The Bath Magazine July 2023

Wool is…

• Naturally insulating

• Hard-wearing

• Easy to care for

• Sustainable

• Hypoallergenic

• Fire resistant

• Available in a wide variety of colours and patterns

FROM THE EDITOR

Summer cooking implies a sense of immediacy, a capacity to capture the essence of the fleeting moment.” Melissa Blease quotes Elizabeth David in her review of Circus Restaurant on page 48, which served Melissa with mouthwatering fare including “glistening River Fowey mussles complemented by a softly fiery chorizo and red onion cream sauce”.I’m also applying this sentiment to The Gaff, which gives intensity to those fleeting moments in its new restaurant in Bath, serving precociously beautiful and delicious small plates (see page 52). Yes, we’ve been eating a fair bit this month, and there’s more, because I also visited Iford Manor Gardens where there is a restaurant and café that draws the vast majority of its food and drink from the produce in its kitchen garden, the apples growing on its trees, and the livestock grazing on its land, not to mention the use of a resident ‘mother sourdough’ that needs constant feeding. See page 54 for the full story.

We are dazzled by two exhibitions this month at opposite ends of the spectrum. The first is Lucie Rie: The Adventure of Pottery, which opens at the Holburne on 14 July, and on page 30 we have an excerpt from a book that pays homage to the Austrian-born Rie’s legendary, elegant, timeless work in ceramics. The second is Brick America: An Adventure in LEGO ® Bricks, which is at the American Museum & Gardens from 22 July. I spoke to artist in bricks Warren Elsmore (page 42), who has created models representing America for the show, and once built a model ship that was 12 metres long.

Also this month we have the latest interior trends from Milan Design Week from John Law (page 70); Melissa Blease talks to Rebecca Birch who is starring in Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party at the Theatre Royal (Page 18); and I find out about modern pentathlon and laser run, and the world championships in Bath this August (page 60).

Don’t forget capture your fleeting moments this month, in food or otherwise...

Front cover image: Statue of Liberty created by Warren Elsmore for the Brick America LEGO ® Exhibition at the American Museum and Gardens.

Yes we love them both and what a treat to have these great theatrical figures and old friends, Sir Ian McKellan and Roger Allam, come to Bath to star in Frank and Percy in the National Premiere of Ben Weatherill’s play. Frank and Percy is a poignant and witty take on the unexpected relationship that blossoms between two men. Ever seen a couple of old boys on a park bench and wondered what they are chatting about? In his play Ben Weatherill lets us overhear Frank and Percy as they discuss the weather, then their dogs and then each other and so much more. Will the widowed schoolteacher and the elder statesman dare to risk changing their lives, or let sleeping dogs lie?

Old friends, three-time Olivier Award winner Roger Allam, and one of our greatest stage and screen actors, Sir Ian McKellen, re-unite with director Sean Mathias, for this witty, poignant two-hander.

Frank and Percy is at Theatre Royal Bath from 25 July –5 August.

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Roger and Ian do Frank and Percy

Emma Clegg, Editor

THINGS TO DO IN JULY 5

Experience the city

Get lost in music

The Amadeus Orchestra returns to the Wiltshire Music Centre on 20 July, bringing their infectious playing with them. The orchestra will present a dazzling programme of Bernstein and Shostakovich, and will open with the effervescent overture to Candide. The Symphonic Dances, a selection of all the best tunes from West Side Story, brings the music of Broadway into the concert hall, followed by a finale of Shostakovich’s triumphant Fifth Symphony.

“One of the finest orchestras of its kind in the world” (BBC Radio 4) amadeusorchestra.co.uk/concerts

Celebrate the south west

On 27 July at 7.30pm SALTLINES is playing in Christ Church in Julian Road. This is an inspiring prose and music collaboration between bestselling author Raynor Winn (The Salt Path) and folkroots supergroup The Gigspanner Big Band, featuring some of the biggest names on the folk scene. Together they celebrate the beauty, stories, and traditions of the South West Coast Path. This is an unmissable experience for anyone who appreciates beautiful words, inspiring music, and above all cherishes the history of Britain’s coastline and the common threads that bind its fragile communities and wildlife.

bathboxoffice.org.uk/whats-on/saltlines/about

For the 3rd year running, Bath Business Improvement District (BID) will be running Summer Sundays, inviting local families into the city centre with free family-friendly outdoor activities and events. It will run every Sunday throughout July and August.“Our Summer Sundays programme is designed to encourage local families and visitors to make the most of Bath as a vibrant city for all”, explains Allison Herbert, CEO of Bath BID. Enjoy the return of favourites, including a free balloon show and face painting, music and performances, and workshops and craft activities. Also, discover brand new activities, including the ‘How much is that Doggie in the Window’ trail through the city, and the first ever Bath Safari Choir. welcometobath.co.uk/summer-sundays

Get Carnival fever

The annual Bath Carnival takes place on 8 July with an extra-special line-up for its ten year aniversary. The event will bring together a breadth of different people from communities across Bath in a celebration of creativity and culture. This year’s theme, Elements of Nature, will be an explosion of colour while also raising discussions about important environmental topics. The carnival is a truly inclusive free party, designed and delivered for the people, by the people. The event takes place from 10am–10pm in Sydney Gardens, and the procession lasts from 3pm–5.30pm, followed by an afterparty at Komedia from 10.30pm–late. bathcarnival.co.uk

Build and play

From 22 July –31 December, The American Museum & Gardens presents Brick America: An Adventure in LEGO® Bricks. The off-the-scale, super-fun, creative exhibition celebrates your favourite icons from across the USA and invites you to build and play. Brick America also features build stations, a LEGO bricks graffiti wall, and even a chance for visitor creations to be a part of the Brick America Hall of Fame gallery.

The exhibition launches with the 3-day Big Build event from 22–24 July, where you’re invited to help create a giant model of the Hollywood Sign. From little builders to serious LEGO experts, everyone is sure to love Brick America. americanmuseum.org/brick-america

The cityist

Insect of the month by Marian Hill

MY BATH Saskia Heijltjes

Born in the Netherlands, Saskia Heijltjes is Content Editor at Cycle Sprog, the Bicycle Mayor of Bath and Green Party Councillor representing her local community in Lambridge

Name: British beetle/Rhagonycha fulva

Also called Common Red Soldier Beetle Length 8–10mm

This little beetle is very helpful. It eats garden pests such as aphids, slugs and snails. It is also a pollinator of some flowers. Found on open flowers such as daisies, cow parsley and hogweed.

See more of Marian’s insects at buzzandscuttle.com

Get closer to the action

Do you love theatre? Then join Theatre Royal Bath's 1805 club to get closer to the action than ever before.

Book your tickets before the general public, relax in the beautifully refurbished 1805 Rooms and get invited back after the show to share a drink with the company. The strength of the membership allows the theatre to keep making ambitious, industry-leading work; engaging thousands of young people every year and preserving their iconic, historic building.

Visit theatreroyal.org.uk to become an 1805 member today.

What brought you to the UK from The Netherlands? Love brought me, because I followed my boyfriend at the time to Edinburgh in 2007. He wanted to do a PhD there and we decided to take the leap. We stayed there for four years, got married in the Scottish Lowlands and moved to Bath in 2012. Unsurprisingly, Bath turned out to be a good place in terms of job opportunities for me and to start a family. I like living in a small city, with green spaces all around us.

You were recently elected to represent Lambridge as Green Party Councillor, along with Councillor Joanna Wright. Why is Lambridge so directed towards green issues? Lambridge has a strong community and local people see that Cllr Joanna Wright and I are involved in our community and advocating for them. In May Lambridge saw the highest voter turnout in all of B&NES.

How do you make a difference as a councillor? I listen to local residents and support them with local issues as well as pushing green issues in council and holding the Lib Dems to account.We need a wide range of people represented in local and national politics but the average age of councillors in England is 60. As a working parent of school-aged children, I bring in a different perspective and show that local decision-making is by and for everyone.

Explain your connection with bikes...

In the Netherlands most people cycle for everyday journeys, and so did I. When I moved abroad I just kept cycling, because it’s cheap, reliable and fun. My passion kicked in when I noticed cycling is not seen as an option by many because of the lack of safe cycling infrastructure. I believe we need to introduce this to enable everyone who wants to take up cycling to do so. My vision is for all secondary school children to be able to walk or cycle to school independently.

in a safe environment. With a group of amazing volunteers, we’ve organised regular rides since. We’ve even ridden in the rain, and it turned out no one was made of sugar and no one melted (Dutch saying)!I applied to become the first Bicycle Mayor of Bath in October 2021. I was then named ‘cycle influencer’ on Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling in 2022. Such an honour!

You have a Bsc in Cognitive Artificial Intelligence. Why was this your choice? I wanted to find a challenging course with a small cohort that combined science and maths. The course spanned several departments, from psychology to linguistics and computer science to philosophy. I’m not very impressed with the progress made in terms of AI in the past 20 years. We certainly don’t seem to be using it yet to solve any of the current pressing problems we are facing.

Tell us about your work in web and content development. One of my first jobs as a teenager was writing html code for websites and I’ve been fascinated with websites ever since. Breaking down complex information into plain English is one of the things I like to do most and this is a useful skill to have as a Councillor. As a non-native speaker, I’m aware of the need to provide information in a way that everyone can understand.

What are some of your favourite green spaces in Bath? We have an electric cargo bike to carry our two children (when my eldest doesn’t use her bike). The canal towpath is a favourite and it’s our route to school, so coming home usually involves wandering along the canal and looking at the ducks and swans. Little Solsbury is the best place for a walk close to Lambridge, with amazing views over Bath.

Ammi majus (Queen Anne’s Lace), Cosmos, Gaura,

You are the Bicycle Mayor of Bath. What does this involve? When a plan to enable more people to walk and cycle was ditched by the Council in 2021, I decided to take action and organised a Kidical Mass. This is a protest group cycle ride, with people of all ages and abilities. It is a joyous form of protest, with children cycling through town

What are your ideas about solving Bath’s traffic problems? We need measures to cut congestion and improve air quality including school streets, better pedestrian crossings and pavements, 20mph speed limits in residential areas, better buses, residents’ parking zones, safe cycle routes along main roads, and a workplace parking levy.

Twitter: @saskiaheijltjes; Facebook: kidicalmassbath

Ralph Fiennes in Four Quartets at Theatre Royal Bath

City updates

Garden inspiration for the Dyson Cancer Centre

The new Dyson Cancer Centre at Royal United Hospitals, due to open this autumn, is now in its final stages of construction and fitting out. The use of natural light, external spaces, greenery and artwork are all known to have a positive effect on healing and patient experience and have been incorporated into the design. Artist Kate Bond has drawn inspiration from the concept of the garden design (which is still at an early stagei) for her art commission in the Chemotherapy Suite. She has brought a sense of the ‘Green Heart Garden’ into the clinical environment of the Cancer Centre, drawing inspiration from other beautiful gardens in our region, including Piet Oudolf’s ‘Field’ at Hauser & Wirth. The artwork was printed onto SDS wall protection panels, in keeping with this highly clinical environment. Kate needed to consider many other details, including clinical equipment and patient treatment chairs. It was agreed that the themes should reflect the changing seasons from spring to autumn and cover a large wall area of the main chemo suite, plus five single treatment rooms.

The centre is funded in part by a £4m donation from The James Dyson Foundation and will open towards the end of the year. artatruh.org

New Programme Director

The University of Bristol has welcomed a new Programme Director for its part-time MSc Strategy, Change and Leadership course at the Business School. Dr Rushana Khusainova, SFHEA, Lecturer in Marketing, will be leading the 11th cohort of executive students for the practical master’s programme.

The part-time MSc Strategy, Change and Leadership is for mid-career to senior leaders and managers who want to progress further in their career, seek promotion, change industry or career pathway or start their own business. The programme is designed with busy working professionals in mind, enabling students to gain a Masters degree alongside their full-time job.

Programme Manager Cheralyn Baines-Dark says: “We are delighted to welcome Rushana as Programme Director to our executive part-time MSc Strategy, Change and Leadership. Excellent leadership is vital when facing a challenging and uncertain future, and organisations from all industries recognise the importance of investing in their future leaders and managers by developing their management and leadership teams in unpredictable times. This practical master’s degree offers value for money and will offer a return on investment from day one.”

For more information, and to sign up to the programme, visit: bristol.ac.uk/strategy-change-leadership-2023

Frome Festival returns

From 7–16 July Frome will come alive with music, art and culture as the Frome Festival returns for its 22nd year. With over 200 events taking place across 10 days, the festival aims to celebrate the best of Frome, with events and activities taking place in so many places and spaces across the town –from venues and galleries to pubs and parks.

Headliners include a stellar comedy line-up starring Miles Jupp and Sophie Duker; big music acts including Asian Dub Foundation and Newton Faulkner; fascinating talks including John Hegley, who presents Biscuits of Destiny; and celebrated historian William Dalrymple, who will give this year’s annual Bob Morris lecture.

Popular fixtures of the festival return including the Hidden Gardens, Open Art Trail and the famous Festival Food Feast. From the traditional opening procession by the Street Bandits to a great selection of bands on the outdoor stage, enjoy fantastic music throughout the evening and sample foods from around the world. Get the full listings and book tickets at fromefestival.co.uk

Get active to help the homeless

Local charity

Julian House is giving you two chances to step up for homeless and vulnerable people. First of all there’s the brand new cycling event The Bath Beast, where Julian House has joined forces with Pulse Events to challenge hundreds of cyclists. It takes place on Sunday 17 September and features three incredible routes. The 100mile (160km) and 70-mile (112km) distances are both designed to challenge the most dedicated of riders and the 25-mile (40km) route will provide a fantastic opportunity for cyclists wanting to discover the undulating hills around Bath. With three feed stations along the way, riders will receive a finisher’s medal with food and refreshments available when they arrive back at the Bath Racecourse. Tickets are available from £30. Participants are encouraged to raise sponsorship so that Julian House can support more people who have fallen into difficult circumstances. To find out more visit julianhouse.org.uk

There’s also the 20-mile Circuit of Bath Walk, which since its inception in 2001 has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Julian House to support homeless and vulnerable people across the south west. This year’s event takes place on Sunday 24 September. Participants will walk a circular route that takes in stunning views overlooking the historic city, including the gorgeous vistas from Little Solsbury Hill and South Stoke Millennium Viewpoint. The charity is also thrilled to announce a new partnership with Achieve Breakthrough, sponsors of this year’s walk, who already have a long-standing relationship with Julian House. Tickets £10 adults, £5 child, £22 family. For further information and tickets visit circuitofbathwalk.co.uk

From Hong Kong to Bath

The Museum of East Asian Art in Bath is delighted to celebrate its 30th anniversary with the exhibition From Hong Kong to Bath: A Lifelong Journey of Collecting from 28 June 2023 until June next year. Through a series of rare historical photographs and a display of 30 treasures from its collection, this exhibition uncovers hidden stories of the museum, looks at the fascinating life of the late museum founder, and acknowledges the contribution of communities in Hong Kong and Bath which have shaped the museum.

The Museum was founded by Brian Shane McElney OBE (1932–2023), who passed away

on 26 April. McElney enjoyed a successful career as a prominent lawyer in Hong Kong, and devoted himself to collecting and studying East and Southeast Asian art. He had a specific focus on Chinese art, collecting all types of objects ranging from Neolithic (circa. 7000-1700 BC) painted pottery and Ming dynasty (1368-1644) blue and white porcelain, to Qing dynasty (1644-1912) bamboo carvings and 20th-century watercolour paintings. The majority of his collection was sourced from antique shops and auctions between the 1950s and 1990s, a time when the Hong Kong art market flourished and new art museums and collecting societies were established.

McElney surrounded himself with knowledgeable Chinese art connoisseurs, learning from collectors, dealers and scholars in the field. He in turn contributed to the Hong Kong art scene by acting as an advisor to public museums and cofounding the prestigious Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong in 1974. After his retirement to the UK, McElney founded the Museum in Bath in a restored Georgian

townhouse, enabling the wider public to enjoy his collection.

This anniversary exhibition pays tribute to McElney’s lifelong dedication to the study and promotion of East and Southeast Asian Art, and considers the wider legacy of the Museum as it looks forward to the next 30 years ahead.

Museum of East Asian Art, 12 Bennett Street, Bath; meaa.org.uk

ABOVE: Founder Brian McElney at the Museum of East Asian Art in the 1990s;

FAR LEFT: Cloisonné enamel tripod censer, Qing dynasty, Qianlong mark and period (1736–95);

LEFT: Jade carving of a boy holding a cat, Early Ming dynasty (1368-1550) or earlier.

Both images © Museum of East Asian Art

Hey Duggee with Bath local Benedict Seeking new talent in Bath

Former Prior Park College student Benedict Hastings is returning to Bath in the summer, starring in the Olivier Awardwinning production Hey Duggee The Live Theatre Show (Best Family Show 2023).

Ben stars in the production in the dual role of Duggee (awoof) and the Narrator, the latter of which is voiced by Alexander Armstrong. Benedict has previously starred in Zog, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies

Duggee, the Squirrels and some of their friends star in the musical play that is coming to the Theatre Royal from 9–12 August, which is packed with non-stop fun, laughs, music, singing and dancing. This is the first-ever stage adaptation of the hugely popular CBeebies series, which brings Duggee and friends to life through extraordinary puppetry and storytelling, which is touring to theatres across the UK until August this year.

Hey Duggee The Live Theatre Show is presented by awardwinning theatre producer Kenny Wax and theatre and live entertainment promoters Cuffe and Taylor in association with Live Nation.

Tickets are available at heyduggeelive.com and theatreroyal.org.uk

Stardom Films is an entertainment company with an exciting new production model, which fully embraces and encourages new talent, giving people a real chance to get a start in the film industry, regardless of age or experience, offering a range of supporting roles both in front of and behind the camera.

The first film is to be made in August right here in Bath, where the producer Jonathan Willis has lived for years. One Night In Bath is a romantic comedy (Notting Hill meets Love Actually) which evokes heartfelt emotions while telling a romantic story via laughs (and a few tears) along the way. Beyond this, Stardom Films will be making movies all over the world, and is already planning a second, family-oriented movie in Bath. Sir Alfred Hitchcock said what makes a great movie is: “A great script. A great script. A great script”. And to that point, Stardom also gives aspiring writers a real shot to have their scripts made into a movie.

Stardom Films’ CEO Jeff Vanderpol says: “We recognise there is a mass of talented people here in the UK who would love to act in exciting new films; we want to put those people on the screen and put their skills and dreams to the test.”

For more information about ‘One Night In Bath’, opportunities to get involved and to register your interest visit stardom-uk.com or email support@stardom-uk.com

Jeff Vanderpol

NOTES ON A SMALL CITY

Richard Wyatt

You’d think I’d avoid trudging up a steep hill on a hot day, wouldn’t you? But I have to say –while catching my breath –I was rewarded with a fine view when l reached the top and passed through the gates of the Larkhall allotments.

On this productive site overlooking the Woolley Valley and Solsbury Hill, local people have been tilling the soil and reaping the benefits for many years. They’re amongst the thousands of ‘allotmenteers’ in this country who rent space to grow their own.

The idea of renting a little extra plot of land to enhance your larder is nothing new in this country. According to local historian Jacqueline Burrows, who has been researching the history of the allotments in Bath’s Combe Down district, the oldest known continuously worked allotments in Britain are in Nottingham and have been in use since the 1600s!

I must explain that I had climbed my local hill to meet Jacky Wilkinson from the B&NES Allotments Association. This body is independent from the Council and represents 368 members (plus about 180 linked members) and growing...

The Council runs the majority of allotment sites in Bath, and Parish Councils run them in the outer areas. There are some private sites as well. Jacky is very passionate about the role such long-established community spaces can play in our lives and how important it is that more land is found to create them. There’s a long waiting list of people wanting to get digging –especially so during our current cost-of-living crisis.

Another issue is replacing allotment land that falls victim to redevelopment, as can happen, especially when its land is leased from private individuals. This takes us to Combe Down where Jacqueline Burrows has been tracing the history of its allotment plots, established in the 19th and 20th centuries for the villagers who quarried the stone that built our World Heritage city.

Jacqueline has discovered that the origins of the allotments are linked to the first Vicar of Combe Down, the Revd George Newnham who was himself a keen gardener. He came to a parish with significant social problems. Labouring in the stone mines and quarries was difficult, dangerous and poorly paid. Drunkenness and poverty were commonplace.

This clergyman in 1851 decided that holding a spade would leave less time for clutching a beer mug and found land to create at least 33 allotments “for the benefit of the labourers of Combe Down.”

Getting a plot came with conditions. A list of rules included attending a place of worship at least once every Sunday and not having a reputation of being “a known frequenter of drinking houses.”

Jacqueline told me that the annual rent to be paid was sixpence a year, at a time when agricultural labourers were earning around £40 per annum. Since that time, allotments have continued to play an important role in the lives of local people. Jacqueline says, “the crops they produce and the social interaction they encourage have sustained a community for generations.”

She says, however, “The sites that remain face significant challenges, and are constantly under threat as there is still active quarrying in the area.”

So far plots lost have been reinstated elsewhere, but Jacqueline –an allotment holder herself since 2006 –decided to research this local amenity to demonstrate its historical value and the role allotments still play in giving a sense of fellowship to those who share these community assets. She tells me there are two remaining “peaceful and productive” sites in Church Road and Bradford Road.

“Both must be safeguarded so they can continue to play their part in the daily life of Combe Down which looks to a future with an everincreasing population but (compared to previous generations) with reduced access to the pleasures of gardening for food, good health and recreation,” she said.

According to the National Allotment Society, during recession or economic and political uncertainty people turn to the land. Demand for allotments soared to new levels during the 2020–21 pandemic and lockdowns with waiting lists of up to three years in Combe Down.

Jacqueline says, “There are an estimated 330,000 allotment plots remaining in the UK according to 2020 figures. It has never been more difficult to get an allotment.

“Protecting existing sites from developers is increasingly challenging”, she thinks. “Finding new land on which to create new allotments or replace statutory allotments lost to development often results in an unequal fight between well-financed commercial interests and cashstrapped local councils.” n

Richard Wyatt runs the Bath Newseum: bathnewseum.com

Columnist Richard Wyatt is revelling in Bath’s greenery again, but this time it’s all about garden allotments –and the long waiting list to be an allotmenteer –that is getting his attention

Allotments in Combe Down

Allotments in Larkhall

Creating the hostess from hell

How do you take on a role that has been captured in the collective national memory? That’s what Alison Steadman did as Beverly in Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party in 1977. Rebecca Birch decided to do it her own way, says Melissa Blease.

Demis Roussos, cheese and pineapple on sticks, and... “Would you like a little top-up, Ange?” You know whose party we’re at before I say we’re at a party, don’t you?

Mike Leigh’s 1977 ‘comedy of modern manners’ satirising the tastes, aspirations and social mores of the 1970s British middle class is arguably one of the most (in)famous plays in 20th-century contemporary theatre. Relying heavily on the British taste for schadenfreude for laughs, there’s something deliciously evil about being privy to the kind of claustrophobic, on-the-verge-ofacrimonious social gathering such as the one Leigh depicts in so much detail, wince-inducingly awkward and at times darker than the hostess’s black olives which, says Leigh, are mentioned early on to establish Beverly’s penile fixation. Crikey! But ah, yes: Beverly...

You can’t say ‘Abigail’s Party’ without thinking of British stage icon Alison Steadman, who aced the role in Leigh’s original production before the BBC’s televised Play for Today version firmly established Steadman as the ultimate hostess with less-than-mostess – and, surely, a tough act to follow for any actor?

“Actually, I haven’t watched Alison being Bev!” says Rebecca Birch, who will be giving us her very own Beverly when London Classic Theatre’s highly acclaimed tour of Abigail’s Party lands at Theatre Royal Bath from 17 July. “I know how remarkable Steadman was in the role. But I thought, I’m not going to watch her because she’s a brilliant actor, and she made the part her own, and I’m going to end up copying her – and I didn’t want to do that; I wanted to do it my way. So I based my take on the story, and the fabulous script, and the bond I have with the other actors, and we’ve just sort of gone from there.”

Indeed, Rebecca’s Bev is garnering the very opposite of complaints. “Beverly, played by the brilliant Rebecca Birch, stole the show for me, making a hilarious spectacle of her character’s domineering, manipulative and arrogant tendencies without neglecting the insecurities underpinning them,” raved one theatre critic (for Varsity). Rebecca: do you actually like Beverly Moss?

“Actually, yes I do!” she says. “I really like her, but I feel sorry for her because I’ve really got to know her. There’s a deep-rooted sadness in her that’s masked by this big, bright, bubbly, overbearing personality, and all that comes from simply wanting to be liked, and wanting everybody to have a good time. And she and her husband Laurence are in a very unhappy marriage but they’re trying to prove that they’re not unhappy by being this sort of ‘presentable couple’. When I told my friends I got the role, a lot of them said, ‘wow, she’s such a monster!’

But I think that’s quite unfair, and actually quite unfeminist! Even in the opening scene, Laurence is chipping and digging away at her, going on about how she can’t drive, and hates doing the shopping, and doesn’t do this or that, and for me, it’s just like, leave her alone! But all five characters are pretty awful in their own way”.

Bev and her belligerent husband ask their new neighbours (naïve nurse Angela and her brutish, despondent husband Tony) to their house for drinks with anxious, circumspect fellow neighbour Susan, whose 15-year-old daughter Abigail is throwing a house party. They’re not exactly a jolly bunch of merrymakers and yes, their “pretty awful” characteristics are pushed to the fore in Leigh’s fast-paced, artfully hyperreal script. But... surely part of the fascination lies in the fact that most of us can see a little bit of ourselves in them? “Definitely!” says Rebecca. “And we can hear that in the audience, every night – the laughter is often recognition. Everyone can see themselves in at least one of the five of the characters, for better or worse”.

Recognition, fascination and itch-inducing discomfort played out against a meticulously detailed snapshot of ‘aspirational’ 1970s domestic life; this dramatic party holds an enduring appeal, it seems.

“The play still deeply resonates with people,” says Rebecca. “Theatre is really tough at the moment, still suffering in the postCovid world, so Abigail’s Party was a really smart choice; it gets some people in for the nostalgia factor alone, but we’re also attracting young people who have never seen it and they’re all loving it.”

Rebecca has positive plans regarding how to spend her time in Bath. “I absolutely love the Thermae Spa; I can easily spend all day there,” she says. “I also really love the Royal Crescent Hotel, and I’m looking forward to seeing the results of their recent renovations, Montagu’s Mews.” Ah, so you’re no stranger to the neighbourhood? “I’ve played at the Theatre Royal Bath twice before and it’s one of my favourite theatres. I first visited with Noël Coward’s Relative Values directed by Trevor Nunn back in 2013 – I played the funny little maid. And then I was back as youngest daughter Rosie in Charlotte Keatley’s My Mother Said I Never Should. It’s lovely to be coming back in a leading role – really exciting”.

Exciting for those of us who can’t wait to be reintroduced to Beverly too. But why should those who have not ‘met’ this formidable host make sure they’re on the guest list? “Come and spend an evening in my/Beverly’s living room! Let me host you, come on in,” says Rebecca. “The play starts with me setting up for the evening ahead, and I instantly feel a connection with the audience, and I want to take that audience on the journey with me. If you’re of a certain vintage, expect to recognise the set and the props – we had a guy in the audience recently who shouted out, ‘my mum’s got that coffee cup!’ Expect to laugh a lot – and maybe expect to think a lot, too. I saw a version of the play many years ago at the Hornchurch in Essex and I came away thinking, life’s too short, you’ve got to say what you feel and do what you want to do – don’t keep things buried, which I think is what all the people at Abigail’s Party are doing; nobody actually says what they really think or want, and honestly, life’s too short not to do that.”

“Would you like a little top-up, Ange?” You’re going to need it... n

London Classic Theatre present Abigail’s Party at Theatre Royal Bath from 17–19 July; theatreroyal.org.uk

Recognition, fascination and itch-inducing discomfort played out against a detailed snapshot of ‘aspirational’ 1970s domestic life

Rebecca Birch as Beverly and George Readshaw as Tony.

Photo by Sheila Burnett

Rebecca Birch as Beverly.

Photo by Sheila Burnett

Precious qualities

Honey Willow is a family business based in Bath specialising in handcrafted, meaningful jewellery celebrating life's significant moments. Founder Rhiannon Hamilton tells us about the company and its values...

When did you start making jewellery?

I started making jewellery as a teenager, and then rediscovered it after to moving to Bath in 2007 with our young family. It was initially a hobby, and then I decided to open an online shop. It has been wonderful to be creative and to work flexibly around our children.

Honey Willow has been in Bath since 2010. How would you describe the journey of the business in this time?

The business has blossomed over the years and gone from my kitchen table to two premises in Bath with 25 team members. However, the ethos of the business remains the same –we still make meaningful jewellery right here in Bath and send it to customers around the world. Having named the business after our two daughters Honey and Willow, I wanted to make jewellery that represented loved ones –and 13 years on, that's what we still do.

What is the working Bath community like?

Bath is such a creative and entrepreneurial place, full of people who want Bath to be the best it can be. We work closely with other Bath businesses and creatives, supporting other local businesses as much as possible.

What do you look for in your team of makers?

We look for team players, who enjoy working with their hands, are happy to learn new skills and have good attention to detail. Appreciation for our customers is key; we are making jewellery that is treasured and worn every day. Many of them have a creative background and training; some have worked in the jewellery industry for years and others have trained in creative arts. We provide training for all levels and tune in to where people enjoy working most.

What precious metals do you use in Honey Willow jewellery?

Recycled gold, silver and platinum.

You pride yourself on everything being handmade. Why is this important for your business?

In making the jewellery ourselves we can ensure its quality, and in making it to order we make it just as the customer wants it. Our customers really appreciate knowing which of the team has made their jewellery. We also really enjoy the making process and it’s a pleasure to employ local people to do this. It’s not the cheapest way to manufacture jewellery, but it’s how we choose to do it!

You love making meaningful jewellery for your customers –how do you do this?

One of our earliest designs was mothers’ necklaces with children’s birthstones, and now we make a range of jewellery that represents loved ones, some of it personalised with initials or names. For over a decade we have made jewellery representing milestone birthdays and anniversaries. And we make jewellery that is hand-stamped with meaningful phrases that are personal to the wearer, or made with gemstones that are believed to have a significant meaning such as courage or well-being.

We also use packaging with statement quotes and each note inside the gift box is made to order, so we can include personal messages from each customer.

What are some of the most popular items in your jewellery range?

Our links necklace for milestone birthdays has been very popular for many years. At the moment our bridal range is very popular. One of my favourite pieces of bridal jewellery is the Juno earrings.

Can you tell us about your Bridgerton range?

As Bridgerton is partly filmed in Bath, we decided to create pieces of jewellery inspired by Bridgerton characters. Team member Hannah worked on the range and it’s really popular, not just with Bridgerton fans, but with those looking for jewellery for weddings and proms.

How do you make your business ethical and sustainable?

We employ local people, most of whom walk to work. We buy local as much as possible. We use recycled precious metal and conflict-free gemstones. Our jewellery is made to order, rather than in big batches. We also donate to the charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK through sales of our bestselling links necklace. I had Crohn’s disease for many years and now another of our team has sadly been diagnosed with Crohn’s. It’s a privilege to be able to contribute to a better future for Crohn’s and colitis patients.

What kinds of customers do you have?

We have local customers who come in regularly for gifts for themselves or loved ones. We also have customers around the world and it’s so nice when overseas customers visit the shop, wearing their Honey Willow jewellery! n

Honey Willow, 8 Pulteney Bridge, Bath. Open Weds to Sat 10am-4pm and Sun 11am–4pm Tel: 01225 422 339 honeywillow.com

Juno earrings

Rhiannon in the workshop

Links necklace for milestone birthdays

WHAT’S ON

MUSIC AT GREEN PARK BRASSERIE

n Green Park Brasserie, Green Park

Enjoy live jazz/funk/soul/swing at Green Park Brasserie on Weds and Thurs from 6.30–8.45pm and Fri and Sat from 6.30–9.45pm. Music includes dynamic duos, modern trios and a Hot Club style quintet. greenparkbrasserie.com

PHOTO I FROME

n Various locations in Frome

Until 12 July

This is the second edition of Photo | Frome, an inclusive festival dedicated to showcasing and celebrating local, national, and international levels of photographic endeavour and filling the creative community of Frome with photos. The 2023 theme, 'Decolonising Environments', explores the complex and often conflicting relationships between human communities, places, and the natural world. photofrome.org

FOREST OF IMAGINATION

Until 14 July, open to public Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon 10am–4pm

n Assembly Rooms, Bath

Bath’s award-winning, free-to-attend contemporary arts event, Forest of Imagination, is back once again this summer – inviting adults and schoolchildren to ‘Assemble in the Forest’ and connect with nature in a host of imaginative ways. Spaces inside and outside will be transformed into a series of playful, nature-inspired art experiences with multi-sensory installations, soundscapes and sculptures, artists' workshops and a host of creative and community projects from artists, designers and businesses. Free entry for all. forestofimagination.com

FACE TO FACE: VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN PORTRAITS OF BATH AT WORK

n The Museum of Bath at Work

Camden Works, Julian Road, Bath

Throughout July

Come to the Museum of Bath at Work’s

current exhibition and meet people ‘face to face’ from 130 years ago. The photographs were taken of people in Bath in the 1890s and 1900s in the studio of Tom Carlyle Leaman at number 7, The Corridor off Union Street.

These amazing pictures give us a real window on the past, especially the clothes that were then in fashion, accessories, and the way people styled their hair. Tickets £10/£9/£5. bath-at-work.org.uk

RICHES OF THE EARTH: THE BEAUTY OF MINERALS

Until 7 October

n Bath Royal and Literary and Scientific Institution, 16–18 Queens Square, Bath Riches of the Earth reveals the beauty of minerals through the astounding forms and vibrant colours of more than a hundred carefully selected specimens from the BRLSI collection. The exibition is free to attend. brlsi.org

TUESDAYS@1 ORGAN RECITAL SERIES

Tuesdays, until October, 1pm

n Bath Abbey

A large screen enables the audience to watch the organist controlling over 4,500 pipes, on four keyboards whilst using their feet! No admission charge although the Abbey would welcome a contribution to the retiring collection. bathabbey.org

SHAKESPEARE LIVE: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

3–8 July 8pm

n Cleeve House, Seend, SN12 6PG

The contemporary Venetian setting in this passionate production directed by Andy Cork taps into the themes of money and greed, love and betrayal, the role of law,

religious conflict, revenge and mercy, and the failure to forgive, all as relevant today as they were in the 16th century. You can get numbered tiered seats in the covered stand and some groundling spaces. Visitors can picnic in the gardens before the show, food and drink is available, and on Saturday evening there is a Gala with live entertainment before the show.

Tickets £13–£18 shakespearelive.com

U3A MONTHLY TALK: WITCH FINDER OF THE WEST COUNTRY: JOSEPH GLANVILL

6 July, 9.45am coffee, 10.30am talk

n Bath Pavilion, North Parade Road

Historian Tony McAleavy will describe the extraordinary career of Joseph Glanvill (1636–1680) who was the rector of Bath Abbey and played a prominent role in the persecution of local women accused of witchcraft. Glanvill was a prolific writer and wrote books promoting the authenticity of witchcraft and attempting to reconcile belief in witchcraft with modern science.

Admission free for members and a donation of £2 for non-members. u3ainbath.uk

A SUMMER MUSICAL FINALE

7 July, 7pm

n Bath Abbey

The young choristers of Bath Abbey Melody Makers and Wells Cathedral Song Squad united bring you a lively mixed repertoire in a concert that will celebrate the end of their musical year. The programme includes sacred and secular works, such as Hurford’s Litany to the Holy Spirit, Handel’s Art thou troubled and Russell Hepplewhite’s Earth. The music will be interspersed with lighthearted poetry read by the children. Pre-concert drinks bar available from 6.30pm. Tickets £15. bathboxoffice.org.uk

Forest of Imagination, at the Assembly Rooms

Summer Musical Finale at Bath Abbey

FROME FESTIVAL

7–16 July

n Various locations

During this week Frome will come alive with music, art and culture as the Frome Festival returns for its 22nd year. With over 200 events taking place across 10 days, the Festival aims to celebrate the best of Frome, with events and activities taking place in many places and spaces across the town –from venues and galleries to pubs and parks. Get the full listings and book tickets at fromefestival.co.uk

THE WORLD IN 2050: SOCIETY

7 July, 7.30pm

n BRLSI, 16 Queen Square, Bath Victoria Ward’s virtual talk will share some of the insights from the three future worlds: Do No Harm, The Frugal Turn, and Earthshot, as a starting point for audience discussions about what society looks and feels like in the future(s) of 2050, and how we might, from today, think about our own commitment to be good ancestors. The talk is part of BRLSI’s World in 2050 series. Tickets £4–£8. brlsi.org

FLOWER ARRANGING WORKSHOP

8 July, 10am–12.30pm

n Bath City Farm, Kelston View, Whiteway, Bath BA2 1NW

Guided by the farm’s knowledgeable staff, you will learn how to work with flowers and decorative plants to create your own posy or table centrepiece to take home. All materials will be included, using flowers grown on the farm. Bring a packed lunch or alternatively use the farm café. £15 per adult, £10 concessions. bathcityfarm.org.uk/events

FEASTS AND FABLES

8 July, 7.30pm

n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon Bath Minerva Choir presents ColeridgeTaylor's colourful and wildly popular cantata

Hiawatha's Wedding Feast. Also songs from young tenor Joseph Spratt, and closing with Bob Chilcott’s attractive and entertaining Aesop’s Fables. Tickets £20/£15. wiltshiremusic.org.uk

BATH BACH CHOIR: MENDELSSOHN'S ELIJAH

8 July, 7pm

n Bath Abbey, Bath Mendelssohn’s much-loved oratorio Elijah narrates the biblical story of the Old Testament prophet Elijah in the form of recitatives sung by the soloists interspersed with Bath Bach Choir singing various airs and choruses. Mendelssohn was influenced by both Bach and Handel, adding his own enthusiastic and dramatic style that captures the audience’s interest from the opening to the final chorus. Baritone Matthew Brook is singing the part of Elijah. The choir will be

accompanied by Southern Sinfonia, with Marcus Sealy playing organ continuo. Tickets £11–£30. bathbachchoir.org.uk

THE MIKADO

10–15 July, 7.30pm plus selected matinees

n Ustinov Theatre, Saw Close, Bath

Sasha Regan’s award-winning all-male Gilbert & Sullivan stars are pitching their tents at Theatre Royal Bath for THE MIKADO. Expect plenty of cheer and tuneful earworms from a sensational cast singing all the familiar rollicking G&S classics including A Wand’ring Minstrel, I, Behold the Lord High Executioner! and Three Little Maids From School Are We Tickets from £27. picturehouses.com/ cinema/little-theatre-cinema

HERSELF (CHARITY SCREENING)

14 July, 6.30pm

n The Little Theatre Cinema, St Michaels Place, Bath

A young mother escapes her abusive husband and fights back against a broken housing system. She sets out to build her own home and in the process rebuilds her life and rediscovers herself. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, written by Clare Dunne and Michael Campbell. Starring Molly McCann, Clare Dunne and Ruby Rose O’Hara. The screening will raise money for local charity Julian House. Tickets £11.20–£12.70. picturehouses.com

BATH CONCERTINO

15 July, 7.30pm

n St Luke’s, The Wellsway, Bath

A concert in aid of the Dorothy House Foundation, with Romantic Splendour, Schumann’s Cello Concerto, with soloist Linda Stocks, plus Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Italian Symphony. Entry £10 cash. Accompanied children free.

Frome Festival

Herself at The Little Theatre

NICKI LEIGHTON-THOMAS: ONE GOOD SCANDAL

15 July, 8pm

n Chapel Arts, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Born and raised in Bath, Nicki LeightonThomas’ first album Forbidden Games (Candid, 2011) was The Evening Standard’s Album of the Week and received 4* reviews in The Guardian and The Times. Nicki’s vocals can be heard on work ranging from artists such as Gary Husband and Belinda Carlisle. Tickets £20/£22. chapelarts.org

KEGGIE CAREW ON BEASTLY: A NEW HISTORY OF ANIMALS & US

17 July, 7.30pm

n Topping & Co, York Street, Bath

Beastly is the 40,000-year story of animals and humans as it has never been captured before, seen eye-to-eye and claw-to-hand through those humans who have stepped into the myriad worlds of our animal relatives. Our relationship with animals has always been paradoxical, but the greatest paradox may yet be this: diversity of life can heal ecosystems. Keggie Carew talks about her latest piece of non-fiction with author and friend of the bookshop Richard Kerridge. £8/£20 including book. toppingbooks.co.uk

BATH COMEDY: EDINBURGH PREVIEWS FESTIVAL

17–29 July

n The Hop Pole, 7 Albion Buildings, Upper Bristol Road, Bath

Two weeks of hand-picked, affordable preview shows forming a mini-Edinburgh Fringe right here in Bath! Featuring Freya Mallard, Stuart Goldsmith, Janine Harouni, Dan Tiernan, Nabil Abdulrashid, Fiona Allen, Larry Dean, Horatio Gould, Aideen McQueen, Samantha Day, Alex Kitson, Nick Doody, Dave Chawner, David Hoare, Sam Michael, Adam Flood, Ben Harrington, Matt Price, Sachin Kumarendran, Eva Bindeman, Rosie Holt and Ronnie Golden. bathcomedy.com

ELMWOODS VALUATION DAY

18 July, 11am–5pm

n City of Bath Scouts, 7 Grove Street, Bath

Come and get no-obligation valuations for

your jewellery, watches, designer handbags and fashion items. Elmwoods have weekly auctions and there are zero fees for selling. elmwoods.co.uk

BATH PHILHARMONIA & PACIFIC CHORALE

21 July, 7.30pm

n Bath Abbey Pacific Chorale with Bath Philharmonia present Florence Price’s rediscovered Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight alongside Joseph Haydn’s stirring Nelson Mass in Bath Abbey. The Grammy Award-Winning Pacific Chorale is one of America’s great choirs, noted for its artistic innovation and commitment to expanding the choral repertoire. With Aundi Marie Moore (Soprano), I-Chin Betty Feinblatt (Alto), Nicholas Preston (Tenor), and Michael Sumuel (Bass). Tickets £25/£15/£10. bathboxoffice.org.uk

TORCHLIT SUMMER EVENINGS AT THE ROMAN BATHS

n Roman Baths

22 July –31 August, open until 10pm Torchlit Summer Evenings are returning to the Roman Baths, offering visitors a chance to soak up the special atmosphere around the Great Bath and explore the museum long after the usual closing time. There will be a pop-up bar beside the Great Bath from 11.30am each day, selling Champagne, prosecco and soft drinks. romanbaths.co.uk

THE JAKE LEG JUG BAND

22 July, 8pm

n Chapel Arts, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Songs of murder, betrayal, gambling, liquor and redemption. The Jake Leg Jug Band bring you the authentic sounds of 1920s and 30s America – Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Ragtime – and put their own twist on it. Tickets £15. chapelarts.org

FRANK AND PERCY

25 July –5 August, 7.30pm

n Theatre Royal Bath, Saw Close

Bill Kenwright presents the National Premiere of Ben Weatherill’s Frank and Percy directed by Sean Mathias. This highly anticipated production sees one of our greatest stage and screen actors Sir Ian McKellen co-star as Percy alongside three-time Olivier Award winner Roger Allam as Frank. Tickets from £30. theatreroyal.org.uk

HAM FARM FESTIVAL

28–30 July

n Ham Farm Cottage, Emerson’s Green, BS16 7AT

Evening double-bill concerts including Bristol’s own superstar singer-songwriter Lady Nade, prizewinning Celtic folk duo Filkins Drift and vintage 20s swing jazz cabaret Miss Kiddy and the Cads. Daytimes offer free interactive music workshops and family picnic concerts. Enjoy world-class music in an informal and intimate environment, esurrounded by nature and birdsong. Tickets evening double bill concerts £19.50/£15, free for under 18s. Daytime events mostly free but do need reserving. hamfarmfestival.com n

LOOKING AHEAD

RUM AND REGGAE RACENIGHT

n Bath Racecourse

4 August, 7.30pm

The Rum and Reggae racenight will be a unique Caribbean night with the food, drink and music from Jamaica alongside seven exciting horse races; all offering you the chance to experience the thrill of watching live horse racing. Gates open 3.55pm; first race 5.55pm; last race 8.35pm. Tickets £21, with access to public bars, eateries, and betting outlets along with the best views of the racing action. bath-racecourse.co.uk

Frank and Percy at Theatre Royal

BELOW: Torchlit Summer Evenings

Benedict Collins Rice

Bath Bach Choir has recently welcomed Benedict Collins Rice as their new Musical Director. Here he answers our questions on music, conducting and choirs

Q. You joined as Musical Director of Bath Bach Choir in January 2023. What was it about this role that appealed to you?

I was drawn to the role as the choir have a great reputation for performing a range of music to a really high standard in a way that was clearly engaging local audiences. Bath is such a gorgeous place and has so many beautiful venues.

Q. You were only the fourth musical director of the choir in 75 years...

I felt that this clearly showed that it was a great place to work and that the choir were a joy to make music with. I have quickly been proved right about both.

Q. Carols by Candlelight in December 2022 was jointly conducted by Nigel Perrin and yourself. What was it like to do this?

I haven’t been so literally handed the baton to take on a new job before, but it was a really special set of concerts. I greatly admire Nigel and everything that he has built up with the choir. To be able to work alongside him really helped me hit the ground running with developing his good work.

Q. Were you always intent on conducting? Most people agree that you need some real experience playing and singing before you start telling others how to do it. What got me into it was that there was so much amazing music that I felt other conductors weren’t programming that I really wanted to get done. And the easiest way to make that happen was to conduct it! So I founded The Façade Ensemble to play this music and – I think – am also getting a lovely reputation with the choirs and orchestras that I work with for mixing the old and the new. For performers and audiences it’s so, so important that as well as the buzz of hearing/performing something you love, there is also that buzz of discovering a new piece, composer, or style of music.

Q. You are a professional tenor, a composer and arranger and you play the piano and French horn. Are all these skills a crucial part of the musician you are?

The French Horn is sadly gathering dust under the stairs, but certainly I use all those other skills almost daily, and they really do all feed into each other. It has also, over the years, helped me access a whole range of musical styles. For example the last Bath Bach Choir concert had music that was 6th century through to contemporary pieces all woven together – I think it was unlike any concert the choir had done before.

Q. You have many roles with different music companies. What is it like to travel so much?

The travelling is quite tough (Google says I do around 3,000 miles a month) but when the trains are running I do enjoy travelling as I am almost never going at commuter time so I get to spread out with a coffee and some scores and do my preparation and planning. With all the travelling, it is also important to feel like home is really home. As for switching between them, I hope I manage to do this as well as I think I do! Making music is so interactive that the mood in each rehearsal room is so different – it’s part of the joy of the job.

Q. Which location do you count as home? I’ve now lived in the beautiful city of Ely for about eight years – I went there for a 10month job and arrived expecting to leave for London at the end of that time. But here I still am – I love it and feel really at home here. I got married 10 months ago and my wife and I have just bought a house here so I think it will be home for some time yet.

something that they have always wanted to but never had the chance. Look out for future plans and our first recording coming out.

Q. How would you define your music tastes? Haha – varied?! Unpredictable? The two songs I can’t get out of my head today are the 14th-century French composer Machaut’s De toutes flours and P!nk’s God is a DJ Go figure.

Q. How do the auditions work for Bath Bach Choir?

The auditions are never as scary as people think – I ask them to bring me something that they like to sing so I can hear what their instrument sounds like. Then I like to assess how well they can read music (the better a choir can read, the more efficiently you can rehearse things). I’m looking for an enjoyment of singing, a nice noise, and for someone who is up for being challenged to give their best.

Q. Tell us about the concert of Mendelssohn’s Elijah at Bath Abbey on 8 July.

Q. You set up The Façade Ensemble, a group specialising in 20th-century chamber music. What was the inspiration behind this group? It was honestly the music itself – it is just so engaging and imaginative and exciting and no one else really wants to put it on. More fool them. In fact I have just finished up teaching a course at the Courtauld Institute (where we are Ensemble in Residence) exploring why 20th-century art is some of the most popular (and most expensive) art out there, but the music that was being written alongside it isn’t anywhere near as well-known. Every programme we have put together has left members of our audiences coming up and saying how blown away they were by something they didn’t know. Or that they are glad to have had an opportunity to hear

I am so looking forward to this! I chose this piece as it is such an excellent evening’s drama and storytelling. The most dramatic episode is a contest of the gods in which Jehovah consumes on offered sacrifice in fire as the ever more frantic prayers of the Baalworshipers fail. Despite the piece being named after the baritone solo part (sung by the fabulous Matthew Brook), I feel that it is the choir that are central to the story – as well as being crazed Baal-worshippers, they get to sing some of the most beautiful and gentle music too. Something for everyone, I promise *and* a whole orchestra (The Southern Sinfonia) to enhance the drama. n

Bath Bach Choir plays Mendelssohn’s Elijah at Bath Abbey on Saturday 8 July at 7pm. Tickets £11–£30; bathboxoffice.org.uk; bathbachchoir.org.uk

The two songs I can’t get out of my head today are the French composer Machaut’s De toutes flours and P!nk’s God is a DJ

Successful, well-established year-round language school in the centre of Bath requires HOMESTAY HOSTS IN BATH

to host both short-term and long-term students. We teach adults and teenagers, and need both single and twin-room accommodation.

For further details, including rates of payment, please contact our Student Services Manager:

Sarah Wringer

Kaplan International Languages Bath, 5 Trim Street, Bath, BA1 1HB

Direct Line (01225) 448840

Email: sarah.wringer@kaplan.com

Lucie Rie: the adventure of pottery

Lucie Rie (1902–1995) was one of the most accomplished and influential potters of the 20th century. Featuring work produced across six decades, this new exhibition at the Holburne follows the evolution of Rie’s distinguished career, from some of her earliest ceramics made in her native Vienna to striking pieces from the last years of her life.

Here is an excerpt from the associated book, The Genius of Lucie Rie by Andrew Nairne

Opening an exhibition to celebrate Lucie Rie’s 90th year in 1992, the broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough finished his speech: “What is the genius of Lucie Rie? Enormous invention.”

The title of the exhibition [at the Holburne], and the associated book, comes from Lucie Rie’s own words: “To make pottery is an adventure to me, every new work is a new beginning.” Her remarkable body of work, exceptional in its variety and experimentation, continues to captivate and inspire today. Featuring photographs of over 100 works from private and public collections and six insightful essays, the exhibition and book consider afresh the singular nature of Rie’s achievement and seek to reveal again her ‘enormous invention’.

Lucie Rie was born in Vienna in 1902 and died in London in 1995, her life almost spanning the 20th century. Rie’s upbringing within a prosperous and cultured family, and her education and training in Vienna, were to have a profound influence on her approach to making pots. In the decades around the turn of the century, Vienna was renowned for its pioneering artists, architects, designers and composers creating new images, forms, designs and sounds. Rie’s prize-winning pots of the 1920s and 1930s are infused by modernist tenets of experiment and rigour, characteristics that informed her artistic approach throughout her working life.

In 1938, at the age of thirty-six, Rie was forced to flee Austria to escape the Nazi persecution of Jewish people, choosing to settle in London. It was to be a watershed in her life and work. To begin with she was known only to other Austrian refugees and a few potters, notably Bernard Leach, who was to become a close friend. During the war, unable to secure a licence to make pots, she turned to making

Lucie Rie throwing on the wheel, early 1950s. © Estate of the Artist

ceramic buttons for the fashion industry, experimenting with miniature forms and new glazes in the process.

From 1939, Rie lived and worked in a small mews house near Marble Arch. It was to be her home and studio for the rest of her life. Re-establishing herself after the war, Rie gained a growing reputation for her refined tableware and ambitious one-off bowls and vases. Her work, striking for its sense of modernity and individuality, stood out from that of Leach and other studio potters who looked to medieval European and East Asian traditions. Nevertheless, Rie drew inspiration from many sources including ancient ceramics, contemporary design and the natural world. Works from this period exhibit Rie’s use of sgraffito and a deep brown-black manganese glaze. Her black and white coffee pots, cups and saucers and sugar bowls were in tune with the new optimism and formal clarity of the architecture and design of the period.

She was selected to show her work in the Festival of Britain on London’s South Bank in 1951. In these years, a creative partnership developed between Rie and Hans Coper, another Jewish refugee, who was briefly one of her assistants. A number of exhibitions have displayed their individual pots beside each other. Rie and Coper also worked collaboratively on simpler, repeat pieces, such as cups and saucers, stamped with their pottery marks side by side. In 1958 Coper left to set up his own studio.

As a female potter working independently, Rie constantly forged her own path. She developed forms, colours and surfaces that pushed the boundaries of studio ceramics. Rie’s experimentation continued into her later decades, with exuberant long necked and flared vases and footed bowls, their richly coloured glazes full of expressive life.

After Rie’s death, Crafts magazine asked an array of ‘friends, admirers and collectors’ to write of Rie’s achievement. The words of the potter Julian Stair continue to resonate:

“Lucie Rie produced work of poise and beauty that had the formal sophistication of the best art of its day. In reflecting the ideas and values of modernism, her work demonstrated the principle that craft practice has the capacity to engage in the intellectual and aesthetic debate of any period. She challenged the conventions of her time by broadening the scope of studio pottery, while remaining within its traditions. In doing so, she showed pottery to be a language capable of evolving, with no limitations except the preconceptions placed upon it.” n

Lucie Rie: The Adventure of Pottery, 14 July –7 January 2024, Holburne Museum, Bath

The post-war years saw Rie slowly returning to making one-off pieces, alongside tableware. In 1948, Rie shifted from using earthenware to stoneware and porcelain... Stoneware was more durable, making it a practical material for ceramics designed to be in daily use, as well as enabling Rie to make pots with thinner walls....

Around the same time, Rie and Coper

visited the Neolithic stone circle at Avebury in Wiltshire. Here they saw Bronze Age vessels on display in the nearby museum. These had been decorated using the sgraffito technique, with incised patterns etched into the surface using bird bones, which had been reserved inside the vessels. Rie was captivated by the technique and soon began to include it in her own work, using a steel needle to scratch through glaze or slip and reveal the pale clay

body beneath. In other instances, the etched groove was filled with pigment to create an inlaid line, allowing positive and negative versions of the same design. Sgraffito designs, often of astonishing intricacy and beauty, are a distinguishing feature of Rie’s work throughout the 1950s and in later decades.

Photograph by Michael Wharley

An excerpt from page 59 of Lucie Rie: the Adventure of Pottery book

To make pottery is an adventure to me, every new work is a new beginning

Lucie Rie: The Adventure of Pottery is organised by Kettle’s Yard, University of Cambridge and MIMA, part of Teesside University, in association with The Holburne Museum, Bath

Vase, 1986, stoneware with pitted red and green glaze, 26.5cm tall Opposite, main image: Lucie Rie; Bowl, 1977, porcelain with golden manganese glaze and sgraffito design, 20.2cm diameter and Lucie Rie at work in her studio

Lucie Rie: Sgraffito and the fifties

ARTS & EXHIBITIONS

Beth Carter, Bobbie Russon and Paul Wearing, until 15 July Beaux Arts Bath, 12-13 York Street

Beaux Arts is exhibiting two of its most eagerly anticipated artists as it brings together sculptor Beth Carter and painter Bobbie Russon with ceramics by Paul Wearing. West country artist Beth Carter exhibits her work worldwide, with galleries in New York, Brussels, Paris and soon the Louvre in northern France. There is always a buzz around Beth’s minotaurs and assorted dream-like shape-shifters. Bobbie’s show ‘Quiet Comfort’ speaks to the solitary and quiet place in the soul. Her paintings are humorous and joyful, the subjects caught between childhood needs and adult mores, sometimes appearing vulnerable, at other times mischievous and in total control. beauxartsbath.co.uk

Let The Sunshine In with sandrahiggins.art

Sandra Higgins Art is delighted to showcase The Summer Selection, a curation of artwork reflecting the ambience and promise of the season: hazy skies, twinkling water and landscapes cloaked in verdure. See the full selection of works on Sandra Higgins’ website or email to arrange an appointment to view in person.

sandrahiggins.art; sandra@sandrahiggins.com

World of Interiors

David Simon Contemporary, 37 High Street, Castle Cary BA7 7AW

8 July –18 August

Work from Hugh Buchanan, Hugo Grenville, Victoria Jinivizian, Peter LloydJones, Alex Lowery, Mungo Powney and ceramics by The Chelsea Potter. Whether depicting an artist’s studio or home or the stately rooms of a country house, these compositions give a snapshot into the private lives of others. The subject of domestic interiors lends itself as an endless source of inspiration for the painter to include still life, portraiture, windowsill landscapes and a vehicle for exploring colour, form and pattern. Open Monday –Saturday (except Wednesday), 10am–5.30pm.

davidsimoncontemporary.com

Immersion – an exhibition of contemporary photography by Shay Parsons, Burdall’s Yard, 7a Anglo Terrace, Bath, until 25 August

Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair, Sunday 9 July, 10am–5pm Green Park Station, Green Park Road, Bath

The award-winning monthly Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair (BCAF) is back on Sunday 9 July. Committed to bringing the best of contemporary art from the city and beyond to the heart of Bath, the fair has created a regular space where artists can network, share ideas, connect with the public, and where the public can connect with art. Visitors can browse the works of local artists and admire fine art, photography, sculpture, textiles, ceramics and much more, all under the vaulted glass roof of Green Park Station. For updates and exhibiting artists visit the website: bcaf.co.uk

Shay Parsons is a Bath-based contemporary photographer. She uses camera movement, abstraction and multiple exposure to bring a painterly and impressionistic style to her photographs. The images are her response to the landscape and nature surrounding her. All images are framed, signed limited editions. This solo exhibition follows on from successful showings during May in central Bath at a pop-up gallery and as part of Bear Flat Artists’ Open Studios. Open Tues–Sat 11am – 6pm.

shayparsons.com

A Room with a View by Hugo Grenville

LEFT, clockwise from top left: High Summer View Towards Blackdown Hills, Somerset by David Walsh; Descant 2 by Louisa Burnett-Hall; Late Summer by Fiona McIntyre; The Small Sea by Timothy Emlyn Jones

Image: Georgie Dowling

Winter

Reeds by Shay Parsons

Little Angel by Bobbie Russon

Settling Down in Bath

RON PRINGLE

Co-Founder, Beau Nash Bath

An ever-growing number of expats and newcomers are establishing their roots in Bath. Not a week passes when I’m not asked why I love Bath so much or why they should consider Bath as their new home. We never thought we’d settle down in Bath, but looking back it has been one of the best decisions we ever made.

Three decades of expat life in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America were filled with adventure, hard graft, and the exciting challenge of managing diverse cultures. Friends were made from all over the world and our children grew up as independent globally savvy individuals.

Initially, we decided to buy a property in Bath as a lockup-and-leave while we were still living abroad. The kids were at universities around the country and Bath served as a convenient middle point that could be easily accessed by the family.

As with all who visit Bath; the appeal soon gets under your skin. Bath has always been a city ready to wow. The architecture, the numerous independent shops, the restaurants, and pubs, our many theatres (at least seven at last count) and even our very own Bath Rugby at The Rec all contribute to making Bath a rather unique liveable place.

There is, however, one key ingredient which really sets Bath apart as a place to live: the warmth of its people. The hotchpotch of Bathonians combined with settlers from far and wide make it a wonderfully diverse & friendly city. I’m reminded almost daily by visitors who go out of their way to comment about the friendliness of our people.

Moving into a UNESCO World Heritage Site isn’t without its challenges. Renovating and maintaining a Grade I listed Georgian home is not for the faint-hearted. It takes time to learn the conservation rules and build a list of trusted trade professionals or property specialists. Once you have your little blue book of go to contacts, you guard it with your life.

But like many before me, Bath has given me a place I can call home. Drawn to the place, the true beauty of settling down lies in the people, experiences, and the new memories it has created. We will always recommend Bath as an ideal city, especially for those, who, like us, have spent decades exploring the world and are now looking to create a lasting home. n

beaunashbath.com; ron@beaunashbath.com; 01225 334234 @beaunashbath

Painted Love: Renaissance Marriage Portraits, until 1 October

This lavish exhibition explores the role of portraiture in the process of marriage in Renaissance Europe. Marriage portraits not only documented the legal union of spouses, capturing that key moment in the sitters’ lives, intimate and personal as well as public and formal, but also celebrated the union of families, their wealth, power, land, and the forging of political alliances. The exhibition includes prestigious loans from the National Gallery, the British Museum, the Royal Collection Trust, the Ashmolean and the V&A, alongside numerous works from important private collections.

Lucie Rie: The Adventure of Pottery: 14 July –7 January

This major exhibition celebrates Lucie Rie (1902–1995), one of the most accomplished and influential potters of the 20th century. Featuring work produced across six decades, this display follows the evolution of Rie’s distinguished career, from some of her earliest ceramics made in her native Vienna to striking pieces from the last years of her life. See also our feature on page 30. holburne.org

BA7 Summer Exhibition

Walcot Chapel Arts Space, Walcot Gate, Bath BA1 5UG, 18–23 July

Seven Bath artists have come together to create an exciting exhibition that features paintings, illustrations and prints inspired by Bath and its surroundings. Illustrators Kate Davies, Penny Ives and Nadine Wickenden have joined forces with the artists Kate Flood and Teresa Foster and the printmaker, Carole Anne Tonge, to produce this truly exceptional show. Open from 11am–6pm and with a late-night opening on Saturday 22 July from 6.30–8.30pm.

catonge.com

The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath

LEFT: Park Life July by Kate Davies

BELOW: Towards Liddington by Carole Anne Tonge

Colours of Summer: Paintings by Mary Liddell

27 June –2 July, 12pm–5pm

44AD Gallery, Abbey Street, Bath

"I grew up on a farm in Southern England and now live and paint near Bath in the beautiful Chew Valley. My artistic journey is an exploration in colour and tone; a consideration of the effects of light on flowers, familiar objects in still-lifes and garden pictures, and the shifting light of skies and seas in landscapes. I frequently like to work en plein air in the landscape.

“My ‘fantasy’ paintings also contain these elements but are created from imagination using abstracted compositions, perhaps more akin to the ‘wonderland’ of my great great aunt, Alice Liddell, the original Alice in Wonderland.

“I see my painting as a journey of discovery, I am never quite sure what will happen next, it’s a long fall down the rabbit hole, and it’s very exciting!”

Mary’s work can be seen nationally in various galleries, by invitation at her studio, and in many private collections in the USA, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand and Europe. Mary lives and works in a converted barn in the Chew Valley and regularly runs courses for adults and children, as well as holding open studio events by invitation.

maryliddellartist.com @maryliddellart maryliddellart@gmail.com

Summer Exhibition

Gallery Nine, 9B Margaret's Buildings, Bath, 1 July –31 August

Anna Silverton’s wheel-thrown colourful porcelain vases and bowls balance refined elegance and swooping curves while Liz O’Dwyer creates simple, unglazed, polished porcelain pieces with modern, crisp lines. Jewellery by Alison Boyce inspired by the Portuguese coastline uses silver, enamel, found objects, wood, textiles and semi-precious beads. Ulli Kaiser combines traditional crafts like bead crochet with unusual materials such as cut glass and antique metal beads. Barbara Peirson’s figurative and landscape paintings capture subjects including dawn light mirrored in the water and wet mud, summer grazing cows and small fishing vessels. galleryninebath.com

Memories of Motherhood

The Walcot Chapel, Walcot Gate, Bath BA1 5UG, 31 July –6 August

This collection of artefacts on Sarah Taylor’s own kitchen table is a culmination of a year’s work experimenting and exploring different ways of making around her own memories of motherhood. She has used techniques to allow the natural pathways to pass through her investigations, there and back again, as a way of reconnecting with the objects. Repeating these processes became like a wellworn path, exposing delicacies and hidden nuances of her relationships with her four children.

@sarahtaylorartist

sarahtaylorartist.co.uk

Above: Conversation Between Twins

Left: Barra Blooms

Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge Street, Bath

Kaffe Fassett: Timeless Themes –New Quilts, 1 July –1 October

This vibrant exhibition showcases 23 large new quilts and ties in with Kaffe's forthcoming book, Timeless Themes. Kaffe has searched through his print archives to demonstrate the different motifs that people love to return to over and over again in patchwork designs which delight and intrigue.

Candace Bahouth: Enchanted Visions, 1 July –1 October

Candace Bahouth, celebrated fine artist and long-term collaborator with Kaffe, creates grand rococo mirrors decorated with porcelain and china pieces.

victoriagal.org.uk

Image: Floral Checkerboard, 2021, quilt by Kaffe Fassett

Now it’s time for IKEA at auction!

By Andreas Siesing. Expert - Auctionet.com

Older furniture and lamps that were barely considered valuable are now being sold at record prices at auctions, not only in Europe but also in the USA. In short, IKEA is hotter than ever!

But it hasn’t always been like this. Until just a few years ago, IKEA was an outcast in the auction industry and a completely unthinkable brand at major auction house events. The prevailing opinion was that the quality was poor and the design language offered pale imitations of existing market models, and the interest from the public was virtually non-existent. Cunning dealers removed labels that revealed the origin of the furniture or lamps, and many sold items were auctioned off without information about the designer or model name. But times change. Today, the brand is more than viable in the Scandinavian auction industry, and record prices are being set one after another.

The change can be traced back ten to fifteen years. More and more IKEA models, primarily armchairs, were sold at increasingly higher prices at Swedish auction houses. Initially, it mainly concerned models from the 1950s and 1960s, but soon it also included products from the following two decades. Hand in hand with the rising prices, auction houses began cataloguing with greater accuracy. This led to a snowball effect that has since grown bigger and bigger.

In the autumn of 2021, Bengt Ruda's Cavelli armchair was sold for 185,000 SEK inc. fees (approx. 13,500 GBP), at Stadsauktion Sundsvall in Sweden. It set a world record for an IKEA furniture piece and made headlines around the world.

The following year, the American auction house Wright included the IKEA Åke armchair in its Scandinavian Design Sale. There are also several international design dealers who present furniture and lamps from IKEA side by side with modern design classics.

The older collection of the Swedish furniture retailer has been reassessed in recent years. Stereotypical judgments such as poor quality and generic design have been replaced by a genuine interest in IKEA’s role in modern Scandinavian design history. This fact has certainly not escaped the current management of IKEA, who timely digitized all the catalogues, made them accessible to the general public, and thus added fuel to the enthusiasm for the older models. No saturation in the market can be discerned. On the contrary, demand is constantly increasing. One drawback in this context is that many design gems from the Swedish interior giant have long been discarded by unaware owners who had no idea that the price development would skyrocket.

Do you have an older IKEA piece at me? Don't throw it away without first checking its value.

The very low and sought after Impala chair from 1971. A perfect piece for the democratic living room of the 1970’s.

The world record selling Cavelli chair from 1958.

SCHOOL’S OUT!

Looking for things to do during the holidays? From art camps, drama workshops and creative play, to exploring the world’s first amazement park, we’ve got some great ideas for a summer of family fun...

SUMMER ART CAMPS AT THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM

The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4DB Web: holburne.org

For children aged 6–11years, Holburne Art Camps provide a fabulously fun day of creativity for children, delivered by experienced artists. Each day is designed to explore new skills, art practices and inspiring materials. All our activities are inspired by wonderful objects and stories from the museum collection, as well as our temporary exhibitions. 10 days of creative day camps from 9am to 4pm. 24 to 27 July, 31 July to 3 August and 8 to 9 August £40 a day + booking fee.

SS GREAT BRITAIN

Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Road, Bristol BS1 6TY Web: ssgreatbritain.org

Join Brunel’s SS Great Britain as they celebrate the ship’s 180th birthday this summer. The SS Great Britain was launched right here in Bristol in 1843 and, since her homecoming in 1970, she has been restored to her former glory as the world’s first great ocean liner as well as one of Bristol’s best days out for families.

Explore the cabins, engine room and galley on board, climb the rigging with Go Aloft! and take part in a special family food trail from 19 July onwards, following in the footsteps of the ship’s cook. Visit the website for more information.

GREAT DAYS OUT AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM

Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD Web: americanmuseum.org Tel: 01225 460 503

The American Museum & Gardens is the perfect day out for visitors of all ages with lots of family activities onsite to enjoy both indoors and out. Throughout the summer there’s a dedicated children’s garden and play area, craft activities at weekends and school holidays in the stables, interactive play such as games and dressing up in historic American clothing and the great America Garden Deli serving a range of American inspired dishes. There’s also open-air theatre with an evening performance of The Wizard of Oz on 8 July and watch out for the superb Brick America LEGO® creative exhibition starting on 22 July. Plenty more to explore, visit the website for opening times, details and updates.

WAKE THE TIGER

127 Albert Road, Bristol BS2 0YA Web: wakethetiger.com

The world’s first amazement park, Wake The Tiger, invites you to step through a portal into the parallel world of Meridia. Enter an old abandoned factory once inhabited by a mysterious community of adventurers staging wild experiments. With 27 unique spaces, this art walk-through experience encourages you to explore, discover and connect.

Plus, this summer, Wake The Tiger has the Re-Creation Station. Save your loo rolls, milk bottles and anything else from landfill, and bring it to the Re-Creation Station where you get to arts and crafts them into treasure.

Bring this advert along and get one free coffee per cake purchased. Valid from 22 July –3rd September 2023. Must bring this page to qualify (at manager’s discretion).

AEROSPACE BRISTOL

Hayes Way, Patchway, Bristol BS34 5BZ Web: aerospacebristol.org

Celebrate the Art of Flight at Aerospace Bristol this summer. Make, draw, explore your creative side and enjoy an array of artistic activities.

Plus, on Saturday 15 July, a huge new LEGO® brick event is coming to Aerospace Bristol. As well as stepping aboard Concorde and enjoying everything else the museum has to offer, Supersonic Brick Day is your chance to explore three zones of incredible LEGO® displays and get hands-on with interactive activities – from LEGO® graffiti walls to car building, flower building and even robot wars. Adults £19.50, children aged 4+ £12, under-4s FREE. Tickets include free return for 12 months. Visit Aerospace Bristol’s website to find out more.

HEY DUGGEE AT THE THEATRE ROYAL BATH

Web: heyduggee.com

Squirrels, get ready for summer fun! Everyone’s favourite big lovable dog Hey Duggee is touring the UK and here’s your chance to see him at the Theatre Royal Bath, 9 - 12 August!

Hey Duggee The Live Theatre Show – named Best Family Show at the 2023 Olivier Awards –is huge and features Duggee and the Squirrels plus many more of your favourite characters! Betty wants to make costumes, Happy wants to sing, Tag wants to make music, Norrie wants to dance, Roly wants jelly and they all want you to join them at the Clubhouse. There is so much to do, but luckily Duggee has his theatre badge. Will you get yours too? A-Woof! Book now for the perfect summer treat!

LEGO® up for America

Emma Clegg talks to artist in bricks Warren Elsmore who has created more than 40 models for a new LEGO ® exhibition at the American Museum & Gardens, including Dolly Parton, the NASA rocket, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty and the Home Alone House

Anyone who has had a small to medium-sized child in residence at any point in their domestic history is more than likely to have an assortment of LEGO pieces, either in current stages of construction, or in boxes, shelving units and attics. Scale that up a bit and imagine four to five million parts and around six or seven tonnes of LEGO.

“The room is covered on three walls with racking and trays and each of the trays is divided into little tubs. That's where all our parts live. We have a specific place for every 1x1 brick in lime green. If you've got OCD, this is the place to be.” Welcome to the world (and the Edinburgh workshop) of Warren Elsmore, who describes himself as, “an artist in bricks and a lifelong fan of LEGO bricks.”

I suggest that for small brick enthusiasts an imagined life as an adult just doesn’t get more exciting than this. Warren is certainly living this dream. (Although he once said, “I have been told I have the best job in the world by a Nasa astronaut, which is kind of freaky, because I was pretty sure he did.”)

Warren’s company produces models to commission for museums or corporate companies and for exhibitions. His brick achievements include a cutaway model of Coventry Cathedral painstakingly created to scale with a full set of colourful stained glass windows; scenes of Exeter through the ages including a Tudor street and a medieval castle; and a model of St Pancras Station, measuring two by four metres and built from over 180,000 standard LEGO® bricks.

Warren’s latest project is a series of more than 40 models created for an exhibition at The American Museum & Gardens, Brick America: An Adventure in LEGO® Bricks, which opens on 22 July. Think skylines and buildings from Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco and Monument Valley; the NASA rocket and shuttle; the Home Alone House; and the Boston Tea Party. Plus some classic food icons we all associate with the US, including a burger and a pizza slice.

“We tried to encompass as much of the US as we can, covering a range of different LEGO building styles,” says Warren. “The exhibition itself is split into four geographical sections, North East, South, Midwest and West with LEGO mosaics of Barack

The World Record LEGO ship is 12 metres long, uses over a million bricks and weighs 2.5 tonnes

Obama, Serena Williams, Andy Warhol and Dolly Parton to represent each one.”

The mosaic pieces are built in 15cm square sections with a total of 36 sections for each portrait and each mosaic has about 16,000 different pieces. The process begins with a computer visualisation, but this is just a starting point, a point of reference that then needs human readjustment and modelling.

The process of designing a three-dimensional model depends on the building shape and complexity. “With something like the Golden Gate Bridge, which has a very straight, angular structure, we used a threedimensional model to work out the sizes of every bit. But with Independence Hall in Philadelphia, we used a LEGO CAD system where we can actually draw the models digitally, which helps to speed up the process,” Warren explains.

I am convinced that the creation of these spectacular models must involve the design of bespoke pieces, but Warren says this is not the case. “All the pieces we use are standard LEGO pieces. There are no special pieces apart from one small detail on the Golden Gate Bridge model. There are no special colours. So you could go to a toy shop, buy lots of LEGO sets and create them all.”

There is a retail buzz in the life of a LEGO modeller, too, because Warren’s postman turns up with 10 or 20 parcels every day, mostly with deliveries purchased via third party marketplace called Brick Link, which Warren describes as “an eBay for LEGO.”

Warren’s company has two Guinness World Records for LEGO models. One is for the largest LEGO mosaic picture, which he describes as “a big mistake” because it came in at 143 square metres. The other is the largest LEGO ship, built in collaboration with DFDS, the Danish Shipping Company, which regularly tours the ship to all its offices and shipping locations across Europe. At 12 metres long,

built using over a million LEGO bricks, and weighing 2.5 tonnes it needs a 40 foot articulated lorry to be transported. With such big models it is possible to create more subtlety and realistic visualisation. “If we're doing something that big, we can make it very, very detailed to the point where it doesn’t look like a LEGO model. So I generally need to ask if it needs to look like it's made out of LEGO. With the models at the American Museum we’ve tried to make them look as accurate as possible, because people will be able to get really close to them, and you can still see that they're made of LEGO bricks when it’s up close. But the larger ones, if you’re viewing it from a distance, you have to adapt a design to make it look like LEGO.”

One of the more complex models for the exhibition was the Coit Tower in San Francisco. “This is a round building, which is never an easy thing to do in LEGO –it arches at the top, on the inside, and all sorts of other challenging things. There are going to be more parts on the inside of that one to hold everything together than you can see on the outside. That’s pretty complicated.”

Brick America exhibition, which runs until 31 December, is designed for participation. It includes exciting build stations and a chance for visitor creations to be a part of the Brick America Hall of Fame gallery. There will be a LEGO bricks graffiti wall and activities to download to take home. When the exhibition launches on 22 July there is a 3-day, Big Build event, when visitors will be invited to work alongside Warren to create a giant model of the Hollywood Sign.

“If you build it he will come,” as Kevin Costner said in Field of Dreams (1989). n

Brick America: An Adventure in LEGO ® Bricks exhibition is open from 22 July –31 December, Tuesday to Sunday, 10am–5pm (last entry 4pm). The Big Build event will be run from 10.30am–4.30pm on 22–24 July and will be a drop-in activity (no need to pre-book a slot); americanmuseum.org

PREVIOUS PAGE: Dolly Parton Mosaic

THIS PAGE: Statue of Liberty and Macy’s Parade

FOOD FILES

SALAD DRESSINGS

by Melissa Blease

In the summertime when the weather is fine, throw together your favourite salad and give it that special je ne sais quoi with a handmade dressing. Here are three of our favourites.

BOTTOMLESS BUBBLES

Bath Pizza Co have launched a new Bottomless Prosecco menu. The £29 offer includes any of their famous pizzas along with unlimited fizz for 90 minutes –and it’s available seven days a week.

The casual dining pizzeria based at Green Park Brasserie has two stunning terraces, perfect for watching the world go by in the sunshine. There are no bookings so swing by whenever you want and make the most of their chilled alfresco vibes and award winning pizza. Bath Pizza Co placed in the top three at the National Pizza Awards recently and are known for their buzzing terraces as one of Bath’s favourite local hotspots. A popular £12.50 Pint/Prosecco offer is also available Monday to Friday.

Classic Vinaigrette

Shake 6 tbsp peppery, extra virgin olive oil with 2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 small garlic clove (peeled and grated) and a pinch of caster sugar in a large, clean jam jar. Season to taste and serve with all classic salad combinations, drizzled over warm griddled leeks or asparagus, or use as a base for quick dips, mixed with plain yoghurt, soured cream or cottage cheese. Store sealed and refrigerated for up to 4 weeks.

Blue Cheese Dressing

In a small tub, mash 2 heaped tbsp strongly-flavoured soft blue cheese (eg. Roquefort or Gorgonzola) with 2 tbsp mayonnaise (low fat is fine) and 2 tbsp thick, Greek-style natural yogurt. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and serve with robust salad leaves such as endive or chicory, celery sticks, sliced apples and/or pears and walnuts... or with fried chicken for a classic American combo. Store sealed and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Balsamic Dressing

Shake 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and a smattering of freshly ground black pepper in a large, clean jam jar. Add dried basil or/and dried oregano to taste and drizzle liberally over Italian-style salads or roasted Mediterranean vegetables, or serve with warm Focaccia or Ciabatta, for dipping. Store sealed and refrigerated for up to 4 weeks.

Read more about the Bottomless offer here: bathpizzaco.com/bottomless-prosecco-pizza

BANDOOK AT BABINGTON HOUSE

Our local Indian food restaurant Bandook has developed a new collaboration. Every Friday Bandook chefs take over to serve Babington House’s members-only guests a selection of its signature tandoor-grilled items with a twist. These flavoursome dishes are marinated by the specialist tandoori chef and cooked off to perfection under the wood-fire grill in the garden of Babington House from 12pm onwards. Expect to see dishes such as Lasooni Lamb Chops, Basil Chicken Tikka, Grilled Aubergine Masala and Alleppey Salmon Tikka on the menu. This collaboration is only applicable to members of Babington House, but the dishes are also available at Bandook in Bath. bandookkitchen.com

Quote BBH2023 for a complimentary glass of champagne on arrival when dining in Cloisters Restaurant choosing 3 course dinner.

THE DELICIOUS FOOD & DRINK GUIDE TO BATH 2023

the best places in Bath to eat, drink and make merry

Here’s the second course (starters appeared in June) of our list of local foodie superstars covering every possible dining option.

Scan the QR code to access full guide and you’ll find Bath’s best restaurants and cafés where you can revel in seasonal dishes, order a special bottle for a celebration and share good times with friends and family. From Chinese, Thai and Japanese to French, Italian and British gastro – and plenty of options for vegan, veggie and gluten-free – you’ll find a host of national cuisines, and all manner of food from burgers and pizza to small plates to share and award-winning gastronomy. There’s also time-saving tasty take-outs and wholesome food to prepare at home. There are some superb haunts here – those we love to return to again and again –as well as a fresh tranche of new businesses offering amazing vision and foodie adventures.

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 great-tasting, 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. While 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 alfresco lunching and drinking with good friends.

PLATE AT THE BIRD

18-19 Pulteney Road, Bath, BA2 4EZ Tel: 01225 580438 Web: thebirdbath.co.uk

PLATE is a vibrant, community-focused restaurant that serves up delicious, ethically sourced dishes. Sustainability is at the heart of everything they do, which takes pride in supporting local farmers and fishermen. The menu features locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, ensuring a fresh and unforgettable dining experience. Guests can expect classic dishes with a mischievous twist, all crafted to challenge their taste buds. PLATE's commitment to sustainability and community makes it a must-visit destination for those seeking a sophisticated dining experience that is both delicious and planet-friendly.

MONTAGU’S MEWS AT THE ROYAL CRESCENT HOTEL

16 Royal Crescent, Bath BA1 2LS Tel: 01225 823333 Web: royalcrescent.co.uk

Fresh, local ingredients, inspired style and flawless service. Somewhere to relax and enjoy special moments that become lasting memories. The newly named and extensively refurbished Montagu’s Mews now boasts a glamourous new bar and a stylishly snug and relaxed restaurant; overseeing a menu that has a strong focus on locally sourced ingredients, head chef Martin Blake and his kitchen team serve carefully curated seasonal dishes and accomplished tasting menus that elevate classic dishes to sublime new heights. The brand-new outdoor dining terrace, complete with cantilever parasols, seasonal heaters and views over the gardens, now offers an idyllic setting for alfresco dining.

BOHO MARCHÉ

6 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HH Tel: 01225 473 351 Web: bohomarche.com/

Nestled in the heart of Bath, Boho Marché offers a delicious twist on gourmet dining. Popular with Bath locals and visitors alike, Boho Marché is a haven for foodies. With its inviting atmosphere, the restaurant has a laid-back vibe that captures the essence of Bohemian charm. Enjoy flavoursome dishes with a Mediterranean-meets-Morocco influence with a menu featuring carefully crafted dishes using locally sourced ingredients. Dine on a delicious selection of small plates and tantalising main dishes, including tempting vegetarian and vegan options. Watch Boho Marché’s mixologists create magic with their cocktails or relax with a sharing platter and a glass of wine on the terrace.

Small Plates

The Gaff in Milsom Place, who specialise in small, beautiful plates of food, advise you to order 3–4 small dishes per person, including desserts. Here we see an initial selection of plates from the first part of the menu – plumply shining Gordal Olives, Cheese and Leek Fritters

MILSOM PLACE

41 Milsom Street, Bath, BA1 1DN Web: milsomplace.co.uk

Milsom Place in Bath is a great destination for dining, offering stunning architecture, rich history, and a vibrant food scene. Some of the best dining options include The Gaff, Bosco Pizzeria, Bandook Indian Kitchen, Vero's and Côte Brasserie. In addition, The Botanist offers creative and classic cocktails in a lush, botanical-themed bar and terrace. The courtyards are stunning with historic architecture and award-winning plantings, making it a perfect destination for a romantic date or a night out with family and friends.

The Circus Restaurant

34 Brock Street, Bath BA1 2LN; Tel: 01225 466020; thecircusrestaurant.co.uk

Melissa Blease arrives in Brock Street to revel in a Circus feast. Elizabeth David is quoted and high expectations are abundantly met, from mussels to banoffee pie

Situated on the gorgeous little thoroughfare that links two of Bath’s most famous architectural landmarks (that’ll be The Circus and The Royal Crescent, then), The Circus Restaurant is perfectly situated to attract both visitors to the city and those in the ’hood alike. And indeed, it offers broad appeal to both: tourists swoon over the location while locals view this long-standing foodie institution as their very own, with neither tribe finding reason to impinge on the perceptions of the other.

The modern brasserie-style, street level dining room could almost be described as cosy, albeit in a bright’n’breezy, contemporary way: subtly glamorous; stylish rather than snug. If you head downstairs, meanwhile, you’re transported into the kind of warmly welcoming environment that gently envelopes you in a soft, seductive comforter of bonhomie. This is not, however, a restaurant of two halves; wherever you choose to sit (including the alfresco tables that offer a distinctly Parisian street café vibe to an already appealing range of options), you’ll find yourself feeling as though you’re in exactly the right place at exactly the right time, from the moment you walk through the door.

As the esteemed food writer Elizabeth David once said, “real cooking implies a sense of immediacy, a capacity to capture the essence of the fleeting moment” – and The Circus menus reflect that glorious sense of immediacy in the very best possible way. Dishes change on a very regular basis to represent the very best of the season resulting in a broad selection of carefully considered, imaginative options as beautifully, meticulously described on the menu as they translate to the plate, sans pretension, conceit or charade. Vegetarian, vegan, dairy- and gluten-free diets are exceedingly well catered for, the characterful wine list is a joy to behold in its own right, and ingredients sourced from a roll call of our very best local suppliers

and producers further up the ‘real food’ vibe – and that vibe resonated throughout our Circus feast from the get-go.

A dish of huge, glistening River Fowey mussels, their distinctively sweet, briny personality perfectly complemented by a softly fiery chorizo and red onion cream sauce, combined flavours of the British seaside with Iberian flair; on the other side of the table, sweet, moist salt cod tartare exhilarated by a cheerfully piquant medley of gherkins, capers, lemon and dill – enticing combinations indeed, with flavours and textures presented in perfect harmony.

For mains, rich, full-flavoured Creedy Carver duck was given a Char Siu makeover, the breast served soft and pink, the leg transformed into Korean jeon fritter, with kimchi slaw and cucumber in both roasted and ketchup format (yes, cucumber ketchup – it’s a thing) adding beautifully-balanced sweet/salt/spice hits at every turn. But fish – always sustainable; always super-fresh, of-the-moment –goes large at The Circus, hence our Fish of the Day choice: soft, silky rolled fillets of Cornish plaice served on an elegant puddle of mildly spiced, smoky/sweet aloo tikka masala sauce and topped with an elegant tumble of punchy fennel and kohlrabi slaw that bought further texture, flavour and fascination to the plate.

We did dessert at The Circus too because, at The Circus, they do dessert properly... like this: a sophisticated version of Banoffee Pie made with Dulce de Leche (think, caramelised condensed milk) with glazed bananas, and a Yorkshire rhubarb crème brûlée topped with a shimmering, dark amber burnt sugar ‘lid’ and served with a buttery, crumbly ginger sablé.

To quote Ms David again, “there are people who take the heart out of you, and there are people who put it back”. The Circus is a restaurant with a great big heart at its epicentre, on multiple levels; you’d be a clown not to roll up at your earliest opportunity. n

This meal for two at The Circus Restaurant, without drinks, totalled £89.

A dish of huge, glistening River Fowey mussels, their distinctively sweet, briny personality complemented by a softly fiery chorizo and red onion cream sauce

The Circus is a restaurant with a great big heart at its epicentre, on multiple levels

Robun

World cuisine

Bath may major on an image based on traditional British charms, but globally inspired street food and international cuisine is as fashionable here as it is across the UK and beyond, especially during the summer months when alfresco opportunities beckon. Choices include Noya’s Kitchen on St James’ Parade for a Vietnamese dining experience; smart little French bistro Chez Dominique on Argyle Street/Pulteney Bridge; Japaneseinspired Robun on George Street with a modern-day interpretation of ‘Yakiniku’; and La Terra in John Street where classic, traditional Italian cuisine meets contemporary.

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 oncenotorious Victorian pub. Owner Richard Fenton took on this rundown 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.

RESTAURANT HYWEL JONES ATLUCKNAMPARK

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 with beech and lime trees before you commence your evening of fine dining from the seven-course tasting menu or a la carte 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. Supporting and using fresh, local produce helps enhance the subtle flavours of the cooking. Restaurant Hywel Jones is open 6.30pm–9pm from Wednesday to Saturday.

WOODS RESTAURANT

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

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, they work alongside the head chef of 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 a 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 that accompany the delicious dishes are specially selected and tasted by David. Woods caters 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 also has a Wine Shop and Deli (which runs from Weds to Sat) to eat in or take away, and you can enjoy a Sunday lunch on the first Sunday of every month.

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 pea and mint arancini, followed by panfried duck with dauphinoise potatoes, heritage carrots, raisin puree and damson jus. The new dessert menu features showstoppers like chocolate ganache with a hazelnut tuile, fresh raspberry and white chocolate crumb – as well as crowdpleasing favourites like sticky toffee pudding. 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.

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 a la carte menu or a mid-week set lunch menu. Open daily from 12pm, last orders at 9pm.

THE MOORFIELDS

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

Situated in the heart of Oldfield Park, The Moorfields is a beautifully appointed 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 the hake Kiev or tempura nori wrapped tofu for vegans – which is 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.

LET’S LUNCH

The Brasserie at Lucknam Park offers a two, or three course set lunch menu that showcases the very best of its contemporary dining experience, featuring dishes created by chefs using seasonal, local ingredients from the finest producers. Available Monday to Friday. Two courses: £28; three courses: £34; there’s also Sunday lunch at the Brasserie with three courses for £48 per person or £24 per child, as well as a designated children’s menu. Visit: lucknampark.co.uk/dining/the-brasserie/

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 award-winning 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.”

LA TERRA RESTAURANT

2 John Street, Bath BA1 2JL Tel: 01225 482070

La Terra is an independent restaurant in the heart of Bath, run by business partners Vito and Alessandro serving up Italian cooking with a modern approach. Using local and fresh produce, the menu reflects the seasons and highlights many different aspects of Italian dining and is complemented by an extensive wine list covering all regions of Italy as well as serving some classic French and Spanish wines. Service is attentive and friendly, providing a comfortable, happy and relaxed atmosphere. Vito Scaduto heads the front of house and has over 30 years experience managing some of the most renowned restaurants and hotels in the UK, receiving accolades at The Bath Priory, the Three Gables in Bradford on Avon, the Royal Crescent and many more. Running the kitchen is Alessandro Scola, from Lake Como in northern Italy. Alessandro spent his childhood surrounded by people cooking real Italian food, including making fresh pasta with his grandma, so he was always destined to by a top a chef. The food at La Terra is absolurtley delicious! Be a customer!

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 a fully stocked outdoor bar and covered seating, it's the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of prosecco or a pint.

The menu includes hand stretched pizzas, homemade burgers, classic pub dishes and sharing plates: choose from moules mariniere, spicy chicken wings, fried aubergine & honey, red wine braised chorizo. Desserts include tempters like rhubarb and ginger cheesecake, pecan pie, and sticky toffee pudding gracing the menu. Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Children, dogs, cyclists and all are welcome!

FOOD REVIEW

The Gaff

29 Milsom Place, Broad Street, Bath BA1 1BZ; Tel: 01225 984834; thegaffrestaurant.co.uk/bath

There’s something about a small plate that appeals, especially when there’s quite a number of them, and when they are exquisitely beautiful, discovers Emma Clegg when she visits The Gaff in Milsom Place

There is a new restaurant in the city, in Milsom Place, and it has attitude.

It’s called The Gaff – after the Irish slang for ‘home’ – and it’s a Bath-based creation of the original Gaff that Danielle Phillips and Dan Saunders set up in Abergavenny four years ago, which has been recognised by The Michelin Guide, The Hardens Guide, and The Good Food Guide. Before this they had both worked in the Michelin Star Walnut Tree Inn in Abergavenny, Danielle as restaurant manager and Dan as head chef, with acclaimed ‘chef’s chef’ Shaun Hill at the helm.

In the calm, neutral-with-edge interior, the walls adorned with the work of artist Pete Bryden and photographs of Bath taken by the chefs, the Michelin influence is marked. The Gaff’s food philosophy is very particular, however, focusing on small plates of stupendous, glowing beauty, dishes with a modern British spin. Dan tells me that there is no big concept behind the small plates specialism – it’s simply a case of being able to try a little of lots of different dishes and not investing all your sating-your-hunger efforts into one main dish. You will not find any formulaic three-course options here; it’s rather a rolling array of sublime, artfully presented, highly Instagrammable mini-plates that arrive (as all the best impressive arrivals) just when they are ready. The only catch is that the selection from the menu does require a fair bit of thought and collaboration, at least for us those new to The Gaff, but the decision-making process is intense, creative and highly charged, and once done you can sit back and watch the gastronomic theatre.

The menu is ever-changing, according to what’s in season, with the majority of produce sourced from independent outlets, and the fish fresh from Brixham Market. For two it was recommended that we

order 7–8 dishes, including dessert/s, depending on how hungry we were. After some debate and only small compromise, we had eight in the bag. At which point arrived (with glasses of refreshing Iford cider) a most impressive oval wooden cutlery holder, charged with the number of knives, forks and spoons that we would need (look carefully and you can see my reflection in the spoon).

I was captivated by the serving, which balanced the immaculate artistry of the plating with the ‘serve-it-as-it’s-ready’ brief. This felt like high art (edible) made accessible (less stuffy, more relaxed). There were rules within the loose, staged serving structure – you wouldn’t want your Lemon Meringue with your Iberico Chorizo, for example – and the menu had divisions for light bites, fish, red meat and vegetables, from which we chose broadly, and which arrived in that order.

First up came some plumply shining Gordal Olives and Cheese and Leek Fritters with brioche buns and marmite butter. Then our Hake, Potato, Tartar and Oyster Sauce dish arrived as the fritters plate became redundant. There followed Lamb Shoulder with Crumpet Pickled Cabbage and Roast Hispi, Salsa Verde and Aioli, a delightfully unexpected combination, the to-die-for Roast Hispi crisped at the edges and the aioli covered with pale lilac Butterfly Sorrel (Oxalis) flowers. Roasted Jersey Royals with Egg and Caper (egg-meltingly delightful combination) and Sirloin, Asparagus, Shallots and Peppercorn Sauce was our final savoury. The latter was perhaps the most beautiful (it’s a competitive choice), with the sirloin’s succulent hues of fire brick and Indian red stealing the show complemented by the asparagus bound in a soft curved striped sleeping bag of sauce dotted with chive blossoms. Finally there was a riot of Chocolate Mousse Caramel and candied wild rice, concluding the edibles with sweet aplomb.

Small plated nuggets of beauty and flavour. The Gaff is a soaring food experience. Don’t miss it! n

Our meal for two without alcohol totalled £84. The Gaff runs Supper Clubs on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with three courses for £25.

Danielle Phillips and Dan Saunders

Hake, Potato, Tartar and Oyster Sauce

Sirloin, Asparagus, Shallots and Peppercorn Sauce

PULTENEY BRIDGE COFFEE

15–16 and 17 Pulteney Bridge, Bath BA2 4AY

These gorgeous coffee shops, comprising of two shops adjacent to each other, are situated right on the World Heritage Site that is Pulteney Bridge. The incredible views (especially on sunny days) over Pulteney Weir really add to the experience 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, or simply just a coffee and a cake while you do some people watching. There is an extensive takeaway menu, including pasties, sausage rolls, sandwiches and baguettes, smoothies and crisps –so why not get a picnic to take to Parade Gardens? Open 8.30am–5.30pm, MondayFriday; 9am–6pm Saturday; and 9.30am–5.30pm on Sunday.

DONNA’S FLORAL CAKERY

Tel - 07738053695 Web: donnasfloralcakery.co.uk

Donna’s Floral Cakery provides beautiful hand-piped floral buttercream cupcakes for all occasions. The cupcakes can be boxed or presented in bouquets and baskets for special occasions or in larger quantities for weddings and events. Delivery is available in Bath and Bristol. The company also provides free Wedding Consultations, so you can choose your colour schemes and flowers for your special day and they also have a range of unique stands for hire to display your cakes. Donna’s Floral Cakery attends Wedding Fayres in the Bath and Bristol area and will be at Bath Racecourse on Sunday 16th July.

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, tea and cake, the café can get busy so get there early. A beautiful shop with wonderful full-length windows, it’s an ideal place for stopping for a coffee break and watching the world go by. There is plenty of seating on the ground floor and an 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 Sunday.

CAFÉ LUCCA

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

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 and local family suppliers. Situated in a trafficfree 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.

From land to larder at Iford

Iford Manor is entrenched in history, because this site in the Frome Valley has been lived in, cultivated and farmed at least as far back as the Romans. Current owners Marianne and William Cartwright-Hignett now take care of its beautiful Italianate gardens and have introduced a restaurant and café where produce is sourced from the estate. Emma Clegg investigates

There is a Wisteria sinensis that grows on the front of Iford Manor that has been there for nearly 200 years. Planted by the Gaisford family in the 1820s, the plant only came to the UK in 1816 and so it is one of the oldest in the country. When it blossoms in May the scent is all-pervading.

This is just one of many physical references at Iford Manor and gardens that hark back to the estate’s deep-rooted history. This Grade II* listed building dates from the late 15th century and sits on the steep south-facing slope of the Frome Valley, hovering on the Wiltshire Somerset border. Going further back in time, the Romans settled at Iford and there were six known Roman villas there. How appropriate then that the steep gardens behind the manor are Italianate in character.

The footprint of the current manor was lived in by powerful regional figures over the centuries as well as being rented by monks in the period after the Black Death. The Horton family then arrived in the late 15th century and used the buildings as a cloth factory at a time when the whole area was a hub for the cloth trade. The gardens as they are today were the creation of Harold Peto who lived there from 1819–1833. An architect and keen botanist, Peto re-designed and expanded the garden, incorporating the artefacts collected during his travels around the world, with features including an Italianate courtyard, a colonnade lined Great Terrace and cloisters. Marianne CartwrightHignett, who now manages Iford Manor with her husband William, tells me, “Peto did a lot of research on the history of Iford, and as you go round the design echoes much of his understanding and the knowledge of the history of this place.”

Take the loggia entrance to the garden with wall-mounted reliefs of Roman emperors and Byzantine rondels with Aesops Fables cameos; the window in the loggia dating from the 1300s removed from a Venetian Palace and rescued by Peto; the ancient Roman sarcophagus as you make your way to the cloisters; and the millstones set into the loggia patio that refer back to the building’s history as a wool factory.

Peto’s approach was to give soft landscaping, plants and trees life and energy within an architectural setting. “When Peto was creating

the garden he wrote about how plants alone don’t allow you to visualise another place in a way that fragments of masonry can, so he aimed to achieve a balance between hard architecture and soft growth to create those associations,” says Marianne.

Iford is teeming with diverse flora and fauna and the landscape is managed under a Higher Level Stewardship Scheme agreed with Natural England. Part of the valley is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its large maternity roosts for the rare Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats. It was also used as a location in the BBC’s Wild Isles series with David Attenborough.

There is unending continuity: sheep grazed there at the time of the Domesday Book in the 11th century, just as they do today. “It was pasture land at that time, as it still is now. And there was a farmhouse here. So in some ways, very little has really changed over the centuries,” says Marianne proudly.

William’s mother Elizabeth bought Iford Manor in 1965 and she and her husband John Hignett transformed it over the years from an overgrown wilderness, using local stonemasons to help rebuild and enhance, recreating Peto’s imaginative structure and planting. The management was taken on by William and Marianne in 2018 and their contribution since has included the restoration of the cloisters, when one of the corners had started to subside, because the pillars were not load-bearing and there were only four inches of foundation below. This project won the 2020 Historic Houses Restoration Award. Appropriately apples from the estate were used as plumblines as the cloisters were put back together!

After a garden tour we visited the restaurant (and adjoining café), a new build overseen by William, built on the site of an old Georgian barn and 1960s stables using some of the stone from the original barn. The restaurant –with its oak beams, terracotta walls and mounted vintage garden utensils, along with Elizabeth’s first carriage wheel –and the café are separate to the garden so visitors can eat there without a garden entry ticket. But the estate farm and the walled garden are integral to the restaurant because a large proportion of the

The Great Terrace at Iford Manor

food and drink that is served there is grown, reared or foraged from across the estate and from the walled vegetable and flower-cutting garden, which is being developed by a small garden team with head gardener Steve Lannin at the helm.

Head chef Matt Briddon told me more: “We’ve got a garden that grows produce ranging from wild garlic and basil to asparagus and potatoes. We have the farm for our lamb, and for beef in the future. We’re making our own sourdough and our own charcuterie and we are jamming, pickling, fermenting and preserving, making kombucha and our own vinegars. We make our own mozzarella, we make cider [or rather it’s pressed by ‘Joe up the hill’], and we will have cordials from this winter. And finally – what every chef really wants – we’ve even got truffles.”

William estimates that the restaurant and café business is 90% selfsufficient. And if it’s not produced on the estate, then it’s local. Even the fish is sourced locally, with the fish man calling Matt at 2.30am each day to confirm the catch. And nothing is wasted. “It’s important for us to make sure we’re using the whole animal and all parts of the vegetables. We use the roots of leeks, we make carrot-top pesto, we use vegetables including peelings for fermented purées. Nothing goes in the bin, so you have to be inventive and creative,” says Matt.

The sourdough is another story, because there is a ‘mother sourdough’ involved that originates from Germany – given to Matt when he was working there by a baker whose sons didn’t want to continue in the trade – this mother sourdough is about to celebrate her centenary. The mother dough is an ancient leavening agent made of a mixture of flour and water fermented with bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Acetobacter and Saccharomyces. To create it and keep it alive requires patience and

constant care. Matt says of the sourdough, “It takes a day to make, three days to ferment, half a day to prove, and then three hours of baking, scoring and resting. Bread made in this way is better for your digestive system, because it’s natural bacteria. It’s tastier, it has a great crust and flavour and a chew to it, and when you squeeze it, it bounces back because of the air bubbles and fermentation.”

That’s me sold. Although I didn’t need to be persuaded because I sampled some of Matt’s sourdough over lunch, served with the Iford Charcuterie plate with garden chutney and whipped butter. We also ordered the Iford Burger, with dry-aged beef, confit pancetta, onion chutney, Westcombe Cheddar, garden salad and pickles, and Wiltshire truffle fries, a combination that has already established itself as a hands-down popular winner. I sampled the Catch of the Day, Halibut perched on a rich sea of crabmeat and lobster risotto. The dessert menu tempted us with Limoncello Tart with meringue, raspberries and mint and a Clotted Cream Panna Cotta with strawberries, jam and scone crumb. The wine menu, with selections curated by William, is comfortably offbeat and will soon include the Stonedance, a Shiraz/Grenache blend from South Africa which we sampled (along with two others) over lunch.

I can only suggest that you visit Iford Manor for insightful heritage, breathtaking gardens, the romance of the natural landscape and the animal world, and home-grown good food and drinks. Or just visit for the latter, which has the character of the other elements within it. n

Iford Manor Kitchen and Café are open year-round, from 10am –4.30pm on selected days. Friday supper clubs are every fortnight. Iford Manor jazz festival runs from 29 June – 2 July; and there is a free Nature & Butterfly Day on 16 July. Iford Manor Garden is open between April and September. Do check the website for opening times and days and further information: ifordmanor.co.uk

Photograph by Michael Wharley

There is unending continuity: sheep grazed there at the time of the Domesday Book in the 11th century, just as they do today

The Charcuterie Plate with freshly baked sourdough

Florence Fennel Fino growing in the Walled Garden

Head chef Matt Briddon

Pedal power for Cancer Research

A team from law firm Stone King has raised over £6,000 for charity after cycling from Bath to London. The intrepid cyclists covered the 155-mile distance over two days to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Nine riders took part, setting out from the firm’s Bath office at Upper Borough Walls and finishing at its London office in the Barbican.

So far the team have raised £6,255, boosted by a £1,500 donation from the firm’s charitable arm the Stone King Foundation. The ride was the brainchild of Stone King Chair Alison Allen, who had treatment for cancer last year: “We know that this disease affects one in two of us and I am extremely fortunate to benefit from the huge amount of research that has gone before me,” she said.

“The ride was tough going at times but was made so much easier by the camaraderie in the team.” The Stone King team was Alison Allen, Philip Askew, Andrew Banks, Ollie Daw, Sophie Pughe, Frances Reynolds, Jamie Telling, Jessica Ventham and Peter Woodhouse.

Cancer Research UK is the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research, influence and information. It supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses. stoneking.co.uk

New rugby coaching duo

At the commencement of pre-season training, Head of Rugby Johann van Graan has added Andy Robinson (far right) and Stevie Scott (right) to his coaching team for the 2023/24 season of Bath Rugby.

With 249 Bath Rugby appearances to his name, and returning to the club 25 years after leading Bath to European victory, Robinson has been appointed the club’s new Head Academy Coach. He will head up Bath Rugby’s Premiership Rugby Cup fixtures in the early stages of the competition, lending his international-level experience to Head of Academy, Craig Lilley, to bring out the young players’ full potential.

Stevie Scott has also joined the Blue, Black

and White as the new Scrum Coach. A former Scotland international with 11 caps for his country, the front row has playing and coaching experience at Edinburgh Rugby. Moving to the Premiership in 2010, Scott coached Sale Sharks before moving to Scotland to take up an Assistant Coach role. With time at Utah Warriors and Watsonians also on his resumé, Scott is a knowledgeable, specialty coach who will add vital experience to Bath’s scrum. bathrugby.com

RUH staff get on their bikes

Staff from the Children’s Therapies team at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust are using pedal power to visit their patients in the community thanks to a new e-cargo bike. The bike is on loan for a year and will mean the team can travel on two wheels with zero pollution to see their patients, avoiding traffic queues and reducing air and noise pollution.

An e-cargo bike is simply a cargo bike with the addition of an electric motor. Batteries from e-cargo bikes are detachable and come with a charger which can be plugged into the mains electricity network. The bikes are already being used across the country by delivery companies and for street cleaning, park maintenance and waste collection.

The initiative is a result of the work of the RUH’s Sustainability Team, which won funding from Greener NHS and also resources and training from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority to support a project with the aim of making staff travel more sustainable. ruh.nhs.uk

Holistic therapy at The Orangery

Independent beauty and aesthetic clinic The Orangery has welcomed a new therapist to the clinic in Argyle Street. Rebecca Derfoufi holistic therapy offers a range of bespoke holistic treatments from hot stones to deep tissue that are directed towards the women of today. Whether it be menopause symptoms or general stress symptoms presenting in the body, Rebecca’s treatments are designed to become a necessity rather than a luxury.

The Orangery are experts in skin health, aesthetics, and advanced beauty treatments. The Orangery Laser and Beauty Clinic, No. 1 Argyle Street, Bath; theorangerylaserandbeautybath.co.uk

Getting Race Ready!

For many, the sports events calendar is filled up for this season. No matter what your discipline, getting our head in the game is essential for any racing. And I’ve helped many athletes do exactly that, including myself. If you’re working towards a big race, and need a bit of a mental shift to get yourself ‘Race ready’, it might be time to bite the bullet and ask for help!

I often hear in my clinic room athletes saying they just can’t get their head in the game... Training could have been going fantastically, and then suddenly, and it can be a real shocker, their mind one day says “Nah, I can't be bothered!” What... we are in serious training here, we have a marathon to do in a couple of months, or an Ironman at the end of the summer, this is no time to say “Nah, I can't be bothered!”

What I have assessed over many years of working with sports people is that tiredness can be a game changer and suddenly they aren’t training smart.

When we are tired our little 6-year-old brain starts piping up! And believe me when a 6-year-old has a tantrum, boy can it have a tantrum. This is when enlisting the help of professionals can be invaluable, because making proper assessments is key, and when you are in the thick of it, you often can't make them!

This is why you need to get in the headset that you don't always know best. There are so many professionals out there that can help. PT’s, Osteopaths, Physios, Nutritionists, Sports masseurs, Sports Psychologists, (and of course Hypnotherapists). These professionals can address your needs and see the holes in your approach to training... So that come Race Day, you are on your ‘A Game’, fit, strong, prepared, and excited to do it.

So, if you are struggling with your training or hitting that wall. Don’t carry on regardless, get it right, call in a professional that can help you turn your training around so that you can impress yourself with a PB!

Viv Kenchington Tel: 07974 153487 viv@hypnotherapyandhealth.co.uk

When the brain says: “Nah, I can’t be bothered”...

Viv in the Bowood Outlaw Half Ironman

Cash flow management for Businesses

Good cash flow management is essential for business success!

With the present economic uncertainty, managing your business’s cash and understanding the flow are now vital tools in maintaining resilience and being able to adopt flexible strategies for success.

Cash flows reflect all the cash that is flowing in and out of a business. Owners can look at the direction of the cash flows for insights about the health of specific products or services and overall market patterns. Some types of business are more likely to run into cash flow problems, while other types appear to be more resilient. If you are a business owner, you might be wondering which category your business falls into. No matter how inventive or simple your business model is, you can still have problems with cash flow. Here are our thoughts on managing the flow of cash in your business:

The first stage of understanding and predicting how funds flow is to perform a health check on your accounts. Look at your latest profit and loss statement and check that your income is sufficient to cover your expenses. If your profit is falling behind your expenses and cash flow is slowing down, you might need to take action. Prepare a funds flow statement so you know where the money goes.

Next create a yearly budget; look where cash could become tight and identify months where you can save to cover off the quieter times. Look at those quieter months and think about flexible work scheduling, new products or services or other activities to tide you over.

Finally make sure you collect your money from those who owe you quickly. Reward customer loyalty by offering early bird discounts. Set credit limits and payment terms to ensure customers follow the rules. If you take on new customers, make credit checks. Penalise late payers and request up front deposits or payment.

We specialise in helping businesses plan forward and adopt flexible strategies so please talk to us about preparing a cash flow statement and an annual budget to help you reach your goals. See our next article for how our Complimentary Review meetings can help businesses build robust plans for the future.

For more information contact us – call Tristan Wilcox-Jones, Matt Bryant or Lucas Knight on 01225 445507

Should you Equity Release?

As the cost of living crisis continues and shows no sign of easing this year, we have seen a rise in the popularity of equity release as an option to provide financial relief.

What is Equity Release?

The equity you hold in your property is the difference between the property value and the amount of debt you have secured against the property. An equity release plan will allow you to access some of this equity.

How does it work?

An equity release provider will provide you with either a lump sum or an income in exchange for part of the value of your home. This is achieved either using a type of mortgage, or by selling that portion of your home on the condition that you can continue to live there as long as you wish.

The minimum age for applying for an equity release plan is 55 and the debt only needs to be repaid from the sale of the property either on death of the last applicant, or the last applicant entering a care home.

Why release equity?

You can use the funds released from an equity release arrangement for a variety of different reasons and could include:

•Topping up your income

•Helping children and grandchildren

•Renovating or refurbishing your property

•Buying a second property

•Paying for holidays

•Adapting the home

•Paying for private treatment

•Funding hobbies and interests

Equity release is not for everyone

Make sure you speak to an independent financial adviser or mortgage broker specialising in equity release to receive unbiased advice on whether it really is the best option for you and to ensure you are protected from pitfalls like negative equity.

What to do next

Get in touch, call 01225 308333 or email sean.mcCabe@mogersdrewett.com, our advisers all have the required equity release qualifications and are accredited by The Society of Later Life Advisers.

Call Tristan Wilcox-Jones, Matt Bryant or Lucas Knight on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting

Competing to win

Horse-riding, fencing, swimming, running and shooting –it’s all going on at the University of Bath this August. Emma Clegg asks event director Rebecca Leach about the Modern Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships

Not sure what Modern Pentathlon and Laser Run is? Then read on and head along to the World Championships at the University of Bath at Pentathlon GB’s National Training Centre, from 19–28 August. This modern pentathlon event –consisting of horse-riding, fencing, swimming and laser run (running and shooting) – first took place in Ancient Greece at the Ancient Olympic Games. The wide variety of skills needed to compete meant that pentathletes were held in high esteem as physical specimens. Rebecca Leach, director of the World Championships event, says, “This sport showed competitors as perfect Olympians – the five events would challenge an individual in every aspect of their sporting prowess.”

It was Pierre de Coubertin who invented the modern pentathlon, bringing into focus the skills required by a late-19th-century soldier, with competitions in shooting, swimming, fencing, equestrianism and crosscountry running. Each competitor is awarded a certain number of points based on

theirperformance in each event and the overall winner has the highest point total at the end.

This year’s Modern Pentathlon World Championships is the first to be staged in Britain since 2009 and will be contested in a new, action-packed 90-minute format.

Spectators will watch the fencing, horse-riding and laser run live from their seats in an outdoor arena at the Team Bath Sports Training Village, while the swimming section – taking place in the University’s Olympicsized pool – will be broadcast via a large video screen in the stadium. The BBC is covering the finals with a live feed and Sky is doing the highlights package.

It’s a fast-paced event, with competitors moving straight from one event to the next. “They start with riding, then fencing, then swimming, then the laser run with shooting and running at the end”, says Rebecca. “There is no time for drying off after swimming – they will just drop their stuff off and then get straight out to the laser run. So it's not much time at all. The 90-minute format for Modern Pentathlon is quite new, and it makes it very hard-going for the

THE MODERN PENTATHLON EVENT

Event Description Scores

Show-jumping

The show-jumping event is an action-packed 20 minutes of the new 90-minute modern pentathlon format. Athletes complete a course with 10 jumps including two double fences. Athletes have 20 minutes to get to know their horse, which is assigned by a random draw.

Fencing Fencing is completed in two rounds. The fencing Ranking Round which is completed prior to the 90minute event and the Fencing Bonus Round which takes place in the arena and accounts for 15 minutes within the 90-minute format. Athletes use épée swords and are attached to a body cord which helps detect electronically if they've hit their opponent. The athlete’s goal is to score a valid touch on their opponent within the one-minute bout.

Swimming

The swimming event accounts for 10 minutes of the new 90-minute modern pentathlon format. Athletes can swim any stroke or style in a 200m race (8 x 25m lengths) held in the University’s pool.

Laser run (running and shooting)

This accounts for around 15 minutes of the new 90-minute format. In Modern Pentathlon (senior, individual category), the laser run consists of five 600m runs (3km total distance) and after each 600m the athlete must try and shoot five green lights within 50 seconds before running the next lap.

A clear round within the time limit scores 300 points. Penalties are given for knocking down the jumps, exceeding the time limit or errors in riding technique.

In the Ranking Round, athletes complete a one-minute bout against every opponent. If an athlete wins 70% of their bouts they get a score of 250 –if they win more, they score more, less and they get less. In the Bonus Round they are ranked in order with the lowest ranked on the piste first against the next lowest ranked. They compete in a 45 second bout, with the winner then staying on. For each win they receive 2 points.

A race time of 2 minutes 30 seconds scores 250 points, with faster times scoring more and slower times less.

The start of the Laser Run is staggered depending on the scores from the first three events. The winner of the whole event is the first to cross the finish line.

athletes because they don’t have any time and to transition so quickly between such different sports is really challenging.”

Spectators will be invested in the race as it develops because the points will accumulate at the end of each event and show on the public leaderboard. “Before the laser run, each competitor’s points are changed into seconds, so you get a staggered start. So if you’ve got most points, you get a head start against the next person, so the first person to cross the line of the laser run is the overall winner.”

The Laser Run World Championships (19–21 August) combines running and shooting in fast-paced races and also includes a Para Laser Run category for the first time. “The laser run will have at least 800 athletes because it includes nine year olds all the way up to over 70s. So it’s more of a mass participation, although it’s still World Championships,” says Rebecca.

“In Modern Pentathlon there will be around 100 men and 100 women in individual events, and for the relays at least 20 teams per event. The GB team training in Bath will only get four faces per event, so we get four men and four women, and one team for the relays.” There is a really strong GB team who are all competing for places, to be announced on 19 July.

“The men’s and women’s relays are on the Family Day, on Tuesday 22 August, with every ticket costing just £5. The relays sound gripping because the relay events are back to back. “In the horse-riding, one of them goes around and does the course, they tag the next person who goes around and does the course. So it creates even more action to watch.”

Interactive ‘have a go’ sessions will run alongside the competitive events to give spectators the chance to discover the five pentathlon disciplines for themselves.

Rebecca says, “The whole event will be really interactive with people connecting with

the crowd and fun things going on and it will be great for kids to watch. It is such a good way of inspiring new generations to come in, and that’s what we want to do, because many people don’t know about the sport.”

There is also a big city trail taking place from 7–28 August, where local children will receive a downloadable pack that will take them around the city to discover information about Modern Pentathlon and there will be a big display outside the station in the forecourt celebrating 100 years of Pentathlon GB.

Competitors – including the Pentathlon GB home team – are gearing up for a shot at global glory and Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualification. But it’s hard fought for. Rebecca says, “In the recent World Cup final in Turkey, Joe Choong, gold medallist and a talented GB Modern Pentathlon athlete, tripped on the finish line and came second. It was a sprint finish and there was so much water, he just tripped over and fell on the finish line – and it was a qualifying place for the Olympics.”

There are also big changes afoot in the event to make it more inclusive. “Modern Pentathlon has needed to modernise to attract more people to the sport and while it’s in the Olympics in Paris, it is not being included in Los Angeles Olympics because it is not seen as inclusive or progressive enough. So the horseriding is going to be taken out after Paris and obstacle racing is coming in to replace it.”

Event management has a reputation for requiring absolute dedication from its staff, involving unsociable hours and no time for seeing family. Rebecca, herself the mother of two young children, has made sure that this culture has been reinvented for these World Championships with the events team involving 15 part-time staff. “I’ve worked on so many events where I see people just

completely burnt out, working flat out, not able to see their family. And we lose so many women from the industry because they have kids, But it doesn’t have to be like this – we are event planners, so we can plan it.”

Engage with Modern Pentathlon for highranking athletes, for family engagement, the fire of competition, for inclusivity in competitors and staff, and an engrossing event spectacle. n

UIPM Modern Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships 2023, 19–28 August, Pentathlon GB’s National Training Centre, University of Bath. Daily tickets are priced from £5, with entry to Pentathlon Finals Day on Sunday 27 August – when both the men’s and women’s champions will be crowned –priced from £15 for adults and £5 concessions. All tickets in the accessible stand are £5 throughout the event. Visit ww.wch2023.org to buy tickets.

“I started competing in Modern Pentathlon at the age of 16 (U17 level). I had an older sister who competed for GB in the sport so I always had an interest and I took up the disciplines one by one, having previously been a swimmer.

“Fencing is my favourite discipline. Although swimming is my strongest discipline, fencing I find the most enjoyable as there’s so much strategy and speed and I love constantly trying to develop and improve.

“My biggest achievement to date was winning both the mixed and men’s relays at the 2019 European Championships on back to back days.

“The toughest part of the sport is the physical demands of training and the time it takes. Having to train for five sports and engage in strength and conditioning requires a lot of training hours and it’s fair to say we work every muscle in the body. Having said this, I absolutely love it!

“Most of my preparation immediately leading into a big competition will be making sure that I’m ready mentally more than physically. From a physical perspective, all the hard work has been completed and I need to trust that what I’ve done is enough for me to compete at the top. Therefore before a competition it’s about finalising my mental preparation so that I’m in the right head space when the first day starts.

“I’m looking forward to the World Championships in Bath and having the home crowd to cheer me and the rest of team GB. I had a home crowd once before at the European Championships in 2019 and it was awesome. They really help that bit extra when you are competing.”

Myles Pillage British Modern Pentathlete

Now offering all dentistry related treatments

offeringall private dental treatments, as well as a very experienced dental nurse, Kim Romero and an also very experienced Hygienist and dental therapy expert, Dominika Jaslikowska.

Georgina Saunders graduated in dentistry from the University of Central Lancashire in 2017 and takes a holistic approach to dentistry having a particular interest in treating periodontal disease and patients with dental anxiety. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Periodontology, as she firmly believes that healthy gums form the foundation of a good smile and painless eating.

Georgina also likes to focus on preventative and minimally invasive dentistry offering aesthetic orthodontic treatments through the Quick Straight Teeth system and Invisalign.

Based on The London Road in Bath and well-known for being ‘The Old Pet Shop’ many moons ago, lies JB Denture Clinic with a complete new face lift.

The clinic has prided itself for the past 7 years in offering the best in prosthetic dentistry and has become a focal point for all denture wearers in the city of Bath, with patients travelling much further afield to be treated by Jaime Brain, practice owner and Clinical Dental Technician. Jaime has over 25 years’ experience in helping patients achieve the best results in dentures and for the past 12 months he has been joined by another familiar name in the Bath dental industry, dentist Kevin Milne. Kevin has over 24 years’ experience in general dentistry and has now flanked Jaime in helping patients reach the best results possible as far as dentures are concerned.

The clinic has now expanded changing its name to JB Dental and Denture Clinic and has introduced a brand-new state of the art dental surgery. The team is also growing, and we now have two enthusiastic and expert dentists

Hassan Sheikh graduated from Cardiff university in 2019. He has worked in both NHS and private dental practices since then. For the last 18 months he has worked solely as a private dentist in the southwest of England. He carries out all aspects of general dentistry and particularly enjoys placing white fillings, carrying out invisalign treatment and composite bonding to enhance people smiles.

This means that JB Dental & Denture Clinic can now offer all private treatments including, Hygienist appointments, implants, all general dentistry and Invisalign while still providing ad hoc specialist treatments for our patients who wear dentures as we still maintain our laboratory downstairs thanks to the very experienced Gary Crocker, our expert Dental Technician.

Our team is definitely growing but we strongly want to maintain that family feel that has been our priority from day one so you will always be greeted at the door by a warm welcome from Tiziana Brain, our Practice Manager.

Feel free to call to book an appointment on: 01225 311 681

Kim Romero (dental nurse) & Hassan Sheikh (dentist)

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Derfoufi

Marchelle Farrell: Uprooting

Marchelle Farrell has travelled 6,943km to find a new home, from Trinidad to Bath. Melissa Blease

her book Uprooting, which tells a story of belonging, and of searching for home, when the

Lots of people believe that the vast, esoteric stratum of space, time and energy called The Universe has got your back, making all the tools, resources, people, places and things that you need to live the life you’re destined to live available at every moment. Although consultant psychiatrist, psychotherapist and –of late – published writer Marchelle Farrell didn’t immediately implicate powerful arcane universal forces at work behind the scenes of her life, I couldn’t help suggesting that there’s

a profoundly destiny-driven theme to her story. “Well yes,” she says. “Several opportunities occurred at once and then everything fell into place quite suddenly; it felt as though the universe had indeed lined up to point me in a particular direction.”

In 2019, Marchelle – who was born and bought up in Trinidad, but moved to the UK 20 years ago (“I fell in love while I was a medical student, so my husband’s to blame for everything!”, she says) – found herself making a home for her and her family in a

Marchelle

quintessentially British village around three miles south of Bath... at the start of a worldwide pandemic. Scroll forward four years, and Marchelle’s first book Uprooting: From the Caribbean to the Countryside –Finding Home in an English Country Garden is published by Canongate Books.

“I didn't set off to tackle my garden with the intention of writing this book – it all evolved really organically,” Marchelle recalls. “When I was a teenager, I wanted to take A-levels in Literature, French and English so I suppose, unconsciously, writing appealed to me. But I was very academic too, so I was encouraged towards sciences. Of course, I’ve done a huge amount of report writing in my formal job – pulling together an assessment report or a discharge summary can feel like quite a creation! But up until the move I'd been intensely busy for a long, long time, and I'd started feeling that I wanted something different: I needed us to feel grounded. When you’re going through medical training you move every six months, it’s very unsettled; I needed to root somewhere and provide stability for my family, and for myself. I was going through a kind of self-examination process: where should home be, and what sort of a life did we really want? But had I ever believed that I was a writer? No!”

Even a brief recce of Marchelle’s Instagram posts (@afroliage) have me begging to differ; take this one, for example, from October 2022, in the middle of all ‘that’ madness:

“At first the rain seems like tears, the ones of grief and rage that bubble within me as I sit frozen, watching the mad spiral of the news, down, down into the death of everything sane and good. I walk past the houseplants and quietly note their still suffering. I know they will love the rain, looking greener and somehow perked up and more full of life after a natural drench. So, still in pyjamas and slippers, I move them one by one and two by two out into the autumn downpour. I get soaked in turn, and after the shock of the first few drops the rain is delicious on my skin. I welcome it. As I feel my cells swell and plump in its sweet benediction, the dry fires of rage cool inside me as a sweet, fresh wind blows

asks

about

idea of home can be complicated

The sound of drops falling beats the reminder that to sit locked away from the earth is madness

Photograph by Sandra Freij

in. These drops are not tears of mourning. They are deliquescent alchemy, melting the mad growth of summer. They are my reminder that everything must fall to the ground and rot for something new to emerge, hidden buds already formed. The sound of drops falling beats the reminder that to sit locked away from the earth is madness. This rain is a wave of the fresh start of autumn’s death.”

Despite her protestations, writing, it seems, is a huge part of what Marchelle is all about –even if Bath, four years ago, was unexplored territory. But why Bath?

“We chose to live in the south west to be near to family – my husband was born and bred in Bristol,” Marchelle explains. “We were only really familiar with Bath from a tourist perspective, so we wanted time to find our feet and get to know the area. But then the pandemic hit and I found myself having the time to think and make links in an analytical kind of way, and spending time in my garden proved to be a really helpful way of processing thoughts that I started writing down, as they came to me. The book evolved from there – and I still don’t really know how! But something really resonated, for me and for other people too, in the middle of that insane, unsettling time. We’d landed in this beautiful house with a beautiful garden and an incredible, thriving, cohesive community around us – so welcoming, and so loving. In the midst of all the craziness, it all felt very serendipitous”.

And there was yet more serendipity to come. Marchelle wasn’t necessarily looking for a publisher for her book (she didn’t, at the time know that she was writing a book) but she was introduced to an agent who loved her work and could see an evolving story. “I thought okay, let’s see where this is going,” says Marchelle. “And just as the

point where I had a solid proposal, some decent sample material and several chapters, the deadline for the 2021 Nan Shepherd Prize [for underrepresented, unpublished nature writers] came up. But at exactly the same time, an opportunity for an NHS job in my speciality was presented to me – and the closing date for both the prize and the job application were on exactly the same day. I chose to take a leap of faith; I didn’t apply for the NHS job but I applied for the prize –which I won! Life has been very different since then...”

Marchelle, however, isn’t a stranger to adapting to change, though; that 6,943km difference between Trinidad and Bath, for example? “Actually, what fascinates me more is how many similarities there are!”, she says. “I was very lucky to have a childhood that felt mythical. I was outdoors a lot, playing around with the other kids and not having to get used to helicopter parents. You came home when you were hungry, and if you fell over and skinned your knees you always felt completely safe because you knew all of the adults around you. There was always a sense of freedom, built around a stronger sense of knowing that you were safe – I really wanted that for my kids, and their childhood right now is as similar to mine as is possible, without being back in Trinidad. But Bath is really special. I remember when we were first

walking around the city and suddenly had this realisation that you can see greenery and the countryside from almost every street –that was really critical, for me.”

At long last, those streets have opened up again, and the ‘new normal’ has become –well, just ‘normal’, once more. What does normal day-to-day life, for Marchelle, entail?

“Life is quite a flurry at the moment, around the release of the book. But I love reading, I’m in the PTA, I run a gardening club, and I was a school governor for a while – I like doing things that foster a feeling of community, and supporting that community. I also love swimming and yoga – they’re my main me-time things. My children are six and eight now – they’re really proud of me, and they’ve started writing their own books, which is wonderful. I would very much like to get back into clinical therapeutic work one day, but then again, I do feel as though I have more to say, through writing. It’s not a thing I want to rush, and I have no idea what shape that would take. But do I hope that writing will remain part of my life? Very much yes, for sure.”

Put it out there, Marchelle; the universe is definitely listening. n

Marchelle Farrell is talking about her book Uprooting (£16.99) at Topping & Co. on 3 August at 7.30pm; toppingbooks.co.uk

Waterway and tramway walk

This seven-mile walk not only explores some of the most glorious scenery around the city but takes in a riverside path, the trackbed of a Regency cliff railway, a prehistoric trackway and the towpath of the Kennet & Avon Canal.

We start, though, by heading north from the city centre along Walcot Street, continuing along London Street and crossing the traffic lights at Cleveland Place. Carry on along the London Road, and, 50m after crossing the entrance to Morrison’s supermarket, bear right by a phone box to continue along Kensington Place. After passing No 10, turn right along an access road which leads down to Kensington Meadows. As you enter the meadows, follow a track bearing diagonally to the right. When you reach the corner of the field, head down a path which doubles back alongside the river (ST758658). On the opposite bank is Bath Boating Station; a little further along are Cleveland Pools.

At the end of the path, turn right at the top of a flight of steps, and right again to cross a footbridge over the river. Just before a railway bridge, turn left along a footpath, go through a kissing gate (KG) and carry on alongside the railway embankment (ST763660).

After 600m, at the end of the second meadow, go through a KG and at the top of the path turn right over a railway bridge. Just before the canal, turn left down a path leading to the towpath and carry on along it. After 800m, you come to Bathampton, where an inn and a narrowboat café offer the last chance of refreshment before the climb ahead.

Carry on along the towpath for another 1000m, and, when you come to a swingbridge (No 182), cross it and turn left (ST782659). Don’t take the footpath heading straight uphill but carry on past boats moored up at the wharf.

It was here that wagonloads of stone, conveyed down an 800m cliff railway from high on Bathampton Down, were once loaded onto boats. It wasn’t called a cliff railway when it opened back in 1810 –it was known either as a tramway or as an inclined plane – but it

worked on the same principle as the cliff railway between Lynton and Lynmouth. There were two crucial differences, however – it not only carried stone rather than passengers, but it was also stone, allied to gravity, that was the key to its operation. Stone was loaded onto a wagon at the top and, as it descended, its weight hauled an empty wagon up from the wharf. The wagons were attached to either end of a rope which wound round a drum at the top and ran over friction rollers between the rails. All very ingenious – and very hard to envisage today, for the tramway was abandoned around 1840, and, although many of the stone sleepers which supported the rails and rollers survive, nature and neglect have taken their toll.

To follow the course of the tramway, carry on as the path curves uphill at the end of the wharf and sets a direct course for the quarry. The views along the Limpley Stoke valley from here are magnificent –but before long our ascent comes to an abrupt halt as the footpath drops down to the Warminster Road. The tramway crossed the road on a bridge known locally as the Dry Arch, but, as it was demolished in 1958, we have to make a short diversion.

Turn right along the pavement and, just after passing Dry Arch House, cross the road and follow a footpath sign up a gravel track. After 100m, the track divides. To rejoin the tramway, you need to fork right – but before you do take the left fork. This follows the course of the old road along the valley, and a little way along you come to most substantial legacy of the tramway – a bridge which carried it over the road (ST780657).

Turn back to head uphill and rejoin the tramway as it continues its remorseless climb to the summit. As you near the top and cross the skyline walk, the ground becomes ever more uneven, thanks to tree roots undermining it and water coursing down. At the top, a path swings in from the right – this is the path you will be taking shortly, but before you do, bear left to follow the course of the tramway as it levels out. Ignore turnings to the left, and after 30m you enter the quarry where the stone came from. Once it was a hive of industry,

This month Andrew Swift follows a scenic route from Walcot Street and Kensington Meadows which takes in the towpath of the Kennet & Avon Canal, the trackbed of a cliff railway and a hidden amphitheatre

but today a path leads through flower-rich grassland to emerge in a hidden amphitheatre, its man-made cliffs pierced by the entrances to underground workings.

Head back and take the path you passed earlier – watching out for barbed wire as you squeeze past the squeeze stile a little way along. After going through a KG, you emerge on Bathampton Down, with two grassy tracks ahead. Take the one on the right and, after 100m, when you cross a raised track, turn right down it (ST774654). A little way down, it joins a sunken track, along which you turn right. This network of old tracks would have been used to cart stone down from the quarries before the tramway was built, but they were almost certainly much older. Evidence of Romano-British field systems and settlements is scattered all over the down, and it is likely that the track that will take us back down to Bathampton is of a similar vintage.

Follow a bridleway sign as the track drops downhill, rough and stony, with its surface only starting to improve once you are through a 7-bar gate and the Warminster Road comes into view ahead. When you reach it, cross at the traffic island to your right and carry on down Down Lane.

After 250m, turn left along Miller Walk. After passing the first house, turn right along a grassy track. Carry on along a shady path between fences, go through a KG and follow a track diagonally across a meadow.

When you come Bathampton Lane, cross and turn left. Carry on for 100m before turning down a lane to Field Cottage. After 60m, go through a KG on the left and head diagonally across a field. Go through a gate in the far corner, turn right and, after crossing the canal, turn left along the towpath to return to the city. n

Many more walks can be found in Andrew Swift’s Country Walks from Bath published by Akeman Press; akemanpress.com

FACT FILE

Distance: 7 miles

Time: 3–4 hours

Difficulty: Some steep sections, rough in places; two busy road crossing

Map OS Explorer: 155

Bathampton Wharf

Show and tell

The lure of Milan Design Week is strong for designers and aficionados wanting to keep up with the latest movements in interior design. John Law from Woodhouse & Law was there and give us an account of the new, exciting and emerging trends.

The world of interiors is ever-changing and evolving, offering us inspiration, anticipation and the odd surprise in equal measures. Keen to keep on top of the latest emerging trends, our team will visit many of the interior trade shows each year, whether here in the UK or further afield on the continent. Most recently we were fortunate enough to attend Salone del Mobile in Milan, returning to its traditional April time slot for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The annual event is the largest trade fair of its kind in the world, with almost 2,000 furniture exhibitors and over 300,000 attendees visiting from all corners of the globe.

Spanning hall after hall at the sprawling FieraMilano complex, the event is undeniably one of the highlights of the interiors calendar, one embraced and celebrated by the whole city. Coming together under the banner of Milan Design Week, designers and manufacturers add to the buzz by opening up a wealth of venues throughout the city. From ancient palazzos to derelict industrial units, the spaces are transformed for the week, offering exhibitions, workshops and the opportunity to entertain, celebrate and debate.

For us, this provides the perfect opportunity to identify those new, exciting and emerging trends. And this year didn’t fail to impress, with noticeable shifts not only in colour palettes, materials and techniques, but also in our approach to design and manufacture in a digital world –one of fast demand and fickle loyalties.

Some trends looked familiar, nostalgic even. Browns featured highly for instance –in wall treatments, materials and furniture alike. Once exiled and avoided for fear of throwback to the seventies and eighties, the colour was back, warmed up and ready for a fight. With back-up from other equally earthy tones, from terracotta pinks to warming caramels, the long-standing rule of the grey regime was decidedly over.

The newly appointed reigning tones instead offered a distinctly warm, calming and comforting atmosphere, perhaps born from a need for us all to cocoon after a number of turbulent years. It makes

sense therefore that this movement joined at the show by an embracing of biophilic design, bringing the outdoors in and improving our connection to nature and the environment. Integrating natural elements –with their rich diversity of life, shapes and colours – is fast gaining a dedicated following for its ability to greatly improve our well-being and creativity. The show was testament to this, with a growing number of pieces made from natural stone and wood, often with curved lines and soft shapes to instil a more natural, organic feel to a scheme.

This use of natural materials also had a greater nod to sustainability than ever before. Alongside those more traditional ingredients stood the more unusual, with waste materials from other industries often being incorporated to reduce the environmental impact of these new products. Surplus sheep’s wool was used in place of plastic upholstery foam, waste hemp fibres were used to fortify bioplastic in compostable chairs and acoustic panels featured a byproduct of rice production. While some manufacturers returned to traditional craftsmanship, others looked to new technological developments for their latest collections. Take The New Raw, a young studio from the Netherlands. Using 3D printing, and inspired by traditional knitting techniques, continuous threads of plastic waste were threaded to create a series of tactile benches, permeable and strong enough to be used both inside and out.

Throughout the show, this meeting of the digital and the physical was omnipresent. New York artist Ryan Decker showcased for instance his latest collection of lights, combining textures created by artificial intelligence with digital renders to turn flat sheets of aluminium into three dimensional sculptural, alien-like pieces.

Despite this embracing of the latest technological innovations, there looked to be a determined backlash against the more Instagram friendly installations that had previously dominated the show. These had, in recent years, drawn in many a visitor and influencer keen to grab an image worthy of social media. This year however the emphasis seemed to be more on the experiential. With more pared-back scenography, designers ensured that the pieces and their craftsmanship took centre stage.

For some though, maximalism was still going nowhere anytime soon. Often a polarising aesthetic, mixing bold colours with just as striking patterns and textures, there were some designers that defied the move to a more restrained, calming palette. Some came from small boutique designers such as La DoubleJ, who transformed eight bathrooms around the city house venues with their daring printed papers. Others came from the more expected, such as Dolce and Gabbana. With sales of furniture growing exponentially after restrictions were eased, this proved one of many luxury fashion houses keen to create an impact and improve their market share. Big names were in force, with Dior collaborating with designer Philippe Starck to reimagine their iconic Medallion Chair. A reflection perhaps of a show that seamlessly combined the traditional with a definite eye to the future. n

woodhouseandlaw.co.uk

Integrating natural elements –with their rich diversity of life, shapes and colours –is fast gaining a dedicated following for its ability to improve our well-being

Tine K Home Danish design and interiors

Water ways

As the UK continues to experience longer and hotter summers with less rainfall, our gardens need to adapt. Elly West looks at how best tofuture-proof your garden to make it more resilient to the rising temperatures...

Climate change means we are all having to rethink the way we garden. If we want a low-maintenance garden that will largely look after itself without watering, we need plants that can cope with hot, dry weather. Bleached summer lawns are becoming the norm, as are gardens that are burnt out and fading from July onwards. But there are lots of ways we can future-proof our gardens to make them more resilient to what seem to be increasingly long British summers.

There’s no escaping the reality of climate change. The UK’s 10 hottest summers on record have all been in the last 20 years. The Met Office predicts that over the next 50 years, UK winters could be up to 4.5°C warmer and 30 per cent wetter, and summers up to 6°C warmer and 60 per cent drier, and we’re particularly vulnerable in the south of the country. There’s an urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions and remove carbon dioxide from the air, which means our gardens increasingly need to cope with the extremes of prolonged drought and heavy storms.

This is not a new concept. Scientists have been concerned about global warming since the 1950s. Beth Chatto, with her ‘right plant, right place’ approach, planted her famous gravel garden over 30 years ago as an experiment to see which plants would survive in full sun without any irrigation, in an area of Essex with low annual rainfall. A quick search on Amazon finds a wide selection of books available on the themes of drought-friendly plants and waterefficient gardening. It’s a consideration for all gardeners going forwards, as we have to cope with heatwaves and changing seasons, and should therefore select plants for their ability to cope with their conditions, not just for how they look.

When choosing plants that will survive through periods of drought, go for ones that originate from hot, dry countries, that have naturally adapted to these conditions. There are plenty of hardy succulents or Mediterranean plants from mountainous regions

that naturally experience hot summers, as well as cold winters. Narrow-leaved ornamental grasses are good contenders, as are strappy-leaved agapanthus and phormiums. Succulent leaves that store water in them, such as sedums, or silvery leaves that reflect the heat, such as lavender and artemisia, will also fair well. The rhizomes of bearded irises will happily sit in the baking sun. Hairy leaves, such as those of Stachys byzantina or verbascums, are another plant adaptation that makes them more drought-resistant. Sea hollies have deep tap roots that seek out water, and tough silvery leaves that don’t suffer in drought.

There are also lots of annuals that flower well in dry conditions, especially if you’ve grown them in situ from seed, so they’ve had a chance to develop a good root system without being disturbed. Bristol-based garden designer Jane Porter included a selection of drought-tolerant annuals in her garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, such as Cerinthe major, poppies and love-in-a-mist ( Nigella damascena ).

New perennials should ideally go in the ground when they are still small, and in spring as the soil is warming up, so that they get chance to establish before a cold, damp winter. Prepare the soil well by adding organic matter such as compost or well-rotted manure,

The rhizomes of bearded irises will happily sit in the baking sun. Sea hollies have deep tap roots that seek out water, and tough, silvery leaves that don’t suffer in drought

Derek Jarman’s dry garden in Dungeness, which is boundary-less and laid with Dungeness shingle; and (left) sea holly (Eryngium)

Photographs by Agnieszka Kwiecień (left) and Amras Wi (right)

which will help it to absorb and retain water. Water well after planting and add a thick layer of mulch to help conserve moisture in the ground. This could be a deep layer of compost, well-rotted manure or bark chippings, or a layer of gravel. Gravel is a particularly good mulch around succulents, which may rot in winter if they are subject to prolonged damp and cold around the base. Consider replacing a border or an area of lawn with a gravel garden, and group together plants that have similar watering requirements to avoid over or under-watering.

We should all avoid wasting water, but if hosepipe bans are in place, then you will need to prioritise the areas of the garden that need it, such as pots, the veg plot and newly planted trees and shrubs. Don’t worry about the lawn. Even if it’s parched and bare, the lawn is the first thing to recover once the rain returns. Move pots into the shade temporarily, so you don’t have to water them as often. Water in the mornings and evenings when it’s cooler, and direct the water at the base of the plants so it gets down to the roots rather than splashing on the leaves, which can cause them to scorch, and also just evaporates before it gets to the roots. Re-use grey water from the house if you can, from sinks and baths. Install water butts on downpipes from your house, shed and garage to collect as much precious rainwater as possible to use on the garden. Avoid frequent shallow watering, instead water less frequently but with greater quantities that will soak down into the soil and encourage deeper roots that are better able to withstand drought.

Regular checks on your garden’s general health are also a good idea, so you can alleviate any additional stress from pests and diseases, or competition for limited water from weeds. n

ellyswellies.co.uk

Plant of the Month: Sempervivums

These easy-to-grow, tough little succulents won’t bat an eyelid when water deprived and blasted with sunshine. Also known as houseleeks, they are extremely tolerant of cold and frosts, although they won’t like the combination of cold and damp, so need free-draining soil. They look great in pots, shallow bowls or troughs, where you can mix in grit or sharp sand with the compost to improve drainage, and perhaps move to somewhere sheltered from heavy rain in winter. They are good in groups, where they’ll create a mosaic of patterns, colours and textures. Alternatively, grow them in a rock garden or gravel garden, or on a green roof. There are lots of different varieties available with slight variations in colour and form, so are nice to collect if you are that way inclined. Most are evergreen, with rosettes of pointy, fleshy leaves in greens, greys and purple-reds. They also send up fascinating and exotic-looking starry flowers on fleshy stalks. I love the way they spread so easily, producing ‘babies’ around their edges, that can then be pulled away from the parent plant and potted up individually to make free new plants.

This superb development of 7 luxury apartments was built approximately 5 years ago by Ashford Homes, a much renowned local developer. All of the apartments are of a generous size, however, number 6 is quite unique with a larger square footage providing very good-sized accommodation which includes 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a large sitting room, fully fitted kitchen and utility room. Together with 2 good sized private roof terraces.

The specification throughout the development is of a very high standard and the property is presented immaculately throughout. It has the benefit of lift access to the first floor as well as the stunning staircase within the large reception hall and also a double carport with electric charging point and good sized storage area to the rear.

In addition to the high-quality kitchen and bathroom fitments there is oak wood flooring throughout much of the property, together with a built-in sound system and air circulation system. This is a very special apartment, and a viewing is strongly recommended to fully appreciate it.

This superb first floor apartment with the benefit of lift access is set in a quiet residential area on the southerly upper slopes of Bath. The development of 7 apartments is set in attractive grounds of approximately 2 acres comprising woodland and some communal gardens. From the upper west facing terrace of the apartment there are fine views over the City of Bath and beyond and close by are wonderful walks in the open countryside and national trust land.

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

Claverton Down, Bath

•3 bedrooms

•First floor apartment with lift access

•2 large private terraces

•Parking barn with storage and charging point

•Close to nearby National Trust land

•Very high specification throughout

•Gated access

Price £1,350,000

Winsley, Old Village

£700,000

An Idyllic 3 bedroom cottage full of character and charm enjoying peaceful, private garden, set within the much sought after village of Winsley.

• 3 bedroom cottage, one with en suite

• Study area

• French doors leading to garden

• Private garden with timber built workshop

• Located in a much sought after village

• Planning permission for a further bedroom and en suite

Royal Crescent, Bath

OIEO £900,000

An elegant, immaculately presented 2nd floor 2 bedroom apartment with direct lift access, located in a world class address, enjoying stunning elevated views over the Royal Crescent.

• 2 lovely double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

• Beautiful formal drawing room

• Open plan kitchen/dining room

• Plenty of built in storage

• Direct lift access

• Stunning views

Upper Church Street, Bath

£795,000

An elegant Grade II listed, beautifully proportioned 3 bedroom ground and lower ground floor maisonette, located in a fine position, adjacent to the Royal Crescent, within 5 minutes-walk of Bath city centre.

• 3 double bedrooms

• Elegantly proportioned formal drawing room

• Well-appointed kitchen / breakfast room

• Large bath and shower room

• Separate utility room / boiler room

Welcome to Camella, a new female founded and owned estate agency

Why are you passionate about women working in the property industry?

Companies house data reports in 2022 only 8 % of new estate agency startups were women, a drop from 15 % in 2021. In addition, the ‘Real Estate Industry Survey’ highlighted the gender gap between middle management and senior leadership has worsened. Lack of career progression, juggling family and work life are factors for under representation of females. These statistics are disappointing to read especially as women are at the heart of many homes.

Within Bath you will struggle to find an outright 100% unfranchised female-owned estate agency, until now! Camella was founded on International Woman’s Day, to bring a new perspective and kindness to the home moving process.

What is the meaning of Camella?

Homes are not just bricks and mortar; they are places for creating memories with families. I wonder how many properties there are out there containing walls/doors scribed with recordings of childrens’ growth spurts?

When choosing a name, I wanted something to reflect my family and represent femininity. Camella originates from the Christian names of me and my sisters and therefore seemed a perfect choice.

What are your core values and why are they important?

Core values are a set of principles that guide attitudes, behaviours, and ethical practices. Our core values are:

• KINDNESS – your home is our home; we will care for you and your property.

• INTEGRITY – We do the right thing we never settle for less.

With a deep understanding of how the property industry operates Melissa Anderson has all the necessary experience required to launch a new estate agency service in Bath, and with a clear difference, a female focus for excellent detail and customer service. We sit down with Melissa to find out more about her new agency, Camella.

Tell us more about Melissa Anderson and your experience in property.

• NOTICEABLE - We want your property and our service to stand out.

In short ‘KIN’ which means family and they are at the heart of everything we do.

What do you believe vendors are looking for when instructing an estate agent to sell their property?

In my opinion there are three main factors in to ensure a customer centric experience when selling properties.

Over

the past 13 years I have worked as a Commercial Director at Rightmove. This involved providing property consultancy to many estate agency businesses across the UK and globally, analysing market data and consumer research to ensure sellers achieve the maximum asking price for their properties. Having worked with hundreds of agencies, I know the common mistakes and the most important details that make a difference to customer experience and securing a sale. I am proud to call myself a Bathonian and have lived and raised my family in the city for over 40 years. I have extensive local knowledge of the area, schools, and amenities. Understanding the local property market is paramount for any estate agency business.

1.An agent that gets back to you, and keeps you updated, buyers and sellers do not want to do the chasing. A non-responsive estate agent is a common complaint from home movers.

2.Exceptional property marketing. If you search on the property portals you will find many properties with poor imagery, an absence of key features and underwhelming property details.

3.An agent with local knowledge. Property is a hot topic for news consumption, and it is easy to get swept away with the headlines and stories. A good agent should help buyers and sellers understand the outlook for their area and guide you accordingly.

Melissa Anderson explains her fresh approach to selling houses and why there is a need for more women in the property sector.

What could sellers expect by choosing Camella to sell their property?

Exceptional multi-channel property marketing. We offer professional photography, 360 immersive virtual tours and videography as standard practice. In addition, we include extra features such as enhanced listings and properties of the week on Rightmove, coupled with extra investment into social media marketing. We believe sellers should not incur additional costs to promote their property in the best light.

We are open for business 7 days a week, with extended opening times where you can talk to us in person. Alternatively, we are available through WhatsApp, email and via the Camella App. If you would like to know what your home is worth and thinking of selling in 2023/2024, we would be happy to conduct a free market appraisal.

Camella is currently running a promotional summer launch offer, with 50 % reduction of their fees. Please reference The Bath Magazine.

hello@camella.co.uk

camella.co.uk

Tel: 01225 255321

We embrace modern technology. Gone are the days of just relying on traditional practices. Camella has an online platform for property purchasers allowing instant booking of viewings outside of the 9-5, enabling us to capture buyer leads for our vendors, when other agents may be closed.

We offer sellers the option to download an app to allow them to accept or reject viewings, receive post viewing feedback, act on any property offers, answer any property related questions, and keep on track of the progress of their sale. Conveniently available 24/7. Furthermore, we are so confident in our service levels, that we do not tie sellers into contracts. We give sellers the flexibility and control of their move.

Within Bath you will struggle to find an outright 100% unfranchised female-owned estate agency, until now!

Ranging from three to five bedrooms, each home features sustainable, environmentally friendly air source heat pumps, underfloor heating throughout, electric vehicle charging and ultra-fast full fibre

Church Farm, Hilperton, Wiltshire