The Bath Magazine May 2015

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THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CITY OF BATH

ISSUE 152 • MAY 2015

£3.00 where sold

www.thebathmag.co.uk

P A R T Y T IM E S P E C IA L

CITY OF

FESTIVALS MINIATURE MOMENTS: DOLLSHOUSES ON SHOW

ONE HUNDRED NOT OUT: THE TR HAYES RETAIL DYNASTY

SIX OF THE BEST: PLACES FOR FISH AND CHIPS

THE MUSEUM TO CELEBRATE BATH’S ARCHITECTURE

WIN

FA M ILY TI CK ET S TO TH E R OYA L B AT H & W ES T SH OW

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

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THE | CONTENTS

MAY 2015

44

35

19

14

38 10 5 THINGS TO DO Our suggestions for May in Bath

38 ART EXHIBITIONS Visit the city’s galleries and studios

12 MY BATH

44 MUSEUM FOR BATH

14 FACE THE MUSIC

48 BATH AT WORK

Hotel owner Laurence Beere

Dick Jenkins of Bath Building Society

19 FESTIVAL TIME Six pages of highlights

Dedicated to city’s architecture

Neill Menneer’s portrait of the month

50 FOOD & DRINK Accolades for south west chefs

26 COMPETITION

52 EATING OUT

Win tickets to the Bath & West show

28 WHAT’S ON

Hudson Steakhouse

54 6 OF THE BEST

Theatre, music, comedy and more

34 OPERA ALFRESCO Tickets launched for big charity event

35 PLAY IN THE FOREST What’s springing up in Queen Square?

36 IT’S A SMALL WORLD A new exhibition features dollshouses

Places for fish and chips

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Explore Priddy in Somerset

78 TR HAYES AT 100 A century of service to city

80 INTERIORS Clair Strong picks the summer trends

85 OPEN GARDENS Enjoy others’ hard work this month

86 GARDENING Inspiration for a rockery

92 PROPERTY Beautiful homes to buy or rent

66 THE SKY AT NIGHT What’s in the stars this month

68 FAMILY FUN Things to do with your children

70 LOOKING GOOD Become a lipstick queen

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

76 THE WALK

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

ON THE COVER

Illustration by Maria Gajate Molina for Bath Fringe Festival Visit: mariajoilustrajo.com for more of her work

Like us on Facebook.com/ TheBathMagazine

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et your glad rags on, Bath is getting ready to party! Yes, it’s festival time and whether your thing is strictly classical, world, folk, jazz or rock, the summer season has something for all. We’ve rounded up some highlights from the Bath International Music Festival, Iford Music Festival, Bath Fringe and FAB so you can plan your entertainment accordingly. Our fabulous festive pages begin on Page 19.

There’s always a bit of a heated debate at Bath Magazine HQ about what image should be our cover shot, but this month the work of Maria Gajate Molina, a talented Spanish illustrator who’s about to graduate from Bath Spa University, really stood out for us. Her illustration of people dancing, designed to promote this year’s Bath Fringe Festival, really sums up the festival spirit.

A couple of people have contacted me to say that they’d read about an upcoming event in The Bath Magazine, but were disappointed that by the time they came to buy tickets the event in question was sold out. This is a tricky one for me. Obviously we want to flag up the best theatre, music, comedy, exhibitions and talks, but on the other hand we run the risk that the very events we think you’d enjoy prove so popular that not everyone can get tickets. The alternative would be to only write about the happenings that event organisers were struggling to sell tickets for, and where would be joy in that for our readers?

We managed a small victory this month. I had interviewed Miz Elizabeth, the lead singer of the American band the Hot Sardines, which has been booked by the music festival to play the Guildhall. We all got very excited in the office and went online to buy tickets – only to find the gig had sold out. We made a quick call to the Bath Festivals office who said they had been talking to the Hot Sardines about whether they’d be prepared to do a second gig. As a result of our query that second session was booked and, at the time of writing, there were still tickets available for what promises to be a great party.

We can, however, guarantee two families tickets to the Royal Bath & West Show at the end of the month, as we have two sets of tickets to give away in a competition to mark the agricultural show’s 50th year at its Shepton Mallet showground (see Page 26). The show is a perennial favourite with Bathonians and this year’s programme, which includes the finest food, drink and livestock from the south west and some great live displays, promises to be a good one.

The Forest of Imagination is only in its second year in Bath, but we predict it’ll be one you’ll want to see become established. It’s hard to describe exactly what is going to spring up inside the forest, but suffice to say an army of artists and other creatives are working away even as we speak to transform Queen Square into a magical other-land full of installations and curious happenings, between Friday 15 and Monday 18 May. It’s going to be a playground for people of all generations and entry to the Forest of Imagination is going to be free, thanks to its sponsors. Do go and experience it for yourself, but first, find out a little more by reading Hannah Sturgeon’s piece on Page 35.

If you’re interested in how Bath was built among its hills you may wish to visit the newly re-branded Museum of Bath Architecture in the Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel on the Paragon, which gives visitors the chance to look at the development of Bath, and as such is one of those places that locals will want to visit when considering the past, present and future of our city. Find out more on Page 44.

As well as all the above, there are the usual regular features, including our monthly walk guide, gardening, eating out and interiors, all for your delectation in this merriest month of May.

Georgette McCready Editor

All paper used to make this magazine is taken from good sustainable sources and we encourage our suppliers to join an accredited green scheme. Magazines are now fully recyclable. By recycling magazines, you can help to reduce waste and contribute to the six million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paper industry each year.

Please recycle this magazine, but if you are not able to participate in a recycling scheme, then why not pass your magazine on to a friend or colleague.

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CITY | BUSINESS

THE | COLUMNIST

PERISHING PUBS AND PETROL STATIONS Stephen Curtis IS A WRITER LIVING IN BATH. HIS BOOK, A WONDERFUL PIECE OF WORK IS AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON AND LOCAL BOOKSHOPS

I

have a friend who lives in Chipping Campden. She is a local history buff and, a few years ago, was main author of a monograph on its inns and alehouses. Her research showed that more or less every house in the High Street had been a watering hole at some time in history. Nowadays, of course, there are no more pubs in Chipping Campden than you might expect in a place of its size, and their number may be diminishing, as elsewhere.

You would certainly never guess that once upon a time the streets were awash with drinking dens.

I daresay someone has already written a similar account of historic hostelries in Bath. I am more concerned at the moment with vanishings in the recent past – specifically, within my own comparatively short (28-year) experience of our city – and with the fact that you can get quite attached to things and places far more banal than inns and alehouses.

When I came to live at my present address about 20 years ago there were at least four pubs within a half mile radius of the house and three petrol stations.

The present count is one pub and zero filling stations. There was a post office at the end of our street. When that closed, there were two others within walking distance. Their closing has left us a choice between a trek and a busride if we want to post a parcel.

Now, I do not want to turn this piece into a sob story. Though there must have been some sorrow in heaven when the last corner shop in Oldfield Park closed down, I cannot put my hand on my heart and say that losing any of these amenities was like having a limb lopped off. To be honest, the profit margin on what my wife and I spend in pubs in the average year is unlikely to keep an establishment going for longer than half an hour; I’m sure we use one of the filling stations more now that it is manned by a lively bunch of Lithuanian washers and brushers than we did when it had pumps; and we definitely send more emails and texts than we ever wrote letters.

Nevertheless, it gives me a slight sense of disquiet when a familiar part of the scene disappears. This may come from fear of losing track of all the changes and what this might say about my memory.

Where exactly was Bathwick Tyres when it was based in Bathwick? What used to stand where the bus station is now and what occupied the ghastly windswept plain next door? I recollect parking my car in a dim, pigeon-filled building and climbing out through a hole in the wall; the rest is getting rather hazy.

When I lived in London in the 1980s, and for a good few years after I moved to Bath, I used to feel fierce resentment at the changes that had been made to the village where I was brought up. How dare they tinker with my space? How dare they, effectively, paint me out of my own picture?

I now feel like apologising to ‘them’, the present inhabitants of Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, for my childishness. Perhaps it had to do with my having lived in many different places after leaving home and feeling rootless. Now I have lived long enough in Bath to feel that I have some roots and some history here, though not, obviously, as much as a native Bathonian. This is not my picture or my space, but I do belong in it, and feeling that does wonders for my sense of identity.

Change is bound to happen. It is only right that it should. Some of it is regrettable, some deeply regrettable, but there is a limited amount anyone can do to stop it. In the end the protesters get taken down from their trees and dug out of their foxholes. By and large, it’s better to try and live with change, but it somehow keeps you sane if you can remember that it did happen.

There used to be three gasholders visible from the end of our street. Perhaps bizarrely, they were cherished by many people. When the last one was to be demolished, a friend suggested that climbing roses should be trained over it. It is perhaps more practical to keep a remembrance of the skyline as it was and hope that more cherishable things will come to fill the gaps. n

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Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine Contact us: Editor Tel: Email:

Georgette McCready 01225 424592 georgette@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Deputy Editor Email:

Jenny Hayes jenny@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Financial Director Email:

Jane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

Liz Grey liz@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Advertising Sales Email:

Kathy Williams kathy@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

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

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

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5

ZEITGEIST

May

things to do in

Party

Holiday We’ve got two bank holiday weekends to look forward to this month, on Monday 4 and Monday 25 May. You could do the traditional thing, head for the coast and join the queues on the roads, or you could stay at home and make the most of all that Bath has to offer. There are plenty of free or cheap things to enjoy from its public galleries, museums and beautiful parks to the city farm and the Skyline walk. Grab yourself a picnic, leave the car at home and make the most of your staycation.

Enjoy

Make a date for Friday 15 May and the FREE Party in the City, which marks the start of Bath’s annual International Music Festival.

The city-wide celebrations kick off with the buzz of hundreds of local children processing, at 5.30pm from SouthGate, in costume through the streets for Down the Rabbit Hole, a celebration of the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland. After that the city prepares to party the evening away as more than 40 venues lay on live music of all genres, from the purely classical to the raucuously rock. For full details visit: bathfestivals.org.uk and check out partyinthecity.

There’s also a handy leaflet with a map so you can plan which venue, time and act to see. If fine, the Parade

Gardens would be a good place to be as there’s a full evening, from 5pm onwards.

And even if you can’t make that Friday evening, there are weeks of live culture to enjoy

Spirocycle by Fiona Powers

Vote

Bath’s fabulously creative spirit shows itself throughout May, as artists throw open their studios and their homes to turn areas of the city into free art trails for people to wander at will.

The first bank holiday weekend of the month is hosted by Larkhall’s artists, while Newbridge and Lower Weston is having their open weekend on 9 and 10 May. The weekend of 16 and 17 May is Widcombe open studios and the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of the month will be Bear Flat’s turn. More about this city wide arts trail on Page 38.

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Don Foster, pictured, stands down this month after serving for 23 years as MP for Bath and North East Somerset. His vacant seat is being hotly contested in the General Election, which takes place on Thursday 7 May. This is just a gentle reminder for you to exercise your democratic rights and turn up at your local polling station.

Live Are you making the most of living in one of the world’s most beautiful cities? How about joining early morning T’ai Chi sessions in the historic setting of the Roman Baths? Bath and North East Somerset Council has laid on a qualified instructor who has been leading classes on Tuesday mornings from 8am. The sessions run weekly until June 16, but you will need to book.

The sessions cost £4 or £38 for ten sessions. To book tel: 01225 477773. It is advised to wear loose, comfortable clothing and flat shoes. No previous experience of T’ai Chi is necessary.

this month as the main festival is followed by the Bath Fringe Festival and FAB (Fringe Arts Bath). See our round-up on festival fever from Page 19.

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ist

THE CITY THE BUZZ Read To mark 200 years since the publication of Emma The Folio Society has published a new illustrated edition, with an introduction

by Fay Weldon, who is a professor at Bath Spa University and whose Letters to Alice: On First Reading Jane Austen’s Fiction has become a classic introduction to Austen’s works. Austen said of Emma: ‘I am going to take a heroine whom nobody but myself will much like.’ How wrong she was – Emma still appeals to readers today. The book is bound in metallic cloth, blocked with a design by Sam Wolfe Connelly, price £36.95 from: foliosociety.com.

Romance It looks as if Bath might become the capital city of canoodling as a public vote, organised by publishers Mills & Boon, has shortlisted the city for three categories in the Romantic UK awards. The Roman Baths is in the final for most romantic wedding venue, Bath Thermae Spa is put forward for most romantic experience, while the whole city is shortlisted for most romantic destination in the inaugural year of the awards. The judges, who include sex expert Tracy Cox, will have the last word.

Twinning Bath is welcoming the Alkmaar Youth Orchestra Artiance for two concerts, on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 May, commemorating 70 years since links were first forged between the British and the Dutch cities. In 1945 through local fundraising, food and money was sent from Bath to Alkmaar to help the Dutch city in the last year of the war, when people were dying of starvation. The connection is celebrated today with a formal twinning between Bath and Alkmaar and Dutch spring flowers which can be seen each year in Orange Grove. Orchestra Artiance comprises 75 players aged 10 – 18 under conductor Otto de Jong. For their Bath visit the music takes on a reflective mood celebrating peace and reconciliation. The first concert is at Hayesfield Girls’ School on 1 May at 6.30pm, with the school choir, tickets are free from the school. On Saturday 2 May they play at the Assembly Rooms, from 7.30pm. Tickets: £10 (including a glass of wine) from Bath Box Office.

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My BATH We asked Laurence Beere proprietor of the Queensberry Hotel and Olive Tree restaurant what he’ll be doing this month

What brought you to Bath?

I came to Bath in 1998 to take up the position of general manager of The Royal Crescent Hotel.

This was a career move that we expected to be for a couple of years before moving on……

What are you reading?

I have been reading a book by one of the most successful restaurant entrepreneurs in America, Danny Meyer. The book is called Setting the Table. To be honest though I do not get as much time to read as I used to, so I tend to cheat a bit and listen to audiobooks.

What is on your MP3 player?

I tend to enjoy quite a lot of indie music, current favorites include, Imagine Dragons, Kodaline, Bastille, Passenger and Hozier.

Which café or restaurant takes your fancy?

In the last few years Bath has seen too many restaurants open and very few of them that are not the branded chain variety. I prefer to support the independents in Bath who help keep the creativity and interest alive for our city. Richard Fentons’ Café Lucca is always a great option for a quick lunch and Hudson Steakhouse is a great choice for dinner.

Which museum or gallery will you be visiting?

The American Museum is always a good way to

The Night is Falling by Katherine Webb Published by Orion Books It’s that time of year when we start casting about for suitable books to take on holiday and Wiltshire writer Katherine Webb’s debut novel, The Legacy was voted Best Summer Read in 2010 on Channel 4, so her latest tale looked promising from the start. It’s set in the searing heat of a summer in Italy in 1921 where Ettore, near-starving and working as a labourer under harsh conditions, meets Clare Kingsley, the wife of an architect.

I’m not gving anything away

spend an afternoon with my family. Very well put together and interesting exhibitions.

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

As all good Bathonians should be I am a passionate rugby man. Not only do I enjoy time down on the Rec supporting the boys, but I also referee for Somerset County.

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

We do not get a lot of time out, and generally we enjoy a good film when we do.

What projects are you working on?

Right now we are extremely busy with all the refurbishment projects that we have going on.

The biggest of these is the refurbishment of the Olive Tree in May. This has taken six months of planning and is very exciting. The last refurbishment was 11 years ago and we felt it was time to bring a new feel to the restaurant as well as completely refitting our kitchen’s to give Chris Cleghorn our chef a fantastic modern kitchen to work from.

to say that this is all going to end badly – the tagline ‘the sun must set on every secret’ spells that out. But the author keeps us enthralled by her characters and by the plot. Will the Italian peasants manage to rise up and rebel against the fascist thugs?

What is the dark secret that Clare’s husband Boyd is hiding?

And what are the young teenager Pip and the American Marcie cooking up in their rehearsal room?

All the while, while men are out sweating in the fields, Clare is holding cold glasses of water to her forehead and their host

has his country estate guarded by men and dogs, we are reminded of the harsh sun and heat, as everything comes to a dramatic boiling point.

GMc

We’re following @fealterosebud aka freelance journalist, mother and creative spirit Hannah Sturgeon who’s based just outside Bath and is a champion of childhood full of innocence and simplicity. Enjoy her blog too, on parenting, feasting, family and a host of other all-absorbing passions

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FACE | THE MUSIC

WEST COUNTRY MUSIC

Mick Ringham talks to Dick Jenkins, chief executive of Bath Building Society and musician about his love of country and choral music

T

he Bath Building Society can trace its origins back to 1904 and is proud to be one of the country’s few remaining small, independent societies, retaining its historically close links with the community it serves. The society helps people with their finances and serves the city in a number of other ways, including acting as the annual sponsor for the popular Bath Rotary Club charity fireworks spectacular which takes place every November – this will be the 40th year of that support.

In its promotional material the building society boasts: “We’re different because you are.” And meeting its chief executive Dick Jenkins you can see that this is true. He is far removed from the stereotypical suited corporate guy in a tie that you might expect to be heading up a financial institution. Instead, you find a man who’s passionate about gardening, country music, his family and his life in the community.

And who spends some of his leisure time fronting up a country and western band Tom Can’t Make It, which regularly gigs in the south west.

A man of many talents, Dick was born in the West Midlands and after leaving school gained a place at the prestigious Trinity College Cambridge.

After leaving in 1979, he moved to London and entered the world of advertising, as an account planner, developing briefs for campaigns for clients. He later became a market researcher eventually switching during 1989 to retail consultancy.

A change of career came when Dick moved to the west country to run mortgage services and underwriting operations for the then Bristol and West Building society. He went on to join their executive team as director of organisation development.

Dick joined The Bath Building Society in 2003 and during his time with them has taken the Society through the financial crisis and subsequent recession to become one of the sector’s most successful and distinctive societies.

I asked him why the business was so successful given fierce national competition on the high street. “Well it comes down to good old fashioned personal service; I actually get a buzz out of helping people.

“We’re not into glitz or gimmicks, but I like to think we go that extra mile to help or clients and offer a degree of 14 TheBATHMagazine

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MAN OF THE PEOPLE: Dick Jenkins, chief executive of Bath Building Society PICTURE: Anna Barclay

flexibility to ensure we meet individual requirements. It also helps to really enjoy the job and appreciate the people you work with.”

As far as his personal life is concerned, that revolves around his wife Sally, their two grown-up children and the couple’s home near Bath. His hobbies include a spot of gardening and the odd game of golf. However it is music that has played a large part in Dick’s life from university onwards.

Not content with just listening to country music he joined a local band which plays chiefly in Gloucestershire.

He says: “We perform a couple of gigs a

month with me on guitar and vocals and I must admit, we thoroughly enjoy ourselves. We get great feedback from the audience which makes the whole thing worthwhile and fun.”

As well as playing guitar Dick writes songs for the band and plays the mandolin and has recently taken up the banjo. I asked him how Tom Can’t Make It got its name. “People are always asking this, but the reality is quite simple. We have a Harry and Dick in the band already, but alas no Tom – hence the name.”

The transformation from chief executive to occasional country artist

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FACE | THE MUSIC

DICK’S CHOICES: The Tallis Scholars – Allegri Miserere Since becoming part of a choir in Bristol (I am a dodgy tenor), I have been exposed to some beautiful choral music and few pieces come more beautiful than this. I once heard the Tallis Scholars sing this on a BBC 2 arts programme late one evening in the 1980s and was blown away by it for weeks and to be honest I still am.

Lee Ann Womack – Montgomery to Memphis Country music is known as ‘three chords and the truth’ and while this

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sports a fourth chord, this is a classic country tune with fiddle, steel guitar and mandolin. It’s a simple song about lost love and a woman somehow putting one foot in front of the other to make it through the day. Lee Ann Womack’s southern accent is a treat to listen to.

COUNTRY STARS: left, Lee Ann Womack Montgomery to Memphis centre, George Strait I Ain’t Her Cowboy Anymore, left Alison Krauss Whiskey Lullaby

Neil Young – Heart of Gold

Below, the inimitable Dolly Parton

I think 1972 was in the golden era of singer song writers and as a budding guitarist this became my sort of music.

In fact this was the song that showed me there was something more than Slade and T Rex. Of all the singer songwriters during that time, Neil Young was my hero in my teenage years and long after that. Forty albums later and I am still a huge fan.

❝

Country music is known as three chords and the truth . . .

❝

will, for some customers be an interesting prospect. However as he points out: “I only leave my office when the day’s work is finished and then I’m free to pursue my hobbies.” Dick’s interest in music does not stop with his band as he also sings with Bristol Cabot Choir which is a mixed voice choir of around 70 singers which is widely acknowledged as one of the west’s finest performing choirs.

Like most busy people the only real chance he has of listening to music, from Puccini to Johnny Cash, is in his car between office and home. I asked him how he managed to arrange all his interests around his professional life.

He smiles: “It’s very important to have and enjoy a healthy life-balance that keeps you fresh and enthusiastic for both work and pleasure and I’m very lucky in that respect. I have a wonderful supportive family and a job I love.”

It’s true that life is not a rehearsal, or as country singer Kacey Musgraves sang ‘you only get so many trips around the sun.’ Apt lyrics indeed for a man who lives life to the full.

Finally I asked him who he would most like to meet on the music scene and without hesitation he answers: “That has to be Dolly Parton.”

Forgive me, but I have managed to conjure up an image of Dick driving the rhinestoned Ms Parton in an old Chevrolet through the streets of Bath on the way to his office. But somehow I don’t think the multi-millionaire Dolly will be requiring a mortgage any time soon.

Hillsongs – This is Our God A worship song I often pick when it’s me leading the worship band in my church. I could have picked any number of worship songs to make this list, but this one is special because my daughter introduced it to me. Some people have the wrong impression about modern church music but there’s nothing happy clappy about this one.

Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss – Whiskey Lullaby This is a perfect combination of Paisley’s brilliant song-writing, coupled with the voice of an angel, the fabulous Ms Krauss. This would be the saddest song you ever heard, with the line ‘she put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger.’ However it is exquisite and my son does a mean rendition of this song on his guitar.

Vaughan Williams – Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis Whenever you see a documentary about the British landscape on TV (something I’d seek out in the cluttered schedules) you get a snatch of Vaughan Williams.

Often it’s Fantasia which has a Greensleeves feel to it. This was a great favourite of my mother’s who gave me her love of scenery and landscape.

Suzy Bogguss – Someday Soon This is a number about anticipation of the boyfriend coming over from Colorado and that excitement that new love brings. This has to be the most romantic song I know and the country sound steel guitar and general air of twang is pure magic. Suzy came to Bristol last year and played this and I thought I was in heaven.

George Strait – I Ain’t Her Cowboy Anymore It’s difficult to get your head around if you’re a Brit but King George; as he is known to country fans, has sold about the same number of records as the Bee Gees or Fleetwood Mac for that matter.

Even country fans would be hard pressed to name a blockbuster hit, but that’s the thing about George Strait. He’s simply been making brilliant number one albums since 1981. I could have chosen any one of 50 songs but this particular one is amazing.

Chris Knight – Love and a .45 Nothing delights me more than discovering a little known artist and championing their cause. If you like Springsteen or Tom Petty, you are going to love Chris Knight. Quite a lot of his songs are dark, including this one, with the line ‘love and a .45, one’ll kill you, one’ll keep you alive’ and at the end of the song, you’re never sure which is which. n

The Eagles – Take It Easy I don’t think there’s ever been a band I’ve played in that hasn’t performed this number. It’s fun and easy to play and people of all generations love it because it makes them feel good. I am a big fan of the American West and the moment I hear the opening chords of this song I’m transformed to Winslow, Arizona.

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Gold & Platinum Studio, 19 Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR • Tel: +44 (0)1225 462 300 www.goldandplatinumstudio.co.uk • email: mike@goldandplatinumstudio.co.uk 16 TheBATHMagazine

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CITY | SHOPPING

Festival

CLASSIC SCARVES This beautiful Sparrow in dusk/charcoal scarf is designed by local designer Sabina Savage. £165.

Available from Carina Baverstock, Milsom Place, Bath

NOTES SUMMER HATS BY DENTS

This 100% paperstraw hat with grosgrain and brim detail, is available in black and navy, £32. Dents products are available at Jollys, or look for similar products at the Dents Factory Shop in Warminster. www.dents.co.uk

TAKING CENTRE STAGE

LE CHAMEAU

This dramatic, one off piece by Mallory features a 13.24ct opal set in 18ct white gold, surrounded by a rainbow cluster of semi-precious stones - £12,750

The iconic Vierzon boot was first designed nearly fifty years ago and made in Pont d’Ouilly in Normandy. This handcrafted leather lined boot has graced summer events from Glyndebourne to Glasto, always looking great. £225.

Mallory Jewellers 1 -5 Bridge Street, Bath GLORIA BEADED TEE

Available from: Grasse, 3 Argyle Street, Bath

LE SPECS Get back to the future with Le Specs Bandwagon Ultra Violet, £43.

Retro 50's style brought bang up to date with a captivating purple frame and purple mirrored lenses.

Available from Magpie and Bear, 7 Green Street, Bath WHO STOLE THE SHOW? Handmade by Katherine Fraser, this georgeous Storm Block silk stole will take the chill off any summer evening. £260.

Katherine Fraser 74 Walcot Street, Bath

BRILLIANT GEMS This 18ct gold cup bracelet set with semiprecious stones is a real party piece £7000. A silver version is £1600.

Both available to order in any stone combination.

Goldsmith Tina Engell, 29 Belvedere, Bath

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Festival wear with class.

We love the earth-toned shades and beaded accents of this sophisticated silk tee by Tanvia Kedia, just the thing to pair with worn-in denim for instant elegance. £128.

Anthropologie, 1-4 New Bond Street, Bath

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CITY OF FESTIVALS

THE BATH MAGAZINE’ S GUIDE TO THE FESTIVALS

LET’S GET THIS

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A fabulous summer of music and art begins this month as Bath and Iford launch their festival programmes

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YOU’LL WANT TO BE THERE The 2015 International Bath Music Festival offers world class performances from the pure a cappella to the swinging sound of hot jazz from New York. We select some of its highlights

associate director of the Edinburgh International Festival and now runs an agency matching artists and festivals.

James has his roots in Bath. His family were the industrial, inventive Horstmanns and, he says, the Horstmann Gears vintage car residing in the Museum of Bath at Work was the very vehicle his mother learned to drive in. So, it can be safely assumed that he is really keen to keep his native city happy with his programme.

“Well it has to reflect my taste,” he admits, “and I have looked back at past festivals to see what has been staged before. I think Bath, like Edinburgh is an ideal festival city, being a place you would visit on its own merits, small enough to get around and with good venues.”

These venues include the majestic Guildhall banqueting room with its priceless chandeliers. The crystal will almost palpably tremble at the sheer emotion of the performance by pianist Steven Osborne, renowned for his ferocious, fearless and yet tender playing. He’ll be playing an evening of Brahms, which will please the classical purists. There’ll also be a celebration of Beethoven at the Guildhall from the critically acclaimed Cremona Quartet and another evening featuring the young Chinese award-winning pianist Ji Lui, who last year broke into a breakdancing routine after a concert in Bristol.

James says: “People say that classical music is a dying art, but look at all the new concert spaces that are being built and at all these extraordinarily brilliant young musicians coming through.”

He has, he says, deliberately not chosen a ‘greatest hits’ programme, but rather one that will create a sense of occasion, and even surprise.

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precious musical baton has been handed down over the past 50 plus years – with a rollcall that includes luminaries such as Yehudi Menuhin, Thomas Beecham and Michael Tippett. Some may see the taking on of this musical heritage as a poisoned chalice, others as a joyful challenge. And that challenge? Putting together the classical music programme of the International Bath Music Festival.

For the 2015 festival, which opens on Friday 15 May, chief executive Belinda Kidd has made the wise decision to let a 20 TheBATHMagazine

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professional classicist programmer select the classical repertoire and an agency which specialises in jazz and world, fill in the rest of the eclectic line-up.

The proof of the pudding will certainly be in the eating, but classical music followers are already drooling over the programme, like Masterchef judges over a list of recipe ingredients.

Bath born James Waters, of Festival and Events International, is perfectly qualified to compile the programme. He was a choral scholar at Kings, Cambridge, later a baritone singer and a bassoonist. For many years he was

HOT JAZZ FROM NYC: Miz Elizabeth with the rest of the band, The Hot Sardines, playing the Bath International Music Festival for the first time as part of a mini tour of the UK

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS PARTY IN THE CITY Friday 15 May from 5.30pm at more than 40 venues.

This is what Bathonians have come to expect from the annual festival – an evening given over to a city wide series of live musical events.The Natural Theatre Company and Jamma de Samba will be among those out on the streets entertaining us. Oh, and look out for the giant Turbo the Disco Turtle who’s promised to strut his stuff.

THE HOT SARDINES Saturday 16 May, 7.30pm and 10pm, The Guildhall.

Fresh from playing the New York Hot Jazz Festival is this exciting band which takes standards by the likes of Billie Holliday, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong

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DIFFERENT GENRES: right, English contemporary folk singer/songwriter Emily Portman, the silent film He Who Gets Slapped, with music by Will Gregory and Tony Orrell and right, organist Thomas Trotter will raise the rafters of Bath Abbey with mighty sound

and Count Basie and gives them a modern feel. The band is fronted by singer Miz Elizabeth, a travel writer who had a burning ambition to sing. By happy chance the French born singer was introduced to actor Evan ‘Bibs’ Palazzo, who also wanted to make music, and the pair formed The Hot Sardines. I spoke to Miz Elizabeth in New York ahead of their visit to the UK. And although the band has played in some of New York’s coolest clubs and on stage at some big American jazz festivals, their visit to Bath’s Guildhall to play in the 18th century ballroom under those famous chandeliers is, she says ‘exciting.’ Would she expect the Bath audience to take to its feet and dance?

“We never expect audiences to dance, but it’s great when they do.” They may be moved to follow the lead of the band’s tap dancer Edwin ‘Fast Eddy’ Francisca. Ticket sales went so well for this, one of their few UK dates that the Hot Sardines are to play a second gig while they’re in Bath. Catch them if you can.

EMILY PORTMAN AND SAM SWEENEY Saturday 16 May 9.30pm, the Old Theatre Royal. World premiere.

Emily Portman is one of the great stars of the modern folk scene, making the traditional contemporary. She’ll be joined by Bellowhead member violinist Sam Sweeney for a premiere of their work together.

STEVEN OSBORNE Sunday 17 May, 11am, the Guildhall.

This highly regarded British pianist is artist in residence for the festival, putting on three concerts. The first is a recital of the challenging Rachmaninov Etudes-Tableaux, combined with the popular Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.

THOMAS TROTTER Wednesday 20 May, 7pm, Bath Abbey.

Not only is he well established as one of the world’s leading organists, but Thomas Trotter is one of the nicest men you’ll meet, says James Waters. The very rafters of the abbey will ring to the sound of Trotter playing JS Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C BWV 547,

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Messiaen’s L’Ascension, Saint-Saens’ Fantasie in E Flat and Trotter’s own arrangement of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. You can hear the organist in conversation with his old college contemporary, James Waters, at the Francis Hotel at 5.30pm before the concert. Visitors to Bath Abbey may also be lucky enough to catch Trotter playing as he rehearses, albeit at a very muted level, ahead of the big night.

MOLOTOV JUKEBOX Thursday 21 May, 7.30pm, Komedia.

This band went down a storm at Iford last summer. Fronted by singer/actress Natalie Tena (who plays Osha the wild woman in Game of Thrones) this London based party band brings an original mix of tropical gypsy dance sounds together, with Latin trumpet, accordian and a pounding rhythm section. Check them out on YouTube, then get your dancing shoes on.

swimming pool, which this year is celebrating its 200th anniversary. The music will be a mix of Renaissance and contemporary with the emphasis on brass.

HUGH MASEKELA AND HELELE Monday 25 May, 7.30pm, The Forum.

The legendary South African trumpeter, now in his 70s, was given his first trumpet by Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, the anti-apartheid campaigner. His music was entwined in politics for decades and now contains echoes not just of his township but jazz, hip-hop and funk. This will be another gig when you’ll say to your friends afterwards: “We were there.” n

STILE ANTICO Friday 22 May, 7.30pm, Bath Abbey.

Here’s another live performance that will leave Bath audiences spellbound.

James Waters is a huge fan and the Independent and New York Times have lavished praise on the choir’s a cappella style. The ensemble will be performing a dozen pieces, including Byrd and Tallis.

WILL GREGORY AND TONY ORRELL: HE WHO GETS SLAPPED Saturday 23 May, 2pm, Komedia.

People still talk about the screening two years ago at the festival of the silent Joan of Arc film with live music from Will Gregory, so powerful was the experience. This year Will Gregory is teaming up with his long-time collaborator Tony Orrell to provide a soundtrack for the silent film He Who Gets Slapped starring Lon Chaney, which tells the story of a bitter clown trying to win back the woman he loved.

RED NOTE ENSEMBLE Sunday 24 May, 11am, Cleveland Pools.

This is one of those site specific events that we think people will remember for the sights as much as the sounds, particularly as most of the audience will be standing outside around the still waters of the Georgian outdoor

INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED: Stile Antico, the human voice at its finest THE INTERNATIONAL BATH MUSIC FESTIVAL runs from Friday 15 May until Tuesday 26 May. Pick up a programme from the Bath Tourist Information Centre in Abbey Church Yard or visit: bathfestivals.org,uk. To order tickets go online or tel: 01225 463362. If you’re uncertain about whether you’d enjoy one of the acts featured why not search for them online on YouTube? This gives you the chance to listen and watch all kinds of music.

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ALL THE FUN OF THE FRINGE

Bath Fringe Festival runs from Friday 22 May to Sunday 7 June, with all kinds of entertaining gems dotted like stars at venues around the city and working with FAB (Fringe Art Bath)’s creatives to brighten our lives

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he glorious, independently minded, original, quirky, eclectic Bath Fringe Festival continues to delight and entertain its legions of fans for yet another season, as it opens the pages on its 2015 programme. The first thing you notice is that sadly, there is no Speigeltent on Bath Rec this year. The travelling music hall cum theatre cum nightclub couldn’t be had this year, for several reasons, but as one of the Fringe organisers Wendy Matthews points out, holding events in all manner of different venues around the city makes it a proper fringe fest, just like Edinburgh’s where audiences venture into cellar bars, tiny rooms over bars and incongruous outdoor spaces to enjoy music, fun and enlightenment.

There are just as many events as there ever were, with entertainment and silliness for children, showcases for the city’s writers and artists and appearances from interesting and exciting bands and musicians. We’re going to take a quick romp through some of the highlights of the Fringe and FAB (Fringe Arts Bath).

OPENING NIGHT PARTY Friday 22 May sees the artists of FAB set out their wares for our delectation. Look out for pop-up exhibitions in empty shops and unusual spaces all around the city. This year’s FAB theme is Love and Death. From 6pm join the citywide promenade as the fringe begins in venues large and small, and at the same time the toe-tapping sounds of the swinging Hot Potato Syncopators can be heard at Green Park Station.

CHECK OUT FRESH VENUES The fringe gives audiences the chance to check out different settings to enjoy music, talks and comedy. Venture into The Nest on the Paragon, where on Thursday 28 May Bath’s notorious Counterfeit Theatre prepare to surprise and entertain, or venture down onto

experiences of refugee camps and shanty towns to bring us some stirring, get-upand-dance sounds. They’ve had much acclaim over the past decade and now we can hear them live at Komedia on Sunday 31 May. HAVE A LAUGH As Nick Steel’s incredibly successful Bath Comedy Festival proved recently, local audiences like a laugh and there’s a healthy vein of comedy running through the fringe. Look out for suitable-for-allages double act The Kagools, a female double act which has been likened to French and Saunders. They’re at Komedia on Saturday 30 May. London Road and catch a gig at Burdall’s Yard. Never been inside the Masonic Hall that used to be the original Bath Theatre Royal? Enjoy an evening of bluegrass there with the reformed Thunderbridge on Thursday 4 June.

NEW TALENT This is an opportunity to partake in some immersive theatre as five writers, all of them under 30, take over The Nest for 20:20 Vision on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 June, exploring the idea of what would happen if everyone hadn’t bothered to vote in the General Election.

ENTERTAIN THE CHILDREN The fringe always has plenty of activities and entertainment for half-term and this year is no exception. Family-friendly Komedia in Westgate Street is hostings shows most days of half-term including, Frozen, a Tale of Wonder, on Friday 29 May for stories from Anna and Elsa.

And, yes, you can come wearing the dresses.

ON THE STREETS There’ll be free art shows, the beer and buildings architecture/drinking trail and a walking tour of Bath led by Funny Peculiar guides Lesley and Leslie, who will be celebrating the eccentrics of Bath.

OFF THE STREETS Bath has some amazingly talented musicians who earn money by busking. Why not enjoy their talent in the comfort of the Old Theatre Royal on Friday 5 June as musicians including Jerri Hart and Steve Robinson play without half an eye on the coins in the hat.

WORLD MUSIC Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have been gigging for ten years, overcoming their harrowing

DOUBLE ACT: The Kagools

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BEDLAM ON THE STREETS It wouldn’t be the fringe without the particular brand of original fooling about from Bath’s own global stars, the Natural Theatre Company. They’ll be just one of the attractions out on the streets on the afternoons of Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 May, at Victoria Bridge Gardens (the riverside beyond Homebase) on the Saturday and at Saw Close and Kingsmead Square on Sunday from 1pm.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT The fringe is scattered with events with thought provoking content. On Monday 25 May at Burdall’s Yard from 8pm Onset Productions explores the life and works of Virginia Woolf, using singing, poetry and readings from her original writing.

DING-DONG AT THE BELL The people’s republic of The Bell in Walcot Street is a small venue that packs

FUN AND GAMES: Funny Peculiar guided tours, above, and the Hot Potato Syncopators who’ll be kicking off the fringe

ARTWORK: Perry Harris has an exhibition at The Bell for the fringe

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CITY OF FESTIVALS a mighty punch when it comes to delivering music. There are several free gigs, including the fabulous foursome, Cardboard Fox, formed by folk sisters Laura and Charlotte Carrivick, on Monday 25 May. WONDERFUL WALCOT Consistently resisting the march of the multinationals, the street remains largely independent of spirit, and that will be shown in all its glory for Walcot Arts weekend, over the weekend of 6 and 7 June. Expect art to see and do, films of past and present. Stick your head round the doors of Walcot Chapel and visit Love and Death exhibition. This themed programme of events will culminate with a street fair along Walcot Street and a festive parade influenced by the funeral marches of New Orleans and the spectacular funeral parades of 19th century Bath.

DANCE YOURSELF SILLY One of the fun strands of the fringe is the chance to get out there, listen to some great live music and dance. Newcastle band The Baghdaddies, festival favourites throughout the land, will be delivering their high energy mixture of Balkan Beat, up tempo brass and Jamaican bassline to The Nest on the Paragon, from 8.30pm on Friday 29 May. This will be followed by a DJ set, so make sure you’ve got your dancing feet on.

FREE STUFF Check out the website to find out more about free events, such as the Poetry a la cart (e) in Green Park, 11am and 3pm on Saturday 30 May with poet John Barclay.

ART ON THE MOVE Keep an eye out for To Bathe’s mobile bathing hut working its way around the city, reminding us why Bath is called Bath along with other wonderful thoughts on the subject of our personal ablutions, kindly supported by Lush Cosmetics.

BATH OPEN ART PRIZE Now in its fourth year, the prize features artworks in all mediums and there’ll be on show at 44AD Artspace in Abbey Street from Monday 1 to Sunday 7 June.

The winning entry will be selected by

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BEER AND BUILDINGS What makes a pub a pub? asks architect Lucy Inder of Bath-based Donald Insall Associates, one of the backers of the new pub trail that’s being set up as part of this year’s Bath Fringe. The pub is an idea cherished by many who may never even cross the threshold, while for foreign visitors it is a must on their list of things to do; a symbol of Britain to a worldwide audience. To some the pub is the heart of place, which maps a city’s architectural and social history. To others they are the equivalent of a nightclub opening across from your house, bringing noise, unsociable patrons and bad architecture.

How would you begin to weave together the complex architectural history of pub design? You would be hard pressed to find a pub that has not been substantially altered in the last 50 years. Many believe that the architectural golden age of pub design at the end of the 19th century is over.

Centuries-old principles such as the location and shape of the bar and the refreshments served are being questioned around us, but are these establishments still pubs? Or are they merely restaurants that also happen to sell beer?

Where would you begin if you were asked to design your very own pub from scratch, without any social or historic context to think about? There are many who believe that pubs are more than just a building, to which even the most infrequent of visitors will have their own relationship. There are few building types that can bring out the loyalty or

possessiveness that your own spot in a pub will hold for you.

These questions are just some of those posed by Bath’s first architectural pub trail. Fifteen of the most architecturally interesting pubs in the city, from 18th century coaching inns to refurbished Georgian townhouses and contemporary structures have been chosen by a panel of local RIBA and CAMRA members to allow trail-goers to experience the history of pub design, and question where it will go next, as well as to sample some of the best beer. Alongside the trail, traditional pub games, exhibitions, live music and design workshops are planned to look at how architecture and beer meet n the city. Visit the website and the Twitter feed to find out about events, as well as to discover which pubs made the shortlist. Website: beerandbuildings.com. Twitter: @beernbuildings Instagram: @beerandbuilding.

guest judges Richard Twose, who won 2nd Prize in the BP Portrait Awards 2014 and David Hyde, painter and teacher of fine art. Visitors to the exhibition will also be invited to vote for the People’s Prize. Both winners will be announced and prizes awarded on Friday 5 June.

DISOBEDIENT ART Artists have been set the challenge of producing pieces themed around the concept of disobedience. See exhibitions at pop-up galleries in Westgate Street and New Bond Street as well as shows at Bath Artists’ Studios Comfortable Place (opposite Royal Victoria Park allotments) and 44AD Artspace, Abbey Street (near the Crystal Palace pub).

FLY A KITE Foxhill Fest is running workshops on Tuesday 26 May and Thursday 28 May from 10.30am to 1pm, for all ages at Foxhill Community Centre, Hawthorn Grove, Bath. Then you can fly your kite on Sunday 7 June from noon, at a venue to be announced.

LET IT GO: a homage to Frozen is part of the fringe children’s festivals COMING OUT OF THE COLD: musician Jerri Hart is one of the acts at an indoor concert by people we see busking on the streets of Bath

PHOTOGRAPHY WALK This is a chance for all to get involved.

Take your photos along to the front of the Abbey at 11am on Saturday 23 May and take part in a walking gallery.

There’s a prize from the RPS for the best photo. n

For info go to: bathfringe.co.uk or bathboxoffice.org.uk MAY 2015

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ENTER ANOTHER WORLD By day the Italianate gardens of Iford Manor in Wiltshire are a delight, but, as Georgette McCready discovers, an extra spell is cast when they’re filled with the sound of live music on a summer’s evening

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hould you have a list of things to do before you die, I would recommend you add spending a summer’s evening listening to music at Iford to your goals.

From the moment you arrive at this peaceful little corner of the Wiltshire countryside and stroll up through the old manor house gardens, brushing past warm-scented lavender as you go, you will be charmed.

Go with a loved one and a picnic to make the most of this romantic Italianate garden, before taking your seats for one of the world’s most intimate theatre experiences. Then, find your emotions played like a violin as the passion of opera is unfolded – in English – just feet away. You’re so close to the performers that not only can you see the bosoms heaving, you can see every bead of sweat on said bosoms.

With world class performances by up and coming stars and limited capacity, it’s no wonder that tickets (which start at £113 for the opera and are £34 for Prom nights) for the Iford Music Festival, which runs between June and August, are snapped up so fast. But, we’re told, it’s worth putting your name on the waiting list as there are invariably people who can’t make it.

Until I visited the offices of the music festival I had assumed that the annual opera fest comprised some professional opera company hoofing it down from London in a van laden with props and costumes to put on a show before retreating from the sheep-strewn landscape as fast as they’d arrived. What I found out was that they arrive, suitcases in hand before the start of the season and are put up by households in the Freshford and Bradford-on-Avon community while rehearsals begin in earnest.

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OTHER WORDLY: main picture, the atmospheric Peto cloisters at Iford Manor, where audiences are mere inches from the performers Right, last year’s La Fille du Regiment won rave reviews for its translation to the world of the American Hell’s Angels, complete with real motorbikes and inflatable cacti

In a warren of rooms in an old house next to Iford Manor, singers rehearse their arias, costumes are made and fitted and props and scenery are painted.

Babies are passed from hand to hand, sandwiches are hurriedly snatched and mountains of cake consumed as the shows are prepared. This is a place where even backstage is a show you’d want to witness.

Last year’s audiences were greeted with opera delivered by leather-clad motorcyclists and, we’re assured, this year’s shows will be just as fresh and exciting. The three big 2015 operas are: The Masked Ball by Verdi, Orpheus in the Underworld by Offenbach and Agrippina by Handel. Judy Eglington, Iford’s creative director, has many years’ experience and it’s no wonder that some of the best talent in opera, including

directors, singers and musicians are keen to do the season.

In addition to the three operas, Iford’s beautiful hillside gardens also entertain picnicking revellers for three summer proms. This year there’s mid-summer jazz with Bristol based Get the Blessing and the Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, followed by an evening with Clare Teal and pianist Jason Rebello, both in July. In August harpist and singer Lucinda Belle, whose worked with the likes of Annie Lennox, Robbie Williams and Rufus Wainwright, will be on the same night as the Cable Street Collective from London.

There are oppportunities for volunteers at Iford as stewards and administrators are required each season. Contact maryannebaxter@ifordarts. org.uk.

Iford Arts is bringing opera to Bath in partnership with Bath Festivals and Bath Spa University. On Sunday 17 May there’ll be a taster evening of operatic favourites in the Guildhall banqueting hall.

Curated and accompanied on piano by Oliver Gooch, Alinka Kozari leads as Violetta, the Lady of the Camelias from La Traviata whose debut in this role at Iford was described as ‘a Violetta to take your breath away’. Among her guests will be tenor Gerard Schneider, mezzo Marianne Vidal, and bass-baritone Szymon Wach, who will have lead roles at Iford this summer.

These young international soloists will be joined by Bath Spa University Opera Chorus of music students.

Expect favourite operatic arias and ensembles with a few surprises along the way.

Tickets are from £10. For more informationvisit: ifordarts.org.uk or call the box office at Theatre Royal Bath: 01225 448844 n

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FARMING’S FINEST HOUR The Royal Bath and West Show is a celebration of British farming, entertainment and food and drink – and we’ve got two sets of family tickets to be won

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his is the 50th year for the Bath and West Show to be staged at its Shepton Mallet ground and, as always, it promises a great day out for country dwellers and city people alike.

To be held during half term – May 27May 30, the Bath & West is one of the oldest agricultural shows in England and the only four day Royal show.

Each adult ticket bought in advance allows two children up to the age of 15 free entry to the show. A concession ticket has also been re-introduced for those buying on the gate.

Until Shepton Mallet became its permanent home, the show had toured the country.

Alan Lyons is the current show manager. He said: “We remain a national show in the heart of the west country showcasing all that is best of British, be it the livestock, horses, the machinery, the shopping or the food”.

This year’s line-up pays homage to the original 1965 entertainment. There will be a spectacular display from the Red Devils – the Parachute Regiment Freefall Team, the official parachute display team of both The Parachute Regiment (The Paras) and the British Army. In 1965 one of the first displays was by the RAF Abingdon Sport Parachuting Club.

The British Cheese Awards and British Cider Championships will be returning and the show will also be host to the National South Devon Show.

Resident chef on Simon Mayo’s Radio 2 Drivetime show, Nigel Burden, will be judging the food producer stands.

Nigel, who once worked on a farm near Frome, creates dishes for the show’s presenter every Thursday.

Alan Lyons is a Simon Mayo fan and says: “I listen to Simon’s Drivetime show every night while mucking my horses out and Nigel is such a brilliant ambassador for great British food, which is what the Royal Bath and West Show is all about.

“I think Nigel, after judging the food exhibitors, would then enjoy the British Cheese Awards and the British Cider Championships.

“We are fortunate to have more than 100 independent food producers exhibiting at the show and delighted to be welcoming Nigel to the show.”

Ladies’ Day will once again feature the Farm Woman of the Year title to recognise those behind the scenes who are the mainstays of their communities.

Other features include: • British Farming for the Family where families can learn how to milk a cow and take part in cookery demonstrations • International Sheepdog Trials (as in 26 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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TWO SETS OF FAMILY TICKETS TO BE WON the 1965 show) • Red Devils Parachute display team • Shetland Pony Gold Cup • Inter-Hunt Relay • Imagineering Fair where children will also be able to explore the creative possibilities of science, engineering and technology • Living Countryside featuring Adam Axemen • Horticultural section with floral displays, a pop-up garden and the Instant Garden Challenge • Art gallery in the new art centre • Ladies Day on Friday 29 May • Sheep shearing • State of the art farm machinery • Take part in free canoeing on the lake • Get a kick in the New Thrill zone • New sports village featuring players from Bath Rugby • Over 500 tradestands • Over 4,000 livestock of all kinds and 2,000 horses Advance saver prices, until 26 May are £19 for an adult including two children admitted free, £5 for additional child.

Gate prices are £22 adult, £7 child and £49 family and new for this year are £20 concessions with proof of ID for the disabled and their carers, students and senior citizens. Visit: bathandwest.com to order. n

A SLICE OF COUNTRY LIFE: there’ll be 2,000 horses at this month’s show, along with spectacular sights including the Red Devils parachute display team and some prize examples of west country husbandry

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bath & West Show at its Shepton Mallet showground, its giving away two sets of family tickets, to be won by readers of The Bath Magazine. All you have to do to enter is answer this simple question: In what year did the show move to its current showground?

Send your answers, marked Bath & West, to competitions@thebathmagazine.co.uk or to The Bath Magazine, 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED by noon on Friday 15 May. Don’t forget to include your name, address and contact details so we can send the tickets out to the winners. The standard terms and conditions apply and no cash alternative will be offered.

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WHAT’S ON in May EvEntS arE liStEd in ChronoloGiCal ordEr

The all-male Pirates of Penzance

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Monday 27 April – Saturday 2 May, times vary n Theatre Royal, Sawclose, Bath Following on from the roaring success of Matthew Bourne’s all-male Swan Lake comes this international hit of a Gilbert and Sullivan show which emphasises the wit and humour of the piece. Tickets: tel: 01225 448844, visit: theatreroyal.org.uk.

Also at the Theatre Royal this month DAVID HARE: THE ABSENCE OF WAR Tuesday 5 – Saturday 9 May, times vary The General Election will take place during the Bath run of this drama, which will give it added edge. Reece Dinsdale plays George Jones, the Labour leader who has three weeks to win the votes of the nation.

PETER JAMES: DEAD SIMPLE Monday 11 – Saturday 16 May, times vary A gripping, chilling contemporary thriller whose cast members include Tina Hobley (ex-Holby City), Jamie Lomas (ex-EastEnders) and Rik Makarem and Michael McKell (both ex-Emmerdale).

MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT Monday 25 – Saturday 30 May, times vary Direct from a three-year hit run in the West End Spamalot gallops back to Bath (to the sound of banging coconut shells) featuring all sorts of fun and songs, including Always Look On the Bright Side of Life.

Monty Python’s Spamalot

WALK FOR LIFE

Reece Dinsdale in The Absence of War

The American Museum at Claverton

Great Chafield Manor Plant Sale 28 TheBATHMagazine

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Saturday 16 May n The Kennet & Avon Canal towpath, ending in Bath This is a great family-friendly event held annually to raise money for the Royal United Hospital’s various appeals, and this year money will go towards a new cancer centre. The walk, sponsored by Kier Construction, allows walkers to choose between 9,12 or 21 miles along the Kennet and Avon Canal between Devizes and Bath. The Walk of Life was set up in 2008 in memory of Vanessa Kyte – an inspirational mum, daughter, sister, wife and friend who died in 2007. There’s still time to sign on at: foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk.

CLASSIC AMERICAN DANCE CLASSES Friday 1, 8 and 15 May, 7.30pm – 9pm DANCE PARTY Friday 22 May, 8pm – 10pm n The American Museum, Claverton, Bath Learn to bop, stroll and jive at these American informal dance classes, culminating in a party night. £8 per evening, to reserve places tel: 01225 820866.

Also at the American Museum this month BAYOU SECO Sunday 17 May from 2pm Ken Keppeler and Jeanie McLerie have spent a lifetime soaking up the traditional music of Louisiana, New Mexico and Arizona. Using fiddle, accordion, banjo and guitar they embark on a musical tour of the American south west.

MIXED MEDIA TEXTILES EXHIBITION Tuesday 26 – Sunday 31 May, daily noon – 5pm Students from the Bath Spa University have spent a year collaborating on this project to produce this mixed media textile exhibition.

PARAGON SINGERS PRESENT ITS TWIN CHOIR OPUS XIII Saturday 2 May, 7.30pm n St Swithin’s Church, Walcot, BA1 5LY Last September Bath’s Paragon Singers visited Aix-en-Provence as guests of Opus XIII. Now in Bath Opus XIII will perfom Fauré’s Requiem and music from Venice, joining the Paragon Singers to sing Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine and the Hallelujah Chorus. Director: Marie-Helene Coulomb. Tickets: £10 from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362.

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GREAT CHALFIELD MANOR PLANT FAIR Sunday 3 May, 10.30am – 4pm n Great Chalfield Manor near Holt, Wiltshire Many of the interior scenes for Wolf Hall were filmed at Great Chalfield, but this outdoor plant sale is also a huge annual draw for gardeners.

There’ll be stalls run by specialist nurseries and garden sundries, a barbecue by The Fox at Broughton Gifford, a hog roast by Church Farm Meats, a Pimms bar, tea and cakes. Entry £3, kids in free. In aid of Jamie’s Farm and Friends of Great Chalfield.

CAFÉ PHILO: PHILOSOPHY FORUM Rachel Podger at Tuesday 5 May, 7.30pm Wiltshire Music Centre n Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institute, Queen Square, Bath Café Philo, which ran in Bath from 1997 until 2007 is being revived. It aims to make philosophical discussion available to all. Questions about the nature of human existence and life after death occupy everyone, and jostle with moral questions about the distribution of wealth, the power of the state, the rules of war, the right to life and human rights. Places: £2 for members and £4 for non-members.

WAR 100 Tuesday 5 – Saturday 9 May, 7.30pm n The Mission Theatre, Corn Street, Bath BA1 1UF Andarta Theatre presents a reflection of war through 100 years, in support of Help for Heroes and the British Poppy Appeal. Tickets: £8/£6 concs.

Bath Box Office 01225 463362 online at www.bathboxoffice.org.uk.

Also at the Mission this month TIME PIECE Thursday 28 – Saturday 30 May 7.30pm Novato Theatre Company presents a devised piece of theatre on the theme of lives lived, of questioning whether we’re living the right life, and how the clock dominates. Tickets: £7/£5 concs. Tel: 01225 463362.

TALK WITH FILM: BATH, THE GREAT WAR AND THE SEA Wednesday 6 May, 7.30pm n The Museum of Bath at Work, Julian Road, Bath Dreadnought! Stothert & Pitt and the Royal Navy. The building and provision by Bath’s largest manufacturer of the Grand Fleet. Tickets: £7.50 with a complimentary glass of wine. Tel: 01225 318348.

Also at the museum this month THE BATTLE OF CORONEL AND THE FALKLAND ISLANDS Wednesday 13 May, 7.30pm Showing of 1927 feature film of the first naval battles of the Great War. FROM THE SEA TO THE LAND BEYOND Wednesday 20 May, 7.30pm A history of the 20th century through film, of the British and the Sea. Documentary films of our changing relationship with the sea.

RACHEL PODGER Friday 8 May, 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Rd, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1DZ Acclaimed pianist Rachel Podger will be joined by Marcin Swiatkiewicz on harpsichord. They will be playing an all-Bach evening, playing Sonatas for violin and harpsichord. Tickets: £22. Tel: 01225 860100.

Also at Wiltshire Music Centre this month AN EVENING WITH JASON REBELLO Saturday 9 May, 7.30pm The centre has been lucky enough to secure jazz pianist Jason Rebello as its artist in residence and this concert is the culmination of his time here.

Joining in with his musical fireworks is fellow pianist Gwilym Simcock.

Tickets: £16.

FLAMENCO DANCE: WORKSHOP AND CONCERT Sunday 17 May, from 3pm, concert at 7.30pm Let the spirit of passionate flamenco move you at an hour-long dance workshop, from beginners to advanced. £5. Then attend Jaleo Flamenco: A Compass, a spellbinding spectacle of footwork, clapping and Andalusian acoustic guitar to warm your heart and soul. Tickets: £16, family tickets available.

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BATH PHILHARMONIA WEDNESDAY, 17 JUNE, THE FORUM, 7:30PM

NICOLA BENEDETTI Smetana - The Moldau Korngold - Violin Concerto v Dvorák - Symphony No. 8

“….thrilling to hear and watch…a truly risk-taking performance.”

The Times

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Tickets: £28/24/20/18 (£10 unreserved) Available at the Bath Box Office 01225 463362, www.bathboxoffice.org.uk or by phone & online through Ticketline 08448 889991, www.bathforum.co.uk MAY 2015

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WHAT’S | ON OUTSIDE MULLINGAR Until Saturday 16 May, times vary ■ The Ustinov theatre, Sawclose, Bath John Patrick Shanley’s bittersweet romantic comedy is set in contemporary rural Ireland where two families are feuding over land.

Tickets: 01225 448844.

Also at the Ustinov this month THE MOTHER Thursday 21 May – Saturday 20 June A French drama by Florian Zeller (who wrote last year’s successful The Father) which tells the universal story of a wife and mother whose children have grown-up. This is the play’s UK premiere.

Wife carrying at Box Revels

BOX REVELS Monday 25 May from 11am ■ The Recreation Ground, Box, Wiltshire This is a village fete to take your London friends to – hell, take your friends wherever they’re from. The village Rec is taken over by stalls, refreshments and all sorts of madcap capers, from an old-fashioned tug of war to a novelty dog show. This year’s highlights include a duck race along the Bybrook river and a Finnish inspired wife carrying race.

Master of the one-liner Stewart Francis

BATH CROQUET CLUB OPEN HAVE-A-GO DAY Saturday 9 May, 10.30am – 4.30pm ■ Bath Croquet Club, Bath Recreation Ground, Bath At this annual open event volunteers from Dorothy House Hospice provide cakes, tea and coffee, while croquet club members put out mallets, balls and hoops for some fun croquet games. This is a family event. All you have to do is to make a small donation which will go to Dorothy House. Please wear flat-soled shoes.

Also at the Croquet Club this month BEGINNERS INTRODUCTION TO CROQUET Saturday 16 May and subsequent Saturdays, 10am – noon The club is running a five week beginners’ course for £25. All equipment and coaching will be provided. To enrol email: m.henebury195@btinternet.com or tel: 01225 834311.

Have a go at croquet with Bath Croquet Club

CANTAMUS CHAMBER CHOIR: FAIR IS THE HEAVEN A CONCERT OF REMEMBRANCE AND RECONCILIATION Saturday 9 May, 7.30pm ■ St Nicholas Church, Winsley This concert will approach the theme of reconciliation and forgiveness through music and time. The programme includes choral music from England, France and Germany and will feature a rare performance of Joseph Rheinberger’s Mass in E alongside his six-part Abenlied. William Harris’s Faire is the Heaven for double choir demonstrates the choir’s skill in singing challenging but highly rewarding repertoire. The choir actively champions contemporary composers and will perform two pieces by acclaimed composer Philip Stopford. Two Songs Op.68 by Saints Saëns completes this programme. The choir will be accompanied by Steven Hollas on organ and conducted by Mike Daniels. Tickets: Wiltshire Music Centre, tel: 01225 860100 with a limited number on the door.

White Mink cabaret at Komedia

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WHITE MINK CABARET/CLUB NIGHT Friday 8 May, 9pm until late (last entry midnight) ■ Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath The sounds and style of the 1920s and 30s are turned on their head and smuggled into the 21st century. White Mink is taking clubland by storm.

For age 18 to 80 something. Tickets: £13 (£15 on the door). Tel: 0845 293 8480, visit: komedia.co.uk.

Also at Komedia this month COMEDY: IDLE PLAYTHINGS Monday 18 May, 7.30pm The Idle Playthings bring you a monthly event full of improv and sketch comedy. Improvisers perform scenes completely off the top-off their heads and then see never before-seen sketches. 18+ Price: £2 Entry STEWART FRANCIS: PUN GENT Wednesday 20 May, doors open 6.30pm The star of Mock The Week, Michael McIntyre’s Roadshow and Live At The Apollo, Stewart Francis embarks on a new stand up tour. ‘Some of the best one liners I’ve ever heard’– The Guardian. Tickets from £17.50.

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THE FRIENDS OF THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM PLANT SALE Sunday 10 May, 11am – 2pm n Outside the Holburne Museum Stock up on horticultural treasures at this annual plant sale. Browse at the Friends’ plant stall and stalls from specialist nurseries, including Chase Plants, Evolution Plants, Hilltop Nurseries, In Clover, Ivy Cottage Nursery, Long Acre Plants, Special Plants, The Mead Nursery, NW Plants, and Wild Thyme. Growers and gardening enthusiasts will be on hand to provide information and advice. There will also be a second hand gardening and cookery book stall.

Comedian Steve Hall

BATH ARTISAN MARKET n Green Park Station, Bath Sunday 10 May This popular market will be attended by representatives from Bath in Bloom who will be offering free planting for all plus a live bee hive.

VOX8 VOCAL OCTET Sunday 10 May, 4pm n St John’s RC Church, South Parade, Bath BA2 4AF Vox8 is one of Bath’s newest choirs and has been likened to that of The Sixteen for the quality of its music-making. This concert features music associated with Ascension-tide. Admission free with a retiring donation.

TRADING TASTE: LECTURE Monday 11 May, 7pm n The Upper Gallery, Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath Lecturer Madeline Goold will be speaking about the Georgians’ attachment to taste, both the physical experience and as a concept of aesthetic discernment. These two meanings of the same word influenced the material culture, the arts and social life in Georgian England and the relationship with its most valuable late 18th century colony, Barbados.

Pre-booked visitors £7, students free, tel: 01225 742819. Visit: bedfas.co.uk.

BATH UNITY PLAYERS: BUILDING BRIDGES Thursday 14 – Saturday 16 May, 7.30pm n The Rondo Theatre, St Saviour’s Road, Larkhall, Bath The theatre company is celebrating its 70th anniversary with what it’s dubbed an environmental comedy. A group of volunteers attempt to build a walkway across a boggy stretch of land. What could possible go wrong? Tickets: £10/£8 concessions. Tel: 01225 427108 or 01225 463362.

COMEDY: STEVE HALL AND ROB AUTON Friday 15 May, 7.30pm n The Pound Arts Centre, Corsham Steve Hall has provided the support for Russell Howard on his sell-out national tours Adventures, Dingledodies and Wonderbox. Rob Auton has written three five star rated Edinburgh fringe shows. In 2014 The Guardian called Rob a genuine original. Tickets: £5 or £12 combined ticket for all three Edinburgh Preview nights, visit: poundarts.org.uk for more details.

Also at the Pound this month BRISTOL OLD VIC THEATRE SCHOOL THE BEAUX’ STRATAGEM Thursday 21 May, 7.30pm Farquar knits together a panoply of characters, weaving plots and sub plots in an 18th century One Man Two Governors, where not all is as it seems and the country folk of Lichfield are not quite as dumb as we think. This is a great chance to watch theatre stars of the future, from the drama school that trained actors including Olivia Coleman and Daniel Day Lewis. Tickets: £12 (£11 concessions).

COMEDY: IAIN STIRLING AND PHIL WANG Saturday 30 May, 7.30pm Iain Stirling is a BAFTA-nominated presenter and Chortle-nominated comedian. As seen on Russell Howard’s Good News (BBC 3) and previously Russell Kane’s tour support. Phil Wang is rapidly making a name for himself with his wry outlook and laid-back style. Tickets: £5.

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WHAT’S | ON ALASH ENSEMBLE Saturday 16 May, 7.30pm n Weston Studio, The Edge, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY Alash Ensemble make their first return to the UK since their premiere with ICIA, University of Bath in 2011. Masters of Tuvan throat singing, award-winning Alash Ensemble have toured internationally, astonishing audiences with a vocal technique that allows one singer to produce multiple pitches simultaneously. The group accompanies its songs with traditional instruments, from flutes and string instruments to Mongolian harps. Part of Bath International Music Festival. Tickets: £20, £16.50 concs/staff, £13.50 UoB student Tel: 01225 386777, visit: icia.org.uk.

Also at the University of Bath this month MATTHEW SHIPP Saturday 23 May, 7.30pm This concert is also part of the Bath International Music Festival. Matthew Shipp is one of the most respected and influential musicians of his generation, dubbed one of the most daring and original pianists in jazz by Rolling Stone Magazine. Shipp is joined by bassist and rising figure in the American jazz scene Michael Bisio.Tickets: £17.50, £13.50 concs/staff, £11 UoB student. Tel: 01225 386777.

ANDY FLEET BAND Saturday 16 May, 7.30pm n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1QR Following his sell-out show at the Arts Chapel last year, songwriter, vocalist and piano man

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Masters of throat singing, the Alash Ensemble Andy Fleet and his band featuring American trumpeter Andre Canniere return to Bath. Andy and his band pour blues, rock, folk and jazz into the melting pot creating a rich cinematic and sultry sound reminiscent of Tom Waits, Joe Jackson, Randy Newman, John Lennon, Donald Fagen and Lindsey Buckingham. Andy will be performing music from his albums, The Night Falls Fast and Takin’ Aim as well as tracks from his forthcoming album Through Closed Eyes.

The band will also throw in a handful of covers

by Leiber & Stoller, Allen Toussaint and REM among others. Tickets: £8 (£10 on the door), tel: 01225 461700.

Also at Chapel Arts this month FINGERSTYLE COLLECTIVE Tuesday 19 May, 7.30pm Returning to Chapel Arts after their sold-out 2013 show, Fingerstyle Collective is a collaboration between three acoustic musicians from the US, Canada, and the UK. During their 2015 tour, Don Alder, Dan LaVoie and Stuart Masters will be bringing their respective blends

of acoustic alchemy to audiences across the UK. Tickets: £10 (£12 on the door) Tel: 01225 461700 or visit: chapelarts.org TANGO EXTREMO TRIO PLUS ARGENTINE DANCE COUPLE Saturday, May 23, 7.30pm Trio Tango Extremo brings a distinctive flavour to the passion and persuasion of the Argentine Tango. The trio, under the direction of the violinist Tanya Schaap is not a standard tango ensemble. The group combines musical styles which are very diverse. The trio will be complemented by a sensual Argentine dance couple. The group has performed all over the world and they were invited as the only nonArgentinian orchestra to play at the most prestigious tango festival in the world: the Buenos Aires Tango Festival in Argentina.

Tickets: £10 (£12 on the door).

BATH GILBERT & SULLIVAN SOCIETY: THE GONDOLIERS Wednesday 27 – Saturday 30 May, 7.30pm (matinee Saturday, 2.30pm) n The Wroughton Theatre, King Edward’s School, North Road, Bath BA2 6HU An absurd tale of confused identity and aristocratic antics set in Venice. Packed full of toe-tapping tunes, this witty reflection on the values of monarchy and republicanism has proved to be one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most enduring successes. Visit: bathgands.co.uk.

Tickets: £12/£10 (concessions) Tel: 01225 400295 or tel 01225 463362.

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PLANNING AHEAD PURCELL’S DIDO AND AENEAS Saturday 6 June, 6pm (preceded by picnic at 4pm) n Freshford Village Hall, Freshford Sunday 7 June, 6pm n Midsomer Norton Town Hall Bath Cantata Group in its diamond jubilee year joins forces with The Bath Consort in two semistaged productions of Henry Purcell’s first opera.

Tickets £15 (including a glass of fizz) from Sharps and Flats Music Shop, Orange Grove, Bath, BA1 1LP 01225 469655.

BATH CHORAL SOCIETY: MUSIC FOR A SUMMER’S AFTERNOON Saturday 20 June, 3pm n Prior Park College chapel, Ralph Allen Drive, Bath BA2 5AH An afternoon of music by Bach, Rachmaninov, Sibelius, Grieg, Nystedt and Part, which evoke images of the wide open Steppes and the vast canvases of the Arctic Circle. The choir will be conducted by Will Dawes. With proceeds to Julian House and Hospice South West. Tickets tel: 01225 425621 or 07951-885102 or visit:bath-choral-society.org.uk.

ST MARK’S SCHOOL PRESENTS: THE WIZARD OF OZ Thursday 9 and Friday 10 July, 8pm n The Rondo Theatre, St Saviour’s Road, Larkhall.

A talented young cast of students at the Bath

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Tony Hadley and the boys of Spandau Ballet school will be putting on the RSC version of this popular show, with music and lyrics from the MGM film score by Harold Arlen and EY Harburg, including favourites Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Follow the Yellow Brick Road Tickets: £8/£5 concessions.

SPANDAU BALLET AND SPECIAL GUEST JAMES WALSH Saturday 11 July n Westonbirt Arboretum, near Tetbury, Glos.

Spandau Ballet sold over 25 million records and scored numerous multi-platinum albums. The New Romantics established themselves as one of the super-groups of the 80s with classic hits such as: To Cut A Long Story Short, Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On), Lifeline, Gold and True. Tickets £46.50 (plus £4.65 booking fee) tel 03000 680400 or buy online: forestry.gov.uk/music.

RAY DAVIES Saturday 8 August n The grounds of Glastonbury Abbey Ray Davies, stellar British singer-songwriter and former lead singer with the Kinks, is the star of this year’s Extravaganza, organised by Michael Eavis. The concert will end with fireworks.

Tickets: £35 adult and £20 (children six to 16), or £40 adult, £25 children on the day. Visit: glastonburyabbey.com/Extravaganza2015. There is also a campsite for ticket holders.

WORLD PREMIERE: MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS Friday 14 August - Saturday 5 September n Theatre Royal Bath Bath is to host the world premiere before it goes into the West End. With lyrics by Don Black and direction from West End director Terry Johnson this promises to be one hot ticket. n

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SUBLIME SOUNDS Tickets have gone on sale for one of summer’s cultural highlights, opera alfresco at Prior Park College

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hat better way to spend a balmy summer’s evening than with a delicious picnic, a glass or two of Champagne with your favourite companions, watching a wonderful performance of garden opera as the sun sets over Bath? If that sounds like your idea of a perfect evening then you must put Thursday 9 July in your diary as London based Garden Opera Company will be performing Verdi’s La Traviata in aid of homeless charity Julian House.

Following the phenomenal success of the last two years’ performance, Julian House will be organising another evening of opera in the park as the professional cast perform Verdi’s eloquent masterpiece in the exclusive grounds of Prior Park College.

Verdi’s tragic opera about a Parisian courtesan, who sacrifices all for love, will be brought to life with Garden Opera’s intimate style. Inspired by Dumas’ The Lady of the Camellias, this tale of hope, despair and romance is one of the word’s most popular and accessible operas and will not fail to touch deeply. The many famous melodies will be sung in English by some of the profession’s finest singers who are accompanied by an acclaimed ensemble of chamber musicians.

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Champagne and picnics will be order of the evening as up to 500 people relax with great food and company in the picturesque grounds of Prior Park College before enjoying The Garden Opera Company’s stunning rendition of this great opera.

Event organiser Cathy Adcock is encouraging people to book early. “The last two years’ opera events have been a fabulous success. The magnificent setting, the glorious weather and the captivating production by The Garden Opera Company make for really special evenings out. We are indebted to Prior Park College and our sponsor Mowbray Woodwards.

Tickets sold really quickly last year so we would advise booking early. We will try and organise splendid weather, but if that doesn’t happen, the opera will still take place in Bath’s Assembly Rooms.”

That alone should be enough to tempt you but as all the profits from the performance are being donated to Bath’s homeless charity Julian House, you will also be supporting a local and very worthy cause.

The gate to the lawns will open from 5.30pm on Thursday 9 July for picnicking, with the opera beginning at 7pm. There will be a further 30 minute interval for more picnicking. The event will be held in the grounds of Prior Park College, Ralph Allen Drive, Bath BA2 5AH. In case of wet weather the performance will take place inside at the Assembly Rooms, Bath. 48hrs notice will be given in this instance.

Tickets: £35, £20 per child, under 16 years. Tel: 01225 354656 or cathya@julianhouse.org.uk or online at BathBoxOfficeLaTraviata ■

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CITY OF FESTIVALS

UNLEASH YOUR PLAYFUL SPIRIT Queen Square is being transformed into a free contemporary art space with the emphasis on play, as Hannah Newton finds out

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n extraordinary pop-up, contemporary arts event is coming to the heart of the city as a magical forest springs up in Bath’s historic Queen Square. The Forest of Imagination, which runs from 15-18 May, will be a creative wonderland and everyone is invited to come and play.

Dreamt up by a team of Bath-based creative organisations, including international architects, Grant Associates, children’s charity, 5x5x5=Creativity, design studio, Ideas of the Mind, architects, Feilden Bradley Clegg, Bath Illuminate, Carpenter Oak, Bath Spa University and The House of Fairy Tales, to showcase Bath’s creativity, use this space to examine issues that affect our lives and whose long-term intention is to create a permanent contemporary arts space for the city.

The Forest of Imagination was designed by Andrew Grant, director at Grant Associates, who wanted to create an escape in an urban environment, to provide an alternative, surprising and innocent world.

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ESCAPE THE CITY: last year’s Forest was entered via an enormous and beautiful paper Tiger Gate created by paper artist Jessica Palmer Below, creatures being created by Edwina Bridgeman for this year’s Forest experience

It’s a double espresso wake-up call to let everyone know Bath did not stop evolving 200 years ago

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Andrew said: “For me, Bath is a landscape as much as built city and this project allows the injection of contemporary landscape, ecology and art into the historic fabric. I see the Forest as a stimulant to the city. It’s a double espresso wake up call to let everyone know Bath did not stop evolving 200 years ago.”

This event is not just for children, The Forest of Imagination hopes to remind adults how it was to be young, carefree and full of wild imagination.

The four-day event is free, it is sponsored by Herman Miller Cares and B&NES, through a kickstarter campaign which raised over £10,000, and is supported by a host of creative, visionary people, and companies.

Inside the Forest visitors will discover, a garden, a gallery without walls, a miniature forest, an interactive musical installation and an enormous magical rabbit, among other delights. The world’s smallest natural history WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

museum, the Curiovan will be manned

by Twydal Crumblepatch, a puppeteer and gatekeeper, who gathers strange creatures and objects from across the universe.

The caravan has been invited into the forest along with a host of other performers, writers, musicians and more by child-centred art project The House Of Fairy Takes, originally established by artists Gavin Turk and Deborah Curtis.

Jessica Palmer, the Bath-based paper artist, will once again design a paperbased piece of art for the event.

“Creativity, playfulness and art are sometimes in short supply in public settings.” Jessica explains “I think you can’t have enough of them. They are the key to converting everyday ideas into show-stopping projects. These sort of experiences leave an impression on you and live long in the psyche.”

Spoken word artist, Toby Thompson, digital artist, Anthony Head, craft carpenters, Carpenter Oak and local artist Edwina Bridgeman are also involved, either creating pieces of art for the Forest or running workshops.

The Forest team want to remind everyone that they are creative and that everybody is an artist, but why Bath?

Jessica: “People always coo when you say you live in Bath but we all know it’s a bit conservative and safe. I think it needs to take more artistic and creative risks. A new, edgy thing like The Forest of Imagination is a taste of what goes on in bigger urban environments like Bristol or Brighton. We should be prepared to experiment artistically and have fun with the beautiful spaces around us.”

Andrew adds: “The creative outputs from the people of Bath are phenomenal but they are typically exported out of the city across the globe and we never see them. This starts to lift the lid on the

extraordinary contemporary imagination of the city and showcases the amazing creative ecosystem that sits behind the Georgian facades.”

During the four-day event, The House of Imagination at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (BRSLI) will present a programme of workshops for children and adults run by a team of professional artists, designers and architects.

Penny Hay, director of 5x5x5=Creativity and senior lecturer at Bath Spa University, adds: “We believe, and research shows, that creativity and imagination can enhance wellbeing and transform lives.”

The Forest is partnering with the Save Childhood movement, which promotes the importance of play and allowing children to have a childhood free from inappropriate cultural pressures, commercial influences and the pressures of schooling and tests. National Children’s Day, in association with the Save Childhood Movement, falls on 17 May and The Forest is supporting this nationwide event by hosting talks around the theme of the science and magic of play.

Held at the BRSLI, the speakers include director of Play England, Steve Chown, the chief executive of the Save Childhood Movement, Wendy Ellyatt, and James Findlay, from the Play Foundation, and others. To book tickets for these free talks visit the Forest website.

As Einstein said: ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge’ and Andrew points out: “If we do not create the environments that stimulate imagination then we are failing our future…”

THE FOREST OF IMAGINATION 15-18 May 2015, Queen Square, Bath.

Visit: forestofimagination.org.uk. n MAY 2015

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CITY | EXHIBITION

SHORT STOREYS

A collection of 18th and 19th century dolls’ houses opens at No 1 Royal Crescent museum this month.

Georgette McCready opens a miniature door to peek at this small world of treasures

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olls’ house collector Liza Antrim perfectly recalls the day the hobby she’d innocently begun as a child turned into an obsession in adulthood. She’d spotted a miniature house for sale in a tea shop window and knew she had to own it. “I was doomed,” she says.

Her lifelong passion for dolls’ houses and their contents is Bath’s gain as she has lent ten of her invaluable collection of historic dolls’ houses to the city’s No 1 Royal Crescent museum, where they will be displayed from this month against the backdrop of a life-sized Georgian house, a Brobdingnag giant to their Lilliputian stature. Many of these houses have never been displayed in public before.

The Small Worlds exhibition has been curated by Antrim, who is a leading expert in her field and author of the authoritative book Family Doll’s Houses of the 18th and 19th Centuries.

The exhibition will, naturally, be of great fascination for children who enjoy peering into the little rooms and spotting the playful attention to detail – the cat in the kitchen with its eye on a basket of fish, the dancing figures inside the organ or the little girl having her geography lesson with a globe. But it’s also a reminder that dolls’ houses – or Baby Houses as they used to be known – were originally purely adult playthings, created to show off a 36 TheBATHMagazine

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household’s wealth, taste and status by presenting an ordered world of treasures contained in scaled down versions of their own palaces. The Baby House owners in 17th century Germany and the Netherlands employed the skills of craftsmen to make furniture, silverware and Chinese porcelain.

In the Victorian era the making of dolls’ house furnishing was part of a charitable movement in which philanthropists organised work for impoverished children. Octavia Hill, the woman who jointly founded the National Trust and who campaigned for green open spaces for Londoners, set up a project for girls at the Ragged Schools to learn to make little chairs, beds and tables and to sew tiny embroidered tablecloths and pillowcases. This was so they could earn a living from their nimble little fingers.

While some dolls’ houses were manufactured to sell, others were bespoke pieces made for the children of the wealthy. One of these, which is on show in the Bath exhibition, is the Fry House from Bristol. This was made around 1840 for the children of the wealthy philanthropist and chocolate maker Francis Fry and is a rare example of a house retaining its original decor and furnishings. Some of the pieces were made especially for the house by Beacham’s Fancy Depot of

SCALE MODELS: main picture, a miniature version of a room in stately home, inset, The Fry House c1840 made for the children of Bristol chocolate maker Francis Fry

North Street, Bristol.

The exhibition allows the viewer different glimpses of social history. Two rooms represent a museum of the 19th century, at a time when the British Empire was flourishing and it was the done thing to visit other countries and bring home valuable pieces from their cultures. One room shows a display of Japanese lacquer, while the other

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CITY | EXHIBITION

contains Roman style urns, statues and an alabaster lion.

By contrast there’s a roomset which shows us life below stairs. The kitchen was given to Sarah White by the family who employed her father as a coachman. This is a well stocked Regency kitchen with a lead lined sink and plate rack, a dresser, range and lots of cupboards.

The viewer wants to linger over the attention to detail in each of the rooms and admire the artistry in everything from the perfectly reproduced paintings on the walls to the wooden ladderback Windsor chair at a kitchen table.

Liza Antrim says of her many years spent in meticulous dolls’ house

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SOCIAL HISTORY: the roomsets will fascinate children for their life in miniature and adults for the artistry and social history. Top centre, The Kitchen from 1810-30

restoration: “Finding, restoring and researching family dolls’ houses and their contents has been a lifelong fascination and delight. They reveal so much about life in the 18th and 19th centuries, of the children who played with them, the families who provided them, and the artisans who made them as well as the way of life depicted in their interiors.

She adds: “One of my greatest pleasures is sharing what I have discovered with others.”

It is entirely appropriate for this exhibition to be housed in the new wing, the Brownsword Gallery and in the rooms of the recently restored No 1 Royal Crescent, which in itself shows

life below and above stairs in a series of authentically decorated and furnished rooms from the 18th century. n

SMALL WORLDS exhibition at No 1 Royal Crescent, Bath runs from Saturday 9 May – 8 November. It will be housed in the Brownsword Gallery, and is free with admission to the museum. Adults £9, concessions £7, children £4.

The exhibition is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Royal Crescent Hotel and the Pavey Group. The museum is run by the Bath Preservation Trust with the help of volunteers.

Last year it welcomed around 65,000 visitors and won Highly Commended in the 2014 Museums and Heritage awards in the Best Permanent Exhibition category.

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

MEET THE ARTISTS

Throughout the month of May, Bath Open Studios group invites us to follow an arts trail through four Bath areas, visit studios and talk to the artists Pot by Clare Day

LARKHALL OPEN STUDIOS Saturday 2 – Monday 4 May The art trail coincides with Larkhall Festival weekend and it shows the eclectic nature of the group. Visiting an open studio gives visitors the chance to talk to the artist, see the finished work as well as sketch books and preliminary ideas which offer a rare insight into how each artist approaches their work. Automata maker Vicky Sanders is working on a project in a school in Gambia, the Afrikaya Project. On Saturday 3 May, two trustees will be at Vicky’s studio and refreshments are on sale in aid of the project. Abstract painter Ione Parkin’s recent activities include a solo London show.

Ceramic artist Clare Day’s recent projects include a giant lantern for the Holburne Museum, where she will be doing a meet-theartist session in June. Simon Hodges recently sold a painting at the Pastel Society’s exhibition in the Mall Gallery, London. For Howard Jeffs, from Bath Artist Printmakers, the exhibition precedes an exhibition at the Victoria Art gallery in July. Silverside Glass Art opened its shop, Silverside and Friends, in September.

Ironart is opening its doors on Saturday to allow visitors to see ironwork craftsmen in action. Pick up a leaflet or visit: larkhallopenstudios.com.

Green kimono by Georgia Cox

Resin on canvas by Deborah Keiller

Sun hits church by Simon Hodges

NEWBRIDGE ARTS TRAIL Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 May, 11am – 6pm Around 40 artists and makers in Newbridge and Lower Weston will open their doors for the sixth annual Newbridge Arts Trail. Work ranges from painting and printmaking to illustration and photography, from steel sculpture and ceramics to jewellery and decoupage, so the trail presents an opportunity to explore different art forms and be inspired to start or resume a creative activity. As well as private homes and studios, there are several group venues. At Bath Artists’ Studios, opposite Royal Victoria Park, you’ll find drawing, painting, collage, illustration, jewellery, porcelain and sculpture. Two artists are exhibiting at Frontier Picture Frames in Locksbrook Road. The Weston Methodist Church Hall in Kennington Road houses a display of paintings, prints, photography, videos and stone carvings along with decoupage workshops for adults and children. The Minerva Centre in Combe Park hosts portraits, landscapes and ceramic tableware. Newbridge Primary School will be displaying children’s art and paintings by their art teacher. A list of venues can be found at: newbridgeartstrail.com and a brochure is available from shops, businesses and Bath Library.

Padstow Harbour by Anthony Ward

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Afternoon Sun by Ann Hines

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

WIDCOMBE ART TRAIL

Bright beads by Plodge Robertson Felt Bird by Angela Lai Yen Tiggy by Catherine Beale

Scudding Clouds by Sue Wales

Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May St Matthew’s Church has a show by a group of artists which includes illustrator Caroline Crossland who has designed a free drawing activity for children to take to each venue, to create their own art. Also at St Matthew’s, Alison Potter is showing her witty pots and vases and Lorelei Hunt will exhibit her mosaic friezes. On Saturday morning, children can join Let’s Create! at Widcombe Baptist Church with Catherine Helps. Catherine Beale is offering an introduction to watercolours on Widcombe Parade. At St Mark’s try batik making or create and decorate a fabric bird. Zoe Jones is at 1 Magdalen Avenue; do drop in to try children’s art or see her slip cast ceramics and feather poetry. Action on Hearing Loss staff and volunteers will display their works at the centre on Wells Road, with entertainment both days. Visit the garden at Violet Bank Farm and meet textile artist Sarah Lewis, jewellery maker Plodge Robertson and painter Sue Wales.

In Perrymead, Esther Dent-Young’s ceramic sculptures, Chinese calligraphy and watercolours will be on display. Meet photographer Fez Parker upstairs at the Ram. At the White Hart, view Kate Ward and Andrea Whitwell’s works. Watch print maker David Birks demonstrate his skill at 4 Alton Place. Jessica Palmer will be showing her paper installations at 7 St Mark’s Road. For a full list of venues visit: widcombearttrail.com.

BEAR FLAT OPEN STUDIOS Saturday 23, Sunday 24 and Monday 25 May With nearly 40 artists and makers this year, Bear Flat Artists Open Studios promises to be as exciting as ever. With a number of new exhibitors showing alongside many old favourites, the group is delighted to present an eclectic array of excellent works. As well as illustration, prints, and a wide variety of painting, jewellery and ceramics, there is the welcome return of Bridgette Sibbick’s fused glass pieces, Milton Avenue, stone carving

by Jak Blackman, Oldfield Road, Sally Pollitzer’s leaded glass panels, Bloomfield Road, felt work by Jo Willis, Kipling Avenue and the wool sculptures of Vivienne Bolton, Hensley Road. For the photography lover there is a range of interesting works, including the lyrical works of Carlos Ordonez in Milton Avenue, the ironic observations of Jon Leahy in Shelley Road and the abstract images of Jackie Albrow at the Devonshire Arms. The trail also includes three artists showing works for the outside in the Mary Magdalen Chapel Garden in Holloway. Refreshments are available at a number of locations. There will be a range of demonstrations, the everpopular children’s workshop, a look-and-seek trail for children and face painting at Beechen Cliff Road.

For details of the event and to see the map, visit: bearflatartists.co.uk.

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Leaded glass by Sally Pollitzer

Wild wooly by Vivienne Bolton

Bathscape by Phil Hendy

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

ART’S MAY BLOSSOMING The city’s public and private galleries herald the coming of warmer days with new exhibitions

The Girl Who Fell to Earth by David Wilkey, 2014

VICTORIA ART GALLERY

By Pulteney Bridge, Bath Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm, Sundays, 1.30pm – 5pm Tel: 01225 477233.

BATH SOCIETY OF ARTISTS SUMMER EXHIBITION 16 May – 27 June The Bath and North East Somerset Council-run summer exhibition is a box of delights, with more than 300 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures, all for sale. Any artist aged 18 or over may submit work for possible selection and winning of a prize.

For a submission form visit: bsartists.co.uk.

Handing In Day is Saturday 9 May from 10am to 4pm. New for this summer is a lottery of members’ work on 7'' x 5'' cards. Tickets are £1.

This annual show is one of the great summer traditions in Bath, where locals and visitors peruse the works on show and then pick their own favourites, to fill in a card and vote for the people’s choice. This is a great accolade for the artists, be they professional or amateur, newcomer or established veteran.

BATH CONTEMPORARY 35 Gay Street, Bath BA1 2NT Email: gallery@bathcontemporary.com Visit: bathcontemporary.com Tel: 01225 461230 Opening times: 10am – 5pm, Mon – Sat MEN AT WORK Until 25 May Looking at how profession infuses identity, Men at Work presents a mixed and diverse exhibition of paintings and prints exploring the working person’s life whether at work or at play. Artists include Steven Bewsher, Ben Kelly, Jane Stobart, Toby Ward and Ken White.

Orchid by Georgia Cox

St John’s Gatehouse, Queen Street by Nick Cudworth

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

Tel: 01225 445221, visit: nickcudworth.com CITY LANES AND PASSAGES Throughout May City Lanes and Passages is an exhibition of paintings and prints of Bath’s smaller streets in which can be seen intriguing, historic venues for eating and drinking, shops and houses, many of which predate the Georgian era.

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The Junction by Ken White

IMAGIANATION 5 Terrace Walk, Bath BA1 1LN NEW GALLERY Saturday 18 April – Saturday 2 May Imagianation, a wellestablished gallery in St Ives in Cornwall, has opened a second gallery, here in Bath, on Terrace Walk. As you you might expect it will be featuring new work from Cornish and Devon artists Mary Allen and Yvonne Coomber, among others, but it will also shine a spotlight on Bath artists Ben Hughes, Georgia Cox and Glyn Davies. Paintings range in price from £300 to £3,000+.

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nick cudworth gallery

‘The Icons’ April - May 2015

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

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artgallery.co.uk

Member Gallery

St. John’s Gatehouse - Trim Street – oil on canvas and prints

CITY LANES AND PASSAGES 1 - 30 MAY

An exhibition of paintings and prints of Bath’s intriguing lanes and passages in which can be seen a variety of venues for eating and drinking, shops and houses. Many predating the Georgian era.

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

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM Great Pulteney Street, Bath Free admission NICHOLAS RENA AFTER MATISSE

Gathering Stars by Anita Klein GALLERY NINE 9b Margarets Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP Tel: 01225 319197

Until 17 May Nicholas Rena has created an installation of new work for the Holburne’s Ballroom table; a series of monumental bowls. Orderly yet vigorous, his colourful vessels are painted and waxed to a flawless finish.

The compelling sculptural forms evoke both the ceramics of Lucie Rie and stilllifes by Matisse. Rena’s work explores the colours and tones of the European tradition from maiolica to painting.

Rena trained as an architect with Eric Parry, and subsequently began working with ceramics. ‘My architectural background has been a perspective in my work, a consideration and preoccupation with space.’ The large vessels are first moulded into their precise shapes, slowly dried out and sanded before being fired.

SPRING SHOW Until 31 May This group show features the joyful and intimate work of gifted painter and printmaker Anita Klein. This prominent artist celebrates the small everyday moments that make life special.

The elegant and tactile ceramics from Christiane Wilhelm complement the sculptural curvaceous forms of James Oughtibridge.

Inspired by the beauty of natural forms, Victoria Walker’s intricate and kinetic hand crafted jewellery is shown alongside the voluptuous coloured acrylic collection from Sara Packington.

Bottles & Glasses in Silver and Gold on Blue by Julian Paltenghi DAVID SIMON CONTEMPORARY 3 – 4 Bartlett Street, Bath BA1 2QZ Tel: 01225 460189 Visit: davidsimoncontemporary.com Mon – Sat 10am – 6pm, Sunday afternoons JULIAN PALTENGHI AND NIKI HARE 9 May - 6 June This two-person exhibition brings together, for the first time, the latest still life paintings by Julian Paltenghi and the abstract paintings of Niki Hare. Whether working with still life or

There is a sculpture in my profiteroles by Bruce McLean ROSTRA GALLERY George Street, Bath Tel: 01225 448121 PETER BLAKE & BRUCE MCLEAN 16 May – 15 June This is a ground-breaking show from two of the country’s leading artists. The Godfather of British Pop Art, Peter Blake, continues to create spectacular original prints, while McLean’s body of work continues to move and change. Both are featured in galleries and museums all over the world.

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landscape subjects, Palthenghi’s paintings have a compelling quality, through his bold and vibrant approach. This latest body of still lifes have a wonderfully jovial energy but also a complexity and tension conveyed through a seemingly simple and direct style. Niki Hare’s work can be enjoyed as pure abstract painting.

Her work examines ideas of existence and vision, reflecting in her painting the ways in which the world ‘is paused, broken down into layers, shuffled, pushed back together and sent on its way.’

QUERCUS 1 Queen Street, Bath BA1 1HE Open: Tues – Sat, 10am –6pm, Sundays, 10am – 4pm ED KLUZ Until 30 May Exhibition of collages and prints by artist Ed Kluz, with an accompanying display of one-off glazed terracotta vessels by Silvia K Ceramics. Inspired by the rich architectural history of Bath and the surrounding area, Ed has created a new body of work in the first of his solo exhibitions this year. New collages and prints feature along with works from Ed’s largescale collages; The Lost House Revisited and his

Eastbury Park by Ed Kluz fabric designs. Expect refreshing perspectives of Bath and depictions of buildings, such as Beckford’s Tower and the Holburne Museum, seen through the eyes of an artist who finds fascination in the eccentric, the lost and overlooked aspects of our cultural heritage.

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

ART AT THE HEART OF THE RUH Main Corridor Gallery, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Combe Park, Bath BA1 3NG Open daily 8am-8pm ARENA AND LANDSCAPE COLLECTIVE UK GROUP

Red Gate by Prunella Clough ANTHONY HEPWORTH FINE ART DEALERS 16, Margarets Buildings, Bath Tel: 01225 310694 WORKS FROM THE HARGREAVES AND BALL TRUST 9 – 23 May Works on paper and drawings by Keith Vaughan and Prunella Clough, along with ceramics by Elizabeth Fritsch.

Until 10 July The Arena exhibition is in conjunction with LCUK (Landscape Collective UK) Group, an inaugural exhibition of unique and award winning landscape photography. LCUK consists of 13 landscape photographers who meet every two months to show and discuss their work.

Old Pier at Swanage by Eva Worobic (LCUK)

CAROLE WALLER & GARY WOOD One Two Five Gallery at The Shed, Box Road, Bath BA1 7LR 2– 24 May WRAPPED Carole makes unique clothes using painted marks on cloth and constructing beautiful wearable garments in silk, organic cotton and fine wool which enclose the wearer in a swathe of colour.

Gary makes ceramic forms in which the texture, colour and form are integrated in the fusing of clay and coloured glaze to produce an extraordinary quality of stone-like longevity.

Wrapped is part of the Select Festival in Gloucestershire. A month of exhibitions talks, workshops, events. Visit: sitselect.org.

UNIVERSITY OF BATH Galleries 1 and 2, The Edge, University of Bath, Claverton Down BA2 7AY Until Sunday 31 May, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Free admission, all welcome

Kites Over Twickenham by Stan Smith HILTON FINE ART 5 Margarets Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP Open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10am – 5.30pm Tel: 01225 311311 MODERN FIGURATIVE: STAN SMITH Until 18 May A celebration of the human form is obvious in this wonderful display of paintings by

renowned figurative artist, Stan Smith.

B The gallery will be at the 20/21 International Art Fair, 14 – 17 May at the Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, in London, showing work by Roger Hilton, Rose Hilton, Angela Charles, Andrew Bird, Alice Mumford, Richard Fox, Tim Shaw.

EMMA ROSE Upstairs at The Bath Sofa and Curtain Shop, 78 Walcot Street, Bath Open Mon – Sat, 10am – 5pm Tel: 01224 424424 Visit: emmaroseartworks.com ENVELOPING LANDSCAPES Throughout May A fresh look at land, sea and sky using the principals of wabi sabi – the appreciation of ageing with imperfection. A pulsating palate of colour: dynamic brushwork and vibrant hues.

The thoughtful work is sought after for its narrative power, creative imagination, sense of place and use of Indian inks, golds and acrylics.

Burnt Land by Mark Johnston BEAUX ARTS 12 – 13 York Street, Bath BA1 1NG Tel: 01225 464850 Until 16 May

MARK BOULOS Mythology In Echo, above, viewers encounter a ghostly ‘reflection’ of themselves that moves and speaks as they do in real time, but is transposed upon a documentary background of an urban landscape. There are other installations to explore at this free show.

Swinburne’s Spring by Emma Rose

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SPRING SHOW Dramatic Turneresque landscape oil paintings

by Sussex based Mark Johnston and ceramics

by Japanese national treasure Masamichi Yoshikawa.

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CITY | HERITAGE

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CITY | HERITAGE

BUILDING ON THE PAST Get to know Bath better by walking round the city then paying a visit to a museum dedicated to its built landscape. Georgette McCready explores the newly re-named Museum of Bath Architecture ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE: opposite page, clockwise from top left: the Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel which houses the Museum of Bath Architecture: an eagle guards the chapel pulpit; the chapel is Bath’s last remaining 18th century Gothic building; drawings by Peter Coard from the 1960s show Claverton Buildings, Widcombe and Wood House in Twerton, shortly before their demolition, including some fine detail from the main staircase in the mansion, and centre: the stone balustrade that once ran round Queen Square.

PICTURES: drawings from Peter and Ruth Coard’s book Vanishing Bath and photography

by Anna Barclay

H

ere’s a chicken and egg dilemma. Should you visit the Museum of Bath Architecture before you set out to explore the city, or should you visit it once you know a bit more about the Bath landscape, both built and natural?

As someone who’s kicked around the city for a number of years I enjoyed being able to spot models of buildings I already know, of working out the viewpoint of the old paintings and etchings and spotting familiar landmarks on the giant wall-sized aerial photo-map of the city. But if you were a newcomer to our World Heritage site city you would find plenty to pique your curiosity.

Until recently the museum was known as the Building of Bath Collection, but its owner the Bath Preservation Trust, has sensibly rebranded it to describe concisely what it does.

The museum is one of Bath’s overlooked treasure houses of surprises.

If you want whistles, bells and bright lights, this is probably not the museum for you, although there is a big box of Lego for those with a shorter attention span. But if you’re interested in the development and growth of Bath – past, present and future – or in how the Georgians built those beautiful sweeping crescents, or even in the history of architecture and the art of town planning, then you’ll be able to spend and absorbing hour or so in this converted 18th century chapel.

THE CHAPEL The building alone is worth a visit. It

was built in 1765 in The Vineyards on the Paragon at the behest of religious zealot the Countess of Huntingdon.

What makes it glorious is that, while it was built to house a plain doctrine which eschewed high church decoration, the architecture belongs to the extravagent and sometimes fanciful Strawberry Hill Gothick favoured by Horace Walpole’s famous house of whimsy in London. Walpole was a contemporary and visited the Countess’s Bath chapel where he admired the ‘strawberry windows’.

Even though the chapel was deconsecrated in 1984 it still retains its sense of occasion and one can imagine the minister in the pulpit giving it his all to people packed into their family pews.

There is a little sitting room at the back of the chapel, complete with a cosy fireplace, where the Countess would sit imperiously apart from the hoi polloi, but with the door partially open so she could listen to the service.

What makes the Bath chapel more interesting is that it’s the only surviving piece of 18th century Gothic revival architecture left in the city. All Saints Chapel in Lansdown was a fine example of the genre, designed by Bath architect John Palmer, but that was destroyed in 1942 during the Bath Blitz.

This brings us on to what the museum has to show us about changes in the city and its ongoing evolution.

VANISHING BATH There is large model of the city of Bath in the museum, built in 1966, which gives cause for reflection. In it the buildings marked as worth saving have

their windows clearly drawn in. The buildings without their windows are deemed not worth keeping – many of them destined for destruction. A lot of these buildings came from the prosperous 19th century, which makes you think, as Bath Preservation Trust historian Dr Amy Frost observes, that priorities have changed about what should be preserved for future generations. Great swathes of Victorian architecture were razed to the ground, just as the Georgians had demolished the old medieval city to realise its ambition.

There was one man in Bath who devoted himself to recording what he described as vanishing Bath, those buildings that were singled out for demolition. Peter Coard was a trained draftsman, a teacher and an artist. He drew more than 2,000 detailed drawings of buildings and parts of buildings, all in Biro, which show all too clearly what is lost and gone forever. But he did pick up a few bits and pieces, salvaged from the bulldozer and the museum has a couple of these. If you want to see more of Peter Coard’s work, try and pick up a copy of the book he produced with his wife Ruth, Vanishing Bath or visit the excellent archive: bathintime.co.uk. The collection also includes remarkable then and now photos of lost buildings and utterly changed streets, from which you can order images.

The city changes all the time and this can be seen from artist Peter Brown’s triptych of the city painted from high at Beechen Cliff. Anyone who knows the city will be able to see what has changed

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CITY | HERITAGE

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PANORAMA: from top left, the three paintings

by Bath contemporary artist Peter Brown show the city as seen from above Beechen Cliff. In the first view, it shows SouthGate before the shopping complex was built, in the second (right) the trees opposite Avon Street car park have recently been felled, while in the third view, the land infront of the station is now Brunel Square

l Wood House, Twerton. This was a grand Italianate house built for the wealthy mill owners, the Carr family, with all the upstairs-downstairs life of masters and servants in Victorian times.

This stood where Woodhouse Road is now but fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1965. l Bathwick Villa, off Forester Road.

Another ornate architectural gem swept away in the name of progress.

❝

It’s the only piece of 18th century Gothic revival architecture left in the city

❝

since this was painted. It’s also fun to pick out and identify the city’s churches, which stand out clearly like beacons in the landscape.

LOST TREASURES When visitors arrive at the Museum of Bath Architecture they’re welcomed by a volunteer who gives them a brief introduction to the collection. Some of these volunteers are Bathonians, passionate about their home city, while others are students of architecture and building conservation, enjoying sharing the knowledge they’ve acquired.

I was lucky enough to have Dr Amy Frost as my guide, curator of the Beckford Museum and an authority on Bath’s buildings past and present. She shares some of the city’s sights that it would have been good to have been able to save: l Claverton Street, Widcombe. This was a whole street of houses which resembled a characterful Neapolitan scene, including the Cold Bath House with its distinctive lion’s head fountain, demolished wholesale in the 1960s to make way for the Widcombe bypass. l The Old City Bridge, Southgate. This was the city’s first river crossing and the Old Bridge with its gentle humped arc, had five arches and was constructed first in the 13th century. It was re-built in the 15th century and then repaired and widened in the 19th century, when serious concerns about its safety were voiced. It limped on, carrying an increasing burden of traffic, until the 1960s when it made way for the new Churchill Bridge, a purely functional route across the river that we still use now. l The balustrade around Queen Square.

The square would have looked quite different when it was surrounded by its original decorative stone balustrade.

The museum has found a little remaining and had a reconstruction built in the chapel. On one corner of Queen Square stood St Mary’s, designed

by John Wood the Elder. But that was demolished in 1875 to widen the road for traffic down to what was then the new Green Park Station.

SAVED FOR POSTERITY Recent years have seen a seachange in the way we view old buildings and what we choose to conserve. The Museum of Bath Architecture shines the spotlight on some of the traditional skills and crafts used in the building of Bath. This is a great place to come if you’ve ever wondered about the structure of the skeleton of our distinctive tall honey gold townhouses, or how the builders made the curving crescents without compromising the shapes of the rooms inside.

There are models of houses – and

who doesn’t love a scale model? – and samples of workmanship, along with the traditional tools used for masonry, carpentry and decoration. Short films show the craftsmen and women at their work, showing how it’s done.

The current special exhibition at the museum, curated by Dr Frost, is Bath: Buildings in Landscape, which runs until November. This features largely unseen historic pictures of Bath’s changing landscape. Particularly fascinating is an etching of the Lower Bristol Road as little more than a dusty lane with cattle being driven along it, while across the fields (opposite where Sainsbury’s stands now) can be seen the tips of the sails of working barges plying their trade along the River Avon.

If you know Bath, or think you know Bath, the collection of art and artefacts on the Paragon will make you look at our wonderful, ever changing city with fresh eyes. n THE MUSEUM OF BATH ARCHITECTURE The Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel, The Vineyards, Paragon, Bath is open Tuesday – Friday, 2pm – 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10.30am – 5pm. Admission: £5.50, concessions, £4.50, children £2.50. Discovery card holders enjoy a 50p discount. Visit: museumofbatharchitecture.org.uk

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BATH @ WORK

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

Gordon Henderson Dentist

T

he year was 1981 and arriving in Bath for a weekend visit from the commuter belt of London where I both lived and worked, I felt this place, that I knew only from literature, come to life for me. Although having travelled extensively throughout Europe and visited some of its architectural wonders, I had rarely associated Britain with having similar treasures; Bath seemed an exception and I knew from that first moment that I wanted to live in this beautiful city.

As with so much of life, chance plays a large part and in 1983 an opening arose at The Circus Dental Practice set in the heart of Bath and in one of the most exceptional locations one could ever wish to work. The practice has a rich history, having been established in 1886 by a dental surgeon, Louis B Eskell and stories of this strong minded and wilful man have filtered down through the decades.

One such tale involved The Lord Roberts, escorted by a company of The Household Cavalry, who informed Louis that he intended to come to Bath and pay tribute to the explorer David Livingstone by unveiling a plaque that was to be set in a wall of No 13, The Circus. Louis seems to have been less than impressed and replied that while they were welcome to place a plaque on his house, he had no intention of being present at the event. The plaque, however, remains there to this day.

I think 21st century dentistry would have impressed Louis. The foundation of this practice is providing high quality preventive and restorative care to the community of patients that I and my colleagues serve. We offer everything from routine fillings to glamorous smiles, the correction of serious dental injuries to dealing with debilitating facial pain; the list of treatments gets larger every year. The dental team at the practice are fantastic with consultant and specialist, Paul Wilson, specialists Jon Cowie and Jonquil Wing, Daniel Beevers with a masters degree in Dental Implantology and the other practice partner, Peter Heard with a masters degree in medical law and ethics. We are all supported by Julian Lye whose dental laboratory is based with us and a superb management, nursing, hygiene and administrative team. All quite different from Louis’s Victorian days.

Bath too, on a personal level has been full of social richness for me with its many theatres and festivals, thriving sports scene and special events such as the Bath Half Marathon which, having run it many times, I can assure brings pain as well as pleasure. I have made good friendships through my work, through my years spent in Bath Round Table, one, I am proud to say as Chairman and through the many areas of Bath life that I have connected with in my time here.

In fact, in so many ways, living in a city with such a history, I realise ‘it’s all about people’; those who built Georgian Bath, Louis Eskell who established the practice where I work, the patients I have the privilege to treat along with so many more who keep the spirit of Bath vibrant and alive today. I am just so very thankful to be a part of it for a while. n

PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic.

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

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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FOOD | NEWS

Titbits

■ Wine expert and enthusiast Oz Clarke is an engaging speaker who promises to be an entertaining commentator at a wine tasting event being held at the Museum of Bath at Work, from 7.30pm on Thursday 28 May. The Julian Road museum, dedicated to Bath’s industrial past, will form the backdrop for a talk from Oz about the wines he feels have changed the food and drink we love, and the history of the world. This is a standing event, as befits a wine tasting, which should give it a bit more of a party vibe. It’s been organised by Great Western Wine and Topping & Co. Tickets: 312 from 01225 428111.

■ Queen of the greens, chef Rachel Demuth is leading a spring cookery talk and demonstration on wild foraged and locally grown produce, in the appropriate setting of Newton Farm Foods at Newton St Loe. The evening, on Thursday 7 May from 7pm to 9pm, will include advice on making the following: wild garlic and hazelnut pesto bruschetta; broad bean and halloumi fritters with wild herb salsa verde, and asparagus and almond salad. The cost is £17.50. To book tel: 01225 873707.

■ Top chefs from the Bath area will be taking part in the annual Eat Drink Bristol Fashion celebration of south west produce, cooking and music runs from 29 April to 10 May in Queens Square, Bristol, just a few minutes’ walk from Temple Meads station. Sam Moody, Michelin-star holder of the Bath Priory will team up with Hywel Jones of Lucknam Park and Richard Davies of the Manor House Hotel to cook for a six course tasting menu on Sunday 3 May. Somerset chef Dan Moon, pictured, of Ston Easton will be cooking for the Pride of the West dinner on Friday 8 May. Dan will be contributing dishes alongside John Hooker (Cornish Arms), Russell Brown (Sienna) and Paul O’Neil (Berwick Lodge) for an eight course tasting dinner. For ticket details visit: eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk.

■ Celia Adams of the Bath Cake Decorating School is running a specialist chocolate workshop on May 15 which will teach chocolate handling techniques to make roses, fans and cut out shapes for a chocolate wrap cake. Places on the one-day workshop are £175.

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MAKING THE GRADE: The Methuen Arms in Corsham, The Three Gables in Bradford-on-Avon and, below, the Wheatsheaf at Combe Hay were all selected by the independent Trencherman’s Guide 2015 as exceptional food destinations in the south west

CHEFS PICK FOOD GUIDE CHOICES

A handful of restaurants and pubs in Bath and Wiltshire have made it into The Trencherman’s Guide 2015 to eating out in the south west. To make a place in the guide, which is judged by chefs and industry specialists, the eateries have to be invited for inclusion following high ratings in other publications. The guide includes a county by county list of recommendations and an introduction by Michael Caines MBE. In Bath itself the Olive Tree restaurant, the Bath Priory and Menu Gordon Jones all make the shortlist – in fact Menu Gordon Jones took the top prize this year for Creativity and Innovation. Also recommended for their fine dining experience are the Wheatsheaf at Combe Hay and the Wheelwrights Arms in Monkton Combe.

Wiltshire establishments also fared well. The Manor House at Castle Combe and Lucknam Park at Colerne were perhaps unexpected, but smaller businesses The Three Gables, run by

chef Marc Salmon and restaurant manager Vito Scaduto in Bradford-on-Avon, and The Methuen Arms in Corsham were also singled out for inclusion.

The slim volume sits neatly into a car glove compartment or you can download an app.

This is the 23rd year of The Trencherman’s Guide, which is published by Salt Media and is priced £6.99.

Somerset may seem an unlikely place to host a celebration of Scandanavian food and drink, but TV producer and foodie Chloe Avery, who spent 2013 travelling in Scandanavia, is planning a great Midsummer Feast there in June. The food festival will be held at Harptree Court over the weekend of Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June and will feature celebrity chefs and top food writers, starlit outdoor feasting,

bonfires and music, in celebration of food and drink from Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

Tickets for the adults-only festival are £200 per person, which covers all the demos and feasts, excluding drinks bought from the bar. Guests can camp at Harptree Court in their own tents, with shower and toilet blocks provided on site, or stay in local accommodation. Visit: scandifeast.co.uk.

A SMORGASBORD IN SOMERSET

BISTRO ON TRACK FOR LAUNCH

The Bath Magazine’s near neighbour on George Street, the French restaurant Bistrot Pierre is celebrating the approval of planning applications for its renovation, and it hopes to open later this month.

The bistro is in a Georgian townhouse, which experts believe had a shopfront and annexe added early in the 19th century. Over a period of time, the space between the house and the annexe was then covered over to increase the size.

Jackie Gillespie from Devon

based architects Gillespie Yunnie, said: “There are four distinct zones: the shopfront, the modern extension, the rear annex which will form a theatre kitchen and the dining room.

We’ve worked to keep all the period features surrounded by traditional décor, but will use modern design within the extension.”

“The trickiest part of the transition has been the theatre kitchen; the 19th century annex with distinctive curved ceiling and lantern roof light, provided an interesting location for a

theatre kitchen - however the floor would need replacing to ensure it provided a firm base for the commercial kitchen equipment.”

“Bath has been in our sights for some time,” adds Robert Beacham, co-founder of Bistrot Pierre, “and thankfully the work we’re having to do is relatively basic, there is no change of layout and we have been able to let the building inform much of the design.”

The company is currently looking for chefs, kitchen porters and waiting staff.

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FOOD | REVIEW

HUDSON STEAKHOUSE 14 London Street, Bath, BA1 5BU. Tel: 01225 332323

R E V I EW

LOVE ME TENDER

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customers’ demands.

On a Wednesday evening the place is buzzing, with people downstairs and upstairs in the candelit rooms. The place is simply furnished, with wooden floorboards, comfortable chairs and no gimmicks. The music is soft enough to speak over but creates a mellow vibe.

A good steak and fries (and I don’t mean those fat Jenga-sized chips that are currently so fashionable) is the culinary equivalent of a well cut pair of jeans and a black leather jacket. Simple, classic and reliable. And, let me tell you, Hudson is still working that as successfully as any dude.

The meat is cooked exactly to order and served with a light touch of bearnaise and red wine glaze and just a nod to a salad garnish. I’ve never had a Hudson steak that wasn’t juicy, tender and tasty, but I am told should the unthinkable happen, your meat will be exchanged without a quibble.

Steaks range in price from £17.95 for a flat iron, or top blade, 8oz, to a 16oz Porterhouse at £26.95. Sides include classic frites, £2.95 (enough for two to share), truffle parmesan fries, £3.75, or spinach or tomato salad, £3.50.

The great thing about Hudson is that you can choose whether to take the economic option when you fancy a steak after a busy day, and enjoy the midweek offer of a steak and fries with a glass of wine for £15.95, if you order before 7pm, or push the boat out for a special occasion and make a date night

IF IT AIN’T BROKE: over ten years Hudson Steakhouse has established itself as the benchmark against which newcomers are measured

of it. I’d recommend trying the starter platter (£17.95) to share, which has a taster of five of the Hudson starters – the delicious sesame soy dressing on the duck salad took me right back to my one-time favourite Firehouse Asian chicken salad. The tempura prawns and goats cheese medallions were naughty but nice, a crab and avocado remoulade and tomato with mozarella a good contrast.

❝

A good steak and fries is the culinary equivalent of a well cut pair of jeans and a black leather jacket

❝

I

t’s hard to believe that it’s ten years ago that we first caught the mouth-wateringly scent of steak being cooked as we walked along the far end of Walcot Street, where like the Bisto kids of old, our noses led us in to feast gratefully on the best steaks we’d had outside London.

Back in 2005 what had once been the quirky, characterful, but latterly rundown and tatty Hat and Feather pub had closed, the building taken over by restaurateur Richard Fenton, a wellknown name on the Bath scene, and given a complete overhaul to become a pared down, cool and stylish bar and restaurant.

Richard, who set up Firehouse Rotisserie, the Grappa bar and Café Lucca, says that he was initially reluctant to take on the delapidated historic building on the corner of London Street. But then he was looking at some photos of New York bars, and suddenly saw the possibilities of creating a relaxed place where people could enjoy a drink and rely on being served beautiful food, simply cooked.

A decade later Hudson is no longer the only place specialising in steaks in Bath, but it is the original benchmark by which all newcomers will be measured.

Many of the staff have been there since its inception, Walcot butcher Terry & Son still supplies the Staffordshire raised, dry aged steaks from Angus and Limousin beef, and the menu remains largely unchanged, in deference to

You could, I suppose, choose chicken, lamb or fish from the main course options, and I am told people do. But with steak this good why would you?

Match it with a fruity bottle of Merlot, £18.50, while you watch dusk descend over Hedgemead Park, the lights coming on in houses up the hillside and you’ve got yourself a satisfying night out.

The puddings arriving at tables nearby looked good – particularly the Eton mess with fresh raspberries, but that steak and frites left me happily replete.

Long may Hudson continue to rock the classic combo it does so well.

GMc

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The Diner’s Digest SIX OF THE BEST

For fish and chips

Bath may be far from the seaside but there are plenty of places to find the catch of the day, reckons Melissa Blease as she reaches for the salt and vinegar

SEAFOODS

This traditional fish’n’chipper has been feeding deep fried, naughty but nice yumminess for over five decades. You can take your grab-bag away with you or eat it at a pavement table, or sit in the cafe, from where you can watch the jolly fryers exchange banter with the queue of regulars and tourists at the counter. Huge jars of pickled eggs line the shelves, piles of readybuttered baps are stacked up underneath a nylon tent on the counter and there are even homemade puddings on the chalk board. Pies, burgers, sausages, chicken, and more, supplement the sustainable fish selection, with only the Desperate Dan-style challenge (two massive fish, a mushy pea lagoon and a mound of chips, £9.99) putting anything close to stress on the budget. Portions are huge, service is swift and cheerful.

Seafoods, 38 Kingsmead Street, Bath BA1 2AA Tel: 01225 465190; web: seafoodsfishandchips.co.uk

SALT AND MALT

If you’re going to undertake a 30-40 minute drive for a fish supper, there has to be gold at journey’s end. But if you’re guaranteed to find a fish cafe overlooking the Chew Valley lake specialising in fish suppers created by Josh and Holly Eggleton’s Michelin-starred gastropub the Pony and Trap, surely you’d consider traipsing barefoot through nettles to get there? The S&M (ahem) takeaway opened to great acclaim towards the end of last year, while the cafe and restaurant – which opened only a handful of weeks ago - has already caused ripples. Expect top-notch, sustainable ingredients on a menu that includes seasonal delights such as mussels, squid and crab alongside plenty of gluten-free options and locally-sourced bangers and burgers to complete the line up. Meanwhile, there’s alfresco seating for up to 200 people who want to make the very most of that view. To date, however, there's no remedy for nettle stings and blisters on the menu, so set the SatNav and enjoy the ride.

Salt and Malt, Wally Lane, Chew Stoke, BS49 8TF Tel: 01275 333345; web: saltmalt.com

THE SCALLOP SHELL

Before Garry Rosser opened his fabulous fish and chip diner on Monmouth Place a few months ago, fans of his super suppers (and they are legion) had to travel all the way to the White Row Farm in Beckington to grab their fish fix. But today, we have a choice of two lovely locations to dive in to: either we head for the nearby countryside and enjoy our fresh, sustainable, imaginative catch of the day in proper farm shop surroundings, or keep it local by visiting Garry’s cheerfully chic little seafood caff and takeaway on our doorsteps. Oysters, scallops, mussels, clams and even lobster often swim against the “standard chippy fare tide” on a daily-changing menu, the flaming grill offers carb-dodgers plenty of options that can easily beat the batter into gentle submission and the

chips.... oh, the chips! Words can’t express their moreish majesty. This highly tasteful venture concentrates on the sheer joy of well-priced, cleanly presented, cared-for grub... and no catches.

The Scallop Shell, 20 Monmouth Place, Bath BA1 2AY Tel: 01225 420928 / Whiterow Farm, Beckington BA11 6TN Tel: 01373 830510; web: thescallopshell.co.uk

POLLOCKS AT LA FLAMMA

While the fish'n'chip combo is one of the most successful partnerships most of us have ever encountered, there are other pairings that don’t immediately spring to mind. Initially, the idea of a fish and chip bar in a French restaurant may present a “did I read that correctly?” moment. But yes indeed, you did. But we're not just talking about any French restaurant here, and nor are we talking about prosaic fish and chips. When Pollocks of Bath opened its doors on Grove Street, its classic, solid offering almost immediately trended on the best in Bath charts. Similarly, when Le Flamma – the only Alsacien restaurant in the south west, don'cha know – opened on nearby Argyle Street, we all cheered the return of Flammakueche (aka the Tarte Flambee, but not just “posh quiche”) to the Heritage City menu. Put 'em together and what have you got? A perfectly harmonious twosome that offers broad appeal – and a multitude of options. Flamma with chips? Line-caught haddock with a glass of the exclusive Champagne Buhr? Coming right up!

Pollocks at Le Flamma, 15 Argyle Street, Bath BA1 4BQ Tel: 01225 463482

GARRICK’S HEAD

There’s a big board outside the Garrick’s Head that boldly declares their fish and chips to be the best in Bath. If the proof of such a testimony can really only be verified by genuine word-of-mouth recommendations from folk who really know their stuff, then that board deserves every inch of the pavement space that it proudly dominates. Fancy joining the chattering classes? Head for a table in the bar (or better still, outside on one of the terrace tables when the sun comes out to play), place

NONNA’S

your order for fish and chips and expect to indulge in a catch of the day as sweet, sumptuous and fresh as can be, bathed in a cloud of beer batter and accompanied by crushed peas, real tartare sauce and the fattest, crispest triple-cooked chips sent direct from chip heaven (and if such a place really does exist, these beauties really do qualify for the job of gatekeeper). And the price for such piscatorial perfection? An easygoing £12.95 – happy days indeed.

Garrick’s Head, St John’s Place, Bath BA1 1ET Tel: 01225 318368; web: garricksheadpub.com

I enjoy throwing in the occasional wild card suggestion on this page. With this month’s theme it didn’t seem necessary to go off piste until a recent trip to Nonna's flicked the inspirational switch. The literal translation of the classic Italian fritto misto is ‘fried mixed’ and all manner of succulent little morsels respond well to a cloak of light batter and a dunk in the deep fat frier. Fish and seafood, however, seem to fare best, and the cucina at Nonna's proves this point, offering a stylish variation on our good old Brit-trad habit. The dish in

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question is £7.50 and is only suggested as a precursor to the main event. But if you ask nicely, the chefs are happy to supersize the standard portion. Might we suggest, however, a second “starter” of triglia con olive nere (pan-fried fillet of red mullet with black olive tapenade and capers) and a side dish of zucchini fritti and elevate a fish and chip supper to new, Romanesque heights. Wild? It’s positively selvaggio.

Nonna’s, 39 Gay Street, Bath BA1 2NT Tel: 01225 427919; web: nonnasitalianrestaurant.co.uk

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CITY | PEOPLE BUSINESS

News in brief ■ Nigel Huxley, head of Waitrose in Bath, has been elected chairman for the Bath Business Improvement District. Nigel replaces Simon Pullen of SouthGate Bath, who was appointed in 2011. Simon remains a director of the BID in the short term representing SouthGate but has stepped down as chair as he no longer works in Bath. Nigel, who is already on the committee, said "The BID has been doing some great work in the city throughout its first term, and I intend to keep the focus firmly on working collaboratively to enhance our trading environment, and driving footfall to our fantastic businesses via our existing priorities.

At the same time I will be encouraging new ideas in a critical phase for the Bath BID as we seek the endorsement of businesses through our renewal.”

■ Congratulations to Ann Ellison (formerly Garner), artistic director of The Mission Theatre and Next Stage Theatre Company who has received the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to theatre in Bath. The award will be made by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Somerset Mrs Anne Maw at a ceremony in Taunton. Ann and her husband Andrew Ellison will then visit Buckingham Palace on May 12 as guests at a Queen’s garden party. Ann has been artistic director of the Next Stage Theatre Company in Bath for 21 years.

CELEBRATION: Circle Bath’s fifth anniversary ball ■ CircleBath celebrated its fifth anniversary with a ball at the Roman Baths and Pump Rooms in Bath. The ball was attended by over 200 partners including the doctors and nurses who work at the award winning hospital.

Awards were presented during the evening for patient experience, business excellence and quality of care. According to NHS England CircleBath is ranked in the top ten hospitals in the country for patient outcomes in orthopaedic surgery.

■ Everything But the Girl singer and writer Tracy Thorn is coming to Bath on Thursday 21 May to launch her latest book on singing, Naked at the Albert Hall. She’ll be at Topping & Co bookshop from 7.45pm that evening.

Tickets: £7/£6 redeemable on the book from tel: 01225 428111.

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LEGAL TEAM DIG IN FOR VOLUNTEERING

TEAM BUILDING: staff from Mowbray Woodwards leave the office for the day to help out at Chalfield Manor in Wiltshire Bath based Mowbray Woodwards Solicitors took part in a team building day of community service at the historic National Trust Great Chalfield Manor. More than 40 members of staff volunteered to take part in conservation and gardening work at the 15th century manor house in Wiltshire.

With help from Ming the manor house’s resident terrier, staff worked in the gardens

planting over 200 plants and bulbs ready for the summer. Other groups worked hard in the new woodlands to set tree shelters upright after the winter gales and in ancient woodland to ensure hazel coppice stools were protected from the roe deer. Great Chalfield’s historic Norman bastion benefited from a big clear up of ivy and brambles to make it visible to visitors once more.

CHOIR’S NEW MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Bath Camerata has appointed Benjamin Goodson as its new musical director, taking over from founding musical director Nigel Perrin who has bowed out after 28 years.

Described by composer and choral conductor Paul Spicer as “unequivocally one of the most naturally gifted conductors I have encountered,” Benjamin joins the choir in time for its summer season.

Educated at Hertford College, Oxford, Benjamin

won Oxford University’s most coveted conducting prize and now enjoys a career as a conductor, choir trainer and chorus master. He also

conducts three other choirs, a variety of ensembles and will be making his debut at the Dorset Opera Festival in July.

Bath Camerata will be appearing in two concerts for the Bath International Music Festival this month, but its first major outing under the direction of Benjamin Goodson will be an American themed concert on Saturday 4 July at the Guildhall, Bath.

Tickets are on sale from: bathcamerata.org.uk and tel: 01225 463362.

LEAVE A LEGACY: SIGN A SLATE Dyrham Park, the National Trust house near Bath, has found a novel way of fundraising for its £3.8m renovation programme, by selling individual roof slates to visitors to sign.

For a £25 donation visitors can write a message, draw on and sign the back of one of the new Welsh slates and leave their legacy on the roof while also knowing they have helped to save Dyrham Park.

The sign-a-slate fund raising campaign is being supported by local artists and celebrities, including Bath-based artist Nick Cudworth, Lord Julian Fellowes, writer of Downton Abbey, National Trust illustrator Suzi Brooks, Bristol urban artist Luke Jerram and National Trust volunteer and artist John Rodgers.

Nick Cudworth, who has been a keen visitor to Dyrham Park since the 1990s and had several exhibitions there was delighted to support the campaign.

He said: “Dyrham Park is such a special place for us and this is such a lovely idea. It is great for raising awareness and helping towards

the huge cost of replacing the roof.

Nick, pictured with his wife Jenny and left, Sharon Hale of the National Trust, has pasted one of his depictions of Dyrham Park house on to one of the slates and signed it. “Until now, I’ve only had temporary exhibitions at Dyrham Park – this is a more permanent addition and I’m thrilled to be part of this.”

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THE WINE COLUMN Angela Mount, wine and food critic picks some charming French wines to enjoy, come rain or shine

W

ith summer hols not too far away, and with Bath celebrating one of the most classic of French pastimes, Bath Boules, next month, it’s a good time to turn the wine focus back to that most classic of wine producers – France. With New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, and Argentine Malbec, the current red and white darlings of the wine world and with the bold New World continuing to impress, the story from France, may have seemed quiet recently.

Lots of wines from Australia, New Zealand, South America and South Africa, are bold, vibrant wines, which shout out their pedigree. The classic regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy do the same and command sometimes astronomical prices for their top gems.

But many people get very confused about less classic French wines, because they don’t really understand them. I don’t blame them – the labels themselves can often be complicated and muddling.

French wines don’t have to be expensive, there are some shy beauties, just waiting to emerge over there; but yes, they can be confusing as the labels just don’t tell enough about what’s in the bottle.

I love the freshness, vivacity and more restrained elegance of many French wines. If you’re fed up with the bold, showy flavours of New Zealand Sauvignon, but like the crisp zestiness of this grape, why not try a more subtle, lighter French option? The bright and breezy Sauvignon de Touraine, Domaine de Pierre 2014 would be a perfect way to start. From the heartland of the spectacularly beautiful Loire Valley, freshened by cool breezes from the neighbouring Atlantic, it’s delicately tangy, and more gentle in style than its Kiwi counterparts. With the new vintage just hitting the shelves, its full of youthful exuberance.

There’s a distinct hint of fresh spearmint on the nose and a delightful, lemon and green apple crispness. It’ll be spot on for alfresco aperitifs on balmy days, and a great picnic wine – perfect with textured salads, new season asparagus, and the tangiest of goats cheese.

Staying with the Loire theme, there’s a rather beautiful sparkling rose, which is exceedingly charming and delightfully summery.

Brize Brut Rose NV, is an ethereal, charming glass of fizz, made primarily from the Cabernet Franc grape, with a dollop of Gamay. Full of gentle, strawberry fruit, it’s delicately dry, and will make the perfect fizz for summer, at a cracking price.

For a couple of very varied reds for early summer, head south.

Firstly to the Rhone, where Domaine Brusset, one of my favourite producers, makes a spicily rich, gloriously plump Gigondas Tradition le Grand Montmirail 2013. It’s bold, ripe and rich spice, sweet dark fruit and a touch of wild herbs and cracked black pepper – it’s also perfect for this time of year – a great red for barbecued rib eye, or lamb steaks on sunny days, but it’s equally happy with rich stews and braised lamb for when the weather doesn’t go to plan.

My other red of choice for this month is the little known Braucol, Vin de Pays des Cotes du Tarn 2013, Vigne Lourac.

It’s a wine that I only discovered a couple of years ago, but it’s now a definite on my list of reds for summer. Not only is it delicious, it’s also a real bargain. It’s a lighter style, lively, super-juicy red from the South West of France; Braucol is the grape. Bursting with bright, wild cherry and plum flavours, with scents of thyme and rosemary, it’s a joyful style of southern red, with a delicious softness, and a perfect spring wine. Try it with lamb chops, herbdusted barbecued chicken, or a simple platter of charcuterie and cheese.

All these wines are available at Great Western Wine. There will be a minimum 12% discount on all French wines throughout May. All of the above, plus a mixed case can be ordered through our website. Enjoy a 10% Great Western Wine discount by entering the code on Angela’s wine column. Visit: www.thebathmag.co.uk

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

A“NEUTRAL” BUDGET? That’s what they said, perhaps not surprising with a pending General Election, but this article comments on a few of the important announcements, some of which have already become law. Of course, a new Government would eventually look to introduce its own measures, but this could take time and we have to deal with the “here and now”.

National insurance contributions (NIC)

Associated disposals

The employer’s Class 1 charge will be reduced to nil from 6 April 2015 for all workers aged under 21 who earn less than £42,385 a year, and this continues until the last pay day before the employee’s 21st birthday. Also, from 1 April 2016 employer’s contributions will not apply to apprentices aged below 25 for the same earnings bracket.

This is good news for employers, resulting in lower payroll costs but less so for employees who will not see any reduction in the amount of NIC deducted from their wages. One would hope that new software will easily accommodate the changes to Class 1 contributions by employers although we are already aware of cases where this has not been the case.

For self employed businesses, the Government intends to abolish Class 2 NIC from April 2016 and reform Class 4 NIC to introduce a new contributory benefit test. In the transitional year 2015/16, Class 2 collection will move into the Self Assessment Tax regime from 10 July 2015 onwards when payment by Direct Debit will automatically cease.

Relief is available where an individual disposes of an asset held personally by him and which is used for the purposes of a business which he is involved with. The asset disposal needs to be made as part of the person’s “withdrawal of participation” from the business. Prior to 18 March 2015 there was no statutory definition of this phrase and where someone who owned Entrepreneur Relief qualifying shares sold an asset used by the company, as long as they also sold some shares, in practice HMRC allowed relief on the asset. Now it is clarified under statute that, from 18 March 2015, you must sell at least 5% of your shares or your partnership share if applicable.

End of the annual tax return?

Well, maybe in time, but there will be something to replace it.

You may have been excited by the headlines but in our view, and indeed leading tax commentators, the proposed introduction of the digital tax accounts from early 2016 seems very optimistic. By 2020, however, tax returns are intended to be fully replaced by digital tax accounts and whilst that may be feasible, we would stress the following points: 1. The onus will remain with the taxpayer to declare and disclose other sources of income and gains, as well as making sure all information is accurate and complete.

2. The proposed system is aimed at allowing HMRC to utilise information it holds to calculate tax liabilities without the need for taxpayers to resupply that information. It will also supply a gateway for both individual and small businesses to upload details of other income and gains. So, HMRC will need to be absolutely sure that it has provided the correct figures. This might be feasible for simple information, but what about details such as overseas bank accounts?

3. Taxpayers will be able to let tax advisers manage their digital account on their behalf.

4. The compliance aspect remains, but advancement in technology should mean enhanced flow of information. How will deadlines for the upload of information by taxpayers and businesses be imposed and managed though?

Companies with interests in joint ventures and partnerships Unless your company trades in its own right, from 18 March 2015, Entrepreneurs Relief will not apply when you sell shares. This means that shareholders in corporate partners or companies where the only activity is holding stakes in joint ventures, will be unable to claim Entrepreneurs Relief.

Tax allowances on new plant and machinery The current £500,000 limit for the 100% Annual Investment Allowance was designed to be a temporary maximum with a planned return to the previous ceiling of £25,000 after 31 December 2015. The Coalition has now said that it will not fall to £25,000 after all, but rather the new limit will be announced in the 2015 Autumn Statement, if they are elected.

Most businesses may not need to accelerate capital expenditure to obtain a more favourable tax deduction, but for businesses with an accounting period that straddles 31 December 2015 and which have substantial capital expenditure, careful planning is still required.

Jon Miles or one of his tax team can be contacted on 01225325580 if you want to understand these, and other Budget changes.

See our website www.richardsonswift.co.uk Jon Miles

5. We understand that payments of tax will be made earlier than the current deadlines which will create cash-flow concerns for taxpayers and businesses, although we will have to wait and see the detail.

Capital Gains Tax - Entrepreneurs’ relief Two changes have been made to this relief for disposals on or after 18 March 2015. The Government will also review the relief to academics who dispose of shares in spin out companies that use intellectual property to which they have contributed.

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

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A DV E RTO R I A L F E AT U R E

The right advice at the right time offers peace of mind after divorce

By Clare Webb, Sharp Family Law - Bath Divorce Solicitors.

Producing Resolution not Prolonging Conflict

T

he emotional and financial upheaval of divorce is enormously stressful.

Concluding that chapter in life should mean just that, not having to revisit it years later.

However, in order to move on with peace of mind it is important to ensure that you have taken all the necessary legal precautions. Two cases that have recently been widely reported in the media are good illustrations of couples who tried to move on from a broken relationship with varying degrees of success!

Dale Vince and his wife Kathleen Wyatt divorced in their early 30’s in 1992 and Dale thought he had concluded that chapter in his life and moved on. In many ways he had, from living in an old ambulance after the divorce and the

William and Caroline Hopkins had a “clandestine” affair when they were in their 20s and both married to other people, resulting in the birth of their son. They parted ways in the early 1980s but always kept in touch and eventually moved in together in 2001, marrying in 2009; but two years later separated. They agreed not to divorce straight away but entered into a PostNuptial Agreement. This limited and defined what the financial provisions would be in the event they did divorce. Caroline Hopkins later sought not to rely on its terms claiming that she had been pressurised by William to enter into the Agreement in order for him to secure an unfair financial advantage.

In deciding Caroline had to live with the consequences of the Post-Nuptial, the Court

At Sharp Family Law we help separating and divorcing clients to address all aspects of their situation including children, finances and their emotional well-being, and to consider the long term perspective so they can move forward successfully after divorce.

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there is the desire to move on with life and with a comfortable amount of certainty and peace of mind

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smallest of beginnings, he is now internationally known as founder of the multi-million pound green energy firm, Ecotricity; a company reportedly worth at least £57 million.

But almost 30 years later, in 2011, Kathleen asked the Family Court to determine what her financial claim on Dale might still be on the basis that those claims had never been formally dealt with and were still open to her to pursue. Her application was unsurprisingly challenged by Dale who made repeated attempts to persuade the court to have it struck out on the basis that she was too late to make a claim. After a number of hearings, the Supreme Court has ruled that Kathleen does have the right to proceed with her application. All avoidable if a court order had been obtained in 1992.

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relied heavily on the fact that she had signed the Agreement of her own free will having received “copious volumes of legal advice”, knowing her own mind and keenly aware of her own objectives. If only Caroline had taken that advice the outcome for her could have been so different.

Whilst these cases differ in their facts, what they both illustrate is by seeking appropriate legal advice at the earliest opportunity you give yourself the best chance to be as informed as possible before making those all-important and binding decisions. Whether you are advised to sign or not to sign the legal documents that purport to deal with your financial affairs it is important to proceed diligently and with as much expert support as is available.

Clare Webb

sharp F A M I LY L A W Sharp Family Law: 5, Gay Street, Bath, BA1 2PH, UK email: info@sharpfamilylaw.com m: 07766 107527 t: 01225 448955 website: www.sharpfamilylaw.com

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SINGING AND SPEECH LESSONS For performance, presentations and job interviews or simply for enjoyment

with professional actor/singer Lloyd Notice, from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. (credits include “Mufasa “in West End,” The Lion king.”

The Royal Shakespeare Company, film and radio.

Lloyd has taught voice for over 15 years and has helped clients in performance, win scholarships’ and job interviews through vocal training.

Private 1:1 sessions available in all aspects of voice training.

Group singing sessions @ Weston Methodist church BA1 3EA Every Wednesday 8-10pm with accomplished pianist Anders Olinder.

For more details contact Lloyd anytime: 07949 173 034 “Lloyd is a fantastic and encouraging teacher. He has helped me become a better singer, with the confidence to produce my own cd.”

Sybil Mansfield

“Lloyds infectious enthusiasm for voice, even my voice has filled me with greater confidence in public speaking.”

Dr Rick James MBA

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Royal School of Needlework Hand Embroidery Classes in Bristol • Join us for fun Day Classes: beginners and all levels welcome • Learn traditional embroidery techniques to a high technical standard on the Royal School of Needlework Certificate and Diploma • Study on our two week Summer Intensive Course in July 2015 Venue: 38 Old School House, Kingswood Estate, Britannia Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 8DB

For more information visit www.royal-needlework.org.uk Contact Anne Butcher - T: 020 3166 6937 anne.butcher@royal-needlework.org.uk RCN 312774

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WALK UNDER THE STARS AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT

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he ninth annual Bath Midnight Walk has officially launched for 2015; it’s one of the most renowned fundraisers in the city, hosted by your local hospice, Dorothy House Hospice Care. This year’s event will raise money for its Hospice at Home service which provides through-the-night care for those at the end of their lives and respite for carers.

The event aims to raise £150,000 for Dorothy House so that they can continue to provide the high standard of care that they give every day, in the most important place to their patients, their own homes. Event organiser, Emily Knight, commented, “Our Hospice at Home carers provide a vital service to our patients and their families. To have one of our team physically present through the night with someone in their final days is reassuring to family members and allows us to make sure that the patient is as comfortable as possible, when it counts most.”

Emily continues, “The cost of one night’s care is £205 and in 2014 our Hospice at Home team provided 17,500 hours of night care. All our services at the Hospice are free of charge and we rely on the kind generosity of people doing events like the Midnight Walk to help us keep providing our end of life care.”

The women-only walk will be held on Saturday 12, September starting at the stroke of midnight at the SouthGate centre. The event is the Hospice’s biggest single fundraiser and last year over 850 women completed the 8km circular walk around the city, raising £100,000 for hospice services.

Meet Debbie Wait, a Hospice at Home carer who will be taking part in the Bath Midnight Walk this year with her mum and her sister.

Debbie’s passion for the Hospice is inspiring. When asked what made her want to work for Dorothy House she said, “Everyone inspires me. It's not just a job, I'm working in a role where I get to make a difference and help people every day.”

Debbie shared about the privilege she feels to be involved with patients and their families every day, and the joy she feels having the opportunity to make a difference in their lives.

“As a Hospice at Home carer I help people live well and to the full, until they die. One recent patient was a lady whose family threw a party after she died to celebrate her life. The whole extended family was there; they played videos, told stories and shared her life with me over a glass of wine. I was so grateful I was there and could share that experience with them.”

Debbie’s experiences as a Hospice at Home carer have motivated her to take up the challenge of the walk, and we hope that you will be inspired to join her.

The event is open to women aged 16 or over. Although the walk itself is a women-only event, men are welcome to take part as marshals on the night: call 01225 721480 to find out more.

Early bird registration is just £12 if you sign up before 20 June and £17 after that date. This amount covers organisational and admin costs only.

Walkers are requested to pledge a minimum £30 in sponsorship or make a £30 donation in lieu of sponsorship – the Walk’s success relies on everyone raising as much as possible.

Last year’s walkers were enthusiastic about the event and mentioned on Facebook, “Brilliant night! A big thank you to all the organisers! Hope loads of money has been raised! Bring on 2015!” “Awesome evening! I had lots of fun fundraising.”

By giving just one night of your time on September 12, Dorothy House can continue to make the difference every night for patients and their families.

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SATURN RISING

Find yourself a spot without light pollution if you can for this spring’s star spotting.

Jenny Hayes visits At-Bristol the south west’s science centre to find out what to look out for

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SCIENCE I ASTRONOMY

LOOK OUT FOR . . .

On Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 May our sky will be full of shooting stars. The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is capable of producing up to 30 meteors per hour at its peak, created from dust particles left behind by Halley’s Comet. The full moon will obscure the show to some extent, but you should still be able to see a few good ones. On Thursday 7 May Mercury, pictured, will be at its highest point in the evening sky, so keep a look out for the planet low in the west just after sunset.

LOOK UP: main picture, Saturn Storm, captured

by Cassini Above, Saturn eclipsing the Sun, captured by Cassini Both pictures copyright NASA

S

omething very exciting is happening above our heads this month. Saturn, the mighty ringed giant of our sky, is in opposition to the Earth on Saturday 23 May, offering us unrivalled views of this spectacular planet. So what exactly is opposition in astronomical terms? It is the spectacle that occurs when the Earth gets directly between a planet and the Sun, so that all three are aligned. When this happens, the planet is at its closest to Earth and at its brightest in our sky, making it appear larger and more clearly visible than at any other time.

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Rayleigh scattering explains our blue sky during the day and the more golden glow of twilight

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Saturn will rise inside the constellation of Libra in the southeast at sundown and reach its highest point at 1am, before gradually dipping down again and disappearing at sunrise. Even at its closest pass, it will still be 1340 million km or 75 light minutes away from us, so it’s worth digging out a pair of binoculars for the event, as they should enable you to see the planet’s magnificent rings and its two largest and brightest moons, Titan and Rhea.

The second largest planet in the solar system after Jupiter, Saturn is also a gas giant, and almost 9x the radius of Earth but only 1/8 as dense as our terrestrial planet. It is famed for the spectacular rings that circle the planet, which extend from 6,630km to 120,700km around its WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

equator and are composed mainly of water ice. There are two main hypotheses as to how these rings came into being – the first is that they are left over from the nebular material from which the planet was originally formed, and the second that they are the remnants of a destroyed moon.

If the latter, then Saturn needn’t worry as it still has over 150 moons remaining in orbit around it. Only 53 of these have formal names, and traditionally they have been called after the Titans of Greek mythology. Titan itself is the largest of the moons, comprising more than 90% of the total mass in orbit around the planet – including the rings.

This moon is the only other object in the solar system other than Earth to have stable bodies of liquid on its surface, here in the form of hydrocarbon lakes.

Beyond these well-known attributes, Saturn is itself a turbulent planet with a stormy nature rather like the tempestuous god it was named after. Its clouds were first observed by the Voyager spacecraft during its flybys in the 1980s, as was a peculiar hexagonal cloud pattern around its north pole. Each side of this huge hexagon is about 8,600

miles long – longer than the diameter of Earth – and no one really knows how it originated or why it remains. The later Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, which reached Saturn and entered orbit in June 2007, discovered other strange goings on at the north pole. Images beamed back showed that it emitted a bright blue hue, which scientists have attributed to Rayleigh scattering.

Saturn’s south pole is no less interesting, being the site of the solar system’s only warm solar vortex (an enormous, persistent, hurricane-like storm). Like the blue glow at the north pole, this phenomenon was first observed

by Cassini, which captured images that showed it had a clearly defined eyewall – a ring of thunderstorms surrounding the calm eye of the cyclone – which had never previously been seen on any planet other than Earth. But the storm that rages on Saturn is of far greater magnitude than anything we could imagine. Its vortex is the same size as our planet and it is likely to have swirled around the south pole for billions of years, and to continue to do so for millions more.

But it’s not all black clouds on Saturn.

As well as the beautiful rings and gemlike moons that surround it, the planet also boasts a beautiful ‘string of pearls’ in the form of white, spherical clouds that lace across the northern hemisphere. Even better than a silver lining. . . n With thanks to Lee Pullen at the Planetarium. Visit the At-Bristol website: at-bristol.org.uk or tel: 0117 909 2000.

RAYLEIGH SCATTERING

Named after British physicist John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh (1842 – 1919), this is the diffusion of a light ray as it encounters other matter. When this happens, its light is diffracted into all the colours of the spectrum. Of these, blue wavelengths are the shortest and least likely to be absorbed by surrounding matter, meaning they are the ones predominantly seen. Rayleigh scattering explains our blue sky during the day, and the more golden glow of twilight. When the Sun is directly overhead, it scatters a greater number of short blue wavelengths than green or red ones. As it dips lower in the sky the light has to pass through more atmosphere, which absorbs the blue wavelengths and allows the red ones to become more apparent.

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FAMILY | EVENTS

Talking cats and rolling down hills

With two bank holiday weekends and half term coming up we’ve got lots of suggestions for things to do with the kids HEAD IN THE CLOUDS Saturday 2 May, 11.30am and 3pm n The egg theatre, Sawclose, Bath This odyssey of the skies tells the story of the life and adventures of Marie Marvingt, a young woman who yearned for unbound freedom.

Performed through puppetry, story-telling and physical theatre with piano, accordion and guitar, this witty and beguiling stage show is recommended for ages five and over. Tickets: £7.50/£6.50 concessions. Tel: 01225 823409 or visit: theatreroyal.org.uk/the-egg Also at the egg this month KID CARPET AND THE NOISY NEIGHBOURS Thursday 21 – Sunday 24 May, times vary Ed Patrick (aka Kid Carpet) is a Bristol-based theatre maker of nonsense music and rock ‘n roll theatre shows. He uses music and puppetry to look at what it’s like to move into a new house.

Suitable for age six and over. Tickets: £7.50/£6.50 concessions.

PUSS IN BOOTS Monday 25 – Friday 29 May, 11.30am and 3pm daily, except Friday, 11.30am only Patrick Lynch of CBeebies brings his puppets to Bath to tell this captivating tale, complete with talking cat. Tickets: £7.50/£6.50 concessions.

BIRDS OF PARADISE Tuesday 26 May, 10.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30pm – 3.30pm n Fashion Museum Explore the exhibition and use a feather theme to decorate a fashion item.

fairies and mystical creatures with music from Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, storytelling and play.

Suitable for under twos. Tickets: £8, £2 for under 16s. Tel: 01225 860100.

FAMILY TREES Thursday 28 May, 1pm – 4pm n The American Museum, Claverton, Bath Inspired by the current exhibition at the museum, Hatched, Matched, Dispatched – and Patched, enjoy the chance to make your own historic family tree using aged paper and quills.

This is a free drop-in session, included in the entry price.

Puss in Boots 50 things to do before you are 11¾ by joining the trail which allows you to have a go at some of the things on the list. Dyrham is perfect for some of these activities, including rolling down a steep hill, hunting for bugs or kite flying. We reckon you can still enjoy these 50 things even after the age of 12.

HAPPY MAY DAYS Wednesday 27 May, 10.30am – noon n Victoria Art Gallery, Bath Search for signs of spring in the gallery. Make some big bold flowers and model mini bugs.

Drop in sessions for families.

IN FULL SPRING Friday 29 May, 10.30am – noon n The Roman Baths Use watercolour pencils to create pictures and make mini butterfly models using wooden clothes pegs. Suitable ages 3-11

50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾ at National Trust properties

BUBBLE BLAST Until Sunday 10 May n At-Bristol, Harbourside, Bristol Investigate the science of bubbles as they float, pop or burst into flames in At-Bristol’s live science show. Mess with mixtures to make the perfect bubble, encounter bubbles that you wouldn’t want in your bath, and experiment with chemistry to create bubbles with some surprising properties. Regular shows at weekends and daily during the school holidays.

Free with standard admission. For more information tel: 0845 345 1235 or visit: www.atbristol.org.uk 50 THINGS TRAIL Saturday 23 – Sunday 31 May, 10am – 5pm n Dyrham Park National Trust house and gardens, Dyrham off the A46 near Bath Get involved in the National Trust’s fun list of 68 TheBATHMagazine

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INDIGO MOON THEATRE: JUNGLE BOOK Saturday 23 May, 2pm n Pound Arts, Pound Pill, Corsham, Wiltshire Fearless and free, Mowgli the mancub finds fun and friendship despite learning to live by the Law of the Jungle. £7 (£6 concessions) Tel: 01249 701628/712618, visit: poundarts.org.uk.

Also at Pound Arts this month LEGO CAFE Thursday 28 May, 10am – 12.30am Meet up in The Pound Café at half term for a self-led session to make Lego with your friends.

Free, drop in, but please bring an adult.

MUSICAL RUMPUS: A FAIRY QUEEN IN THE FOREST Saturday 16 May, 11am and 1.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1DZ Musical Rumpus is an award-winning, interactive multi-sensory opera series for babies and toddlers. Discover a magical world of

FAMILY MUSIC DAY Sunday 24 May, 11amm – 3pm n The bandstand, Parade Gardens, Bath A free workshop, which is part of the Bath International Music Festival, where you can drop in and have a go at making all kinds of homemade instruments and make music with them. If you have a Discovery Card (free to Bath and North East Somerset residents) admission to the Parade Gardens is free, if not then it’s £1 for adults, 70p concessons.

WACKY INVENTIONS TRAIL Until 22 May, 10:30am to 5:30pm and then from 1 – 30 June 2015, 10:30am to 5:30pm n Lacock Abbey National Trust owned, Fox Talbot Museum and village Lacock is a good place to go if you are a Harry Potter fan as the cloisters of the abbey featured in the films the Chamber of Secrets and HalfBlood Prince. The main actors, including Daniel Radcliffe were here. If you have very small people with wellies search out the village’s ford, which you can drive or paddle through (depending how much rain there’s been). Fox Talbot lived in Lacock Abbey and created the first photographic negative at the abbey. His invention changed the way we looked at the world. Some people must have thought he was daft to try to capture an image, but he proved them wrong. This trail is not available 23 to 31 May as there will be the Mad inventors’ club trail at that time. Free with normal admission price.

Also at Lacock this month MAD INVENTORS’ CLUB Saturday 23 – 31 Sunday May, 10.30am to 5.30pm Complete the challenges, prove just how much of a genius you are and win a sticker. Free with normal admission price.

THE GREAT EXHIBITION Saturday 23 – Friday 29 May, 10am – 4pm n Tyntesfield, National Trust house and gardens, North Somerset BS48 1NT Tyntesfield is bringing together all things Victorian to celebrate the estate’s rich Victorian heritage. Meet Mr Brunel, Queen Victoria and her armed guard, see a collection of steam engines, and enjoy a ride at the fabulous Victorian fairground. Garden admission applies. For more information visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk n

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Looking

GREAT

EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH LIPSTICK

LIPSTICK QUEEN Poppy King is the Australian behind the brand that’s become a cult must-have on both sides of the Atlantic.

She’s a great advocate of the use of lipstick as a confidence booster and joy bringer. Talking to Vogue she said: “My desire to develop the perfect lipstick went beyond the aesthetic; I’ve always believed that to consider lipstick merely cosmetic is unjust. Cosmetics enhance, conceal or minimise. Lipstick transforms. Lipstick trends - their absence, their presence they’re as much to do with sociology as they are to do with fashion. Lipstick moves us from one state to another.

During the time of the Roman Empire, wearing lipstick was a sign of social ranking. In the 30s and 40s, red lipstick was a symbol of strength and resilience through the hardship of depression and war. Even during rationing, Churchill kept lipstick in production because he believed it had a positive effect on morale.” She was inspired to create her own range when she couldn’t find the lipstick she wanted – like the Biba

brights that her mother had worn.

“Where were the matt lipsticks in rich wines, true reds and chocolate browns?

The shades immortalised by Lauren Bacall and Ingrid Bergman during the golden age of Hollywood? Strong, sexual, intelligent, elegant shades… I couldn’t find the lipsticks that epitomised the type of woman I was or aspired to be.

My choices seemed either timid (watery coral shades) or dragon lady (magenta purple). There was nothing in between.”

Now she is on a mission to persuade more women to try lipstick. She suggests we put lipstick on first as an experiment, before applying the rest of our make-up.

YOU GOTTA KISS A LOT OF FROGS

I’m not much of a lipstick wearer but Lipstick Queen’s Frog Prince has been great fun to use and is ideal for someone who doesn’t want to draw attention to the fact that they’re wearing lippy. It comes in beautiful Once Upon a Time style fairytale packaging. And when you wind it up, the lipstick is an astonishing emerald green – you’ll get some funny looks when you get this out in front of unsuspecting friends and family. But the joy, or you could call it magic, is that the pigment reacting with your lips’ PH levels turns the colour to the most flattering shade of pink for your lips. It has a semi-sheer glossy finish and as it’s enriched with shea butter and Vitamin E, it feels soft and easy to apply. This is a subtly shaded lipstick that looks different on every different woman, enabling you to find your own, true colour so to speak. Space NK also has the startlingly navy blue Hello Sailor lipstick that emerges on the lips as a berry shade, very flattering.

LIMITED EDITIONS: above, the navy blue Hello Sailor, £22, and right, Frog Prince, £20, by Lipstick Queen at Space NK, Bath

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JUST PUT YOUR LIPS TOGETHER

singer Florence Welch, actress Rooney Mara and legendary Hollywood star Lauren Bacall show how lipstick makes for a bold, effective statement

SAINTS AND SINNERS: If you’d like to be the sort of blonde to make a bishop kick in a stained glass window, then Lipstick Queen’s original Red Sinner, left, with its creamy moisturising texture, may be just what you’re looking for.

There are those who argue that red lipstick can be used as armour in the battle against shyness, while others say you need to have confidence to wear red. For them there’s the Pale Nude Sinner. Both – and others in the Lipstick Queen collection, are available from Space NK in New Bond Street, Bath, £20

RACE FOR LIFE 2015

It’s time to sign up for this summer’s Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in Bath, which this year offers the choice of running or walking a 5k route or a new 10k run round Royal Victoria Park on Sunday 14 June. Last year, 2,400 women in Bath joined the pink army and pulled on their trainers to raise £146,000 for life-saving research. This year, organisers need 3,100 women and girls to help raise £190,000. Cancer survival rates have doubled since the 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress. But more funds are needed to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. To enter Race for Life visit: raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.

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Dermal Fillers and Anti Wrinkle treatments Treatments performed by an associate doctor of the Dr Rita Rakus Cosmetic Award Winning Clinic Featured In Tatler Clinic dates: Mon 11th May & Mon 1st June.

New & Exciting Motolese’s Solution

AQUALYX® A solution for problem ares of localised fat Dissolve localised fat deposits simply and safely with Aqualyx® For example: hips, saddle bags, thighs, stomach, knees and more

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

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

• Removal of single or multiple skin lesions • • Simple, surgical procedure using local anaesthetic • • Delivered by doctors experienced in minor surgery • • Convenient ‘one-stop’ appointment including consultation and procedure • • Easy-access clinics in BANES with free parking • Please contact us or visit our website for further information including details of clinic locations and prices for this private service

GREEN KITE HEALTHCARE

Registered with the Care Quality Commission (ID: 1-1603137933) www.gkhealth.co.uk

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• Email: info@gkhealth.co.uk • Tel: 0333 332 1491

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JENNIFER LUCKHAM

BeautySalon THE P ACTICE ROOMS SERIOUS ABOUT WELLBEING

ALISON SUTTON, HAPPINESS COACH Alison Heather Sutton 07713 626673 www.alisonheathersutton.co.uk alison@alisonheathersutton.co.uk I coach women who look like they have it all on the outside but feel empty on the inside, to finally feel good enough and be content with who they are.

CLAIRE CROCKER, PSYCHOTHERAPY 07521 609038 clairecrocker@outlook.com Something on your mind? … Maybe you would like to talk about it… As a psychotherapist in training, I offer affordable psychotherapy in the heart of Bath.

is

25 years old!

As a thank you to all our existing clients, and new, we are offering 25% off the following lovely treatments; OFFER PRICES Clarins Body Massage 30 minutes £29.40 • 60 minutes £42.00

Thalgo Seaweed Body Wrap 75 minutes £50.40

Thalgo Indoceane Relax Body Treatment 90 minutes £58.80

Clarins Refresher Facial 30 minutes £25.20

CLAIRE HAWCOCK, PSYCHOTHERAPIST 07974 659678 www.bathpsychotherapists.co.uk Claire.hawcock@btinternet.com Weekly psychotherapy sessions offering a non-judgemental, supportive and confidential environment to which you can bring whatever aspects of your life you wish to explore.

Please phone Bath 428 741 to book an appointment and quote ‘birthday offer’ Offer available until end of July 2015 (subject to booking availability)

HILARY NORRIS EVANS, HYPNOTHERAPIST AND HYPNOTHERAPY TRAINER Get Mind Fit 07887 714892 www.getmindfit.co.uk getmindfit@hotmail.com Hypnotherapy, coaching, stress management, easibirthing mindfulness, hypnotherapy training, supervision and assessment.

SUSAN LACROIX, WELLNESS SOLUTIONS: HOMEOPATHY, COUNSELLING, ANMA SHIATSU

07590 368998 slacroix@btinternet.com Relaxing and re-energising massage based on traditional oriental medical principles to bring well being- kenshin anma shiatsu; also counselling and homeopathy.

The Practice Rooms Consultation and sessions take place in The Practice Rooms, a beautiful Georgian property in the heart of Bath. In the town centre this oasis of calm is just a step away from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets.

32 MONMOUTH STREET • BATH BA1 2AN

www.thepracticerooms.co.uk/bath/

www.jenniferluckham-beautysalon.co.uk

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THE | WALK

MAN HAS LEFT HIS SCARS In the depths of the Mendips, around the village of Priddy Andrew Swift explores a fascinating landscape that has been dug and mined for centuries

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his walk is short – just three miles – but it punches well above its length. Scenically, it ranges from one of the bleakest plateaus on Mendip to hidden dells and sedge-fringed pools, but this is far from being a natural landscape.

In the Bronze Age, it was a ceremonial centre, dotted with burial mounds and henge circles. The Romans dug for lead here, and in the 19th century lead production developed into a major industry. And, as if that was not enough, the area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of the richness of its invertebrate and amphibian fauna.

Even the least curious should find something to interest them here, and adventurous children should have a whale of a time. And, with no roads, it is ideal dog walking country. There are just two caveats – old industrial sites are hazardous, with hidden shafts, so extreme care needs to be taken; this is also adder country, and, although cases of humans being bitten are rare, dogs, especially when chasing around the edges of ponds, are more vulnerable, so again care needs to be taken.

To get to the starting point, head west from Bath along the A39, and at Marksbury continue along the A368.

Half a mile past West Harptree, turn left, following a sign for Cheddar. When you come to a junction, with the Castle of Comfort on the right, carry straight on, 76 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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and after half a mile you will reach a crossroads. The building to your right was the Miners Arms, long closed but famous in the 1960s for serving Mendip Wallfish – snails cooked in butter. It was also home to Somerset’s first microbrewery, opened in 1973.

Carry straight on and after threequarters of a mile turn left into Stockhill Woods car park (ST548512). These woods, the largest on Mendip, were planted on the site of old lead workings in the 1940s. Head to the north of the car park and bear left along a footpath curving towards the road. Don’t turn onto the road, but carry on as the path curves right.

After 150 metres, at a crosspath with a green marker post, turn left along a muddy track (ST549515). When you reach the road, cross and head down a faint track to Waldegrave Pond, once a reservoir for the lead works. Follow the track as it curves left alongside the pond, before bearing right along the dam that forms its southern shore.

When the pond ends, carry on in the same direction. When the path forks, carry straight on past a lone conifer and follow a rough track uphill between grassy tussocks. This leads to a fence in a wall – there was once a stile here but now you have to squeeze through (ST544514). Follow a faint track straight on, and, when you come to a brokendown wall, turn left alongside it. When you get a chance, switch to the right-

hand side of the wall and carry on to the end of the field. You will be crossing the stile on the left shortly, but first turn right alongside the wall. This is North Hill, at over 300m one of the highest plateaux on Mendip, and a haven for skylarks. Ahead, on the other side of the wall, you will see a row of Bronze Age barrows. Just beyond them, carry on through a small gate and you will see two more barrows. With the seven you have just passed, these make up Priddy Nine Barrows. Ahead, silhouetted against conifers, you can see eight more, known as Ashen Hill Barrows.

Beyond them, on private land on the other side of a busy road, are a group of circular earthworks, similar to henges, known as Priddy Circles, one of which was seriously damaged by contractors in 2011. Retrace your steps, cross that stile and, as you head down a rough track, deciduous trees start to appear. When you reach a level path, turn right along it. Ahead is Fair Lady Well. The treelined leat flowing from it once supplied the village of Priddy with water (ST544507). Follow a Monarch’s Way sign in the same direction, crossing a plank bridge over a ditch.

When you come to a marker post with a waymark pointing right, turn left along a rough path leading steeply downhill to an extraordinary hidden world – a mini gorge to your left, with a padlocked shaft from which arises the sound of rushing water, and a muddy spring on the far

GO OFF ROAD: main picture, the Mineries Pond and top right, St Cuthbert’s lead works

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THE | WALK

side of which are the remains of a dam.

Follow a rough track as it curves left and climbs gently to a level path whose black surface, like much of the surrounding area, is composed of lead slag. Turn left along it for a few metres, but, when it curves left, carry on along a grassy track before climbing steeply up a mound to the site of St Cuthbert’s Lead Works, which closed in 1908. The three small tunnels you will see below were flues which carried poisonous fumes away from the smelting hearths.

Before taking the black path ahead, turn right over the top of the flues to see what remains of the works. The black path follows the course of a tramway which leads back to the car park.

En route you pass Mineries Pond, beyond which, on the left-hand side of the path, stood Chewton Minery, another lead works, which closed in 1883, while all around the rough or ‘gruffy’ ground bears witness to centuries of excavation.

If you are in need of refreshment after all that Mendip air, you can drive on for three-quarters of a mile to the next crossroads, where you will find the Hunter’s Lodge Inn. Resolutely unspoilt, with local beers and ciders from the barrel, home-cooked food and a roaring fire in the grate, this has long been one of the most popular pubs on Mendip.

Dogs are welcome, as are children (in

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the family room) – but the pub doesn’t accept credit cards, doesn’t have a website and, reasonably enough, given the unique character of the place, doesn’t like mobile phones.

The terrain: many paths are rough; there are also be muddy sections and some stiles. Good footwear is essential.

Priddy hosts an annual folk festival attracting musicians from all over the country. The 2015 festival runs from 10 – 12 July. Visit: priddyfolk.org. n

FACT FILE ■ Length of walk: 3 miles ■ Time of walk: one and a half to two hours ■ Map: OS Explorer 141 ■ Refreshments: Hunter’s Lodge Inn is open 11.30am– 2.30pm and 6.30pm – 11pm, Monday to Saturday and noon to 2pm and 7pm – 11pm Sundays, tel: 01749 672275

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CITY | ARCHIVE

A CENTURY OF SERVICE Four generations have created and built one of Bath’s most successful retail businesses. We salute the achievements of TR Hayes on the occasion of its 100th years of trading in the city

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e all enjoy a family saga. From great literature to the TV soaps, we like to follow the fortunes of fathers and their sons, of women raising children and their talents and hard work being passed down through generations.

There’s such a story to be told right under our noses in Bath city centre, a four-generation story of challenge, hard graft and success. And that’s the story of the Hayes family, founders of Bath’s largest furniture department store TR Hayes which is this year celebrating its 100th anniversary of trading in Bath.

We look back at this entwined story of family and business with the current managing director, Bathonian Derek Hayes, who has worked at the Walcot store for more than 60 years.

The first TR Hayes – Thomas Richard – was a London chair maker based in Bethnal Green. He and his wife had six children – three boys and three girls and among its regular customers was Bath Cabinet Makers down here in the south west.

At the outbreak of the First World War Thomas and his neighbours were shocked and horrified by the Zeppelin air raids on the capital, threatening livelihoods and lives with their firebombs. An invitation came from Bath Cabinet Makers for the Hayes family to decamp to the safety of Bath, where they moved into a house in Widcombe and opened a workshop in Claverton Buildings, extending out on to the pavement, in the building which now houses the Ram pub.

The oldest son, Humphrey enlisted with the London Rifle Brigade at the 78 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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outbreak of war. His younger brother, William, who had stayed in London, wrestled with his conscience but could not bring himself to take up arms, so as a conscientious objector was the subject of public disaproval and was set to work loading ammunition at Tilbury Docks.

The third brother, Thomas, was too young to sign up.

Tragedy struck, as it did in so many families during the First World War, when Humphrey went missing in action in Flanders Field. Derek now says of his grandmother: “She continued to believe that he was still alive and that he would come home.”

Humphrey’s name is now among those honoured on Bath’s main war memorial, thanks to intervention by Derek. His name is also among those on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial. The family suffered again when one of the three sisters, Emily, died aged just 25.

On Humphrey’s death the young Thomas was recruited to start work

with his father in the business.

Derek says now of his father Thomas: “He always felt he came from an unlucky generation. He’d lived through two world wars and the depression of the 1920s and 30s.”

Thomas junior, like his father before him, was a grafter. The two generations worked together and, in the 1920s, moved the furniture and removals business to London Road.

The Second World War broke out but Thomas wasn’t called up because he had poor eyesight. Instead he served in the Auxiliary Fire Service, spending his nights on firewatch, going home briefly to sleep and change before work. He deployed a TR Hayes delivery van as a fire engine by strapping ladders to its sides. Then in April 1942 came the devastating air raids, the so-called Baedecker bombings, which rained bombs down on Bath, killing hundreds.

Men like Thomas would have been busy putting out fires and searching in the

DYNASTY: main picture, the expanding TR Hayes site in Walcot Top, Thomas Richard Hayes and his three sons, clockwise, Thomas Richard Junior, William Thomas and Humphrey (in uniform) the oldest son who was killed in the First World War Left, Derek and Margaret Hayes with their sons Christopher and Richard

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CITY | ARCHIVE

PAST AND PRESENT: main picture above, the new showroom at the foot of Hedgemead Park Top right, the Claverton Street, Widcombe shop where the Ram pub now stands Right, Thomas and Ethel Hayes, parents of Derek Hayes the current managing director

rubble of homes and businesses for dazed survivors. The London Street showroom had its windows blown out and were covered with Lino, but that too was blown out on the second night of bombing.

If you stand in the TR Hayes coffee bar at the back of the store today you can see an aerial view of the buildings off London Street that the business has acquired. There are now more than 20 properties in the portfolio, including, just across the street, the new Colonnades showroom of contemporary furniture that the Hayes family – and by that they mean the staff too – is justly proud to run.

Thomas Junior married a music teacher, Ethel and they had one son, Derek, who still works full-time today in the showroom at the age of 77.

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Tragedy struck . . . when Humphrey went missing in action in Flanders Field

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Derek always knew he’d go into the family business, but he joined it earlier than anticipated when his beloved mother Ethel died suddenly when he was just a 15-year-old schoolboy.

“My father reacted very quickly,” says Derek. “He took me out of school and got me working in the business. I did everything from driving the van to debt collecting. You could say I learned quickly, because I had to.”

That was in 1953. Derek’s long career was interrupted briefly between 1955 and 57 when he served his obligatory National Service, but he returned to Bath and to his parental home. At this time he was courting Margaret Counter, who he’d met through the church choir at St Swithun’s in Bathford. She was working as a secretary in the National Provisional Bank opposite the Guildhall.

Derek’s father had begun to lose his WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

eye sight, but his death aged 63 was still a shock – leaving Derek to run the business by himself. Margaret, seeing his grief, gave up her job in the bank to help out with the accounts at TR Hayes.

The business continued to grow, expanding from its first takeover of the former Three Crowns pub at No 18 London Street into the neighbouring properties at No 17 (a former paint shop), No 16 (once Coles gents outfitters) and No 15 (ex-Smerdon hardware shop). On the end was the well established popular city pub, the Hat and Feather – now Hudson’s steakhouse. So TR Hayes went the other way and took on No 1 Nelson Place (a former butchers) and went across the road to the bottom of Hedgemead Park where, recently a spanking new contemporary interiors showroom was built. This serves as a high profile promotional platform for the business as thousands of cars pass by in slow moving traffic every day.

The business also expanded at the back, down towards the River Avon.

Properties acquired include buildings in St Swithin’s Place, the site of the last slaughterhouse in Bath, a funeral director’s and the site of the city’s old cholera pit where victims of the disease were interred. Sensitive to the fact that the site has been inhabited since Roman times, archaeologists were invited to carry out an extensive dig before the

new showroom was built. The remains of Roman houses and workshops were found, along with the skeleton of a child, who was reverently re-interred.

Looking back over his long career and the continuing success of the business, Derek is keen to pay tribute to Margaret, his wife of more than 40 years. “She still works full-time here,” he says proudly, “and whatever decisions have been made for the business we have always talked about it together. I am merely the front man, if you like.”

He and Margaret were the driving force behind the Minerva Furnishings Guild, founded in 1990 and now with more than 150 members who source interesting furniture from the UK and abroad.

And just as Derek and Margaret have dedicated themselves to the business, so they have been supported by their two sons Richard and Christopher. Richard joined the business before the ink was dry on his degree certificate.

Richard, now a director with the firm, like his father has worked his way up from working in the showroom after school and on Saturdays to his full-time role. He now has three young sons, Nathan, Reuben and Gabriel, with his wife Kara. Only time will tell as to whether the next generation pick up the family baton and run with it into the future. n MAY 2015

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INTERIOR | TRENDS

HERE COMES THE SUN Bath interior designer Clair Strong picks some key looks to welcome the summer

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he way we decorate our homes is changing. Where our grandparents might have picked a style and stuck with it for years, we now tend to update much more frequently.

Interior design is evolving and there are new looks, new trends and products to try every season.

Bath-based interior designer Clair Strong has made it her mission to keep up with the ever-changing world of interior design and she’s offering us a glimpse at the key looks for summer 2015. If you’re in the mood to refresh your space as the days get warmer, here’s everything you need to know . . .

ENVIABLE GREENS

As nature explodes in a riot of verdant green so too should your home. Green is a calming, revitalising colour symbolising growth and new beginnings – perfect for summer. For this look, think rich emerald and jade hues in unexpected places, patterned rugs in contrasting shades, teal lamps and vivid green sofas. Enhance this trend with plenty of lush flora. Succulents and cacti are great year-rounders that require little maintenance while large plants like the fiddle leaf fig make a powerful statement.

Lulu two seater sofa, £599, Made.com

THINK WITH YOUR FEET

This is as much a practical tip as a style one. At the height of summer, when things get really warm and sticky, the last thing you want is a home that makes you feel even warmer. Thick pile rugs, shaggy cushions and knit throws have no place in a summer home. If you have wooden floorboards, remove the rugs altogether – the wood will be immensely cooling under foot. If you must have some kind of floor covering, opt for a beautiful Kilim or flat cotton rug. And in the rest of the house, swap thick, warm materials for breathable cotton and linen.

Nomad Klum rug, £69, Marks & Spencer

PUNCHY PASTELS

Saccharine sweet pastels have dominated the fashion and interiors scene for the past few summers, but this year they’ve taken on an edgier twist. Think rose pink and mermaid blue paired with deep shades of grey and black and deliberately faded hues. The result is a more sophisticated palette with a distinct Scandi vibe.

When it comes to styling this look, simple and minimal are the keywords here, especially for summer. Colour-blocking is gaining momentum, particularly when used in striking ways. Get creative with paint and choose geometric prints for a really modern take on pastels.

Right, from the Ambrose Collection, Heals Left, cushions from Ferm Living

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TROPICAL PARADISE

If the delicacy of oriental-inspired prints isn’t bold enough for you, go tropical! These large-scale patterns feature images of palm leaves, exotic flowers and beautiful birds, evoking memories of bygone island getaways. From striking wallpaper and patterned sofas to slightly more subtle cushions, this print is everywhere! You can even take the trend one step further with some faux taxidermy – flamingos and parrots are wildly popular at the moment and online retailer, Rockett St George, have a fabulous collection.

Artificial flamingo, £49, Rockett St George

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INTERIOR | TRENDS

CHIC CHINOISERIE

Delicate patterns, painterly prints and breathtaking icecream-sundae colour combinations – it can only be modern Chinoiserie. The busy (but not overbearing) pattern of the Designers Guild Jade Temple wallpaper is sophisticated and striking. Depicting scenes of nature it effortlessly evokes summer. Pair with subtle neutrals for a cool, peaceful look.

Jade Temple wallpaper, Designers Guild

OUTDOOR LIVING

Al fresco dining and long, balmy evenings on the patio are quintessential summer activities. Treat your garden as an extension of your home – a place to host dinner parties, starlit movie nights and swanky soirees. BoConcept have a modern and sleek range of garden furniture – uniquely different from most high street offerings. For an open-air living space that really shines, don’t forget the accessories; decorative accents like cushions and lanterns are a must.

Elba table, from £399, and chairs, from £169, BoConcept.co.uk

LIGHTING SPECIALIST 8 BATH STREET, FROME. TEL: 01 373473555 WWW.FIATLUX.CO.UK

NATURAL INFLUENCES

Natural materials are making a comeback in a very big way. The synthetic materials of the nineties and early noughties have taken a back seat while wood, stone, metal, animal hide, jute, cotton and bamboo can be found centre stage.

“I think it’s the combination of eco-friendliness and natural beauty that has made these materials so appealing again” says Clair. From architectural features to furniture and decorative accents, nature has very much made its way indoors.

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Xenia wild oak

Stylish contemporary living from Germany BATH’S LARGEST FURNISHERS

Venjakob may be an unfamiliar product name in the UK market but in Germany it is a highly established brand and one whose name is synonymous with quality furniture manufacturing says Richard Hayes of TR Hayes Furniture store in Bath.

The Venjakob company was established in 1935 and stands today for design-oriented furniture that meets the highest standards. The company’s belief that perfection needs people who understand their craft is borne out in its investment both in employing more than 200 craftsmen, having its own

training workshops alongside its state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment.

Year after year, the furniture maker creates genuine product innovations that keep Venjakob a very current brand in the marketplace.

Recent range expansions from Venjakob really prove the diversity of its designs. The Xenia Wild Oak living room and dining room ranges have beautiful Colorada walnut oiled finished surfaces and an unusual rippled front design, which are both eye catching and modern without being overly contemporary. Like most manufacturers the range is offered is a modular format to accommodate flexibility in the home. Red Alder, Beech Tinted, Walnut and Wild Oak ranges offer a variety of colours and styles to suit the individual home owners style. The Xenia Collection includes living and dining room furniture complete with dining tables, chairs, cabinets and display cases and coffee tables.

Like many manufacturer’s operating sustainably and in an environmentally friendly manner is of high importance and for many years the Venjakob furniture has been produced free from harmful substances and tested to the highest durability and sustainability standards.

For more information on the Venjakob range please visit the TR Hayes store on London Street or online at www.trhayes.co.uk. Local delivery is free and there is a large customer car park at the side of the store.

Please visit our large Venjakob gallery and take advantage of fantastic spring offers across the whole collection

Colorado Walnut

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Arion Sofa Home Cinema

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CITY | INTERIORS

Advertisement Feature

INPSIRING INSTALLATIONS: A beautifully designed and new look for the Homemaker showroom Below, chief designer Kelly Hicks

Homemaker Bath’s new kitchen showroom re-opens after being re-designed by Kelly Hicks

Customers to Homemaker’s new Widcombe showroom will love the enthusiasm and expertise of Homemaker’s chief designer Kelly Hicks who has completely re designed the showroom with a brilliant display of inspirational ideas and new features.

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hief designer and face of Homemaker Bath, Kelly Hicks, is enjoying being back in the heart of Widcombe after a complete re-design of the Pulteney Terrace showroom.

With a degree in art and a background working at the BBC ’s props department, Kelly now has a huge experience in creating detailed and comprehensive kitchen designs to give her clients the best guide of how their new kitchens will look. Using one of the leading German kitchen brands - primarily Hacker, her finished projects have been delighting customers for many years.

Kelly says “ As one of the most sought-after global luxury brands, a Hacker kitchen enhances the exclusivity and value of a home. Hacker’s wide range of products and ability to provide creative, intelligent solutions to defined space requirements ensure outstanding results and the optimal return on investment for builders, architects and property developers.”

She has a stunning portfolio of projects for over 200 customers who are more than happy to show off their kitchens as testament to her 84 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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expertise. But it’s not only the design and consultancy that Kelly manages, she has established a team of highly skilled craftsmen to fit and finish the kitchens while Kelly oversees every step from concept to completion. Kelly says: “What keeps me motivated is the fact that every individual customer is a new and totally different challenge. To me there is nothing more exciting than starting on a new project and striving towards realising my clients vision. My aim is to achieve the combination of a truly beautiful kitchen that is also completely practical and user friendly. To see my customers dreams come true is the ultimate buzz.”

Once inside the new look Homemaker showroom you can really appreciate Kelly’s work as she has designed completely functional kitchens offering everything you could wish for, with a number of inspirational rooms from ‘loft style’ apartment to traditional large kitchen installations.

There’s a new range of stylish finishes and cool work surfaces, as well as a good selection of granites, silestones, woods and corian, even the

new look Hacker carcasses are superb built quality and in matching and complementary colours are designed to impress.

As well as fully fitted kitchens, Homemaker sells new and innovative appliances and the main showroom display is a fully functional demonstration kitchen featuring the latest in kitchen technology from popular brands such as Siemens, Neff and Bosch.

Homemaker is a family run company, established for over 30 years.

Visit the new look showroom

Homemaker Bath, 8 Pulteney Terrace, Widcombe, Bath BA2 4HJ or call Kelly on 01225 481881 to book your free design consultation. homemakerdesign@btconnect.com

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OPEN GARDENS Enjoy the fruits of other gardeners’ work by visiting an open garden this month

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xploring other people’s gardens and checking out the state of their flowerbeds is a great British pastime and May is the prime time for enjoying visits to gardens of all sizes under the little yellow book project, the National Gardens Scheme which raises money for charity.

The National Trust owned Prior Park Landscape Gardens at Ralph Allen Drive, Bath is open as part of the NGS on Sunday 4 May, between 10am and 4.30pm. Enjoy the Georgian landscape gardens and the wild garlic, which should be in full scented bloom.

Biddestone Manor, a beautiful 17th century manor house, is opening its eight acres of grounds on Sunday 10 May, from 2pm to 5pm.

Enjoy wide lawns, ponds, trees with roses scrambling through them and a productive kitchen garden Teas will be served in the formal front garden. Garden photography for sale.

Admission £5, children free.

The same afternoon you could call in to Corsham Court, where the gardens will also be open. Notable features include the 18th century bath house, a lily pond with Indian bean trees and magnolias.

Saturday 16 May, from 2pm to 6pm, five gardens in Bradford-on-Avon will be open for visitors, for £5 to see all (children allowed free).

If you have a garden that suffers from dry shade,

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DELIGHTFUL SPOT: The Walled Garden at Mells take inspiration from the walled garden at Barton Farm which planted is principally with flowering shrubs and underplanted with bulbs, primroses and herbaceous plants, particularly those tolerant of dry shade. Other gardens open are: Horton’s House (which will be serving teas), Lynchetts and 1 Rosemary Walk.

If you’re lucky enough not to be in work on Thursday 21 May, you could explore the 36 acres at Ston Easton Park in Somerset (BA3 4DF), a hidden treasure in the heart of the Mendips. Walk through parkland designed by Repton, stroll beside the River Norr, visit the

productive walled Victorian kitchen garden.

There are also flowering borders, a fruit cage and an orchard. Admission between 10.30am and 4pm is £4.

Over the weekend of Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May eight gardens in the Cotswold village of Marshfield will be open, including three along its famously long high street. Look out for yellow NGS signs around the village for directions.

Some of the garden owners will be serving lunches or teas. 23, Sunday 24 May (1 - 5pm).

Combined admission £5, children go free.

Jekka McVicar’s collection of herbs is legendary across the south west and she is throwing open her Herbetum at Alveston (BS35 3SY) on Sunday 31 May, chosen to coincide with when the thyme will be in flower. A pleasure for gardeners and cooks alike. Admission for the NGS is £5.

Not open for the NGS but worth a visit is The Walled Garden at Mells in Somerset (BA11 3PN).

The 17th century walled garden is open daily from 10am until 5pm, selling sustainable British flowers and plants. Enjoy tea and cake in this idyllic setting, where at weekends a wood-fired pizza oven is fired up. n

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CITY | GARDENING

REVOLUTION ROCK

Forget fiddly little alpines, you want some giant bolders and bold statements to create a rockery with attitude, so says Jane Moore

What you can do with a few rocks Rock gardens and water go together like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers – a magical partnership. If you don’t have the room for a lake (and let’s face it who does?) then a babbling brook or a rocky, water-filled hollow is just perfect for the average sized garden. There is simply no end to the fun you can have with a load of good sized rocks and a decent expanse of butyl liner, believe me.

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Why have a rock garden?

Rock gardens are also invaluable for those awkward spaces in the garden that you just don’t know what to do with.

You know, those areas where the ground levels change rather sharply and it’s too steep to grow anything except Cotoneaster. Or that odd bit by the garage that is a nuisance to mow and never looks good anyway. A handful of rocks, a top dress of gravel and a few key plants and that problem area becomes purposeful, positively designed with character all its own.

Location, location, location There’s a rock garden style to suit every spot in the garden if you plan it carefully. Think about how much – or how little - sun it’s likely to receive. Will it be a scorched White Mountains of Crete style rock garden, or a damp and misty-murky Scottish glen affair? What scale are you looking at – do you need some whopper rocks for a big bank or are we talking more about a handful of sturdy stone shelves for planting with daintier plants. Always try to arrange the rocks in as natural a way as possible – aim for lines of strata like a rocky outcrop or a tumbling scree of rocks and gravel – get creative.

Dingley dell Think about nature for a moment as you must agree that rocks and plants go together wonderfully, setting each other

off to their best effect. I’m a huge fan of the ‘dingley dell’ look of rocks, ferns and trees, with or without chuckling stream (but preferably with) – ferny fronds in dappled sunlight set against mossy rocks is always a winner for a damp, shady spot. You can’t go wrong with ferns, especially native ones, or perhaps a tree fern if you’re feeling flush and have the space. For colour add some hellebores, Brunnera and dainty bulbs such as dwarf daffodils but remember that colour is not the key element here – it’s all about greenery and textural contrasts, if you’ll excuse the designer speak.

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MAIN PICTURE:, While the red hot poker, or kniphofia, looks suitably dramatic among rugged bolder

There is simply no end to the fun you can have with a load of good sized rocks and a decent expanse of butyl liner

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all me old fashioned, but I love a nice rock garden.

When I say nice what I mean is a good chunky rock garden with lots of big rocks – the ones you struggle to lift or, better still, find a good strapping lad to lift for you while you stand about directing proceedings.

A good rock garden needs to look as if it’s always been there – that the elemental rocks that make up the planet have erupted forth from the earth where the soil and turf become too thin to contain them.

Some of you may remember a stalwart of Chelsea Flower Show in the 90s whose signature design was a craggy stream that always looked as if it leapt straight from some Cumbrian fell-side or Welsh mountain, complete with wild flowers, vast slabs of slate or what-haveyou and only missing a handful of sheep.

That’s what you’re aiming for.

Mediterranean suntrap A sunny dry hotspot is the usual place that most of us think of putting a rock garden for the obvious reason that it lends itself to plants that don’t require much water. Even so, forget those smaller alpines and think just a bit bigger – Mediterranean herbs such as sage, prostrate rosemary and dwarf

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CITY | GARDENING

ROCK AND ROLL: left to right, a Japanese maple takes centre stage in this water feature, while the red hot poker, or kniphofia, looks suitably dramatic among rugged bolders, a Japanese themed garden requires the judicious placing of boulders, some well chosen statement greenery and carefully raked gravel – if you can keep the cats off it

lavenders all look great with rocks, as do thymes and there are a billion brilliant varieties of thyme to plant. Save some space for the aptly named rock roses or helianthemums which are easy growing plants with tissue paper flowers in lovely colours.

For contrast user a few spiky plants like yucca Golden Sword or Kniphofia, or grasses like stipa and ophiopogon, the dramatic black grass. If you have space, I also love the very dwarf pine tree Pinus mugo which has bags of character. It also has the ability to look as if it’s been planted forever in that particular spot

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which is wonderful for adding instant maturity to your rock garden.

A little bit of Zen When it comes to lateral thinking about rock gardens there is nothing more lateral than a Japanese style rock garden. This is all about the juxtaposition of strategically placed rocks and plants, combined with gravel and, ideally, moss. But let’s not get too purist about it all – the essence of this style of gardening is what we’re after and that is simplicity, form and grace.

It’s a case of less is more – which is

excellent news for the budget.

However, each rock should be carefully placed and specially chosen for its shape and the same goes for each plant. Think of planting just one beautifully twisted Japanese maple or an arching flowering cherry and really very little else. The serene effect is enhanced by the rocks, gravel and perhaps a stone lantern or a painted bench. Ah bliss. n Jane Moore is the award-winning head gardener at the Bath Priory. She writes regularly for the Telegraph and can be followed on Twitter @janethegardener.

MAY 2015

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the directory

to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

Electricians

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

Mindfulness For Stress, Anxiety & the Pressures of Life

• • • •

Introductory Workshops Mindfulness Eight Week Course Individual 1:1 Training at Work New courses throughout the Year

KEIKO KISHIMOTO Holistic Treatments for Wellbeing

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

www.keikokishimoto.co.uk 07739 827186 contact@keikokishimoto.co.uk

07787870841 / 01225445605

Check out the website

www.mindfulnessbath.co.uk

Gardening

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing Acupuncture for Fertility, support alongside IVF, Pregnancy and Womens Health.

RHS Silver Medal winner 2012 • Award winning Garden Design • • Expert planting • • All aspects of Garden Construction • • Attention to detail • Reliability of service • • Highly experienced •

Mob: 07967 078 058 Tel: 01225 789990 www.bretthardylandscape.co.uk ONEMAGAZINEONECITYONEMONTH

Holly Woodward (MBAcC, Reg Nurse) is an experienced fertility acupuncturist, having worked for leading fertility expert Zita West.

Call Holly on 07759 684552 Address: The Practice Rooms, 26 Upper Borough Walls.

Situated above ‘Lush’.

E: holly.woodward@yahoo.co.uk W: www.hollywoodward.co.uk

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing Alison Heather Sutton

The Life Crafting Programme Create a life you love I coach women who look like they have it all on the outside but feel empty on the inside, to finally feel good enough and be content with who they are.

Trowbridge & Neal’s Yard Bath

Bored with feeling Anxious?

Sick of feeling depressed?

Solution Focused Hypnotherapist Viv Kenchington

HPD, DHP, MNCH (Reg), AfSFH

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

EFFECTIVE AND PROFESSIONAL TREATMENTS BATH FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION & PARKING

IN WILTSHIRE AND

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

Holiday Rental

House & Home

FREE TRIAL Rising damp protection with NO BUILDING WORK involved: - an alternative to traditional methods - electronically - active reverse osmosis - suitable for any size or type of building, especially period properties

www.alisonheathersutton.co.uk

www.damp-protection.co.uk

The Practice Rooms, Bath BA1 1RH

Tel 0207 0609554

07713 626673

88 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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MAY 2015

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Raised beds form the base for planting climbers that will grow up the tensioned wires strung across the pergola

JACKSONS FENCING News, topical treats and more... Ideas for making more of your garden this spring

T

ry this idea for creating a green screen in your garden - An established customer of Jacksons, Nick Arrowsmith sent these photos in so we could see what good use he has put our raised beds with a single pergola to. I think it is a brilliant idea, and must admit it had not occurred to me, to use these in this particular way. You can see from the images that the two raised beds form the base for the single pergola above. By using tensioned wire as supports for the Clematis and Wisteria, he has planted in the raised beds, he will eventually end up with a totally green screen, which will enhance the privacy for the dining area he has created in this part of his garden.

Here’s what he told me about the project: Hi Louise, I promised you images of our pergola and raised beds - some time ago I know, and here they are.

I used tensioned stainless steel wires in between the upright posts to allow the plants to climb.

These are available to buy online. The one I used

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

was a surface mounted balustrade wire kit. It’s great that it's made from stainless steel - so no rusting, and it should last ages, just like your products.

I think it finished the pergola off really well and they are a more discreet finish than wooden trellis panels. We’ve planted one Wisteria in each planter and then filled each one with 2 different varieties of Clematis.

I really can’t wait until we get the green screen we're hoping for. Your products are lovely and of such good quality - we’re really pleased with the overall look. Please let me know what you think!

Kind regards, Nick Arrowsmithand Radcliffe on Trent Well it gets the thumbs up from me Nick, thanks very much for sending those through and sharing your idea with us.

If you want to see more of Nick’s photos you can go to his customer project story by visiting your dedicated web page where there’s a link to his and other customer project stories, with handy links to the products as well, including where you can get the tensioned stainless steel wire he used.

On the subject of garden projects and makeovers, have you ever wished you could find a trustworthy and talented garden designer to come up with some exciting design ideas for your own patch? We’ve been working closely with the Society of Garden Designers on our RHS Hampton design competition and we’ve discovered a page on their web site that helps you find a Garden designer in your area, that is a member of the SGD - find a link to this on your dedicated page as well.

Win tickets to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

To celebrate our presence at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower show we are having a free prize draw to win pairs of tickets to the show. The free prize draw will run from the beginning of April until 15th June 2015.

Winners will get a pair of tickets and will receive a goody bag when they drop by the Jacksons show garden when visiting the show. For full details and how to enter please go to your dedicated web page:

www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/bathlocal www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/bathlocal or call 0800 4084754 to talk to your local Jacksons Fencing Centre. louise@jacksons-fencing.co.uk MAY 2015

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PROPERTY | INVESTMENT

T

he Shawford Mill Estate offers a unique opportunity to acquire three distinct properties with nearly four acres of land.

Situated beside the River Frome, the estate is a haven for wildlife including heron, kingfisher, otter, swans and other wildfowl. There are full fishing rights and a weir which is suitable for installing a high income-producing turbine.

Shawford Mill: Dating from c1500 the beautiful Grade II listed former mill has detailed planning consent for conversion into an enchanting waterside home. This accommodation would comprise an entrance lobby with cloakroom and utility room, kitchen leading to a fully glazed dining/garden room and outside deck. On the upper level there would be three bedrooms and a bathroom, the master bedroom having a balcony and en suite. The lower ground floor comprises a further large room, an office and shower and cloakroom. There is further storage/workshop space which has previously housed a very lucrative turbine. There is potential for substantial future income estimated to be in the region of £40,000-50,000 resulting from hydro generation.

SHAWFORD MILL ESTATE SHAWFORD, BECKINGTON A unique opportunity to acquire 3 distinct properties all situated in four acres of beautiful land beside the River Frome and an estimated earnings potential of £40,000 - £50,000 from hydro generation

Price: £1,495,000

Peacock Villa: The Villa was refurbished three years ago and provides luxury contemporary style living. It has been uniquely designed to be used as either one or two dwellings, both with separate entrances and could therefore be used either as a family home or two holiday lets.

The ground floor provides an open plan kitchen and living area with French windows onto a courtyard garden, a large study/bedroom 5, games room/bedroom 4 and another sizeable double bedroom. There is a cloakroom and a wet room with walk-in shower.

On the second and principal level there is a good sized kitchen/dining room, sitting room, two double bedrooms and two bath/shower rooms.

This is a beautiful, light and warm space using an abundance of high quality and natural materials which are wholly in sympathy with the situation of the property.

The Annexe: Privately situated alongside the mill leat, clad in oak with a slate tiled roof, the minimalist design of The Annexe works equally well as either living accommodation or commercial office space. There is a kitchen/diner, very large living space and study, double bedroom and full bathroom.

There are numerous outbuildings in the grounds waiting to be redeveloped in the utterly charming surroundings. This beautiful estate is an exciting option for any number of projects. Full details and a viewing are essential to appreciate the possibilities.

For more information on this property or to arrange a viewing please contact Bath Estate Agents; Pritchards

Pritchards, 11 Quiet Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 466225 www.pritchards-bath.co.uk WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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Farleigh Wick, Nr Bradford on Avon & Bath A spacious Grade II Listed 5 bedroom detached family house dating back to the 1600s, conveniently situated between Bradford on Avon & Bath.

• 5 bedrooms – master en suite & further shower room • 2 reception rooms – 1 with feature fireplace, kitchen/breakfast room. Study, sun room/conservatory & cloakroom • Studio/annexe with sitting room, cloakroom & bedroom • Good size gardens &paddock extending to over 2 acres • Single garage • Internal area: 3415 sq ft/317 sq

Price: £995,000

Bathford, Nr Bath A spacious 3/4 bed detached chalet bungalow that enjoys a most pleasant position. The property has been greatly extended and improved by the current owners & offers an excellent level of accommodation.

• 3 / 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 en suite • 2 / 3 reception rooms, good sized kitchen/breakfast room • Level lawned gardens • Double garage and ample driveway parking • Floor area approx 2448 sq.ft (227.4 sq.m)

Price: £795,000 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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Bitton, Nr Bath An impressive & beautifully presented detached house in a small select “no through” road, standing in well proportioned, most attractive gardens in the heart of a sought after village 6 miles from Bath and Bristol.

• 5 bedrooms, bathroom, en suite & cloakroom, 3 reception rooms • One of only 3 properties forming an exclusive development • Stylishly well fitted kitchen & spacious ground floor accommodation • Double garage & ample parking • Floor area approx. 2,737 sq.ft. (254.2 sq.m.) • EPC Rating D

Price: £795,000

Woolverton Nr Bath A charming semi detached period property having been extended, recently renovated and beautifully presented. This intriguing cottage provides flexible accommodation complimented by good sized level gardens, and far reaching views over open countryside.

• 4 / 5 bedrooms, 2 shower rooms • Kitchen/breakfast room, dining room, living room, lounge/bedroom 5 • Large gardens, fruit trees, vegetable plots and greenhouses • Off road parking for several vehicles, timber sheds/workshops • Floor area approximately 1493 sq.ft (138.7 sq.m) • EPC Rating D

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

Tel: 01225 466 225

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pritchardsapartments.co.uk

Lansdown Road A beautifully presented 3 bedroom first floor apartment situated in one of Bath’s most sought after locations. The property also retains many of its period features.

• 3 bedrooms, bathroom, open plan kitchen/dining room • Large communal gardens • Garage and off street parking • Within walking distance of the city centre • Total approximate floor area 1,256 sq.ft (116.7 sq.m)

Price: £599,500

Kensington Place An extremely well presented 2 bedroom light and airy 2nd floor Georgian apartment, with the added benefit of a share of the freehold. No onward chain.

• 2 bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen • Wonderful light & airy reception room with views • Unrestricted on street parking • Half a mile level walk to the city centre • Total approximate floor area 780 sq.ft. (72.5 sq.m.)

Price: £289,500 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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Bladud Buildings, City Centre Arranged over the top three floors of a handsome Grade II Listed Georgian building, this spacious & stylish 4 bedroom maisonette is located right at the heart of Bath & has been finished to the highest standard throughout, combining period charm with contemporary comforts.

Rent: ÂŁ3,250 pcm* entrance hall | beautiful living room | high ceilings | floor to ceiling sash windows | stunning views | contemporary fitted kitchen | granite work surfaces | integrated appliances | master bedroom | spacious en-suite | 2 further double bedrooms | 1 single bedroom | family bathroom | period features throughout Reside Bath | 24 Barton Street Bath BA1 1HG | T 01225 445 777 | E info@residebath.co.uk | W www.residebath.co.uk

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

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Camden, ÂŁ2,500 pcm Well presented four storey Georgian Town house with a difference. Offering 3/4 double bedrooms. The master bedroom benefits from a luxury en suite bathroom with shower, 2/3 reception rooms, family bathroom complete with roll top bath and shower over bath, guest toilet. The kitchen family room is truly the heart of the home with its wall to ceiling bi fold glass doors leading onto a comfortable courtyard this room will make the ideal family and entertaining space. The drawing room is located on the first floor and boasts excellent city and countryside views. The property boasts period features throughout with a contemporary finish. This property will make an ideal family home. EPC D.

Bath Office

Lettings 01225 458546 | Sales. 01225 459817

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Bath’s Premier Removals Company Thomas Firbank Removals and Storage is a family run business that offers a personal and business service of the highest quality. For seventeen years we have ensured that all of our clients enjoy a stress free move and a great deal of our business is generated by referrals from satisfied customers.

We tailor your packing and removal to suit your needs, and give you a prompt quotation without any hidden costs.

Tel: 01225 31 44 33 www.firbankremovals.co.uk

BAR Number T050

NEED BROCHURES DELIVERED? PIGGY-BACK OUR DELIVERY! Crafting beautiful homes In and around Bath

EVERY MONTH THE BATH MAGAZINE IS PERFECTLY DELIVERED TO OVER 20,000 HOMES AND BUSINESSES AN INSERT IN OUR MAGAZINE WILL REALLY REACH GREAT QUALITY READERS

01225 79115 5

ashford-homes.co.uk 100 TheBATHMagazine

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MaY 2015

CALL FOR DETAILS 01225 424499 EMAIL: SALES @ THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK WE CAN ALSO HELP WITH GREAT DESIGN AND PRINT SOLUTIONS

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PROPERTY | THINKING

Market Update on Lettings in Bath

By Peter Greatorex, Managing Director of The Apartment Company.

S

pring has definitely sprung in the increasingly buoyant Bath lettings market, alongside above average rent trends and an inquisitive buzz surrounding the upcoming general election; it’s unquestionably the most appropriate time to invest into the buy to let market.

Pension reforms Following predictions that one third of over 55s were going to invest their retirement pot into the buy to let pool, following radical changes made to UK pension legislation from April 6th, financial companies have recently reported an unprecedented surge in calls regarding these newest reforms; with approximately 57,000 calls a day coming in on the subject!

Healthy Gross Yields for South West Landlords According to a recent mainstream Rental Index report, the strongest rent growth took place in our very own beautiful South West. The report shows that rents were 13.7% higher than in Q1 2015 in comparison to Q1 in 2014. Furthermore, bar Greater London and the South East regions, the South West also has the highest rents recorded in the UK; currently standing at £851 per calendar month.

University City Surge Bath landlords benefit greatly from the strong and ever-thriving overseas student demand that they attract and will continue to do so in the coming years.

Offering the same comforts as London Bath is perfect for city people who want culture, entertainment and shops but need cheaper property opportunities to support themselves and their families.

Bath offers beautiful Georgian properties and streets, alongside a leading university for creativity, culture and enterprise plus great historical origins.

Tenant Saturation We're all aware of the shift in the home ownership structure over the last century in England and Wales, with the first rise in the percentage of households who rent since 1918. So in essence there are many more tenants than properties available, giving you much more choice and even more chance in seeking out the perfect tenant.

At the most changeable time for property and lettings that the UK has even experienced, if you’re planning on entering the buy to let industry then please make sure you access the finest expertise and advice around for the best outcome possible.

Let us show you’re the Buy to Let possibilities available to you, please contact one of our team today 01225 303870.

102 TheBATHMAgAzine

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2015

New Address April.qxp_Layout 1 23/04/2015 12:49 Page 1

01225 448443 Property sales & lettings

SOLD STC. Land and house sold for over the asking price.

Combe House, Bath: 4 bedroom detached house with stunning views.

We have buyer s waiting for similar proper ties!

New Address Ltd. | 12 Pierrepont Street | Bath | BA1 1LA | www.yournewaddress.co.uk

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NE

NE

Bradford-on-Avon, £465,000

Winsley, £385,000

Crown Court provides the setting for this period home hidden away on the northern fringes of the town yet having access to the enviable amenities the town offers. Accommodation is over three floors boasting four bedrooms all looking over gardens to the front. The sitting room is double aspect with a feature fireplace. Pretty town garden too.

The old part of Winsley is eternally popular with buyers. Bird’s Nest is a detached period home with four bedrooms, two good receptions and a spectacular kitchen family room where you’ll most of your time as it opens out onto the pretty courtyard garden. The village offers excellent amenities and access to beautiful countryside for walkies.

LD

LD

SO

SO

Kingsdown SIMILAR REQUIRED

Bradford-on-Avon SIMILAR REQUIRED

Outrageously charming cottage with outstanding views from this elevated rural situation just east of Bath. This one ticked all the boxes having large gardens, garage and parking, even planning permission to extend. We had lots of interest in this one so if you’re thinking of selling something similar be sure to call me for a confidential chat.

An impressive detached home with six bedrooms – room for all the family & a few more besides. The generous & well-proportioned accommodation was immaculately presented throughout impressing all who viewed. The large gardens offered privacy too. If you’re thinking of selling something similar be sure to call me for a confidential chat.

☎ 01225 866747 27 Market Street, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1LL email: info@jeremyjenkins.co.uk • website: www.jeremyjenkins.co.uk

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fidelisinbath.co.uk GUILDPROPERTY.CO.UK

ÂŁ750,000

Bloomfield Road Newly Constructed Architect Designed 4 Bedroom Family Home in Desirable Residential Location Living/Dining Room | Kitchen | Large Hall | 4 Double Bedrooms (2 En-suite) | Family Bathroom | Double Garage | Eco Heat Pump | Underfloor Heating | Feature Spiral Staircase | Landscaped Gardens | EPC Rating: B

Proud sponsors of Beechen Cliff School Fidelis May.indd 1

17/04/2015 15:25

01225 421000

Fidelis

ÂŁ535,000

High Littleton A Particularly Spacious and Versatile Village Home with Possible 1 Bedroom Annexe Kitchen/Breakfast Room | Utility/Boot Room | Living Room | Sitting Room | Family Room | Dining Room | Office | Games Room | 3 Bedrooms | 3 Bathrooms | Double Garage | EPC Rating: D

Thinking of Selling in 2015?

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

NEW INSTRUCTION

Bloomfield Avenue This substantial five bedroom family home is located within a most sought after avenue benefiting from a unique and traditional amenity; a central green and tennis courts leased to the Avenue residents. Within the house the generous reception rooms are enhanced with fine period detail and all the bedrooms are well proportioned and served by two bathrooms. Located just around the corner are the amenities of Bear Flat and there are some excellent schools nearby. EPC: E

Guide Price £825,000 • • • • • •

5 Bedrooms 3 Reception Rooms Victorian Family Home Wonderful Avenue with Leased Tennis Courts Local Amenities Close To The Station

Bath Office

Sales. 01225 459817 | Lettings 01225 458546

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

NEW INSTRUCTION

Park Street

Guide Price £450,000

This beautifully presented lower ground floor garden apartment within a Grade II Listed townhouse is situated within this well regarded address, offering spacious living accommodation and superb courtyard gardens. The property has been stylishly finished to a high standard throughout and is a fantastic opportunity to own a garden apartment in this Bath city location. EPC: Listed

• • • • • •

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Stylish City Apartment Luxury Fitted Kitchen Spacious Reception Room Beautifully Presented Courtyard Gardens Grade II Listed

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Bath Five bedroom detached property dating back to the 18th Century. With 2777sq.ft. of accommodation, this spacious family home offers commanding views across Woolley Valley. Comprises entrance hall, sitting room, dining area, kitchen, snug, master en-suite, family bathroom, utility room and cellars.

“Situated about 2 miles outside of the city centre, Nightingale House is within walking distance of shops, deli, cafés, dentist, park and nursery. State and private schools are only a short drive away. We also benefit from having a large, private garden space and parking for numerous vehicles, which is nearly impossible in Bath city centre.”

“We saw the house 18 years ago and, as it is not in a conservation area we bought it with confidence, knowing we could transform it into the perfect home for our family. We have levelled out the garden to create a great

area for children to play and adults to entertain. We especially enjoy having our breakfast on the terrace, taking in the wonderful view, with the sun shining on our backs.”

“Having spent some time in New Zealand, we wanted to ensure all of the rooms were light and airy. Our living area is all open plan, with stripped wooden floors which makes for fantastic entertaining and is also a practical family space. We have double glazed windows though-out and last year we completely redecorated and painted.”

“We have beautiful fires in three bedrooms, the kitchen and the sitting room. Our favourite spot is near the large picture windows on the ground floor where we can overlook the valley from the sofa. It is breathtaking as the valley changes daily and we often spot deer wandering in our field.”

SWAINSWICK FIVE BEDROOMS • DETACHED FAMILY HOME • PERIOD PROPERTY • FAR REACHING VIEWS • SITTING ROOM, SNUG AND DINING AREA • FAMILY BATHROOM AND EN-SUITE TO MASTER • EPC RATING: E

Contact: 01225 320032

Price: £740,000

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Queen Charlton A quintessential village house in a highly desirable location; with an abundance of period features, flexible family accommodation and easy access to both Bristol and Bath.

Though believed to date back to the late c16th the house is predominately c17th, with later c18th additions – reflected in the stunning Gothic arch windows. Approached via a paved pathway to the front door, the house sits handsomely back from the road, overlooking the village green and with views across to the village church.

Internally, the entrance hall is tiled with underfloor heating, and is flanked on either side by two elegantly proportioned reception rooms. Each has wonderful views over the front, and the enjoyment of open fires – with a “Jetmaster” fireplace in the drawing room and a traditional open hearth in the dining room.

To the rear of the house is a cosy sitting room, or snug , fitted with a cast iron wood burning stove and double doors leading out to the Amdega conservatory. This catches much of the afternoon sun, and itself has double doors leading out into the garden.

Accessed from the inner hall is a wellproportioned study area, with views to the enclosed courtyard and access to the beautifully fitted family kitchen. This has ample space for a generous family dining table, as well as an expanse of granite work-surfaces and built in storage cupboards. There is direct access from the kitchen into the enclosed courtyard, with further access from the courtyard into the main garden, which is walled and fully enclosed and a delightful haven.

TOLZEY COTTAGE DETACHED FAMILY HOME • SOUGHT AFTER VILLAGE • THREE RECEPTION ROOMS • CONSERVATORY • FAMILY KITCHEN • STUDY • MASTER BEDROOM WITH EN-SUITE BATHROOM • THREE FURTHER DOUBLE BEDROOMS • FAMILY BATHROOM • DETACHED DOUBLE GARAGE • WALLED GARDEN • EPC: EXEMPT

Contact: 01225 320032

Price: £1,100,000

Marlborough Buildings

OIEO ÂŁ790,000

Grade II listed | Georgian | First floor apartment | Double bedroom with an en-suite | Mezzanine level | Shower/Utility room | Highest specification We are delighted to market this exquisite first floor apartment located adjacent to the Royal Crescent, in the highly sought after location that is Marlborough Buildings. Once entering the apartment, there is an entrance hall, with space for a dresser, you are then welcomed into a grand drawing room, complete with original ornate cornicing, large sash windows overlooking the Royal Crescent, and an open plan Bulthaup B3 kitchen. Above this, is a mezzanine level, perfect for an occasional bedroom with a shower/utility room and study area. To the rear of the property is a large double bedroom with a Laufen ensuite. This is a rare opportunity to purchase a stunning apartment which has been finished to an exceptionally high standard.

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Edward Street

OIEO ÂŁ540,000

Grade II listed | Georgian | Courtyard apartment | Three bedrooms one with an en-suite | Beautifully presented | Two converted vaults | City Centre location A rare opportunity to purchase a stunning courtyard apartment in the heart of the City Centre. The apartment is accessed via the courtyard where you are welcomed by a large entrance hall, perfect for a study. To the left of the entrance hall you will find the open plan living area comprising: sitting room, dining room and fully fitted kitchen. To the right of the entrance hall are two converted vaults, ideal for additional bedrooms. There is a master bedroom, second bedroom with an ensuite, third bedroom, plenty of storage and lastly a family bathroom. With a wealth of period features and a courtyard, this apartment is definitely not one to miss!

Portland Place

OIEO ÂŁ475,000

Grade II listed | Georgian | Ground floor apartment | Two double bedrooms one with an en-suite | Study | Period features | Rear terrace/balcony | Conservatory A fantastic opportunity to purchase a unique property which was formally two separate apartments, which now offers a large two bedroom apartment located on the ground floor of a Georgian Townhouse in Portland Place. With its large entrance hall and steps leading up to a spacious sitting room with doors leading onto the rear terrace with a conservatory. To the left of the sitting room is a fitted kitchen with space for a dining table. With two double bedrooms at the front of the property, one with a walk in wardrobe and en-suite, this apartment is definitely one to please!

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Lansdown Crescent

OIEO £475,000

Abbey Street

OIEO £385,000

Grade I listed | Georgian | Second floor apartment | Two double bedrooms | Open plan living | Far reaching views | Highly recommended

Grade II listed | Georgian | Penthouse apartment | Two double bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Well presented | Period features | Prime location

Boasting picturesque views over Bath and the surrounding areas, comes this two bedroom apartment, offering open plan luxury living with a wealth of period features.

A stunning two bedroom apartment that was formerly two apartments, that has now been converted into one luxury apartment, with stunning views over the Roman Baths.

Kensington Place

Henrietta Court

OIEO £270,000

Grade II listed | Georgian | Garden apartment | One bedroom garden | Private parking | Sub-Basement with scope to improve

Huge

Modern ground floor apartment | Three bedrooms | Central location | Requiring modernisation | Off road parking | Excellent potential | Great investment |

This delightful one bedroom garden apartment, located to the East of the City, offers of a sub basement with scope to convert the area into further accommodation, with several parking spaces to the rear.

A modern three bedroom apartment with allocated off road parking, comprising open plan living room with fitted kitchen area, three bedrooms and bathroom.

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OIEO £260,000

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Royal Crescent

£1,795 pcm

Derwent House

£1,595 pcm

Upper maisonette | Three double bedrooms | Stunning views | Suit professional couple/sharers | No pets | Unfurnished | Agency Fees £350.00 + VAT | Available Now

Garden apartment | Beautifully presented | Three double bedrooms | Parking space | GFCH | Unfurnished | Agency fees £350+vat | Available now

A spacious and beautifully presented three double bedroom apartment located over two floors, in the highly sought after location that is The Royal Crescent.

Located just a short walk from the City Centre, this luxury garden apartment comes highly reccomended. It offers a large sitting room, fitted kitchen, three bedrooms, one with an en-suite and a family bathroom.

Milsom Place

Albion Place

£1,100 pcm

£725 pcm

Open plan living | Light and spacious | Private decked roof terrace | Modern shower room | Available part furnished | Agency fees £350+vat | Available June 2015

One bedroom | Communal garden | Fabulous views | No pets allowed | Secure parking | Part Furnished | Agency fees £350+vat | Available May 23rd 2015

Located in the heart of the City, a truly exclusive one bedroom apartment forming part of a recently completed development in a converted building in Milsom Place.

A one bedroom part furnished apartment with secure parking for one car and a bike store. The accommodation comprises: sitting room with views, fitted kitchen, kitchen, and bathroom.

The Apartment Company May.indd 4

17/04/2015 15:30

Cambridge Terrace An elegant Grade II listed terraced house, beautifully presented and retaining many original features

| entrance hall | drawing room | study | kitchen | snug | conservatory | cloakroom | utility room | vault | master bedroom | bathroom | 3 further bedrooms | shower room | garden | garage | Guide Price: ÂŁ1,350,000

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley May.indd 1

20/04/2015 13:58

Wellow A beautiful Grade II listed house set in this highly sought-after village

| entrance hall | drawing room | dining room | snug | kitchen/breakfast room | cloakroom | utility room | master bedroom with en suite bathroom | 3 further bedrooms | bathroom | 2 attic rooms with potential | delightful garden | garage | outbuilding | off-street parking | Guide Price: ÂŁ825,000

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley May.indd 2

20/04/2015 13:18

Bath Riverside Stothert Avenue Guide Price: £799,950 Exclusive Crest Nicholson spacious 4 bedroom townhouse in a central riverside location.

Thoughtfully designed and appointed to a superior specification with the benefit of a landscaped garden and allocated parking

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley May.indd 3

20/04/2015 13:19

Camden A very attractive late 1800s Georgian style Grade II listed townhouse

| entrance entrance hallway | sitting room | master bedroom | 2 further first floor bedrooms | bathroom | kitchen/breakfast room open plan with dining room | utility room | south facing garden room | enclosed south facing rear garden | superb views | no on-going chain | flexible living accommodation | period features throughout including some beautiful fireplaces | Guide Price: ÂŁ650,000

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

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley May.indd 4

20/04/2015 13:19

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