buchanan; linocut prints by Steven Hubbard focusing on nostalgic household objects; etchings by Mary Jane-Jones; still life paintings in gouache and ink by Peter Lloyd-Jones; drawings and etchings of nature-inspired forms by Peter Randell-Page. Also showing, geometric white porcelain ceramics by Keith Varney.

ROSTRA GALLERY George Street, Bath Open 10 am – 5.30pm, Sundays, 11am – 4.30pm LOVE ART Saturday 6 – Monday 29 February Fall in love this February as Love Art showcases new work by Tracey Benton, her felt sculptures and jewellery have become hugely popular, particularly with animal lovers. Freya Cumming’s beautiful screen prints capture her love of colour and serenity whether it’s vibrant hot air balloons floating over rooftops or calming ski slopes in snowy Austria. New artist Shirley Vauvelle brings her handcrafted sculptures using earthenware, driftwood, and vintage maps. There’s jewellery from Alexandra Aurum who designs and makes pieces inspired by nature using silver and pearls to create truly magical pieces. Kim Styles’ jewellery involves highly detailed silver work creating necklaces and earrings inspired by flowers and plants.

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nick cudworth gallery

Broad Street Oil on Linen

STREETS AHEAD 2 – 27 February Paintings and signed edition prints of various streets in Bath which contain a variety of architectural styles from pre Georgian times to modern day

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

VICTORIA ART GALLERY

By Pulteney Bridge, Bath Open Tues to Sat, 10am – 5pm, Sun, 1.30pm – 5pm, closed Mon PHILIP BOUCHARD: 52 VIEWS OF BATH Until 21 February The strangely surreal quality of Bath’s landmarks stems from architect John Wood’s vision and construction of an ideal city.

Philip Bouchard has always loved the vistas created by Wood and by those who followed him. In this show of 52 views, Bouchard captures the familiar and quirky aspects of this beautiful city.

WORLD WAR ONE RECRUITING POSTERS 27 February – 13 April Displayed in the same building a century ago when they were used to urge men to join up, this collection of posters has been unseen for many years. With their vibrant colours and stirring slogans, they are a reminder of the optimism and patriotism that characterised Britain at the beginning of World War One.

ART AT THE HEART OF THE RUH Main corridor gallery, Royal United Hospital, Combe Park, Bath Open: Monday to Sunday, 8am – 8pm daily ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY MEMBERS EXHIBITION Until14 April The Members' Biennial Print Exhibition showcases the diversity of photographic interests and creativity from RPS members all around the world, as well as the UK.

GALLERY NINE 9b Margarets Buildings,Bath Tel 01225 319197 Visit: gallerynine.co.uk

CERAMICS PROMOTION Throughout February Sue Binns distinctive blue and white striped range of functional domestic stoneware is inspired mainly by 1950’s Rye Pottery as well as Japanese ceramics.

Using earthenware, Judith Rowe has created a series of everyday pots which reflect the landscape around her in East Sussex. In soft but vibrant blues, greys and greens her pieces are decorated with natural motifs including moths, plants, spots and stripes as well as birds. David Garland combines the painter’s eye with the ceramicist’s hand. His heroic vessels, high sided containers or great platters are fit for a harvest of olives or a tree’s worth of picked lemons,

Colin Westgate: Beach huts in snow

they conjure up ancient Mediterranean feasts.

There will be 10% to 20% off selected items including pieces by Sue Binns, Judith Rowe and David Garland.

T Junction (Gay Street) by Nick Cudworth, signed limited editon

BATH ARTISTS’ STUDIOS The Old Malthouse, Comfortable Place, Upper Bristol Road, Bath jjwynnesculptor.co.uk

NICK CUDWORTH GALLERY London St, top of Walcot Street, Bath.

Closed on Mondays Tel: 01225 445221, visit: nickcudworth.com STREETS AHEAD Tuesday 2 – Saturday 27 February

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Paintings and signed edition prints of various streets in Bath which contain a variety of architectural styles from pre-Georgian to modern day. Nick often chooses to work with the light that is to be found at dawn and dusk which can enhance the tone of brick and in particular Bath stone.

AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART Friday 12 (6– 9pm) – Saturday 13 February (11am – 4pm) This is an inaugural exhibition by local sculptor James Wynne, whose passion for locally sourced seasoned English oak has resulted in a lifetime of secret sculpting. His aim is to reveal, through exquisite shape and form, the true and individual beauty of each hand finished piece.

James has until now worked as a sculptor only in the evenings and at weekends, whenever he has not been working as a professional garden landscaper. In this unique exhibition, James reveals not only his affinity for English oak, but his innate craftsmanship and artistry which shine through in every piece of sculpture, presented to the public for the very first time.

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CITY OF ROMANCE

DUELLING FOR THE LOVE OF ELIZA On the bi-centenary of the death of writer and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan, historian Catherin Pitt takes a look at the love affair that shook Georgian Bath

T

he romance between the playwright and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan and the beautiful soprano, Elizabeth Ann Linley is the fuel for novels and poetry. In fact it was turned into contemporary works that thrilled the London and Bath beau mondes.

Elizabeth Linley, otherwise known as Eliza, was born in Bath on 5 September 1754 the eldest daughter of Thomas and Mary Linley. Her father was a talented harpsichordist and musical director of the Assembly Rooms; while her brother, Thomas Junior, was so musically talented he was compared to his friend Amadeus Mozart.

Eliza and her sister Mary were oratorio singers and were taken to perform around the country from a very young age. However, it wasn’t just Eliza’s voice that mesmerised crowds, but her growing beauty too.

John Wilkes said of her:“The most beautiful flower that ever grew in Nature’s garden.”

One Sir Thomas Clarges was so desperately enamoured of Eliza that his friends sent him abroad until he got over his infatuation; while a singer called Thomas Norms, whose proposal was refused by Eliza, turned to drink that ruined his voice and his career.

The so-called Beauty of Bath caught the eye of the King, George III; and the artists Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds both feted her to sit for them, which she did.

The most persistent of her admirers was a family friend, Captain Thomas Mathews. Despite already being married, Mathews was so infatuated with Eliza that he was prepared to do anything to force her to be his lover, pestering her constantly.

In 1770 at the age of only 16, Eliza’s father planned for her to marry a wealthy Wiltshire landowner, Walter Long, who was 44 years her senior.

Distraught, she managed to convince Long that she was in love with another and he gallantly withdrew his betrothal, but not before compensating her father with £3,000. News of this story spread.

The playwright Samuel Foote even wrote a comedy entitled The Maid of Bath satirising the situation.

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causing more and more distress. It was when she was at her lowest ebb that her knight in shining armour appeared – Richard Brinsley Sheridan.

Born in Ireland in 1751, Sheridan had moved to Bath in 1770 to be with his parents and seek his fortune. The Sheridans were not unknown to the Linleys for Thomas Senior had given Mrs Sheridan singing lessons, and Richard’s younger sister, Alicia, had become friends with Eliza.

On the eve of 18th March 1772 Eliza was at home at Number 11 Royal Crescent having told her father she was too ill to perform. Under the cover of darkness she crept out to a waiting carriage that sped post haste to London.

There she met with Sheridan who had become her confidant over the matter of Mathews, and he prepared to escort her overseas to a convent.

It appears that it was during this journey to France that Sheridan revealed his true feelings for her, of which Eliza, naively, had been unaware.

“When I left Bath I had no idea of you but as a friend . . . it was that interest which you seemed to take in my welfare that were motives that induced me to love you.”

Sheridan persuaded Eliza to elope with him for a secret ceremony near Calais. Since both were under age and without parental consent they swore to keep it secret and continued to Lille where Eliza entered a convent. News of where she was reached Bath and it wasn’t long until her father arrived in France to take her home.

Meanwhile in Bath a distraught Captain Mathews published a scathing letter about Sheridan in the local paper.

When Sheridan returned from France he confronted Mathews on the matter

resulting in a duel in London, which Sheridan won.

With their marriage still secret, Sheridan went to ask Eliza’s hand in marriage from her father, but was rebuffed. He was under age and lacked money. Sheridan’s father agreed with Linley and swore his son to never contact Eliza again; however this did not stop the couple.

Under North Parade Bridge there is an area known as Spring Gardens where a stone grotto, Delia’s Grotto, still exists today. It is here that Sheridan would leave letters to his “Laura” following their return from France. Alas the letter writing could not continue since Sheridan was defying his father’s wishes.

Eliza was kept in the dark and soon her confidence in their affair began to wane: “I am in the most dreadful state of suspense . . . For God’s sake write to me,” she pleaded.

Despite Sheridan’s victory over Mathews, the Captain was not out of the picture. Incensed at losing to a playwright, the soldier challenged him

REGENCY ROMANCE: main picture,the lawns below Royal Crescent – Elizabeth eloped from No 11 Inset, Delia’s Grotto Image courtesy of Bath In time, visit: Bathintime.co.uk for online images of historic Bath Opposite page: Richard Brinsley Sheridan (pic from the Bath in Time archive) and Elizabeth Linley’s portrait of 1775 from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, from the George W Elkins Collection

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CITY OF ROMANCE again. In July 1772 the two men met again, this time at Kingsdown outside Bath. Sheridan lost, receiving some serious injuries, but his life was purportedly saved by a miniature of Eliza that he carried in his breast pocket. News of the duel spread far and wide including to where the Linleys were performing in Oxford. The news was kept secret from Eliza lest it affect her performance. However on the return to Bath she discovered the truth and it’s said that in her shock she let slip a cry of “my husband, my husband!”

The Linleys soon moved to Wells and Thomas continued to take Eliza and her sisters on concert tours around the country. Sheridan was forced by his father to move to Waltham Abbey in Essex, and although bereft he could not inform Eliza. Writing to a friend in Oxford where she was performing, Sheridan’s desperation at news of her is tangible; “I hope you have seen her . . . talked to her . . . tell me she is happy.”

By October 1772 Sheridan had come of age and once more went to see Eliza’s father to ask for her hand. Again he was rebuffed, but he persisted. Over the months Sheridan continued to confront Thomas every day outside theatres where Eliza was performing, pleading for her hand. He watched her perform in the evenings and even disguised himself as a coachman to take her back to her lodgings.

With Eliza threatening her parents with suicide if she could not marry him, eventually her father relented. On 13 April 1773 Eliza and Richard were married at St Marylebone Church in London. They went on to have one son, Thomas.

Upon marrying Eliza gave up public singing although she still undertook some lucrative private performances. Meanwhile Sheridan began to produce some of his best loved plays, The Rivals (1775) and School for Scandal (1777). He even wrote a play, The Duenna (1775) which was based upon his and Eliza’s elopement.

However there is no happy ending to this love story. Sheridan couldn’t keep his eye from wandering and embarked on a series of affairs over the years. Eliza was drawn into an affair on the back of her husband’s infidelities that resulted in the birth of a daughter.

Eliza’s constitution had always been weak,

causing her sickness throughout her life. In June 1792 Sheridan took her to take the waters at the Hot-wells in Bristol. On 28 June Eliza died at the age of 38 of tuberculosis. Her body was taken with much ceremony to Wells Cathedral where she lies today, along with her father, sister and niece. Sheridan it is said was bereft at his loss.

“Dry be that tear, be hushed that sigh, At least I’ll love thee till I die.”

(Poem by Richard Brinsley Sheridan to Eliza Linley, Bath 1772). n There is a metal plaque on the outside of No 11 Royal Crescent commemorating Elizabeth Linley’s elopement.

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FOOD | NEWS

FOOD&DRINK TITBITS

n The first few weeks of our promotion in conjunction with The Bath Priory have been a great success. And there’s still time for readers of The Bath Magazine to enjoy lunch or supper in the intimate yet informal Pantry at the hotel. The exclusive offer invites you to book a table – mentioning The Bath Magazine as you do – in order to partake of a two-course lunch for £15 or dinner for £17.50 – which includes a complimentary dessert. The offer is valid daily until 31 March, noon to 2.30pm and between 6.30pm and 9.30pm. To book, visit: thebathpriory.co.uk or tel: 01225 331922. n If your intent this Valentine’s is to show your loved one that, yes, you do actually know how to lighten up and have a laugh, you might want to book dinner and seats for some stand up comedy. Komedia in Westgate Street, Bath, is holding one of its regular Krater club comedy nights on Saturday 13 February with stand-ups John Hastings, Marlon Davis, Duncan Oakley and Pete Otway. For ticket prices – with or without dinner – call 0845 293 8480 or visit: komedia.co.uk/bath. After the comedy ends the floor is cleared to make way for dancing at Motorcity. Age is no bar to throwing some shapes. n Following months of building work, the new CAU restaurant has opened in Milsom Place, Bath, specialising in Argentine beef and Latin inspired small plates. The restaurant, which is part of a chain, seats 110 diners with a large ground floor restaurant area and a roof terrace, plus seating outside.

RECIPES FROM THE ALLOTMENT KICHEN Legions of Bath allotment growers will testify to the pleasures of bringing your own newly dug or picked vegetables fresh to the kitchen. But, equally, when the plot yields a bumper crop of, say courgettes, or the cook scratches their head as a heap of artichokes is plonked on the worktop, it’s good to have some culinary inspiration.

Our gardening columnist Jane Moore interviews allotmenteers Susan Williamson and Carrie Hill, author and illustrator of Bath book The Allotment Kitchen: Favourite Recipes and Ideas, on page 76. She’s also brought back some recipes to enjoy during the spring, with these delightful illustrations by Carrie.

A SIMPLE ASPARAGUS AND PEASHOOT SALAD Dried peas, bought from a supermarket can be grown inside on porous paper kept moist with rainwater. The shoots make a brilliant salad with thin slivers of raw asparagus, served with a simple vinaigrette dressing, topped with cubes of feta cheese.

As the pastry has not been baked blind, it is best to give the bases of the tartlets extra heat by placing the tin on the floor of the oven for the last minutes of cooking. Serve warm.

ASPARAGUS AND GOATS’ CHEESE TARTS I like, says Susan, to make these deep tartlets using a six-hole muffin tin, but this recipe could also be used to make one 23cm diameter tart.

300g puff pastry (bought or home-made) 12 asparagus spears 3 eggs plus one yolk 100g soft goat’s cheese 100g cream Salt and freshly ground black pepper Dusting of grated Parmesan Roll out the pastry and cut rounds to line the holes of the muffin tin. Place the pastry in the holes and put the tin in the fridge while preparing the filling.

Cook the asparagus in boiling water for four minutes.

Cut off the tips the length of the diameter of the tarts and chop the remainder of the spears and divide them among the pastry tarts. Crumble the cheese and place this on top, then add the eggs, seasoned and whisked with the cream.

Finish with two spears laid on the top of each tart and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Cook for 20 minutes or more at 180C until the pastry is golden.

ARTICHOKE AND POTATO SOUP 2 tbsp olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 350g Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and roughly chopped 350g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock Juice of 1⁄2 lemon Sprig of thyme Salt and freshly ground black pepper Fry the onions in the oil in a casserole dish on a medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until they are soft and translucent. Then add the artichokes and potatoes and cook for a further five minutes.

Add garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and lemon juice, then most of the stock (keeping some back to better judge the consistency of the soup). Cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Cool briefly, then pure ́e the soup. Check consistency and seasoning.

Reheat before serving. A few drops of oil could be poured on the soup or a whirl of cream added to each bowl. Serve with crou ̂tons. n

Featured in Sunday Times best places to eat for under £20

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RESTAURANT | REVIEW

YAMMO! 66 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD. Tel: 01225 938328

R E V I EW

A SLICE OF ITALIAN SUNSHINE

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the best places in the UK to eat for under £20, as well as riding high in the top ten of UK pizzeria on Tripadvisor.

If it’s a nice romantic table for two you want – with a candle and a fresh flower – then there’s just the spot for you. If you get the table next to the open kitchen you can enjoy watching the chefs going through their balletic routine preparing the pizza dough for the oven.

❝

they are as far from the bog standard pizza served by so many chains as the warmth of real sunshine is from a light bulb

❝

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n a bitterly cold evening, after a hard shift at the coal face (oh, all right, computer screen) what could be nicer than to bag yourself a table for two in a snug candlelit family-run restaurant, where from the moment you enter you’re transported to sunnier places by the Italian chatter of the staff? And where a glass of soft, fruity Italian red wine and a freshly made ‘proper’ pizza is just what il medico ordered.

There has been a little corner of Naples on Walcot Street since Yammo! opened three years ago. Eschewing the traditional Italian trattoria set-up of white tablecloths and waiting staff wielding giant pepperpots, Neapolitan founder Dani opted instead for modern, funky and informal for the small café cum bar. As a result Yammo! has become a busy venue for all kinds of customers, from the mid-morning mums seeking coffee and homemade torte, right through to the late night trendy cocktail crowd fancying a tipple and a small plate or two.

Yammo! is popular with families, as wellbehaved children and dogs are also welcome.

Parties can book the private room upstairs, which seats up to 16. This is used by hens and stags as well as groups of friends, as you can order up a film for everyone to watch. Order the Neapolitan Sharing Feast for £23.95 per head and staff will pile the food onto the middle of the table for everyone to tuck into. They’ll bring antipasti platters, fritto misto, pizzas for sharing and desserts. No one goes hungry at Yammo! as staff will keep bringing food until everyone’s sated.

No wonder the awards and accolades have been heaped upon this hard-working team. Best newcomer locally, best pizzas nationally, and, most recently making The Sunday Times list for

Great care and pride is taken in the sourcing of ingredients. A shared plate of antipasti yielded slice after slice of authentically Italian and differently spiced salami, olives, roast aubergine nuggets and sweet, juicy tomatoes.

If you order the veggie burger you’ll notice it’s not some generic, meatless disc, but three generous aubergine balls stuffed with pine nuts and raisins. The meaty variety (£12.95) is much to be recommended, made as it is from beef that’s aged 21 – 28 days and the burger is served perfectly pink inside (unless you request otherwise). Yammo’s burgers are served, as you’d expect, with chips plus a zingy homemade tomato relish. The brioche bun has a French pedigree, having been created by Monsieur Bertinet’s bakery, but keeping the

food miles down by being made in Bath.

When I describe Yammo’s pizzas as ‘proper’ as in ‘proper job’, I mean that they are as far from the bog standard pizza served by so many chains as the warmth of real sunshine is from a light bulb. They are made from a secret recipe created by international pizza champion, chef Gianluca Donzelli and properly risen at the crust. Prices start from £9.95 for an awardwinning 12 inch margherita. Simply add the toppings of your choice, be it capers, anchovies, salami, Parma ham, fennel sausage, ricotta etc etc. My fave rave is a marinara – can one be addicted to the umami tang of anchovy? And yes, it’s more than OK to eat pizza with your hands, just as they do in Napoli.

Just one warning. The portions, just like the welcome at Yammo!, are very generous. If you suffer from ‘eyes bigger than your stomach’ syndrome you might want to share some dishes.

I’d personally opt for three dishes between four people, then you might just have room for a bowl of delicious Italian gelato (£4.95) to complete the summer holiday mood.

As the weather turns warmer diners can sit outside at the back, in a heated, covered garden lit by fairy lights. A recent change to the licence means cocktails and small plates can be enjoyed until 1am by the cool crowd.

If you can’t get to Yammo! in person (and booking is advisable, especially at weekends) then you can always opt to enjoy the authentic taste of Neapolitan street food at home. A takeaway service is available and it’s free if you live within two miles of Walcot Street.

Yammo! launched a wedding service last summer, offering its wood oven fired pizzas, which has proved popular already with brides, grooms and their guests. n

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THE WINE COLUMN Angela Mount, wine and food critic prepares to watch the Six Nations and brings news of a discount for Bath Rugby fans

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ith rugby at the heart of our city’s culture and the 2016 Six Nations Championships starting this month, a vinous theme linked to the sport would seem appropriate, woven into some romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day. Rugby supporters don’t rely solely on cider and beer for their half time tipple, especially when the Bath Rugby Official Wine Sponsor is local wine merchant Great Western Wine. There’s a Great Western wine bar on the Rec, in the appropriately named the Swift Half, tucked behind the temporary stands, serving a range of their award-winning wines. There’s an added incentive to enjoy the matches with a glass of wine, as GWW is offering a 10% discount to Bath Magazine readers, for use in its shop. Go into the shop during February, and say: “I’m Bath Rugby’s Number one fan” at the till, to get 10% off. Your name will also go into a prize draw for a magnum of Taittinger Champagne, Bath Rugby’s Man of the Match Champagne.

I’m yet to discover the next vinous first, which might be Scottish or Irish wine; and with Wales producing some lovely, but scarcely available wines, so the focus is on France, Italy, and England. For the England v Italy game, what better way to enjoy than by choosing one or both of these award-winning fizzes?

First up is Ferrari Maximum Brut NV (GWW £22.50), an elegant and stylish top notch fizz from north east Italy, produced using the Chardonnay grape, in the same way as Champagne is made. The name has nothing to do with the car company, and has none of the flashiness of the name, simply breeding and poise, from one of the country’s top sparkling wine producers.

With a stream of tiny bubbles, it has a warm, creamy style, with hints of warm pastry on the nose, and delightfully rich, baked apple, and toasted hazelnut flavours, with a delicate floral note. You can buy this with a free, smart monochrome chiller tin; Valentine’s Day present sorted.

Moving on to one of our very own national treasures Ridgeview Fitzrovia Cuvee Merret Rose 2010 ( GWW £27). The Queen famously served this wine at a state dinner for Barack Obama; it also regularly beats many pink champagnes in blind tasting competitions. England is now recognised as a producer of some of the best sparkling wines in the world, made in the champagne manner, and the Ridgeview Estate in the South Downs is one of the leading pioneers. Impress your loved one, or celebrate your team’s wins with a glass of this delicate, salmon pink fizz; classic, high class elegance, with a fine mousse, and delightful notes and flavours of English strawberries, summer pudding fruit, combined with an elegant floral and citrus twist.

Waving the flag for France is a delightfully smooth Les Mougeottes Chardonnay 2014 (GWW £9.95). It has all the hallmarks of decent white Burgundy, without the price tag. If you like your whites warm, creamy and soft, try this one. With just enough oak ageing to add depth and richness, the focus is on bright, russet apple and baked pear fruit, with a dusting of toasted hazelnuts. Smooth, buttery and textured, it’s a great match for salmon steaks, also poached or roast chicken in a creamy sauce.

Finally back to Italy for a dark, brooding red, full of charm and seductive personality – Nino Negri Inferno, Valtellina 2011 ( GWW £17.50). The grapes are grown on the precipitous, rocky slopes of the lower Alps. However, as the name Inferno implies, the grapes are ripened by the intensity of the summer sun reflecting on the rock face. Opulent, velvety and bold, it’s full of scents of violets, roses, black cherries and figs, which lead to rich flavours of herbs, dark berry fruit and warm spices.

Perfect with rich, gamey casseroles, venison, porcini mushroom risotto, or cheese and charcuterie in front of a roaring fire. n All of the above, plus a mixed case can be ordered through our website. Enjoy a 10% Great Western Wine discount by entering the code on Angela’s wine column. Visit: thebathmag.co.uk

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The Diner’s Digest SIX OF THE BEST

Cocktails and candlelight

Melissa Blease puts a red rose between her teeth and sashays forth to find the best places to enjoy a Valentine’s date with a drink and then dinner

CIRCO & MAI THAI

Does bling make his/her heart sing? Might being seen out-and-about together at one of the hippest cocktail bars put the official seal on your ‘loved up’ status? Perhaps that attentiongrabbing V-Day outfit you’ve treated yourself to demands an audience? But maybe the occasion also calls for a little bit of one-to-one time? Okay, we can do this! Chic cocktail hotspot Circo offers inviting, cosy-up corners across a collection of rooms and the bar is home to what many folk say is the most exquisite range of upper-crust cocktails in Bath. Mai Thai is a long-established, sparkling haven of tantalising Thai tastiness around 30 steps away from Circo.

Put ’em together and what have you got? A tasty date with your prospective mate, that’s what.

Circo, 2/3 South Parade, Bath, tel: 01225 585100; web: circobar.co.uk. Mai Thai, 6 Pierrepont Street, Bath, tel: 01225 445557; web: maithaibath.com

MARTINI

This charming trattoria’s classic bistro facade has long been a little piece of Italy right here on George Street. Beyond those picture windows lies a collection of atmospheric spaces, each offering an intimacy that belies the fact that Martini is actually a bit of a Tardis. Decor is classic euro-brasserie style that uses dark wood, gold handrails, artfully distressed paintwork and that all-important, super-flattering candlelight to their best advantage – the perfect setting, perhaps, for a smoochy get-together?

The service, too, is attentive but discreet. But before you plunder the menu (be warned: the pasta dishes here are so good that I urge you not to wear anything too tight-fitting), the prosecco options and Martini-based tipples (of course!) on the cocktail list are highly recommended and add subtle smooch to the start of your evening – unless, of course, you want to go full-out blatant and whisper the words Sex on the Beach into your amata’s ear?

Martini, 8-9 George Street, Bath, tel: 01225 460818; web: martinirestaurant.co.uk

THE OLIVE TREE

We love the Olive Tree for all kinds of reasons, from décor and vibe (smart, chic but definitely, distinctly chilled out) to, of course, those fabulous menus courtesy of stellar superchef Chris Cleghorn. But when one wants to look and feel fabulous for and with that special person in your life, the OT comes into its own.

But hold back on heading straight for your table a deux! The Queensbury Hotel’s Old Q bar is one of Bath’s most subtly glamorous hidden gems: think, old-school gentleman’s club meets Hollywood A-list celebrity VIP bar as if styled by Nicky Haslam, and you’re there. The cocktail list, meanwhile, is a connoisseur’s joy to behold – there be no budget blends or middling mixers sullying the pure, clear (alcohol-infused) waters here, and if you can’t

TURTLE BAY

see exactly what you want on the list, the expert mixologist behind the bar is on hand to offer recommendations. I’m just a girl who can’t say no to the Old Q’s Tom Collins, but the fizz-based specialities are fabulous too. I have it on excellent authority that the Manhattan is the best in our non-Stateside town. And after this, simply step next door to the Olive Tree dining room where a sublime gastronomic treat awaits.

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

It could be said that Turtle Bay is a young person’s island: a spirited, spacious Caribbean-themed bar/diner in the heart of Bath, furnished with fixtures and fittings that look as though they’ve been directly transported from a Jamaican beach shack. The whole place is pulsing to an overall beat that's about as vibrant as a vibe can get: reggae floats through the speakers, jerk in many formats dominates the menus and all kinds of lesser-spotted (in Bath, anyway) Caribbean-themed dishes tease and tantalise with things hot and spicy. But the young at heart have taken to the laid-back lifestyle in droves too... which might be in part due to those super-cocky cocktails. From Tobago Tea to One Love by way of Jammin', Caribbean Pimms, Bahama Mama and many, many more (seriously, is this the longest cocktail list in Bath?), they're all 2-4-1 during Happy Hour (12noon-7pm and 10pm-close, every day) and they're all guaranteed to limbo the way towards a very lively Valentine's Day indeed. Oh go on, (big) kids! You know you want to.

Turtle Bay, 11 Bridge Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 444052; web: turtlebay.co.uk/locations/bath/

THE CONFESSIONAL & CÔTE BRASSERIE There’s something deliciously devilish about the recently-opened Confessional, the subterranean prohibition era-style speakeasy below the historic Octagon Chapel in Milsom Place. Once underground, low lights and flickering candles cast a seductive (some might say, sinful?) spell over a bewitching cocktail menu, which includes the enticing El Diablo (that puts Cupid in his place for the night!) and an addictive Expresso Martini that – be warned, those sensitive to caffeine! – could make Valentine’s evening a very long one. But one cannot live on

daiquiris alone. While Milsom Place has many charms to offer in terms of restaurants, Côte Brasserie is our top pick for hot dates. The menu is classic French and, while the surroundings may be more lively brasserie than cosy bistro, clever layout ensures you’ll be left to your own romantic devices in your own little Île paradisiaque.

The Confessional, 28 Milsom Place, Bath, tel: 01225 667155; web: confessionalbar.co.uk.

Côte Brasserie, 27 Milsom Place, Bath, tel: 01225 335509; web: cote-restaurants.co.uk

THE ROYAL CRESCENT & THE CIRCUS

As a post-sunset mist drifts over Victoria Park, a mild chill in the air gives you an excuse to snuggle up a little bit closer to your partner as moonlight gently illuminates the Royal Crescent. Just how much more romantic can this Valentine’s weekend evening stroll get?

Ah, you ain't seen nothing yet. Because you're heading for the Royal Crescent Hotel's luxurious, elegant Montagu Bar and Champagne Lounge, where head barman Orlando Santana Garcia (who is named for life, not just for Valentine's Day!) is going to mix up a Grand Delice especially for you. As

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the sweet nothings flow and the chemistry between you fizzes and sparkles like a Roman Candle, you're off to turn the heat up at an intimate table for two in the smart but cosy Circus (just around the corner), where you'll find very tasteful passion on every plateful of food and love writ large on the menu, that’s won national accolades and many hearts.

Royal Crescent Hotel, 16 Royal Crescent, Bath Tel: 01225 823333; web: royalcrescent.co.uk Circus restaurant, 34 Brock Street, Bath, tel: 01225 466020; web: thecircuscafeandrestaurant.co.uk

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â?¤ E H T S U O I C I L E D GUIDE LOOKING FOR A ROMANTIC FRESTAURANT ?

Find inspriation with our The Delicious Guide to Bath which features all our fave eateries and foodie treateries is available online at our website www.thebathmag.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

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FRESH FROM THE SEA

Melissa Blease talks to Rob Clifford-Wing, founder of Wings of St Mawes, who, for more than 30 years, has been supplying Bath’s restaurants with fish and seafood within hours of it being caught

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beckoned, and Rob started to investigate commercial fishing.

He says: “I didn’t make much money at the start, but I drank a lot of beer and got very strong!”And so his passion was piqued. It occurred to Rob that, in the 1980s, few restaurants in the landlocked towns and cities in the south west had easy access to fresh, seasonal fish from the coast. And so it came to pass that he put a business plan together.

“I created a package that seemed, to me, to have a very logical aim,” he says, “Bristol and Bath complement each other perfectly: a big commercial city just down the road from a tourist-based hub, both with a spectacular – and growing – reputation for good restaurants. As a quiet Cornish boy, I headed for the metropolis full of fear and trepidation. My first delivery was a box of scallops to the Bath Priory, driven up from Newlyn in the back of my wife’s car. But my customers soon discovered the huge benefit of our direct service: from waves to kitchen, often within a matter of hours.”

It wasn’t long before Wings became the go-to fish merchant for any chef worth their status. “In those days it was much easier to be a fledgling operation and enter at low level,” says Rob. “And I was confident that – as well as knowing my fish – I had a good knowledge and understanding of how chefs work, because of my previous experience. I prided myself on attention to detail and hard work, but

never really thought I’d last more than around 18 months, let alone 34 years!

I’ve devoted my life to this business.”

As a result, Rob and his team are well accustomed to working unsociable hours. “Our business operates at both ends of day; my buyers are at Newlyn Fish market at around 5.45am. But chefs can place an order with me at 2.30 in the afternoon and have it delivered by

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IN THE RIGHT PLAICE: main picture,Rob Clifford-Wing, who has recently been appointed Harbour Commissioner at Newlyn in Cornwall

My first delivery was a box of scallops to the Bath Priory, driven up from Newlyn in the back of my wife’s car

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ath night owls are familiar with the sight of Wings of St Mawes delivery vans buzzing around the city to drop off the catch of the day to kitchens in the wee small hours of the morning, when most of us are tucked up on bed. But when we wake up to a brand new day that may well include a fish supper in one of our favourite restaurants, pubs or bistros later on, do we perhaps take the people who work so hard on behalf of kitchens that can confidently offer the freshest, sustainable, seasonal catches of the day for our delectation for granted?

Cornishman born and bred, Robert Clifford-Wing started off life as a seafood chef, cooking at various restaurants in and around St Mawes for seven years before hanging up his whites in favour of running a small family business. But during the quiet winters, the waves (or rather, the lure of the catches beneath those waves)

8pm that night – we only ever work with today’s fish today. We offer input and advice to chefs too; we ask them to let us be their eyes at the market, and guarantee that the reputation of their restaurant is safe in our hands.”

Want to shop like a chef? Domestic cooks can ask Wings to deliver to their homes, too – the fresh fish, shellfish and seafood boxes are best sellers.

But when asked what aspect of his business Rob is most proud of today, he cites immediate response, reputation, stance on quality, attention to detail and long-standing relationships with customers (several restaurants have relied on Wings of St Mawes as their main fresh fish and seafood supplier for over 30 years).

But he’s full of praise for his own personal food heroes, too. “Keith Floyd

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FOOD | HEROES

was very instrumental in establishing the foundations of our business at the very start,” he says. “We couldn’t get enough of whatever fish he’d featured in a recipe on TV on any given week. And he broke the mould at a time when our TV chefs were people such as Fanny Cradock and Graham -The Galloping Gourmet- Kerr.

I’m not saying those people weren’t instrumental and influential in their own way, but Keith was authentically charismatic, and brought passion and culture to our TV screens.

“Today, Rick Stein and I are each other’s food heroes! Rick has done so

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FRUITS DE MER: Above, Wings supplies lobster, crabs and mussels and, bottom left, a range of seasonal fish to professional chefs and domestic kitchens across Bath and Bristol

much good for the Cornish fishing industry in a quiet, balanced way. I have great respect for double-Michelin starred fish and seafood chef Nathan Outlaw too, and I’m proud to supply his restaurants. What Nathan does is just phenomenal – he cooked me the finest meal I’ve ever eaten. For a former chef and fish merchant to make that statement is, I hope, a real accolade for Nathan and his brilliant chefs.”

But we can’t talk fish without getting involved in the business of current, ongoing and often controversial debates about quotas and sustainability – murky waters indeed.

“The power of the media to misrepresent information or whip up food fads often really terrifies me. If a statement is embellished or only represented in headline format, it can create a huge, negative impact on the fishing industry. If a newspaper declares, for example, that tuna is no longer sustainable, then tuna stops selling, even if most people haven’t been offered access to the real story behind the headlines.”

Over the past three decades, Rob has worked with the fishing industry to protect and conserve a centuries old way of life, and was one of the original founders of Seafood Cornwall, a trade body that aims to aid cohesion in the industry. He was also part of an EU funding project that set up a 1,500

square mile ‘no fish zone’ off north Cornwall that fishermen credit with a significant rise in stocks of species such as cod and haddock. He’s recently become a Harbour Commissioner for Newlyn Fishing Port, where he’s helping to install better facilities for fishermen and modernise practices by increasing sustainable fisheries. “I have a passion for fish and Cornwall and I want to help ensure the future of the Cornish fishing industry for many generations to come,” he says, in a statement on the Wings of St Mawes website (which is very much worth a visit). Rob also recommends that we familiarise ourselves with the work of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Good Seafood Guide website (watch the GSG video on the CWT homepage – beautiful, exciting and informative).

And next time you spot one of Rob’s delivery drivers buzzing around Bath while everybody should be tucked up in their cosy beds, give them a wave. We must salute the food heroes who bring the freshest, most sustainable, seasonal catches of the day to our doorsteps while we’re sleeping off our latest fish supper. n Wings of St Mawes, tel 01726 862489; web: thecornishfishmonger.co.uk. The Cornwall Wildlife Trust: cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. The Cornwall Good Seafood Guide: cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk.

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ISLAND HOPPING

For a holiday where you can take the children, the dog and avoid spending hours at an international airport why not stay close to home and explore one of the south west’s treasures? Georgette McCready visits the Isles of Scilly

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table with a sea view?

That’s never going to be a problem on the Isles of Scilly. Almost everywhere you go on the islands it’s possible to sit with a coffee, or a glass of wine, overlooking the water. From the most modest of rustic tearooms to the swishest, most stylish beachfront cafés, Scilly offers vistas aplenty of sky, sea and wide open spaces.

Friends who camp every year on the island of Bryher, had invited us to Scilly, but we’d never got round to it, till the chance came at the tail-end of last summer for us to spend a few days there. We flew out from Land’s End airport, a tiny rural spot with not much more than a departure/arrival hall. On checking in the biggest stress was being weighed ourselves – but compared to the hours you’d spend in Gatwick or Heathrow that was minor. When our flight was called we attended a quick briefing before being escorted out to a small eight-seater plane.

I’ve never been a confident flyer, but sitting right behind the pilot – so close I could smell his aftershave – and with views out of the front and both sides, this was more like travelling in a minibus than a jet. As we left the Cornish coast, heading south, we flew over turquoise seas in the sunshine, and shortly the islands appeared below us, green and fertile, a living map. Circling round over St Mary’s, the largest island, was like looking down at a model village populated by animals and people like something from a Britains farm set.

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turns nasty, you’ll have to travel by boat, which is also a cheaper option.

You can arrange to be met off the plane by minibus and dropped at your destination, or by the harbourside to catch a ferry. We were staying with friendly Sophie at Green Farmhouse, who installed us in the cosy selfcontained Old Pheasant Eye with its big comfortable bed, well equipped kitchen and sunny courtyard garden.

Before we unpacked Sophie took us for a short stroll through the bracken to the slopes overlooking the sea. Right on our doorstep were footpaths leading in both directions, and down to Pelistry Bay. Pointing to the sandy, secluded little cove Sophie said she’d regularly spotted seals down there, basking on the rocks and bobbing about in the water.

There’s very much a Famous Five flavour to holidaying on Scilly. From the farmhouse it was a half hour stroll down through country lanes to St Mary’s town and harbour. It’s big enough to offer a good choice of places to eat and shop, but small enough to feel friendly. The helpful woman in the tourist information centre advised us that, if we got to St Mary’s Quay by 6pm we’d be in time for the supper boat to the island of St Agnes.

And so we did. It was the first of many boat trips during our four-day stay. The boats are largely open to the elements, so when the seas get choppy there’s the odd splash of spray – which the children on board enjoyed. We’d been inspired by the books of Michael Morpurgo and of tales of many shipwrecks around these notoriously rocky shores, which added a sense of

adventure to crossing the waters from island to island.

A brief dash up the concrete runway to The Turk’s Head on St Agnes – Britain’s most south westerly pub factseekers – and we secured a seat and a pint in the pub. Soon we were tucking into a delicious fresh-as-fresh can be fish and chip supper, a real treat. Then, the woman in the tourist office had told us, if we could cross the bar between St Agnes and the tiny island of Gugh, we’d be in for a treat. You can only walk across the sandbar to the next island when the tide is low. A simple pleasure but an adventure in itself as we strolled across barefoot as dusk started to fall.

No one missed the boat back to St Mary’s – we only once saw a family running to catch one of the ferries, the boatmen waiting for them as they flapped their way along the quay on Tresco, so I don’t think it’s a huge risk.

Every island has its own character and attractions. Bryher is largely

A PLACE IN THE SUN: main picture, Hell Bay Hotel, Tresco Inset, The Turk’s Head pub on St Agnes Opposite page, left island hopping with the boats of St Mary’s Boatmen’s Association and Tresco Boat Services Right, the sub-tropical Tresco Abbey Gardens Visit: visitislesofscilly.com, islesofscillytravel.co.uk or tresco.co.uk Stay: greenfarmhouse scilly.co.uk Pics courtesy of Visit Isles of Scilly

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TRAVEL | SCILLY

informal, visitors wandering its meandering paths, only stopping for a slice of cake and tea, or a pint at Fraggle Rock. In glorious September sunshine we were in shirt sleeves, but although I paddled, I found the waters off Scilly much too cold to swim in without a wetsuit or a heatwave.

You’re not going to go hungry for long on Scilly, as everywhere you go you find places to tempt you.

We found a sunny inland garden at the Kaffeehaus Salbei where we ate the best warm, fruity, apple strudel, with cream naturally, this side of Vienna, and one early evening we sat on the decking over the sandy beach at Speros contemporary pizzeria.

Here, as we noticed throughout our stay, Scilly is a favoured holiday destination for three-generation families. The little ones like the fun of buckets and spades while parents share the childcare with the older generation, who in turn get their chance to spend time with their grandchildren and introduce them to the delights of a boat trip or a forage on the beach.

You can camp on Bryher, as our friends do every year, in a charming/basic (according to your viewpoint) site, or you can opt for the luxury of the Hell Bay Hotel, which is one of the most heavenly spots. Sit in the sunshine on the terrace of this picture-perfect weatherboarded hotel and enjoy lunch looking out over the sea – I recommend the potted crab with guacamole, salsa and tortilla chips. So many friends have enthused about the hotel and its environs and I now know why. This is a very stylish place to put on your bucket list.

The Tresco Abbey Gardens are part of the essential list for any gardeners. We were hugely privileged to enjoy a private guided tour by longtime curator Mike Nelhams. Sheltered from the cold air of the mainland, these sub-tropical gardens are able to sustain plants and trees from all over the world, into an eclectic and ever-changing collection.

Mike is delighted that Britain’s native red squirrels have happily been established in the gardens and watching them scamper over our heads brought a nostalgic pang for the lost Squirrel Nutkins of distant childhood. Make sure you allow plenty of time to dawdle in the gardens. I was foolish enough to try and pack in a cycling circumnavigation of Tresco and lunch at the uber cool waterside Ruin Beach Cafe, whereas I should have allowed myself at least half a day in the gardens. (Don’t miss the Valhalla outdoor museum collection of real WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

wrecked ships’ painted figureheads while you’re there).

While trekking through the heather to reach the ruins of Cromwell’s Castle, we reflected that perhaps we needed at least a week to see even half of what the islands have to offer. Not least the chance to kick back and simply enjoy the relatively uncrowded space.

That evening we called Chris at Book-a-Bike. He hadn’t been primed to our call but promptly turned up, as requested with two suitably sized bikes at 8am next day. He gave us his mobile number to call if we had a puncture anywhere on St Mary’s and said to leave the bikes outside the restaurant we’d booked to eat in that evening and he’d pick them up. No locks, no hassle and would we mind leaving the £25 total hire fee in an envelope with the bikes.

Sometimes it’s the quiet moments of a holiday that give the most pleasure. Freewheeling down the lanes on a bike, picking blackberries along the footpath down to Pelistry Bay, or debating, as we strolled barefoot on the sand, the beach to ourselves, whether that was a seal or a rock we could see.

One of the aspects of the islands that had captured our imagination was the sheer number of ships wrecked off these coastlines over the centuries. A visit to the cluttered, informative Isles of Scilly Museum, offered up more stories and artefacts. Older readers will be pleased to hear there’s a cabinet dedicated to former PM Harold Wilson who spent his summers on Scilly, including one of his famous Dannimacs.

Our last evening began watching the sun set over St Mary’s town from the terrace gardens at Juliet’s Garden, sipping a delicious Hedgerow Fizz, a glass of prosecco with creme de cassis and fresh blackberries. After a celebratory supper, whose highlights included fresh scallops with wild garlic pesto and wild sea trout in a Champagne sauce, the staff kindly called us a taxi for the short – traffic free – ride home. Just time for a last chance to enjoy the clear, unpolluted skies full of stars.

Next day the minibus rounded up visitors from all around the north of the island, our driver chatting away and asking them what they’d been up to. Luckily we weren’t weighed on our way out of the islands, as we were flying home on a larger Skybus plane, able to take that extra apple strudel tonnage. n

SCILLY EVENTS

Puffins arrive at the end of April and leave around mid-July Other dates for your diary: Low-Tide Experience: April 8 A pop-up seafood feast and fizz event in the channel between Tresco and Bryher. Take the low-tide walk between the islands and enjoy a seafood fire-pit feast, a bar, stalls selling island wares and games including croquet and boules, and join local fishermen clamming.

Walk Scilly: April 9 to 15 A series of guided walks across Scilly’s five inhabited islands, and one or two of the uninhabited ones. Delve into the archipelago’s heritage and wildlife, go wine-tasting, beachcombing or stargazing or forage for your supper.

Arts & Literature Festival Throughout May An eclectic mix of open studios, literary events, folk music and courses and workshops with Scilly’s artists.

The Islands’ Regatta: August 26 to 29 A celebration of Scilly’s maritime heritage, with a Parade of Sail, tall ships and a sailing regatta of Redwings.

Walk Scilly Autumn: October 13 to 17 The islands are alive with birds and wildlife, and the softer hues give rise to breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.

For more details and a full listing of events, go to: visitislesofscilly.com.

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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

Phil Andrews Music impressario

H

ow did I end up in Bath? Long story, here’s the short version. Late 1974, I left Leatherhead to escape the suburbs and headed for the North York Moors – to open a bike shop and café in Helmsley. Over the winter, I realised it was too cold and bleak, so I cycled back home via the Pennines and North Wales stopping off in Bath with Richard Cooper a friend.

After some weeks of sleeping on Richard’s floor, thinking of heading back to Leatherhead, I suddenly thought – ‘Hey Bath’s a great place – maybe I’ll just stay!’ So, three years later, a cycling trip to Ireland and some truly bizarre coincidences led to me taking on the premises in George Street and with my £1,400 savings plus £600 loan from good friends I started Moles Club.

Aged 25 in 1978, I didn’t have any idea where it would lead. In my hippy way, I thought while signing the lease, that five years was a lifetime away and by then I would be “over the hills and far away.”

That’s not how it panned out and 37 years later, apart from a brief period when I sold Moles, I’m still involved.

On the way from then to now, a recording studio and a veggie live music pub got opened, then a total departure from the entertainment industry with my involvement as a 50/50 partner in the Jane Austen Centre with David Baldock – who incidentally I met via Moles Club, when he played in a band called Distant Cousins.

Latterly, I’ve followed that old chestnut – got involved in things more art than money, with Chapel Arts Centre a not-for-profit outfit. It addresses a need for something less rocky and more refined than perhaps Moles or the old Porter could.

It’s fair to say that over the years I’ve had my detractors, and I’ve lost count of the number of other venues that have opened with the alleged aim of “knocking Phil Andrews off his perch.”

However I’m clear that I’ve never had that attitude, and never attack other people’s ventures as a way of making mine prosper.

I take the view “do something well, love what you do and if people like it you’ll be successful.” I think if you go out to attack other people’s efforts, then ultimately it bounces back on you, so I just don’t do it.

I like the marketing mantra “if you can’t be the best in your category, invent a new category and be the best in that.”Although I wasn’t aware of it at the time, that’s what I did with Moles. Noone had done an alternative live music night-club before in Bath, so automatically we were the best in the category.

Despite all the twists and turns along the way - defeats and successes – 37 years later, Moles Club is still going. I’m really pleased that we managed to get up and running after the fire [The George Street club suffered a fire in March 2014, re-opening in November 2015] although at some points it seemed like it was never going to happen. I look forward to continuing to be involved, although my main focus now is Chapel Arts Centre. n

PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic.

Visit: capturethespirit.co.uk, tel: 01225 483151.

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CITY | PEOPLE

CITYNEWS News in brief

GET TOGETHER: left to right, Ian and Christa Taylor, owners of the Abbey Hotel, with architect Nick Stubbs, and Henrietta Beard, fundraiser at Dorothy House Hospice, with Graham Street, managing partner at Withy King

LAW FIRM WELCOMES GUESTS TO MEET TEAM ■ After three years on the Bath art scene, Quercus Gallery in Queen Street, is closing, as owner Evie Williams goes on maternity leave.

The closing exhibition will continue until Saturday 20 February. This will be followed by an online shop, Quercus Collections which will bring together jewellery, ceramics, paintings, prints and textiles, visit: quercusgallery.co.uk.

■ Construction work has begun on what is now known as Bath Quays Waterside, downstream on the River Avon from Churchill Bridge. Once completed, this B&NES and Environment Agency partnership project will reduce the existing flood risk to more than 100 homes and commercial properties and the Lower Bristol Road. Its completion will enable around 2,500 new homes and 9000 new jobs to be created along the River Avon corridor at Bath Quays.

The aim is for an improved riverside, allowing the city to be better connected to its river via the creation of a new riverside park.

■ Volunteering is a good way to meet people, improve your CV and make yourself feel you’re making a valuable contribution to the community. The very smart Oxfam shop in George Street, Bath is inviting people to Give A Shift by signing up for a few hours each week.

Pop into the shop or call Verity Budd, 01225 464838.

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Bath largest law firm, Withy King, welcomed 170 guests to its annual Meet the Team gathering, at the Abbey Hotel in the city centre.

Graham Street, managing partner, thanked guests for their ongoing support which has seen the firm continue to grow over the last 12 months and enter the ranks of the UK’s Top 100 law firms for the first time.

Henrietta Beard, corporate and major donor

fundraiser at Dorothy House hospice, thanked Withy King for its support, having been selected by the firm’s Bath-based staff as their chosen charity for the next two years. She provided an insight into the hospice’s work in delivering care to people with life-limiting illnesses, their families and carers in Bath and parts of Somerset and Wiltshire in an area which covers 700sq miles and a population of 550,000.

HOUZZ-AT! Specialist kitchen design company Stephen Graver, based at Steeple Ashton in Wiltshire, has won the Best of Design accolade on Houzz, the leading platform for home renovation and design.

Design award winners’ work was the most popular among more than 35 million monthly users on Houzz. A Best of Houzz 2016 badge will appear on winners’ Houzz profiles, as a sign of their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.

“Anyone building, renovating or decorating looks to Houzz for the most talented and service-oriented professionals” said Andrew Small, managing director of Houzz UK, “We’re so pleased to recognise Stephen Graver Ltd, voted one of our Best of Houzz professionals by our enormous community of homeowners and design enthusiasts actively renovating and decorating their homes.”

A WINNER: one of Stephen Graver’s designer kitchens

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

A parting that is not so sweet...

Thriving companies are often built on personal friendships between shareholders so it can be especially painful when over time, shareholderdirectors who started out as the best of friends, become boardroom adversaries and the health of their company suffers. When a corporate breakdown of this sort happens, it often results in the exit of one of the shareholders and the sale of his or her shares, but if the other shareholders are unwilling or unable to buy them (and the Articles of Association prohibit a sale to a third party), then private companies often decide to use their accumulated reserves to purchase the “sale” shares either completely or in tandem with a sale to other shareholders.

Sounds familiar? Could the exit of a troublesome shareholder provide an opportunity for the ongoing shareholders to continue the business on their own, without having to personally fund a buyout? Assuming that this is possible, using company reserves, in this article we focus on how the tax system can then be used to create a better tax outcome for the departing shareholder.

Unfortunately the personal tax impact on the departing shareholder can easily be overlooked in what is after all, often an emotionally difficult period for all parties. The basic position when a company repurchases or “buys-back” its own shares is to treat the cash it pays for them as if it was a dividend paid to the (now former) shareholder. The receipt will then be taxed as income. In certain cases, taxing share “buy-back” cash as a dividend can be attractive if it results in no tax becoming payable. This can happen where for example, the proceeds are modest and together with other income total less than the

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shareholder’s basic rate tax band, but this situation is unusual as often a share repurchase involves larger sums and can result in an unwelcome tax cost, frequently equal to 25% or more of the cash received.

For unquoted trading companies however, another potentially more attractive and tax efficient option is available, allowing the departing shareholder to secure a lower tax bill and therefore keep more of the cash. Provided it can be shown that the company’s repurchase of a dissenting shareholder’s shares meets the overarching requirement that it will benefit the company’s trade (this is usually easy to demonstrate where there is fundamental boardroom row between shareholders, but perhaps more challenging in other cases) then it should be possible (subject to detailed requirements of the legislation being met) to obtain Clearance from HMRC, which gives comfort at least that the proceeds of the share repurchase will be treated as if they were a receipt for which the capital gains tax rules apply.

If the exiting shareholder qualifies for Entrepreneurs Relief, the effective rate of tax is reduced to just 10% on any profit in excess of the shares’ original cost (less after deducting annual exemption if available). Hence, he or she is left with more cash in their pocket after paying their tax bill.

This comparison between the income tax treatment of the share proceeds and the often more favourable capital gains tax treatment will come into even sharper focus after 6 April 2016 when new rules apply to the way dividends are taxed, but even before we get to 6 April there are, not surprisingly, detailed rules to meet such as how long the shares have been owned and the

future connection between the former shareholder and the company. Also, there is the basic rule that the buyback of shares must be made in cash. Where the company does not have all the cash immediately, there may be a way around this, but special care needs to be taken regarding loans back to the company.

In addition there is a separate notification procedure so HMRC are told when the repurchase actually happens.

Often what is needed is a clear roadmap so all parties can work towards the end result of a tax efficient exit. At Richardson Swift we are not only experienced in applying for and obtaining Clearance from HMRC for the repurchase cash to be treated as a capital receipt, but we can talk you through the whole process, or provide comparisons of the tax cost of either tax treatment so you can see the tax savings that could be achieved.

Geoff Don

Contact Geoff Don

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

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ocl A C C O U N TA N C Y

141 Englishcombe Lane, Bath BA2 2EL Tel: 01225 445507

www.oclaccountancy.com

More on taking funds from your company The new dividend tax rate will take effect from 6th April meaning that owners of SMEs will pay 7.5% more tax than under the current system.

However the Chancellor is also considering removing the advantageous tax treatment that owners can benefit from when they wind up their companies: currently the proceeds can be treated as capital rather than income and enjoy a special 10% tax rate.

Changes may be announced in the next budget, although not perhaps taking immediate effect, so planning should be on going.

Make sure you benefit from the most tax effective route to draw funds as the landscape becomes clearer; this might include taking dividends earlier than you had otherwise anticipated - or even not winding up your company (although this had been your plan) so taking the funds over a longer period and paying far less tax.

Call Marie Maggs, Mike Wilcox or Hannah Bratten 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 been one of the best things we have done as a business””

“For us, in our 30 years experience OCL Accountancy is the best fit we have found”

Boost your profits - Reduce your tax Maximise your wealth

Call Marie Maggs, Mike Wilcox or Hannah Bratten on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting 62 TheBATHMagazine

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MOTHERING THE MOTHERS

An invaluable service is available to newly delivered parents in the Bath area, offering post natal support

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any of us will be familiar with the role of a birth doula – a woman who you choose to be with you while you are in labour – but did you also know that a doula can help a mother during the days, weeks and months after the birth?

Up until the birth of her baby a mother will often have been working, spending her days surrounded by work colleagues, enjoying the busyness, the chat and banter. Suddenly that has stopped and that can feel very isolating.

In years gone by, women were well supported in the weeks and months following their babies’ births, by their mothers and other members of their extended family. Nowadays, that is not the case. Once paternity leave has finished and the initial flush of visitors has died down, many mothers are on their own, in a new role which doesn’t come with a rule book!

Here in Bath there are several postnatal doulas who will offer emotional and practical support at this time, allowing the new mother to enjoy those precious first weeks with her new baby. It’s not the doula’s job to come in a tell the mother what to do and how to do it; neither is it her job to take over looking after the baby. The postnatal doula seeks to mother the mother; to build the mother’s confidence in her own ability to nurture and feed her baby in whatever way that mother wants to. Most postnatal doulas will do whatever the mother wants in order that she feels relaxed and can enjoy her baby. Local doulas Heather and Helen have undertaken a range of tasks from making supper and holding the baby, to putting together flat pack furniture and cleaning out the chickens. Often, it’s just the company and a listening ear that’s important.

The doula will come as often or as little as you choose, and for as many months as you wish.

You will find there are as many different doulas as there are people. The right doula for you will be someone who makes you feel comfortable, shows they care and is genuinely invested in supporting you. Their doula experience or ability to provide other services are secondary to the most important part of the relationship: do you ‘click’?

The majority of doulas are employed directly by their clients while others may choose to volunteer. The Doula UK Access Fund provides free birth and postnatal doulas to women in need and works with women’s refuges to ensure vulnerable women are supported as they become mothers. There are a small number of NHS-employed doulas and a number of voluntary schemes and projects as well as social services/children’s centres funded doula work.

A wide variety of women and families (from different communities, with different needs and planning all kinds of birth) hire doulas. They work with new parents who make a diverse range of parenting choices and believe there is a doula out there for every woman.

While doulas are not there to change outcomes there is growing evidence that having a birth or postnatal doula brings a number of tangible benefits.

From reducing intervention rates, shortening labour and improving the condition of babies at birth. While this research is important, it’s the less tangible benefits of having a non-judgemental companion during a lifealtering event that most woman remember and value.

To find a doula in the Bath area, enter your postcode at: doula.org.uk, douladirectory.org.uk or: positivebirth.org n

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EDUCATION PRAISE FOR WORK-READY STUDENTS Bath College continues to go to from strength to strength, picking up praise a new report published by the higher education watchdog, following a visit to the college by reviewers from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA).

Reviewers said Bath College is meeting the highest standard possible and singled out the college’s music production course as an example of good practice for other colleges and universities.

The report said the course “gives students access to people working successfully in the industry and cutting edge facilities, enabling them to develop their academic, personal and professional potential.” It also said the college was working well with local employers and its students regularly undertake work-based learning and complete real industry briefs, helping them to prepare for future employment.

COMPETITION FOR YOUNG INVENTORS The search is on for Bath’s top young inventor, as the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institute in Queen Square invites entries for the 2016 award.

The competition is open to all inventors under 18 and early applications are advised, the closing date is February 17. Entries to be delivered at 10am on Saturday 20 February to the Museum of Bath at Work.

There is an annual ‘perpetual’ trophy which to be held by the winner for one year only, but inscribed with the winner’s name. All entrants will receive a certificate and prizes will awarded to all outstanding entries The competition will be judged by local entrepreneurs, inventors and academics.

Entrants will need to produce a table top exhibit backed up by any necessary blueprints and a short presentation. Visit: brlsi.org/youthactivitiesgallery. Entries can be made at coolbookings@brlsi.org or by post or in person to The Bath Young Inventor of the Year Award 2016 16 Queen Square, BA1 2HN. Choreographer Rosemary Lee, ICIA at the University of Bath, and Bath Dance are looking for 30 men and 30 women to take part in open air dance performances for the Bath Fringe, taking place on Saturday 21 May. No dance experience is necessary, just a love of movement. Contact: lisa@bathdance.net or call 01225 385591.

HEAD LEAVES KENYA FOR BATH Chris Wheeler has taken up his role as principal of Monkton Combe School. He comes from Hillcrest International Schools in Kenya where he was principal and CEO. He has also previously served as headmaster at St Christopher's, Hove. As a prior head of English and drama, Mr Wheeler continues to teach those subjects at Monkton senior school. As a practising and committed Christian, Chris has a strong empathy with the Christian ethos of Monkton. He is a regular speaker at churches and while in Kenya he and his wife ran a church.

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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A Level and GCSE Easter Revision Courses

Monday 21st March – Friday 8th April

“

One to One tuition also available

Staff have extensive subject “ knowledge and ” actively engage the students in learning ” OFSTED

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

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FAMILY | EVENTS

FAMILYDIARY FEBRUARY THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR CHILDREN

ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN Wednesday 17 February, 10am – 11am and 11.30am – 12.30pm and Friday 19 February, 10am – 11am and 11.30am – 12.30pm n Victoria Art Gallery, Bath Free drop-ins for children, but children must bring an adult. Wednesday 17, Me and My Family – make a family collage. For ages three to six and Friday 19, Me and My World Silhouette – enjoy the exhibition and make a self-portrait silhouette.

WONDERLAND Saturday 27 February, 3pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon Story telling with live music, narrated by CBeebies Katy Ashworth, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Aimed at children aged eight and over and adults. Tickets: £10/£5 under 18s.

Visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk or tel: 01225 860100.

MY SCIENCE FAIR Coming soon at Wiltshire Music Centre Sunday 6 March, 10am – 4pm There is no need to book for this free and friendly community festival which combines science, music and dance with having lots of hands-on experience and fun. Plus a free concert by the London Sinfonietta.

HALF-TERM WORKSHOPS Thursday 18 and Friday 19 February, 10am – 4pm, suitable children age seven to 11 n The Edge, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath A chance for children to enjoy an artistic adventure, working alongside dance artist Laura Street and visual artist Dorcas Casey.

Wear old, comfortable clothes, bring a packed lunch and get ready to move, draw and explore. To book tel: 01225 386777 or visit: icia.org.uk. Places are £35 per child per day.

Also at The Edge this month CREATE: MUSIC Saturday 20 February, 11.45am – 12.45pm Parents and children (suitable age nine and under) join together with musician Jay Singh to use drums and percussion instruments. Jay is an expert at entertaining as he is a member of Bhangra dance band RSVP. Places: £5 per child, £3 per adult. Book through: 01225 386777.

CREATE: MOVEMENT Saturday 20 February, 10.30am – 11.30am Led by dancer Laura Street, children (aged nine and under) and their carers will enjoy a playful dance workshop. It doesn’t matter if you have no dance experience but you do need to be ready to take your shoes off and move.

Booking required. £5 per child, £3 per adult.

CREATE: ART Saturday 20 February, 10.30am – 12.30pm This session, led by artist educator Dorcas Casey, will be suitable for all the family. An informal workshop where you can try different

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Join other families at Create sessions at The Edge, the arts centre at the University of Bath methods, such as collage, printmaking, use of textiles and drawing. Places: £5 per child, £3 per adult. Please book.

BRISTOL OLD VIC THEATRE SCHOOL: THE RUFF GUIDE TO SHAKESPEARE Saturday 6 February, 3pm n The Pound arts centre, Pound Pill, Corsham The life, the times and every single play – all in one hour! Specially created to mark the 400th anniversary of his death, The Ruff Guide to Shakespeare is a glorious celebration of the work of the world’s greatest playwright. Age guidance six and over. Tickets: £7/£6 concessions. Box office: 01249 701628 or visit: poundarts.org.uk Also at the Pound this month HALF TERM ACTIVITIES: LEGO FAMILY FUN Tuesday 16 February, 10.30am – 12.30pm Become a master builder at The Pound this half-term. A mountain of Lego is provided, you provide the creativity. Bring your friends and family along for some Lego fun. Free, but donations are welcome. Please bring an adult (who can enjoy a coffee while you build) HALF TERM ACTIVITIES: C-SCAPE DANCE WORKSHOP Friday 19 February, 2pm Join C-Scape Dance performers and practitioners for an inspired dance and physical theatre workshop based on the show, Taste.

Energetic, fun and inspirational. Age guidance 12 and over. Tickets: £6, or £4 with ticket to the show.

HALF TERM ACTIVITIES: FUN FAMILY CRAFTS Wednesday 17 February, 10.30am – 12.30pm Drop-in for family friendly messy fun. Age guidance 5 and over, includes a colouring corner for pre-schoolers. Free, but please bring an adult.

FAMILY TRAIL: MONEY, MONEY, MONEY Throughout February, 11am – 6pm n Lacock Abbey, National Trust property,

Wiltshire Help Tudor gentleman Sir William Sharington find his lost golden coins on this self-led family trail around the grounds and cloister of Lacock Abbey and discover some fascinating facts along the way. Free with admission.

HALF TERM FUN: MEET THE SAXONS Thursday 18 February 11am – 2pm n Bath City Farm, Kelston View, Twerton Explore life in Anglo-Saxon Bath and Twerton.

Make a Saxon pot, handle artefacts, try Saxon food and meet some exciting characters from the dark ages. Free entry, there’s no need to book.

Also on the farm this month LITTER PICK Saturday 27 February 10.30am-3pm Help make the farm look beautiful and litter free in time for spring and summer. Soup and refreshments provided. This event is free and there’s no need to book.

WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS: FOX CUSHIONS Thursday 18 February, 2pm – 3.30pm n The Makery, Union Passage, Bath Learn some simple sewing techniques, choose your own patterned fabric and buttons for eyes, to make your own cuddly fox cushion.

Suitable for creative boys and girls, aged eight and over. Places are £15 a head, to include all materials and a drink (bring your own snack if you think you’ll be hungry). Please book, tel: 01225 581888. The Makery shop (behind the bright yellow door) sells fabric and accessories for all kinds of home sewing projects, such as making bunting and clothes for teddies and dolls.

YEAR OF THE MONKEY: CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS Sunday 14 February, 12pm – 4pm n The Museum of East Asian Art, Bennett Street, Bath Chinese new year celebrations for the Year of the Monkey with a programme for all ages.

Alongside storytelling there will be new year related activities and adult workshops.

Storytelling sessions start at: 12.30, 1.30 and 2.30, to book a place at the sessions (as space is limited) visit: eventbrite.co.uk/e/storytellingthe-legend-of-monkey-king-celebrate-the-year-o f-the-monkey-tickets. Admission: free, but booking is essential for storytelling sessions.

YOUNG CRIME WRITERS COMPETITION Deadline 21 March Writers aged 17 and younger are being invited to write a crime story of 1,000 words or less.

Pick up an entry form from your local library or the Bath & North East Somerset Council website. Judges are; Nigel Smith of Bath Spa University creative writing department, local writers Jeff Dowson, David Lassman and Sandy Osborne and June Wentland of B&NES libraries. n

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SHAKESPEARE UNPLUGGED FOR ALL AGES Bath is holding a five week Shakespeare Unplugged season as part of the global celebrations of the 400th anniversary of his death. Since he wrote such fantastic plots, created such believable characters and wrote phrases and expressions that we still use today, performers have come together to show new generations why the Bard isn’t boring.

Here are some highlights of the Shakespeare Unplugged festival: THE RUFF GUIDE TO SHAKESPEARE Saturday 13 – Sunday 14 February, 11.30am and 3pm daily n The egg theatre, Sawclose, Bath Expect silly sketches, toe-tapping songs, dance routines and extracts from some of the best – and least – known of Shakespeare’s plays. This is all brought to life by the fabulous talents of students from the world-renowned Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Tickets for the one hour shows, £8.50, £7.50 children, tel: 01225 448844.

Also at the egg this month ROMEO AND JULIET Monday 15 – Tuesday 16 February, 11.30am and 3pm daily Let’s All Dance presents a high energy production that mixes Shakespeare’s love story with hip hop step and a story strand which involves cyber bullying. This is aimed at people aged nine and over. Tickets: £8.50, £7.50 young people.

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Propeller theatre at the egg theatre THY NAME IS WOMAN Wednesday 16 February, 7.30pm TRB Engage presents a show exploring Shakespeare’s female characters, and you know what, they haven’t always had the best of times. Hear their viewpoint. Tickets: £5/£4.

DINKIES DREAM Thursday 18 and 25 February, check times Much-loved Dinkies Storytime hosts Jackie and Pooja offer a mini, magical A Midsummer Night’s Dream – complete with fairies. Suitable for children aged 18 month and up to six

(check performance details before you book).

POCKET DREAM Friday 19 – Saturday 20 February, 11.30am and 3pm daily Propeller theatre company prides itself on making Shakespeare easily understood. This is its production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream aimed at children aged eight and over. After the 60 minute show the audience is invited into the performance space to question actors about the play, acting and Shakespeare. Tickets: £12/£10 children.

ROMEO AND JULIET Friday 26 – Sunday 28 February, 11.30am and 3pm daily Aimed at the One Direction audience, this production of Romeo and Juliet from the New Mutiny Theatre Company presents the tragedy in a one hour stylised format that’s ideal for conveying longing, heartbreak and loss of innocence. Suitable for age five and over.

Tickets: £8.50/£7.50.

BATH SPA UNIVERSITY PRESENTS: SHAKESPEARE PROJECT Thursday 3 – Saturday 5 March, 7pm (and Saturday 2pm) This world premiere produced by OnSet productions takes a playful, comic and bold look at some of the untold stories behind Shakespeare’s characters. This will be performed in the egg foyer to allow inter-action with the audience. Suitable aged eight and over.

Tickets: £8.50/£7.50 children. n

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

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t was with enormous relief that I finally took my walking boots off in Rome last summer, after a gruelling 300-mile pilgrimage on the ancient Via Francigena. Flipflopping on smooth Italian pavements and shuffling around the Coliseum with a million other tourists was a liberation after three weeks of spiky, gravelled pilgrims’ paths, ill-fitting boots, blisters and black toenails.

Now, six months on, the memories of my three-week hike to Rome have crystallised into a series of amusing anecdotes and sunny snapshots of the places my companion and I passed through and the people we met along the way. I wrote in detail about our experiences at the time, talked about them with anyone who would listen, described the physical realities of longdistance walking and tried to offset horror stories involving torturous boots with fulsome praise for the undeniable health benefits such an adventure can, and did deliver.

We all know that walking is good for you: for a start, it keeps the buttocks engaged, which has to be a good thing.

It also reduces body fat, improves glycemic control, boosts immune function and lowers blood pressure. And if none of that convinces you to take it up, what about this: a recent study of over 7,000 male and 31,000 female recreational walkers found that walking intensity predicted mortality risk; in other words, those who walked the fastest tended to die later.

But health and general death avoidance aside, my experience on the Italian pilgrimage has left me with an intense curiosity about how the physical act of walking somehow also allows us to understand deep human truths. Long distance walkers, pilgrims and nonbelievers alike, often describe fleeting moments of connection and understanding – in other words, a genuine spirituality that seems to have little to do with religion and everything to do with the simple placing of your feet upon the earth.

So how does the act of walking awaken, feed and heal the soul? I needed to go beyond the physical and try to understand more about the inner journey and why walking can be as beneficial for the mind as it is for the body.

I contacted Lorraine Fernandez, psychotherapist, counsellor and a passionate and experienced long distance walker, who runs ‘walking and talking’ sessions for her clients in the Cotswolds.

“When you’re near the sea,” she says, “you can often feel that you are in the presence of a force much greater than 68 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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A JOURNEY OF 1,000 MILES begins with a single step

yourself, reminding you of your place in the grand scheme of things. This sense of perspective can also occur while walking through nature and, in these moments, even if we feel that we’re out of control or not coping, we can feel held and nurtured by the landscape and experience feelings of belonging, connection and deep peace.”

Lorraine’s own walking experiences leave me, the flaky English pilgrim with ill-fitting boots, open-mouthed with astonishment and admiration. Ten years ago, seeking the kind of space and solitude her lifestyle could not provide, she flew to Nepal, enlisted the services

❝

SOLO OR IN COMPANY: main picture, a group of Bath singers were invited by choral director Nigel Perrin last summer to walk part of the spiritual pilgrims’ route the Camino, to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, singing as they went

Am I walking peacefully with the Earth or am I stomping on it with anger or frustration?

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Tamsin Treverton-Jones explores the mental, physical and spiritual powers of walking

of a Sherpa and walked the Annapurna Circuit and Sanctuary Trek – a high altitude pilgrimage from Kathmandu to Pokhara, alone. Setting out to walk in as much silence as possible, she nevertheless, engaged in mindful and meditative chanting, but apart from essential communication with local mountain people, barely spoke to another person for 40 days.

I thought back to Italy, to our short summer pilgrimage; how my companion’s sense of humour, his endless patience, navigation skills and willingness to carry all my toiletries, had saved me from myself and both of us from sure disaster on more occasions than I cared to count.

“I understand, of course, why people walk in groups,” says Lorraine, “the companionship, the conversation; but there is something in me that seeks solitude. My own walks are as much about exploring the inner world as they are about the outer; reflecting on the relationship between both and how the two meet and interact. Does the landscape appear differently depending on my emotional state and how am I carrying my feelings into the landscape?

Am I walking peacefully with the Earth or am I stomping on it with anger or frustration?”

“Not all my experiences are as extreme as the trek in the Himalayas; I have also walked beautiful paths here in the UK, including the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path and the South West Coast Path. I’ve walked in all weathers, on all terrains and in all states of mind and it’s the breadth of walking experience that’s helped me develop walking as a therapeutic practice.”

Wild camping and lone walking on St Cuthbert’s Way in the Scottish Borders, starting at Melrose and ending at

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TREAD SOFTLY: time spent walking alone brings our busy minds down to a more settled place

Lindisfarne, was particularly memorable: “Connecting with the Earth grounds us, brings our frenetic, busy minds down to a more settled and secure place and just as the the tide separates and then reconnects the Holy Isle from the mainland at the end of this sacred route, so time spent away or alone enhances the re-connection with others.”

So why do these quasi-mystical

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encounters with nature matter? Can we really heal ourselves in these mindful moments? “Absolutely”, says Lorraine.

“Putting one foot in front of the other is exercise for both body and mind. If we walk with awareness and engage with our breath while walking, we can bring about a sense of balance, harmony and release that can not only restore health and well-being, develop fitness and increase vitality, but is also the key to

building confidence, reducing stress and anxiety and can break negative and repetitive habits.’

My search for a deeper understanding of walking’s spiritual benefits springs from the tiny hints and moments of clarity that I received in Italy last summer: the tantalising spark of belonging I experienced in a pilgrim hostel; the split second of understanding just how very young we humans are, while standing on the edge of an ancient Tuscan landscape. Disorientating sensations at the time, but ones that stay with me and make me think.

I don’t necessarily want to walk on my own in extreme conditions, but I do resolve to walk more mindfully, even just around the block with the dog. I like the simple idea that I can be good to myself without spending a fortune to sweat in a gym and that just by walking and breathing I can connect meaningfully to the planet. I don’t expect to understand or be able to solve the world’s problems by doing so, but, as Lorraine tells me: “You can hold the intention to find peace and be a peacemaker.” n Walk your way back to health and wellbeing with Lorraine Fernandez, one-to-one or small group walking and talking sessions in the Cotswolds, tel: 01452 771076 or 07976 577883, email: footprints2016@gmail.com.

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HEALTH | BEAUTY

HEALTH

& BEAUTY

HOT STONE TREATMENTS

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t was the ancient Native Americans who discovered that stones, warmed in a fire, could be applied to the body to relieve aching muscles. The technique was then adopted by the New Age therapists, out of which was born the La Stone Therapy, developed by Mary Nelson.

Now viewed as a mainstream treatment in many hotel and salon spas, we’ve got the lowdown on this deceptively simple therapy.

What does hot stone treatment do?

In the hands of an experienced, trained therapist, the warm stones, placed on the spine, stomach and in the palms of the hands, can radiate a very gentle but deep heat, relaxing muscles and inducing a state of calm and relaxation.

Do they use just any old boulders?

No, rest assured. Your skin won’t be roughed up by any old stone. The rocks used are smooth, volcanic rocks which retain heat. They are sterilised before use and then heated – your therapist will have touched them to ensure they’re not too hot, and will ask you if the heat level is comfortable for you. Some salons use Lava shells instead, which are natural shells which can also be heated.

Where in Bath can I experience a treatment?

There are plenty of places to wind down and enjoy a gentle massage, here are just a handful.

The Bath Priory Hotel has the delightful Garden Spa which offers day retreats plus treatments.

Try Aroma Stone Therapy (£85 for 60 minutes).

In this treatment warmed stones are massaged over key energy points, while luxuriously warmed oils are kneaded into the body for maximum relaxation.

The world famous Thermae Bath Spa has some wonderfully warming treatments, ranging from Revive Hot Stones, (£59 for 50 mins), a gentle treatment using the placement of warm basalt stones followed by a massage to the

head, hands, legs, feet and back, through to the Deep Relax Hot Stones (£95 for 80 mins) in which warm basalt stones are carefully placed on different parts of the body. This is followed by a blissful facial and full body massage, leading to deep relaxation.

Green Street House in Green Street offers a Deeper than Deep Hot Stone Massage (£90 for 75mins). Nothing gets into the belly of the muscle like a hot stone. Bathed in intensely moisturising Frangipani Monoi body oil, warmed Balinese stones are worked over the body, deep into the muscle, getting into areas of tension at a profound level, persuading the muscles to release the trapped energy. The result is sparkling vitality with the added bonus of intensely hydrated skin.

RELAX:

hot stone therapy at the Thermae Bath Spa

There’s also a two-hour package Get Stoned (priced £11) comprising a hot stone therapeutic massage, followed by an Elemis facial, after which you’ll be so relaxed you’re advised not to try to drive home afterwards.

Frontline Style in Monmouth Street has a super indulgent/pampering five hour package (£199) aptly named Pure Bliss. This includes a soak in a hydro-bath to warm your senses and prepare you for your relaxing hot stones massage and facial. Then choose between a

Clarins Honey Hot Stones Massage or a Lava Shell Massage, followed by a Clarins facial.

After a light, healthy lunch in the relaxation lounge, complete the indulgence with a luxury pedicure and manicure, using Jessica products.

There is also the Clarins Melting Honey Hot Stone Massage (£55 for 60 minutes) at FrontlineStyle. Recently introduced, this deeply relaxing hot stone massage gently releases tension, soothes aching muscles, eliminates toxins and calms mind and body, using nine smooth, individually shaped, heat-releasing marble and slate stones. The experience is intensified by a melting honey massage gel, rich in relaxing aromatic essential oils.

There is also the choice of an energising version of this new hot stone massage which gently releases muscular tension, eliminates toxins and restores mind and body vitality. This is enhanced by a melting honey massage gel, rich in invigorating aromatic essential oils.

Therapist Lizzie Longhurst runs hot stone massage sessions out of the treatment rooms at Neal’s Yard Remedies in Northumberland Place. Using hot stones with massage technique this treatment allows the muscles to become warm more quickly and allows a deeply relaxed state. The heat penetrates the soft tissues of the body, which has a balancing effect on our body and mind.

Hot stone therapy is not one of those quasimedical treatments which claims to cure this or that. It is highly effective at relaxing even the most pent-up body. It’s good for back aches and other muscle aches. It has also been shown to have a positive effect on those suffering from anxiety, stress, depression and insomnia.

Anecdotally, this writer found herself so relaxed and refreshed after a treatment that she was barely able to operate a lift, let alone drive herself home. It is, however, not suitable for pregnant women or diabetics. n

CITY GEARS UP FOR ANNUAL RUN-FEST Over the coming weeks the streets of Bath will be busy with runners training for the Vitality Bath Half marathon, which takes place on Sunday 13 March, with an 11am start.

If you’re one of the 15,000 runners taking part in the race your family and friends will probably ask you how long it’s going to take you to run the 13.1mile city centre route. You can tell them that the current men’s course record was set in 2012 by Edwin Kiptoo in 62:01, and the women’s course record was set in 2007 by Liz Yelling in 69:27. You can also tell them that finishing is a goal in itself.

Many of those taking part are raising

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sponsorship money for the 110 charities supported by the Bath Half. Last year an impressive £2.1m was raised for charity, which equates to £454 for every single runner.

Residents of Bath need to be aware that there will be road closures on the day, also parking will be suspended along the route. Visit: bathalf.co.uk for full details.

Vitality Bath Half has been shortlisted to one of 12 for the best half marathon category in the 2016 Running awards. These independent awards are organised by runners for runners.

Visit: therunningawards.com to register your vote. The deadline is 20 April.

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The Garden Spa at The Bath Priory

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et in four acres of country house gardens, The Garden Spa at The Bath Priory is a hidden gem nestled on the edge of Victoria Park where Michelin-starred food, award-winning gardens and a peaceful country house atmosphere are waiting for you.

The spa has four treatment rooms, including one couple’s suite opening directly onto the sunken garden. Offering a selection of luxurious treatments by British skincare brand Elemis, each treatment is specifically designed to offer a unique experience, using powerful massage sequences and the most potent actives available in the world today. Every product used is personally prescribed and works in natural synergy with the skin, body and mind.

An indoor pool, pool-side sauna and elliptical steam pod and shower complete the experience – a complete haven in which to let go of everyday stresses, relax and unwind – and the outdoor pool hidden behind the croquet lawns is an idyllic spot in the summer months.

For those looking to see through New Year resolutions, there is also a fitness suite with a dedicated personal trainer who will evaluate your fitness levels and suggest a suitable personal training plan with ongoing assessments to stretch and develop you.

And don’t forget, the award-winning hotel itself offers a totally unique setting for every visit, be it an indulgent treatment or a demanding work out – where else can you wander through stunning country house gardens in the heart of the city or sample Michelinstarred food after a spa session?

www.thebathpriory.co.uk/spa In February indulge in a Aromaspa Ocean Body Wrap for just £90 with one hour use of the spa facilities prior to treatment.

Terms & conditions apply.

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Walk for Feb.qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2016 10:32 Page 1

THE | WALK

AN ARCHITECTURAL PILGRIMAGE

Andrew Swift suggests a stroll around historic Devizes – make sure you have time for a tour of the brewery too

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n 1962, when John Betjeman made a TV film about Devizes, he described it as ‘too little regarded’, and, despite his advocacy, it still tends to be overlooked today.

Although its Market Place, its redbrick brewery and its canal are justly celebrated, it has many little-known corners, tucked away down alleys or on quiet back streets. It is also a supremely friendly place, with a host of traditional and specialist shops, as well as regular markets – in short, an ideal place to discover on a sunny winter’s day.

Driving into Devizes from the west, turn left by Wadworth’s Brewery, following the sign for Through Traffic.

After 200m, just past the Crown Inn, turn left into a long stay car park.

Having parked, walk back to the road and turn left along it. Opposite is the old Nags Head, created out of a row of four houses around 1806, and now converted to apartments, but still with a nag’s head above its entrance.

Devizes dates from the late 11th century, when the Normans built a castle here. As it stood where three manors met, it was known as the ‘castrum ad divisas’ – the castle at the boundaries – and the town that grew up around it took the name Devizes. The first street to be built was the one along which you are walking. It ran between the castle’s inner and outer ramparts, and, although they are long gone, it still follows the curving line laid down 900 years ago.

As you pass Couch Lane, look out for the ghost sign of an animal hospital. The four-storey building across the road, with a hoist above the entrance, was a silk mill built in 1785, later a snuff factory.

Brownston House, a little further along, is not only one of the finest houses in Devizes, but one of the first to be built of brick. Its stable block now houses a Chinese restaurant. St Mary’s Church, behind it, was built by the Normans but rebuilt in the 15th century.

From the 17th to the mid-19th century, when the railways killed the coaching trade, Devizes was one of the principal calling points between Bath and London, with many travellers breaking their journeys overnight. Many of the inns built to cater for them survive, and the Castle – late 18th century, with an assembly room over the archway to its coachyard – is one of the grandest.

Cross the pelican crossing, head over to the 16th century White Bear and turn along the street to the left of it. To your left is Great Porch House, dating from the 15th century, with information boards describing its history.

At the end of the street is Handel 74 TheBATHMagazine

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House, once a music shop, now a wellknown bookshop. Turn left along Sidmouth Street, where there is some eyecatching Regency ironwork.

At the end, bear right along Southbroom Road, where Georgian terraces of brick and stone overlook The Green.

Turn right into Hare & Hounds Street and left along Bridewell Street, where glimpses of timber framing indicate the antiquity of buildings whose façades are much more recent.

The brick building facing you at the end is a fitting introduction to Long Street, one of the finest Georgian streets in England, where buildings of brick, stone and stucco – ranging from grand townhouses to two-storey cottages – create a harmonious whole.

Turn right along Long Street, where you find the Wiltshire Museum on the left. The stucco building facing St John’s church dates from 1806 and was the town house of the Lansdowne family

from Bowood. On the other side of the road, at No 47, is a superbly restored shopfront, complete with shutters.

The Elm Tree Inn, on the right, is believed to have been first licensed in 1512, but is now an antiques shop. Next door but one, the jettied half-timbering at the side of the former Four Seasons indicates the building’s 16th century origins.

Turn left along St John’s Street – past another ghost sign – and left again along St John’s Court to see the massive Norman tower of St John’s church. Turn right through the churchyard, where, after passing the Sexton’s Cottage, a bridge takes you over the trackbed of the railway which closed in 1966. To your right is the blocked-up portal of the tunnel that took the line under the castle.

Little remains of the Norman castle; what you see today was largely the work of Goodridge of Bath in the 19th century.

Retrace your steps, and, at the end of St John’s Court, look across to see the

TUDOR GEMS: main picture, the black and white timbered houses from the 15th century in St John’s Alley Opposite page, left to right, Caen Hill locks, the Castle and Tunnel portal and Long Street, one of the finest Georgian streets in England

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THE | WALK

around 1808. Carry on along St John’s Street, crossing diagonally to St John’s Alley, where 15th century timber-framed buildings are hidden away.

After passing the old Cheese Hall on the corner of Wine Street, you come to the Market Place, dominated by the Bear, once one of the most famous inns in England. The father of Sir Thomas Lawrence, the painter, was innkeeper here in the 1770s. The Bear has a hidden treasure, which you can find by heading past the Corn Exchange, turning down Station Road and into the car park of the inn. The assembly room ahead of you stood on the Market Place until it was moved here to make way for the Corn Exchange in 1856. If you carry on round to the Bear’s back entrance, you will see the colonnaded entrance, moved from the Market Place at the same time.

Head back to the Market Place, where a plaque on the Market Cross tells the cautionary tale of Ruth Pierce. The Shambles Hall, beyond

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it, opened in 1835, and still has a daily market.

Head along the Market Place, past the Black Swan of 1737, to where Parnella House, with its curious statue of Aesculapius, looks across at a superb brick-built townhouse.

Carry on past Wadworth’s Brewery of 1885, which has a visitor centre and runs twice-daily brewery tours. The grand assize court beyond it, now lying derelict, dates from 1835.

At the canal, you have a choice. If you bear left along the towpath, via the subway, you can walk down Caen Hill Flight, one of the engineering wonders of the early 19th century, where 29 locks take the canal down 72m in just two miles. If you cross the canal and turn right along the towpath, you can cross back at the next bridge to the car park, where there is also a canal museum and café. n

FACT FILE ■ Length of walk: two miles, with optional extension to Caen Hill locks ■ Approximate time: two hours ■ Attractions: Wiltshire Museum, Long Street, open Tuesday to Sunday till 5pm (4pm on Sunday). The Canal Museum at the Wharf, Monday to Friday in winter till 4pm. Wadworth’s Brewery Visitor Centre, Monday to Saturday, till 5pm ■ Refreshments: Good choice of pubs, cafes and tea rooms.

The Vaults Bar on St John’s Street is worth seeking out

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Gardening Feb.qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2016 14:03 Page 1

EAT, COOK AND PLOT Jane Moore is fired up with culinary fever by a book of recipes inspired by what can be grown on an allotment in Bath

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here are far worse ways to spend a drizzly winter’s morning than sitting around a kitchen table discussing food and cooking. You’d have thought after the excesses of Christmas that Susan Williamson and Carrie Hill, my fellow foodies, would have had enough of eating and cooking but that’s far from the case as they wax lyrical about beetroot and kohl rabi, Jerusalem artichoke and jam.

“By far the best salad I had last year was a handful of land cress, some mixed Chinese leaves from one of those all-inone seed packets and some self seeded nasturtiums that just popped up on the allotment rather conveniently,” says Susan.

Susan’s impromptu salad might not appear in her new book The Allotment Kitchen: Favourite Recipes and Ideas but it does sum up her whole approach as her cooking is very much led by her allotment and it’s produce rather than the other way around.

“I’ve collected recipes for years, jotting them down in a sort of shorthand, as and when I’ve had plenty of something and needed a few different ways to cook with it,” she smiles. “I ended up with a folder in the kitchen that had filled to bursting over the years.”

Susan has had her plot in Victoria Park since 1988 when she moved into Marlborough Buildings. The plot almost came with the house as there was so little take up for allotments at the time that she had no trouble getting a plot 76 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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just outside her garden gate, which was great as her garden is tiny and rather shady while the allotment is open and spacious.

“It’s lovely how the allotments slope up and away from you in a patchwork of crops and flowers,” says Carrie. “The wildlife is wonderful – we have foxes, badgers and owls as well as countless birds and smaller creatures.”

It was Susan’s fateful meeting with Carrie that led to the bursting folder of recipes becoming a book. The two met on the allotment, of course, when Susan gave her new neighbours on the plot a handful of asparagus. Carrie’s thank you note featured her quick sketch of an asparagus spear which showed her provenance as a professional illustrator.

Conversations followed and a year later the book is published and in the shops, with a second book on herbs in the pipeline.

“Susan would make the recipes and send me a slice to inspire me. I’ve eaten very well this year,” laughs Carrie.

It goes without saying that Susan’s allotment is the source for all of this plenty and, like the book, the plot is a charming mixture of fruit trees, herbs, annual crops and, of course, the infamous asparagus. Susan’s is nothing if not experimental and her broad taste in fruit and vegetables encompasses unusual varieties of apple tree, uncommon herbs and strange varieties as well as the more ordinary. This attitude extends into her kitchen where we sample medlar and ginger jelly and chilli jam with our coffee.

“But what do you do with chilli jam?” I ask, wondering if you have it with cold meats or something.

“My husband puts it on his toast in the morning,” replies Susan. “ But you can do whatever you want with it.”

Recipes in the book range hugely so there’s something for all levels of culinary ability. Set out in a plain speaking A to Z of crops, it’s easy enough to flick through the section on, say, broad beans to find several ways of dealing with the inevitable glut. If you’re short of time or inclination there’s nothing simpler than cooking them with a few onions or pureeing them like houmous, but if you want to get a bit more involved Susan has a great recipe for falafels too. That’s what is rather nice about this book: it starts from the downright straightforward and ends in terrines, Mark Hix tarts and Jansson’s Temptation. Now you’ll have to buy the book to find out about, as I’m not telling.

“Some of these recipes have an impeccable pedigree,” agrees Susan.

“I’m not a professional by any means but I am a cook.”

While the book includes the aforementioned Mark Hix recipes, there are also those inspired and adapted from great cooks such as Jane Grigson and Simon Hopkinson but it’s often Susan’s own ideas and tips that I find myself thinking

COMBINING TALENTS: allotmenteers Susan Williamson and Carrie Hill working alongside each other on land behind Marlborough Buildings in Bath Opposite page, Susan and Carrie, author and illustrator of The Allotment Kitchen: Favourite Recipes and Ideas Far right, Jane Moore joins them for a foray on the allotment in midwinter

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GARDEN | NOTES

“I’ll try that”.

“I’ve cooked every single recipe myself,” she says with justifiable pride. “Oh, except my friend Penny’s carrot and spinach terrine – which I have only eaten.”

Her ideas are gleaned and honed from a lifetime of having an allotment alongside a busy working life and her recipes reflect that. Coupled with Carrie’s delightful illustrations, The Allotment Kitchen is a little treasure of a book. I’m only sad that I don’t stand a chance of keeping it looking as lovely and pristine as it does now, for it’s bound to be splodged and spattered in no time at all with, let’s see, rhubarb cordial and borscht and. . .

Where to buy: The Oldfield Park Bookshop,

Toppings & Co, on Amazon or from The Allotment Kitchen: theallotmentkitchen.com.

The Allotment Kitchen Demo and Tastings, Thursday 24 March, 7.30 for 8pm start, £6 (with £6 off The Allotment Kitchen) at Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, The Paragon, Bath, tel: 01225 428111. The perfect evening for allotment holders, gardeners, cooks and lovers of home-grown produce. Bath writer, allotment gardener and cook, Susan will give a talk and seasonal cookery demo with delicious tastings. n Jane Moore is the award-winning gardening columnist and head gardener at the Bath Priory Hotel. She writes regularly for the Telegraph and can be followed on Twitter @janethegardener.

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Interiors FEB.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2016 17:58 Page 1

INTERIOR | TRENDS

RECIPES FOR SUPER STORAGE Bath interior designer Clair Strong has some inspiration for places to keep pots, pans and plates in the kitchen

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f there’s one place in the home that can always use more storage, it’s the kitchen. If you possess cupboards rammed with cookware, appliances, gadgets and food, it can feel like an impossible place to keep organised. That might explain why the 2015/2016 kitchen trends have been dominated by some unique storage solutions. I’ve had a look at the latest range of products that are transforming kitchens everywhere. These smart solutions – some modern, others borrowed from the past, aren’t just offering more space and functionality; they’re giving standard fitted kitchens a bespoke look.

FREE STANDING PANTRIES

The pantry is not a new idea. In fact, small rooms for storing food and kitchen essentials have been in use since the Middle Ages. Many modern homes are being built without this useful space, but a love of all things nostalgic has brought the pantry back into fashion. The modern equivalent is a compact, free-standing pantry, designed to take up minimal floor space while offering a gleeful amount of storage. For example, the ultra stylish pantry by furniture maker John Lewis of Hungerford, pictured right, holds a whopping 1.3 cubic metres of food.

Boasting features like door-mounted storage, in-built spice and wine racks and sliding drawers, pantries are a must-have for kitchens large and small. For more visit: john–lewis.co.uk

A PLATE RACK REVIVAL Plate racks fell out of vogue some time after the 1980s, but they’re back in fashion as people realise how truly useful they were. Wallmounted plate racks are stylish and practical, but may take up more room than you have. In-cupboard plate racks are a great alternative and are quite easy to install. This one is from withinhome.com, reduced from £115 to £79 at the time of writing.

OPEN SHELVING

People are opting for open shelving as a stylish alternative to wallmounted cabinets. Opinion is divided on whether or not this trend is practical, but those who have tried this look claim there are benefits.

Open shelving can actually lead to more storage space than traditional cabinets – and certainly, the storage is easier to use and organise. The open space can help a room feel larger and brighter, which is particularly useful in small and/or narrow kitchens. And of course, displaying pretty dishes and food in glass Kilner jars will add more than a touch of homely charm to your kitchen. The downside is that the shelves are open to the elements and the grease and grime of a busy kitchen. This leads to a little more maintenance, but placement helps here. I would recommend avoiding open shelving above the oven, and opting instead for the wall furthest away from where you cook. For more visit: alsohome.com 78 TheBATHMagazine

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Open shelves filled with ceramics from Loaf.com

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POT AND PLATE DISPLAYS

Here are a few of my favourite way to display pots and pans: If you’ve ever opened a cupboard door and found yourself buried under an avalanche of pots, you’ll know how impractical this way of storing them is. Forget rummaging around to find the right pan, and its matching lid; keep them all neatly organised and within reach with a hanging rack. Save the cupboard space for something else - and put your ceiling Pull-out drawers, B&Q to good use - with an overhead rack.

Similarly, utensils stuffed haphazardly in a drawer inevitably leads to frustration. I recommend installing a hanging rod – an elegant bar and hook system – above the oven so your utensils are always to hand. A utensil jar next to the hob is equally effective, if you have plenty of counter space. Visit: The Main Company website: maincompany.co.uk or, the B&Q site: diy.com

BAR CARTS AND BUTCHER’S TROLLEYS

Bar carts are cool, there’s no doubt about that.

There’s a sort of clandestine joy to having your own cocktail bar at home. But aside from boasting heaps of James Bond-esque style, carts and trolleys are useful in the kitchen too. Multiple shelves provide space for storing cooking supplies, dishware or indeed the contents of your liquor cabinet. Wheels mean the cart is portable, so you can use it to carry food in at dinner parties, or simply move it out of the way when you’re cooking. And they’re often quite petite, so they’ll fit in a corner. I love House Junkie’s industrial style trolley.

The wooden shelves have that rustic, reclaimed look, while the metal bars ensure nothing falls off the cart when you move it around. It’s tall, rather than wide so it doesn’t take up lots of room, and the top shelf can be used as extra workspace in a pinch. For more visit: housejunkie.co.uk

Classic landscapes

email: info@classiclandscapesandecopools.co.uk

For all gardening and landscaping needs

James: 07940261734

Call us today to build your dream garden.

www.classiclandscapesandecopools.co.uk Gardening Services, Landscape Design and Installation.

Bradford On Avon, Wilts.

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.

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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A BIT OF ELBOW ROOM

A country house on the edge of the Cotswolds provides space for the growing family and those dreams of nurturing a business from home. The Bath Magazine peeps inside Dauncey House

T

he everyday knockabout of family life plays itself out in a thousand homes. You, the weary parent, come through the front door, taking an important work phone call. You try not to trip over the kids’ wellies in the hall, you spy the doggie pawprints across the sitting room carpet and hear the roar from the youngsters playing some eardrum-bursting game – then there’s a Lycra clad gang in the kitchen reliving, over coffee, the glories of their latest exercise, and suddenly the townhouse that seemed so spacious when the two of you moved in BC (Before Children) doesn’t seem quite so palatial after all.

Add to this typical scenario the growing home business – “How long are these files going to be left on the dining room table?” – and maybe it’s time to move to the country.

A short hop north of Bath, and an even shorter one to Junction 18 of the M4, is this handsome double-fronted Georgian home. And the joy of Dauncey House is that not only has it been carefully looked after and updated for modern family life, but it’s also not listed, which makes future improvements and projects that bit easier to realise. And, unlike the typical Georgian townhouse, Dauncey House has gated access and lots of space for parking, and rather than have its accommodation spread over five floors, its six bedrooms, four bathrooms and three reception rooms, plus kitchen, are 80 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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all contained on a manageable three levels.

The first thing you notice, as you slip off your Hunter wellies in the hall, is that there’s foot-warming underfloor heating under the stone tiles. This impressively wide welcoming entrance leads, to the right to the big drawing room, overlooking the gardens, or to the left, where there’s a good sized, well fitted farmhouse kitchen with space for a dining table. Beyond the kitchen there’s a utility room and access to a charming walled courtyard, handy for popping out for a mid-morning coffee in the sun or to pick a sprig of mint or thyme for cooking.

At the back of the house are two more big (17 feet plus) rooms, one currently used as a second sitting room with double doors open to the gardens, the other as a dining room large enough for entertaining family gatherings and dinner parties.

On the first floor the master suite can be shut off from the rest of the first floor by dint of simply closing the door on the landing.This allows the master – and mistress of the house – to retreat to their double aspect bedroom and large bathroom, complete with freestanding bath for those Sybaritic evenings of selfindulgence. The bathroom doubles as a dressing room as it has floor to ceiling built-in wardrobes all along the length of one wall.

Out on the landing you find access to two more double bedrooms and a

WELL PROPORTIONED: main picture, the double-fronted splendour of Dauncey House and, inset, one of the comfortable six bedrooms in this modernised Cotswold home

bathroom. Upstairs there’s a surprise in store – another suite of rooms. Here the large bedroom opens into a dressing room and separate bathroom. If the trend for the boomerang generation returning to the parental home in their 20s or 30s continues, this might be just the place for them to retreat while they get their deposit saved for their own place. They don’t even have to share their bathroom with younger siblings as the two remaining bedrooms share another bathroom on the same floor.

So, already our family are feeling that there’s a bit more room to breathe here.

Muddy dogs can be let straight into the utility room after a walk – the Cotswold Way is just up the road – and the current owners have dog fenced the nearby paddock, so the family pet can be exercised by junior members without too much fear of escape.

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HOME FROM | HOME

ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY: little details, such as open fires, underfloor heating and a farmhouse kitchen make Dauncey House a comfortable, flexible family home

The gardens around the house have been planted with some good specimen trees and the owners arranged for telegraph poles to be moved to improve country views. So, plenty of outdoor space – if you fancied installing a tepee or shepherd’s hut or laying out a potager for fresh produce.

But the icing on the cake for the entrepreneur lies round the back of the property, where a detached building currently houses a home office and a garage. Clients could be welcomed separately from the main house and those Dragons’ Den dreams of success may just become a reality. n

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

PROPERTY FILE ■ Location: Tormarton, ten miles north of Bath ■ Accommodation: detached period country house, six beds, three receptions, four bathrooms, 2 ½ acres ■ Guide price: £1,500,000 ■ Agent: Hamptons International, Gay Street, Bath tel: 01225 312244

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THE BATH DIRECTORY - Feb 2016.qxp_Layout 31 21/01/2016 14:55 Page 1

the directory

to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

Electricians

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing Advertise your Business in this space for as little as £55 per month and get 2 FREE.

TEL: 01225 424499

TEL: 01225 424499 Advertising that keeps working

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

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House & Home

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HPD, DHP, MNCH (Reg), AfSFH

provides a relaxing space for clients to discover their real potential, find solutions and accelerate positive change

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t: 07974 153487 e: info@hypnotherapyandhealth.co.uk w: www.hypnotherapyandhealth.co.uk

KEIKO KISHIMOTO Holistic Treatments for Wellbeing

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

www.keikokishimoto.co.uk

Mindfulness

For Stress, Anxiety & the Pressures of Life Eight Week Course Starts February 21st 2.30-4.30 Spring mindfulness course April 4th

07739 827186

contact@keikokishimoto.co.uk

New Oriel Hall, Larkhall. Bath

07787870841 / 01225445605 Trowbridge & Neal’s Yard Bath 82 TheBATHMagazine

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www.mindfulnessbath.co.uk

IS AVAILABLE TO PICK UP FOR FREE AT

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PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

T

hose familiar with Bathford will be aware of the excellent links to the M4 and that there is a thriving village scene with shops, a good primary school and a pub. Kingsdown Golf Club is within minutes reach and there are lovely walks across fields and woodland around the village.

Bannerdown House is a fine detached house set in a quiet no-through road with wonderful views across open countryside. The main accommodation is over two floors with an additional attic room providing useful extra space. The ground floor rooms are all well proportioned with a good flow from the dining kitchen (with AGA and utility) through to a more formal, traditional dining room.

There is a large sitting room leading through an arch to an equally good-sized tripleaspect library. Upstairs are four generous bedrooms with good storage space, a family bathroom and a separate shower room. Outside there are beautiful landscaped mature gardens leading to wide open views. There is a detached double garage with still more space above and there is also driveway parking. This spacious home would offer a family space to let off steam and put down some roots. Viewing is recommended and is by appointment with agents Pritchards.

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

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

BANNERDOWN HOUSE ASHLEY ROAD BATHFORD • Fine detached property set in a quiet location in highly sought after village • Four bedrooms, and spacious wellproportioned family accommodation throughout • Good transport links • Fabulous views of open countryside

Price: £895,000

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pritchards-bath.co.uk

Combe Down An attractive 3 bedroom semi detached period property situated on a quiet no through road within walking distance of Combe Down Village amenities. This property is beautifully presented throughout.

• 3 bedrooms, shower room, bathroom • Drawing room, sitting room/dining room, office/studio • Long lawned garden • Garage & hardstanding for 2-3 cars • Int area approx 1148 sq ft/106.7 sq m

Price: £625,000

Bennett Road, Swainswick A newly constructed 3 bed detached house with stunning views (as illustrated) & integral garage.

• 3 bedrooms, bathroom & en suite shower room • Sitting room, good sized & beautifully presented kitchen/diner • Integral garage & ample driveway parking • 3 tiered garden • Wonderful countryside views (as illustrated) • No onward chain • Internal area: 1859 sq ft/172.7 sq m

Guide Price: £550,000 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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Pritchards February.qxp_Layout 1 21/01/2016 09:30 Page 2

pritchardsapartments.co.uk

Grosvenor Place A well-proportioned 2/3 bedroom apartment occupying the 2 lower floors of this imposing Grade I listed 18th Century building. Vaults and south facing garden.

• 3 bedrooms • 1 reception room • Utility room, office & ample storage throughout • Larkhall local amenities and supermarkets close at hand. Bus routes nearby • Private garden • Unrestricted on street parking • Total floor area approx: 1551 sq.ft/144 sq.m (excluding communal entrance hall & cellars)

Offers In Excess Of £550,000

Park Street A surprisingly light, airy & spacious newly refurbished 2 bed garden apartment with high ceilings & abundance of storage space, The property forms part of a Georgian townhouse situated in a highly desirable location on the NE slopes of the City.

• 2 double bedrooms • Sitting room incorporating kitchen • Internal Floor area – 870 sq. ft (80.8 sq.m) Excluding Vault • Private courtyard • Newly refurbished

Offers In Excess of £450,000 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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Pritchards February.qxp_Layout 1 21/01/2016 09:30 Page 2

pritchardsapartments.co.uk

Grosvenor Place A well-proportioned 2/3 bedroom apartment occupying the 2 lower floors of this imposing Grade I listed 18th Century building. Vaults and south facing garden.

• 3 bedrooms • 1 reception room • Utility room, office & ample storage throughout • Larkhall local amenities and supermarkets close at hand. Bus routes nearby • Private garden • Unrestricted on street parking • Total floor area approx: 1551 sq.ft/144 sq.m (excluding communal entrance hall & cellars)

Offers In Excess Of £550,000

Park Street A surprisingly light, airy & spacious newly refurbished 2 bed garden apartment with high ceilings & abundance of storage space, The property forms part of a Georgian townhouse situated in a highly desirable location on the NE slopes of the City.

• 2 double bedrooms • Sitting room incorporating kitchen • Internal Floor area – 870 sq. ft (80.8 sq.m) Excluding Vault • Private courtyard • Newly refurbished

Offers In Excess of £450,000 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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LEFT HAND.qxp_Layout 22 21/01/2016 10:58 Page 1

Let or Fret?

Change is coming to the second home and buy-to-let market as new stamp duty rates become effective in April.

Matthew Blower from Fine & Country Bath discusses the implications.

C

hange is coming to the second home and buy-to-let market as new stamp duty rates become effective in April. Matthew Blower from Fine & Country Bath discusses the implications.

The new stamp duty rates for second homes are due to come into force in April 2016. This curve ball for property investors means that anyone buying a second home or buy-to-let will be hit with a higher rate of stamp duty. The tax grab is designed to help ease the housing shortage, with anyone who buys additional residential property liable to pay an additional 3% in stamp duty after 1 April, 2016.

The additional charge applies above the current stamp duty land tax rates, meaning there will be 3% tax to pay on homes worth up to £125,000, 5% tax on homes that cost between £125,001 and £250,000, and 8% on homes worth between £250,001 and £925,000. Homes worth up to £1.5 million will be subject to 13% stamp duty and those priced above this amount will incur a 15% charge.

It is not all bad news, however. Firstly, for second-home buyers who exchanged contracts before the Autumn Statement was delivered on 25 November, the higher tax rate won’t apply, even if completion is after the 1 April deadline.

The other positive aspect is that as the rules currently stand, investors can offset the additional stamp duty, along with other purchase costs, against capital gains on the property in the future. That could change in future tax amendments though, so be wary.

Crafting beautiful homes In and around Bath

For parents wishing to help their children onto the property ladder, the changes do not spell good news. You can still be a guarantor for a loan, but a joint mortgage that requires a parent’s name on the title deed will be hit by the tax – as will couples who want to buy a property each. Married couples and civil partners will be treated as a single unit that lives together. Any additional property purchased by either person will attract the higher rates.

What can you do if you want to invest in a buy-to-let or second home without incurring the new taxes? Buy now and complete by 1 April. The danger here is that there may be a rush and the short-term increase in demand could temporarily push up prices, before the increase hits. Keep an eye on the market to make sure that any temporary price increase doesn’t exceed the 3% saving made by buying quickly.

Also be aware that there are other potential tax changes on the way, with the wear-and-tear allowance for landlords of furnished properties being revamped and coming into effect in April, and an earlier deadline for paying capital gains tax on property sales.

01225 79115 5

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For first-time home buyers, it’s hoped that by making buy-to-let less appealing, not to mention lucrative, demand for investment properties will fall, leaving the rungs of the property ladder accessible.

For advice on selling or buying property, please contact Fine & Country Bath on 01225 320032 or visit www.fineandcountry.com

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Winifreds Dale, Cavendish Road A smart and stylish two bedroom apartment occupying the second floor of an impressive Grade II Listed Georgian building, designed by renowned Bath architect John Pinch the Elder in 1810. Situated in a highly sought-after area on the lower slopes of Lansdown, the property is within walking distance of Bath city centre and benefits from allocated off-street parking.

Rent: ÂŁ1,250 pcm* open plan kitchen / living room | beautiful views over The Approach golf course and beyond | granite work surfaces | integrated appliances | feature fireplace | 2 double bedrooms | contemporary bathroom | fitted storage space | allocated off-street parking 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.

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Norfolk Crescent

£1,350 pcm

Bradford on Avon

£1,850 pcm

Central apartment in Georgian Norfolk Crescent second floor refurbished Georgian apartment with period features. EPC : D

Victory Fields has made a bold statement with its unique design and contemporary architecture. EPC : C

Rode

Bathwick Hill

£1,375 pcm

Packed full of charm and character is this spacious three/four bedroom house situated in the heart of the desirable village of Rode with a pretty walled garden & parking. EPC : E

£1,150 pcm

Do you enjoy the countryside views mixed with the convenience of the City? Luxury one bedroom garden apartment in Bathwick Hill. EPC : D

Bath Office

Lettings 01225 458546 | Sales. 01225 459817

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So you want to become an estate agent?

Why the stigma of renting is fading Peter Greatorex, managing director of The apartment Company

Duncan Nash, managing director of Bath estate agents Nash & Co asks a big question

W

hen it started, who knows, but our desire for homeownership seems to be ingrained in our culture. Unlike our European neighbours where renting rather than owning is more the norm, we have a deep-rooted expectation that when you ‘grow up’ you will buy your own home. But is this practical? In today’s fluid society is homeownership right for everyone?

A job for life was a luxury for our ancestors who knew that working hard for their employer would guarantee a secure role within the company for all their working life. This ideal, a job for life, is extremely rare today as people move, change jobs for career progression and sadly company closures are all too common. It is therefore, understandable why some professionals are deciding to rent rather than buy. To them, homeownership can end up causing problems rather than allowing them to progress in their chosen career. “Homeownership is just not realistic for me”, says Jayne, “I’m in a management position in my company which means I could be moved to another branch at any time. I love that I get to experience different places and travel, owning a home would prove problematic and a stress I don’t need. Renting is the solution that works with my career at present.”

It’s not just professional couples that are looking at renting as a positive long term decision, families and the over 55’s are also making this lifestyle choice. Schools have played a decision in renting for a number of families where they have found it impossible to buy a home in their preferred catchment area. Renting a home close to their preferred school means that they are more likely to secure a school place. Financial stability is often quoted by our over 55 clients who rejoice in not having the maintenance burden of a property.

Buying a property may still be a desire for a large number of people but the choice to rent is a decision made on personal preference and not just because ‘they can’t afford to buy’. Renting is no longer seen as a stigma but as in Europe, it is a lifestyle choice that works. If you’re looking to rent in Bath then let our team help you find the right home for you. n Whether renting, buying or considering selling, at the Apartment Company, we want to understand your needs to be able to find you the perfect solution. Please contact us on 01225 471144.

I

n interviewing people for estate agents vacancies over the years, I am always pleasantly surprised at how many people have a genuine love and passion for property and period architecture in particular.

This is a great starting point for those budding estate agents.

Estate agency can be a rewarding career, especially if you are good at it. There are opportunities to rise through the ranks or maybe set up your very own agency. If you can achieve this, then you should make a decent living.

However, estate agency is not all easy, as like most businesses it can be very competitive, especially when the economy is down. Winning instructions in particular is a full time job! Key, therefore, is the ability to be able to sell. Not just yourself, but the company you work for. Tools you will need include: excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to get on with all types of people from all walks of life. Other more basic, essentials include good timekeeping, appearance and the ability to drive.

Estate agency is a dynamic fast moving industry which requires a high degree of commitment and energy. Confidence without being arrogant is essential, whilst having a cool head under pressure is also a big help.

If you don’t want to be office bound then good news, agency doesn’t require you to sit behind a desk all day! Carrying out viewings, valuing houses, or even just taking photographs gets you out meeting lots of very different people. The business also requires few to no qualifications, however people skills are paramount, as is having self-confidence and belief.

Not everyone meets with the careers advisor and says ‘what do I have to do to become an estate agent?’ Many fall into it one way or the other.

One of my negotiators, found himself as an estate agent almost by accident. Starting off in the legal services, then working in a barristers chambers, then in a call centre before eventually landing in property sales.

Lastly, estate agents over the years have often been victim to bad press, so honesty and integrity have to be two of the most important ingredients to become a success.

Duncan Nash. Nash & Co. 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath, BA1 2ED, Tel: 01225 444800. www.nashandcobath.co.uk

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NEW INSTRUCTION

Combe Park, Bath

Guide Price £995,000

A substantial bay fronted Victorian family home situated in Combe Park to the west of Bath City Centre. The property offers bags of flexibility with 2924 square feet of accommodation spread over three floors.

• Semi-Detached Victorian House • 2924 Sq Ft of Accommodation • Entrance Hall • Three Reception Rooms • Kitchen/Breakfast Room • Utility Room • Eight Bedrooms • Secondary Kitchen On The Top Floor • Family Bathroom • Two Shower Rooms • Seperate WC • Enclosed Rear Gardens • Driveway Parking

NEW INSTRUCTION

Bear Flat, Bath

Guide Price £1,200,000

A rare opportunity to purchase a detached four bedroom family residence, found in the heart of one of Baths most desirable locations, Bear Flat, to the south of Bath city centre.

• Detached Period Home • Entrance Porch • Inner Hallway • Sitting Room • Dining Room • Kitchen/Breakfast Room • Utility Room • Downstairs Shower Room • Four Bedrooms • Family Bathroom • Basement Accommodation • Gardens • Garage & Parking • No Onward Chain

Fidelis

Residential Sales & Lettings

GARDEN FLAT

Devonshire Buildings

OIEO £235,000

Stunning One Bedroom Garden Flat Nestled in Popular Poets Corner Close to Bear Flat

Sitting Room | Kitchen Diner | Period Features | Gas Central Heating | Good Sized Private Garden EPC Rating E

FIRST FLOOR FLAT

Wells Road

£275,000

A Three Bed Upper Maisonette Forming Part of an Impressive Terrace, Walking Distance of the Centre.

Enjoying City Views.

Sitting Room | Kitchen/Diner | Bathroom & En-Suite | Gardens | Period Features EPC Rating E

Local & Independent Serving Bath & Villages

Fidelis February.indd 1

01225 421000 www.fidelisinbath.co.uk

21/01/2016 09:35

Fidelis

Residential Sales & Lettings

Chewton Keynsham A Truly Unique Four Bedroom, Four Reception Barn Conversion, Set in this Picturesque Hamlet with Views Towards the River Chew.

UNIQUE PROPERTY

Master Suite with Dressing Room | Double Detached Garage | Extensive Grounds.

EPC Rating D

Local & Independent Serving Bath & Villages

Fidelis February.indd 3

01225 421000 www.fidelisinbath.co.uk

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k Mar r o l y a N

local • trusted • independent

Hantone Hill • 1960s large family home • 1,275 sq ft

☎ 01225 422 224

£525,000 • Wonderful views • Garage and driveway

• 4 double bedrooms • EPC = F

@ www.mark-naylor.com

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k Mar r o l y a N

friendly • warm • welcoming

Wellsway • Large Edwardian family home • 1,545 sq ft

£500,000 • Access to the City centre by foot • Pretty, easy to maintain garden

• 4 bedrooms • EPC = E

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NASH & CO

£1,150,000 • Award winning garden • 3 balconies • 7 bedrooms • Self contained flat • 4500 Sq foot ● Driveway offering off street parking enquiries@nashandcobath.co.uk 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath, BA1 2ED

Combe Park, Bath

“Mulberry”, Combe Park is a beautifully presented example of Victorian architecture, offering at least seven bedrooms and three receptions spread over four floors. The house also offers considerable flexibility in terms of usage. Features of this unique residential dwelling include three balconies and a classical award winning rear garden. The inside of this substantial family house has been lovingly restored by its present owners in keeping with the style and era of the property

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

.co.uk

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NASH & CO

£875,000 • 6 Bedrooms • 3 receptions • Edwardian Semi detached • Off Street parking • Level rear garden • 2675 Sq foot enquiries@nashandcobath.co.uk 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath, BA1 2ED

Newbridge Hill, Bath

A substantial 6 bedroom, 3 reception, Victorian semi detached, family house located in the highly residential area of Newbridge on the north west side of the world heritage city of Bath.

This property has been lovingly restored by the present owners and includes many of its original features including some attractive exterior wall mouldings at the front of the house, which are unique to the house and the adjoining semi.

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

.co.uk

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Lansdown

Guide Price £395,000

Lansdown Road

Guide Price £565,000

A well designed period conversion forming part of a cluster of five apartments in a wonderful wooded hamlet on the upper slopes of Lansdown. The location is ideal for those who wish to live just above the city and enjoy the most stunning views across the south west with parking and a super garden. EPC : B

This two bedroom apartment is self contained on the garden level of an impressive Italianate Villa in the exclusive neighbourhood of Lansdown. Of particular note is the private terrace with three double doors from the drawing room and one of the bedrooms opening into this pretty courtyard garden. EPC : E

Sydney Buildings

Bathampton

Guide Price £495,000

A contemporary and beautifully presented first floor apartment located in the much desired Sydney Buildings. The magnificent reception space has two French windows which open out on to a glorious westerly facing balcony. It would make an ideal home or rental investment opportunity. EPC : E

Guide Price £550,000

With its own private terrace offering stunning views across the Avon Valley a lower floor apartment in a convenient, elevated location on the outskirts of Bath. Offering three bedrooms with luxury en-suite shower and bathroom along with contemporary kitchen and fittings this is a charming home. EPC : Listed

Bath Office

Sales. 01225 459817 | Lettings 01225 458546

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Great Pulteney Street

Guide Price £550,000

Sion Hill Place

Guide Price £695,000

This fine two bedroom second floor apartment is located in the much desired and central location of Great Pulteney Street.

Offering light and well proportioned accommodation it would make an ideal City Centre home or investment opportunity.

EPC : Listed

This stunning lower ground floor courtyard apartment offers a great opportunity to live in one of Bath’s most desirable addresses. Having recently undergone complete renovation, this spacious apartment has been thoughtfully refurbished to an exceptional standard and is offered with no onward chain.

EPC : Listed

Catharine Place

Grosvenor Place

Guide Price £395,000

A contemporary apartment self contained within an impressive Georgian townhouse in one of Bath’s prime residential locations.

Located on the first floor of a Grade II Listed building, the spacious accommodation flows beautifully and offers style and flair combined with city living. EPC : Listed

Hamptons Sales February.indd 2

Guide Price £275,000

A beautifully presented ground floor apartment within a handsome Grade I Listed townhouse a mile level walk to the centre of Bath. Features include a drawing room of over 300 sq ft including a smart integral kitchen, a double bedroom with restored decorative mouldings and shuttered sash window.

EPC : Listed

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WILLMINGTON, High View

ÂŁ1,100,000

Detached period home set within this stunning location. offering stunning views. two reception rooms, Kitchen breakfast room, sitting room with large open fire, dining room and five bedrooms, off road parking and fantastic gardens. further benefiting from garden office.

EPC Rating: Exempt Grade II listed

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EMBOROUGH, Old Down House

ÂŁ925,000

Early nineteenth century Grade II listed detached house with symmetrical front, comprising three bedrooms, with master suite, five reception rooms and a detached two bedroom, two reception room annexe, and lovely gardens largely laid to lawn.

EPC Rating: Exempt Grade II Listed

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Selling & Letting Bath’s finest apartments

Cavendish Lodge

OIEO £725,000

Prestigious development • Second floor apartment • Large sitting/dining room • Two bedrooms both with en-suites Private storage cupboard • Beautifully maintained communal areas and gardens • Allocated & visitors parking

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Gated driveway

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We are delighted to bring to the market this impressive and stylish two bedroom apartment at one of the City’s most prestigious addresses. The apartment is situated on the second floor and has superb views and is fortunate to be private and not overlooked. The building is maintained to a very high standard with in house facilities that make residing there run smoothly. The property offers a spacious open plan sitting room and dining room which offers an abundance of light from the large windows. There are two double bedrooms both with en suite bathrooms, and a further cloakroom.

The kitchen is fully fitted, spacious and has room for a table and chairs. Boasting private parking, visitors parking, gardens and a gated entrance this property is certainly one to view. This property comes highly recommended and we expect a great deal of interest.

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Selling & Letting Bath’s finest apartments

Marlborough Buildings

OIEO £500,000 River Place

Grade II listed • Georgian • Top floor apartment • Large sitting room • Two double bedrooms • Stunning views • Ample storage Prestigious address • Spacious • Approx. 1,005 Sq Ft • No chain

Vane Street

Modern development • Own private entrance • Garden apartment • Contemporary kitchen • Two double bedrooms • Third bedroom/Study • Luxury bathrooms • Beautifully presented • Parking • Approx 1,304 Sq Ft

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A stunning and secure garden apartment, perfect for alfresco dining, located in a modern development just off of the Lower Bristol Road.

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Located on the top floor of this Georgian Townhouse, is a spacious entrance hall, with the sitting room offering picturesque views to the rear, fitted kitchen, two double bedrooms, both boasting views over The Crescent and finally a family bathroom.

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OIEO £380,000

OIEO £380,000 Parkview House

OIEO £290,000

Grade II Listed • Georgian apartment • Lower ground floor • Cottage style kitchen • Two bedrooms • Front and rear courtyard • Private front door • Approx. 1,055 Sq Ft • No chain

Grade II listed • Georgian apartment • Top floor • One bedroom • Fitted kitchen • Contemporary bathroom • Bright • Stunning views over the Crescent • Prime location • Approx 544 Sq Ft

Accessed via its own private entrance through the front courtyard on the lower ground floor, we are offering a unique two bedroom apartment.

With views over one of the most prestigious addresses in Bath, being The Royal Crescent, we are offering a top floor apartment in Park View House, Brock Street.

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£1,850 pcm Lansdown Crescent

£1,350 pcm Marlborough Buildings £1,275 pcm Grade II listed • Two double bedrooms • Period features • Council Tax Band D • No pets • Parking Zone 7 • Views • Agency fees £350+vat • Available 1st March 2016

A superb two bedroom furnished courtyard apartment in the highly sought after Royal crescent.

An attractive second floor Grade I listed apartment with stunning views across Bath.

Spacious Two bedroom apartment with study room at half landing, located in Marlborough Buildings just behind the favoured Royal Crescent

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LE Bilbury Lane

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Georgian • Two bedrooms • Spacious • Well presented • Sought after location • Council Tax Band D • No pets • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available 11th March 2016

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Superb Georgian apartment • Two bedrooms • Beautifully presented • Famous location • Private courtyard • No pets • Furnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available Mid March 2016

£1,200 pcm Great Pulteney Street £1,600 pcm Berkeley Court Two bedrooms • Modern kitchen with integrated appliances • Private parking space • No students Balcony • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available March 1st 2016

A stylish one bedroom apartment located in the heart of the City offering luxury accommodation.

A stunning newly refurbished two bedroom apartment in the world famous Great Pulteney Street.

Johnstone Street

£1,195 pcm George Street

Georgian • Ground floor • Two double bedrooms No pets • City Centre location • No pets • Views | Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available 3rd March 2016

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Well presented two bedroom apartment situated on Bathwick Hill offering picturesque views.

£1,175 pcm Grosvenor Place

£995 pcm

Georgian • Top floor apartment • Large sitting room Georgian • ground floor apartment • Two double • Views • Central location • Two double bedrooms bedrooms • Council Tax Band B • On street parking • No pets • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available Available January 2016 1st February 2016

Superb ground floor apartment moments away from Grade II listed Georgian two double bedroom all Bath has to offer. apartment in favoured location.

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£1,000 pcm

Modern development • Two bedrooms • Views • Communal gardens • Council Tax Band D • Garage • No pets • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available now

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Lift access • City Centre • Beautifully presented • Stunning views • Underfloor heating • Contemporary living • No pets • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available now

A well proportioned two bedroom apartment offering a wealth of period features.

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