The Bath Magazine July 2021

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ISSUE 221 | JULY 2021 | thebathmag.co.uk | £3.95 where sold

IT’S BACK...

THE DELICIOUS GUIDE BATH’S FOODIE SCENE IS ON THE UP WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE CITY’S STARS BONES OF INTRIGUE

Professor Alice Roberts explains the insights of ancient burial grounds

BAND OF GOLD

Seth Lakeman talks folk music ahead of Bath Festival's finale weekend

CRAFTS CATHARSIS

Weavings ancient and modern and sculptural ceramics with paper clay

DARWIN TO DINOSAURS BRLSI’s new walking apps uncover hidden histories in the city

THE CIT Y ’ S B I G G 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 IN BATH

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48

Contents 5 THINGS

July 2021

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8

Essential happenings to look forward to this month

THE CITYIST

DESTINATION EATS

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50

Will the trend for dining in extremis arrive in Bath? asks Melissa Blease

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DELICIOUS GUIDE

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An inviting listing of the city’s food and drink providers

We interview photographer Jess Cheetham

NOTES ON A SMALL CITY

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14

JUST ADD AQUA VITAE

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64

Richard Wyatt recounts some of his more daring exploits

Aaron and Susannah Rickard have tapped into the flavours of alcohol in their new recipe book

NO BONE UNTURNED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

ON THE DIAMOND TRAIL

Millie Bruce-Watt talks to Professor Alice Roberts about her new book Ancestors and discovering cannibalism in Cheddar

Peter Lovesey retraces his journey as a writer and explains some of the locations in Bath that have featured in his books

WHAT’S ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

HIDDEN BATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Our guide to the happenings across the city

Millie Bruce-Watt tries out a pioneering new walking app in the city and discovers some hidden stories

PASSING DOWN THE MUSIC

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26

Musician and songwriter Seth Lakeman tells Emma Clegg about his love of folk music ahead of his appearance at The Bath Festival finale weekend

BOOKS

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Four books to enjoy as immersive summer reads

WANTING A PIECE OF BRITNEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

WALKING WITH ANDREW SWIFT

Writer and director David Shopland talks to Emma Clegg about his new one-person show at the Rondo, Saving Britney

Step out and hike through rolling countryside and an Iron Age hillfort

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JUDGE A HOUSE BY ITS GARDEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 ARTS & EXHIBITIONS

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A line-up of exhibitions and events from Bath’s public and independent art galleries

WEAVING IN TIME

A front garden can make all the difference to your home, says Elly West

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Gianna Scavo investigates weavings ancient and modern

UNDERWATER VISIONS

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48

Mary-Jane Evans talks to Emma Clegg about reinventing her life and how her ceramics are inspired by the Jurassic Coast

More content and updates discover: thebathmag.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

ON THE COVER Whole cooked lobster in brine image courtesy of Edgars Foods; edgarsfoods.co.uk

Follow us on Instagram @thebathmagazine

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FROM THE EDITOR

QUOTE OF THE ISSUE “Folk is different to other styles in that it’s timeless. It’s very much about celebrating life – the tradition of passing the music from one person to another is a vital part of people’s culture SETH LAKEMAN (SEE PAGE 26)

Editor photograph by TBM

I

used to play the clarinet. I wasn’t Acker Bilk, but I did a good rendition of Stranger on the Shore and I had a wonderful music teacher called Mr Cainey who had a personal vendetta against seagulls, but who brought magical insights into how playing an instrument could lift your spirits and make the world feel better. West country folk musician and songwriter Seth Lakeman has been more dramatic in his instrumental choices. He plays the violin (or fiddle in folk speak), the tenor guitar, the banjo and the viola and also dabbles with the bouzouki and the foot stomp (no explanation required). The exciting news is that he is coming to play at Bath Festival’s finale weekend on 7 and 8 August – see page 26 for my interview with Seth, and find more details about who is appearing at the finale weekend on page 22.

I also talked to writer and director David Shopland (see page 30), who has written a one-person show called Saving Britney, which is at the Rondo from 23–24 July, about the often intense relationship between a fan and a celebrity performer. David’s grandfather used to share a flat with Sean Connery and performed next to John Cleese in Monty Python’s I’m a Lumberjack sketch, so comes from excellent dramatic stock.

Delving into the ancient past, Millie Bruce-Watt chats to west country born Professor Alice Roberts (see page 16) about her latest book Ancestors: A Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials, which explores what we can learn about the very earliest Britons from burial sites and by using new technology to analyse ancient DNA. New contributor Gianna Scavo also looks back to investigate the Navajo and New Mexican weavings at The American Museum & Gardens and the work of contemporary weaver Christabel Balfour on page 44, and explains what these woven pieces teach us about the value of slowing down and working with our hands. I discovered more hand-crafted thrills when I met artist Mary-Jane Evans in her ceramics studio, which was covered with a gentle sprinkling of plaster dust and felt like a marine hideaway with hidden treasures (see page 48).

On the food trail, our Delicious guide is back on page 52, with an informative and mouthwatering listing of the city’s local food venues and providers and their current offerings. Susannah and Aaron Rickard tell us about writing their book Cooking with Alcohol on page 64, and they treat us to two recipes from their culinary repertoire, which could have a valuable place in your summer menu plans.

Summer fun is officially back, so dig out the coloured bunting and refer to our events guide on page 32 to give you some ideas about all the things you can do that involve leaving your house and going somewhere else with other people.

So this month we have live music and theatre, ancient history, crafts old and new and food and eating out. Immerse yourselves.

Emma Clegg Editor

SONG SCHOOL AT THE ABBEY

The Bath Abbey Choir has now resumed singing in their new home as another significant milestone in Bath Abbey’s Footprint project has been reached.

A new purpose-built Song School for the Abbey’s choirs, visiting choirs and musicians has been in development for the last 2.5 years. These new facilities in Kingston Buildings (connected to the Abbey through an underground corridor) feature a number of upgrades to the previous Choir vestry including a dedicated rehearsal space, changing rooms and a music library. The main rehearsal room, which is a double-storey oak-lined space, was designed with the necessary acoustics in mind, and will be large enough to comfortably fit 40 people. bathabbey.org

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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ZEITGEIST

things to do this

July Eat & drink

Queen Margaret

Watch Downpour Theatre Company is bringing its production of Queen Margaret to The Mission Theatre on 8 and 9 July at 7.30pm. Inspired by Shakespeare's Henry VI triology, Jeanie O’Hare uses original text alongside new dialogue to retell the Wars of the Roses through the eyes of Margaret of Anjou. Hungry for power and angered by the weakness of their king, the nobles of Henry VI’s court plot and scheme against each other. As Henry wavers and the factions split, Queen Margaret is determined to protect the crown. £15 per adult, £10 per concession.

Additional dates in Gloucester, Bristol and Cirencester. downpourtheatrecompany.co.uk Patek Phillipe

Bradford-on-Avon Food and Drink Festival is returning to Victory Field on 17 and 18 July for a weekend of family foodie fun. The festival is hosting celebrity chef demonstrations on their Big Cookery Stage and The festival at Victory Field Master Chef champion Ping Coombes will be joining Alex Hollywood and GBBO stars Steven Carter Bailey and Briony May. Visitors can also enjoy an eclectic mix of local musicians, Julia’s House activities for little ones and even a circus workshop tent. And if that’s not enough, the festival is offering ticket holders the chance to win the one and only Aston Martin DBS Superleggera 007 Bond Edition – one of only 25 in the world and starring in the new film. Buy in advance and online, fast track through the gate, and be in with the chance to win a Magimix Food Processor in a prize draw. scrumptiousfoodfestivals.co.uk

Enjoy The Garden Theatre Festival – a brand new theatre festival – is taking place in the beautiful gardens of the Holburne Museum from 16 July to 21 August.

Kicking off the festival on 16 The Garden Theatre Festival at The Holburne Museum and 17 July are The Three Inch Fools who are presenting a calamitous new production of Robin Hood, fit for all the family. Doors open early so you can bring your picnic, find a space and tuck in for an unforgettable evening. You can also get food from vendors and drinks from the bar. General: £16; under 18s/student: £11; under 10s: £6. Tickets must be pre-booked. bathboxoffice.org.uk

Valley Fest will run from 29 July – 1 August

Browse This month Mallory is hosting an exhibition of the 2021 Patek Philippe collection in its showroom at 1–5 Bridge Street. Running from 13–17 July and by appointment only, guests can browse the latest offerings from the Swiss luxury manufacturer.

Founded in 1839, Patek Philippe is located in Canton of Geneva and the Vallée de Joux. Since 1932, it has been owned by the Stern family in Switzerland and is the last family-owned Genevan luxury watch manufacturer. mallory-jewellers.com

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Listen

Valley Fest, the best-tasting music festival in the south west takes place on 29 July – 1 August. Held alongside Chew Valley Lake, the festival is welcoming huge headliners such as Texas, Deacon Blue and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, as well as the region’s finest produce: from charcuterie to cheddars and ciders to sausages.

Culinary heroes and heroines from across the UK will be cooking up a storm day and night in the spectacular open-sided, feasting tipis. Look out for Great British Bake Off stars Chetna Makan and Briony May Williams; Josh Eggleton from MichelinStarred Pony and Trap; Rob Howell from Root Bristol; chef and author, Olia Hercules, named Observer Food Monthly’s Rising Star of 2015. Expect treats, beats and plenty to eat with lots of Somerset style and sizzle. Adult weekend tickets £175; when these run out, tier five tickets will be priced at £195. valleyfest.co.uk ■

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The city

ist

THE BUZZ

WRITING FOR CHILDREN Bath Spa University graduate and Kim Donovan has set up a new short fiction competition called Searchlight Writing for Children Awards. Her aim is create opportunities for authors of children’s fiction. There will be three categories: Best Bedtime Story, Best Novel Opening for Children or Young Adults and Best Short Story for Children or Young Adults, with competitions staggered throughout the year. Submissions for the Best Bedtime Story are open until 16 August. Finbar Hawkins, children’s author and Creative Director at Aardman Animations (also a Bath Spa graduate) will judge the first competition. The ten shortlisted stories in each category will feature in an electronic pitch book called The Winners’ Collection and be sent to numerous literary agents and publishers who have requested it. These stories will also be published in an annual printed anthology and the first prize includes a cash award. searchlightawards.co.uk

GEORGIAN WATERING-HOLE In the closing years of the 18thcentury, Weston was a select watering-place attracting the fashionable elite from the highest social circles including many visitors from Bath.

Visitors were prolific correspondents and diarists and the book Weston-superMare: Georgian Watering-Place, Regency Resort by Sharon Poole has provided us with a vivid, intimate picture of Weston-super-Mare as it emerged from obscurity into a popular beach resort.

With contemporary accounts from journals, letters, newspapers and guide books, discover tales of intrigue, scandal and highway robbery; Weston’s links to the transatlantic slave trade; and the real rags-to-riches life story of an abandoned child. £17.99, paperback.

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My BATH

Bath-based photographer Jess Cheetham has been chosen by the New York Times to represent the city in an inaugural Virtual Documentary Family Photography Exhibit. Here, Jess tells us about her life, work and love for Bath

What’s your connection to Bath?

I grew up here! After years of studying in Edinburgh and the US and then working in London, I decided I wanted to settle down in my hometown. I adore Bath; it's small enough that you can almost walk everywhere but big enough to have lots of things going on and things to do. It has a real community feel to it which I love. And I love the range of shops and restaurants it offers.

What’s your favourite place to visit in Bath?

I live in Bathampton so I love walking or cycling along the canal into town and stopping by the Holburne Museum for a coffee and a stroll through Sydney Gardens. The walks surrounding Bath like the Bath Skyline are just incredible. I love the American Museum – it’s a great place to take the kids and our favourite park is Alice Park, such a great park for children.

What has been your career path up until now?

I used to work in the art world in London. I started in an auction house and then moved on to a private gallery. I was always drawn to photography within the spheres of selling art and a highlight from gallery life was curating an exhibition called With A Conscious Eye which was specifically about documentary photography. A genre I am passionate about and have chosen for my family photography work.

Can you talk a little about the Virtual Documentary Family Photography Exhibit?

This inaugural virtual exhibition is from the Documentary Family Photographer’s organisation. It is 50 images, from 44 photographers all over the globe, chosen and curated by New York Times’ photo editor Tiffanie Graham. The exhibit aims to elevate documentary family photography into the realms of fine art and has been huge in its dissemination of these everyday images of family life to the public and raising awareness of this incredible genre of photography. You can take a virtual walk around the exhibition, view the list of artists and and images and the judge’s statement by visiting: dfp-gallery.com

How does it feel to be representing Bath?

I feel incredibly proud to be representing Bath in the exhibition. I’m also excited to see this genre of family photography becoming more popular in the UK, having been mainly predominant in the US. What do you love the most about this genre?

I love its realness and rawness. With documentary, it is just that. I just capture or ‘document’ what I see, I don’t pose my clients or tell them look at the camera and smile. It’s just you, living your everyday life. The images you end up with are beautiful and striking and authentic.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I know this sounds a bit clichéd but honestly I find a lot of my inspiration from my own family, specifically my children. I look up to a number of artists and fellow photography colleagues. And my old art school tutors were hugely inspiring and influential.

Who deserves a shout out at the moment?

The Bath charity 3SG, who are doing amazing work during the pandemic.

“My alarm goes off and I...”

Wake up next to my baby, who is my alarm clock! My days at the moment with two young children completely revolve around them of course. So it’s lots of meal-making, snack-making, tidying up, playing, trips to the park and school runs. I am very happy and content at the moment with our chaotic life with a four year old and a one year old.

What are you reading/watching/listening to?

I am just about to read Eliane Glaser Motherhood: A Manifesto. I love listening to podcasts, my favourite being Motherkind.

And TV – I of course love a good documentary.

What is your philosophy in life?

Be kind to people. And try and live a life you believe in. ■ jesscheetham.com

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Silver Beakers

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:

Emma Clegg 01225 424592 emma@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Financial Director Email:

Jane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Assistant Editor/Web Editor Millie Bruce-Watt Email: millie@thebathmagazine.co.uk Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

Liz Grey liz@thebathmagazine.co.uk

The Bath Magazine and The Bristol Magazine are published by

Keeping beer cold since 1880

MC Publishing Ltd. We are an independent of all other local publications

The Bath Magazine is delivered free, every month to more than 15,000 residential addresses as well as businesses throughout Bath and the surrounding area. We also have special distribution units in many of Bath’s supermarkets

2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Telephone: 01225 424499. Fax: 01225 426677 www.thebathmag.co.uk © MC Publishing Ltd 2021 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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CITY | NOTEBOOK

Richard Wyatt: Notes on a small city Columnist Richard Wyatt, who is celebrating a milestone birthday this month, has not lived his life in the slow lane – here he recounts some of his daring exploits over the years

T

Joseph, my nickname would have been Have A Go Joe, but I wasn’t, and anyway anchor man (Uncle) Bruce Hockin came up with ‘Young Richard’ instead – oh the current irony!

❝

I have pot-holed in dark and wet caves...and have been swept up into the air by a man on a hang glider

❝

rust me to celebrate my birthday during a month named in honour of Julius Caesar but at least I have outlived him in years. He was just 55 at the time of his violent exit from this world. I am a teensy-weensy bit older!

However, I have to admit that there is now little room on my anniversary cake for the candles necessary to spell out in flames the number of Julys I have lived through.

Apparently I objected to even the first candle to grace my celebratory sponge as a grainy photograph showing this goldencurled one year old trying to punch a hole in it attests!

My three score and ten achievement is no doubt a mixture of family genes and luck, although I have tested the good nature of Dame Fortune many times.

Most famously, it’s now 45 years since I challenged the thickness of my skull against the leading edge of a Piper Cub spotter plane’s wing. It got a bigger dent than me, but that was only because l made contact with a wooden bit rather than a metal rib.

I am still here to recount the tale (many times) but will spare you a detailed explanation. It’s all on YouTube where l think l remain the only pedestrian in the world to be knocked out by a low-flying aircraft. One intending to use me as target practice for flour bombs – although it didn’t work out quite like that.

I should have known I would grow up to be accident prone.

Apparently as an infant not yet standing on two feet I managed to rock my cot near enough to an open window to climb out onto the sill, balancing between inside and out. At the time we were living with my grandparents, who kept the Lamb Inn pub at Worle on the outskirts of Weston super Mare. My father was away at sea in the Merchant Navy and my mother up in the village shopping.

A gallant neighbour apparently kept me talking – and not walking – while my grandmother crept up behind me and grabbed me. I don’t know how big an audience I had attracted, or whether there was a round of applause, but I don’t think the window was ever left so open again.

Of course professionally there were many opportunities to try something daring while out and about with a film crew back in my days with the HTV West evening news. If I had been christened

But back to the plot. I have ridden everything from a penny farthing bike to a Charolais bull. I joined a lion tamer in his working environment on the more dangerous side of the cage, and even stood between two jugglers exchanging their clubs either side of my ears.

I have pot-holed in dark and wet caves, walked out on the top of the old Severn Bridge tower and have been swept up into the air by a man on a hang glider.

I even remember when a hovercraft was brought to Weston super Mare – ahead of a scheme to establish a Bristol Channel crossing link with Penarth – and I laid down on the sand and let it pass over me, just to prove to the viewer that there was nothing but air beneath this noisy and impressive machine. I did it really without thinking, just to get some good pictures. I can imagine all those working in health and safety now throwing up their (protected) hands in horror.

I can only think of one other stunt that went wrong. Enter ‘Noddy and Big Ears’ with a broken down NOD 1 car. Would I look under the bonnet to see what was wrong? Whereupon a puff of talcum powder would shoot up to cover my face. I had been warned to shut my eyes in advance of this happening, but when nothing did happen, I opened them. Just in time to receive a blast of white powder and a trip to A&E where yours truly was held down while his eyes were washed out!

This year’s celebrations will be a more low-key and risk-free (fingers crossed) affair. n Richard Wyatt runs the Bath Newseum: bathnewseum.com

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BOOKS | ARCHAEOLOGY

No bone unturned

As technology takes a major leap forward, archaeology and genetics have been set on a collision course.

Bearing messages from the ancient world – some buried in mistruths for millennia – scientist and writer Professor Alice Roberts reaches right back in time with her new book Ancestors, as she tells Millie Bruce-Watt is clear and captivating. We caught up with the Bristol-born bone expert to find out more about how the book came to be; how advances in genetics are transforming archaeology; and, of course, how cannibalistic cavemen once roamed our local landscape.

Professor Alice Roberts. Credit: Paul Wilkinson photography

The power of technology “Ancestors focuses on a series of ancient burials that help to tell the story of prehistoric Britain, and it draws on my fascination with this collision between archaeology and genetics, which has been happening for a while but feels like it’s coming into its own now,” says Roberts.

Since making The Incredible Human Journey 13 years ago, technology has come on in leaps and bounds. From analysing DNA and discovering small clues in a skeleton, scientists are now able to sequence whole genomes in a single day. As a result, they have been able to see more depth and complexity than ever before in the story of human origins and understand the evolution of human health and disease. Roberts is also helping researchers with a project at the Francis Crick Institute in London entitled 1000 Ancient Genomes. It is the most ambitious ancient genomics project to date and the DNA it looks at will be fully sequenced, “leaving no stone unturned, no stretch of DNA unread,” as Roberts writes.

“I’ve enjoyed writing about burial sites and discoveries that happened a long time ago, but I’ve also enjoyed having that element of a project that’s live and happening right now. One of the most interesting questions in Ancestors is all about British prehistory. For example, in the Bronze Age, we see a completely new culture arriving but we didn’t know whether it was just people already here, adopting this culture, or whether it was a new group of people coming in. We couldn’t get to the bottom of that question until genetics could shed some light on it. Now, looking at genomes in the preceding Neolithic, we can see that there is a huge population turnover – it was new people arriving and eventually their genes are the ones which predominated the population. It’s really interesting to see how that culture changed over the years and we can imagine more families arriving, over a few centuries.”

A

nthropologist, biologist, broadcaster, author and Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham, Alice Roberts has been working where biology meets archaeology for the last 20 years, bearing messages from the ancient world and pushing our understanding of human evolution ever further.

A familiar face to many, Roberts has appeared regularly on the BBC and Channel 4, presenting the geographical and environmental series Coast, Digging for Britain and Time Team as well as a number of documentaries focusing on ancient migrations, evolution and prehistory.

A prolific scientist and writer, Roberts is now back in the limelight with her latest book, Ancestors: A Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials. Less than two weeks after it hit the shelves, Ancestors became a bestseller in The Sunday Times. Most interestingly to us Bathonians, the book explores an ancient burial site in Cheddar Gorge, which unlocks astonishing stories of ancient Britain that had been buried in mistruths for millennia.

Described as “the new Da Vinci” in a recent review of Ancestors, Roberts is a formidable storyteller and her fascination with her subject 16 TheBATHMagazine

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The making of Ancestors Ancestors is split into seven chapters, with each chapter focusing on a different discovery. From an elaborate burial in the depths of the Ice Age to the most richly furnished grave that’s ever been discovered in Europe, Roberts has delved into the history of ideas and brought individuals’ stories back to life.

“All of them are fascinating because they are all quite different.

Some of them have these interesting back stories and then some of them are far more recent like the Amesbury Archer turning up when a developer was having to excavate ahead of a new build.”

The Amesbury Archer is an early Bronze Age man whose grave was discovered during excavations in Amesbury, near Stonehenge. The grave was uncovered in May 2002, and the man is believed to date from about 2,300 BC. “This man was buried with 18 arrow heads; he had three copper knives; he had gold ornaments. We’ve got genetic information about him as well as chemical analysis of his teeth. so we know that he grew up somewhere around the Alps and his burial tells us that he must have been seen as special. The interesting thing about his skeleton is that he’s got abnormalities in his shoulders, which may possibly be connected to the fact that he was an archer. But perhaps more

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BOOKS | ARCHAEOLOGY

Professor Alice Roberts’ illustration of the Gough's Cave 'skull cup', as featured in Ancestors

Professor Alice Roberts’ illustration of the Amesbury Archer grave, as featured in Ancestors

❝ “We don’t know if we’ll ever get to the bottom of why they were doing it, but we definitely know it was cannibalism in Cheddar”

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surprisingly he’s got a disability – he’s got a missing knee cap and a very badly misshapen femur on the left side. The bones are withered so he would have definitely walked with a limp. It’s interesting because we’re looking at someone who is living with a disability but is clearly an extremely well-respected individual with a high status – it tells us something about perspectives on disability in the past too.

“Each one of these stories is like a little time capsule that you open up. You’re looking at an individual and you’re trying to imagine what their life was like, what their environment was like, what their society was like and there’s this hugely personal aspect to it.”

Close to the bone – a chilling revelation Without a doubt one of the most shocking discoveries in Ancestors was just 24 miles from Bath. Cheddar Gorge was home to not only a healthy amount of commercial competition during the late 19th century, which provides great entertainment for us today, but a gruesome realisation that cannibals certainly roamed the gorge at one point in time.

“I got very intrigued by the competition between Gough’s Cave and Cox’s Cave and the way both of them were fighting over Victorian tourists,” Roberts says with a smile. “Richard Gough, who owned the cave, would advertise it as ‘come and see this beautiful natural cave’ but he brought in cart loads of stalactites and stalagmites from somewhere near Western-super-Mare. There are these beautiful pools with all these reflections of stalagmites but they are completely artificial – they are made of Victorian concrete!” she laughs. It was during this period, however, when one particular discovery led to serious whispers of cannibalism at Cheddar which never abated.

“When Richard’s sons were putting in trenches at the entrance of the cave to stop it flooding in winter, they found human remains.

Since then, there have been a whole series of excavations, turning up quite a lot of human material including a nearly complete skeleton called Cheddar Man, which dates back about 10,000 years ago. But there’s also a collection of smashed-up bones from around 12,000 years ago and these were thought to be evidence of cannibalism when they were first found.”

Although Roberts was originally sceptical of these stories, Dr Silvia Bello, who had been re-examining the bones at the Natural History Museum was able to confirm them as true.

“It’s very clear from her assessments that it’s humans doing the

smashing but, not only that, there are human teeth marks on some of the bones,” she says. “The way they are using tools to smash open long bones to get to the marrow also suggests that its almost definitely nutritional cannibalism. Then, there are really odd things,” Roberts says with a long pause. “There’s a skull that has been turned upside down and had the whole of the base taken off to make it quite a decent cup. It seems very strange to us today and everso gruesome but we have to stand back and think ‘was it gruesome to them? Or was it normal?’ It could be anything from a very respectful way to treat the dead to eating enemies that you’d killed. It could simply be people driven by desperation to eat each other. That’s what I like about prehistory – it makes us think about our own responses. We don’t know if we’ll ever get to the bottom of why they were doing it, but we definitely know it was cannibalism in Cheddar.”

In November, Roberts will be touring the UK. An Evening with Alice Roberts will explore how genetics is revolutionising what we know about the deep past and what that means for us today. Roberts is without a doubt preeminent in her field of work and having been mesmerised by her depth of knowledge during our short time together, this event is guaranteed to be packed full of astonishing stories – an evening to remember. ■ Ancestors: The Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials; £20; Simon & Schuster.

See Roberts in Frome on 7 November or at various places in the UK; alice-roberts.co.uk THEBATHMAG.CO.UK THEBATHMAG.CO.UK| nOVeMber 2010 | january 2020 THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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LOCAL | EVENTS

What’s on in July Creating Carmen at Ham Farm Festival

The Woman in Black visits the Theatre Royal Bath.

Photo by Tristram Kenton

ARTISTS’ SHOWCASE Throughout July n Out of the Blue Gallery, 6 Upper Borough Walls, Bath A beautiful new gallery right in the heart of Bath is showcasing some of the best British artists and ceramicists. Set across two floors, the gallery is packed with great pieces. Look out for must-see exhibitions arriving at the gallery soon. outofthebluegallery.com SUMMER SUNDAYS Throughout July n Various venues and locations in Bath Bath is open and ready to welcome you back this summer. Head into the city this month for Summer Sundays – a programme of entertainment, events and activities for all the family. Discover a plethora of pop-up entertainment around the city centre including performances from Jane Austen dancers and samba bands; free face painting; arts and crafts workshops and plenty more. welcometobath.co.uk/summer-sundays UNLOCKING YOUR ANCESTORY WITH DNA 1 July n Online by U3A U3A in Bath is an organisation for retired people who want to find purposeful activity, enjoyment and companionship. It is an organisation fully driven by its members who, for a nominal fee are able to participate in a range of activities from the purely educational to the recreational. The only criterion for joining is that of being retired. This month, u3a is running a public lecture entitled Unlocking Your Ancestory with DNA. Visit the website for times and updates. u3ainbath.org.uk 20 TheBATHMagazine

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JESS GILLAM AND BATH PHILHARMONIA 1 July, 7.30pm n The Forum, 1A Forum Buildings, Bath Bath Philharmonia and phenomenal saxophonist Jess Gillam present a programme of English pastoral music full of light and hope for a summer’s evening.

Performing music from her latest album, TIME, Jess is passionate about inspiring and bringing joy to people through music and has continued to do so throughout the pandemic. From Elgar’s Serenade for Strings to Luke Howard’s evocative Dappled Light, this concert will warm your soul and refresh your spirit. bathphil.co.uk FROME FESTIVAL 2–11 July, various times n Various venues in and around Frome The Frome Festival is welcoming big comedy talent, Reginald D. Hunter – the Americanborn star of stand-up – to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Hunter will appear at the Memorial Theatre on 9 July, supported by Jarred Christmas. Look out for performances by top-class rock, jazz and fusion artists like Jonny and the Baptists along with cult comedians Paul Foot and George Egg. Marston Lakes (an elegant glamping site), will also be opening its gates to the festival for the first time and the highly popular art trail will be up and running as always. fromefestival.co.uk THE WOMAN IN BLACK 5–10 July, various times n Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath Continuing its record-breaking run at the Fortune Theatre in London’s West End, The Woman in Black returns to Bath as part of a major UK Tour. Susan Hill’s acclaimed ghost

story comes dramatically alive in Stephen Mallatratt’s ingenious stage adaptation. This gripping production, directed by Robin Herford, is a brilliantly successful study in atmosphere, illusion and controlled horror. theatreroyal.org.uk VENETIAN WATER LEVELS, ALGAE BELTS… AND CANALETTO? 8 July, 7–7.45pm n Online, run by The Holburne Museum What can 18th-century paintings tell us about modern-day Venice? What information can be extracted from past depictions of the city in order to understand its present? In this 45-minute fascinating talk Professor Dario Camuffo will explore how Canaletto paintings have contributed to the study of the changes to the average sea level in Venice since the 1700s. holburne.org MELVYN TAN AND BATH PHILHARMONIA 8 July, 7.30pm n The Forum, 1A Forum Buildings, Bath Bath Philharmonia and pianist Melvyn Tan, one of the world’s most critically acclaimed Mozart interpreters, present a unique double bill of two of the greatest piano concertos every written. From the intimacy and fragility of Piano Concerto No. 23 to the sublime beauty of Piano Concerto No. 21 (widely known as the Elvira Madigan Concerto), this poignant concert will let your mind soar and capture your heart. bathphil.co.uk NOVEL WINES WINE-TASTING 8, 22 and 18 July n 7 Cork Place, Bath Come and enjoy wine, cider and spirit tasting events throughout July. Held in the

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LOCAL | EVENTS

Jess Gillam Photo by Robin-Clewley

Melvyn Tan

secret garden at 7 Cork Place, guests can enjoy a furmint wine and cheese tasting on 8 July; a summer wines with cheese pairing event on 22 July; and an evening of gin tasting on 29 July. Guests should arrive at 6pm, with the tasting running from 6.15pm to 8pm. Tickets cost £25 and are limited to 12 guests due to social distancing restrictions, so booking in advance is essential. 18+. novelwines.co.uk LAWRENCES AUCTIONEERS 20–23 and 30 July n Bath and Bristol Lawrences Auctioneers are running free home visits on 30 July from 9am – 5pm.

Valuer Andy Sagar will be available to value your objects and antiques throughout Bath and Bristol. The auctioneers are also welcoming consignments for their summer auctions, which are set to take place from 20–23 July. lawrences.co.uk TORCHLIT SUMMER EVENINGS From 23 July, open until 10pm n The Roman Baths The Roman Baths will stay open until 10pm every evening this summer, offering visitors a chance to enjoy the special atmosphere around the torchlit Great Bath. There will also be a pop-up bar beside the Great Bath selling champagne, prosecco, soft drinks and ice cream. Last admission at 9pm. romanbaths.co.uk THE WINTER’S TALE 5–10 July, various times n Cleeve House, Seend, SN12 6PG

This searing tale of marital jealousy is tempered by a fairy-tale fourth act and a happy ending, as a new generation find reconciliation and hope for the future.

Among the serious themes, there is plenty of laughter, music, romance and escapism. In their 32nd year, Shakespeare Live are experts at creating fantastic outdoor shows.

Saturday night is also hosting a gala with extra entertainment. Guests are encouraged to picnic before the show in the beautiful gardens with their spectacular views of Salisbury Plain. shakespearelive.com SAVING BRITNEY 23–24 July, 8pm n Rondo Theatre, St. Saviours Road, Bath A treat for millennials who grew up with Britney Spears. Over the course of an hour see how the Princess of Pop influenced Jean’s life and how the connections shared between them lead to an unbelievable moment of self-discovery. Presented by Fake Escape – David Shopland with Shereen Roushbaiani – and inspired by the #FreeBritney movement, Saving Britney is a hilarious and heartbreaking look at celebrity obsession, sexuality and growing up in the early noughties. Tickets cost £14, concs £12. rondotheatre.co.uk CREATING CARMEN 25–28 July n Ham Farm Festival, Mangotsfield Ham Farm Festival – a true community music festival – is welcoming music lovers to its half-acre garden. On 25 July, look out for Creating Carmen – a concert-play with

Spanish music by CarmenCo trio. The plot: Prosper Mérimée is struggling with his latest novella when his leading character, Carmen, appears in his study, larger than life, with a band of musicians in tow and chaos in her wake. This is a fun-filled evening of fantasy, comedy and tremendous Spanish music.

Booking in advance recommended. hamfarmfestival.com MY KID COULD’VE DONE THAT! From 26 July n The Edge, University of Bath Putting this often loudly and exasperatedly expressed opinion to the test, the Holburne Museum is bravely staging an exhibition of brand-new work by fifteen contemporary artists and their children, which then invites art lovers to determine just who created the work on display. The museum’s contemporary art curator Will Cooper came up with the show’s concept and his co-curator is his five-year-old daughter Astrid. edgearts.org FINE ART AND ANTIQUES SALE 27 July n Aldridges of Bath, Lower Bristol Road, Twerton, Bath Aldridges of Bath – an auction house founded in 1740 – is running a fine art and antiques sale which will include silver, jewellery, porcelain and glass, oil paintings, watercolours and prints, European and Asian works-of-art, bronzes and metalware, clocks and barometers, antique furniture and furnishings. aldridgesofbath.com n

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ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS

Bath Festivals Finale weekend BELOW, from left: McFly, Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Scouting for Girls

Live music all weekend Get ready to party as The Bath Festival’s long-awaited Finale Weekend on the Rec in the heart of Bath takes place over the weekend of Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 August. There will be live music to appeal to all ages, from the infectious smash hits of chart-toppers McFly to the New York City vibes of the Fun Lovin’ Criminals and the sunshine disco hits of Billy Ocean.

The west country music scene will be well represented with some of the finest local acts appearing on the Main Stage and on the City Stage, which will feature a combination of local talent and rising stars from across the UK. The good news for existing ticket holders – who bought tickets for the 2020 festival – is that their tickets will be automatically transferred to the new date. Many of the big name acts are including the Bath gig as part of their long-anticipated UK tours, which will be a treat for local fans.

The two-day Finale Weekend is the ideal introduction to the festival experience for the whole family. You can buy tickets for one day or for the whole weekend. This beautiful green field site lies in the heart of historic Bath, just a ten-minute walk from the train and bus stations and park and ride bus stops. With the coloured banners fluttering in the breeze, the main stage set up and the various stalls selling all kinds of enticing food, you and your kids will be excited as soon as you arrive on site.

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tiniest children happy. Older kids will enjoy the chance to enjoy the acts on the City Stage – there are loads of opportunities for selfies! When it comes to food, there is a range of artisan food and drink catering for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans. There will also be professionally run bars offering a range of drinks, including beer and cider and of course a decent cup of coffee.

Saturday 7 August n MCFLY Topping the bill, Tom, Danny, Dougie and Harry will bring their own brand of festival Happiness to Bath n SCOUTING FOR GIRLS Expect to hear the strains of She’s So Lovely as this party band hits the stage n GABRIELLE Currently riding high in the charts with her album Do It Again Gabrielle brings her beautiful distinctive voice to the Main Stage n LAURAN HIBBERD and JOSH GRAY Two solo artists and rising stars n NOVACUB London four-piece outfit n DESSIE MAGEE AND HIS BAND Winner of last year’s Bath Introduces competition n LUNA LAKE Local four-piece band

Sunday 8 August n UB40 FEATURING ALI CAMPBELL AND ASTRO The legendary reggae band bring their classic music spirit to the stage n BILLY OCEAN The British soul singer with classics such as When the Going Gets Tough n SETH LAKEMAN Expect a high energy set from the talented west country folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist n FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS New York’s trio featuring Bath-based frontman Huey Morgan n TWINNIE English singer-songwriter and actress n BLOCO B This samba group from Bristol specialise in the carnival spirit n HANNAH GRACE AND CASEY LOWRY Try out the sounds of these two solo artists n PORT ERIN Wiltshire based indie trio n LIFE IN MONO The grunge-influenced band, fronted by Sarah Clayton bathfestivals.org.uk

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The comedy is back Alistair Barrie on stage at a recent Bath Comedy Club show

Bath Comedy presents Permission To Laugh, a 16-day festival of live comedy from 16–31 July We’re allowed to laugh once more, and what better way to celebrate than to enjoy two weeks of top-notch live shows curated by Bath Comedy? Director Nick Steel says “We’ve tried to honour as many shows from the 2020 festival-that-never-was as possible, including some big names, alongside solo shows from up-and-coming

Across July & August 2021 @ Holburne Museum, Bath.

A brand new theatre festival, taking place in the beautiful gardens of the Holburne Museum.

Expect evenings of laughter, fun, food, drink and good times.

Doors open early for you to bring your picnic, grab a space and tuck in for an unforgettable evening. There is no better way to experience fantastic theatre for all the family.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO BOOK TICKETS

Visit: calf2cow.co.uk COMING UP

JULY 16 - 17

/garden-theatre-festival

AUGUST 10

AUGUST 11

AND MANY MORE – SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS 24 TheBATHMagazine

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comics and a competition to find the stars of tomorrow.”

Stand-up and stand-out highlights at Widcombe Social Club include a work-in-progress show from ‘German Comedy Ambassador’ Henning Wehn, a by-all-accounts astounding show from Simon Evans (the content of which is a closely guarded secret!), and a rehearsed reading of a play telling the compelling story behind the invention of Monopoly, with Nick Helm, Tom Stade, Jen Brister, Ria Lina, David Mills and Alyson June-Smith, followed by a stand-up gang show with all the cast.

There’s a unique crossover musical comedy treat in the shape of Ian Shaw, who explores the thrills, horrors and hashtags of living in the modern world, and several walking tours of Bath brought to you by Arthur Smith, Show of Strength and Natural Theatre Company.

The Affordable Comedy Festival is back with a host of solo shows based at new venue the Forum Coffee House where tickets are £5 in advance, or free or pay what you feel on the day! Witness works-inprogress or previews from the best of up-and-coming comedy stars, including Bilal Zafar, Michael Akadiri, Drew Taylor and Sasha Ellen.

The New Act Competition sees 100 contenders compete in ten heats at Bath Brew House and a Grand Final at the Forum Ballroom including the presentation of the coveted Lovehoney Bath Comedy New Act Of The Year Award.

Some shows are already sold out, but at Covid-capacity. Hopefully we won’t be as distanced by the end of July, and another tranche of tickets will be put on sale late in the day – keep your eyes on bathcomedy.com for the ever-evolving line-up and ticket avails.

Here’s to a triumphant return to (ab?)normality. n

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Passing the music down

Seth Lakeman has already wowed the crowds on the main stage at the Bath Festival Finale Weekend in previous years and he’s doing the same again on Sunday 8 August. Emma Clegg asks him about his musical roots, his passion for folk music, his storytelling drive and how he manages to play so many instruments over the world. The likes of Robert and Justin [Adams, blues and African guitarist and composer who plays with Plant’s band) will sit down and talk about their love of blues and early American music. It was a massive education for me and a big influence for the future, working with one of the best bands out there. Being part of that was a total privilege and I’d love to do it again.”

“Robert has lived through a huge legacy of material and I hope I have the same energy when I’m older. Certainly my dad is full of energy.

Seeing my dad and Robert together was amazing – they got on really well. My dad has this huge passion for music – he is out all the time.

They are similar characters – they have this glint in the eye and they just love discovering and searching for songs and stories. It’s very inspiring.”

When Seth was playing with Robert Plant he mostly played viola: “The viola was something that worked with Robert’s voice. For some reason the tone of it iust matched and they could play off each other.

The violin sank into the Americana and things sounded too melodic.

The viola has a darker tone. The violin is the instrument to go for if you want to leap out of somewhere and get closer to your own voice when you are singing.”

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The whole tradition of passing the music from one person to another is a vital part of people’s culture and heritage

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S

ome people are destined to live in music. Folk singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Seth Lakeman is one of those. “My parents used to run a folk club on the edge of Dartmoor, so throughout the eighties we’d go as young kids every Sunday for open night to see people play,” Seth explains. “It was a great place to absorb some of the best English folk musicians who were passing through – we got to see the likes of Martin Carthy, Richard Thompson, Roger Wilson, and Chris Wood. My dad was also a great concertina player and singer and that was a big influence on us three boys.”

‘Us’ were three brothers – Seth, Sam and Sean – who together as the Lakeman Brothers released their debut album Three Piece Suite in 1994. They later formed a group called Equation with Yorkshire-based Kathryn Roberts and Kate Rusby.

Even when he went solo (in 2002), family remained a cornerstone of Seth’s music. His 2005 Kitty Jay album – with all songs written and inspired by stories and legends from Dartmoor – was recorded for less than £300, and was put together in a week, produced with his brother Sean in his kitchen. “Because it was myself and my brother engineering and producing, there was no cost to it.,” Seth says.

The music itself is a rhythmic, captivating brand of indie-folk songs written by Seth; he has a wide following, with albums of note including Kitty Jay and the gold-selling Freedom Fields in 2006. His latest offering and 10th album, A Pilgrim’s Tale, was released in February 2020, a year that marked four centuries since The Mayflower ship departed the UK. The album was released amidst a selection of UK concerts where Seth visited locations significant to the ship’s journey. The record is narrated by the actor Paul McGann and features guest performers including Cara Dillon, Benji Kirkpatrick, Ben Nicholls and Seth’s father Geoff Lakeman.

The narrative theme of A Pilgrim’s Tale encapsulates the storytelling drive behind folk music. “I am a singer songwriter and I am very interested in local history. I think that all those influences are strong in my rhythms and melodies, using local legends and the mystery that surrounds this area of Dartmoor that we live in.

“Folk music goes straight to the heart of a subject and the story and there’s an enormous amount of depth in the songs,” explains Seth.

“Folk is different to other styles in that it’s timeless. It’s very much about celebrating life – the whole tradition of passing the music from one person to another is a vital part of people’s culture, their heritage and who they are. The music has an epicness that represents life.”

Seth is most associated with the violin, or fiddle as it’s known in folk music, and the tenor guitar, but he also plays the viola, banjo and bouzouki, and transitions naturally from one instrument to another.

“It’s quite a natural process,” he explains. “As a songwriter in my early twenties, each year or two I extended the arsenal of instruments a bit more as I experimented. It’s a natural progression for me. I can’t really play the guitar – I muck about in the studios – but I wouldn’t stand there and play solo. I can hold my own as a violinist, but I couldn’t hold my own as a virtuoso bouzouki player up against a Grecian. That would be pretty difficult.”

Seth received a phone call from Robert Plant on New Year’s Day in 2017 and after this they started to work and perform together. He recorded with Plant on his Carry Fire album and then went on tour with him in the UK, and later in the US and Australia, as part of his band The Sensational Space Shifters (including at The Bath Festival in 2018), and he also performed as the support on the shows. “The man is an absolute legend,” says Seth. “You can’t help but be in awe of what he’s achieved and what he’s still achieving. It’s fascinating to see how much enthusiasm, almost childlike enthusiasm, he has for music, all

The writing process is not always easy, Seth explains. “Because writing music is self motived, it’s often a real challenge to come up with ideas. It’s hard to know where to step next. When I started to think about A Pilgrim’s Tale I had to work out where to start and where to stop. I had to tell the story of this epic voyage and wanted to represent two sides, the pilgrims and the indigenous people.

“The challenge of writing is always tendering up something from nothing. The point where you’re in a studio is where you channel the ideas. I love that moment.“ In 2020 Seth did a four part series on Radio 2, called Seth Lakeman’s Folk Map of the British Isles, where he explored the distinct folk and traditional music sounds of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland, talking to some of its greatest proponents and asking what makes each tradition distinct. “They gave me a dictaphone for 12 months and asked me to wander around festivals, shows and clubs, chatting to people in the music industry. We compiled at least 80 interviews representing the four nations – it was a fascinating process for me, and I learnt a lot from each episode.”

Of course when you are telling stories, you also need to accumulate experiences. For Seth this is the most exciting stage of his musical journeys: “The greatest thing about music is that it gives you the opportunity to travel and have these wonderful journeys that take you to places that you wouldn’t normally go. Music has always opened so many doors of possibility, as a journeyman and a traveller, it’s like being a modern day gypsy.” n Seth Lakeman will bring his band to the main stage at Bath Festival Finale Weekend on 8 August; bathfestivals.org.uk THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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A different kind of dance School 3 fun packed days to include: Warm up flexibility & strength. Core dance technique training.

Dance routines taught to original choreography.

Small group own choreography. End of workshop performance

Summer Workshops: July 26th, 27th & 28th or Aug 23rd, 24th and 25th £85 for one or £150 for both.

All food, drinks and prizes included

By Michelle Pentecost and Sharon Abrahams Contact us on: Sharonabrahams3@yahoo.co.uk or Tel: 07710 440 071 for more details

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ARTS | THEATRE

A piece of Britney

Britney Spears is coming to Bath. Well, it’s actually a show called Saving Britney, written by local writer and director David Shopland. Emma Clegg investigates and finds not just Britney, but Aristotle, John Cleese and Sean Connery

T

he narrative arc as we know it today all comes from Aristotle and his book Poetics. The set-up, the inciting incident, the crisis, the climax and the resolution. Those are the five points that you hit.”

Writer and director David Shopland is explaining how every story we tell – in books, film or the theatre – has a natural pattern. “It’s amazing how difficult it is not to follow. Even if you’re trying to write something really radical you will always end up falling into that pattern because it’s human nature – that’s how we’re programmed in terms of how we want to be engaged by a piece of work, and if you put anyone’s real life against that kind of structure it will hit those kind of points.”

Britney Spears’ life (and she’s only 39) has already had plenty of narrative drama, and it’s been played out in a very public forum. But David’s new production, Saving Britney, at the Rondo Theatre from 23–24 July, isn’t so much about Britney herself as about the cult of celebrity and how powerful the idea of a public figure can be.

“I’m not particularly a huge Britney Spears fan,” says David, “but I’d started to see these underground rumblings about her, just before the Framing Britney Spears documentary by The New York Times came out in February.”

The documentary examined how the singer has been treated by the media and those around her over the years and shone a spotlight on the conservatorship the singer has been under since 2008, which means she is not in control of large parts of her life.

“What I found fascinating about the reaction to that film and the #FreeBritney movement was that it conjured up a lot of things about the relationship between a fan and a performer or celebrity. I saw this really interesting dynamic where Britney is being trapped from both sides. She’s got these pretty awful managers and by all accounts not a particularly nice father, and she’s been controlled by all these men. And the paparazzi have been dreadful to her. Then on the other side you have these amazingly vocal and passionate supporters whose hearts are in the right place, but never once has she actually said that she wanted that support.

David Shopland

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“Around this time I came back to Bath to visit my folks and I ended up locking myself away in my old bedroom for a couple of days and the play just kind of came out of me. I wrote 16 pages in two days, and it became a story of this young millennial from the south west, a superfan who had spent her whole life thinking that she had all these things in common with Britney Spears.

“But the show itself is also about what it was like to grow up in the late nineties and early noughties – an era for which there is a lot of nostalgia – and it’s as much about finding your place in the world and how much weight you put on certain things and people, and how idolising strangers can help you at times but it can also be a hindrance. It’s also a very universal story, a story of finding your place in the world and feeling your way through life and how you become the person you become.”

❝ The show is about finding your place in the

world ... and how idolising strangers can help you at times, but it can also be a hindrance

❝

“

The one-person show was devised with actor Shereen Roushbaiani who plays the role of the main character Jean. David revels in the format: “I am drawn to monologue plays. For me it’s a lot of freedom because there are far less logistical things to worry about and no other characters. As a director it’s inspiring because you’re not worrying about how many bodies are on stage and whether a sightline is being blocked. And you can be more creative with one person on stage. It also takes a very special kind of performance to engage an audience on your own for that amount of time.”

David trained with Shereen at Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance. “I remember being absolutely struck by her talent when I saw her perform,” he explains. “Shereen devised Saving Britney alongside me because I was conscious that as a straight white man I didn’t want to be writing a one-woman show about a pansexual millennial woman without any input from someone who lives in that sphere of identity. So she helped me bring an authentic voice.”

It’s not a musical, but there are moments where Shereen sings from Britney’s repertoire as part of the narrative. “There are seven interludes within the monologue that break up the action. They include slightly mashed-up versions of Britney songs, which follow her discography, so you get Hit Me Baby One More Time in the early part and as you go through you can see how the sound changed and that reflects the change in Jean as well.”

The stage set is simple, explains David. “We’re booked in to do a full regional tour in 2022, but neither of us can drive. So I had to think of a set that can look evocative and aesthetically pleasing but could also pack down into a giant suitcase. So we’ve got clothes rails and boxes which all fold down.

“It’s a representation of the bedroom of a nineties teenager with posters, and some of the iconic outfits from Britney’s career, so you’ve got the schoolgirl outfit from the Baby One More Time video, the red cat suit from the Oops I Did It Again video and the air

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hostess outfit from her Toxic video all hung up around the set.”

The storyline has also been adjusted as Britney’s own story has played out. “The end of the play changed fairly drastically only a couple of months ago based on an Instagram post that Britney put out, which alluded to the fact that perhaps she didn’t feel comfortable with all this attention. That idea has shifted the play a little bit, so it has been very much an evolving thing.”

The show launched at the prestigious Old Red Lion Theatre in Islington in May, where it played for three weeks to sold-out audiences, won rave reviews and was nominated for two OffWestEnd ‘Offie’ Awards for leading performer and direction. After its run at the Rondo, there is a full regional tour from January to March 2022 and a provisional booking at the Edinburgh fringe 2022. It may also be performed in Los Angeles, where Britney fever runs high.

Despite his travel itinerary David maintains strong local roots. He has strong memories of Dave Langley, his drama teacher at Prior Park School: “He was my first real big inspiration – he opened my eyes to how incredible theatre was and got me interested in acting.” David was also involved with the Rondo for several years, where he appeared in a number of plays and directed his first play there when he was 17. His company Fake Escape (which he formed and runs with two friends) also organise the annual 20:20 Vision New Writing project, part of the Bath Fringe Festival, which uncovers voices within the next generation of playwrights aged 18–30 and gives a public platform to writers who otherwise may remain unheard.

I ask David about how he approaches writing a play. Is there a process he follows? “Because I have always been completely immersed in the world of theatre from the age of 16, I’ve always written and directed and performed and produced, so I guess I approach it differently to playwrights who are just writers because I always look at it with a visual eye, and write for the visual medium. So there’s not really a linear process for me. I write to facilitate the creation of a

show to be watched, rather than writing to write and working out how to put it on later.”

David comes from theatrical stock. His grandfather was an actor who played the part of the lumberjack standing next to John Cleese in the I’m a Lumberjack Monty Python sketch. He also shared a flat with Sean Connery for several years and both of them were friends with Roger Moore and Larry Hagman, before they became stars.

David’s grandfather didn’t become famous, but it’s clear that he’d be overflowing with pride at the achievements of his grandson. n Saving Britney is at the Rondo Theatre, Bath from 23–24 July. rondotheatre.co.uk THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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SUMMER FUN | GUIDE 2021

Haynes International Motor Museum

Summer is a-coming in

Looking for things to schedule now the holidays are stretching ahead? We’ve got plenty of ideas here for a summer of family fun, including picnicking in areas of outstanding natural beauty, dancing, taking up archery and exploring Formula 1’s interactive pitstops.

AMERICAN MUSEUM & GARDENS Claverton Manor, Claverton Down, Claverton, Bath BA2 7BD americanmuseum.org; 01225 460503 The American Museum & Gardens is hosting an array of activities for all the family this summer. On 4 July, join a special family fun day to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the museum’s opening and an all-American independence day, with live music, dancing and kids activities including a range of special American food and beverage options. On 21 July, prepare for an evening of enchanting storytelling full of magic, puppetry, and music, as you enter into the fantastical world of the Brothers Grimm – with altered endings and a modern twist. Pack the picnic basket (or order a delicious hamper at the museum before 19 July), dress for the weather, and don’t forget to bring something to sit on, as Heartbreak Productions invites you to Wonder With Grimm. Over the summer, look out for the museum’s Garden Grooves event with live jazz music in the garden and enjoy children’s yoga classes on every Friday during the school holidays.

Book in advance to avoid disappointment!

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SI,MMER FUN | GUIDE 2021

HESTERCOMBE GARDENS & GALLERY Cheddon Fitzpaine, Taunton TA2 8LG hestercombe.com; 01823 413923

BOOGIE N BATH

Nestled at the foot of the beautiful Quantock Hills AONB, Hestercombe Gardens features a stunning collection of historic gardens, steeped in history and bursting with wildlife. A visit should include a meander through the splendid Georgian Landscape Garden, followed by the vibrating colours of the formal gardens, designed by Gertrude Jekyll and Sir Edwin Lutyens. Lose yourself along the cool rills, or under the picturesque pergola, adorned with fragrant roses and lavender.

The whole family will enjoy Hestercombe, with 50 acres of gardens to explore, two play areas, a café and restaurant, gift shop, and plant centre, plus art exhibitions at Hestercombe Gallery. During school holidays there are fun-packed activity days for children. See the website for more information and tickets.

St Saviours Junior Church School, Eldon Place, Bath BA1 6TG boogienbath.com; 07710 440071 Boogie n Bath is a dance school with a difference – it has three things at its core: fun, kindness and diversity. All children are welcome and each lesson includes a section on strength and flexibility. This is followed by technique training of core ballet, jazz, tap and ballroom skills. In the last two-thirds of the lesson the children learn an originally choreographed dance routine. Dancers will be given the opportunity to show off their talents in small performances at schools and on stage at a yearly show. The team know each child individually and love to see their confidence and abilities grow every week. School day classes each include a savoury snack, piece of fruit and homemade sweet snack, plus drinks. Boogie n Bath offers weekly classes, holiday workshops and birthday parties.

Photo by Chris Lacey

ULTIMATE ACTIVITY CAMPS Prior Park College, Ralph Allen Drive, Bath BA2 5AH ultimateactivity.co.uk; help@ultimateactivity.co.uk; 0330 111 7077

WIMBLEBALL LAKE

Here’s some ultimate holiday fun offering something for every child. Whether your child likes is active, wild about the outdoors, a budding creative or mad about sport, Ultimate Activity Camps at Prior Park College have something for every child aged 4–14 years.

The camps offer the opportunity for children to have fun, meet friends and learn new skills during the holidays. They run at some of the best independent schools, which offer first-class facilities including indoor heated swimming pools, large sports halls, designated art rooms, and lots of outside space for fresh air fun. Over 40 activities include swimming, combat archery, pedal karts, fencing and more.

Visit Ultimate Activity Camps’ website for specific dates, other locations, special offers and more information.

Brompton Regis, Dulverton, Somerset TA22 9NU swlakestrust.org.uk/activities; 01398 371460 Prepare for a summer of fun and adventure at Wimbleball Lake. Less than a two-hour drive from Bristol and Bath, Wimbleball is the perfect location for your next family escape. Try your hand at watersports, have a go at archery, swing from the high ropes or enjoy a tasty treat from the café. You can also extend your stay and camp onsite.

Whether it’s a day trip or a longer camping break, the lake offers the ideal escape for friends, family and couples. For more information or to book activities and camping visit South West Lake’s website.

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Williams F1: the drivers and the driven

Chris Copson, Head of Collections at Haynes International Motor Museum’s tells the story behind an exclusive new exhibition, which uncovers the story of Williams across decades of cutting edge Formula 1 competition.

T

o anyone with even a slight interest in motor sport the name of Frank Williams will be familiar. He founded the home-grown F1 team Williams Racing which was until recently the last ‘family’ team left in the sport.

As a driver, Sir Frank Williams had a reputation of being lightning fast but not always staying on the road. He frequently rolled cars including on one occasion his mother’s Morris 1000. Frank stopped racing in 1967 and started his journey to creating a world renowned F1 team in partnership with engineer Patrick Head.

Over the years the Williams team has won nine constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles, with driving legends such as Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve.

With historical photography and footage from the Williams F1 Heritage collection, paired with research from the museum’s team, this exclusive exhibition captures the incredible history of Williams and the excitement of the sport. No matter what the visitor’s knowledge of F1 may be, there is something to learn and enjoy throughout.

You can get close to some of the most iconic Formula 1 cars in Williams’ history, such as Nigel Mansell’s FW14 or ‘Red 5’ and Damon Hill’s FW17. One thing that is immediately noticeable is how the cars, which truly are spectacular aerodynamic wonders of technology, have evolved over the years.

Williams is, of course, part of a wider story, the sport itself has also changed beyond recognition, from a minority interest for the true enthusiasts into a global phenomenon that rivals the Olympics in terms of popularity. In order to give context to the exhibition, dedicated areas explore the wider connected stories such as the history, glamour and culture of Formula 1.

Chris Copson, head of collections commented: “The social history surrounding the sport is fascinating and will be quite a nostalgia kick for some. We explore back to the days of the 1970s and the boisterous charms of James Hunt, all the way through to the modern day F1 drivers such as Lewis Hamilton with huge salaries, yachts and apartments in Monaco. It also wouldn’t be a story about F1 if we didn’t look at some of the amazing locations of the tracks, from the glamour of oil rich Bahrain to Sao Paulo, where multi-million pound cars race with a background of desperately poor favelas.”

Formula 1 racing has also been a soberingly dangerous sport in

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which numerous drivers have lost their lives. In the years before 1970 there was very little in the way of safety rules. Indeed fire-resistant clothing was only introduced in the 1970s. The increased focus on safety in the sport can only be appreciated when you look across the decades where there is a demonstrable correlation between increased safety measures and the decline in fatalities. Racing fatalities went from 23 recorded deaths before 1970 to just one fatal crash in the last 10 years. The Williams team was sadly not a stranger to dangers behind the wheel; off the track Frank Williams was involved in a road accident in 1986 which left him in a wheelchair after breaking his neck and Williams F1 suffered a terrible blow in 1994 when Ayrton Senna suffered a fatal crash at the San Marino Grand Prix.

Although the danger still remains today, a crash that would have been fatal in the past is now very much survivable, partly due to regulations and rules but also because car design and construction is now centred on crash survivability and saving lives. Illustrating this within the exhibition is the original monocoque driver cell of one of Pastor Maldonado’s cars which was involved in a dramatic crash during the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix. The carbon fibre monocoque is twice as strong as steel, five times lighter and almost indestructible.

Maldonado escaped with minor injuries.

Chris Copson added “Irrespective of whether you are a die-hard F1 fan or not, this exhibition is packed with fascinating stories, facts and figures with something for everyone.” ■ • Williams F1: The Drivers and The Driven exhibition is open to the public at Haynes International Motor Museum in Somerset every day from 10am. Pre-book visit at himm.co.uk or call 01963 440804.

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SI,MMER FUN | GUIDE 2021

BRISTOL ZOO GARDENS College Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3HA bristolzoo.org.uk; 0117 4285300

WE THE CURIOUS 1 Millennium Square, Anchor Road, Bristol BS1 5DB wethecurious.org; 0117 915 1000

Bristol Zoo Gardens is the perfect fresh-air destination for summer with over 12 acres of outdoor space and the chance to see animals from all over the globe, including many endangered species. Spot adorable youngsters including two western lowland gorillas, a sloth and a tiny mouse deer, among 400 other incredible species.

There’s fun to be had for all the family; kids can run wild in the adventure playground and big and little adventurers alike can climb, clamber and swing through the air in the thrilling aerial ropes course ZooRopia.

Fancy a bite to eat? The Hide restaurant is open for eating in or takeaway! Visit the website to book online.

Have you ever wondered why rainbows make you happy? Why time flies when you’re having fun? Whether there’s another you out there in the Universe? Step inside We The Curious this summer and explore what it means to be human in their stunning new experience Project What If. Inspired by seven intriguing questions, the science centre’s transformed ground floor features 68 new exhibits and 25 art pieces.

Marvel at the beauty of our brains, see what you look like in slow motion, turn invisible. Then head upstairs for mythical eagles and meteor showers in the UK’s only 3D Planetarium. Open 10am to 5pm every day of the school holidays. Booking in advance essential.

Visit the website for tickets!

HAYNES INTERNATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM Sparkford, Yeovil BA22 7LH himm.co.uk; 01963 440804

SOCCER SHOOTERS Ralph Allen School, Bath BA2 7AD soccershooters.com/bath-holiday-clubs

The multi award-winning Haynes International Motor Museum is truly a must-see attraction for the whole family, with brand new exhibitions to explore this year including Williams F1: The Drivers and The Driven.

Home of the UK’s largest collection of cars and motorbikes you can get up close to some of the very first cars invented in The Dawn of Motoring; learn how a car works with the working cutaway; explore reds around the world in the famous Red Room and feed your need for speed with some of the most iconic Formula 1 cars in Williams’ history. There is plenty to keep the whole family entertained with interactive pitstops, an onsite café and a fantastic outside playground. If you are feeling competitive, the onsite Karting at Haynes track (booked separately) is also open for a fun family race. To book your family day out this summer visit the website or call the museum directly.

Soccer Shooters – football engagement and enjoyment specialists – is delighted to be hosted by Ralph Allen School during this summer holiday.

Football Fundays are a really popular and fun way for children from Reception to Year 7 to learn football skills, social skills, build confidence and self-esteem. The Fundays are a mixture of fun games, football matches and mini tournaments.

Soccer Shooters combine top-quality coaching with a relaxed and inclusive environment, enabling children of all backgrounds and abilities to sharpen their football skills while also learning life skills that will serve them well, no matter what they want to do in the future. Book soon to avoid disappointment!

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Out of the Blue Peter Brown

George Street £4250

Robert Jones

Isles of Scilly £1450 A warm welcome at 6, U pper B orough W alls B ath

British Art and Crafts

Every sale supports Julian House www.outofthe bluegallery.com Tel: 07946051244 outofthebluegallery2@gmail.com

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

ARTS & EXHIBITIONS Shooting Stars: Carinthia West, Britain and America in the 1970s, American Museum & Gardens, Bath BA2 7BD, until 31 October Carinthia West’s intimate photographs of rock and film stars of the 1970s in America – and in particular on the glorious beaches of Malibu in California – present an upbeat and buoyant view of the decade that should remind us of the outstanding music and the great design of this muchmaligned period. The exhibition’s colour, fun, and vivid exuberance are just what we need as we emerge, bleary-eyed, from the era of Covid.

The traditional picture painted of the 1970s is one of doom and gloom: the inevitable hangover after the party of the Swinging Sixties. However, as Carinthia West’s fascinating photographs demonstrate – alongside home interiors, fashion, posters, album covers, and the music of the Seventies – this is only part of the picture. The 1970s was a decade of bright colours, of fun, and of self-expression. americanmuseum.org

Image: Mick Jagger at Cedars Sinai Hospital, LA, 1976

July Fair, Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair, Green Park Station, 11 July

Summer Exhibition, Woolverton Gallery, BA2 7RH, throughout July

Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair is delighted to welcome everyone back to its July fair. The fair is committed to bringing the best of contemporary art from the city and beyond right to the heart of Bath. Following on from the successful and popular fairs last year, the next event is on 11 July, where visitors can browse the brilliant works of local artists and admire fine art, photography, sculpture and textiles, all under the vaulted glass roof of Green Park Station. For updates and exhibiting artists visit the website.

The Woolverton Gallery’s first-ever exhibition features the work of wellknown Bath artists such as David Wilkey, David Ringsell and Brian Elwell, as well as many other contributors from further afield. There are exhibits from the majority of its resident artists, with over 60 paintings on view in its five display areas. The emphasis is on colourful, contemporary artwork in a variety of styles. Ray Jones, the owner of the gallery, will be present to show guests around and to answer questions about all the wonderful exhibits.

The Woolverton Gallery will also be on show at the Frome Open Art Trail, running from 3–11 July and will feature a special two-man show of works by David Moss and Ray Jones.

bcaf.co.uk Image: Rudeboy by Woody

Freud, Minton, Ryan: unholy trinity, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath BA2 4AT, 10 July – 19 September Unholy Trinity is the first exhibition to focus on the passionate intimacy that existed between Lucian Freud, John Minton and Adrian Ryan – three gifted figurative painters striving and succeeding to build careers in a war-torn Britain when the art world functioned remarkably well.

Unholy Trinity brings together 50 paintings and works on paper alongside a previously unseen letter between Freud and Ryan from 1944. The exhibition is a collaboration between Victoria Art Gallery and Falmouth Art Gallery. It is accompanied by a catalogue and a specially commissioned film by the Italian film-maker Isaac Biglioli.

The prize-winning author Reina James has contributed a unique astrological essay.

Unholy Trinity’s guest curator is Julian Machin, whose work as a writer and curator and as the biographer of Adrian Ryan, has given him a unique insight into the complex friendships and rivalries of the three artists. victoriagal.org.uk Image: Mountains behind Toulon by Adrian Ryan

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bathartsales.com frome-open-art-trail.co.uk Image: Light on their Feet by David Moss

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

Summer Exhibition, Gallery Nine, 9B Margaret Buildings, Bath BA2 4PH, until 31 August

Artwork by Katie Mawson Gallery Nine’s exhibition features jewellery by Lucy Jade Sylvester, ceramics by Kathryn Sheriff, and works by Katie Mawson and Trevor Price. Katie works with collage using cloth-bound books and paints with blemished faded textile fragments. Kathryn Sheriff makes functional, wheelthrown porcelain ceramics with clean lines and muted colour palettes. Jeweller Lucy Jade Sylvester’s love of seed heads and feathers has inspired her to take moulds from her delicate finds, and she casts them to create replicas in solid silver and gold. Trevor Price’s drypoint, engraved relief prints are handmade and hand-printed encourage the viewer to get lost in the mark-making and abstractions when viewed close up, but for the images to become representational from a distance. galleryninebath.com Formations, Quercus Gallery, 15 Silver Street, Bradford-on-Avon, until 10 July This is a show of contemporary botanical drawings by Clarissa Galliano, with mixed media jewellery and sculptural pieces by Zoe Arnold and Suzanne Potter. Clarissa specialises in large-scale charcoal botanical drawings. Her captivating observations of British flora celebrate the intricacies of natural structure and form. The single stems or flower groups have a commanding presence, yet they also preserve a certain surprise and intimacy, like a giant pressed stem revealed from between a press.

The title ‘Formations’ refers to the artist’s interest in the structure of growth. Clarissa is drawn to the architectural aspects of flowers and plants so these drawings do not solely highlight the decorative. Each drawing becomes a journey of its own, slowly revealing interesting twists and turns of

The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, throughout July Canaletto: Painting Venice This once-in-a-lifetime exhibition will enable art lovers to enjoy and study up-close 23 beautiful paintings, in a fascinating exhibition that also explores Canaletto’s life and work, alongside themes of 18th-century Venice and the Grand Tour. This is one of the rare occasions that any of the successive Dukes of Bedford and trustees of the Bedford Estates have lent the set of paintings since they arrived in Britain from Canaletto in the 1730s.

Precious and Rare: Islamic Metalwork from the Courtauld Ten remarkable highlights from The Courtauld’s world-class collection of Islamic metalwork, which have rarely left London since their bequest over 50 years ago. Dating from the 13th to 16th centuries, these objects are some of the finest examples of this intricate craft from modern-day Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt and Turkey.

Nicholas Pope: Portraits of a Marriage In Portraits of a Marriage the museum presents, for the very first time, ten sculptures which depict Nicholas Pope and his wife at different stages of their life together, during more than 40 years of marriage. The exhibition encapsulates Pope’s personal development over five decades, exploring a variety of psychological states and the nature of his relationship with Janet.

stems, leaves and petals through the artist’s distinctive construction of charcoal marks on paper.

Unframed drawings will also be available to view by appointment. Other large botanical drawings will be on display at Quercus Gallery’s new studio space in Atworth, viewings by appointment. quercusgallery.co.uk

Thomas Lawrence Coming of Age This exhibition is the museum’s first virtual show and gives fresh insight into the first 25 years of one of Britain’s greatest portrait painters. It includes an introductory film and rarely seen images together with some of his most celebrated works. Through a selection of 25 paintings and drawings, the exhibition will consider Lawrence’s self-image as a prodigy, the impact of Bath’s artistic, cultural and commercial life on the young artist’s formation, and the rapid development of his painting technique. holburne.org Above: Metalwork bag from Precious and Rare: Islamic Metalwork from the Courtauld

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

ELIZABETH I SILVER STEEPLE CUP GALLOPS INTO AUCTION…

Beaux Arts Bath, 12-13 York Street, Bath BA1 1NG, 10 July – 28 August During July and August, Beaux Arts will be showing the bronze sculptures of Beth Carter. Well known for her minotaurs and mythologically inspired shape-shifters, an impressive collection of Beth’s bronzes will share the gallery with paintings celebrating the British landscape. North South East West will include work from around Britain, from Cornwall to Shetland and Norfolk to Pembrokeshire, featuring David Atkins, Andrew Crocker, Gill Rocca, Ruth Brownlee, Philip Braham and David Tress, among others. The exhibition will also feature ceramics by Albert Montserrat. beauxartsbath.co.uk

Big and tall with a ‘steeple’ atop to make them even grander in scale, steeple cups were thought to have been secular vessels used in a domestic setting when honoured guests were invited to feasts. Dining in Elizabethan times was a communal affair: the highest-ranking people sat at the top of the table whilst those from the lower social orders were placed at the furthest end of the table.

Indeed, salt was so expensive at that time that the noblest guests sat in comfort, the salt close at hand, whilst the less important diners were seated furthest from the luxurious condiment, hence the expression ‘He’s a bit below the salt’.

Image: ceramics by Albert Montserrat

Tom Elliott, Museum of Bath at Work, throughout July Heavily influenced by the Golden Age of the Dutch Masters, Tom Elliott’s remarkable paintings have been widely exhibited at Beaux Arts Bath, Adam Gallery, Anthony Hepworth Fine Art, solo shows at Victoria Art Gallery and Dyrham Park, and numerous London art fairs. In this exhibition, Tom will show for the first time a selection of his ‘dummy boards’, life-size cut-out figures used in the 17th century as illusions to fool the unwary. A private viewing of Tom’s exhibition will be held at the Museum of Bath at Work on 3 July at 4.30pm. bath-at-work.org.uk

Image: artwork by Tom Elliott

Fierce like a Lion, Abbey Hotel Bath, North Parade, Bath BA1 1LF, throughout July Abbey Hotel Bath’s Artist in Residence, Emma Taylor, along with other popular local artists has been working with Bath Rugby HITZ students throughout the latest lockdown to create meaningful pieces of art that depict the wonderful work of Bath Rugby Foundation and showcases the positive impact that it can have on their young lives.

Emma Taylor, Royal photographer Joe Short and Bath creative Jason DorleyBrown spent time with the young learners, creating a collaborative piece of work; an incredible collage lion which now hangs as a focal point as part of the exhibition in the Hotel’s ArtBar. 40% of sales will go directly to Bath Rugby Foundation and the remaining 60% to the artist. Admission to the ArtBar to view the exhibition is free between 10am – 12pm daily. n abbeyhotelbath.co.uk Image: collaborative piece

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The first owner of this magnificent silver antique was John Walton, the Archdeacon of Derby from 1590-1603, whose name appears on the foot.

However, the owner’s late grandfather used to train horses and his horse, ‘Don Sancho’ won the Irish Grand National in 1928. Remarkably, this splendid cup (43cm/17 inches high) was presented to him as the prize and a small silver disc identifies its presentation.

The steeple cup has come to Lawrences from a descendant of that horse owner.

Offered now as ‘the property of a gentleman’, the steeple cup carries an estimate of £30,000-40,000.

With over 2,200 lots on offer, the July sale can be viewed online at Lawrences.co.uk If you want to find out about the value of an item in your home, feel free to contact them and a specialist will guide you through their The small silver disc soft valuation process. T: 01460 73041 soldered to the base of the E: enquiries@lawrences.co.uk Elizabeth I steeple cup

Lawrences AUCTIONEERS The Linen Yard, South Street, Crewkerne, Somerset TA18 8AB. T 01460 73041

lawrences.co.uk

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Secret Signs Hidden in the Centre of Bath DUNCAN CAMPBELL HAS BEEN DEALING IN ANTIQUE SILVER SINCE 1986

W

alking down Milsom Street, looking up, you will have noticed the handsomely carved Royal Coat of Arms. This Royal badge is ubiquitous, on our tax demands, civic buildings, above shop doors, on lamp posts and on all our notes and coins.

The Garter collar design is taken from an ancient fermail - old French for buckle mentioned in the will of John of Gaunt and left to his son Henry IV. In his will Gaunt describes the gold fermail as being bequeathed to him by his mother, Philippa of Hainault, wife of Edward III, who received it in turn from her mother Joan de Valois, granddaughter of the King of France.

The fermail was described as having ‘the name of our lord on each piece’. This name being Sanctus Sanctus, then commonly abbreviated to simple S’s.

The famously devout Philippa also had S’s embroidered on most of her bedsheets, curtains and robes perhaps also in memory of her mother.

We all know about the English lions all over the crest and shield. The Scottish unicorn is too obvious to miss, along with the Scottish rampant lion in the top right corner and the Irish harp in the bottom left quarter of the shield.

I only stumbled on this piece of information by accident when searching google books using old spellings of the term ‘Collar of Esses’, the name given to the livery collars given out by John of Gaunt to his supporters in the same way as his father had given garter collars. Gaunt’s collar went on to be the badge of office for Royal Heralds, Lord Chancellors and Lord Chief Justices, and is still in use today.

The very first depiction of esses as a collar is on a bust in Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire. The bust was for years thought to be of Henry IV. Even though it looked just like Edward III historians were convinced that since it was the livery of John of Gaunt the bust had to be his son Henry.

What might be less obvious are the more ancient, hidden symbols of England’s right to rule over France. The fleur de lis, the Royal badge of France, is still a feature of the Royal crown and used to be part of the shield too, but there are other, much less obvious signs asserting England’s claim to the French crown.

The form of the Garter collar surrounding the arms, contrary to popular legend, has nothing to do with the Countess of Salisbury’s stockings, a good story for another day. Published here for the very first time, I can reveal that this garter ribbon actually represents the kind of strap fastening once used by knights to secure armour and is directly copied from a piece of jewellery which belonged to Edward III’s wife.

The Garter motto ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense’ which roughly translates as ‘shame on those who think badly of it’, refers to Edward III’s claims of empire. Edward established the Order of the Garter in 1348 for pragmatic reasons. As Don Corleone wisely put it, ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’. A select band of no more than 24 holders could wear the order, this no doubt helped to keep them loyal.

A peaceful England was required before France could be conquered.

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The collar around Thomas More’s neck, C.1520, the badge of office of the Lord Chancellor, has the usual string of S’s together with a Tudor triple rose pendant.

Next to the rose are 2 portcullises which Henry VII co-opted from the Beaufort family’s arms to enhance his royal pedigree. Margaret Beaufort, Henry’s mother, was a direct descendant of Edward III. Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs now use the same slightly sinister portcullis as their logo.

If you look carefully you will notice that the portcullises both have half a buckle oddly stuck to the top, a last vestige of the original fermail from which all of these Royal collars descend. n beaunashbath.com; 01225 334234

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CULTURE | TEXTILES

Weaving traditions: old and new

Take a textile room at the American Museum & Gardens with a collection of Navajo and New Mexican weavings. Take a modern practitioner who says that weaving teaches her to be still. Gianna Scavo investigates this slow art of ebb and flow

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ost of our lives we live closed up in ourselves, with a longing not to be alone, to include others in that life that is invisible and intangible. To make it visible and tangible, we need light and material, any material. And any material can take on the burden of what had been brewing in our consciousness or subconsciousness, in our awareness or in our dreams.”

These are the words of Anni Albers, the German-born textile artist who was one of the first figures to blur the lines between the traditional weaving craft, and a striking modern art practice. There’s something about textile art that feels uniquely human. While the paintbrush strokes on a canvas may elude us, materials, especially our clothing and blankets, have a distinctly familiar air about them. They protect us, comfort us, keep us sheltered and warm, and through pattern and colour, allow us to express ourselves. How often have we taken a step back from objects so familiar as these, and learned to view them as art objects? The craftsmanship, intentionality and careful techniques behind the ancient weaving tradition can teach us a lesson on the value of slowing down and working with our hands.

Navajo and New Mexican weavings The American Museum & Gardens in Bath houses an impressive collection of over 12,000 objects that explore a diverse range of American cultures. On the first floor of the museum, you can view their extensive textile collection, consisting of over 50 quilts and a selection of Navajo and New Mexican weavings.

The Navajo are a Native American people who arrived at the American Southwest shortly after the Pueblo people, the first record of their presence being in 1626. Navajo textiles originally had utilitarian purpose and a high trade value, and were used to compose beds, to be worn, and eventually used as rugs. They began weaving on baskets, which had triangular and zig-zagged patterns that translated into their woven blankets and dresses; textiles that were made possible after the Navajo adopted the upright loom of the Pueblo people.

Geometric patterns were common due to the nature of the upright loom and often the weaver had no predestined pattern they chose to follow, but relied on memory. They have often borrowed techniques and materials from the Pueblo people, but have had their own distinct influence on their weavings. The weavings of the Navajo people surpass pretty patterns and rich colours, their stories and often painful memories are also woven throughout each piece; stories of exile,

imprisonment and erasure. In 1863, the US military forced the Navajo 400 miles to Bosque Redondo, a journey that killed thousands. When they met their destination, they suffered from a lack of food and clean water which led to disease. It is said that throughout their time at Bosque Redondo, they continued to weave, and traded their creations for resources that helped them to survive.

Throughout the ages, Navajo weaving changed greatly due to their exile and the expansion of the Indian craft market, which placed value on their unique styles and artistry as opposed to the influx of cheap, mass-produced machine-made blankets that emerged. One interesting development that occurred as a result of trader demand was a border that was added to the weavings. Textile specialist Sheila Betterson, who has written an extensive overview of the American Museum & Gardens’ Navajo Weaving collection in her Navajo Weaving and Textiles of the American Southwest from the American Museum in Britain points out that, “They introduced a border to the rug to serve as a frame to the design. Very few of the earlier blankets had had a border, the earliest record of a border being in 1873. Instead of allover patterns, isolated geometric motifs began to be placed within a framed format.” One could argue that these weavings didn’t need to have intricate patterns and alluring colours, yet the artisan weavers who created them decided to leave their own creative mark, and they are now highly regarded as objects of artistic value, and are amongst the most highly sought-after textiles today.

These frames allow us to direct our eyes to the unique and intricate patterns and shapes, focusing our attention on the craftsmanship, and remind us that useful objects need not be devoid of beauty. Each part of the process, the hand spun yarn, vegetal dyes, and a precise loom preparation implies a careful attention and regard for process and tradition, a tradition that is still being protected today. There is also an exciting contemporary Native North American Indian artist movement which continues to flourish, as these artists continually reinterpret and share their cultural history in fresh and creative ways.

Rainmaker Gallery in Bristol, which encourages cultural understanding, appreciation and education on contemporary Native American art, is a destination for those eager to witness the work of these artists right here in the UK. Contemporary weaving practice UK-based contemporary artists are also embracing woven textiles.

Christabel Balfour is a London-based artist and tapestry weaver who recently exhibited at Hauser & Wirth Gallery in Bruton, who specialises in rugs and woven wall-hangings. When your eyes meet one of Christabel’s pieces, you’ll immediately be swept up in impeccable, modern compositions and colour stories. Having had the chance to document her intricate process, I witnessed a masterclass in the art of slowing down. Christabel’s studio is a tactile wonderland. From the thread on her loom to the delicately dyed yarns piled on shelves, each element invites a physical interchange – shades of ochre, lilac and sage immediately catch your eye.

Her creative process begins with sketching, and lots of it. But no matter how much planning happens ahead of time, weaving is a process of give and take, requiring patience, flexibility and intuition.

Christabel believes that it’s important to “respond to what’s

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LEFT: Navajo rug (detail), 185 x 132cm, Crystal Trading Post c. 1890. All wool, closely woven in tapestry weave. Gift of Mr and Mrs Ivan Albright. © American Museum & Gardens RIGHT: Navajo rug, 130 x 79cm, 1880/1890. All wool, Germantown yarn, using an effect known as ‘salt and pepper’ speckling. This type of pattern is known as an ‘eye-dazzler’. Gift of Mr and Mrs Ivan Albright. © American Museum & Gardens 44 TheBATHMagazine

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The subtle colours of Christabel’s yarn store

Long River by Christabel Balfour

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ABOVE: Going to the Desert to Count the Stars by Christabel Balfour

ABOVE: Christabel at her loom

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The craftsmanship, intentionality and ... techniques behind the ancient weaving tradition can teach us a lesson on the value of slowing down and working with our hands

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happening on the loom” instead of relying solely on her predetermined blueprint. After her rough sketch is finalised, it can take up to three days to physically set up the loom before she begins. Weaving has taught her to be still and direct her focus – a practice that proves immensely difficult in our increasingly fast-paced digital landscape, a landscape where everything is fighting for our attention.

In weaving, there is no instant gratification. The long-winded nature of this craft naturally makes us wonder, is it suitable for multi-tasking?

She tells us that “In theory you can weave while watching Netflix, or with an eye on Instagram, but you miss the magic of it when you do.”

I noticed how physical the process is to create certain pieces, her arms spanning upwards and outwards. Not only is her mind focused on her work, but her entire posture. It’s a practice that she dedicates herself wholeheartedly to, which is why I believe that each of her pieces seem to produce visual sound as opposed to visual noise.

Her elegant designs also teach us the practice of moderation in a world where we are taught that more is more. It’s about reaching the structure and spirit of it all, distilling only the essence, and to say no 46 TheBATHMagazine

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more or no less than we need to. She states, “The time-consuming nature of weaving necessitates brevity. I am always seeking to communicate as much as possible with the simplest of forms; it is a continual process of stripping things down to their essence.” Working with our hands can help us step away from our screens and return to our senses, to the magic of it all. While all of us may not be called to this specific practice, we can all glean from the lessons it offers; to enter into the unexpected beauty that occurs when we bestow our attention to that which lies before us, to gracefully respond to the ebb and flow, even when the bigger picture of life eludes us.

The future of weaving – an art with a rich and complex history – lies with those who have been patient enough to understand its nuances, histories, and endure its intricacies, all while maintaining their unique artistic voices. I asked Christabel how she sees the future of tapestry weaving evolving, and she hopes for experiences of tapestry art so immersive that they transcend any need for documentation, allowing the viewer to abandon their smartphones and surrender to the experience. Some of us have been trained to look at paintings, to examine brush strokes and colours or even try to extract meaning, but next time you find yourself in the American Museum’s Textile Room, why not practice these same techniques in front of a piece of textile art; allowing yourself to be swept up in the beauty of the weaving tradition. n A selection of Navajo and New Mexican weavings, hooked and braided rugs and woven coverlets and are on display in the Textile Room at the American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Manor, Claverton Down, Bath: americanmuseum.org; view Christabel Balfour’s work at christabelbalfour.com; visit Rainmaker Gallery at 123 Coldharbour Road, Westbury Park, Bristol; rainmakerart.co.uk

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S ER P M O M SH SU RK O

W

Shine a light…

LAMPSHADE SUMMER SCHOOL Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th August Four days of glorious creativity. Learn tailored, gathered and pleated techniques on this unique renowned course.

Be quick… spaces limited.

A PASSAGE TO INDIA Friday 10th & Saturday 11th September Our popular gathered lampshade making course… this time using block printed fabric and saree trimmings.

Bling it on!

To book your place and for details, visit:

www.lampshadeschool.co.uk We are in Holt village, near Bradford on Avon

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ARTS | CERAMICS

Bolts from the blue

Here are two tales of transformation, says Emma Clegg – firstly Mary Jane Evans’ journey from physiotherapist to ceramic artist and secondly her use of porcelain and paper in hommage to the Dorset landscape of her childhood

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t was like coming across a marine hideaway. Here were the colours and shapes of corroded and patinated metal, battered half spheres, layered three-dimensional lune forms, volcanic shards, rusty bolts stridently embellishing roughly hewn bowl forms, trailing strands of wire and jutting and grainy earth textures. The studio was stashed with the forms and creations of Mary-Jane Evans’ artistic career.

There was also a towering wall of books and sketchbooks bursting and jostling within the confines of a set of shelves. A large, shiny circular open-top kiln in the corner – through which all Mary-Jane’s work passes – exuded latent energy, and a light haze of plaster powder lingered on surfaces and hung in the air like fairy dust.

Mary-Jane was once a physiotherapist and worked in a community hospital for 18 years, so her transition to a three-dimensional artist as a mature student at the age of 49 was as dramatic as transitions come. Her interest in pottery started with an evening class, and then she won a prestigious City and Guilds competition in 1999 called Futures 100 where the prize was a bursary of £10,000, enabling Mary-Jane to buy a kiln and to take herself seriously as an artist.

Her daughters both left home for university in 2001 and Mary-Jane packed her suitcases too, leaving behind her husband and her old life, and went on a new adventure to study Three Dimensional Design – Ceramics at The University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, Surrey, working in the evenings to fund her time there.

The adventure worked because three years later she graduated with first class honours, after which she became artist in residence at Kingswood School in Bath for two years. “My job was to encourage the students, teach them to break the rules, be creative and take chances,” Mary-Jane explains.

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Paper porcelain clay, which I make myself, is a wonderful ... medium to work with

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They definitely found the right person for this role, because MaryJane is an artist who specialises in breaking the rules. “Pushing materials to extremes is fundamental to my work. I use exciting and unpredictable techniques combining porcelain, slate, corrosive materials and minerals, using the kiln as a time machine to scar and erode my pieces.”

These ceramic sculptures have the textures and colours of the earth engrained within them, and appropriately so because it is the landscape of Mary-Jane’s Dorset birthplace that drives and charges her creations. “My work is inspired by landscape and particularly the Jurassic Coast, found objects, urban destruction, and architecture.

My inspiration is also found in many unlikely places, a rusty piece of metal, a building, a painting, marks on a wall.”

Mary-Jane whose studio is at Bath Artists’ Studios on the Upper Bristol Road, specialises in porcelain paper clay, a versatile technique LEFT, from top: Piece from Detritus series which was fired with the bolts and the oxides in the kiln, and Erosion, porcelain wall platter; OPPOSITE, from left: Afloat, the winner of the Pangolin Prize in 2016 and wall piece from the Coast series 48 TheBATHMagazine

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ABOVE: Shards, porcelain on slate where organic fibres are mixed with a clay body to allow the creation of complex structures which allows you to sculpt with it at any stage, and oxides can also be added to the slip or wedged into the plastic clay. “Paper porcelain clay, which I make myself, is a wonderful, very versatile medium to work with. I add many layers of fragile wafer thin clay, but once fired to 1280º they fuse and become strong while retaining their fragile appearance. I also dip organic materials into liquid porcelain and add these to my sculptures.”

Her work is grouped within different types. I was particularly drawn to the Detritus series, slices of spherical forms with bolted attachments. There is also porcelain sculpture, more bleached in character but playing again with curved slices, bolts and wandering trails of wire; wall pieces mimicking the layers and textures of the Dorset coastline; bowls, platters and vessels, utilitarian in concept, but the rims are irregular and the pieces vibrate with energy, decorated with jazzy patterns and fresh zings of colour.

Mary-Jane’s work has had its fair share of awards, including the International Takifuji Art Award – Tokyo, resulting in an exhibition there in 2004, the Bristol Guild of Craftsmen prize for best 3D work at the Bath Society of Artists Annual Show at Victoria Art Gallery in 2010 and 2013, and the Pangolin Prize for Sculpture at The Royal West of England Academy Autumn Exhibition in 2016. Her work has also been widely exhibited in galleries throughout the UK, including The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and the Royal West of England Academy. She also has 16 years of experience of teaching and loves to share her passion and introduce others to the wonders of clay.

During lockdown Mary-Jane started making porcelain jewellery, giving her another string to her ceramic bow. I wonder how she manages to transition from one distinctive work type to another, from

Mary-Jane wearing one of her porcelain necklaces

sculptural statements of clay and metal and flat engrained textures to smooth bowl shapes and fine jewellery, while still leaving you with the impression that they stem from the same creator. “At any one time I am usually working on two or three different pieces. My dyslexic head is somewhat chaotic and I go off on tangents all the time and while working on one piece another idea will come into my head.”

The connection between these different ideas, I propose, is that all the ideas come from the earth and are created with it. n Mary Jane Evans is running Introduction to Handbuilding workshops on 17, 18, 24 July and 14 and 15 August. She is also exhibiting at Bath Contemporary Artists Fair on 8 August, 12 September, 10 October, 14 November and 12 December; maryjaneevansceramics.com

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FOOD | & | DRINK

Novelty dining

Is your idea of destination dining supper in a circus ring, surrounded by clowns? Or perhaps a glass-panelled dining dome with a view of the city will suffice? Melissa Blease debates the food experiences that could be ahead...

Affordable fine dining As our finest going-out clothes gathered dust in our wardrobes, our incomes dwindled. But an opportunity to take stock taught us that that we can’t take eating out in the company of family and friends for granted, nor should we save the pleasure for special occasions only as many of us embraced an increased awareness that the longterm emotional sustenance we digest from eating with others offers us far, far more than we’ll ever gain from splashing out on costly, ostentatious experiences. As a result, traditional fine dining (as in, don your best bib and tucker and prepare to flex your credit card) may have lost its shine for good.

Some of the south west’s most stellar five-star hotel kitchens such as The Bath Priory have introduced flexible, realistically priced menus that offer a casual or brasserie-style approach to dishes that represent very fine dining indeed, all available to enjoy in picturesque gardens or on stylish hotel terraces formerly reserved for residents or high rollers.

Lucknam Park has gone one step further by offering diners the unique opportunity to enjoy a chef-prepared barbecue or picnic hamper in a secluded area of the hotel’s private estate, while No. 15 Great Pulteney’s picnic hampers have swiftly garnered iconic status around these parts – and, if you choose to enjoy your No. 15 alfresco feast in leafy, secluded Henrietta Park, you can order your basket for direct delivery.

Meanwhile, The Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel is poised to introduce Bathonians to a brand new “contemporary British brasserie” this summer.

Takeaway turnaround The enduring success of home delivery and meal kit boxes has proved that home is still very much where it’s at. But new look eat-in home delivery services are pushing the “curry or pizza?” boundaries to the max.

The Mint Room’s @Home selection includes carefully selected, fullon feasts, sharing platters and even Tiffin Boxes that make the very best choices for you, Yak Yeti Yak can deliver an array of authentic Nepalese classics chilled and ready to finish at home. Several ambitious new DIY Dining Kit ventures, meanwhile, are poised to deliver all the ingredients/components for a full-on, five-course Tasting Menu to your doorstep fully prepped, portioned out and ready to roll – the only thing that isn't included in such boxes is a set of professional chef whites.

Elsewhere, hybrid or flexible operations (for example, restaurants that also offer pop-up Food Truck services away from their main site, such as The Scallop Shell’s wonderful fish and chip van) and small, independent ‘ghost’ or ‘dark’ kitchens that only operate home delivery services are trending across the UK, with Bath’s A:ROAM:A being a tried-and-tested case in point.

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... dinner delivered to a table on the wing of a grounded plane?

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ere’s a little game of spot the odd one out. Is it a dinner delivered to a table on the wing of a grounded plane? Or might it be a Michelin-starred menu delivered straight to the driving seat of your car, alongside 600 other carbound diners? What about a picnic supper served in a circus ring, delivered by clowns? The answer is... none of them are.

In these strange, upside-down days, all three options are being served up as post-Covid ‘dining experiences’ in Singapore, Los Angeles and Germany – and others could be offered at a treetop, food recycling facility or supermarket car park near you any day now.

While Bath hasn’t jumped on the headline-grabbing novelty dining bandwagon yet (let’s face it, most of us are delighted to bag ourselves an alfresco table on a sunny day), might it only be a matter of time before we too are weighing up whether we want to take our fish and chips home with us or eat them in a tank surrounded by an aquarium? Taking an overview of Bath’s restaurant scene right now, I reckon it’s unlikely. While the road out of lockdown (let alone the implications of the current hospitality industry staffing crisis) remains unclear, one thing is certain: the Bath restaurant scene is powered by a robust army of entrepreneurs who refuse to lie low.

Adapting to the great outdoors From unique dining domes and pavilions in the gardens of both Homewood (near Freshford) and The Bird/Plate (Pulteney Road) to the upper-level terrace at The Scallop Shell (Monmouth Place) and a whole host of new alfresco merrymaking zones on Kingsmead Square and more, Bath restaurateurs have – and continue to – prove themselves as a distinctly imaginative bunch when it comes to adapting and thriving.

Pub gardens have undergone major revamps, pavement tables have popped up on pavements that you didn’t even know existed and fire pits, heaters, gazebos, huts, marquees and huge umbrellas are battling the elements everywhere – and it looks as though alfresco is a trend that’s here to stay.

According to a recent survey conducted by hospitality industry resource BigHospitality, 48% of 4,000 people who eat out regularly say that not only are they embracing the new alfresco environment, but they would continue to eat outdoors even when both options are freely available. Will those people feel the same way in January? Many restaurants in Bath are already establishing permanent, fully efficient heating systems in operation in readiness for the big chill.

So Singapore, Los Angeles and Germany have their flightless planes, drive-in diners and circus ring picnics to look forward to. Legendary double Michelin-starred Copenhagen restaurant Noma has opened a ‘burger outpost’; Parisian hotel Les Bains has drained its 19th-century swimming pool and repurposed it as a restaurant; super-chic luxury London hotel The Berkeley has introduced seaside-inspired Beach Huts where diners can enjoy a five-star twist on fish and chips. And in Bath?

We don’t need the shock of the new to remind us how lucky we are to have all the good stuff we need on our doorsteps, all of the time. n

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | 2021

THE DELICIOUS GUIDE Bath 2021 the best places in Bath to eat, drink and enjoy Thankfully Bath’s ‘Delicious’ offering (those special food venues and providers that you need to have on your radar) has spread its wings in the last few months – no longer limited to a homecooked meal or a take-out treat, we’re back to going out more freely and sharing our food with friends and loved ones, safely, but without worrying quite so much about bubbles.

We begin with some Bath classics, the venues we return to time and again with affection as they reliably deliver great dishes every time. Alternatively for a quick, tasty bite, make your selection from our menu of cafés, delis and foodie emporia, or relax in one of the local pubs that manage to combine an informal setting with some top-quality dining. You might opt for a hotel with an elegant restaurant, or perhaps join colleagues after work in a bar or brasserie, where you can quaff a craft ale or have a glass of fizz and enjoy a plate of seasonal, local produce. Whatever your foodie craving, we think you’ll find all the right choices here.

BATH PIZZA CO Green Park Station, Bath BA1 1JB Tel: 01225 588886 Web: bathpizzaco.com Bath’s favourite pizza joint just picked up Independent Pizza Restaurant of the Year 2020 at the National Pizza and Pasta Awards – the same year they celebrated five years of business.

The alfresco, casual dining pizzeria is set under the glass roof canopy at Green Park Station where you can watch your pizza being made in front of you with outstanding local and Italian produce. Freshly made dough is produced daily on site with a closely guarded recipe for their incredible pizzas – perfect to wash down with cocktails, fizz, beer and wines.

Family run and owned, be sure you soak up the atmosphere on the terraces year round with Vegan and vegetarian options feature on the menu. Take away also available (click and collect).

GREEN PARK BRASSERIE 6 Green Park Station, Bath BA1 1JB Tel: 01225 338565 Web: greenparkbrasserie.com A must-visit with live music, locally sourced produce and a buzzing atmosphere, this is one of Bath’s best restaurants. Proudly independent since 1992 and known for their steaks, the Green Park Brasserie sits in the historic booking hall of the old Green Park Station and has a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Hosting live music four nights a week (Wednesday to Saturday) this is one not to be missed. Green Park Brasserie has recently been awarded the title of ‘UK’s most Romantic Restaurant’ and is highly reviewed

by The Sunday Times, Tatler and The Guardian. Two for £12 cocktails run from 12–5pm every day and the sunlit terraces are perfect for watching the world go by and letting the good times roll! Book for a table for indoor dining and live music or just rock up for a more casual bite to eat and drink on the terraces (no bookings).

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TIMBRELL’S YARD 49 St Margaret’s Street, Bradford on Avon BA15 1DE Tel: 01225 869492 Web: timbrellsyard.com Timbrell’s Yard is a stylish riverside boutique hotel with an award-winning kitchen. It has an airy double-height restaurant with views of the winding River Avon. The bar and sun-soaked terrace have a relaxed vibe. Tom Blake is behind the delicious and inventive menus which are locally focused and cater for everything from long, indulgent multi-course feasts to the simplest of snacks. Think modern British enlivened by European, North African and Eastern panache. Food mile-friendly and fuss-free with a twist, so you can nibble on wild mushroom and chickpea pakoras and tuck into rare-breed pork from local farmer Jim Baker. Food is available all day, every day, and it has a ‘dine anywhere’ ethos. Children are very welcome, and dogs made a fuss of in the bar and on the terrace.

BAR BRETON 28 Barton Street, Bath BA1 1HH Tel: 01225 446903 Web: barbretonbath.co.uk

THE IVY BATH BRASSERIE 39 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DS Tel: 01225 307100 Web: theivybathbrasserie.com The Ivy Bath Brasserie on Milsom Street offers relaxed yet sophisticated all-day dining. The large and elegant dining space is a place to see and be seen and the restaurant serves allencompassing, contemporary British menus for breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner, seven days a week. There is a roof terrace which is the perfect spot for al fresco dining from the à la carte menu.

Bar Breton is a small but perfectly formed French bar in the heart of Bath’s theatre district on Barton Street. Offering Bretoninspired drinks and small plates, the concept was inspired by trips to Brittany and France with family and friends. You’ll find delicious artisan ciders and beer from Northern France and the wine comes from all over the country (as it does in Brittany) and focuses on smaller family producers rather than big ‘names’ so you can enjoy tastier wines at much better value.

The vol au vent is trending again here, as well as other French small plates to go with your drinks. There’s no need to make a reservation – just rock up and staff will try to seat you straightaway.

Email any enquiries to bonjour@barbretonbath.co.uk.

CLAYTON’S KITCHEN 15a George Street, Bath BA1 2EN Tel: 01225 724386 Web: claytonskitchen.com Clayton’s Kitchen is a firm favourite with locals and a must for visitors to Bath seeking a wonderful culinary experience. This charming, relaxed and stylish restaurant is led by chef-patron Robert Clayton, who has achieved two Michelin Stars while running retaurants in Bath. Inspired by Mediterranean and modern French cuisine, Robert creates uncomplicated but sublime dishes; prepared, cooked and perfectly presented using the freshest, highest quality ingredients. To reflect this, the beautifully compiled menu changes seasonally and is accompanied by an excellent wine list. Enjoy a fantastic lunch or dinner – you’ll want to return.

Open Wednesday to Sunday. Weds–Thurs: 12–2.30pm and 6–9.30pm.

Fri–Sat: 12–3pm and 5.30–10pm. Sun: 12–3pm and 6–9.30pm.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | 2021

A:ROM:A Web: aroama.co.uk Email: hello@aroama.co.uk Local chefs Jesse and Ross launched A:ROAM:A in February this year. The online food delivery service was born from their passion for food, travel and flavour and the desire to offer the people of Bath something a bit different. The menu changes each week and is inspired by flavours, spices and ingredients from different countries around the world. They use the freshest ingredients, working closely with the best local suppliers, to spice up your life once a week. Jesse and Ross hand make all of their spice blends and pastes from scratch to extract as much flavour as possible – the result is delicious, healthy, balanced and exceptionally tasty meals. All you need to do is follow the simple heating instructions, serve and enjoy. Place your order on the website before 10pm the previous day and then the meals are delivered on Fridays and Saturdays, between 5–7pm, free to Bath and surrounding villages.

NO. 15 15 Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4BS Tel: 01225 807015 Web: guesthousehotels.co.uk In the easy-going elegance of The Restaurant at No.15 you will find refined comfort food, fun food and never-triedthat-before food, using ingredients sourced seasonally, ethically and (where possible) locally. The Restaurant offers an odyssey of flavours for breakfast, proper lunches, full-course dinners and the beloved weekly feast, Sunday lunch. Open all week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Alternatively come to the bar for morning coffee, afternoon tea, cocktails made with the best British ingredients or cosy fireside night-caps. At No.15 we showcase the flavours and influences of our country’s highlands, lowlands and all its in-between lands.

THE BATH PRIORY The Bath Priory Hotel, Weston Road, Bath BA1 2XT Tel: 01225 331922 Web: thebathpriory.co.uk Nestled within four acres of mature award-winning gardens and spacious terraces, The Bath Priory sets itself apart as a peaceful haven in a bustling city. The celebrated restaurant offers a memorable culinary journey with a focus on fresh produce, flavour and balance to create exciting, modern British dishes epitomising the best seasonal dining. The Pantry & Terrace provides a vibrant and informal menu serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, and supper, packed with seasonal, light and exciting dishes. Just a short stroll through Victoria Park, it’s also the perfect spot for afternoon tea.

RESTAURANT HYWEL JONES AT LUCKNAM PARK Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Colerne SN14 8AZ Tel: 01225 742777 Web: lucknampark.co.uk Restaurant Hywel Jones offers an unforgettable dining experience. Enter through the mile-long driveway lined by beech and lime trees before you commence your evening of fine dining from the seven-course tasting menu. Executive chef Hywel Jones has held a Michelin Star at the restaurant since 2006 and uses the finest ingredients to ensure the fullest flavours. Herbs are picked fresh from the extensive kitchen garden at the hotel, which helps enhance the subtle flavours of the cooking.

Restaurant Hywel Jones is open 6.30pm–10pm from Thursday to Saturday.

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THE SCALLOP SHELL 22 Monmouth Place, Bath BA1 2AY Tel: 01225 420928 Web: thescallopshell.co.uk

HUDSON STEAKHOUSE 14 London Street, Bath BA1 5BU Tel: 01225 332323 Web: hudsonsteakhouse.co.uk Hudson Steakhouse has been serving the people of Bath the best steaks for over a decade, offering its diners prime dry-aged steaks, starters with a fusion influence and classic dishes, all served in a sympathetic conversion of a once-notorious Victorian pub. Owner Richard Fenton took on this run-down building and has created a destination that has consistently won best-restaurant awards locally and nationally. Cocktails, premium beers and world wines are served under sparkling chandeliers and the upstairs grill room has an open kitchen which looks out over Hedgemead Park.

The Scallop Shell is a much-loved AA Rosette fish restaurant, serving lightly battered and grilled fish and chips and seasonal seafood. Flying the flag for a fresh, sustainable catch from UK waters, the menu changes daily depending on the coastal landings, with fish and shellfish displayed for customers to see in an ice-filled roll-top bath. Opt for classic North Atlantic cod loin, served with mushy peas and homemade tartare sauce, or make it more of a foodie experience with shared shellfish plates or the likes of oysters followed by Cornish monkfish tail or line-caught wild seabass, with a great selection of wines sold by the bottle and glass. There’s also a beautiful indoor/outdoor space, The Upper Deck, which is bathed in light during the day, and intimately cosy after dusk, with a retractable roof for those warm, summer days and fully heated during the cooler months.

PLATE AT THE BIRD BATH 18–19 Pulteney Road, Bath, BA2 4EZ Tel: 01225 580438 Web: thebirdbath.co.uk

Proudly introducing Bathwick’s neighbourhood restaurant, bar and outdoor terrace, Plate encapsulates a taste of Bath with authentic British dishes celebrating fresh, seasonal produce.

The ever-changing menus feature the finest ingredients from farmers and fishermen, hand-picked to create spectacular, playful dishes ideal for sharing and socialising over. Plate’s gregarious and relaxed atmosphere provides a great backdrop for the serious business of eating, and the restaurant’s signature bold designs and artworks make perfect conversation pieces.

THE COCONUT TREE 36 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LP Tel: 01225 258855 Web: thecoconut-tree.com/bath The Coconut Tree’s take on Sri Lankan street food is made up of smaller tapas-style dishes embracing plants, fish and meat; it’s a menu that naturally offers something for everyone. Enjoy the warmth of Sri Lankan hospitality, where everyone is welcome at the table. Choose from dishes rich in Ceylon spices, with recipes going back generations from the founders' own parents' kitchens. Try a traditional egg hopper, some kotthu and the spicy devilled dishes; mix & match them to suit your taste. Spoil yourself with their sweet and fiery botanical 'cocotails', beers & fine wines. This is a great place to bring a crowd or simply grab a table for two.

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DOUGH PIZZA 14–16 The Corridor, Bath BA1 5AP Tel: 01225 443686 9 Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AB Tel: 01225 422320 Web: doughpizzarestaurant.co.uk Proudly independent, family-run pizzerias, with venues in The Corridor and Kingsmead Square, Dough combines years of expertise and the best ingredients to bring you first-rate pizza, every time. With a focus on pizza for everyone, Dough offers 13 alternative health-giving bases, from kamut to hemp, grano arso, multigrain and more, alongside traditional sourdough. Gluten-free and vegan pizzas are a particular speciality. You’ll find all the classics from margheritas to marinaras alongside pizza parcels, star-shaped pizzas and gourmet specials such as La Gina with ‘fior di latte’ mozzarella, caramelised onion, crispy speck, olive pâté, ricotta, pistachios and parmesan discs, based on turmeric dough. Warm, family-friendly service, dough-spinning entertainment and plenty of Italian charm ensures that any visit to Dough is a memorable one.

THE MARLBOROUGH TAVERN 35 Marlborough Buildings, Bath BA1 2LY Tel: 01225 423731 Web: marlborough-tavern.com Located just a stone’s throw from the Royal Crescent, The Marlborough Tavern combines the atmosphere of a local pub with the food quality of a top restaurant, making it a firm favourite in Bath.

The menu uses local produce to create greattasting, simple dishes where the quality of the produce speaks for itself. The Marlborough has held two AA rosettes for food quality since 2009, and features in the Michelin Guide. Whilst it holds accolades for its food, it’s still very much a pub and offers local ales and craft beers. Outside, it boasts a beautiful pub garden – a walled courtyard space that’s just perfect for al fresco lunching and drinking with good friends.

THE BRASSERIE AT LUCKNAM PARK Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Colerne SN14 8AZ Tel: 01225 742777 Web: lucknampark.co.uk Set among the 500-acre Lucknam Park estate, The Brasserie at Lucknam Park is a contemporary and stylish restaurant perfect for light lunches, al fresco dining and informal dinners. With a light and airy interior, this restaurant makes an ideal place to while away the hours in relaxed surroundings. Take a stroll through the elegant walled gardens, soak in the scenic views and choose from a full seasonal à la carte menu. Open daily from 12pm, last orders at 9pm.

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PINTXO DE BATH 31 Barton Street, Bath BA1 1HG Tel: 01225 463861 Web: pintxobath.co.uk Pintxo de Bath is an authentically Basque-style tapas and sherry bar in the heart of Bath’s theatre district, tucked away in Barton Street. Pintxo brings a taste of Spain to the city. With a laid-back feel, outside tables and a delightfully sunny sherry garden, it’s the perfect place to spend time with friends, sampling the best sherries, wines and food from the owners’ favourite parts of Spain. We work with a local importer to bring you a selection of the perfect wines and sherries to complement our tapas. We adore sherry and have a dedicated sherry menu. We don’t take reservations. Just come along and the staff will do their best to seat you. Email any enquiries to bath@pintxo.co.uk

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FIREHOUSE ROTISSERIE 2 John Street, Bath BA1 2JL Tel: 01225 482070 Web: firehouserotisserie.co.uk Firehouse Rotisserie has been one of the most popular independent restaurants in Bath for 20 years. Voted by Channel 4 as one of the top five American restaurants in the UK, it has been recommended by GQ, Tatler, and The Daily Mail. It is the only genuine rotisserie restaurant in this part of the country, boasting a blend of authentic Californian and south western American flavours using ancho, guajillo, chipotle and pasilla chiles as well as more familiar herbs and spices. In addition to its delicious free-range rotisserie chicken, the Firehouse is known for its range of exciting and luxurious gourmet brick-fired pizzas, and classic American deli burgers. Located on a quiet street just off the main shopping area, the cosy and relaxed atmosphere has a bustling open kitchen where diners can watch the food being cooked to order.

MA CUISINE

OLIO

KITCHEN & BISTRO

AT HOMEWOOD PARK

3–4 St Saviour’s Road, Larkhall, Bath BA1 6RT Tel: 01225 312959 Web: macuisine.co.uk

Abbey Lane, Freshford, Bath BA2 7TB Tel: 01225 580439 Web: homewoodbath.co.uk

Brigitte and Christophe Lacroix have run their gourmet ready-meals business since 2012. In recent times they have been providing hot weekend takeaways from their bistro kitchen which are available for pickup and delivery. They also have a terrace which is open Tuesday to Saturday that serves delicious breakfast and lunches including classic quiches, croque monsieur and is open in the evenings Friday and Saturday for dinner. From Ma Cuisine’s beloved kitchen, highly respected chef Christophe creates beautiful dishes using local ingredients with no additives, no preservatives and no colourings, wherever possible. Their gourmet ready meals are, as always, spectacularly good; all handmade in small batches and then fastfrozen to retain all the freshness, goodness and flavour. As they are frozen, they are ready to pop in the oven or microwave so you can enjoy the classic flavours of France without all the effort. Ma Cuisine’s gourmet French meals are also available to buy online for free local delivery and national shipping.

Homewood’s Olio restaurant combines Somerset ingredients with Mediterranean inspiration, served indoors and on the extensive, sun-drenched outdoor Olio terrace launched in 2020, complete with outdoor kitchen and bar. Whether enjoying a feasting platter in the sunshine on their outdoor terrace or sampling Somerset flavours inside, their emphasis is always on sustainable, often hedgerow-fresh ingredients, with a proud, local provenance.

Homewood has also recently developed a new Kitchen Garden, based on an innovative ‘nodig’ initiative, enabling the property to create its very own produce to use in its outdoor kitchen.

THE ELDER AT THE INDIGO HOTEL

Image: Sarah Farnsworth Photography

The Indigo Hotel, 2–8 South Parade, Bath BA2 4AB Tel: 01225 530616 Web: theelder.co.uk The Elder is a truly elegant restaurant and bar situated in the historic centre of Bath and is the place to enjoy authentic, honest and timeless cooking that uses the British countryside and seas as its larder. Created by owner Mike Robinson, and executive chef Gavin Edney their focus is on sustainability, seasonality and British wild produce.

The Elder restaurant is open for lunch and dinner with an à la carte menu enhanced by a beautifully curated wine list. Oysters and Champagne can be enjoyed on the terrace on warm weekend afternoons in the summer and the year-round cocktail list takes inspiration from the classics whilst using the seasons and local ingredients to create utter magic.

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LE CHEF PRIVÉ Email: info@lechefprive.co.uk Web: lechefprive.co.uk Since retiring from the well-loved restaurant Casanis, chef Laurent Couvreur offers personal services for special occasions. From cheffing on board Northabout in the Arctic for adventurer David Hempleman-Adams to recreating favourite restaurant dishes in local homes, Laurent uses wonderful local produce to recreate his southern French style of cooking with a twist. Le Chef Privé takes all the stress out of your dinner parties, presenting awardwinning restaurant-quality food in the comfort of your own home. Chef Laurent proudly reads us a note from one of his customers: “Thank you for a truly wonderful evening, I cannot imagine a better way to have celebrated my birthday. The food was (unsurprisingly) marvellous and the entire evening flowed beautifully, from canapés to dessert. All our guests have expressed their delight at the dinner.” He adds, “We look forward to bringing incredible flavours and a ray of French sunshine to our diners’ homes.”

WOODS

CAFÉ LUCCA

9–13 Alfred Street, Bath BA1 2QX Tel: 01225 314812 Web: woodsrestaurant.com

1–2 Bartlett Street, Bath BA1 2QZ Tel: 01225 333844 Web: cafelucca.co.uk

This is quite simply a Bath institution. With Georgian elegance and a warm informal atmosphere, Woods has created an enviable reputation as one of Bath best independent restaurants, a firm favourite with locals and a must for visitors to Bath.

Established in 1979 by David and Claude Price working alongside the head chef of the past 28 years Stuart Ash and Gaston Price who runs the front of house. A truly family-run business offering personal service, dazzling food, modern British cooking with classic French influence, and sourcing local ingredients to give you a mouthwatering sensation that will leave you coming back for more. The menu changes seasonally with specials of the day. The wines to accompany the delicious dishes are specially selected and tasted by David. Woods cater for all; the small terrace and bar are great to meet friends for a glass of wine, a dish of olives and a catch-up, the main dining room is ideal for intimate or informal dining and the private room is perfect for corporate entertainment, family celebrations or weddings. Woods has also recently opened a Wine Shop and Deli which operate from Tuesday to Saturday to eat in or take away.

Café Lucca revives and relaxes in equal measure. It serves wonderful food in a welcoming environment, offering freshly ground coffee and a light breakfast in the mornings, lunch from a selection of brightly coloured salads and bruschetta and panini, or an array of tempting cakes for afternoon tea. This is the perfect place for catching up with friends, or as a respite from shopping and is one of Bath’s favourite places to see people and be seen.

Deliciously fresh, modern Mediterranean style food is served in the elegant and spacious surroundings of The Loft. All the fresh produce is sourced from small local family suppliers. Situated in a traffic-free street in Bath’s boutique quarter, the restaurant is just two minutes’ walk from Milsom Street and the Fashion Museum. And when the sun shines there are tables on the terrace from where you can watch the world stroll by.

THE HARE & HOUNDS Lansdown Road, Bath BA1 5TJ Tel: 01225 482682 Web: hareandhoundsbath.com Situated in a beautiful location high on Lansdown Hill with stunning views over the Bath countryside. Open daily from 8am (9am Saturday and Sunday), The Hare & Hounds serves home-cooked seasonal food all day, every day. With sun terraces, outside bar and decking on the lower garden it’s a glorious place to spend a sunny day. Enjoy the likes of crab croquettes with fennel, followed by pan-fried bream fillet with Isle of Wight tomatoes. A dark chocolate brownie with blackberries, hazelnuts and vanilla ice cream makes a tempting finale. Only a mile from town, it feels like a world away in beautiful countryside. Its location is perfect for visitors heading to or from the M4 motorway to the north of Bath.

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COMPTOIR + CUISINE 5 George Street, Bath BA1 2EJ Tel: 01225 684733 Web: comptoirpluscuisine.com Comptoir+Cuisine serves coffee, juice, croissants and pastries, making it the perfect spot for breakfast, a mid-morning snack, or as a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle – to sit and read, or to catch up with friends or colleagues. For lunch and dinner, enjoy nibbles, cheese and charcuterie boards, including the popular baked camembert cheeses, as well as salads and a delicious range of tapas-style French sharing plates featuring meat, fish, cheese and extensive vegetarian options. Comptoir+Cuisine also offers a selection of Grower Champagnes by the glass, as well as beer and wine.

For those who fancy a sweet treat, there is a tasty selection of macaroons and gateaux on offer too. These taste even better when enjoyed with a glass of crisp Grower Champagne for afternoon tea.

SUGARCANE STUDIO

EDGARS FOODS

1 Grove Street, Bath BA2 6PJ Tel: 01225 251707 Web: sugarcanestudio.co.uk

9 Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2EE Tel: 01225 920600 Web: edgarsfoods.co.uk

Sugarcane Studio is run by pastry chef Fang-Yu Lin, a Cordon Bleu trained chef with years of experience in London and Taipei, and her husband Neil Edwards, a glass artist and the brand image designer. They began creating their own signature style of patisserie in 2018, fusing classic French desserts with the flavours of East Asia. Using only the freshest, quality ingredients, they balance delicate flavours and textures in all their products. With a regularly evolving menu, you will encounter delights such as yuzu and genmaicha tea macarons, mango and passionfruit choux buns, milk tea and blueberry mille-feuille, or matcha and adzuki bean gateau in an enticing chilled display cabinet.

Edgars Foods is the firstever frozen fish and seafood shop in Bath.

Bringing customers an unrivalled range of products at affordable prices you can’t beat, they stock everything for a seafood enthusiast or someone just looking to try something new; from wild-caught Canadian lobsters to crabs handpicked on the coast of Devon, the freezers are packed full of delicacies from the sea.

With a focus on quality and sourcing sustainably and responsibly harvested fish, where possible MSC certified, you know you’re bringing quality to your table. Alongside a luxurious range of artisan dried goods and sauces, it’s a foodie lover’s dream with everything you need to create restaurant quality meals at home.

THE GREAT WINE CO Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AP Tel: 01225 322810 Web: greatwine.co.uk The Great Wine Company shop has been nestled at the bottom of the Wells road for almost 30 years, but remains a true find for those who turn into the car park. Described by customers as an Aladdin’s cave of wines and spirits [or an adult sweet shop] the shop holds over 1,000 wines and 450 spirits with new discoveries on every visit. We love its modern, friendly approach backed up by old-fashioned service and advice. Wines and spirits are always open to taste and experienced staff are great at finding the perfect wine for you at any budget. More recently, the company has become a specialist agent/importer for some of the world’s great wines, including Trimbach, Planeta, Ken Forrester and Seresin. Prices at every level are competitive and there’s always a good selection of special offers. Watch out for the bin-ends for the best bargains. The website and mail-order service is just as good for those further afield. You’ll find many of The Great Wine Co’s wares in Bath’s best restaurants, hotels and pubs, as well as supplying Bath Rugby.

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CHEZ DOMINIQUE 15 Argyle Street, Bath BA2 4BQ Tel: 01225 463482 Web: chezdominique.co.uk Ever popular, Chez Dominique is a family-run restaurant serving local and seasonal French and European food. Included in the latest Good Food Guide, and granted a certificate of achievement from Hardens for very highquality food. This cosy, casual bistro is ideally located on the beautiful Argyle Street just over Pulteney Bridge, and the private dining room – comfortably seating eight – overlooks Pulteney Weir. Chez Dominique offers a prix fixe menu with daily specials and there’s a carefully chosen wine list.

Open Monday – Sunday: noon – 11pm with last bookings at 9pm. Enjoy great food and drink in a relaxing and friendly atmosphere.

ROBUN 4 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Tel: 01225 614424 Web: robun.co.uk Robun is a tribute to Japanese author Kanagaki Robun and his 1872 book Seiyo ryoritsu, which introduced Western barbecue to Japan. Our modern-day interpretation of ‘Yakiniku’ specialises in sharing plates of beautiful robata grilled meats, seafood and vegetables fused with elements from across Asia, paired with inspired cocktails, wines and an extensive choice of Japanese whiskeys in the most inviting and sociable of settings. Robun’s unique Japanese Afternoon Tea service brings together elements from our menu and fine Japanese teas, perfect for an elegant afternoon with friends. There’s also a spacious private dining room on the first floor, perfect for private celebrations. Robun is the place to relax, unwind and enjoy sharing plates with friends and family. It will definitely leave you wanting more!

THE CIRCUS RESTAURANT 34 Brock Street, Bath BA1 2LN Tel: 01225 466020 Web: thecircusrestaurant.co.uk A small, very busy, much-admired family-run business, The Circus Restaurant is one of Bath’s sparkling culinary gems, serving seasonal, locally sourced, freshly cooked English food.

It has a carefully chosen wine list, and exceptionally welcoming staff. Set in a fine Georgian house – between The Circus and the Royal Crescent – you will find sensible and honest prices, and you’ll leave wanting to return some time soon. Voted number four in the UK in The Times’ 20 Secret Restaurants That Foodies Love. Open Monday to Saturday, 10am to midnight (closed Sunday). Booking is advised.

QUIET STREET COFFEE 2 Quiet Street, (just off Milsom Street), Bath BA1 2JS A great coffee shop for a takeaway coffee and homemade cake, they also do a meal deal which is amazing value for money if you fancy having lunch in the nearby Queen Square or Victoria Park. Serving breakfast , lunch and of course tea and cake, the café can get busy so get there early.A beautiful shop with wonderful full-length windows, ideal for stopping for a coffee break and watching the world go by. Plenty of seating on the ground floor and air conditioned lounge downstairs – look out for the macaron wallpaper! Open 8.30am–5.30pm Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm Saturday and 9.30am–5.30pm on Sundays.

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BOSCO PIZZERRIA

CASSIA BATH

1–2 Milsom Place, Bath BA1 1BZ Web: boscopizzeria.co.uk; milsomplace.co.uk/stores/bosco-pizzeria

Sovereign Point, Midland Road, Bath BA2 3GJ Tel: 01225 685825 Web: cassiacommunity.co.uk

Bosco Pizzeria is inspired by the pizzerias of Naples, New York & San Francisco. With a focus on and a passion for the finest Italian produce, they have created a menu of small plates, deli meats and cheeses, salads, pasta & of course, Neopolitan style wood fired pizza. The focus in the restaurant is on service with personality and classic Italian cookery in a vibrant atmosphere created by an open kitchen and a mixture of table and counter seating.

Cassia takes the best elements of a café and a co-working space and combines them in a fantastic location on Bath Riverside. Guests are welcome to drop by for breakfast or lunch, book a desk in The Study to work at for the day, or come for a post-work drink.

Cassia’s menu is plant-focused with a wide range of vegan options available. Room hire is also available for meetings and workshops, and from September 2021 there will also be a wide-ranging events programme under the company’s C-Here banner.

PEKING RESTAURANT 1–2 New Street, Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AF Tel: 01225 466377 Web: pekingrestaurantbath.co.uk

NOVEL WINES: 7 Cork Place, Upper Bristol Road, Bath BA1 3BB Tel: 01225 667311 Web: novelwines.co.uk Discover Novel Wines on Upper Bristol Road, just along from Royal Victoria Park, an independent wine bar and shop founded

by Bath locals Ben and Gyorgy. They specialise in the finest drinks from lesser-known regions, featuring a truly unique range of over 250 wines, spirits, ciders and beers from every corner of the globe.

Enjoy free delivery to your door in BA1 and BA2 postcodes, or pop in to browse the range and have a glass of wine. You can also find all their latest tasting events on their website.

Since opening in 1985, this family-run, independent restaurant is the number-one choice for local, authentic Chinese food. The master chef has created an extensive menu of fresh, healthy and innovative dishes selected from Cantonese, Szechuan and Peking cuisines, using local ingredients wherever possible. As well as the traditional flavours of sweet and sour, ginger and spring onion, Peking also offers much-loved lobster and crab dishes. The chef also prepares special dishes on request. The friendly, skilled staff at Peking strive to provide a genuine Chinese experience with a promise to put their hearts and souls into everything they do.

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TURTLE BAY 11 Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AS Tel: 01225 444052 Web: turtlebay.co.uk Located on Bridge Street near Pulteney Bridge, Turtle Bay has been bringing Caribbean good times to Bath since 2014. From sunrise breakfasts to after-dark drinks and everything in between, Turtle Bay brings the sunshine vibes of tropical holidays all year round – whatever the weather might be doing outside! Their famous mix of rum, reggae and jerk provide a uniquely Caribbean experience, with a centralised island bar serving rum-based cocktails both day and night (check out their 241 Happy Hour!), a menu that combines Caribbean spices with fragrant marinades, hot sauces, cooling chutneys and fresh fruit, with its signature jerk grill at the heart of the restaurant. All to the gentle beat of a reggae soundtrack. Everything is about creating a perfect atmosphere for ‘liming’, which means hanging out with friends and family, while enjoying good food and a few drinks, as well as warm, friendly service in a laid-back atmosphere.

FRECKLES AND BOO FARM SHOP Rookery Farm, Binegar, Somerset, BA3 4UL Tel: 07506 363929 Web: frecklesandboo.co.uk This delightful, great-quality farmshop can provide you with everything you need to eat, drink and live well. It stocks a fabulous selection of fresh, quality produce carefully sourced from the farms and fields of Somerset and beyond.

The shelves are packed with brilliant basics right through to tasty treats and inviting try-outs. Recently Freckles and Boo have also launched a new range of luxury gourmet hampers that takes you on a foodie adventure and showcases some of the south west’s most talented makers, all of which can be bought in the farm shop or online and delivered nationwide. It’s there to be discovered and is well worth a visit.

THE LOCKSBROOK INN 103 Locksbrook Road, Bath BA1 3EN Tel: 01225 427119 Web: thelocksbrookinn.com A beautiful, contemporary gastropub with a lovely outside terrace overlooking the canal. With plenty of decking and an outdoor bar, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of prosecco or a pint. The menu includes homemade burgers, sharing platters and classic pub dishes.

Enjoy salt and pepper squid or share a charcuterie board before tucking into a crisp, hand-stretched pizza with spicy salami and cherry tomatoes. You won’t be able to say no to a dessert with the likes of vanilla and amaretti cheesecake, strawberries and white chocolate, and sticky toffee pudding gracing the menu. Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Children, dogs, cyclists and all are welcome!

THE HOLBURNE GARDEN CAFÉ The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4DB Tel: 01225 388572 Web: holburne.org The Holburne Garden Café is only a 10-minute walk from the city centre and is one of the most beautiful contemporary spaces in Bath. Set within the grounds of the museum there is a seasonal menu offering light lunches and delicious cakes.

The garden café is open from 5–9pm on the last Friday in the month and is a great place to relax with friends and enjoy the museum’s galleries out of hours.

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THE CURFEW 11 Cleveland Place West, Bath BA1 5DG Tel: 01225 313747 Web: thecurfewbath.co.uk The Curfew, recently taken over by new landlords Rhianne and Jamie, is a cosy Georgian townhouse located around a 10-minute walk from Bath city centre and is a great spot to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and watch the world go by. It has a traditional pub vibe with a modern British food menu which include classics such as pie and mash and Wadworth beer battered fish and chips. The Curfew has a newly renovated courtyard garden which is very popular with locals and visitors in the summer but is also dog friendly.

The upstairs lounge with its large windows and impressive chandelier is a great place to hire and is very popular with private events such as life drawing classes and afternoon teas.

THE MOORFIELDS 73 Third Avenue, Bath BA2 3NZ Tel: 01225 982102 Web: themoorfields.com

THE BRIDGE COFFEE SHOP

Situated in the heart of Oldfield Park, The Moorfields is a beautifully appointed contemporary gastropub pub with a stunning interior. Step outside and you’ll discover a fabulous garden space and outside bar.

The pub offers great quality, contemporary dishes brimming with flavour. Try Serrano ham with roasted peach, burrata, wild garlic and almond pesto, or the house nachoes – elevated to something a bit special here. Open daily from 8am, the pub offers barista coffee and breakfasts in the morning and all day food. Add in friendly service and it’s a combination that’s hard to beat.

15–16 and 17 Pulteney Bridge, Bath BA2 4AY This wonderful little coffee shop compromising of two shops adjacent to each other is situated right on the World Heritage site that is Pulteney Bridge. There are incredible views (especially on sunny days) over Pulteney Weir and the cosy interiors complement the Georgian architecture. This family business offers a warm welcome with eat-in and takeaway menus which include very popular homemade cakes and bakery treats. There are options for breakfast, lunch and afternoon cream teas. The homemade scones, baked upstairs, with a pot of their loose leaf tea is a perfect interlude during a visit around the city. Open 8.30am–5.30pm Monday–Friday, 9–6pm Saturday and 9.30–5.30pm on Sundays.

AMATHUS 6 Green Street, Bath BA1 2JY Tel: 01225 335663 Web: amathusdrinks.com Amathus Bath only opened in 2018, but the family company has forty years’ experience in sourcing and selling the world’s finest drinks. The selection ranges from classic Scotch to small batch gins; craft beers to boutique wines direct from the estate (plus everything you can imagine in between). In short, it is Bath’s one-stop shop for your drinks cabinet. The expert team are always happy to advise, or you can attend one of the regular tasting events to try something new. As a little treat for Bath Magazine readers, quote ‘Delicious Bath’ to staff for a 10% discount up to £10.

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FOOD | & | DRINK

A food journey: just add alcohol

Susannah and Aaron Rickard have a way with alcohol, using it as a key ingredient in food, and fortunately they have written it all down in a recipe book. Here they tell us about how the project came together in their Bath kitchen, and treat us to two of their recipes

W

hen the idea of cooking with alcohol captured our imagination, we couldn’t figure out why it isn’t more popular. Alcoholic drinks are delicious, and they have been fermented or distilled primarily for flavour and enjoyment. Just think of how many spices you have in your cupboard, and all the drinks in the grocery store or along the back of a bar! Each of those ingredients can bring a lot to the table.

We’ve always been experimental cooks, and eaters. As a child Aaron travelled to over 50 countries, and spent years living in the United States – developing a taste for wild and wonderful flavour combinations. Susannah, on the other hand, grew up with classic British and Australian home cooking, and then went to work for a spice recipe kit company (The Spicery) after university. This included a year in the recipe development kitchen, and instilled a passion for creating great food at home in an approachable way. So when we started cooking with alcohol, and realised just how intriguing and rewarding it could be, we got a bit carried away. Five years later, we’ve spent countless hours creating this cookbook from our flat in Bath, and our excitement about the topic has only increased.

As this is our first cookbook and we don’t have the resources of more well-known chefs, we decided to photograph the book ourselves. Fortunately, alongside his day job as a web developer, Aaron is a keen food photographer. This gave us the creative control to ensure that the book turned out as beautiful as we imagined it, but was a bigger job than we anticipated. We had decided early on that every single recipe needed a photo, but as we both work full time, it took a long time to complete them all! We spent many a Saturday morning scouring local charity shops for tablecloths, cutlery and interesting dishes to use as props – and many a late night photographing rapidly cooling food, wondering when we’ll get to eat it for dinner!

Developing the recipes Recipe development is tricky, but most of the recipes in Cooking with Alcohol started out as a question: how could the flavours of this particular alcohol be used in cooking? In some cases, we started by looking for matching flavour characteristics to find the best uses for an ingredient – both chorizo and red wine can be smoky and spicy, so we paired these together in our very first recipe, Chorizo in Red Wine and Honey, where they get along beautifully.

We also considered how a dish could be adapted and improved with the addition of alcohol, using alcohol as a seasoning or garnish to add depth and complexity that might otherwise be missing from a dish, or take hours to develop with traditional cooking. A white wine might be described as zesty or buttery, and when we bring it into the kitchen, these flavours can enhance a recipe where zestiness or butteriness are desired – an example of this is our Fennel and White Wine Tagliatelle.

As we developed recipes with these flavour pairings, we found that there’s almost always another way that the alcohol impacts the dish – the texture, caramelisation, gluten formation, acidity, or something else entirely. And in truth this was the most fascinating part of the recipe development process – discovering the science behind each dish, and figuring out how to explain it succinctly. For example, our Prosecco Panna Cotta recipe uses slightly less gelatine than a traditional panna cotta, because prosecco itself is mildly acidic and this causes the cream to thicken and set. It was these discoveries that 64 TheBATHMagazine

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set us on a path to writing a book, where we could share the fascination and fun with others.

Overall, the Savoury and Sweet Baking chapters of this book were the most challenging – baked goods need to end up solid, and alcohol is liquid! This required a huge amount of recipe testing (and recipe failures), as we figured out the delicate balance of flavour and texture. We were really thankful for long-suffering colleagues and neighbours, who ate the results of these early recipe tests! A particularly runny batch of Kahlua Fudge springs to mind…

Our editor Paige Henderson was also an incredible supporter during the past year, working to understand our vision for this project and helping us to bring it to life, as well as going over every recipe with a fine tooth comb!

We really enjoyed writing this book, and hope it brings joy to others. After all, Cooking with Alcohol isn’t just a collection of recipes. It’s about encouraging you to think about alcohol as more than a drink, by showing how the flavours and functions of alcohol can help to create some truly amazing food – we firmly believe that alcohol deserves a place in your kitchen, as well as in your glass.

Cooking with Alcohol by Susannah and Aaron Rickard, £25, Lendal Press, available in local bookshops Topping & Co. Booksellers and Mr B’s. toppingbooks.co.uk; mrbsemporium.com cookingwithalcohol.co.uk

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FOOD | & | DRINK

Parsnip and Cider Tarte Tatin

It’s really fun to make a tarte tatin, and strangely satisfying – parsnips and onions are caramelised in dry cider, then puff pastry goes on top and it’s baked upside down before being turned out to reveal the beautiful design.

Serves 4 — Prep time 30 minutes — Cook time 25 minutes Ingredients 250ml dry apple cider 3 large parsnips (approx. 400–450g total) – scrubbed and trimmed 1 tbsp olive oil 2 red onions – peeled, sliced into 6 wedges 1 clove of garlic – peeled, and crushed or finely chopped 1 tsp dried rosemary 1 large sheet of ready rolled puff pastry (approx. 320g) Plain flour for rolling Salt and freshly ground black pepper Green salad and horseradish sauce, to serve

Equipment Wide ovenproof frying pan Rolling pin

Method • Preheat your oven to 200ºC/Gas Mark 6/ 400ºF. Slice the parsnips lengthwise into 4–6 wedges, depending on their size.

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Add the parsnip wedges, and fry for 5 minutes or

until the parsnips are browning.

• Add a generous splash of the cider and bring the pan to a gentle simmer then cook for a few minutes, occasionally turning each parsnip wedge.

• Scatter the onion wedges, garlic and rosemary over the parsnips, along with a grinding of black pepper and ½ tsp salt.

• Add another splash of the cider and cook for a further 10–15 minutes until the parsnips are just tender, adding the cider a splash at a time and allowing it to evaporate in between each addition, turning the parsnips occasionally.

• Meanwhile, lay out the puff pastry on a clean floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll it to around 3mm (⅛ inch) thick.

Cut out a rough circle about 2 inches wider than the pan.

• When all the cider has evaporated, turn off the heat and use tongs or a fork to arrange the parsnips into a pretty pattern in the pan.

• Lay the pastry circle over the top, tucking it in at the edges. Make a small slit in the

top with a knife then place the whole pan into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffy and deep golden brown.

• Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then invert the whole dish onto a large plate so that the parsnips are now on top of the pastry.

• Serve slices of the tarte alongside a green salad with a dollop of horseradish sauce.

Roasted Plum and Port Ripple Ice Cream

Adding port to sticky roasted plums provides complex notes of caramel, figs and spice, swirled through luscious ice cream.

Makes 1.2L — Prep time 15 minutes — Cook time 35 minutes + 2 hours chilling Ingredients 100ml port 250g plums – stoned and quartered 1 tbsp butter 1 tsp mixed spice or pumpkin spice 1 litre good quality vanilla or clotted cream ice cream ½ an orange – zested (optional)

Equipment

•

•

Small roasting tray Freezer-proof dish or loaf tin

Method • Preheat the oven to 170ºC/Gas Mark 3½/ 350ºF. Combine the plums, butter and mixed spice in a roasting tray. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes to spread the melting butter around the plums.

• After 20 minutes add the port and the

•

•

orange zest, and return the tray to the oven for a further 15 minutes until the plums are sticky and jammy. Remove the tray from the oven, give it another stir then allow to cool completely.

Once the plums have cooled, take the ice cream out of the freezer and leave it at room temperature for 10–15 minutes or until the ice cream is soft enough to spread.

In a small freezer-proof dish, spread about one third of the ice cream in a layer. Dollop half of the plum mixture across the ice cream. Add half the remaining ice cream, and then the rest of the roasted plums, and finally top with the rest of the ice cream.

Gently swirl through the mixture once or twice with a knife to create a few ripples, then cover with cling film or a lid and freeze for at least 2 hours.

To serve, take the ice cream out of the freezer and allow to soften for a minute before scooping into bowls. n THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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EDUCATION

EDUCATION NEWS CHESS MASTER AT PRIOR PARK

Chess legend, James Sherwin visited Prior Park College on 17 June to play a rare ‘Simul’ match against 15 chess club members at the same time. James, an International Chess Master and former President of the American Chess Foundation, knew Bobby Fischer and lived through the era of the Netflix series, The Queen’s Gambit. The atmosphere of the show was certainly evoked in Prior Park’s Academy Hall as James was able to win all his matches, including a closefought contest against sixth-former Milena Apostu who is one of the strongest players in her home country of Romania. priorparkcollege.com

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NEW LOCATION FOR CODING BOOTCAMP Award-winning Bath coding bootcamp iO Academy is expanding with the launch of a new location in Sheffield. iO Academy has partnered with the newly launched EyUp Skills, a venture from entrepreneur David Richards, founder of the Yorkshire and Silicon Valley based technology company WANdisco, for their expansion to the north.

The partnership is formed around the vital role of the tech industry in providing direct and meaningful impact on the digital skills shortage in the UK, bringing real life experience to tech training. This ensures that new entrants to the industry have the up-to-date experience that tech employers need most, as well as making a career in tech more accessible to a wider range of people.

The move comes after a recent government paper found that the “existing university curriculum in Computer Science is falling short of expectations and not meeting the needs of employers seeking tech talent”. io-academy.uk; eyup.com

NORLAND AWARD Norland College has been recognised for excellence in graduate outcomes during the pandemic in the 2021 Whatuni Student Choice Awards, winning a coveted award amidst stiff competition. The annual awards, taking place for the 8th time, highlight the work done by institutions to support their students, and celebrate resilience, innovation and diversity within higher education. Uniquely, the nominees and winners are selected by students themselves, and judged by a specially chosen panel made up of prospective and current university students.

Norland triumphed in the Enhanced Graduate Outcomes category, after demonstrating effective delivery of innovative and impactful employability support to students throughout the pandemic. norland.ac.uk

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CITY | NEWS

CITYNEWS BEST COLLEGE AWARD The College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) has been awarded the winner of the Best College Award from the Integrative Healthcare & Applied Nutrition (IHCAN) Education Awards 2021. The awards celebrate brands who go above and beyond to keep practitioners upto-date with CPD accredited content, events and resources.

IHCAN is a platform for registered nutritional therapists, integrative health practitioners and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) professionals. It provides the UK’s leading monthly magazine for integrative health practitioners, along with the IHCAN Summit and IHCAN Conferences, both of which feature industryleading innovative education and the latest insights and research.

This success comes as CNM celebrates 23 years of training successful practitioners. Today, CNM is the UK’s No.1 training provider for a range of natural therapies, providing diploma courses in Naturopathic Nutrition, Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Natural Chef, Vegan Natural Chef and Health Coach.

Students can study part-time, full-time, online or in-class in locations across the UK and Ireland. To find out more visit: naturopathyuk.com/events

NEW EQUITY PARTNERS Bath-headquartered law firm Stone King is delighted to announce the promotions of four new Equity Partners. Andrew Banks, Jean Boyle, Sarah Lane and Helen Tucker will join their fellow Equity Share Members in shaping the direction of the nationwide firm, which also has offices in Bristol, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds and London.

Steven Greenwood, Stone King’s managing partner, said the new appointments will help build on the firm’s success: “The Equity Group has the responsibility of ensuring strategic business direction, succession and sustainability for the future, as well as making sure our ethos of serving the community is achieved. The Group is further strengthened with these appointments and we are especially pleased it reflects greater gender diversity.” stoneking.co.uk

This summer, the gardens of the Holburne Museum will become an open-air theatre for for six nights with The Garden Theatre Festival.

Audiences young and old will be welcome for evenings of laughter, fun, and good times. Bring a picnic and some chairs, get some food and drink from the vendors and listen to inventive story-telling, fast-paced drama and a host of musical instruments. Productions include children’s classics, legendary tales, Bernard Shaw and Shakespeare and include Robin Hood, Romeo & Juliet and Wind in the Willows. Event dates: 16 and 17 July, 10, 11, 12 and 21 August. Doors open 5.30pm; show starts 10.30pm. Find out more and book tickets by going to bathboxoffice.org.uk and searching ‘Garden Theatre Fest’.

DREAM WEDDING DAY A Bath hotel is set to give away a dream big day to NHS heroes as part of a partnership with Operation Recuperation, which has been working with 20 of the hardest-hit hospital trusts throughout the pandemic and has gifted almost 1,000 stays and experiences to NHS staff.

Alongside the charitable organisation, Apex Hotels is giving away a total of five weddings or civil ceremonies to deserving couples in Edinburgh, Dundee, Bath and London. In Bath, the luxury Apex City of Bath Hotel will play host to a deserving couple looking to get married in Bath. The couple will be treated to all the essentials to make their wedding day special, thanks to the hotel and its network of key suppliers – with celebrations for up to 50 people being laid on. apexhotels.co.uk

RUGBY SQUAD PROMOTIONS

IN THE SWIM FORMER team GB swimmer Mark Foster is calling on people across Bath to take the plunge and sign up for the first-ever Swimathon Festival.

The festival will see Swimathon and Open Water Swimathon events taking place on the same weekend for the first time between 10–12 September. Participating pools and venues include Bath Leisure Centre and Bradford on Avon swimming pools.

Mark, who trained at the University of Bath, and who is an advocate for keeping community pools open, is urging people of all ages and abilities to take part in the sponsored event which raises money for Cancer Research UK, Marie Curie and the Swimathon Foundation.

With a range of distances to choose from – from 400m, up to a triple 5k, and a new 30.9k option – the festival offers a challenge for all open water or pool swimmers, and people can participate individually or as part of a team. Sign up to the Swimathon Festival at swimathon.org.

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Three players from the Senior Academy will graduate into the Bath Rugby senior squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Homegrown trio Will Butt, Arthur Cordwell and Kieran Verden will make the step up and become fully fledged members of the first team.

Director of Rugby Stuart Hooper said: “We are delighted to be able to welcome Will, Arthur and Kieran into the senior squad.

“Their graduation continues the recent success of the Bath Rugby pathway. We have been really impressed by the current graduates in the squad with homegrown players like Josh Bayliss, Tom de Glanville and Miles Reid progressing to earn international recognition.

“All three are outstanding young men who have already put a huge amount into their time here at Bath. I’m very excited to see them take this next step and grab the opportunities that lie ahead.” bathrugby.com

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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

Always consider maximising your dividends!

The coronavirus has caused problems for some companies where the owner managers use ‘dividends’ as a method to extract profits - and may do so for some time to come. How might a similar situation be avoided in future and what benefits are there to taking dividends early?

The general tax advice to director shareholders on maximising tax and NI efficiency is to take a small salary (usually around the NI secondary threshold of £8,840 per year) and top it up with dividends.

However, dividends can only be paid from profits (current year or retained) and if your company is making losses, has no reserves, and you rely on income from it, you’ll either have to take more salary (costly & inefficient in tax and NI) or borrow from your company, which can also be tax inefficient depending on how you repay the debt The coronavirus has resulted in many companies seeing losses and needing to adopt salaries as the method of taking an income from their company.

In uncertain times like these it can be good advice to take as much by way of dividend as profits allow, even if you have no immediate need for the cash. What you don’t draw is simply credited to your director’s loan account and is available to be drawn when you need it.

There will be no tax payable at that time, because the dividends will be recorded and tax paid for the current tax year (i.e. when they are recorded).

Even thought this means that you are paying tax in an earlier year than would otherwise be necessary, it will almost certainly give you an overall lower tax liability than if you had to take additional salary in the problem years.

But this advice doesn’t only apply to companies facing future losses and issues. As we are all aware, the country is facing a large debt that will need to be paid over time; we all await the Chancellor’s announcements in the future and can anticipate tax rates rising.

It therefore follows that taking dividends now will almost certainly mean that you will pay tax at a lower rate than in future years; there can be a significant benefit to front ending your drawings even if it does result in tax being paid.

For tax saving tips contact us – call Marie Sheldrake, Tom Hulett or Mike Wilcox on 01225 445507

Couples must wait for a ‘no fault’ divorce as new law is delayed

The government announcement this week that the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, will be delayed by at least six months will disappoint many separated couples seeking to divorce in the most amicable way with the least impact on their children.

The Act, which was due to come into force in October 2021, will now be delayed until next April.

Chris Philp, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, described the delay as “unfortunate” but said it was “essential" government "take the time to get this right”.

Paralegal Laura Somoza said: “While we understand the importance of making sure everything is in place and appreciate that the courts must be given the necessary time to ensure a smooth process when the law is brought in, this delay will leave some couples who had been ‘waiting’ with no other option but to begin the process, citing unreasonable behaviour or adultery.

This immediately adds a contentious element into their divorce, which could have a negative impact for them and their children.”

This legislation has been a long time coming, and while this delay is frustrating at least separating couples can be certain that the option to separate amicably and minimise the emotional distress on both partners and any shared children is on its way.

If you had been waiting and would like advice on whether to start proceedings now or are wanting to separate and would like to understand how a no-fault divorce would benefit you, please speak to Laura Somoza on 01225 750000 or laura.somoza@mogersdrewett.com we are here to help.

Call Marie Sheldrake, Tom Hulett or Mike Wilcox on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting

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ARTS | BOOKS

On the diamond trail

Peter Lovesey’s award-winning series of Bath-based crime novels is 30 years old this summer. To mark the occasion, we invited Peter to retrace his journey as a writer and talk about how Bath has featured in his books

A

crowd has gathered around a silver-haired man outside the Pump Room extension. He is pointing to the balustrade along the roof. “Up there is where the gunman hid. From there he could pick off the members of the wedding party as they arrived at the abbey.”

Tourists joining the group expecting to hear the history of the abbey and its surrounds can be forgiven for wondering what this is about.

“That was in Killing with Confetti. And The Vault, inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, is located below ground on the site of the same building. Behind us is Stall Street, where Jane Austen’s Aunt Jane was arrested for shoplifting, a true incident used in the first book of the series, The Last Detective.”

By now, those tourists have realised what is happening. This is the Peter Lovesey Walking Tour, organised by Topping & Co. bookshop, introducing some of the locations featured in my Bath-based mystery novels. To be honest, I am a little uneasy myself walking the streets of Bath talking about crimes that happen only in my imagination.

Growing up in wartime Middlesex, I didn’t expect to earn a living as a writer, let alone a crime writer. I do remember that after our house was demolished by a V1 flying bomb in 1944, I had only two books to read and they belonged to my father. One was The Life of Sir Edward Marshall Hall, about the famous defence lawyer involved in the most sensational murder cases of the early 20th century. The other was Alias the Saint, a crime novel by Leslie Charteris. Short of anything else to read, I devoured them many times over and I am sure they influenced me later.

But my passion was athletics. After I was taken to see the 1948 Olympic Games in London, I dreamed of being a runner even though I was hopeless at it. Instead of competing, I became a track ‘nut’, following other people’s achievements, and writing occasional pieces for athletics magazines. Out of it eventually came a book on the history of running called The Kings of Distance.

One morning a year later I noticed an announcement in The Times about a first crime novel competition. The prize was £1000. I knew little about crime fiction. I’d read the Saint book and the Sherlock Holmes stories. My wife Jax said, “You’ve written one book. Surely you can do another. Why not use running as a background?” So I concocted a historical whodunit about wobbling, the little-known

Peter Lovesey on his walking tour of Bath

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craze for six-day races in Victorian times. We called it Wobble to Death. It was offbeat, amusing, and the gods smiled because it won the prize. When I went up to collect the cheque, the publisher asked if I’d already started the next one.

I was teaching English in a technical college, but a career in crimewriting was suddenly a possibility. I wrote four more before taking the gamble of going full-time. After the eighth, I was approached by Granada TV to adapt them for a series called Cribb. My bowler-hatted detective sergeant was played by Alan Dobie. We had the prime-time ITV slot on Sunday evenings with a regular audience of around 12 million. The show sold to America and more than 30 networks across the world. I wrote six more TV scripts with Jax as co-author.

The Bath connection I couldn’t foresee an entire career based on a Victorian crime series, so I plucked up the courage to get modern. Colin Dexter was using Oxford as a background for his Morse books, so why not choose another beautiful city as my location? Thanks to my TV income, we had moved from Surrey to the village of Westwood a few miles south of Bath. It was easy to make trips into the Spa city and imagine dirty deeds among the honey-coloured terraces and crescents.

Peter Diamond, my sleuth, worked out of the somewhat unattractive Manvers Street police station. In The Last Detective, he gets inspiration from sitting in front of the Abbey looking up at the stone

Peter Diamond’s Bath Location

Storyline

Book

Pulteney Bridge

Peril in the weir triggers a murder

The Last Detective

Former Empire Hotel

A kidnap victim only Diamond can save

The Summons

St Michael’s Church

Crime readers plotting in the crypt

Bloodhounds

Pump Room

Discovery of a link to Frankenstein

The Vault

Royal Victoria Park

His worst nightmare, murder close to home

Diamond Dust

Lansdown

A battle re-enactment goes too far

Skeleton Hill

Theatre Royal

Phobic fears and murders backstage

Stagestruck

Walcot Street

The fatal shooting of a policeman

Cop to Corpse

Michael Tippett Centre

A deadly string quartet

The Tooth Tattoo

Bath Abbey

Where the wedding sniper waits

Killing with Confetti

Great Pulteney Street

Killing at the halfmarathon

The Finisher

Francis Hotel

A private eye corners Diamond

Diamond and the Eye

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ARTS | BOOKS

Peter Lovesey

angels climbing the ladders on the West Front. But his career hasn’t really progressed. He is too independent to respect his superiors and is never promoted. The book won a major award in America and this stroppy character, meant to be a one-off, became the subject of a series.

Bath suited my stories wonderfully. Nearly everyone has visited there at some time and remembers the highs and the lows: the spectacular Royal Crescent overlooking the city; and the subterranean complex of the Roman Baths. I joined the tourists, but my thoughts were always subversive. How could a thief break into the Postal Museum and steal a Penny Black? Was there a secret way into the Roman Baths? Was it possible to hide a kidnap victim at the top of the old Empire Hotel?

I was invited to speak to a university extension group who met in the crypt of St Michael’s Church. They were the inspiration for Bloodhounds. I got in touch with the Theatre Royal staff when I wrote

Stagestruck, and they generously invited me to launch the book from the stage. After Skeleton Hill appeared, the Diamond books were picked to feature as a kind of treasure hunt known as geocaching. Bath has been good to me.

In the latest, Diamond and the Eye, I draw on two different traditions of crime-writing: the police procedural and the private eye.

Diamond finds himself in competition with a local police inspector whose office is above Shear Amazing, a hairdressing salon in Kingsmead Square. Fiction? Naturally! Johnny Getz, the Shear Amazing Sleuth, is one more liberty I have taken with my favourite city. n Peter Lovesey’s latest novel, Diamond and the Eye, £20.99, published

by Sphere, is available from all good bookshops. See peterlovesey.com for more information about Peter’s life and books.

We are a contemporary architectural practice who have between 2-5 spare workstations in our open plan office that we are looking to rent to a creative company. Based in Bear Flat, our office is modern and light.

Facilities such as our large meeting room, kitchen and garden would be shared.

There is free on-street parking 5 minutes’ walk away.

For more details please contact: rachel@hamburyhird.co.uk

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With a little imagination and careful planning, we can create lasting memories and take you back down memory lane in our delightful vehicles, which are wheelchair and equipment friendly!

Nowhere is too far, nothing is too much trouble. Come and have some fun with us! Book your dedicated Companion Driver for any and every outing, appointment or just a scenic drive

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

CNM graduate reveals the secret to glowing skin Camille Knowles, CNM Natural Chef Graduate and author

C

amille Knowles has conquered her lifelong battle with eczema through healthy and nutritious food choices. Here, she shares her story and reveals how her new book, achieved with the help of the CNM, can help others live a life beyond eczema.

“I am one of the 330 million people worldwide who have eczema. It has had a huge impact on my childhood and teenage years - right into adulthood.

I was diagnosed with the chronic skin condition at just six years old. I led a life where I would be constantly covering up my

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skin, hiding away and avoiding social occasions. The condition became so debilitating that I was hospitalised and told that there was nothing anyone could do to cure my eczema. So, I turned to my diet and attempted to manage my skin through food and drink intake. However, this obsession surrounding food took its toll on my health and instead of healing my skin, I developed a huge fear of food.

Fortunately, CNM ignited my passion for all things natural. I first completed a short course on how to make natural skincare products and later trained to become a Natural Chef. I quickly discovered that eating well and nourishing the skin from the inside and outside was a key principle in reducing my eczema symptoms. The course not only helped me fall back in love with food but the expertise and knowledge allowed me to design recipes which could benefit others too.

The Beauty of Eating Well by Camille Knowles™ is a recipe book that puts the freedom and fun back into food but with a huge focus on nutritional value. All my recipes are free from dairy, eggs, gluten and refined sugar but are full of colour, flavour and passion. The dishes created are all designed to make skin glow, not just for those with eczema but for anyone who wishes to transform dull, sensitive and dry skin.

I am so grateful to the CNM. Not only has it helped me become an eczema warrior but

the courses have helped me build a thriving business which truly helps others apply a holistic approach to living a life beyond eczema.”

Watch Camille’s story: https://www.naturalchef.com/graduateexperience-camille-knowles/

Scan the QR Code to watch a free CNM lecture

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Over 80% of graduates are practising.

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CULTURE | TECHNOLOGY

Hidden history

Postgraduate students at Bath Spa University have collaborated with BRLSI to create a pioneering app, introducing new audiences to little known histories of Bath. From Darwin to the dinosaurs, Millie Bruce-Watt discovers more...

F

rom its healing waters and medieval heritage to its social scene and stunning architecture, Bath has been attracting visitors to its streets for millennia. The city’s history is not only well-documented in our museums and galleries, but its times of prosperity and moments of tribulation are also etched into Bath’s urban fabric. For residents, these fascinating details of times gone by are easily overlooked as the old has become flush with the new.

In an attempt to change this, and introduce new audiences to these often unknown histories of Bath, a team of five postgraduate students and two tutors at Bath Spa University’s School of Design have collaborated with curators at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (BRLSI) to design a revolutionary new app.

Here is an introduction to BRLSI’s Bath Discovery Trail – an interactive walking app that takes you on a series of 90–120 minute tours around the world heritage sites, all while shining a light on the city’s hidden features and unlocking the largely unknown stories behind BRLSI’s incredible collections.

The team have designed four trails to explore – The War Crosses, On the Origin of Species, The First Meteorite and The Railway Leviathan. Each trail places one of BRLSI’s 150,000 artefacts at the centre of its narrative. Whether it be relics of the Crimean War, Leonard Jenyns’ own copy of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, a 4.2 billion-year-old meteorite, or the skull of a Jurassic steneosaurus, the local stories unfold in 12 steps. Each step reveals a new chapter, a set of simple directions and a playful picture challenge for you to complete along the way. All the trails finish at BRLSI’s home in the heart of the city, and, most impressively, the artefacts will be on display for all to witness in wonder.

“Did you know about the Jurassic creatures found here? Or that Bath was once considered the cradle of English geology?” read the opening lines on the app’s stylish homepage. My answer was an inquisitive no to all the above, and so, naturally, I was intrigued…

Hitting start On a warm summer’s day, I hit ‘start’ on Trail 2: On the Origin of Species. “Learn about one of the world’s most important scientific books through the lens of a very local friendship,” it read. “Charles Darwin spent his life gathering data based on his observations of animals and plants, which would lead to the development of the theory of evolution. This trail explores the lifelong friendship between Darwin and Leonard Jenyns, who lived here in Bath, through a correspondence that reveals a shared love for natural history and intellectual curiosity about the natural world.”

The 4km walk started at Jenyns’ Memorial Seat at Riverside Park where I read the first chapter of the story and completed the first picture challenge – “take a selfie on Jenyns’ Memorial Seat.”

Jenyns’ contribution to the intellectual life of Bath is now commemorated by this sculpture, created by Patrick Haines as a commission for Crest Nicholson as part of the new Elizabeth Park.

I was interested to learn that Haines consulted with BRLSI while preparing his design where he imagined Jenyns and Darwin sharing a seat and a conversation.

From there, the app guided me along the River Avon Walkway, where Darwin and Jenyns would have once spent many hours recording the wildlife, bonding over their discoveries. As I crossed over the river and re-joined the towpath at Churchill Bridge, the app revealed its true brilliance and drew my attention to dates carved into the stone wall. As it transpired, these were the dates of Bath’s great floods and, although this was an important chapter in Bath’s fairly recent history as the city was once plagued by deluges of biblical proportions, this fascinating feature would have been easily missed without the assistance of my smart pocket guide.

The trail continued to lead me down the river, drip-feeding me facts about the HMS Beagle’s famous voyage, which, I was amazed to learn, was originally supposed to take Jenyns around the world before he suggested that Darwin take his place.

BRLSI’s Bath Discovery Trail takes you on a series of 90120 minute tours around the city’s world heritage sites

The brilliantly illustrated Trail 2: On the Origin of Species starts at Jenyns’ Memorial Seat at Riverside Park

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CULTURE | TECHNOLOGY

See Jenyns’ original copy of On the Origin of Species, scrawled with Darwin’s handwriting at BRLSI

A walk up Bathwick Hill took me to 1 Darlington Place, Jenyns’ primary residence in 1860. Having delved so deeply into his life up until this point, it was quite astonishing to think that I was now walking in his very footsteps. A quiet stroll back down the hill lead me pass the Holburne Museum, on to Great Pulteney Street and to the house in which William Smith, ‘the father of geology’, dictated The Order of the Strata – findings which influenced the contents of Darwin’s book.

From Great Pulteney Street to the iconic Pulteney Bridge and around to the curved metal signage reading ‘The Island Club’ outside The Abbey Hotel. I was thrilled to finally discover that the mysterious stone steps taking you below street level used to take you to BRLSI’s first ever home.

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“So many people don’t know that these objects are here – BRLSI are saying we’re here, we’ve got these fantastic collections, come find out more about us

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As the app pointed me in the direction of Queen Square, and BRLSI’s current location, I passed the abbey, where the app detailed the conversations which took place between Jenyns, at this point an ordained minister of the Church of England, and Darwin, as the two discuss his scientific theory and its reception in a Christian society.

The trail ends at the steps to BRLSI. A two-hour walk felt as though it had passed in half the time. Having been so engaged in the story, it was fascinating to see Jenyns’ original copy of The Origins of Species, scrawled with Darwin’s own handwriting, alongside a letter that Jenyns had written to Darwin. What’s more it sat next to antiquities almost 4.2 billion years old. It’s difficult to appreciate just how spectacular the museum’s collection truly is.

The design process From the outset, it is clear that the app has had a great deal of care and attention poured into it. The ingenuity of the design is a testament to the talented creators and the app is without a doubt a pioneering way to learn about the city we love.

Leading the project with Visual Communications postgraduate students was Tim Vyner, professor of illustration, and Rupert Bassett, associate lecturer and graphic designer. As BRLSI looked for ways to promote its collection, the students were working on a module about connecting with local audiences. It was here that the collaboration was born – a brilliant enmeshment of knowledge and vision. However, it wasn’t until lockdown when museums were placed on a more even playing field and BRLSI began to make its collection more digitally available that the project became a proposal for an interactive app.

Postgraduate student Isabel Hurley

None of the work on the app or the exhibition would have been possible without the generous support and encouragement of the Art Fund who awarded BRLSI a grant through their Respond and Reimagine programme designed to meet the immediate challenges connected to the Covid-19 crisis and reimagine future ways of working, and the help of the M. St J Way Charitable Trust.

The project saw the introduction of new technology to BRLSI, enabling them to put their programme and collections before the public in ways previously elusive to them. Alongside the app the grants enabled them to put their world class lecture programme before the wider world by placing it online, edit and curate past talks for a new VirtualBRLSI YouTube channel, breathe life into their collections by harnessing the wonders of Google Arts, and make the entire process of downloading an app, buying a ticket, watching a video, taking up membership or finding out about in-house exhibitions such as the current one, Jurassic Ark, a whole lot easier for allowing the public to access these offerings thorough a brand new website whose sole design purpose is to make the BRLSI more friendly, futuristic and accessible.

The design process was solely in the hands of the students – Isabel Hurley, Maidei Kambarami, Edna Monteiro, Nicky Stevens and Rosie Yates, who were free to experiment with a wide range of mediums to create the desired effect. Each step of the trail is beautifully illustrated with a collage of artwork whether it be photographic, typographic, printed, drawn or digitally drawn.

“So many people don’t know that these objects are here – BRLSI are saying ‘we’re here, we’ve got these fantastic collections, come find out more about us,’” says Tim. “A lot of artwork has been generated and that’s its strength. BRLSI’s collection itself is really varied and eclectic and different, as is the artwork, so it tries to reflect the nature of the institution and the objects that we’re talking about.”

“There was a lot of imagining and bringing new Bath into what old Bath might have looked like,” says Rosie. “We wanted to make sure the stories were portrayed in the right way too – we wanted to be respectful,” adds Isabel.

What’s next?

The app is now live on both App Stores for Apple and Android. For me, however, what the future holds for this app is without a doubt just as exciting as the original concept. While in conversation with BRLSI’s curator and collection manager Matt Williams, the team spoke freely about what could be next for the app, how to incorporate more of the great museum’s collection and narratives, how to engage younger audiences, and how to add difficulty levels. It was fulfilling to witness such a creative collaboration between historians, designers and curators. The museum’s vast collection simply opens the door to endless possibilities for the future of this app. So – walk, learn, enjoy – and watch this space. brlsi.org; all photos by Nicky Stevens THEBATHMAG.CO.UK THEBATHMAG.CO.UK 2020 2010 THEBATHMAG.CO.UK | nOVeMber | january | july 2021

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BOOKS

Sunshine reads

Here are four books chosen by the team at Topping & Co. with themes of place, escape and travel. With locations from France and Florence to Shanghai and the Amazon, these are all ideas for immersive summer reads.

Small Bodies of Water by Nina Mingya Powles Review by Saskia Hayward Already the winner of the inaugural Nan Shepherd Prize, this has a hybrid form, part-memoir and partnature writing. Through swimming pools, typhoons, oceans, and rainstorms, water is the thread through which a rich tapestry of associations are born. The book traces a child’s journey to adulthood and across a map, from Borneo to Aotearoa New Zealand to Shanghai to London.

Powles’ previous work includes Forward Prize-nominated Magnolia, 木蘭, the food memoir Tiny Moons: A Year of Eating in Shanghai, and Bitter Melon 苦瓜, a small press she founded to publish poetry by Asian diaspora writers. Her concern with language is ever-present, both entangled with the politics of mixed-race identity, and in the pleasure she derives from the pure physicality of words. Here seiche waves are “like a mouthful of warm milk.”

Water for Powles is at once reassuring and unsafe, a duality that speaks of a life where the threat of a tsunami is always present. Yet her writing retains a dreamlike quality, conjured through descriptions that are luminous and rich, saturated with soft edges. Magnolia petals are “crumpled and browning at the edges, but still pink like slices of meat.” It’s a pleasure to read, revealing a world rendered as if lying in a pool looking at the sky.

Canongate, £14.99 The Gold Machine: In the Tracks of the Mule Dancers by Iain Sinclair Review by Saskia Hayward The Gold Machine is the latest book from Iain Sinclair, whose previous books, such as Lights Out For The Territory, have earned him a reputation as a chronicler of urban myth, in his signature hallucinogenic, hypnotic language.

Here he unravels the journey that took him and his daughter from Hackney to Peru, following the footsteps of his great-grandfather Arthur Sinclair, who had travelled there in 1895, crossing the Amazon on a raft in an ill-fated quest for gold.

The book is an attempt to superimpose two journeys – and two narratives – that cannot coexist. One of the Victorian Sinclair, with his voracious desire for riches, viewing the world through the lens of colonial and well-worn Boys’ Own adventure archetypes; the other of the contemporary Sinclair, to whom the violent exploitation of the land and the indigenous peoples are barefaced, documented in the stark colours of a smartphone camera.

As always with Sinclair, this revolves around the psychology of place, of how history is etched onto the land and its people, and also how, when you write about place, you are inevitably writing about yourself. Oneworld, £20 80 TheBATHMagazine

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Still Life by Sarah Winman Review by Matthew Leigh Known for her glittering debut When God Was a Rabbit, Sarah Winman has the soul of a storyteller. Still Life represents an evolution in style and scope for her. Where her previous books were neatly contained and pristinely focused, her latest novel is a wild and winding adventure through multiple decades of its eccentric cast’s lives.

Winman’s background in theatre is visible, with each scene perfectly staged, each member of its broad cast exquisitely realised. At the heart of the story is the absurdly named Ulysses Temper, though it could equally be seen as an ensemble piece, with Ulysses as the glue that keeps his elective family together.

Opening in 1944, we meet him as a young soldier, optimistic and invincible. Life carries him along, back to the tight London community he came from and then, later, to Florence. Both cities are exquisitely rendered, with Winman opting to focus largely on fleshing out the pockets of these cities in which our heroes reside. A vivid impression of place is manifested through a close, intimate perspective. The narrative winds and undulates, before crescendoing to a buoyant and optimistic finish. The characters appreciate art, music, food and literature without pretence, with effusive emotion. The ultimate victory of the novel, however, is one that is keenly felt after the past year: the joy of togetherness and community it depicts is tender and beautiful. It shows that home is never any one place, rather it’s the people we choose to spend our lives with, and those who choose to spend theirs with us. Harper Collins, £16.99 Paul by Daisy LaFarge Review by Matthew Leigh When Frances, a young graduate student, spends a summer volunteering in rural France, she hopes to re-establish her sense of self that was dislodged after a scandal drove her out of Paris. She doesn’t, however, anticipate the impact of meeting Paul, the significantly older owner of the eco farm.

Daisy Lafarge, a poet who gained recognition for her T. S. Eliotshortlisted collection Life Without Air, intelligently renders the discomfort of power imbalances, as Frances struggles with her own passivity in the face of the emotional neediness of various male figures around her. Village communities vacillate between being quaint and stifling as she finds herself caught in the current of a passion that is not her own.

The prose is minimalist, allowing room for the uneven dynamics of power between its characters to exist at a quietly discomforting volume. Tense and unsettling, Paul is as terse as a thriller but all the more unnerving thanks to its muted realism set against the serene and sunny tranquility of the French countryside.

Granta, publishes 5 August, £12.99 n Topping & Co. is hosting Iain Sinclair on 20 October in conversation with artist and author of The Vorrh trilogy, Brian Catling. toppingbooks.co.uk

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Looking down to Stanton Prior

A distant view of Bath

Stantonbury Camp walk

Andrew Swift takes an eight-mile hike through rolling countryside west of Bath, where nothing appears to have changed for years. The highlight is a stiff climb to an Iron Age hillfort enclosed by a single rampart

A

lthough the starting point of this walk is less than four miles from the city centre, for the most part it feels as though you are walking through a land that has had a spell cast over it. Nothing appears to have changed for decades – even, at some points, for centuries – and, towards the end of the walk, when you catch sight of Lansdown Crescent on a high and distant hill, it is easy to imagine how a farm labourer from generations ago might have felt, raising his head as he trudged these fields and gazed at a far-off fabled city. This immutability is the result of the land having been owned until the 1940s by the Gore Langtons of Newton Park and since then by the Duchy of Cornwall.

So development has been almost non-existent, and that gives this walk a character all its own.

The walk starts in Corston (ST695654; BA2 9AH), where parking is limited, although you should be able to find a space in Corston Lane (first turning on the left along the A4, half a mile after the Newton St Loe roundabout) but, if you do park here, park considerately. A better option is to catch the X39, which runs every 15 minutes from Bath bus station, get off at the Corston Lane stop and turn left along the lane a few metres further on.

Whichever option you take, head north along Corston Lane, cross the main road, turn right, and after 100m follow a footpath sign down the drive to Manor Farm, an extraordinarily impressive building from around 1700. After passing it, the track gets rougher, climbs uphill and leads through a gate. Carry straight on beside the fence, and, at the end of the field, go through a KG (ST695645). Turn left through another KG a little further on, passing a cascade and ignoring a KG on the right.

Cross a drive and carry on along a tarmac path which after 250m broadens into a lane. 125m further on, turn left, following a public footpath sign, and, just past a garage on the right, go through a KG and head towards Holy Trinity Church.

Carry on through the churchyard and along Newton St Loe’s main street. The school on the right dates from 1698, while Stonewalls opposite, with a large ammonite incorporated in its porch, bears the 82 THeBATHMagazine

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date 1715 on a sundial. The large building ahead, now Duchy of Cornwall offices, is the Old Rectory. Head past it, turn right at the end and right again by a thatched cottage. After another 150m, turn left to follow a public footpath sign past metal gates, across a cattle grid and along a drive. Despite signs stating dog walking is prohibited, this is a public footpath, so you are legally entitled to walk dogs along it, although as there is livestock they need to be on a short lead.

After 650m, as you approach Bath Spa University, go through a KG on the left (ST698642) and cut diagonally across the field to the left of the small building ahead. (Here, as elsewhere in this area, you may be obliged to step over a low electric fence.) After going through another KG, carry on in the direction of the waymark. To your right is Newton Park, described by Pevsner as one of Somerset’s finest 18th-century mansions, and now the centrepiece of Bath Spa University.

After passing a car park, go through a KG to carry straight on between buildings and past a walled garden. At the playing fields, bear right for 75m before continuing westward through an avenue of trees.

The small, ancient building over to your left is marked as a pumping house on old maps. A KG leads into an avenue of newly-planted trees, which crosses the course of the Wansdyke – still just about discernible – 75m along. After going through another KG, the avenue continues, but before long the land starts dropping steeply away.

Go through a KG (ST686632) to follow a path which follows and eventually crosses a brook. When you are faced with a choice of footpaths, keep straight on with the hedge on your left. A KG leads on to a lane, on the far side of which is a handgate. Go through it, head towards a church tower, and, when you come to a lane, carry on in the same direction.

This is the delightfully unmanicured village of Stanton Prior. Much of St Martin’s Church dates from the 13th century, although it was was restored by Major Davis – the architect of Bath’s Empire Hotel – in 1860. Next door is Church Farmhouse, built in 1737, while across the road is a range of old farm buildings, still used for the purposes for which they were designed.

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THE | WALK

Between Corston and Newton Park

Follow the lane as it swings right and carry on, ignoring a turning to the left. After 375m, at a T junction by Poplar Farm, turn left. A few metres further on, when the lane forks, go through a wooden KG by the six-bar gate ahead (ST678631) and walk up a large field. At the top, bear right through a gap in the hedge and turn left to carry on uphill alongside the hedge. At the top, turn right along the edge of the field for 100m, before turning left through a KG to climb a path through woods to Stantonbury Camp. This Iron Age hillfort, enclosed by a single rampart is one of Somerset’s strangest ancient sites. It is also one of the least visited, partly because of the difficulty of getting here, but mainly because the far-reaching views it once commanded are hidden by trees.

The chances are you will have this elevated spot, totally cut off from the outside world, and holding who knows what ancient secrets, to yourself. It seems very much the sort of place that would have fired the imagination of M.R. James.

From here, retrace your steps down through the woods and the first field. When you come to the next field, however, instead of heading back down to Poplar Farm, turn left alongside the hedgerow – making sure you keep to the right of it.

At the end, go through a KG and turn left along a lane (ST679635).

A row of enormous tree trunks, 175m along, marks the place where the

Wansdyke crosses the lane. After another 600m, follow a footpath sign on the right up a couple of steps and through a broken KG (ST677643).

As you head east – with the hedge on your left – Lansdown Crescent and the tower of St Stephen’s Church come into view ahead. To the right of it are Bathampton Down and Bath University, while over to your left is Kelston Round Hill.

After 600m, the path crosses a footbridge over a ditch before continuing alongside it. Just past a barn, continue through a KG, and, at the next KG, carry on along the top of the field with the hedge on your left and a view across to Newton Park.

Continue through a KG, and as Kelston Round Hill comes into view, you will see Kelston House nestling beneath it. After going through another KG, the stony track swings left, the tower of Corston church appears ahead, and all that remains is to go through a final gate and retrace your steps to the starting point. n

Fact file

n Distance: 8 miles n No facilities on route

n Level of challenge: Generally straightforward, although the ascent and descent of Stantonbury Hill needs to be taken with care. n Map: OS Explorer 155 More on the details of this and many more walks can be found in Andrew Swift’s Country Walks from Bath, published by Akeman Press; akemanpress.com.

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OUTDOOR | LEISURE

The great outdoors

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need, said Cicero. We reckon a garden is more important right now, and here are some ideas to furnish it to heighten the summer experience and create a rewarding garden room.

Morsø Forno at Kindle Stoves Fulbrook Small Window Mirror This simple Scandi-inspired design is ideal for creating the illusion of more space and light, featuring a powder-coated stainless steel finish, perfect for indoors and out. 100 x 70 x 3cm, £150. Order from grahamandgreen.co.uk

You can now make outdoor life more comfortable, more beautiful, more exclusive and exciting.

Morsø Forno is much more than a grill – and using the Forno you will be able to create tasty and versatile dishes. Now you can experience for yourself how easily delicious food can be produced – from juicy steaks to smoked salmon, homemade crispy pizzas or delicious lamb steaks. Morso provide a "white glove delivery service". On delivery of the item, the product will be assembled and put together and all packaging will be taken away. Ready to cook! £999.

Visit: kindlestoves.co.uk

St Ives Ships Light This St Ives Ships Light will add instant style to your outdoor space.

Hot dipped in molten zinc, it has a galvanised finish that ensures protection against the toughest of elements. A great outdoor light that casts a warm glow around the garden. £50. Order from grahamandgreen.co.uk

Extreme Lounging B-Bags Extreme Lounging’s fabulous B-Bags are just the thing for lounging around at home or in the garden. Just relax and enjoy yourself, and don’t fret about moving heavy garden furniture and doing your back in, as these B-Bags are lightweight and have a sturdy rubber handle for carrying. You can choose from an array of cheerful colours, and they are easy to keep clean being made from easy-to-clean Polyurethane fabric. What’s more, Extreme Lounging are a British company, and make every single B-bag at their factory in Yorkshire, so you will be helping the economy while chilling in the sun. TR Hayes have a good range of Extreme Lounging’s B-Bags – the Mini (for kids), Mighty (for grown ups) and Monster (for when you want to snuggle together). At the moment Mini’s are £59, the Mighty starts from £89, and the Monster is £135. Visit: trhayes.co.uk

Woven wirework

by Garden Requisites Garden Requisites is a Bath-based company producing handmade, high quality products for the garden and home. Everything is designed inhouse and made in their workshops. Woven wirework is a speciality, including trellis panel, arches, window boxes and authentic nursery fireguards. Visit: garden-requisites.co.uk or call 01225 851577 or visit the company’s Batheaston showrooms.

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THE

KI TC HEN PAR TNER S DESIGN STUDIO

www.thekitchenpartners.co.uk 102 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2QY 01179 466433

Founders and Lead Designers - Fiona & Clinton

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MARDAN, BATH’S BESPOKE REMOVALS AND STORAGE COMPANY, DEVELOPS NEW TALENT

Mardan have a wealth of experience within the removals and storage industry, spanning over 30 years, ensuring customers have a stress-free and seamless move. Mardan are family run and bespoke with the experience, knowledge, skills, equipment and capacity to complete removals of any size; locally, nationally for domestic or commercial customers.

Marcus, Mardan’s founder, has always held fast, with confidence, to his belief that he can deliver a high standard of removals, exceeding that of his competitors.

Marcus knows to do this he must have trust and confidence in the skills of his staff, which he does. So when a new office position was required within Mardan instead of recruiting externally Marcus looked to develop a team member which he already had extreme confidence in and who he knew would develop into the role seamlessly, Nik. The role would include; liaising with customers, completing quotes, emailing quotes, planning the removals diary, logistics and managing the storage yard. Nik, had worked with Marcus within removals for over 10 years having a strong knowledge of all aspects of removals and with the skills necessary to lead a team from Mardan on removals. Nik has risen to the challenge and is thriving. Marcus and Nik work extremely well as a team thus ensuring all customers have a personalised service and a positive move experience. Both Marcus and Nik enjoy completing the physical removal and Marcus truly believes that to do the ‘office’ role well it’s important to continue to complete removals, thus maintaining the in depth knowledge developed throughout their earlier careers. Marcus and Nik are able to be flexible with their roles and keep their ‘hand in’ the hard physical work of removals.

Mardan continue to grow their self-storage facility, offering safe, secure and reasonable storage to upward of 100 domestic and commercial customers.

Elly’s Wellies

Garden Designs

“We used Mardan following a recommendation from a friend. They moved us in and out of storage and then into our renovated house. I would highly recommend them. The service was super efficient and the guys were quick, polite and courteous. Nothing was too much trouble and all of our possessions arrived safe and sound” Emma Webster, Moon Client

Turning your ideas into beautiful spaces Elly’s Wellies Garden Designs will help you maximise the potential of your outdoor space and tailor it to your individual needs. Whether you are looking for a complete garden redesign, or just need advice on what to plant in a border, Elly’s Wellies will be happy to help.

For a free initial consultation, contact Elly West

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL MOVERS • PACKERS • STORERS • SHIPPERS

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www.ellyswellies.co.uk ellyswellies@gmail.com 07788 640934

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GARDENING

Making an entrance

A front garden can make all the difference to your home. Elly West explains why a well-designed, well-kept front garden increases a property’s saleability, and creates important wildlife corridors

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If the pond had been in their back garden, they probably wouldn’t look at it half as often

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his morning I visited a client whose front garden I designed last year. It’s starting to come into its own now, with areas of meadow, gravel, plenty of plants, a few trees and space for a car, plus a beautiful round pond just outside the front door. It’s not a huge space, but works effectively and while it’s unusual to have a pond in a front garden, chatting to my client made me rethink the importance of front gardens.

Our front gardens provide the first impression of our home. They welcome visitors and are seen and walked through every time we arrive and leave. They also provide a view from the ground-floor windows.

As my client commented, if the pond had been in the back garden, they probably wouldn’t look at it half as often as they do – it’s visible each time they go anywhere and with young children in the house, it’s somewhere to stop and investigate every day after school, to spot dragonflies and (in early June when I was there) a multitude of wriggling, fat tadpoles in the shallows.

A well-designed and well-kept front garden can increase a property’s saleability, with buyers judging a house by its frontage before they’ve stepped inside. First impressions definitely count. “A nice front garden makes a massive difference,” explains assistant manager Scott Higgins, at Debbie Fortune Estate Agents. “People often do drive-bys before they book a viewing and if the garden looks welcoming and looked after, it indicates a happy, friendly home.” Although reluctant to put a percentage figure on the difference to property value, he adds, “The difference between a messy front garden and a nice one could add £10,000 or more, depending on the property. I’m always very honest and will tell clients to sort out the front garden if necessary, and add

some colour. Palms are very popular, and acers as they make a statement.”

While there’s no doubt that off-street parking is highly desirable in estate agents’ and buyers’ eyes, ramping up the asking price, it doesn’t have to take over the whole space, or be installed to the detriment of wildlife. Front gardens make important habitats and wildlife corridors for bees, butterflies and other small beneficial creatures, so if you don’t have much room, include some large planted container displays or just a window box or two. Mori polls commissioned by the Royal Horticultural Society in 2005 and 2015 revealed that three times as many front gardens had been paved over during that 10-year interval, causing problems with flash-flooding and water run-off, as well as loss of wildlife habitats. So if you are introducing somewhere to park your car, then consider gravel or permeable bricks, and keep hard surfaces to a minimum.

As well as benefitting wildlife, a container brimming with colourful plants is an instant way to create a warm welcome and smarten up your entrance, and it’s easy to ring the changes through the seasons. While

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GARDENING it’s good to include plants for seasonal interest in any garden, it’s perhaps more important at the front, seen all year round. It’s also very achievable in interchangeable pots. Winter pansies, skimmia, ivy and cyclamen are good options for winter containers, while in summer you’re spoilt for choice with the trays of bedding plants on offer in garden centres, market stalls and supermarkets, suitable for creating a vibrant potted display.

Alternatively you might want something more formal and permanent, such as some evergreen structural shrubs. A couple of topiary bay trees or box balls either side of a doorway, or a neatly clipped box hedge never seems to fall out of fashion. Likewise, you can’t go too wrong with a lavender-lined path leading to the front door if you have a south- or west-facing plot. Climbing plants on a wall are a good option, particularly if you don’t have much room as they’ll maximise your vertical space. A wisteria, climbing rose, honeysuckle or star jasmine will all provide a gorgeous waft of sweet fragrance as you enter and leave your house.

If you’re considering redesigning your front garden, think about the materials you want and their colours. It’s perhaps more important at the front that it ties in with the materials and colours of the house exterior, as it’s so close and will be seen as a whole package. A path should take the most direct route to the front door if you don’t want visitors and delivery people cutting across a lawn or border to make their journey shorter.

Think, too, about storage. Do you need space for bins and recycling, or bikes? Some options will improve the space more than others – a wooden store with a green roof is going to create an attractive feature in a way that a metal lock-up, or a haphazard clutter of bins won’t. If there’s room, it’s also nice to include seating.

When my children were younger they played on the communal space at the front of my house, and a bench provided the perfect spot to keep an eye on their antics while soaking up the evening sun and watching the world go by. It also makes the garden feel more sociable. Lighting is also a way to spruce up the front of your house

Plant of the month: Mexican daisies Mexican daisies (Erigeron karvinskianus) are spilling over walls in front gardens everywhere at the moment, and will carry on doing so well into autumn, which is one of the reasons that I love them.

They start in May and produce their pink and white daisy flowers in abundance with no need for deadheading or any kind of maintenance, save for chopping them back when their work is done and they retire for winter. They’re perennials, so will rev into gear again with the first signs of summer. Erigeron self-seeds prolifically, but is easy to pull out if it starts to take over. As mentioned, these lowgrowing plants are ideal for trailing over the edges of walls and containers, or at the front of a border where they’ll spill on to the path.

They also suit gravel gardens. I love the way the white flowers fade through different shades of pink as they age, giving that cheerful, multi-tone effect.

both for practicality and security, but also to add to the welcoming ambience. I noticed last year that lots of people left their Christmas lights out for longer than they usually might, perhaps because we all needed a bit of frivolity and a boost at that time, and I’m all for a few fairy lights twisted in a tree whatever the time of year. n • ellyswellies.co.uk; Instagram: @ellyswellies1

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the directory Electricians

to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499 Holiday Rental

60+ luxury properties for lets 2 nights to 5 months Holidays – For business – Friends & family – Temporary accommodation during renovation/relocation Contact: 01225 482 225 alexa@bathholidayrentals.com www.bathholidayrentals.com Providing 4 & 5 star self-catering properties since 2006

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MOBILITY

We Sell All The Top Brands New and Reconditioned Scooters Great Prices!

We Supply Stairlifts To Buy Or Rent Free Delivery And Home Visits Telephone: 07758 720059 www.topsteermobility.com (Mention this ad for £100 off any new scooter bought from us) Your Local Friendly Mobility Team!

House & Home

Jewellery

Nigel Dando WE BUY Gold, Silver & Platinum in any form or condition.

Nigel Dando 11 Pulteney Bridge, Bath BA2 4AY Tel/Fax: 01225 464013 www.nigeldando.co.uk

Email: annadesign@btinternet.com

IS AVAILABLE TO PICK UP FOR FREE AT

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PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

A Grade II listed 5 bedroom detached barn converted to a very high specification with the benefit of a good sized front and rear garden, ample garaging and parking, within approximately a 15 minute drive from the city centre of Bath.

Porch Barn is set within a select gated development of period properties converted by Ashford Homes approximately 4 years ago. It was formally the main barn. It is detached with wonderful well-proportioned accommodation throughout and is beautifully appointed and maintained.

It features high apex ceilings in certain areas with exposed beams, in particular a wonderful entrance hall with a oak staircase climbing to a galleried landing. In addition to the main sitting room and open dining room there is a further separate TV room and a particular wellappointed kitchen/breakfast room with high quality fitments.

All the bathrooms and shower rooms are fitted to a high standard, with Villeroy & Bosch sanitary ware together with Hansgrohe fitments throughout. All of the bedrooms are of a generous size, the 5th bedroom on the ground floor could be utilized as a study or additional reception room.

Externally the property has good sized front and rear gardens which are true sun traps and in particular the rear garden which is west/south facing and benefits from not only sun most of the day but also from the most stunning sunsets as the property occupies an elevated position.

This is a very special property and to fully appreciate it a viewing is recommended by the sole agents Cobb Farr.

Uplands Farm, Burnett • Converted barn with superb period features • Detached 5 bedrooms • Well-proportioned accommodation • High Specification • 5 miles from Bath • Large garage and ample parking • Good sized front and rear gardens • Underfloor heating throughout

OIEO £1,150,000

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

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Barton Orchard, Bradford on Avon £675,000

An attractive 4 bedroom Edwardian semi-detached house situated in a quiet residential area with views across open countryside and easy access to the town and Barton Farm Country Park.

• Edwardian townhouse over 3 floors

• 4 bedrooms and 2 reception rooms

• First floor access to private roof terrace

• Wonderful views towards Barton Farm Country Park

01225 333332 | 01225 866111

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Batheaston, Bath

OIEO £500,000

A charming 3 bedroom Grade II listed Georgian artisan cottage retaining a wealth of period detail and enjoying stunning panoramic elevated views to the rear over Bathampton Meadows.

• 4 storey Grade II listed building • Natural slate flooring • South facing garden

• Decked sun terrace

01225 333332 | 01225 866111

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Bailbrook Lane, Bath A stunning development of two individual, contemporary, luxury homes in a secluded setting with magnificent views.

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SALES

PARK STREET - £775,000

WOODLAND GROVE - £1,200,000

4 double bedrooms | 2 receptions | 1 bathroom

4 bedrooms | 2 reception rooms | 2 bathrooms

DOWNSIDE CLOSE - £625,000 (SSTC) 4 bedrooms | 1 bathroom | 2 reception rooms | Kitchen | Garden | Garage

CLIFF COTTAGE - £550,000 (SOLD) 2 bedrooms | 1 bathroom | 2 reception rooms | Garden | Kitchen

HOLCOMBE VALE - £550,000 (SALE AGREED) 4 bedrooms | 2 bathrooms | 3 reception rooms | Kitchen/dining | Garden

IVY COTTAGE - £775,000 3 bedrooms | 2 reception rooms | Kitchen/dining room | Annex

For Sales or Letting Properties contact us on 01225 829000 bath@winkworth.co.uk WINKWORTH BATH bath@winkworth.co.uk 13 Argyle Street, Bath, Somerset BA2 4BQ Follow us on

Matthew Leonard

Lucy McIlroy

Denise Latham

Director

Director

Lettings Manager

Central

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Pulteney Avenue, Bath, BA2 Offers in excess of £500,000

01225 809 571

This end of terrace, period home is situated in the Widcombe area of central Bath. The property offers an entrance porch and hall with period arch. Bay fronted lounge, dining room, breakfast room and kitchen. There is an impressive 15’9 x 15’4 bay fronted master bedroom, two further double bedrooms and shower on the first floor. Offered with vacant possession. Energy Efficiency Rating: TBC

central@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Camden

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Brooklyn Road, Bath, BA1 £375,000

A beautifully refurbished, period home in Larkhall. The property is presented to a high standard with period fireplaces in the principle rooms and bi-folding doors to the kitchen / dining room, which opens out onto a long, lawned garden. Two double bedrooms on the first floor with the master having views to Solsbury Hill and an en-suite wc. The property also benefits from two off street parking spaces. Offered with vacant possession. Energy Efficiency Rating: D

01225 809 868 camden@andrewsonline.co.uk

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23/06/2021 10:56

Newbridge Andrewsonline.co.uk SOLD STC

Upper Bristol Road, Bath, BA1 £295,000

This apartment is in a private, gated develpoment and ideal for first time buyers or investors. Featuring an open-plan kitchen, dining room and sitting room - with private balcony overlooking the river - it has two double bedrooms, with the master en-suite, and there’s an additional bathroom. Plus the added benefit of a secure garage.

Energy Efficiency Rating: C

01225 809 685 newbridge@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Bear Flat

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Wells Road, Bath, BA2 Guide price £650,000

This is a 5 bedroom, two bathroom, period gem situated close to the city centre. Featuring versatile accomodation arranged over three floors, it has a living room, study, dining room, kitchen, utility and bathroom on the lower ground floor and four bedrooms on the ground found floor and a fifth bedroom on the first floor.

Energy Efficiency Rating: TBC

01225 805 680 bearflat@andrewsonline.co.uk

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