The Bath Magazine October 2019

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ISSUE 205 | OCTOBER 2019 | thebathmag.co.uk | £3.95 where sold

INSIDE STORIES

Rev up your home with creative colour palettes, classic period treatments and contemporary renovations

FADED GLAMOUR

Revel in designer Pearl Lowe’s visionary interiors

VIRTUAL REALITY Gaming and architecture at The Edge

RELISHING RUBY

Celebrating 40 years of good food at Woods Restaurant

NELSON TO NASH

Investigating the commemorative plaques in the city

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

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70

66

Contents 5 THINGS

100

October 2019

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10

Essential events to look forward to this month

PICK OF THE BUNCH

68

Melissa Blease gets the low-down from Ellie and John Leiper on their refurbishment of The Grapes

AUTUMN SILHOUETTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Emma Clegg visits OSKA for a style consultation

EAT GREEN

PLAYING THE PICTURESQUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Two delectable recipes from Nigel Slater’s latest book Greenfeast: autumn, winter

An interactive exhibition at The Edge explores the boundaries between virtual and physical space

THE ACE OF CASTLES

WHAT’S ON

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42

46

90

Andrew Swift takes a walk past a flight of 16 locks in Devizes

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AUTUMN INTERIORS

The latest art exhibitions from around the city

BOOKS

74

The plaques that document notable figures who once lived in the city

TAKING FLIGHT

The Plants with a Purpose exhibition at BRLSI

CITY ARTS

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Catherine Pitt investigates the history of Midford Castle

THE PLAQUE LIST

Our guide to the top events happening around the city

PLANTING PICTURES

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52

Coffee table books with decorative and visual flair

A property epitomising faded glamour, a kitchen conversion and an informative overview of our local interiors specialists

HOW GREEN IS YOUR GARDEN?

BATH AT WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

98

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Jane Moore outlines her eco-garden philosophy

Neill Menneer’s portrait of Stuart Burroughs

THE PROPERTY PAGES PARTY PLANNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Bath’s finest homes to buy or rent

Yes, it’s time to think about those seasonal celebrations

RUBY RESTAURANT

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66

Melissa Blease talks to owners David and Claude Price as Woods Restaurant celebrates 40 years

More content and updates online: thebathmag.co.uk

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ON THE COVER

Cleveland Grey Porcelain floor tiles by Mandarin Stone

Follow us on Instagram @thebathmagazine

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EDITOR’S PICKS DISCOVER ARCHAEOLOGY

from the

EDITOR

An interior from Pearl Lowe’s new book Faded Glamour (see page 100)

Archaeologists have found hundreds of pieces of decorative marble buried beneath Bath Abbey’s floor, once part of the abbey’s wall monuments. Visitors are invited to see what it takes to be an archaeologist working with marble, gain an understanding of a piece of the abbey’s history and contribute to the Footprint Project. Free drop-in sessions take place on 28, 29 and 30 October. bathabbey.org

Editor photograph by Matthew Sterling

M

aturing fruit features large in October, as we welcome the appearance of apples, mushrooms, blackberries, prickly pears and grapes. We have some mushrooms artistically captured below – although do note that they are absolutely not for eating. Much more edible are the blackberries on page 43, another illustration that is part of BRLSI’s new exhibition this month, Plants with a Purpose, presented by the Bath Society of Botanical Artists. We also have grapes on page 68 in the form of Melissa Blease’s interview with Ellie Leiper after the dramatic refurbishment of The Grapes pub on Westgate Street.

More potential for eating is with Nigel Slater’s new book of vegetarian recipes, Greenfeast: autumn, winter – this has plenty of seasonal fruit and vegetables for every month of the year, and we are delighted to give you two of his new recipes on page 70 to celebrate his visit to Bath this month.

October is our interiors issue, so we have all sorts of magical designs and transformations to tempt and intrigue you, including a peek into Pearl Lowe’s new book Faded Glamour on page 100 featuring an amazing house in Bruton, and an introduction on page 104 to Farrow & Ball’s new colour range, a brand new palette of colours developed with the Natural History Museum.

You’ll also find an essential practical guide to our local interior suppliers after page 98 – if you need a specialist service you’re bound to find it here.

Woods Restaurant on Alfred Street has clocked up an impressive 40 years on the Bath food scene and on page 66 Melissa Blease asks David and Claude Price about the secret of their restaurant’s longevity. There’s an even longer history represented within Betty Suchar’s investigation into the commemorative plaques of Bath on page 74, which remember the many famous names who have lived in the city, from Admiral Horatio Nelson to William Wordsworth.

Bringing us way more up to date is an interview with architects Luke Pearson and Sandra Youkhana on page 28 ahead of their exhibition Playing the Picturesque at The Edge, which demonstrates imaginative ways of connecting architectural design with the virtual world.

We’re not apologising about the fact that we’re also thinking about Christmas, because a good party at the end of the year does needs to be booked and organised. See Melissa Blease’s advice on seasonal party behaviour on page 60 and we have plenty of ideas for venues on page 62.

Meanwhile let’s concentrate on the riches of October.

Emma Clegg 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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SNUG STRIPES

We’re hankering after a cosy as anything Wallace Sewell scarf this autumn – the classic unisex signature styles include bold striped pure silks, super-soft cashmeres and bouncy wool crepes. Shown above is the Benita Charcoal Scarf, £125, stocked by Gallery Nine on Margaret’s Buildings. galleryninebath.com

MUSHROOM (LEPIOTA SP.) Lepiota is a genus of gilled mushrooms with a preference for rich, calcareous soils. There are around 400 species of Lepiota recognised worldwide – many are poisonous, some lethally so. Most species have comparatively small caps and slender stems. They typically occur in broadleaf or conifer woodland in northern Europe, often among nettles.

ILLUSTRATION BY ROSIE DARRAH The Bath Society of Botanical Artists; bsba.co.uk

is red brought nearer ❝ Orange to humanity by yellow. ❞ WASSILY KANDINSKY (1866–1944)

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5

ZEITGEIST

things to do in

October

Marvel

Discover Now a firm favourite in the autumn antiques fair calendar, the Bruton Decorative Antiques Fair offers a vibrant mix of exhibitors from across Bath, the UK and Europe, where rustic to refined English Country House style, mid-century design, industrial chic, period portraits and more will be on show. Taking place at Haynes International Motor Museum from 18–20 October (opening times vary), visitors can explore the vast range of antiques on offer.

Complimentary tickets available online; brutondecorativeantiquesfair.co.uk

The UK soul queen Beverley Knight is celebrating the career of Stevie Wonder on a 10-date tour around the UK this autumn, and she’s coming to The Forum in Bath this month in a special concert presented by BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night Live. Widely regarded as one of the greatest soul singers of her generation, the award-winning Knight will be recreating the genius of Wonder’s rich and varied catalogue of songs with the help of the Leo Green Orchestra. Pay homage to one of the greatest songwriters of modern times on 12 October, 8pm. Tickets from £50; bathforum.co.uk

Be spooked

Novelist Kirsty Logan returns to Mr B’s this month

Listen

Shop

Kicking off the new season in style, Bath Philharmonia is presenting an evening of danceinfused orchestral music on 5 October, 7.30pm, in The Lansdown Suite at the Apex Hotel. Aaron Copland’s Hoe Down, from his ballet Rodeo, promises to make you want to don your finest cowboy boots, while Samuel Barber’s deeply moving Adagio for Strings is one of the most iconic American orchestral works. The orchestra will be joined by one of America’s most gifted violinists of her generation, Tai Murray, who is making her first appearance in Bath. £25/£5; bathphil.co.uk

The Charitable Foundation for the Education of Nepalese Children is presenting its popular annual autumn showcase of fashion and accessories from the Himalayas from 4–6 October (opening times vary) at 5 Old King Street. Grab a glass of fizz while you browse the beautiful products on show such as pure cashmere, silk fashions, rugs, handbags, decorations and more, with all the profits going to the charity which helps to improve the education of children in Nepal; nepalchildrenseducation.org n

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Tai Murray: Gaby Merz/Kirsty Logan: Simone Falk

Just in time for Halloween, Mr B’s Emporium is hosting a rare event where three writers will discuss their experiences of tapping into fear, darkness and myth in their work.

Kirsty Logan returns to Mr B’s with Things We Say in the Dark, an eerie collection of dark feminist stories. Julie Mayhew’s adult debut novel Impossible Causes takes readers to the remote island of Lark – a place wreathed in fog for most of the year.

And debut novelist Lucie McKnight Hardy’s Water Shall Refuse Them, set during the 1976 heatwave, follows a family who move to a remote Welsh village to escape their grief. Takes place on 15 October, 7pm, £6; mrbsemporium.com

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The city

ist

THE BUZZ THE BUZZ

Leslie Redwood is CEO of Citizens Advice B&NES. Previously head of business development at Bath Tourism Plus, he has always made it his aim to encourage working partnerships in the city

Make a difference

Doing something kind for someone might not mean much to you, but for an older person it can mean the world. This autumn, Age UK B&NES is challenging you to show random acts of kindness towards older people in Bath and beyond. So whether you give up your place in the queue, strike up a conversation at the bus stop or write a letter to an older relative, Age UK B&NES want to hear about it. So get involved and share your heart-warming stories on their social media pages. Your good deeds will start a ripple of kindness in your community and will encourage others to do the same. For more ideas on how you can get involved, visit: ageuk.org.uk/bathandnortheastsomerset

Cutting-edge prize Two local independents, Nicholas Wylde Jewellers and The Bath Distillery, have launched a unique competition.

The pair have mounted a 1-carat Wylde Flower Diamond ® – an exclusive diamond cut by jeweller Nicholas Wylde with petallike facets – in a singular edition 1-litre bottle of Bath Distillery Classic Gin. To enter the competition, which is open until 31 January, entrants must buy a 70cl bottle of Bath Gin with the chance of finding the lucky ticket in the cap. The competition, which will also give out five goody boxes every month, will culminate in a reception in the new year at the Bath Distillery Canary Gin Bar for the winner of the diamond. Bottles are available online at thebathgincompany.co.uk or check out nicholaswylde.com/gin to find your nearest stockist.

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My BATH

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We used to own a guest house in Widcombe and we liked the area so much we just moved across the road when we sold the business.

We love Widcombe for the sense of community, the small independent retailers and hospitality businesses, and the canal and towpath, which is just behind our house – yet we are still a five-minute walk from the abbey.

I have very fond memories of growing up in Bath – a particular highlight when I was young was the Lombard RAC rally which started and finished in Great Pulteney Street.

I enjoyed watching the regeneration of the city from the 1970s through the 80s and 90s – moving away from the blackened buildings through to the regeneration of the spa and the development of SouthGate.

Many years ago I used to work on the airlines and my wife and I travelled all over the world together – we visited over 60 countries over nearly a decade.

We love the size of Bath, its World Heritage Status, the spa waters and its close proximity to the countryside – all an unbeatable package.

I help to organise The Bath Boules charity event in Queen Square each June. I have been involved with this for more than 25 years – it’s now a 200 team, 4–5 day event with a street market, and it regularly raises over £50,000 a year for Bath-based charities. Bath Boules and Glastonbury are my stand-out two weeks of the year – it’s just a shame they are so close in the calendar.

My favourite buildings in Bath are Bath Abbey and the Royal Crescent and Circus.

These iconic buildings in our beautiful World Heritage Site are the envy of the world.

Business development is all about using partnerships to help to develop our amazing city. I used this approach as a founding director of The Bath Business Improvement District. I worked hard to bring together the 650 businesses, the council, residents and other organisations to find a vision for improved trading conditions in the city – using business resources and cash to improve the area. I used the same principles of

partnership working in my time with Visit Bath, and now at Citizens Advice B&NES. I have a great staff team of 15 and more than 100 amazingly talented volunteers who support us across four offices throughout the county, and we are supported by seven trustees. I am delivering a new strategic direction for the charity – we are telling our story to a new audience and revolutionising the way in which the charity works.

I admire Beau Nash – he knew how to bring people together and to get things done while also having fun.

My favourite restaurant is Martini’s on George Street – I met Nunzio, Franco and Luigi nearly 30 years ago when I was a barman in The Walrus and Carpenter on Barton Street where they were waiters, and now they run the most amazing Italian in Bath – independent, family-run and excellent.

My guilty pleasure is following Barry’s Banter Bus on Instagram – it’s sometimes very naughty, but it always raises a smile.

When I started in my new role as CEO at Citizens Advice I had a one-to-one with everyone in the organisation and I gave them all a personal pledge card showing my values: honesty, openness, integrity, fairness and fun.

I work in a very open-door, no-blame way in order to get the best from my team. I have been part of toxic work environments before and this has made me strive to ensure this will never happen on my ship.

Face-to-face communication is always best when dealing with difficult situations. This is even more valuable in our increasingly digital world – genuine human interaction is always best to diffuse any situation and working together will always bring a mutually compatible solution.

If I was an animal I would be a bird – because of my previous life on the airlines. I imagine flying high above the earth and seeing just how insignificant we are in comparison to this amazing world we call home. citizensadvicebanes.org.uk ■

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The city

ist

News from around the city

Spring clean for 800-year-old tiles

The National Trust’s conservation team at Lacock Abbey has started to clean and conserve more than 1,000 tiles dating back to the 1200s in front of visitors this

autumn. Lacock’s collection of tiles contains both medieval tiles, dating from the 13th to 15th century, and Tudor tiles, dating from the 16th century. The medieval tiles would have been used to decorate the rooms of the abbey’s iconic cloister. The Tudor tiles were custom-made for Sir William Sharington, who bought Lacock Abbey from King Henry VIII after the dissolution of the monasteries. Now, after hundreds of years of footfall, the British weather and poor storage arrangements, the tiles are in desperate need of conservation. A team of trained volunteers are working to clean, process and catalogue the tiles using specialist

Vibrant layers for autumn

Final plans for clean air

Textile designer Carole Waller has launched her new autumn/winter collection of painted clothes and scarves which are inspired by the texture of the city. Bath’s streets resonate with its history, with layers ranging from Roman and medieval to Georgian and Victorian. The concept draws on the range of interest in the city and the various quiet hidden spaces. The pieces feature layered images in vibrant colours, with accompanying pieces using harmonious gentle colours.

Carole also made use of images of the ledger stones on the floor of Bath Abbey in recognition of those who lived here before us. Their texture and hidden inscriptions are layered in the fabric of these clothes and scarves. You’ll find one-off coats in velvets and matte silks, casual silk and wool shirts, tops and scarves, and Carole’s signature painted silk devoré velvets, a perfect technique for the exploration of texture.

Postcards have gone out to homes and businesses in Bath & North East Somerset outlining final plans for a clean air zone. The zone will charge all higher emission vehicles, except private cars and motorbikes, to drive in Bath’s city centre by the end of 2020.

The council is inviting residents to review the details, which will charge higher emission buses, coaches and HGVs £100 a day; and vans, taxis, private hire vehicles and minibuses £9 a day to drive in the city. This is before final plans for the zone are agreed with the government in December. The consultation, which runs until 20 October, highlights further extensions to the zone’s boundary and proposals to restrict the flow of traffic into Queen Square.

Residents will be able to see detailed maps of the zone, including the placement of cameras and signage, and those affected will be able to find out more about the support available. bathnes.gov.uk/breathe

Waller and Wood, 4 Abbey Green, Bath; wallerandwood.co.uk

The story of Highclere The enormous success of the drama series Downton Abbey has made Highclere Castle in Hampshire, which was used as the main filming location, one of the country’s most recognisable buildings. Join Matthew Williams, curator of Cardiff Castle and world expert on Gothic Revival architecture at the Holburne Museum this month to discover the real story of Highclere.

The estate’s history goes back to the year

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conservation methods. One week of conservation cleaning took place in September and a second week will take place from 14–18 October when visitors to the abbey will be able to watch the project in progress.

“We’re really looking forward to sharing this process with our visitors,” said the National Trust’s senior house steward, Emma Hitchings. “Normally this kind of work is done behind closed doors so it’s really special to bring it out into the open.

Visitors will be able to ask questions, handle replica tiles and get a real insight into the work that we do to look after Lacock for the future.”

749 when an Anglo-Saxon king granted the estate to the Bishops of Winchester. The castle itself has a rich history, with links to ancient Egypt, the Houses of Parliament and even the world of royal horse racing.

Perhaps, indeed, truth is stranger than fiction?

The Robertson Lecture 2019 – Downton Abbey Revealed: The Story of Highclere Castle takes place on 30 October, 7–8pm, Holburne Museum, £15. holburne.org ■

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“I’m in meetings all day” Our roving reporter on life in the office and how screens come first

W

e are woken at an unholy hour by the bleep of my husband’s phone. “What was that?” I’m immediately alert, fearing something dreadful has happened.

“Sorry, I forgot to silence my phone,” he says as he peers at the screen blearily. “Oh, it’s my colleagues at the conference in the States sharing a joke on WhatsApp. Ha, ha,” this last said deadpan.

The WhatsApp group is the quicksand of technology. It looks innocuous until you’re sucked into it, unable to escape. You might agree, unsuspectingly, to be part of a Whatsapp group, with parents at your kids’ school, workmates or a bunch of old friends. You sign up thinking it will be nice to be involved, to share information and some witty banter. The mums and dads you’ve met in the playground seem friendly. But within days you realise that you’ve signed up to a nightmare. Your phone notifications are firing off as rapidly as synapses in the brain. Scrolling through the endless comments and rows of overexcited emojis, a feeling of doom grows in the pit of your stomach.

You hadn’t realised these mums were power-crazy or that your friends held such unpleasant opinions. At the school gate you can politely walk past the swivel-eyed fanatics, but on WhatsApp their venom leaks into the car, the living room, anywhere you look at your screen. There comes a point, after a glass of wine one evening, when your thumb strays to the emoji of the poo with eyes. Well, that’s one way to leave a WhatsApp group.

Another scourge of modern life is The Meeting. Do you feel you spend too much of your life in meetings? We need to have them, to communicate with each other and ensure our organisations make plans.

But aren’t they the curse of the modern worker? You can end up feeling that you spend more time in meetings than doing your job.

Watch your colleagues hastily swig down tea as they hurry from their keyboards to attend the latest round-table huddle. And the higher up the corporate tree you climb, the more time you have to spend locked in a windowless room watching laptop demonstrations generally given by semi-literate technophobes. “I’m in meetings all day” is a mantra we hear all too often.

Why are meeting rooms always too hot and airless, inducing an overwhelming urge to yawn? It’s not as though doodling is an option any more in this digital age, although you can play a sneaky game of Candy Crush or online Scrabble on your phone under the pretext of doing work-based research.

If you’re not in a meeting for work you’ll invariably end up in a meeting for your local community or hobby group, spending your evenings listening to dog walkers, runners or volunteer litter-pickers voice their complaints. And when you finally uncurl your spine from the torture of the plastic chair and make your way out into the fresh air there will always be that nagging doubt that nothing has actually been decided.

Sometimes I feel meetings are the only times we have face-to-face conversations with neighbours, at work or home. The majority of chat is done via email – even by colleagues who sit within speaking distance of each other. They prefer to have a dialogue via the keyboard than to voice their views aloud. If you dare to speak to someone they may irritably respond that you should email them if it’s important. Modern manners seem to dictate that whatever is on the computer screen in front of you takes precedence over the person standing at your side.

I visited an office recently and while I was there one of the big black phones on a desk started to ring. I swear everyone in the room jumped in surprise. One young woman gasped: “What’s that?” an Edward Munch look of terror on her face. One brave soul, an older colleague, walked over and boldly took up the receiver, calling out his name and the department as he answered the phone. Within seconds he’d put the phone down, turned to his colleagues’ expectant faces. “Automated cold call,” he announced. Phew! That was a close shave. n

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Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

See more online thebathmag.co.uk

Contact us: Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Editor Tel: Email:

Emma Clegg 01225 424592 emma@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Financial Director Email:

Jane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Assistant Email:

Georgina Southam georgina@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Assistant Editor Email:

Jessica Hope jessica@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Contact the Advertising Sales team tel: 01225 424499 Email: sales@thebathmagazine.co.uk Advertising Sales Email:

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

2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Telephone: 01225 424499. Fax: 01225 426677 www.thebathmag.co.uk Š MC Publishing Ltd 2019 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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Take advantage of our early bird Christmas offer

10% off

new commissions.

Quote code Early 10 to claim Offer ends 31st October

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FASHION

AUTUMN SILHOUETTE The OSKA design philosophy – “comfortable and flexible fits give you freedom to move” – is clearly borne out in every item of the brand’s clothing range. Emma Clegg visits OSKA for a style consultation and discovers more about their signature silhouettes

Pullover Tuuli, £199; Trousers Eiby, £189

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kin tight was never my thing. I’ve always preferred baggy over taut and palazzo over body stocking, even in the face of pervading trends. So when I was invited to visit OSKA for a style consultation I knew that I’d be in my comfort zone, quite literally.

Oska – which is based near Munich – pride itself on simple shapes and choice, authentic materials. Its sustainability ethic is also strong: its Czech dyeing plant uses low-temperature technology to save up to 50% of the water and energy during the dyeing process, and with materials and workmanship of such high quality all pieces have a long life. The look is also timeless – untramelled by the everchanging rules of fashion, the OSKA brand is naturally inspired by trends, but remains true to its line.

Nelle Neilson, my style coach, herself decked in OSKA and a vision of free-flowing sophistication, had collected together some pieces for me to try on, based on the short questionnaire that I’d completed before my visit, explaining size, colour preference, and whether I liked separates or dresses. Nelle explained the typical OSKA style silhouettes to me. They range from A (flared or swinging hemline) to H (straight vertical lines) and O (classic voluminous trousers) to V (overcut shoulders and narrow hips). All are characterised by comfortable curves, organic shapes and a sense of free comfort.

I was particularly taken by the Birthe Trousers in olive, which had a narrow fit at the hips and a bulky width at the legs before narrowing off towards the hem; the Eiby trousers with their brooding, mottled checks; and the Poncho Sattra in olive, charcoal, sage and grey, an ultra-fine assymmetrical knit drape.

OSKA brings out two collections annually.

The colours – which shift gently in emphasis, with each season introducing 20 new shades – are distinctive: rich, soft, subtle with diffuse subdued natural tones. There is a timeless simplicity to these clothes that is quite disarming – they have presence and authority, honest textures, sensual materials and lively surfaces. Warm nuances hold their own next to cool and shadowy neutrals. Black and white alternate with shaded hues of brown, blue and green. This is a wardrobe vocabulary to relish from day to day.

Style coach appointments at OSKA are free of charge – and are a luxurious way of absorbing the new season’s style and finding just what works for you. ■

Waistcoat Mjelde, £339; Jacket Gisla, £289; Trousers Dixee, £229

Pullover Thiabé, £139

Pullover Lasja, £189

LEFT AND BELOW: Trying on my new OSKA look for the autumn

OSKA, 30 Upper Borough Walls, Bath; uk.oska.com

Skirt Lomma, £229 Oska Scarf Pemea, £89

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Burmese Rose Bowl Telling a Jataka story in extraordinary detail

Uniquely chic tweed clothing for

men and women Bespoke design Ethically made Sustainably sourced

Settlers Stores, 5 Cheap Street, Frome, Somerset BA11 1BN Tel: 01373 455044 www.settlersstores.co.uk

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EXHIBITIONS

The picturesque in Bath Virtual and physical space – can they work together? A new exhibition at the Andrew Brownsword Gallery at The Edge, Playing the Picturesque, gives visitors the chance to experience an interactive installation exploring the boundaries between the two PLAYING THE PICTURESQUE EXHIBITION The picturesque is an aesthetic category developed in the 18th century to describe, in the words of artist and author William Gilpin (1724–1804), “that peculiar kind of beauty which is agreeable in a picture”. We talked to architectural design practice You+Pea – Sandra Youkhana and Luke Pearson – asking them about the exhibition and their architectural practice. They told us that the architectural world can be opened up to new audiences with animated virtual environments.

How was the exhibition commissioned?

Our installation was commissioned through an open call earlier this year to create an installation in the RIBA’s gallery which responded to this year’s London Festival of Architecture theme, ‘boundaries’. Our response was to create a part-physical, part-virtual installation which blurred the boundaries between the two and challenged the typical visitor’s experience in the gallery.

Does the exhibition have relevance to the city of Bath?

For this commission, we were asked to create a new folly which responded closely to the picturesque context of Bath, where The Edge is located. We were inspired by Prior Park and its surroundings as a cosmos of the picturesque, anchored into the landscape by the iconic Palladian bridge. Responding to the recent restoration works and attempts to restore the iconic reflections, we used this as a catalyst for our installation, depicting a virtual realm in place of the lake. This will be an exciting addition to the remainder of the installation, as it is experienced in a new and unique way.

What is the idea behind the title?

Playing the Picturesque was conceived to communicate the interactive nature of the installation. Rather than simply observing, we wanted visitors to be given the capability to play and uncover various principles of picturesque design, across a number of different settings and scenarios.

How can a video game visualisation of the picturesque ever match up to reality?

Instead of attempting to simulate reality, our work draws from the experiential qualities of real-world environments and supersaturates these to create engaging and thought-provoking experiences. Through the use of games, we can distort reality to amplify particular notions to the player. We also want to show that 28 TheBATHMagazine

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Fragments from Prior Park’s past and present, materialised into playable components

for many, the colourful worlds of games are real places that they can identify with, that have their own unique forms of nature.

Why is the concept of picturesque still relevant today?

Primarily the picturesque is so interesting because it is about duration and movement. Picturesque architecture must be experienced by moving through it.

We feel this strongly relates to how people experience game environments and believe that many picturesque architects were creating early forms of the ‘virtual’ world.

The picturesque retains many principles that are still prevalent in different forms of contemporary design. Nowadays our landscapes are populated with relics of the picturesque aesthetic which act as local monuments, but are also often

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EXHIBITIONS

YOU+PEA ARCHITECTS Luke Pearson and Sandra Youkhana

What spurred the use of video game technology into your architectural design?

We both enjoy playing games, yet as architects we are interested by how the majority of games depict a form of architectural space. Whether a historical recreation of a city, a spaceship or a cartoon world, most video games challenge us to perform actions in a spatial setting. This relationship is intrinsic to architecture as well, so we want to challenge games beyond their use for entertainment. We saw potential in exploring architectural design through the use of game engines, the software used for video games, because we can make propositions, and then interact and explore them with immediacy.

What is the advantage of the combination of game technology and architecture?

Most of the traditional media architects work in, such as drawings or models, are

static. Even with video fly-throughs there is a tendency for the design to be treated as static. While game worlds are also representations of a space like a drawing or model, they cannot be ‘complete’ without a player. Games can be used to place a person in the world and then give them ways to interact with it.

Why is it important to engage new participants in the design of cities?

The procurement of buildings and cities remains a relatively closed-door process in many parts of the world. We feel everyone should have an awareness and an opportunity to shape their environments.

Games as a popular medium can be utilised for engaging new audiences who haven’t been trained to read plans and sections, or indistinguishable descriptions of text describing how their communities are going to change. They allow people to generate direct feedback on projects in a way that is engaging and accessible.

Does all your work specialise in this area?

We enjoy making videogames as architectural designers as it is still a relatively under-utilised medium within our field. Through our work we also challenge the way videogames are played and displayed. On an architectural scale, we are interested in exposing architecture which has been manipulated by videogame logic, seeking to understand ways that videogame worlds stretch, compress and distort architectural space.

How has architecture changed in terms of how it harnesses technology?

While architecture is changing to embrace new manufacturing technologies such as robotics, and software innovations such as Building Information Modelling, our interest in game technologies comes from society’s unfading culture of stories and play. Architects have always engaged with technology, from modernists who admired aeroplanes to architects creating simulation software. Games tap into another age-old interest of architects, dreaming of new worlds or creating new tools to shape them.

Can you give examples of your projects?

Currently we are collaborating with universities, tech companies, museums and cultural institutions. A recent project with Kosovo Architecture Festival involved crowd-sourcing sketches of memories and valued aspects of a local town in Kosovo.

We then placed these into virtual game space as a way of digitally preserving an alternative reality of the town. We were commissioned to create an analogue game for Somerset House’s Now Play This festival, which provided players with a toolkit of London’s building typologies.

Guided by cue cards, two players work together to build a city by responding to issues affecting the development of London’s past, present and future. Using games, we can extend the conversation beyond the ‘experts’, allowing new voices to contribute in creative ways. youandpea.com

Prior Park’s Palladian bridge as a visual centrepiece, anchored in place by the reflections of the surrounding lake

overlooked. Through the installation we wanted to re-contextualise the picturesque through the filter of digital design.

What objects and images are included in the exhibition?

The RIBA’s headquarters in London is located on one of the most famous picturesque routes, designed by John Nash. Looking through the archive material in the RIBA Collections, we found a number of works produced in Nash’s office, some realised and others speculative.

What struck us was the diversity of the picturesque and how many different typologies picturesque design encompassed. The collection exposed us to material which included proposals for romantic ruins, the master planning of larger estates, bridges as infrastructure, suburban homes for workers and most famously, grand civic buildings.

Is the exhibition interactive?

Playing the Picturesque is made from a series of physical structures that connect to virtual game worlds. As visitors move around the exhibition visiting each folly, they will find different positions to stand in which will cause virtual worlds to unfold around their movements, implying a natural space that extends far beyond the boundaries of the gallery. n THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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HIMAL FASHION and ACCESSORIES from the HIMALAYAS

Annual Autumn Event Following our hugely successful previous events, we are pleased to announce this year’s event dates are Friday 4th October and Saturday 5th October 2019, 10.30am - 4.30pm. Sunday 6th October 2019, 11am - 3pm 5, Old King Street, Bath (Health & Beauty Centre and Bath Chiropody Clinic; next to Hall and Woodhouse) We will have many beautiful items, all personally chosen, including: Beautiful jewellery • Pure Cashmere Shawls • Pure Cashmere Scarves • Pure Cashmere Ponchos • Pure Silk Handprinted Scarves Silk & Cotton Mix Dressing Gowns • Silk & Cotton Mix Pyjama Sets (beautifully presented in matching presentation bags) Luxurious Hand Embroidered Cashmere Shawls • Pure Wool Rugs Beautiful Embroidered Cushions • Home Accessories • Clothing • Handbags Children’s Slippers • Gifts for children, family & friends too Dare we mention…….. Beautiful Christmas Decorations Come along, bring a friend, enjoy a glass of Prosecco with us, shop!

All profits from the event will be donated to The Charitable Foundation for the Education of Nepalese Children Reg’d No. 1140503 (A local charity, supporting and funding the education of children throughout Nepal.)

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WHAT’S ON in October Elizabeth Day will be talking at Komedia

Watch a screening of Matisse: From MoMA and Tate Modern at The Holburne Museum

Hope and Social Band return to Chapel Arts Centre

PHENOMENAL WOMEN: VIV GROSKOP n 2 October, 6pm, The Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel In the fourth talk of this series, writer, critic, broadcaster and stand-up comedian Viv Groskop shares her insights on the art of public speaking, inspired by her new book How to Own the Room. £15; phenomenal-women.co.uk

DOMAINE LA LOYANE: MEET THE WINEMAKER n 2 October, 7pm, Le Vignoble An evening hosted by Laura from Domaine La Loyane, Rhone, where you will taste a selection of wines from the vineyard while learning about their history and production, which are traditionally made in the southern Rhône Valley. £20pp, with £10 returned on a wine card; levignoble.co.uk THE DOGS OF WAR n 2–3 October, 8pm, Mission Theatre Using only Shakespeare’s own words, Dogs of War uses themes from all the great plays to tell a story of hubris, bravery, stupidity, love and loss. As petty dynastic squabbles, fuelled by sinister manipulators, plunge the population into bloodshed, families wonder if they will ever see their loved ones again. £12; shakespearelive.com 32 TheBATHMagazine

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THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE n 2–5 October, 7.30pm, Rondo Theatre Bob and Fran have worked hard to give their four children the opportunities they never had. Now, with the kids ready to make lives of their own, it’s time to sit back and smell the roses. But the change of the seasons reveals some shattering truths, leaving us asking whether it’s possible to love too much. Written by Andrew Bovell, presented

by Bath Drama. £14/£12; rondotheatre.co.uk U3A LECTURE: BATH AND ITS LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN 1800 n 3 October, 10.30am, The Pavilion Rose Wallis will explore the role of the magistracy as local government, and the particular problems it posed in a fashionable city like Bath at the start of the 19th century.

Free for members, £2 non-members; u3ainbath.org.uk THE EDGE: AFTER HOURS n 3 October, 5–8pm, The Edge, University of Bath An evening of music and creativity. Immerse yourself in The Edge’s exhibition tours, creative activities and music from talented pianist, Maria Carnarius. Free; edgearts.org ELLIE TAYLOR: DON’T GOT THIS n 3 October, 8pm, Komedia Fresh from recording her debut Netflix stand up special, the star of The Mash Report, Live at the Apollo and QI is back with a brand-new show. Join Ellie as she bangs on about life, love and what will happen if one more person tells her “you got this”.

From £15; komedia.co.uk CHRISTINE COLLISTER AND MICHAEL FIX n 3 October, 8pm, Chapel Arts Centre Following the launch of a brand new album,

Collister and Fix are in the throes of creating another beautiful mix of self-penned and emotionally intelligent interpretations of classic pop/folk/rock songs. The duo are now making their UK debut this autumn with a series of live performances. £12/£14; chapelarts.org HIMAL: FASHION AND ACCESSORIES FROM THE HIMALAYAS n 4–5 October, opening times vary, 5 Old King Street The Charitable Foundation for the Education of Nepalese Children presents its annual autumn evening showcasing fashion and accessories from the Himalayas. Products such as pure cashmere, silk fashions, rugs, handbags and decorations will be on sale, all profits will go to the charity; nepalchildrenseducation.org WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES TO TACKLE INACTIVITY n 4 October, 6pm, The Edge, University of Bath Emma Solomon-Moore discusses the challenge of increasing levels of physical activity among children and adults, and explains how researchers can work with organisations and communities to ensure programmes are not only evidence-based, but also pragmatic. Free; bath.ac.uk/events OFF THE RECORD 25TH ANNIVERSARY BALL n 4 October, 7pm, Apex Hotel A fabulous evening’s entertainment in celebration of local charity Off The Record’s 25th anniversary, helping OTR provide its much needed support services for young people in BANES. £65pp includes sparkling reception, three-course dinner, wine and entertainment. Sponsorship opportunities available; axisevents.co.uk/off-the-record

Hope and Social: Sodium

BATH YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR 2019 n 1 October, 7.30pm, The Pump Room This prestigious annual event is a much anticipated part of Bath’s musical scene and features five young, high-achieving local musicians. Tickets £12/£6 from Bath Box Office; midsomersetfestival.org

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FILM SCREENINGS n Throughout October, The Little Theatre Cinema New releases this month include the biopic Judy, The Day Shall Come and new DC film Joker. Vintage Sundays showings feature Academy Award-winning Sunset Boulevard on 6 October and Spike Lee’s 1989 film Do The Right Thing on 13 October. There’s also an encore screening of National Theatre’s One Man, Two Guvnors on 7 October, plus watch the Royal Opera House’s Don Giovanni on 8 October and the Met Opera’s Turandot on 12 October. See the full programme online; picturehouses.com/cinema/The_Little

BATH PHILHARMONIA: SEASON OPENING WITH TAI MURRAY n 5 October, 7.30pm, The Lansdown Suite, Apex Hotel Bath Philharmonia presents an evening of dance-infused orchestral music including Aaron Copland’s Hoe Down and Beethoven’s 7th Symphony The Apotheosis of The Dance. One of America’s most gifted violinists of her generation, Tai Murray joins the orchestra for her first performance in Bath. £25/£5; bathphil.co.uk JESS PHILLIPS: 7 WAYS TO CALL TIME ON B.S. n 5 October, 8pm, Christ Church, Julian Road Join Labour MP Jess Phillips as she inspires us to speak out against injustices. Entertaining, empowering and uncompromising, Jess’ latest book, Truth To Power, offers inspiration and practical help to people who want to speak out. £9.99, redeemable against book; toppingbooks.co.uk PRE-RAPHAELITE WOMEN: MADONNAS, MAGDELENS AND THE FEMME FATALE n 7 October, 1.30pm, The Assembly Rooms The first lecture in The Arts Society’s 2019/20 series will explore the role of women in mid-Victorian England through PreRaphaelite paintings. This talk poses the concept that the chaste image of domesticated femininity needed the fallen woman to define her role. Visitors welcome, £10 at the door, no booking necessary; theartssocietybath.com TOP DOG FILM FESTIVAL n 9 October, 7.30pm, Komedia From the producers of the Banff Film Festival UK tour comes a collection of heartwarming short films about dogs and their people. Meet four-legged heroes, unbreakable bonds and canine companions that enrich the lives of all those they encounter. £13.50/£12; komedia.co.uk MOVING PICTURES – MATISSE: FROM MOMA AND TATE MODERN n 10 October, 7–8.30pm, The Holburne Museum This special, behind-the-scenes documentary explores the acclaimed 2014 Tate/MOMA exhibition, Henri Matisse: The CutOuts and combines expertise from curators, historians and Tate director Nicholas Serota and MoMA director Glenn D. Lowry.

Enjoy breathtaking performances by Royal Ballet principal dancer Zenaida Yanowsky, jazz musician Courtney Pine, and acclaimed actors Simon Russell Beale and Rupert Young. £8; holburne.org BRINGING THE MEDITERRANEAN INTO YOUR GARDEN n 10 October, 7.30pm, East Building, University of Bath Nurseryman, author and photographer Olivier Filippi will share his knowledge, providing inspiration for our own gardens in this talk. Olivier and his wife run a specialist nursery in the south of France dedicated to drought-tolerant plants. £6 for visitors, University of Bath Gardening Club membership is £20; ubgc.org Continued page 34

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WHAT’S | ON

Live at the Apollo star Ellie Taylor comes to Komedia

Get an exclusive tour with artist Candace Bahouth at The Holburne Museum

Martin Shaw as Inspector Rough in Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight at Theatre Royal Bath

SH*T-FACED SHAKESPEARE: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM n 11 October, 8pm, Komedia The smash-hit, internationally acclaimed, award-winning, multi sell-out fringe phenomenon is finally on a UK tour with a version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

With one cast member selected at random and given four hours to drink before every show, prepare for classical theatre as it was always meant to be seen. With a gin in one hand, a cup of wine in the other and a flagon of ale in the other… What could possibly go wrong? £20/£31 meal deal; komedia.co.uk CITY OF BATH BRASS BAND: INAUGURAL CONCERT n 12 October, 7.30pm, St Michael’s Without, Broad Street Bath Spa Band celebrates the launch of its brand new name with a free evening of music from the brass band repertoire, including classical, jazz and pop. Changing the band’s name to City of Bath Brass Band will clarify its links to the city of Bath and its patron, the Mayor of Bath, as the band moves towards its centenary in 2021. Tickets via Bath Box Office; bathspaband.co.uk AN EVENING WITH SIR TREVOR MCDONALD n 14 October, 8pm, Christ Church, Julian Road Sir Trevor McDonald is an extraordinary man – and he has led an improbable life.

Now in his 80th year, he is known and loved by people the world over for his humility, charm and natural ease. In this special event, Sir Trevor will talk about his personal

experience of world events and interviews with globally famous – and notorious – figures. £20, includes book; toppingbooks.co.uk GASLIGHT n 14–19 October, times vary, Theatre Royal Bath Bill Kenwright presents Martin Shaw in a new production of the classic stage thriller which went on to be a hit movie. A lost watch, a missing brooch, a displaced picture frame… Tricks of the mind perhaps, but for Bella Manningham everything seems horribly real. £26–£40.50; theatreroyal.org.uk FIRE, EARTH, WATER n 16 October, 1.10–1.45pm, The Guildhall To complement Victoria Art Gallery’s new exhibition, James Tower: a Centenary Celebration, Bath-based ceramic artist Peter Hayes will be giving a free talk on his style of work. No need to book; victoriagal.org.uk DOMAINE DES TOURELLES: MEET THE WINEMAKER n 16 October, 7–10pm, Le Vignoble A guided tasting of wines from the Domaine des Tourelles vineyard in Lebanon, where you will learn about its history and production. Domaine des Tourelles is among the finest boutique wineries of the Middle East, described in the Financial Times as the “most seductive winery” in Lebanon. £20, £10 returned on wine card; levignoble.co.uk U3A IN BATH OPEN MORNING n 17 October, 10am–12pm, The Pavilion U3A in Bath is an organisation for retired people who want to find purposeful activity, enjoyment and companionship. Find out more about what the group has to offer at this annual exhibition. Free admission; u3ainbath.org.uk CRAFT4CRAFTERS CRAFT AND TEXTILE AND QUILT SHOW n 17–19 October, 10am–5pm, Bath and West Showground More than 150 of the finest craft and textile suppliers will showcase their materials and

items, plus there’s over 100 daily workshops and demonstrations of a range of artists’ techniques and mediums. Don’t miss the amazing embroidered White Walker from Game of Thrones on display in the Quilt and Textile Hall. £9/£8, under 16s free. Advance bookings get £2 off; craft4crafters.co.uk HOPE AND SOCIAL BAND n 17 October, 8pm, Chapel Arts Centre Hope and Social are a band anyone can join; a band who can turn their studio into a bistro for 70 fans; a band who involve people and collaborate with other artists.

Join them as they celebrate their 10th anniversary in a memorable performance. £16/£14; chapelarts.org BRUTON DECORATIVE ANTIQUES FAIR n 18–20 October, opening times vary, Haynes International Motor Museum The museum will be transformed into an interior design hub with inspirational stands from more than 50 exhibitors under the theme of rustic to refined luxury – antiques in the contemporary home. The fair celebrates younger dealers working in the antiques trade today who re-imagine the use of traditional furniture in 21st-century interiors. Free tickets available online; brutondecorativeantiquesfair.co.uk JO HARMAN TRIO n 18 October, 8pm, Chapel Arts Centre Widely regarded as one of Europe’s finest ever soul/blues fuelled voices, award-winning BBC Radio 2 play-listed artist Jo Harman is joined on stage with friends for an evening of heartfelt music. £15; chapelarts.org ELIZABETH DAY: HOW TO FAIL n 20 October, 7.30pm, Komedia Miss out on tickets to her sold out talk at The Bath Festival’s in May? No fret, awardwinning author and journalist Elizabeth Day is back to talk about her book How To Fail, inspired by her hugely popular podcast, based on the simple premise that understanding why we fail ultimately makes us stronger. £20; komedia.co.uk Continued page 36

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Candace Bahouth: David Cripps

AN EVENING WITH KESTON COBBLERS CLUB: THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL n 10 October, 8pm, Chapel Arts Centre With two halves of the Cobblers, enjoy all of the favourite tracks from the past ten years in chronological order and a few surprises along the way. Expect an evening of rambunctious, instrument switching, toe-tapping, smile-inducing indie folk. £15; chapelarts.org

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WHAT’S | ON

English Touring Opera’s The Silver Lake at Theatre Royal Bath

Blues singer Jo Harman will be at Chapel Arts Centre

Comedian Maisie Adam brings her new show to the Rondo Theatre

ENGLISH TOURING OPERA: THE SERAGLIO AND THE SILVER LAKE – A WINTER’S TALE n 21 and 22 October, 7.30pm, Theatre Royal Bath English Touring Opera returns to Bath with Mozart’s light comedy The Seraglio on 21 October, and Kurt Weill’s poignant yet satirical story, The Silver Lake – A Winter’s Tale, on 22 October. Free pre-show talk available on both days, booking required. £23.50–£37; theatreroyal.org.uk MEET THE ARTIST: EXCLUSIVE TOUR WITH CANDACE BAHOUTH n 23 October, 2.30–3pm, The Holburne Museum Join artist Candace Bahouth for an exclusive tour of her display in the Davidson Gallery.

Hear all about her artistic influences and creative practice in mosaicking and tapestry, and enjoy her beautiful pieces on display. £6, advance booking advised; holburne.org THE LONG DAY CLOSES: MUSIC FOR AN AUTUMN EVENING n 26 October, 7.30pm, Prior Park College Chapel Join Bath Bach Choir for an evening of inspirational music including Josef Rheinberger’s Cantus Missae in E flat op 109, Sullivan’s emotive The Long Day Closes, as well as works by Gibbons, Pearsall, Rachmaninov and contemporary favourite Ola Gjeilo. Bath Young Musician 2018, saxophonist Katie Bunney will complete the programme. £22/£20; bathboxoffice.org.uk 36 TheBATHMagazine

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CALL MY BLUFF WINE TASTING n 30 October, 7pm, Le Vignoble Enjoy samples of six different wines and for each one two panelists will read a detailed description. One will be the correct description for the wine, the other will be totally false. Who is telling the truth? That’s for you to decide, and if you get the most correct guesses you’ll win a bottle of fizz.

Booking essential. £15pp; levignoble.co.uk TWO HUNDRED YEARS: THEATRE ROYAL BATH n 30 October, 7.30pm, BRLSI An illustrated history of Theatre Royal Bath by the theatre’s special events organiser and official lecturer Jane Tapley. A reception will follow the talk. £5/£2; brlsi.org MAISIE ADAM: HANG FIRE n 30 October, 7.30pm Rondo Theatre Fresh from her run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, award-winning Maisie Adam is working out who is to blame and for what.

When Maisie was 13, she googled herself.

The top result was a news story, accompanied by two mugshots. It would seem, unbeknownst to Maisie, she was part of something very dramatic years before, and is only just discovering it now. £14/£12; rondotheatre.co.uk PLANNING AHEAD...

BATH FIREWORKS DISPLAY 2019 n 2 November, 7pm, Bath Recreation Ground Wrap up warm, get the family together and watch the spectacular annual fireworks display, hosted by the Bath Rotary Club.

Tickets go on sale 2 October, 9am; bathboxoffice.org.uk FAURÉ REQUIEM: SHADES OF REMEMBRANCE n 2 November, 7.30pm, Bath Abbey The principal work of this autumn concert will be the consoling Fauré Requiem. It will be complemented with Remembrance music including Taverner’s Song for Athene, There is a Country by Parry, Elgar’s They are at Rest and Towards the Unknown Region by

Vaughan Williams. Shean Bowers will conduct the choir and Bristol Ensemble. £5–£30; bathboxoffice.org.uk JACK SAVORETTI n 5 November, 7.30pm, The Forum Following his sell-out performance at Westonbirt Arboretum this summer, acoustic singer Jack Savoretti is back on UK tour following the release of his sixth studio album, Singing to Strangers. £27.50/£30; bathforum.co.uk DEMYSTIFYING DIGITAL MARKETING n 7 November, 6pm, Arts Lecture Theatre, The Edge, University of Bath Almost everyone on the planet interacts with marketing and it has always been a powerful force. Dr Donald Lancaster takes a rapid romp through the digital marketing landscape, highlighting several key pillars of practice. He aims to illustrate some of the tools and techniques used and, if there’s time, see what may lie ahead for marketers. Free; bath.ac.uk/events GREAT WESTERN WINE ANNUAL PORTFOLIO TASTING n 7 November, 5.30–9pm, The Assembly Rooms There’s more than 150 wines to taste, as well as premium spirits, and the opportunity to learn from Great Western Wine’s winemakers at this popular tasting event. Three rooms will be packed with producers such as Lucien Lurton et fils, Quinta do Crasto, Hattingley Valley, Chateau Ste Michelle and more. £25, with £2 from every ticket donated to Dorothy House Hospice Care; greatwesternwine.co.uk BACH: CANTATA NO.8 n 9 November, 7.30pm, St Luke’s Church Bach’s unreservedly playful cantata, Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben is the focal point of an unmissable evening of music by the Masters. Accompanied by period instruments, Lucis Choir will also be singing Schubert’s Mass in G as well as the eternally popular setting of the Ave Verum by Mozart. £10–£15; bathboxoffice.org.uk n

ETO: Richard Hubert Smith

AUTUMN PLANTING WORKSHOP n 21 October, 10am–12pm and 2–4pm, The American Museum and Gardens Autumn is an important time in the gardening calendar, ideal for establishing bare-root trees and shrubs and for lifting and dividing hardy herbaceous perennials. In this workshop you will discover the techniques and methods we use to ensure that our plants flourish from day one. £20, includes hot drink, booking essential; americanmuseum.org

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CINEMA | HIGHLIGHTS

Take two: films

The Little Theatre Cinema has two film offerings this month which illustrate how life on the stage can lead to bleak moments and sometimes tragedy, says Georgina Southam

Judy The life of Judy Garland is one of Hollywood tragedy. It saw the breaking down of a Minnesota teenager and her reinvention as the American sweetheart as she was fashioned into the industry’s self-image. Judy is more than just a biography; it is a study of Hollywood imagemaking at its worst, highlighting in this case how celebrity erodes, ultimately destroying the woman underneath. Garland was damaged by drug addiction, overworked and publicitystunt romances. So it only seems right that 50 years after her death, we get an insight into the last year of her life.

Adapted from Peter Quilter’s stage play End of the Rainbow, by Tom Edge, the focus is on the tragedy of the late career of Garland (Renée Zellweger) through a series of sold-out concerts in London in 1968. These performances are a last-ditch effort to make money so she can settle down with her two young children over whom she is in a custody dispute with ex-husband Sidney Luft (Rufus Sewell). Battling the men from her past, her

Wise Children Filmed live for the cinema screen at York Theatre Royal in March 2019, this is the critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Angela Carter’s 1991 novel Wise Children, from multi-award winning director Emma Rice, whose company – also called Wise

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addictions and a lack of recent success, she is a broken and lonely woman whose voice is no longer what it used to be.

With no money coming in, and practically homeless, the opportunity of a steady income through these appearances is intoxicating for Garland. Her performances are often quite frail and tipsy, but with flashbacks to her tumultuous time on the set of The Wizard of Oz, there are moments where that old magic flits into view, and we see the woman that she could have been.

This has been reviewd as one of Zellweger’s best career performances. In the words of the Hollywood Reporter, “she captures sides of Garland’s personality that not everyone acknowledges”, such as her self-deprecating humour. Zellweger is certainly an inspired choice for portraying Garland because of her own battles against the Hollywood machine and the media scrutiny she has endured about cosmetic surgery and her personal relationships.

Zellweger’s renditions of Garland’s classics, I’ll Go My Way by Myself and Come Rain or Shine are electrifying. She doesn’t match

Children – is based in Bristol.

This music-infused, raucous and ultimately heart-warming adaptation. Is glorious – full of the kind of mad magic and mayhem that Rice’s years directing Cornish travelling company Kneehigh instilled in her.

Carter’s novel is about making your way, finding your own family and brushing off adversity with a touch of rouge, a bit of glitter and a soupçon of Champagne. It is Shakespearean in its sense of real life and love and in its bawdy humour. It follows two ageing showgirls, now 75 and living in a crumbling house in Brixton, London. They tell their life stories in flashback, from the point their madcap naturist Grandma Chance took them under her wing to their time on stage, in Hollywood and beyond.

Rice has created a colourful, exuberant adaptation, playing with gender and race in her cast, with characters changing sex, colour and age in the blink of an eye.

Following a tale of theatrical dynasties, illegitimate children and sordid affairs, the production explores, through a brand of high-energy comedy, the idea that acting can sustain you. So we see Nora and Dora split from their father, who never publicly acknowledged them, and find their own path as showgirls on the ‘wrong-side’ of London Thames.

Garland’s vocal abilities in her prime, but by the end of Garland’s career she couldn’t either.

It is through Judy’s musical interludes where we see her attempt to connect with the audience in other ways, highlighting her innate need for the show to go on even when she is at the point of breaking.

The production is charged with a talented cast and some breathtaking dancing.

Characters include a lepidopterist (someone who collects butterflies and moths) who strides about in yellow tartan trousers and thespian Sir Melchior Hazard who stands out for managing to transition from barrow-boy to upper class plum accent in his Shakespearean deliveries.

This production explores the idea that acting is a way of surviving. Nora and Dora experienced their life through show business.

They live and breathe it, often quoting lines from famous Shakespearean plays. Rice has pulled together an engaging ensemble, a dazzling combination of songs and dancing, with an undercurrent of tragedy swirling beneath. n

SHOWING TIMES Judy 1 – 10 October, see website for times Wise Children 3 – 4 October, see website for times Little Theatre Cinema, St Michael’s Place; picturehouses.com/cinema/The_Little

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BATH PHILHARMONIA’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

Bath Philharmonia announces its plans for its 20th anniversary celebrations

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ath Philharmonia is one of the most exciting professional orchestras to have emerged in the UK over the last 20 years.

In its 20th anniversary season, Bath Philharmonia plans 20 events to celebrate its 20 years of world-class music-making in the city of Bath and beyond. From concert hall performances to life-affirming celebrations of young people’s creativity, these events aim to encourage everyone to discover their own love of orchestral music.

Helping the orchestra celebrate its 20th anniversary are some of the world’s best soloists including phenomenal pianist Lauren Zhang and magical cellist Laura van der Heijden (both recent winners of BBC Young Musician of the Year). Mariam Batsashvili ranks among the most promising young pianists of her generation. The legendary Sir Willard White’s performance is guaranteed to inspire and thrill. Sheku KannehMason’s rise to fame has been meteoric and he returns to Bath with Dvorak’s glorious nature inspired Cello Concerto. Internationally acclaimed violinist Hyeyoon Park performs Beethoven’s greatest concerto and ‘one in a million’ British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor interprets Prokofiev’s stunningly virtuosic 3rd Piano Concerto.

Bath Philharmonia loves making orchestral music accessible to as many people as possible. From its Gala Concert with King Edward’s School, Bath to The Concert for The People of Bath with The Bath Festival it aims to nurture the rising classical stars of the future. Bath Phil’s Creative Learning Team works in schools and with youth organisations to help young people to develop their creative and musical skills while positively impacting upon personal and social outcomes.

As Bath Philharmonia enters its 20th anniversary year, the orchestra continues to make its mark, both on and off the concert platform, across the South West and beyond. While delighting audiences with remarkable concerts featuring world-class soloists and working with talented young musicians in schools across the region, its role in transforming the lives of young carers remains a central and essential area of work. n Full details of Bath Philharmonia’s concerts and events are available at bathphil.co.uk

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The Joy of Recycling Duncan Campbell HAS BEEN DEALING IN ANTIQUE SILVER SINCE 1986.

The Bagpuss Effect

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believe it is pretty widely understood, by those who study these things, that a great sense of tranquility and calm can wash over viewers of slow paced make-up tutorials and towel folding videos. I must assume, in view of its success, that The Repair Shop on BBC Two delivers a similar sense of well being.

There is certainly something very compelling about watching a skilled restorer turn a neglected pile of sticks or a lump of ugly rust back into a thing of beauty. I have to admit that I am completely addicted to the format. For me there is a warming feeling of Bagpuss based nostalgia about taking in disregarded old treasures and watching them transform before our eyes beneath the hands of their highly talented saviours – the BBC folk do an even better job than the mice on the incredible mouse organ.

Whether or not the interest in watching restorations will convert into action, as seems to have been the case for both home-baking and sewing, remains to be seen. The tragedy of the restoration business is that, a bit like baking and home sewing, the long hours are rarely properly rewarded financially.

My aunt once proudly showed me a chaise-longue that she had spotted in a local auction and bought for only £300. A great bargain she declared that had just needed upholstering to be worth getting on for £1,000 now. Looking very grand in its place under the window I could see that the recovering and padding had been done very well indeed, no surprise really, as a little later my uncle groaned that the bill had been £1,800 plus VAT. He didn’t have the heart to confess this to my poor Aunt.

The pure joy of a show like The Repair Shop is that no account is given for the future value of the much loved heirloom. In the cruel world of commerce, there comes a point – often a lot sooner that one might imagine – when a broken or damaged antique is fit only for the bin. Expending hundreds of pounds reconditioning an often fairly unattractive item, that would be very hard to get £10 for in perfect condition, is a wonderful madness and I am delighted to witness it during my lifetime. n beaunashbath.com, 01225 334234

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EXHIBITIONS

ABOVE: Chilli peppers

by Maureen Seed

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EXHIBITIONS

Plants with a purpose

Plants give us everything we need to survive. As an exhibition from the Bath Society of Botanical Artists opens at BRLSI, Timothy Walker, previously director of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, explains the life-giving value of plants

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he work of The Bath Society of Botanical Artists documents the infinite variety and colour of the plant world, as their latest exhibition at BRLSI attests. But what is their back story and their importance? Well, although plants are green and immobile, they supply us and other living things with all our food. They provide the fibres for clothes, the materials for houses, the paper for books, and are the source of half our medicines.

They can do all this because of a very neat bit of chemistry that appeared over two billion years ago. Using a process called photosynthesis plants take light energy from the sun and use it to combine carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil to make food for themselves. Photosynthesis is also the number-one source of oxygen in the atmosphere. This chemical wizardry means that plants give us everything we need to survive. Ironically, the oxygen is what the plants throw away while photosynthesising.

It has taken Earth 3.8 billion years to get to where it is today. There have been some incredible innovations in that time. From the first single living cells came colonies of collaborating cells, and the result, 600 million years ago, was multicellular plants.

Having always existed in water, certain plants moved to land about 470 million

Goldcrest on yew

by Jan Robertson Chef at the Marlborough Tavern, Jack Scaterfield

years ago and survived. The first trees started to grow 385 million years ago and 20 million years later the first seeds were produced.

This transition – a miniscule part of the life history of plants – transformed the interactions between plants and their environment – now plants could survive fire while rooted in the soil. What was an improvement for plants turned out to be equally good news for animals because all animals – humans included – depend on seeds and plant growth for their nutrition.

About 145 million years ago came another crucial transition as plants moved from gymnosperms (seed plants) to angiosperms (flowering plants). Plants and insects were now working together in a partnership called pollination, where pollen was transferred from the male part of a plant to the female part of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds.

It’s unclear how large the first flower was, but it may have been just a centimetre or less in diameter. Later flowers evolved into a dazzling array of shapes and sizes and have diversified into the range of ecosystems they occupy today. The colours, textures and visual beauty of flowers in all their variety stems from the fact that they need to signal their availability to pollinators.

There are around 300,000 plant species in the world today.

Neanderthals, early humans who could control fire, live in peaceful groups and hunt and gather, appeared about 250,000 years ago, but it wasn’t until 10,000 years ago at the end of the Neolithic era that humans started to use agriculture. This saw the active development and cultivation of plants for food and medicine, meaning that Earth could support a much larger population. At the end of this period metal tools were developed, and the growth of metalwork expertise over the centuries saw the upscaling of agriculture.

All the extraordinary forms of life around us – all 8.7 million different species – are dependent on plants. The human destruction of the living world is causing a frightening number of plant extinctions, mainly through the loss of natural habitats. It is now time to stop taking plants for granted, understand their intrinsic life-giving value and take concerted action to protect them.

The exhibition of work from the Bath Society of Botanical Artists at BRLSI is a timely reminder of the beauty of our plants, their infinite variety and their life force. n Plants with a Purpose, an exhibition by the Bath Society of Botanical Artists is on from 3–21 October at the BRLSI; bsba.co.uk What Have Plants Ever Done For Us? talk by Timothy Walker, takes place on 18 October, 7.30pm, BRSLI; bathboxoffice.org.uk

Blackberries

by Jan Hopkins

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

STATE OF THE ART Creative legends of the past and modern day, local art trails, and intriguing sculpture take over the art scene in Bath this month SOMERSET ART WEEKS FESTIVAL THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM

Venues around Somerset Web: somersetartworks.org.uk Until 6 October This annual countywide celebration of the variety and quality of contemporary visual art that can be found around Somerset is now in its 25th year. Galleries, studios, barns – as well as a library, hospital and an old prison – will open their doors and showcase a range of paintings, sculpture, print and jewellery. Works by more than 300 artists will be on show, plus there will be talks, films, installations and workshops across the county. In Bath Axle Arts, Bath Artists’ Studios and Art at the Heart of the RUH will be taking part. See the full venue list online.

Tidal Margin by David Brayne

Great Pulteney Street, Bath Open: Daily, 10am–5pm (11am Sundays) Tel: 01225 388569, web: holburne.org REMBRANDT IN PRINT 4 October – 5 January As well as being an undisputed master of the Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt was also one of the greatest printmakers of all time.

He used a characteristic scratchy, fine line to create images remarkable for their power of expression. He also reworked some of his plates, demonstrating his pursuit of atmosphere in his images and a Rembrandt, Self-portrait open mouthed, canny recognition of the financial as if shouting, 1630 © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford potential of the print. This selection from The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford – one of the world’s greatest collections of Rembrandt’s etchings – will include many of his most iconic images. It will juxtapose works of different scale and feeling, and a variety of subject matters, from selfportraits through religious scenes to female nudes.

HENRI MATISSE: MASTER OF LINE Until 5 January One of the undisputed masters of 20th-century art, Henri Matisse (1869–1954) is renowned for the exquisite delicacy of his drawn line as much as for the intense brilliance of his colour. His etchings are remarkable for the fact that they preserve the vivacity and clarity of his drawing, giving them an immediacy that is especially striking in dialogue with the etchings of Rembrandt. This display, commemorating the 150th anniversary of Matisse’s birth, focuses on around 20 of his works.

VICTORIA ART GALLERY

By Pulteney Bridge Open: Daily, 10.30am–5pm Tel: 01225 477233, web: victoriagal.org.uk RICHARD TWOSE: EXPERIMENTS WITH FLYING Until 24 November Richard Twose, who won second prize at the 2014 BP Portrait Award in the National Portrait Gallery, undertook a three-month residency at Elisabeth Frink’s former studio in 2018. Inspired by Frink’s themes, such as the Bird Man, horses and bulls, he extended them helped by acrobats from CircoMedia, Bristol. By directing the acrobats he was able to test their limits – balancing, falling and flying – incorporating energetic marks into his resulting images so as to convey continuing motion. Free admission.

JAMES TOWER: A CENTENARY CELEBRATION Until 24 November One of Britain’s most important 20th-century studio potters, James Tower was also a highly respected art school lecturer, first at Bath Academy of Art, where he set up the pottery studio. This loan exhibition marks the centenary of his birth and features 40 large sculptural ceramics as well as numerous paintings, drawings and documents demonstrating his artistic influence.

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Self Portrait, Stepping off a Horse by Richard Twose

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

GRAY M.C.A 5 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath Open: Wednesday – Saturday, 10am–4pm, Monday and Tuesday by appointment Tel: 01225 422117, web: graymca.com

Nigh by Chloe Yandell

THE AUTUMN SHOW Throughout October Gray M.C.A is exhibiting an exciting combination of original modernist textiles and the best of 20th-century fashion illustration from the masters of the discipline. These rare original works have great elegance and style, and bring a touch of sophistication to any interior.

Right, Three Seated Figures by Henry Moore, 1947, Provenance: Ascher Ltd 1989

THE PEACOCK ARTS TRAIL 5–13 October Corsham and surrounding area, Wiltshire Web: peacockarts.co.uk This art trail will be shaking its colourful tail feathers this month in celebration of the wealth of creative talent on offer in north west Wiltshire. With more than 40 open studios and exhibitions around Corsham and Box, you can see a varied range of artistic mediums on display ranging from crochet to fine art, photography to carpentry, jewellery making to sculpture and much more.

Morning Light Through the Trees, Real Alcazar Gardens, Seville by Valérie Pirlot

NICK CUDWORTH GALLERY London Street, top of Walcot Street, Bath. Closed on Mondays Tel: 01225 445221, web: nickcudworth.com Throughout October This month’s exhibition features original paintings by Nick Cudworth including a recently commissioned landscape of Solsbury Hill. Also featured are paintings and prints of Bath buildings and surrounding landscapes and waterways.

Above, The Paragon Paradox by Nick Cudworth

MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN ART

MOMENTS OF LIGHT 4–6 October, 10am–5.30pm The West Barn, Barton Farm, Bradford on Avon Web: valeriepirlot.com An exhibition by local landscape painters Bob Child, Valérie Pirlot and Andrew Taylor. For their fifth joint exhibition, the three artists will showcase their latest work produced in the UK as well as during recent travels abroad. They all paint en plein air, in front of the subject, which forces them to make quick decisions before the light changes and capture the moment before it’s gone. The show will feature a selection of original oil and watercolour paintings. All work will be for sale alongside a selection of original prints, cards, calendars and catalogues.

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Bennett Street, Bath. Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, 12–5pm Web: meaa.org.uk EAST ASIAN LIFE Until 10 November The exquisite objects in the Museum of East Asian Art’s collection are now seen as wonderful works of art.

However, many of them were originally utilitarian items used in daily life. From flower vessels to incense utensils, and from writing tools to accessories, this exhibition remembers the original function of many objects in the museum’s vast collection.

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

Baltic Sunset by David Ringsell

BEAUX ARTS 12–13 York Street, Bath Open: Monday – Saturday, 10am–5pm Tel: 01225 464850 Web: beauxartsbath.co.uk

DAVID RINGSELL Claremont Community Centre, Eastbourne Avenue, Bath Tel: 01225 315705 Web: real-images.com

AUTUMN EXHIBITION Throughout October Beaux Arts’ autumn show features artists of some renown, locally and internationally. Beth Carter has a burgeoning reputation in the UK and the USA with her distinctive shape-shifting bronze sculptures. Award-winning painter Richard Twose adorns the walls and there will be an exhibition of several works by the late Dame Elisabeth Frink to celebrate Richard’s recent residency at Frink’s former studio in Dorset. Also on display are the charming arboreal-themed works by Rebecca Campbell, plus there’s ceramics by Akiko Hirai.

NEW VIEWS ON FAMILIAR PLACES Until 15 October This exhibition focuses on the power of painted images to make the viewer look with fresh eyes. David Ringsell has a contemporary take on classic Bath architecture, creating realistic compositions that retain a painterly quality. Originals and custom prints are available to purchase. Open during café opening times – currently Thursdays, 10am–2pm and at other times by arrangement. Free admission.

Sitting Minotaur

by Beth Carter

Self-portrait 1 by Elisabeth de Las Casas

Kissing Tower by Wendy Anderson

DOMINIC CLARE OPEN STUDIO WEEK 5–13 October, 10am–5pm Valley View, Slaughterford, SN14 8RJ Tel: 07833 614391 Web: dominicclare.co.uk

REDISCOVERING THE SELF As part of the Peacock Arts Trail, widely acclaimed sculptor Dominic Clare will be opening up his gallery which is packed with a multitude of intriguing sculptures. From the monumental to the tiny and delicate, he will be showcasing the fruits of 25 years of work, much of which has been influenced by a wide range of cross-cultural sources including his birthplace in Ethiopia and the ancient history of Britain. He burns the wood, revealing the grain by blowing away the soft summer growth; burning transforms the wood, soft and charred or polished like black marble. There will be sculpture for sale for home, garden or public space available. The studio is also open on the third Sunday of every month.

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29 September – 6 October, 12–6pm 6 Widcombe Crescent, Bath Web: wendyanderson.org; elisabethdelascasas.co.uk This is a rare collaboration between two artists exhibiting together for the first time. Local Bath artist Elisabeth de Las Casas shows her work alongside her tutor, Wendy Anderson, who taught her at St Martins School of Art many years ago. Some 30 works will be on show as both artists explore the idea of ‘rediscovering the self’, but in different ways and in diverse mediums. Elisabeth’s work, mainly on paper with ink and colour, is immediate and spontaneous. There are self-portraits, landscapes and dark sketches. Wendy’s works, which are on canvas with collage and handmade oils use memory and painting as a way to reconnect with that which is lost. Her paintings are inspired by high-rise hotels, rooftops and construction sites from her travels all around the world.

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nick cudworth gallery

2019/2020 Lecture Series ~ The First Lecture of the Season ~ on Picture Window No.1 - Solisbury Hill Oil on linen original– prints available. 54 x 30 inches

OCTOBER EXHIBITION

Monday 7th October 2019

Pre-Raphaelites Women : Madonnas, Magdelens and the Femme Fatale Lecturer : Daphne Lawson

Exploring the role of women in mid Victorian England through Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

1 – 30 October

at 1.30pm in The Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street Bath

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

Visitors welcome £10 at the door (No Booking required) Visit our website for membership benefits and other information www.theartssocietybath.com

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

BATH ARTIST PRINTMAKERS BRSLI, Queen Square Web: bathartistprintmakers.co.uk INK TO PAPER 23 October – 5 November, 10am–4pm (closed Sundays) Bath Artist Printmakers is a small, friendly printmaking studio based in Larkhall, specialising in traditional etching, aquatint, dry point, monoprint, photopolymer, relief, collagraph, and carborundum processes.

Members will be showcasing their work this autumn. Talks and demonstrations will also take place throughout the duration of the exhibition. Free admission.

Ceramic wall piece

by Gary Wood

WALLER & WOOD 4 Abbey Green, Bath Open: Wednesday to Saturday, 11am–5pm, and Sunday, 12–4pm Tel: 07803 033629, web: wallerandwood.co.uk IMPRINT Until 20 October A new exhibition featuring wallpieces by Gary Wood, an autumn painted clothing collection by Carole Waller, and contemporary jewellery by Annie Beardsley, Lindsey Mann, Rentaro Nishimura and Alysa Freeman – working in unusual materials such as 3D printing and compressed newspaper. Appointments for visits also available.

The Gate by Wendy Batt

LUCINDA ROGERS Settlers Stores, Cheap Street, Frome Open: 10am–5pm (Sundays 10am–3pm) Web: settlersstores.co.uk PRINTS AND DRAWINGS FROM FROME, LONDON, NEW YORK AND MARRAKECH Until 6 October

Internationally acclaimed artist Lucinda Rogers works on paper, on the spot, directly from life. In 2017 she spent two months chronicling the spaces where Frome’s local community worked in the past and still work today. Tweed and fashion designers Settlers Stores are hosting an exhibition of her prints and drawings from Frome, New York, London and Marrakech for Somerset Art Weeks in their eclectic, awardwinning boutique in Frome.

Wood carver by Lucinda Rogers

Smoked Dove by Yvonne Elston

BATH SPA UNIVERSITY Locksbrook Campus, Locksbrook Road Open: 10am–5pm Web: bathspa.ac.uk/ma2019 THE SHOWS @ LOCKSBROOK Show one: 12–20 October Show two: 26 October – 3 November

BATH OPEN STUDIOS AT THE RUH 1 October – 16 January Central Gallery, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Combe Park Web: artatruh.org Paintings, prints, photographs, ceramics and mosaics by local artists and makers from Bath Open Studios will be on show in the hospital’s central gallery, with a third of all sales going towards the Art at the Heart programme.

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Two inaugural exhibitions featuring the work of graduating Master of Art contemporary artists and designers will be open to the public at Bath Spa University’s new Locksbrook campus this autumn. Following the success of the recent degree show, a curated selection of postgraduate work in fine art, ceramics, curatorial practice, visual communication, and fashion and textiles will be on display. This will be the first exhibition to be held in the renovated famous Herman Miller Bath landmark. With a legacy of creative excellence, influence, and inspiration, the art school at Locksbrook promises the next generation of artists, designers, and makers. This year’s graduating MA cohort is the first to exhibit in this exciting new space. All welcome. n

Above, This May Be Under the Stated Weight (Aftermath), steel, glass, paper, thread, tulle, plastic, by Kelly M O’Brien

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BOOKS

Cover stories Is your coffee table laden with pens, old lists, sellotape, loose coins and paper clips? If so, it’s time to sweep all this away, dust the surface and decide what decorative books you can use to enhance your table and your living room.

These choices are simply books whose covers have visual flair, offer a decorative statement and might strike a chord with your own tastes and interior, says Emma Clegg The cover of Behind Closed Doors by Amanda Vickery (Yale University Press, paperback, £10.99) is decorated with Georgian rosettes and scrolls so should fit naturally within many Bath homes. The author, a social historian, here examines the lives of the people who lived in Georgian homes. We meet men and women from all walks of life, from gentlewoman Anne Dormer in her Oxfordshire mansion to servants with only a locking box to call their own. Vickery uses a range of unusual sources such as upholsterer’s ledgers and burglary trials to reveal the roles of house and home in economic survival, social success and political representation in the 18th century where even modest homes turned into arenas of social campaign and exhibition.

Living Color by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin, paperback, £7.99) is a book for ages 5–9, but we think that all adults will be diverted by this colourful volume, which investigates how animals can be startlingly colourful – red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple and pink. Why are they found in so many shades, tints, and hues? From the scarlet ibis to the blue-tongued skink, award-winning author/illustrator Steve Jenkins depicts a whole world of colourful animals in his signature style. There are old favourites like the pink flamingo to rare creatures such as the long-wattled umbrella bird and the ringed caecilian. How do their colours help them survive? This will be a monolithic presence in your living room, and will entrance all your house visitors.

If you have a country garden – or would like a nostalgic statement of such – then Natural History of English Gardening by Mark Laird (Yale University Press, hardback, £45) could be the obvious choice. This beautifully illustrated exploration of the quest for order within the garden and the natural world is inspired by the pioneering naturalist Gilbert White (1720–93). Following a series of chronological events – from the Little Ice Age winter of 1683 to the drought summer of 1783 – Laird probes the nature of gardening and husbandry, the role of amateurs in science, and the contribution of women as gardener-naturalists. With paintings, engravings, poetry and letters, as well as household accounts and nursery bills, Laird transforms our understanding of the English landscape garden.

“Meera can take a packet of noodles, some peanut butter and a hunk of tofu and work magic,” says Diana Henry. That’s all the inspiration I need for a cookery book, frankly, and East: 120 Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes from Bangalore to Beijing by Meera Sodha (Fig Tree, hardback, £20) brings the vegan trend to your kitchen table – as well as a big decorative statement to the coffee table.

Here is modern, vibrant, fuss-free food with an Eastern slant. Drawing from her New Vegan Guardian column, Meera Sodha offers recipes inspired by Asian cuisines from India to Vietnam. There are noodles, curries, rice dishes, tofu, salads, sides and sweets, all bursting with exciting flavours. Discover how to whip up a chard potato and coconut curry, make sweet potato momos for snacks or treat yourself to salted miso brownies. East works if you’re vegan, vegetarian, or simply want to eat more delicious meat-free food.

The bestselling book The Essex Serpent

by Sarah Perry (Serpent’s Tail, paperback, £8.99) is a story in celebration of love and the shapes it can take. The cover will also look very fine in a period interior.

The story sees new widow Cora Seaborne leaving town with her son Francis for Essex, in the hope that fresh air and open space will provide refuge.

Once there Cora becomes obsessed with the story of the mythical Essex serpent, thinking it an undiscovered species, and develops an intense relationship with the local vicar. This Victorian tale looks at science and religion, scepticism and faith, and independence and love.

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Published this summer, Lee Krasner: Living Colour by Eleanor Nairne (Thames & Hudson, hardback, £35) is a new monograph on the life and work of an outstanding abstract expressionist painter Lee Krasner (1908–1984). One of the original abstract expressionists, Krasner’s profile was for years eclipsed by her marriage to Jackson Pollock. In fact, his death in 1956 marked her renaissance as an artist. Tracing her artistic evolution – from her earliest selfportraits to the acclaimed ‘little image’ series and from her 1950s collages to epic painterly canvases – here is a vivid impression of one of the most tenacious women artists of the 20th century. It’s also a super-cool cover for those enamoured with bright, abstract statements. n

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Bathampton Art Group Exhibition Saturday November 16th 2019 10am - 5pm Bathampton Village Hall, Holcombe Lane, Bathampton BA2 6UL

www.bathamptonart.co.uk

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PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic.

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

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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

Stuart Burroughs

Director of The Museum of Bath at Work I was born and brought up in Bathampton, and I have spent most of my life here. I’m descended from farm labourers, a train driver and a gardener at a country house – all from this area, and my parents met and married while working at Horstmann Gear Company in Newbridge. I trained as an historian and it was a combination of that and an interest and knowledge of the local area which led me, eventually, to this job as director of the Museum of Bath at Work.

This is the best job I’ve ever had, championing the city’s working heritage and local history. The museum celebrates the everyday and the workaday. We held an exhibition here on housework called It’s Her Factory: Housewife Heroines a few years ago, for instance. I like the idea of being able to celebrate the commonplace in a city like Bath, which is famous for the exceptional – the built heritage and the Jane Austen connection.

I was in a band that came second in the 1991 Swindon Battle of the Bands Competition and we had our seven-inch single played on BBC Radio One (once, I think). Copies are still available. Anyway, the singer with the band made me aware of the environmental charity Common Ground and this changed completely my way of thinking about the museum and its work.

Common Ground encourage communities to appreciate their surroundings through the creation of ‘local alphabets’. The compilation, in alphabetical order, of aspects of their locality they thought important seemed a perfect way of encouraging local people to become involved in creating museum displays here. In 2014 we held an exhibition Knowing Your Place; Bath in Twelve Community Alphabets with community groups from Newton St Loe to Bathford creating local alphabets which we illustrated in 312 pictures to show the city as local people would like it presented. Did you know there was a zoo in Widcombe, and Bathford was home to the country’s oldest Horseshoe bat, named Boris? We’ve carried on with this sort of work ever since and at the moment we have an exhibition about Bath and the Big Issue and the Bath Arts Workshop – the 1970s predecessor of the Bath Fringe.

I’m a hapless cook, I’m not very good with heights and I don’t drive, but I can recognise trees by their leaves, identify wild flowers and name garden birds by their song. I used to play in The Bath School of Samba but I have now exchanged cowbells and snare drums for church bells as I am a keen, if inconsistent, bellringer at Bathampton, which I see as a sort of musical public service. It’s very good for your back as well.

I remember reading that the DJ John Peel said that as he got older he found he cried more than he had ever done when younger, and that this was because when you are younger all you do is care about yourself, but as you get older all you do is care about other people. I’d go along with that. n

COKER COURT CATCHES COLLECTORS’ EYES IN £230,000 BOOK AUCTION… Highlights in Lawrences’ bi-annual 420-lot auction of books, maps, manuscripts and photography showed the strength of demand for literature and history.

A small volume by William Paulet, Marquis of Winchester, published in 1586 and entitled ‘The Lord Marques Idleness’, contained sage advice and words of caution. This made £5250. A collection of works from the family of Samuel Taylor Coleridge that realised over £13,500 was led by a copy of ‘The British Neptune’, annotated by Coleridge himself, that made just over £5800. A rare volume on witchcraft and the confessions of those charged with sorcery dated from 1645 and made £10,600 whilst a very rare group of 34 hand-coloured engraved playing cards by Arman-Gustav Houbigant (1819) featured satirical subject matter and took £6750.

The day’s top prices were paid for Sebastiano Serlio’s ‘Booke of Architecture’ (1611) which formerly belonged to the noted engraver and antiquary George Vertue (1684-1756). It doubled expectations to take £20,000.

An important collection of family letters relating to the Helyar family of Coker Court, East Coker, Somerset, contained original manuscripts spanning three centuries and included fascinating details of William Helyar’s detention

by Roundheads in 1642, Colonel William Helyar’s Royalist sympathies during the Civil War, the family’s plantations in Jamaica and vital biographical information about many other members of the family. This was estimated at £10000-15000 and realised £25000. The whole sale realised over £230,000.

Entries are invited for their Spring Books, Maps, Manuscripts & Photography sale.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON BUYING OR SELLING, PLEASE CONTACT: matthew.denney@lawrences.co.uk

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

PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic.

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

lawrences.co.uk

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THE WHEELWRIGHTS ARMS Pet Friendly | Cotswolds Walks Delicious Food & Local Ales | Stay the Night Autumn Special Offer – Bar Main and Dessert for £15 (Offer valid Monday to Thursday from the Bar Snack menu only)

Soup of the day (v) Homemade bread

Sandwich of the day with fries Available lunch time only Smoked chicken Caesar

Mussels in white wine sauce Homemade bread, served with chips as a main Risotto of the day (v)

Honey roasted ham, egg and chips Pineapple salsa Butcombe battered fish and chips Tartar sauce and peas 7oz beef burger Fries and slaw

Church Lane, Monkton Combe, Bath

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TRISTAN DARBY Columnist Tristan Darby considers the high-quality rivals of Champagne

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ver the years the wines of Champagne have cemented themselves as the pinnacle of luxury, elegance and celebration. Wine labelled as Champagne can only come from the Champagne region between Paris and Lorraine and must abide by strict rules governing everything from approved grape varieties (predominantly chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier), to viticultural practices, winemaking and ageing.

However, recent years have seen the arrival of many high-quality rivals from all over the world, often made using the same method and grapes. Here’s a round-up of a few that hit the mark.

Most cava is made in the sunny Penedes region south-west of Barcelona by a similar method to champagne but using predominantly Spanish grape varieties. It’s overlooked by many as cheap, poor-quality fizz, perhaps due to budget bottles tried years ago. It’s a shame as the quality of cava available today, even at the lower end, is increasingly good. Perhaps this makes premium cava offerings a harder sell, too, but there are excellent bottles available at reasonable prices that are worth seeking out, such as Tresor Cuvée Gran Reserva, Pere Ventura 2014 (£18.95 Great Western Wine). It’s a vintage cava made from a blend of xarel-lo and chardonnay grapes, with a portion of the chardonnay fermented and aged in oak, plus a long cellar ageing time of 36 months. It’s complex, creamy, rich and toasty with mouth-watering acidity and flavours of bruised apple, citrus and a touch of spice. Serious sparkle at a ridiculous price.

Although a fledgling compared to many other fizz styles, English Sparkling Wine has gained lots of well-deserved attention thanks to premium traditional method wines made using the main champagne grapes, with Sussex, Kent and Hampshire our key producing areas – some vineyards even share the same chalky soils found in champagne. Hampshire’s Hattingley Valley Classic Reserve (£32.50 GWW) has the trademark crisp and fruity English style stamped all over it, with a lip-smacking lemon sherbety vim which is complemented with lovely creaminess before opening out into more toasty, green apple flavours over a deliciously long finish. Great quality, a sheer pleasure to drink, and local to boot.

Although prosecco steals the limelight, there’s much more to Italian fizz if you lift the lid, including Italy’s answers to champagne from the Franciacorta region and also Metodo Classico wines produced by sparkling masters such as Ferrari in Trentino, who have accrued countless international awards, such as Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year on three separate occasions. Their excellent non-vintage Ferrari, Maximum Brut (£26.50 GWW) runs rings around many Champagnes in a higher price bracket, and for a few pounds more Ferarri, Perle Blanc 2013 (£33 GWW) is a world-class vintage Blanc de Blancs that’s cheaper than most non-vintage Champagne, and at a far higher quality point. Made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes grown on the slopes of the Trentino mountains, vibrancy, freshness and elegance meets richness and complexity in both aroma and taste – think rich ripe apples, vanilla, and honey on toast in a glass. Bellissimo. n Learn more about the world of wine with Tristan on a course at Great Western Wine; greatwesternwine.co.uk/events

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MUSIC CITY || INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

PLAN TO PARTY

Don’t panic, it’s not Christmas yet. But the office party does need thinking about. ’Tis the season to be jolly indeed – or at least, start making plans for the annual tie-loosening fest that should be one of the highlights of the working year for you and your colleagues, advises Melissa Blease

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he corporate Christmas party represents an opportunity to chill out with your work buddies, hang out with people you don’t usually get the chance to hang out with and perhaps even make a few new friends. And hey: if it’s a working hours shebang, then you’re actually being paid to party. So what’s not to love? Think of our planning checklist as your very own version of Santa’s Little Helper, and prepare to party like it’s... well, like it hasn’t been hard work at all.

BUDGET Once you’ve established how much (or how little) you can spend on the party, then start by asking your colleagues how they’d most like to spend it. And do bear in mind that your colleagues may not necessarily be officebased: does the budget stretch to your company’s freelance/occasional workforce?

You need to know, and now, to put your plans in place.

However some companies and businesses (such as tiny start-ups, collectives, not-forprofit organisations or independent shops with maybe only two or three part-time staff) just don’t have any spare corporate cash available to fund significant festive frolics. But small teams such as these can still make the most of big Christmas party deals to suit the 20 TheBATHMagazine 60 TheBATHMagazine

numbers. You can establish a voluntary kitty with your co-workers and proceed as above, paying particular attention to early booking deals – even if you can only stretch to a swift half and a sausage roll in a festive pub, it’s a chance to get together and relax as a community and there are plenty of places that will make you welcome.

No matter how small or large your party, there will be something to suit every budget... the only proviso is that you should book today. Yes, really, right now; you see, when it comes to office party planning, Christmas is, quite literally, just around the corner.

SAVE THE DATE In work terms, December is the shortest month of the year – few offices remain fully open for business for the third week of the twelfth month. While 15 working days of possible dates sounds like a lot of options to play with, you have to consider the fact that everybody on the guest list will have other people’s parties to attend, presents to buy, houses to get ready for visitors, travel plans to make and deadlines to meet, while parents have school plays and school holidays to consider; the list of other people’s commitments is endless, so get in early.

Is the team thinking lunch, or an evening soirée? December Thursdays are traditionally the most popular Christmas party dates, but

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going off-piste (Monday evening? Wednesday lunchtime?) gives you more options to play with. If you choose a Friday or Saturday, nobody has to show up at work the morning after – but few people want to lose a Friday or Saturday evening in December to a workbased commitment.

Late lunch parties can be the best way forward if you’re not going for a full-on party package; that way, Henrietta from HR can make the 4.40pm train home with Rosie from

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FOOD | AND | DRINK

reception, while Sarah from sales, Stuart from systems and Tony from tech support can hit the nearest cocktail bars. If you opt for an early lunch, though, do establish beforehand whether or not you’re all expected to go back to work afterwards.

But if there simply aren’t any December dates that work for your work do, consider this: Christmas season Christmas office parties scheduled for January are officially A Thing – for several very good reasons: it’s easier to find a January date that works well for everybody; staff at your venue of choice will be considerably less stressed than they are in December; you may be able to wrangle an out-of-season deal... and a January knees-up to look forward to brightens up an otherwise dreary month.

THE VENUE Even if the purse strings are extremely tight, the days of the office party being held in the actual office are over – no member of staff should be tasked with the pressure of contributing to an in-house buffet, and nobody should be responsible for the clean-up when the party’s over. And anyway, the Christmas party is all about escaping the office, not having a knees-up around your day-in, day-out desks; it’s difficult to switch off from work mode if you’re in your work environment, and water coolers rarely recover after being filled with wine.

Restaurants are, in many ways, the easiest, least contentious option because the format is so familiar. Most restaurants offer crowdpleasing set Christmas lunch/dinner menus throughout December, designed to suit a range of numbers, price brackets and dietary preferences. Once booked, they’ll ask your guests to place their orders well in advance of the date; this is where a bit of spreadsheet mastery comes in handy – you don’t want Peter from production ending up with the VP’s vegetarian vol-au-vents, do you?

You’ll also be offered a with or without wine price option – and most party-goers would indeed like at least half a bottle of wine with their lunch or dinner. Does your budget stretch to a welcome drink on arrival, or extra wine if necessary? Establish this before The

Big Day to avoid embarrassing moments at bill time – and perhaps consider setting up a kitty shared between staff to cover what we’ll politely refer to as ‘extra costs’ (i.e. Sharon from statistics’ sherry habit.) Meanwhile, away from the restaurants...

Over the past few years there’s been a distinct rise in the popularity of the ‘themed venue’: hotels, bars, function rooms and even temporary ice skating rinks or ski chalets that are dressed up in suitable seasonal attire (Christmas decorations, a dance floor, chillout zones, etc) and offer a one-stop shop of cover-all party packages, from light lunchtime buffets to cocktail hour soirées and evening extravaganzas. And they’re popular for a reason: a one-size-fits-all solution for an all-in price suitable for parties of any size (often several at the same time), headed up by a team of experts in the field... and well worth considering.

Away from the more formal venues, what can possibly go wrong? Well, have you heard the one about the boss who arranged to have a fish’n’chip truck, complete with rooftop speakers blaring Christmas music, pull up on the car park, which was intended to doubleup as an impromptu dance floor? The truck wasn’t licensed – and it rained. Or the party in a nightclub for an office with an average age range of 34–58 mixing it up with revellers with an average age range of 18–21 didn’t quite, erm, work well. Then there was the party in the boss’s house in the countryside 10 miles from the city centre, scheduled for the last Friday before Christmas... and nobody had thought about pre-booking taxis.

You have been warned.

THINKING AHEAD Christmas Jumper Day falls on Friday 13 December and raises cash for a good cause (savethechildren.org.uk/christmas-jumperday). Having Christmas jumpers as the official party dress code does run the risk of making more reserved colleagues feel awkward – and anyway, warm jumpers, cosy environments and lashings of Christmas, erm, spirit don’t mix well.

HELP! Mike from marketing has had far too many martinis and needs his car keys confiscating, Cerys the copywriter is crying in the corner and the social media team’s phones have gone flat; at times like these, you need a responsible personal to organise taxis, offer support... and find a phone charger. At around the same time as you circulate invitations, ask for a volunteer (or two) to designate themselves in the role of nanny-if-needed; tee-total Tina from telecoms or grown-up George the GM may well welcome the opportunity to elevate themselves from wallflower to hero-of-thehour status. n

Party guests will want to hang up the shirt and tie for the day or swap the white blouse/grey trousers for a little black dress.

But the office Christmas party is not the time to give either your ancient Star Wars t-shirt or your slinky, skintight, spangly catsuit an airing unless you want to turn your party into an episode of The IT Crowd. As for dancing: think David Brent – and don’t be David Brent.

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INTERIORS

Christmas in the city

The seasonal celebrations are looming, and it’s time to start planning the practical logistics for your special get-together. Here are some suggestions...

Christmas celebrations at The Bird

HOMEWOOD

NO. 15 GREAT PULTENEY

Abbey Lane, Freshford, Bath BA2 7TB Tel: 01225 723731 homewoodbath.co.uk Having acquired a new lease of life in 2018 when it was bought by seasoned hoteliers Ian and Christa Taylor, this country house with its roots in the 13th century has an all-new elegant, colourful and refreshingly individual outlook.

From drinks and canapés receptions to festive parties with lunch or dinner, Homewood makes a super-stylish backdrop for a proper festive knees-up.

With 21 boutique bedrooms, Homewood is the ideal country hideaway if you’re looking to escape the city for an exclusive party. Located in 10 acres of newly restored gardens, and just 10 minutes from Bath, it’s the perfect spot to experience a taste of the good life.

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15 Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4BR Tel: 01225 807015 no15greatpulteney.co.uk

Vivacious, atmospheric and quirky, No.15 Great Pulteney, boutique hotel and spa, can cater for everything from drinks and canapés parties to lunch or dinner and can accommodate groups of 10–70. Feasts, served dinner-party style, also provide plenty of fun.

With extra special event spaces in which to impress your guests, the Dispensary restaurant features an old chemist’s shop lining the walls, while upstairs the elegant Pulteney Room has views out to one of the neoclassical wonders of the Georgian city, Great Pulteney Street.

We’d suggest testing out one of the hotel’s creative cocktails to help get you in the Christmas spirit. A three-course festive lunch starts from £29pp.

THE BIRD 18–19 Pulteney Road, Bath BA2 4EZ Tel: 01225 425003 thebirdbath.co.uk/the-christmas-tavern A new party venue for Bath, The Bird on Pulteney Road is opening a pop-up Christmas Tavern from 28 November – 31 December. The relaxed festive retreat will be the place to gather with family and friends; you can enjoy afternoon tea, drop in for food and drinks and plenty of Christmas cheer.

You can book the join-a-party nights for two to 120 guests for a Christmassy two or three-course dinner with DJ and dancing into the early hours. There are also stylish spaces for intimate get-togethers as well as the option of private hire. The Christmas Tavern is open to all, from 12–10pm daily, with a few exceptions, so bring your flock.

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PARTY | PLANNING

THE BATH PRIORY

Weston Road, Bath BA1 2XT Tel: 01225 331922 thebathpriory.co.uk

Kick off Christmas in style this year, with a festive lunch with family or friends at one of Bath’s most beautiful hotels, The Bath Priory. Perfect for a celebration, a festive lunch menu is available from 28 November – 23 December, offering three superb courses for £35 from Monday to Saturday or £39 on Sunday. Guests can meet up in one of the sitting rooms to enjoy an aperitif in front of an open fire before moving to the dining room to take a seat overlooking the lovely winter garden. Dishes on the menu include brill ceviche, citrus and avocado to start, Woolley Park Farm roast turkey with traditional festive garnishes or beetroot ravioli, goat’s curd and pine kernel for main. Delicious puddings include a choice of cheeses, Christmas pudding or a decadent dark chocolate and orange mousse. Tea, coffee and mince pies are also included to complete your Christmas celebration.

LUCKNAM PARK Colerne, Chippenham SN14 8AZ Tel: 01225 742777 lucknampark.co.uk

Just eight miles from Bath, celebrate the festive season in the elegant grounds of Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa. There’s plenty to get the taste buds tingling from a traditional festive afternoon tea in the impressive Palladian mansion to a spectacular festive lunch or dinner in The Brasserie; both available from 2–23 December.

On Christmas Day, The Brasserie is offering a sensational three course lunch including Champagne and canapés on arrival for £125 per person. This is the first year that Lucknam Park has opened to nonresidents and it’s the perfect setting for a

Celebrate your Christmas party in style at the historic Bath Spa Hotel. Treat your team to an indulgent festive feast from award-winning chef, Jon Machin, who will serve a delicious three-course menu, from lobster and prawn cocktail served with crispy melba toast to baked goat’s cheese with fig and walnut torte. Whether you choose to go traditional with roast turkey or alternative with our butter roast tranche of wild halibut, one thing is for sure – the bubbles will be flowing. Follow your indulgent dessert by venturing to the dance floor where the DJ will be playing the latest tracks and old school anthems.

Christmas party prices are £39.95 per person and room options as well as party extras are available in advance.

BATH SPA HOTEL Sydney Road, Bath BA2 6NS Tel: 01225 444424 bathspahotel.co.uk

THE ABBEY HOTEL North Parade, Bath BA1 1LF Tel: 01225 461603 abbeyhotelbath.co.uk Whether you’re looking to take the family away for Christmas, go all-out with a New Year’s Eve celebration or dance the night away with colleagues at the office party, look no further than the festive

BATH HISTORIC VENUES Pump Room and Assembly Rooms, Bath Tel: 01225 477786 bathvenues.co.uk/Christmas For a Christmas party brimming with atmosphere, delicious food and fizz look no further than Bath’s Historic Venues. From intimate, cosy spaces at the Roman Baths to large Georgian ballrooms at the Assembly Rooms, the team can cater to a

special celebration with family and friends.

For those budding chefs looking to get creative in the kitchen, head to a festive baking class at the Lucknam Park Cookery School. Using the flavours of the season, you will learn how easy it is to have the wonderful aromas of Christmas spices throughout your home. Available on 30 November, 6, 12 and 21 December, for £140 per person.

celebrations at Abbey Hotel. You can enjoy a bespoke event for up to 95 guests with tailored festive menus, or take part in a shared party night. There’s also the Après Ski Bar, now in its seventh year, which has become an integral part of the Christmas experience in Bath. You’ll find authentic Alpine foods including warming goulash and delicious bratwursts, as well as festive mulled wine and cider, hot chocolate and local beers. The Apres Ski bar runs from 21 November – 23 December.

variety of budgets and guest numbers.

With the option to hire the venues exclusively or to join one of the sell-out shared party nights, Christmas at Bath’s Historic Venues should definitely feature on your festive calendar.

Shared party nights are always a colourful affair with a sparkling drinks reception around the Great Bath followed by dinner and dancing, or if live music and dancing are more your thing, Christmas Rocks at the Assembly Rooms is a must, a night of live music in a stunning location.

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PARTY | PLANNING

KOMEDIA

THE WHEELWRIGHTS ARMS

22–23 Westgate Street, Bath BA1 1EP Tel: 01225 489070 komedia.co.uk

Church Lane, Monkton Combe, Bath BA2 7HB Tel: 01225 722287 the-wheelwrights-arms-gb.book.direct The Wheelwrights Arms is a charming rustic country inn nestled in the peaceful village of Monkton Combe and surrounded by picturesque hills and valleys on the edge of Bath, just a short distance from the city centre. The restaurant specialises in European cuisine and also offers dairy-free options, the perfect venue for a seasonal celebration with authentic country charm.

Top up your levels of Christmas cheer with a festive comedy show at Komedia. It’s time to forgo the awkward office disco and beige buffet option, and instead head to Komedia for one of its unbeatably funny and fantastically festive Krater Christmas Specials. Suitable for groups large or small, each event is complete with an all-star comedy line-up, an optional three-course or one-course meal from the Christmas menu and dancing to cheesy floor-filler classics until the early hours with exclusive afterparties provided courtesy of Club Motorcity and Fame.

The stage will be graced by dozens of fantastic comedians and comperes from across the UK and the rest of the world including Jarred Christmas, The Noise Next Door, Charlie Baker and Sally Anne Hayward.

SMOKE AND MIRRORS 8 Denmark Street, Bristol BS1 5DQ Tel: 0117 929 0362 smokeandmirrorsbar.co.uk

LE VIGNOBLE

12/13 Milsom Place, Bath BA1 1BZ Tel: 01225 465907 levignoble.co.uk Le Vignoble is a hybrid wine business offering elements of lounge, retail and education, which come together to provide the ultimate wine heaven. Awarded the IWC South West wine merchant of the year 2019, it’s the one-stop shop for wine lovers in Bath. Enjoy an out-of-the-ordinary Christmas party with some fun festive wine tasting, which is delivered either as a private group tasting by one of the in-house experts, or by the funky self-service Enomatic wine dispensers, from which you can try up to 32 different wines. The wine lounge has a small but well-formed menu of French tapas dishes, and the group buffets are built to impress – perfectly complementing the wines and providing the recipe for a memorable social outing. n

Come and visit a bar with a difference at Smoke & Mirrors in Bristol, which has Christmas all wrapped up for you. This intimate 46-seater venue is furnished comfortably and stylishly, taking you back to a magical speakeasy era. The top-rated comedy and magic show is a perfect offering for any works party where you’ll be treated to 90 minutes of comedy and magic. The packages offer festive pizzas and a prosecco reception, live music and close-up magic. You can either book just a show or add the full reception and pizza package. Guests benefit from a 10% discount on all bar purchases and there is live music in the bar until 12am.

Komedia at Christmas

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Hire baby equipment & toys

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CITY | HISTORY

The unveiling of Nelson’s plaque in Pierrepont Street in 1904

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FOOD | AND | DRINK

Into the woods

Woods Restaurant on Alfred Street has notched up 40 years in the business – Melissa Blease chats to owners David and Claude Price and discovers the secret of their longevity

Image © The Bath Magazine

fools gladly. Don’t cross me – you’re not going to win.”

In one way, this admission comes as a surprise: David is a uniquely charming man, telling hilarious anecdotes with a twinkly grin, running his hand through a mane of silver hair by way of punctuation. I tempt David to a trip down memory lane, back to where Woods began.

“Too many years ago... my first restaurant was a tiny place, just 40 covers, in a former grocery shop in Stow on the Wold,” he recalls. “I knew I needed to open another restaurant but I didn’t want to be in a small place for my whole life. We’d been all over looking for a location: Exeter, Plymouth, Cheltenham. I didn’t want to go to London, and I didn’t want to go back to Birmingham, but I was looking for somewhere substantial – and Bath is substantial. Next door to where we are now, there used to be an antique showroom with an Austin 7 in the window. I walked past, and saw that, and said, I’d love a restaurant right here.”

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Our reputation has grown more over the past 20 years than it did in the first 20

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t’s a late summer weekday afternoon at Woods Restaurant and the last of the lunchers have left. The tables are being laid up for dinner and the menus already hold great promise: grilled king prawns with lime and Thai mayonnaise followed by rosemary roasted rump of lamb grab my attention on the a la carte, speedy steak or wild mushroom and spinach spring roll on the bar menu, with Provençale fish soup available on both.

As I wait for proprietors David Price and his French wife Claude to join me, I can’t help thinking that – what with the kind of food on the menu, all the greenery everywhere, the polished wood, the fresh flowers, the tasteful knick-knackery, the spacious-yet-intimate layout, and the horseracing memorabilia (David’s a keen horse-racing fan) – it’s so classic and so brasserie I could be in one of many similar ventures tucked away down a side street in London’s Soho, or just off Rue Saint-André des Arts in Paris.

I am on the ground floor of what used to be five Georgian town houses by the Assembly Rooms (the restaurant is named after the celebrated Georgian architect) – and here David and Claude have been maintaining Woods since 1979. That’s 40 years! In an industry that’s rife with challenges and subject to the vagaries of fashion, the economy and even the weather, very few independent restaurateurs survive to celebrate such a landmark. How come Woods is one of the very few exceptions?

“Because we serve really good food, on hot plates, with nice fresh vegetables, bread, butter and jugs of water all included in the price,” says David, in what I swiftly learn to be his trademark down-to-earth manner.

“Our philosophy is all about looking after people in the best way we possibly can. Our chef, kitchen and staff team is unbelievably strong, and we’re a family business: our son Gaston runs front of house with Claude, and our daughter Gabby and son-in-law Joe are both part of the team too – we can all do each other’s jobs if we have to.

“We can send food out at 100 miles an hour, always beautifully cooked, and there’s no compromise, ever. There are no prima donnas on our staff team, and I never harass anybody because I don’t have to – ever since I chucked the first troublesome customers out when we first opened and threw the last chancy chef out about 20 years ago, we’ve never had a problem...”

“That’s not necessarily a habit of mine!” he laughs; “I love people, I really do – you have to, in this business. But I don’t suffer

“In terms of inspiration, we’d been going to Oxford on our days off and one of the original branches of Browns was lovely, back in the day – cheap and cheerful, stylish, and serving fantastic food. I had this vision of doing my own restaurant serving properly affordable food, and doing it really well.

When we first opened, we were offering something along the lines of three courses for £7.” These original prices are almost impossible to digest, but they were charging today’s equivalent of around £28 for a threecourse dinner at a time when eating out options were limited largely due to either inaccessible, upper-crust fine dining restaurants or the curry house.

If Woods’ prices were unique to Bath then, they’re even more unique to the city now.

Although casual dining chains increasingly dominate the high street and political uncertainty threatens to blight the budget, a three-course lunch or early dinner at Woods comes in at £25 and, even if you push the boat out on the à la carte, the final food bill won’t shimmy too far over £60 for two.

“You can’t be in this business for the money; if money was the driving force, I’d be gone a long time ago. You have to do it because you love it – and Claude and I love it,” says David. But be honest: has that love grown or diminished over the years?

“Actually, I think what we do has, in one respect, got easier over time – we’re more in control these days, and we don’t take the massive gambles that we used to, in terms of numbers,” he says. “Today, there are far, far more rules and regulations to navigate our way around, and the competition has grown, and we’re not immediately visible because we’re tucked away off the main drag. But our reputation has grown more over the past 20 years than it did in the first 20 years – we’re more consistent, and we’ve had the same head chef since 1994 [Stuart Ash, whom David describes as “the best person I’ve ever worked with in my life; a best friend who I count as a son.”] All these things matter. Everything matters – the way customers are met at the door, the way they’re looked after, our reputation for weddings, and private parties, and the corporate support we receive; the fact that people are so good to us in return for what we do helps us along the way, every day.”

The people that David talks about are, in the main, the loyal locals and regulars who have become like family to him and Claude.

“Our regulars have supported us down the generations – many of them first came here with their parents, years ago, and they still come back today; we’re doing birthday parties for third and fourth generation Woods’ regulars now!”

So what will those people do – indeed, what would David and Claude do – when the time comes to spread those linen cloths over the dining tables for the last time?

“That’s not even on the cards”, says David, vociferously. “I’ll be carried out of this restaurant in a box. Claude and I are no good at sitting doing nothing, with no purpose, not even when we’re on holiday.

What we do at Woods keeps us going. I’ve learnt to recognise good staff, good customers, good suppliers, and to get to where we are today, we’ve simply concentrated on being as good as we can be: honest, straightforward and accommodating.

New places open, and our customers tell us what it’s like in some new place or other... but we’re not some new place or other; we’re just Woods.” n Woods Restaurant, 9–13 Alfred Street, Bath BA1 2QX. Tel: 01225 314812; woodsrestaurant.com

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CITY | HISTORY

Grape expectations

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witter, circa April of this year: somebody was angry, somebody was celebrating the birth of twins, somebody was haranguing a home delivery service – you know how it goes. But in the middle of all the flim-flam, tittle-tattle and brouhaha, @TheBathLandlady had something exciting to share: “It’s done.

We have the keys. We are now the proud custodians of a really special building in Bath, one of the oldest in the city, pre-dating the Royal Crescent.” And lo, a Bath-centric Twitter storm ensued as the exciting, positive news gathered speed.

We now know that @TheBathLandlady is Ellie Leiper who, alongside her partner John, has recently opened the doors to the fully refurbished The Grapes pub on Westgate Street: a tiny building with a huge history that’s been in dire need of tender loving care for many a long year.

It’s somehow a delicious irony, then, that a thoroughly modern initiative supported John and Ellie as they worked their magic on one of the most ancient sites in Bath. “The great thing about social media is that, when you just be yourself, you get a positive response and meet some amazing people. It’s the modern-day equivalent of word-of-mouth, that’s all it is,” says Ellie. Today, it feels as though everybody – both on Twitter and off – is talking about the new Grapes. The windows are polished, the bar is gleaming, the beers (and ales, and ciders, and wines, all sourced with local loveliness in mind) are flowing, the reclaimed bus seats (surprisingly

comfortable!) are a major talking point, there’s a suite of upmarket letting rooms upstairs, there’s live music on selected evenings every week – and Ellie and John are at the epicentre of proceedings. So where did their story begin?

“We lived off-grid on Salisbury Plain for the last 15 years, and the last time we had a pub was 15 years ago, when our two children were both aged under five,” explains Ellie.

“The kids have been going to school in Bath for the last four years, so we were commuting for four hours a day to get them in and out of the city. John came home from the commute one day and said, I’ve found this really amazing pub in the middle of Bath – shall we go and see it? And we instantly fell in love with it. The building, and the building’s owners, represent the antithesis of everything that we suffered with our last pub, which was owned by a huge company who run leased and tenanted pubs.

Every improvement we made was pitted against us with an uplift in our rent, and every single thing we did had to go through them – it really broke us. So to find an amazing property in the centre of an amazing city with owners who have supported every improvement we’ve made – well, it’s been an extraordinary experience.” And indeed, it’s a rather extraordinary building...

“The ceiling in the first floor room is Jacobean, which puts a date of somewhere around 1527–1625 on it,” says Ellie. “The building was originally designed as a house and we know that in the late 17th century

the upstairs rooms were Mr Pocock’s lodging house – or Ms Pocock’s lodging house, as local historian Kirsten Elliott’s research from the Gilmore Map shows. But it’s been a pub since at least 1792, and before that it was a wine victualler – hence the name, presumably. But over the years, the property was split up so it’s difficult to tell exactly what happened when – all we do know for sure is that the building is bloody old!” And age, as we all know, brings many challenges.

“We pretty much had to take everything back to base layer because the building has been so neglected for so long,” Ellie explains.

“The doors had rotted away, there were pigeon feathers and fag butts all over the place, there were no joists – just nothing.

We couldn’t even have people bring refurbishment materials in through the front door until the conservation officer was happy that the building was safe. But he’s been amazing too, because he just loved what we were doing and the way we were doing it; we’ve used traditional materials on absolutely everything.

“The biggest challenge was probably the plastering, especially on the staircase down to the cellar, which was a real mess of ancient lime plaster, 1970s swirly Artex and rotten laths. We had a plasterer who repaired the laths but then just walked away because he couldn’t cope with it. I thought, well, it’s got to be done. So I put my Marigolds on and got down to it, even though at first it just kept falling on top of me. I couldn’t do it with a trowel because I don’t have that skill set, so I just used my hands.” So is that staircase Ellie’s proudest achievement?

“We worked under quite challenging conditions,” she says with great understatement. “We had electricians, plumbers and floor layers helping us, but most of the time it was just John and I. The fact that we just loved it, and didn’t get cross with each other, and worked so well together for the whole time, enjoying the process – that’s what I’m most proud of. Often a lot of people bicker and snipe when the pressure’s on, but we just got on with it. I’ve got my skills, and John’s got his; together, we rebuilt the place. Pretty much everything that you see in this building today, we built it.”

So, if The Grapes could be called a labour of love, our prediction is that Ellie and John will be feeling the love in return as they unveil their pipeline plans for Bath’s new merrymaking zone. “We’re keeping our food menu simple but beautiful, drawing on Bath’s abundance of local producers to supply local charcuterie, bread from the Thoughtful Bread Co, glorious locally

Image © The Bath Magazine

Take a building with Jacobean roots and it will have a few stories to tell. Ellie and John Leiper have added a few more to its history already with their dramatic revamp of The Grapes pub on Westgate Street – Melissa Blease reports

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CITY | HISTORY

g

g

The new landlady and landlord of The Grapes, Ellie and John Leiper

The first floor room has a Jacobean ceiling

sourced cheese, that kind of thing,” says Ellie who has, over many years, forged strong links with local food networks, suppliers and producers. “We don’t want to encourage waste, so we don’t want to deliver plates padded out with stuff that people don’t want.

You could choose, say, one dish for £4.50 at lunchtime, or share 20 plates with friends and have a feast later on. We’re also collaborating with the lovely Secret Izakaya folk, running a sake bar and Japanese restaurant which we will trial on Friday and Saturday evenings from the start of November. What more do we want to do with that upstairs room? Everything! Yoga and life-drawing classes, supper clubs, we’ve got all kinds of plans.”

Eclectic? You’ve got it! The new version of The Grapes is already many things to many people. So how would Ellie herself describe it? “We’ve had so many people asking what the theme is, but there’s no theme – it was all just about what can we do and how can we do it? What have we done

in our own lives that we can bring to this?

So, I’d say it’s slightly quirky, with a good range of local beers, lovely wine – and no TVs. It’s a place where people can actually talk to each other. Pubs have to be allowed to evolve, and The Grapes will continue to evolve – it’s already populated with

memories. John and I are merely custodians of a lovely public asset that belongs to the city; we’re just looking after it.”

This ancient, brand new pub is today in very safe hands indeed. n • thegrapesbath.co.uk

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FOOD | AND | DRINK

Feasting on green

Greenfeast: autumn, winter is the second in a pair of season-led vegetable cook books by Nigel Slater, and it is packed with quick to prepare, substantial and comforting autumn and winter recipes. Ahead of his book signing in Bath this month, here’s a preview of two of the recipes from the book Filo Pastry, Cheese, Greens A tart to eat straight from the oven, while the cheese is still soft.

Serves 4 purple sprouting broccoli 250g sprout tops 150g butter 90g filo pastry sheets 7 (270g) Taleggio 500g Parmesan 150g You will also need a metal baking dish about 30cm in diameter Bring a large, deep pan of water to the boil. Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Place a baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven. Slice each stem of purple sprouting broccoli in half lengthways. Finely shred the sprout tops. Lower the broccoli into the boiling water, leave for 3 or 4 minutes till the colour is bright, then lift out with a draining spoon and refresh in a bowl of iced water. Do the same with the shredded sprout tops.

Melt the butter in a small pan. Brush the base of the baking dish or tart tin with some of the butter, lay a sheet of pastry over the base and brush it with more butter. Repeat with the remaining sheets of pastry, letting them overhang the edges of the tin.

Tear the Taleggio into small pieces and grate the Parmesan. Drain the vegetables and dry on kitchen paper. Fill the tart case with the drained purple sprouting broccoli and sprout tops, then tuck the Taleggio amongst them and scatter over the grated Parmesan. Fold the overhanging pastry back over the edges of the tart, place on the heated stone or baking sheet and bake for about 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is crisp.

• Put a metal baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven before you start.

As the oven warms, the sheet will heat up, providing an extra hot base on which to bake your tart. Doing this will ensure a crisper base than if you simply place the tart on the oven shelf.

Ginger Cake, Cardamom, Maple Syrup Hot cake, spice cream, sweet syrup.

Serves 2 double cream 250ml cardamom pods 8 caster sugar 1 tablespoon ginger cake 150g butter 30g maple syrup 2 tablespoons Put the cream in a small saucepan. Break open the cardamom pods and crush the seeds to powder in a spice mill or a pestle and mortar.

Stir the powder into the cream, add the sugar, then simmer for 3 minutes and remove from the heat.

Cut the ginger cake into 4 slices 2cm thick. Warm the butter in a frying pan, add the ginger cake and cook for a couple of minutes until thoroughly hot. Remove and divide between two dishes. Pour the cardamom cream over the ginger cake, then trickle over the maple syrup.

• Any open-textured cake would do. A lemon cake is good here, as are spice cakes and those made with golden syrup. Madeira cake is a bit too dry and tight-crumbed.

• Cardamom has an affinity with sweet baking and is perfect here, but you could use a little cinnamon instead. n Nigel Slater is visiting Topping & Co., The Paragon, Bath on 25 October at 5.30pm to sign his Greenfeast: autumn, winter book, £26 including book; toppingbooks.co.uk

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CITY | HISTORY

The ace of castles With its distinctive trefoil shape, Midford Castle is a distinctive mark on the South Stoke landscape – Catherine Pitt investigates its history and discovers personal, legal and financial dramas

T

hree miles from Bath in the Parish of South Stoke, Somerset, overlooking Midford Valley and surrounded by woodland, stands a castle.

To some it looks like a fairy tale castle; to others it’s “an anomaly in building, equally at war with taste and comfort,” (The Gentleman’s Magazine, 1801). The truth is that it’s a home with a chequered past.

Part of a Roman road has been discovered in the grounds, and the estate’s Priory Wood alludes to the past provision of wood to the monks of Bath. Although small settlements developed in the area, it wasn’t until the Turnpike Improvements of 1770–1775 that the area was made more accessible.

Recognising the potential, Henry Woolhouse Disney Roebuck (1733–1796) chose to construct Midford Castle here in 1774–1775. According to local legend the building’s unusual trefoil shape is said to have been based upon the ace of clubs, the winning card that gave Roebuck his wealth.

The truth is less glamorous. Roebuck was indeed a man of some wealth, but this was because he had inherited land and property from his grandmother and maternal uncle (£2,000 per year, about £200,000 today).

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His surname was originally Disney (or D’Isney), but he assumed his uncle’s name as proof to his right to the will.

The castle design is unusual, but not unique. In Bristol you’ll find Blaise Castle (1766), a circular design with cylindrical turrets, and near Dumfries in Scotland the 13th-century Caerlaverock Castle is also triangular. Midford Castle’s design is likely to have been inspired by John Carter’s plans in The Builder’s Magazine of 1774.

Midford Castle was erected on the slope of a hill and so a terrace was created on the lower side. Beneath the terrace lay the domestic servants’ quarters, and the stabling area. The 1788 sales listing explains that it comes with “107 acres of Meadow and Pastureland, about 7 acres Arable, and 15 of Woodland.”

Roebuck owned Midford for around 10 years. It was rumoured he sold Midford because his wife, Elizabeth, left him after an alleged affair with a footman. Roebuck did try to besmirch her name, taking out adverts requesting people not to offer her credit.

In November 1787 Elizabeth took Henry to court for libel, clearing her name and securing from him a comfortable annuity of £600 per year. Yet the couple never divorced.

In Roebuck’s will of 1796, at the time of his death at Ingress Abbey, Kent, he had still made provision for “my wife, Elizabeth.”

Before Roebuck’s death he sold Midford (in 1788) to Dr Benjamin Pugh (1715–1798).

Dr Pugh was a famous gynaecologist and the inventor of the curved obstetric forceps which revolutionised childbirth. After Pugh’s death in 1798 a long legal wrangle over his will resulted in the castle lying empty for 10 years. In 1808 it was sold to eminent Irish barrister and supporter of Catholic emancipation, Charles Conolly (1760–1828).

Under Conolly the castle enjoyed its most stable period. In his will he tied up the estate and lands not just for his son but his grandson as well. In 1810 Conolly added the porch which led to the building’s comparison to the ace of clubs since the porch created a stalk to the shape.

Conolly invested in local schemes like the Somerset Coal Canal. On his estate was Kingham Field, a working stone quarry, and around 1814 he was persuaded by his neighbour, William ‘Strata’ Smith (later regarded as the father of geology) to invest in a rail track to transport the stone from the quarry to Smith’s Mill for cutting, and then move it onto the canal.

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Image © Bath in Time; bathintime.co.uk

Smith mortgaged his estate to fund the idea, but hadn’t considered the poor quality of the stone at Kingham Field, and the political effects of the Napoleonic Wars on British finances. Sales plummeted and in 1815 the business collapsed. As a gesture of goodwill Conolly delayed pursuing Smith for his debt, but after four years lost patience.

Smith found himself in debtors’ gaol and his possessions and home at Tucking Mill, Midford, were sold.

In 1828 Charles Conolly died and his son Charles Thomas (1791–1850) and his second wife Jane Lawless took over the running of Midford. They loved to entertain at the castle, organising dances and local shoots.

According to one local paper, on Queen Victoria’s wedding day in February 1840 Charles Thomas “kept up a discharge of his guns at intervals throughout the day.”

Unfortunately Conolly enjoyed being a gentleman of leisure so much that on his death Jane was left with a debt of over £10,000, and was forced to borrow money.

During his lifetime Charles Thomas undertook improvements to the estate, adding new stables and cottages, and in 1837 opened the Catholic Chapel of St Maria Immacculata for worship.

As an Irish Catholic family, the spiritual needs of the Conollys had been seen to by visiting monks from Downside Abbey in Somerset, but Charles Thomas chose to purpose-build a Catholic chapel (also known as The Priory) on site, for which a priest from Prior Park College was appointed. The Reverend Charles Parfitt (1816-1886) became the first, and only, resident priest.

After Conolly’s death, Jane continued to live at both Midford and at a property in Laura Place. Her son, Charles John Thomas Conolly (1818–1871) inherited the castle with his wife Louisa.

In 1840 Charles John Thomas married Louisa Brancaccio (1823–1899) in Naples, Italy. She was the daughter of the late Prince de Ruffiano, chamberlain and grand master of the horse to King Fernando II of Naples and Sicily. Conolly was in possession of a castle fit for a princess, and they both settled comfortably at Midford, with Louisa affectionately known as Countess Conolly.

The couple were childless, so in 1871 when Conolly died the estate reverted back to his step-mother Jane. She died a mere eight days after her step-son, and, following her wishes, the estate, now worth £63,000 (£4 million today) was gifted to the resident priest, Reverend Parfitt.

Jane’s family were incensed and disputed the will in court. Jane’s nephew, Philip Lawless argued his aunt had been influenced

by Parfitt, but the priest revealed that he was not the sole confessor at Midford and that a Reverend Ralph Cooper was also offered the estate, but refused. Parfitt claimed he too rejected the offer until Jane allegedly exclaimed, “but whom else have I to trust?”

The jury found in Parfitt’s favour. Louisa was permitted to remain at Midford and oversee the running of the estate with Parfitt

and her servants as company. After Parfitt’s death in 1886 Louisa spent more time at Cottles House, a property purchased in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire.

On Louisa’s death in 1899, as per Parfitt’s will, Midford Castle and Estate went to the Catholic Church, who put it up for sale. An idea of the opulence that the Conolly family enjoyed can be gathered from the sale lists and room descriptions, published in lavish detail in local and national papers.

Journalists fawned over the carved fireplaces, plaster moulded ceilings, fine furniture, paintings – including a Vandyke – and diamond jewellery for sale. Seven days were put aside for the auctions. A few of these items can be seen today at The Victoria Art Gallery including Flemish paintings and a grandfather clock.

In 1902 the estate was bought by Captain Ottley. Ottley, however, was almost immediately recalled to his post as naval attaché in St Petersburg, Russia, so it was quickly bought by Major Edwin Wilson Gresham Williams Hepworth. After his death in 1937, Midford was purchased by retired solicitor Henry Whatley in 1939.

Whatley opened the grounds to the public to raise money for various local charities during and after the Second World War. He died at Midford in 1957 at the age of 102, and following on from his death a number of short-term incumbents occupied the castle.

In 1961 the Castle was sold for £15,000 (around £325,000 today) to the Briggs family. Michael Briggs (1926–2017), was the chair of the Bath Preservation Society, and his wife Isabel Colegate (b.1931), is an

author whose book The Shooting Party (1980) is thought to have been inspired by Midford, and which later influenced Julian Fellowes creation of Downton Abbey.

By the 1960s most of the grounds had been sold, but when planning permission was refused, the Briggs bought it all back and restored the estate to its former glory.

In 2007 the Hollywood actor Nicholas Cage purchased Midford Castle, only to be forced to resell it two years later to pay for tax arrears. Today it is again a family home, one with an intriguing and marked history. n The private view invitation for the sale of the castle in 1899

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Image © Bath in Time; bathintime.co.uk

Image © Mickie Autumn Photography

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CITY | HISTORY

Plaque a punch

There are over 100 commemorative plaques in Bath and they document some of the notable men and women who once lived in the city, says Betty Suchar, chair of management of The Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution

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The unveiling of Nelson’s plaque in Pierrepont Street in 1904

the University of Cambridge. This inaugural event was so successful that the original plan, simply to put further tablets in place without ceremony, was revised so that many subsequent tablets were unveiled by distinguished persons. Over the next 14 years a further 33 tablets were installed, 26 with much ceremony.

One of the earlier tablets was one for Jane Austen, unveiled in September 1899 at 4 Sydney Place. In April 1904, the unveiling by the Earl of Selbourne, First Lord of the Admiralty, to honour Lord Nelson at 2 Pierrepont Street drew a particularly large audience. Nelson had come to Bath in 1781 to take the cure to help with his recovery from malaria, the first of many health cure visits to the city. The unveiling was a ticketed affair, complete with Mr Bossi of the Pump Room orchestra playing The Death of Nelson. In October 1908, another large gathering attended the first ever official visit to Bath by an American ambassador, Whitelow Reid, to unveil the tablet at 11 North Parade to Edmund Burke, the AngloIrish statesman. Appropriately, in October 1922, renowned actress Ellen Terry unveiled the tablet to the revered 18 and 19th-century actress Sarah Siddons at 33 The Paragon.

A few of the plaques celebrate names that are not so familiar today. One of these commemorates Major John Andrew at 22 The Circus. Andrew was a British intelligence officer who was hanged as a spy during the American Revolution for his involvement with the American traitor Benedict Arnold. George Washington described Andrew as “a gallant officer”, and there is a monument in his honour on the site

of his execution in New York. He also has a monument in Westminster Abbey where his remains were reburied.

A plaque to a less-remembered figure today was to Sir Barlie Frere, a 19th-century British colonial administrator, and can be found at 8 Norfolk Buildings. He spent most of his career in India, working to preserve its religion and heritage. He was also a leading opponent of slavery.

There are 67 plaques either in the style of, or very close to, the original design. Just ten commemorate women, with the most recent, celebrating the artist and explorer Adela Breton, being unveiled at 15 Camden Crescent in 19 July 2016. There are also over 40 plaques that have been introduced over the years by different organisations, following a variety of designs. At least 14 of these are dedicated to distinguished residents, and at least another 30 to buildings, places and historical events.

Bath’s World Heritate Site Advistory Board now plans to reenergise the heritage plaque scheme. The aim is to make the selection of individuals more balanced and diverse, and position new plaques at a deliberate rate of one or two a year.

It is hoped to continue the tradition of unveiling events to heighten awareness of the project and of the honoured persons.

Professor Barry Gilbertson, Chair of the Advisory Board, has said: “The vision is that Bath will continue to be recognised as a city that values, respects and promotes its heritage of famous residents, extending Sturge Cotterell’s legacy into today’s world for the benefit of future generations of our residents and visitors alike.” n

Image © Bath in Time; bathintime.co.uk

B

ath has always attracted the great names of their day. And it was not just the Romans, Ralph Allen, Thomas Gainsborough and Jane Austen who called Bath their home, but a whole host of artists, celebrities, writers, scientists and inventors, some mainstream, some lesser-known. Fortunately there is a system that commemorates many of the famous residents of Bath with bronze and other styles of plaques decorating the buildings in the city.

The story began on 18 February 1898 when councillor Thomas Sturge Cotterell proposed erecting mural tablets – as they were originally called – on houses once occupied by notable men and women of the 18th and 19th centuries. Samuel Reay, a Bath architect, designed and produced free of charge a sample tablet in sympathy with the 18th-century architecture of the day. On 1 March 1899, Sturge Cotterell (1865–1950) submitted his report, which included an initial list of 44 names of ‘historic interest and importance’ to Bath Town Council. The council adopted the report and voted the requested funding of £250 (equivalent to some £32,000 today).

Sturge Cotterell – who later became mayor and alderman – did much to promote the city of Bath. He believed that places of resort needed to attract visitors, and that the mural tablets would bring Bath’s historic houses to local, national and international attention.

It was decided that nothing other than the person’s name, period of residence or the dates of birth and death should be inscribed on the plaque, as “it was not to be presumed that the citizens and visitors would be ignorant of the life and history of the person so honoured.”

Sturge Cotterell reported to the council in 1914 that the scheme to promote the city had succeeded. Bath’s status was raised considerably, he contended, not only because of the honoured residents but also due to the arrival of famous celebrities to perform the unveilings. He maintained that in the past 15 years the city of Bath had received more publicity than in the previous 50 as the scheme had indeed brought national and international recognition.

Bath is extraordinarily rich in terms of the number of famous people who have lived in, worked in or visited the city. Sir William Herschel, renowned for discovering the plant Uranus in 1781, was the first person to be honoured. His tablet was unveiled at 19 King Street on 22 April 1899 by Sir Robert Ball, the director of the Cambridge Observatory at

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Dr William Oliver (1695–1764), one of the co-founders of the Royal Mineral Water Hospital and the inventor of the low-calorie Oliver biscuit, has a plaque on the site of his residence in the 18th century. It is attached to the building at 18 Queen Square, one of three 19thcentury houses and now occupied by the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (BRLSI). The plaque was unveiled in October 1935 by Dr Poynton, former consulting physician in London at the University College Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children.

The plaques to two famous Romantic poets – William Wordsworth (1770– 1850) at 9 North Parade and Robert Southey (1774–1843) at 8 Westgate Buildings – were unveiled on the same day in 1914 by Dr Warner, the president of Magdelen College, Oxford.

Wordsworth spent six weeks in Bath in 1841, during which time he atttended the wedding of his only daughter, Dora, at St. James’ Church in Frome Road.

When he was young, Southey stayed in Bath with his aunt, a Miss Tyler, who lived at 108 Walcot Street. She often took young Robert to the old Theatre Royal on Orchard Street.

The plaque to Admiral Arthur Phillip (1738–1814) at 19 Bennett Street was unveiled in 1899. As a Royal Naval captain, Phillip commanded the first fleet of ships transporting the first convicts to Australia. He landed at Port Jackson on 26 January 1788 and became the first governor of New South Wales. He retired to Bath in 1805 and died in 1814. The modern memorial to Phillip was unveiled in 2014 behind the Assembly Rooms.

There is a plaque on New Bond Street Place to the cinematography pioneers John Arthur Rowbuck Rudge (1837– 1903), a scientific instrument maker, and William Friese-Green (1855–1921), portrait photographer and inventor.

They worked together collaboratively, and Rudge invented the Rudge Projector, also known as the Biophantic Lantern. Unusually the plaque shows the name of the donor, Cedric Chivers – he was six times mayor of Bath in the 1920s and owner of the long-established printing firm, Chivers Press.

Adela Breton (1849–1923) was an archaeological artist and explorer. She made watercolour copies of the wall paintings of Mexican temples, notably those of the Upper Temple of Jaguars at Chichen Itza. Her plaque at 15 Camden Crescent, where she grew up, was unveiled in July 2016.

Elizabeth Linley (1754–1792) was a talented singer of the 18th century.

A great beauty, she was painted by the artist and family friend Thomas Gainsborough. The plaque at 11 Royal Crescent refers to the scandal of her elopment to France in 1772 with the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, rather than her vocal prowess.

The plaque for Reverend William Jay (1769–1853), the eminent English congregationalist preacher of Regency England, is located not on his residence but on the Argyle Chapel in Argyle Street, where he served as a minister of 82 years. He was noted as a superb orator. The plaque was unveiled on 11 October 1899 by Reverend Dr Joseph Parker, Minister of the City Temple. Jay was the son of a stonecutter and mason.

He was apprenticed to his father in 1783 and worked on the construction of William Beckford’s Fonthill mansion.

He came to the Argyle Independent Chapel in 1791, where he stayed until his retirement.

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CITY | NEWS

CITYNEWS RNHRD GETS MOVING

The Royal National Hospital For Rheumatic Diseases’ Rheumatology Services and Rheumatology Therapies have now transferred to the Royal United Hospital on Combe Park from the site (locally known as The Min) on Upper Borough Walls. They will join the Bath Centre for Fatigue Services and RUH Therapies and Pain Services at the new RNHRD and Brownsword Therapies Centre at the RUH. Other services at The Min will move to the RUH over the next few months.

The new RNHRD and Brownsword Therapies Centre is an outpatient centre providing treatment, care and education for patients recovering from episodes of illness or injury, or managing a long-term condition. The new building has a large hydrotherapy pool, group rooms, specialist gyms with rehabilitation equipment, and a biologics treatment space. The hospital trust’s Forever Friends Appeal is raising a minimum of £2m towards this project in association with the RNHRD Charitable Fund – with the Brownsword Charitable Foundation challenging the public to back the appeal by promising to match every pound donated up to the level of £1m. ruh.nhs.uk

Did You Know?

ls Visitors to Bath and loca ey both enjoy spending mon r in restaurants and othe eateries more than any other establishment

GET ACTIVE BRAND

POPPING WITH VERVE

Boudavida, the women’s active fitness brand, is the latest company to join Clarks Village.

With its headquarters in Shepton Mallet, Boudavida’s activewear is designed so it can be worn from the gym to the yoga studio to the café. Bringing together fashion and functional fitness wear, Boudavida design clothes to make women look and feel good, giving them the inspiration to get active and enjoy it. Five per cent of all sales are donated to women’s sport. With up to 60% off recommended retail prices at Clarks Village, shoppers can find the latest sportswear for women including leggings, shorts, jackets, T-shirts, vests and accessories. boudavida.com

Interiors store Verve is opening a pop-up shop on the first floor above Maison Georges Larnicol on the corner of Upper Borough Walls and Burton Street from 8 October. Verve is offering its subscribers 10% off during the first week and will be open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10am–5.30pm. verveliving.uk

Princess Velvet cushion by Mineheart, £55

NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS Bath Aqua Glass has teamed up with pre-school Springboard Chippenham to produce individually blown baubles in the school’s new brand colour as part of a new fundraising initiative. Each Springboard bauble sold will raise funds towards the £140k fundraising target needed each year for the school to run, which supports children with special needs. The Springboard baubles will be available from Bath Aqua Glass, Springboard Chippenham and at various local events. springboardchippenham.co.uk; bathaquaglass.com n

BATH BUSINESS BAROMETER UPDATE: AUGUST 2019

provided by

High Street Footfall (Month on month % change)

-1.7%

n The footfall picture for Bath was not as rosy in August, as the numbers fell compared to July and relative to the south west region. However, there were sales increases in the city week on week throughout the month, especially within the retail sector. n EVENTS: Start off the month by catching the end of the Bath Children’s Literature Festival, which runs until 6 October – and don’t miss Jacqueline Wilson at the Forum on 5 October. Theatre Royal Bath has a production of the classic stage thriller Gaslight with Martin Shaw from 14–19 October. Also, watch out for the Halloween-themed activities at the end of the month and the annual Bath Digital Festival runs from 22–26 October, with workshops for businesses and families, it’s a festival that brings people and technology together.

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-1.0%

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Home alone: a guide to leaving children on their own

If you’re a parent or guardian, you’ll know all too well how long it takes getting children ready to leave the house. Whether filling a bag with supplies or finding lost shoes, it can prove challenging to do anything quickly. And here arrives the dilemma around leaving them at home.

Surprisingly there are no specific laws governing when you can leave a child alone at home or in a car unsupervised. However, in accordance with The Children and Young Persons Act 1993 and several other laws, it is a criminal offence if leaving them alone and without supervision puts them at risk of harm. Whether that is through an injury or poor health.

Use personal judgement Children mature at different rates. While one child may feel confident to be left alone for extended periods, another may feel panicked at the prospect of 10 minutes. When children panic, they can make dangerous decisions such as leaving the house or car to seek help, putting them in unpredictable and potentially unsafe situations.

Ultimately, it is down to the personal judgement of the parent or guardian as to what they deem appropriate. While parents have different attitudes on this, both personal judgement and its appropriateness needs to be considered against that of the average parent.

Questions to help inform your decision

● Is this my only option? Is there a neighbour, friend, family member or facility that could help?

● Has my child been left alone before? If so, how did they react? ● How long will I be leaving them?

● What would they do in an emergency?

● Do they have sufficient skills to keep themselves out of danger? Think about cooking, electrics, heavy objects.

Think about the answers to these questions. Houses and cars are full of potentially harmful scenarios, and children can get themselves into trouble but they also need to develop and part of their development is learning how to be responsible and independent.

If you regularly need to leave a child alone, or you are unsure about how these rules apply to you, get in touch with our expert Family Law team at Mogers Drewett.

Simon Walker, Associate Solicitor, Family Law at Mogers Drewett

Helpful guidelines The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) provides the following guidelines:

● Under 12s should not be left alone for prolonged periods. This is because they are rarely mature enough to handle this situation. ● Under 16s can be left at home alone but not overnight. ● Babies, toddlers and young children should never be left alone, even for short periods.

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ocl A C C O U N TA N C Y

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

www.oclaccountancy.com

IR35 – on going!

It appears that a large number of contractors who have been providing services to GSK have received correspondence from HMRC demanding a response by mid-September.

These letters appear to be the latest “one to many” campaign - a tactic adopted by HMRC designed to push taxpayers to review their tax position and imply they are the subject of a specific enquiry, although these letters are definitely not the start of a formal HMRC investigation. Despite the tone, this is simply HMRC information gathering.

Contractors receiving these letters have been understandably concerned about their situation, but they shouldn’t rush to take action that could increase their tax liabilities. The approach is not a formal notification of a compliance review nor is it notification of an enquiry into the company; it isn’t even a formal request for information.

The letter had no formal legal underpinning and although it referred to a reply deadline, there was no legal obligation to respond.

Often such letters simply state that a contractor “may” be subject to a compliance review - true of any contractor at any time.

It was entirely the contractor’s decision whether to reply to HMRC or not, perhaps wondering whether HMRC would be more likely to formally investigate a company which didn’t respond - or to investigate a company that did!

Our advice is to constantly review your working practices & contracts and, if uncertain, consider getting a written opinion from a specialist third party giving you evidence from an independent external organisation, with a professional opinion on whether you are within or outside of IR35. HMRC might disagree with that opinion but you will have been seen to take all reasonable steps to meet your obligation & armed with that independent opinion, you can make informed decisions.

HMRC might propose using their CEST tool to assess the situation but this is inadequate, being widely criticised for its poor approach and failure to address the fundamental legal principles; in fact HMRC themselves attempted to argue that a taxpayer couldn’t rely on the CEST tool result in a Tribunal.

Keep alert to developments – and in the meantime we have partnered with tax specialists Markel Tax to provide contract reviews for clients.

For tax saving tips contact us – call Marie Maggs, Tom Hulett or Jacqui Bates on 01225 445507

Call Marie Maggs, Tom Hulett or Jacqui Bates on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting

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FAMILY | EVENTS

Family diary IDEAS FOR THINGS TO DO WITH THE CHILDREN THIS MONTH BATH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL n 27 September – 6 October, locations around the city centre The city’s celebration of children’s books features a vibrant range of talks and activities for kids of all ages. The programme includes Jacqueline Wilson, Cressida Cowell, Dougie Poynter, Harry Hill, Chris Riddell, Horrible Histories’ Martin Brown, Konnie Huq and many more. Plus there’s Aardman model making workshops, poetry showcases, and classes on writing for young people; bathfestivals.org.uk/childrens-literature BILLIONAIRE BOY n 3–5 October, times vary, Theatre Royal Bath Joe Spud is 12 and is the richest boy in the country. He has his own sports car, two crocodiles as pets and £100,000 a week pocket money. But what Joe doesn’t have is a friend. So he decides to leave his posh school and start at the local comp. But things don’t go as planned for Joe and life becomes a rollercoaster as he tries to find what money can’t buy. £18.50–£27.50; theatreroyal.org.uk MUCKERS n 3–6 October, times vary, the egg Paloma has always mucked about with Pichón. They run wild. They dress up like tigers, flamenco dancers, rabbits and Lady Gaga. Life is fun and funny and a little bit loopy. Until one day a blinding white light lands on Paloma. Embarrassed and confused, her days of dressing up, running wild, and mucking about with Pichón seem to be over... Suitable for seven and above, £8 children, £9 adults; theatreroyal.org.uk THE BIG FAMILY APPLE DAY 2019 n 6 October, 10am–2pm, Farmborough Community Shop Bring along your pears and apples and try your hand at the apple press. Celebrate the abundance of local fruit, play fun family games, join the raffle and try a snack at the food stall. Suitable for all the family, free event; farmboroughshop.co.uk KALEIDOSCOPE n 10 October, times vary, The Pound Arts Centre, Corsham Watch as a multi-coloured kaleidoscope comes to life with reds, blues, yellows and greens, twinkling lights full of colour.

Inspired by research into a how a baby’s sense of sight develops through colours.

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Matthew Gordon as Joe Spud in David Walliams’ Billionaire Boy

THE DAY I FELL INTO A BOOK n 11–13 October, times vary, the egg Using sound, intimate lighting and projection, this takes the audience into a lost world of classic tales. A binaural sound and theatre experience exploring the magic of reading and the creative vitality of young minds. Suitable for eight and above, £8 children, £9 adults; theatreroyal.org.uk PICK YOUR OWN PUMPKIN PATCH n 14–31 October, 10am–5.30pm, Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park Celebrating 30 years since opening, the adventure park is bringing back ‘pick your own’ to the farm with a massive patch of over 20,000 pumpkins to choose from. Get into the Halloween spirit and carve your very own spooky pumpkin. Toddlers £5, children and adults £11; avonvalley.co.uk TOUCH n 18–21 October, times vary, the egg An improvised and interactive dance-show performed by four dancers and a DJ. Adults and children are offered the chance to watch, play and dance as the performers move rhythmically and deftly to a live mixed music score. Suitable for four months – three years, £8 for everyone; theatreroyal.org.uk TYNTETOTS: HANSEL AND GRETEL n 23–24 October, 10–11.45am and 1–2.45pm, Tyntesfield Storytelling, crafts and games inspired by well-loved children’s stories. Decorate a gingerbread house, brew a witch’s potion and create your own sweets in the theme of Hansel and Gretel. Suitable for ages two –

five, children £8, adults free, booking essential; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield BOWOOD’S ENCHANTED AUTUMN n 23 October – 1 November, 11am–6pm, Bowood House and Garden With an evil witch causing mischief and mayhem, you must help to reverse the spell and banish the ghosts and ghouls. Following the scarecrow trail filled with autumnal colours, kids can immerse themselves in a series of challenges and autumnal activities to discover the missing word to break the witch’s spell. Suitable for all ages, free event plus normal admission to the property applies; bowood.org CREEPY CRAWLY HALF TERM TRAIL n 24 October – 3 November, 10am–3pm, Dyrham Park Become a 17th-century scientist and follow a trail around the park to find out what gruesome bugs look like under a microscope.

Explore the grounds, get up close and personal with creepy crawlies, and have fun outside with the family. Suitable for all the family, £1 trail ticket plus normal admission fees; nationaltrust.org.uk/dyrham-park FORTNIGHTLY TAKEOVER n 26 October, 11am–2pm, The Edge, University of Bath Artist Victoria Willmott will be hosting a series of fun and informal creative activities that explore The Edge’s current exhibition with special themes. Drop in for just 10 minutes or stay for the duration and get creative. Suitable for ages four – 12, free event; edgearts.org

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FAMILY | EVENTS

notice that a boat is growing out of his head. Follow Arthur on his magical adventure, bobbing along on the waves in this enchanting story. Tickets from £8.50, babies go free; komedia.co.uk

WILD WESTONBIRT n 26 October, 10am–4pm, Westonbirt Aboretum Leave the well-trodden paths and explore the wilder side. Learn key survival skills with den building, fire-lighting and bushfire cook-ups. Learn about the nature that surrounds you with wildlife watching and star-gazing. Explore through night hikes and create fun woodland crafts.

Suitable for ages 14–18, free event but normal admission to the site applies; forestryengland.uk/westonbirt MUSEUM WEEK ACTIVITIES n 26 October – 1 November, 10.30am– 5pm, Victoria Art Gallery Search for animals in the paintings and displays, create fascinating Plasticine pictures with William Harbutt, the inventor of Plasticine, and make big and bold abstract pieces out of collage. Plus use characters from the gallery’s paintings to create fun and exciting masks. Children go free, adults £5; victoriagal.org.uk HALLOWEEN TRAIL n 26 October – 3 November, 10am–3pm, Prior Park Landscape Garden Ghosts have settled in the garden for the spooky Halloween week! Follow the trail around the garden, but keep your eyes peeled

HALF TERM CRAFTS n 28 October – 1 November, 11am–2pm, Dyrham Park Keep your youngsters busy and engaged with nature by celebrating autumn with fun and inventive crafts. Make leaf wishes, create homes for wildlife with mini bug hotels and more. Suitable for all the family, free, but normal admission to the property applies; nationaltrust.org.uk/dyrham-park

for frights and clues along the way. Prizes are handed out at the end of the trail. Suitable for all the family, £2 trail plus normal admission to the property applies; nationaltrust.org.uk/prior-park ARTHUR’S DREAM BOAT n 27 October, 1.30pm, Komedia A playful and magical children’s show using colourful and breathtaking puppets. Follow Arthur who one night dreams about a beautiful, stripy mast and cannot wait to tell the rest of his family. The only problem is, none of them are interested. They don’t even

THE LITTLE PRINCE n 1 November, 6.30–7.30pm, The Edge Theatre, University of Bath Rediscover the incredible story of The Little Prince, based on the world-famous story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This well-loved tale is brought to life using Protein dance company’s award winning mix of dance, humour and spoken word. Find out how the Little Prince leaves behind his own tiny asteroid and beloved rose and journeys through the universe, coming face to face with the baffling world of grown-ups.

Suitable for all ages, tickets £12.50–£15; edgearts.org n

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Beechen Cliff An exceptional and traditional all-round education for boys A vibrant, unpretentiously academic mixed Sixth Form Sixth Form Open Morning Saturday 12th October 2019 9.00am “We can only thank the school for turning a shy young boy and developing him into a confident, respectful and well-rounded young man, which is a tribute both to him and the school; whose whole ethos and the opportunities it has provided him, has made this possible.......

This is a school that celebrates excellence in all areas, whether you’ve joined the million word club, climbed the three peaks or achieved some of the fantastic academic results. My son and his friends all think that working hard and doing their best is ‘cool’ and it is this attitude that is priceless.....Beechen Cliff is a great school and I wouldn’t send my son anywhere else.”

Parents of Year 9 pupils

“As Head Girl, I know I speak on behalf of the sixth formers in saying that we’re incredibly proud to be students at Beechen Cliff School.”

Maddison Wordon, Head Girl

WWW.BEECHENCLIFF.ORG.UK

@BEECHENCLIFF

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EDUCATION NEWS HALF-TERM JINKS The Paragon School are holding a variety of funpacked activities this half term. Camp Teepee on 30 and 31 October is for children aged 6–11 and is based in the beautiful woodland grounds of the school. There will be pumpkin carving, denbuilding, fire-lighting, singing songs, detective games, clay creature crafting, and making woodland trails. £35 per day.

The Paragon Cookery School will also be cooking up a feast in a day on 24 October, inspired by Julia Donaldson’s Room on the Broom.

Suitable for children in Years 1–3, dishes include Fiery Dragon Pasta, Ice Cream Potions and Shooting Star Shortbread. £37 per day.

Visit: paragonschool.co.uk/holiday-club

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE UP Prior Park College joined other historic buildings around the UK to light up green in support of Global Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week in September. The school was initially approached by Bath resident Sarah Moore, who tragically lost two daughters within six years of each other to Mitochondrial Disease.

Sarah has been raising funds for The Lily Foundation, the UK’s leading charity looking to fight the disease, raise awareness and support affected families. To date, Sarah has raised over £12,000. Prior Park College is delighted to join other sites across the UK, from Blackpool Tower to Brighton Pier, in going green. Mitochondrial Disease is the most common inherited metabolic disorder, it can affect any organ, in any person, at any age, and it is a common cause of strokes and seizures in children. priorparkcollege.com

HAVE AN ART, KES

There is a new art exhibition on the walls of the RUH Bath after a collaboration between KES artists and charity, Art at the Heart.

Art at the Heart supports the RUH Bath with an award-winning art and design programme that stimulates healing and wellbeing and creates an uplifting environment for patients, visitors and staff.

The KES exhibition of 10 artworks, entitled A Window of Intrigue feature a range of mix media pieces created by last year’s Year 12 and 13 students.

The exhibition is installed along the West Corridor of the hospital and will be on show until the end of October. kesbath.com; artatruh.org n 84 TheBATHMagazine

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Sarah Wringer KIE Bath, 5 Trim Street, Bath, BA1 1HB Direct Line (01225) 473502 Email: sarah.wringer@kaplan.com

Foreign Languages Centre UNIVERSITY OF

Daytime, lunchtime and evening foreign language classes for members of the public. Enrolling now!

Arabic French German Italian Mandarin Chinese Portuguese

Japanese Spanish

We offer a wide range of foreign languages at beginner through to advanced level.

To find out more about the courses available, or to enrol, visit our website www.bath.ac.uk/flc and apply online or call 01225 383991.

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Better hearing

Alison Stone from Holistic Hearing Excellence explains why dealing with hearing loss is a great way to keep your brain fit

I

RECEIVE THE BATH MAGAZINE BY POST NEVER MISS OUT We deliver to over 20,000 addresses every month. But if you live outside our distribution area or would like us to send a copy to friends or family, we offer a magazine mailing service.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS FROM JUST £30

f you’re considering a health overhaul, you may be thinking about going to the gym or improving your diet or doing something about your cholesterol. The health of your ears might not be an element at all, yet hearing health is one of the most important factors that affects wellbeing. It impacts nearly every aspect of life: social life, relationships, mental health, concentration and memory, even energy.

Here’s an example. George and his partner Mary go out to dinner with some friends. Everyone is enjoying the evening, except for George.

Mary had to coerce George to go in the first place, and now he isn’t involved in the conversation. Mary is exasperated – George used to be the life of the party but now he seems to be withdrawing into himself.

Once home, George goes straight to bed, saying that he’s exhausted.

Does this story sound familiar? There could be many reasons for George’s change in behaviour, but his difficulties may be down to struggling to hear. You might assume that George is 60 or 70 years old, but he could be 30 or 40. Difficulty hearing can strike at any age. He also probably hasn’t realised his hearing is compromised – it’s often those close to a person that notice first.

So, what does hearing health have to do with brain fitness?

Researchers have identified close links between hearing ability and cognitive functions such as concentration and memory, as well as the cognitive effort required to follow conversation with background noise.

It makes sense: we hear with our ears, but making sense of the sounds happens in the brain. If the incoming sound is incomplete, the brain has to work harder to make sense of it. When the brain spends more energy making sense of sound, there’s less capacity left over for processing and remembering. It’s no surprise that people with hearing difficulty find socialising less enjoyable, and are often more tired at the end of the day.

There is growing evidence to support the link between hearing health and cognition. A study in Bordeaux, France followed more than 3,000 people aged 65 years and older over a period of 25 years. Participants were asked about aspects of their health, including hearing, and their cognitive health was measured. The study found that hearing loss is independently associated with accelerated cognitive decline. However, for participants that have hearing loss but use hearing aids the rate of cognitive decline was the same as those who did not have hearing loss.

Other research has examined the link between hearing loss and dementia. A recent report in The Lancet identified risk factors for dementia. 35% of the risk is attributed to modifiable factors across the life span; 9% of that risk is attributed to hearing loss from midlife.

The reasons behind the link between hearing health and cognitive health are less well understood. One theory is that hearing loss results in physical changes to the brain as it is subjected to greater stress. Another is that a person with untreated hearing loss is more likely to withdraw, and has fewer opportunities to engage with others and keep their brain fit. One thing is clear – improving your hearing is one of the most important things you can do for your brain, your health and your relationships, and will give you more energy to do the things you love. n Holistic Hearing Excellence: hearingexcellence.co.uk

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT thebathmag.co.uk/subscribe or Tel: 01225 424 499

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THE | WALK

The Caen Hill flight consists of 16 locks

Take flight to Caen Hill

A succession of green lanes, a Norman castle and a towpath with a dramatic flight of 16 locks are the highlights of Andrew Swift’s walk from Devizes

T

his month’s walk is ideal for a sunny autumn day. Six and a half miles long, it starts in the heart of Devizes, before following green lanes westward to Poulshot, home to a classic country pub and one of the largest village greens in Wiltshire. From there, another green lane heads north to the Kennet & Avon Canal, whose towpath leads back to Devizes, past the Caen Hill flight of locks – one of the wonders of the canal network.

While some of the green lanes may be muddy or overgrown, the walk only crosses two fields – in which barley was grown earlier this year, so there should be no issues with livestock – and only two stiles (one optional) are encountered en route.

To get to Devizes from Bath, either drive or take the X72 bus, which runs hourly and takes just under an hour. The easiest place to park is the long-stay car park at Devizes Wharf, while the bus will drop you in the market place, where the walk starts (SU003614).

The most famous building in the market place is The Bear, once a grand coaching inn.

The painter Sir Thomas Lawrence spent part of his childhood at the inn, where his father was the landlord.

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As you head past the Bear into St John Street, you will see the town hall, designed

by Thomas Baldwin of Bath, ahead. Head to the right of it, looking out for a door at the back into the town’s lock-up. Carry on past St John’s Court into the churchyard and turn right.

After passing the Sexton’s Cottage, the path leads across a bridge over a disused railway line which once linked Devizes with London. Above the tunnel to your right is Devizes Castle. Little of the original Norman castle survives, and much of what you see was designed by Henry Edmund Goodridge of Bath in the 19th century. Go down steps and carry on, ignoring turnings on the left as the path curves right, and, at the end, cross and head along Hartmoor Road (SU002610). After 250m, this suddenly dwindles to a narrow tree-lined lane, with banks on either side looming ever higher as it drops downhill. Before long, though, the banks end just as suddenly and you emerge into the light of day by Hartmoor Farm.

Further on by 650m, by Furze Hill Farm, the tarmac ends, giving way to a rough byway called Furze Hill Lane, with views southward to Salisbury Plain.

When you come to a lane, turn right, and after 35m, just past a turning to Five Lanes,

turn left following a footpath sign through a gap in the hedge (ST984596). Follow a track across a field, cross a stile in the hedgerow and follow a track straight on beside the hedge. After 300m, as you approach the end of the field, the track weaves away from the hedge across thistly ground, towards a bridge over a ditch.

After crossing it, make for a gap in the hedge ahead and carry on along a green lane.

Unlike Furze Hill Lane, this green lane – known as Hay Lane – really is green, as it seems to be little used by farm vehicles.

Hay Lane runs straight and level for around 750m before it curves to avoid Poulshot’s expansive village green. When you come to a lane, a short diversion to the right leads to the Raven Inn, a resolutely traditional pub with lunch served daily, barrels behind the bar, and a splendid garden (ST970601).

To continue the walk, however, head straight on along Barley Hill Lane. Carry on past Poulshot Nurseries and, after another 350m, turn right along a stony track called Hooks Patch Lane. As you head north, you can see Roundway Hill – the site of a Civil War battle in 1643 – in the distance.

After 600m, the stony track comes to an abrupt end (ST968609). Ahead is a large

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gateway, with the tracks of farm vehicles leading across a field. Resisting the temptation to follow them, bear left along a faint track through the undergrowth.

Although it may not look like it, this is the continuation of Hooks Patch Lane, and after 100m, when the track curves right, you can clearly see a hedge on either side. Long abandoned, except by intrepid walkers, its surface is potholed and uneven, so you need to watch your step.

Further on by 250m, you come to a busy road. After crossing with care, you have a choice. One option is to cross a stile 20m to the left and turn left along a drive. It may be easier, however, to turn right and turn left along the drive 100m along.

In either case, follow the drive as it swings right, but, when it swings left by large white gates, bear right alongside a fence. Go through a handgate a little way along and follow a waymark between holiday homes before bearing left along a grassy track to a handgate. This leads onto the canal towpath, along which you turn right (ST968616).

Since leaving Devizes, you have descended almost 70m. Over the next couple of miles, you will head back up. While that is unlikely to pose any problems, you will be following a canal towpath, and for a canal to make such an ascent is another matter entirely.

This is why Devizes is one of the most famous places on the entire canal network.

From here, the quickest way back to the Market Place is to head east along the main road. For the Wharf, however, carry on along the canal and cross back over at the next bridge. n More walks along the whole length of the canal, as well as the history of its construction, abandonment and restoration, can be found in Kirsten Elliott’s Queen of Waters: A Journey in Time along the Kennet & Avon Canal, published by Akeman Press

Hay Lane Things start off routinely enough, with a series of well-spaced locks. It is only when you pass under Bridge 144 that you see what makes Devizes special. The Caen Hill flight, which lies head, consists of 16 locks, one above the other, separated only by pounds which replenish the water lost as boats pass through them. It is an extraordinary sight, but, as you climb alongside them, admiring this engineering marvel, spare a thought for the boaters working their way up or down.

At the top of the flight is a café, a good place to look back and get a sense of how far you – and the canal – have climbed. There are still six more locks spaced out over the next 1,250m, and, when you come to the last of them, by Bridge 141, the towpath switches to the left bank of the canal.

FACT FILE n Distance: 6.5 miles n Time: 3 hours n Level of challenge: Possible muddy and overgrown sections, two stiles (one optional), one busy road crossing n Map: OS Explorer 143 and 157 n Lunch: The Raven Inn, Poulshot is open from Mon–Sat 11.30am–2.30pm, Sun 12–9pm. Dogs welcome on leads.

01380 828271; ravenpoulshot.co.uk

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

HEALTH & BEAUTY NEWS Skin care is a recurrent theme this month as we find solutions for hydrating, rejuvenating and energising, as well as some new and luxurious make-up products

RESCUE AND HYDRATE Aesop’s Seeking Silence Facial Hydrator has just launched, the brand’s first product formulated to address the visible and nonvisible sensations associated with sensitive skin. The lightweight, rapidly absorbed hydrator utilises a unique blend of botanical ingredients to soothe and hydrate sensitive skin, and lessen uncomfortable sensations such as itching. The formulation utilises two ingredients new to Aesop – an extract from dormant bulbs of daffodil, narcissus tazetta bulb extract, and a green micro-algae rich in antioxidants, Dunaliella Salina Extract, to work to soothe skin irritation and reduce redness. Ginger root extract and bisabolol complement the blend, bringing a sense of calm and comfort to sensitive skin. With a soft, nongreasy finish, the Seeking Silence Facial Hydrator is suitable for daily use and should be applied morning and evening. Visit Aesop at 16 New Bond Street in Bath.

• aesop.com

GET WITH THE BIOTEC Just when your skin most needs it, Enhance Medispa is offering a pioneering BIOTEC machine works treatment that will give you a visibly healthy and energised skin. The treatment works to switch the skin back on, increasing its natural cellular energy. The company offers hands-on treatments effective for anti-aging using massage techniques from around the world. Enhance Medispa is also offering 20% off facials and 25% off laser hair reduction – which are best done at this time of year to avoid sun exposure – available until the end of October.

• enhancemedispa.co.uk

AN IPL TREAT Do you need a skin rejuvenation or grooming treatment to cosset yourself as the autumn draws in? Try an IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatment at The Body Clinic at The Orangery. Treatments include permanent hair reduction on face and body, skin rejuvenation and thread vein removal.

Skin rejuvenation treatments remove sun spots and sun damage and stimulate collagen in the skin.

Thread veins can also be treated and removed, with prices starting at £25.

Skin rejuvenation takes around 30–45 minutes and costs £150.

Between one and three treatments will be required to remove all sun damage and give the skin an even, clear and youthful tone.

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SKIN CARE COCKTAIL The Orangery is giving you the opportunity to boost your skin health with an innovative treatment called WOW fusion. It’s a groundbreaking needling device that allows specialists to create bespoke skincare cocktails in a little glass vial to suit individual skin-care needs. Your bespoke cocktail is administered painlessly using 20 fine goldplated needles just 0.6mm in length. This ensures the product gets below the protective layer of skin and works on a cellular level to improve your skin health.

The WOW fusion can improve fine lines and wrinkles, dehydrated skin, dull skin, sun damage, open pores and rough skin. The result is beautiful, glowing skin that improves over time. Suzannah Chamberlain at The Orangery can advise you on the best skin-care solutions for your skin and recommend the number of treatments required to make improvements to your skin health and leave you feeling radiant.

• theorangerylaserandbeautybath.co.uk

BEAUTY FIRST Hourglass, a cruelty-free beauty brand, has introduced a collection of new products to its range. Founded in 2004 by industry veteran Carisa Janes, the company has positioned itself at a revolutionary intersection of science, beauty and luxury and has pledged to become completely vegan by 2020. The brand is famed for its breakthrough innovations – most notably its bestselling Veil Fluid Makeup – its technological innovations and ground-breaking active ingredients. The new products include a Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow (£26), Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation (£51) and No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil (£45). Hourglass products are available at Space NK in New Bond Street, Bath and Harvey Nichols in Cabot Circus, Bristol.

• spacenk.com • harveynichols.com

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Established for over 25 years we are the experts in skin health, aesthetics and advanced beauty treatments in Bath.

A Needling Revolution The latest innovation in skin rejuvenation

Cryotherapy - Skin Imperfection Treatments Before and After Treatments

Dermapen Cryo is an advanced cryotherapy innovation that is fast, effective and safe and a new solution for removal of skin imperfections.

WOW fusion allows us to create a truly bespoke skincare cocktail just for you. Stimulating collagen and elastin, the combination of micro needling and mesotherapy leads to the ultimate skin rejuvenation.

The Dermapen Cryo emits a fine jet of nitrous oxide under high pressure which destroys the tissue without damaging the healthy surrounding skin.

The WOW fusion facial improves hydration, structure, texture and tone and is effective in improving: Rosacea • open pores • oily skin • hyperpigmentation • dehydrated & dull skin.

Dermapen Cryo offers the ideal treatment for skin tags • sun damage • pigmentation • age spots milia warts • cherry angiomas

All our consultations are free of charge so please feel free to book an appointment to see which is the right treatment for you.

Natural Looking Results For many people the younger they look the better they feel.

Age is an unstoppable process but we can help with our vast range of treatments performed by our highly qualified and experienced doctor.

DERMAL FILLERS To revitalise your face and restore volume loss.

UltraCel AWARD WINNING NON-SURGICAL FACE, NECK AND BODY TREATMENT Non-surgical skin tightening treatment that lifts the face, neck, eyes and body areas.

• SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN - stimulates new collagen and elastin which can reverse the signs of ageing.

• PAIN FREE non surgical treatment with NO DOWNTIME. • IMMEDIATE RESULTS Treatments are performed by an experienced aesthetic doctor from the prestigious Knightsbridge, London clinic of Dr Rita Rakus, which is regularly featured in the Tatler Cosmetic Surgery Guide.

“They gave me natural looking results which suits my whole philosophy on life.”

MUSCLE INHIBITOR TREATMENT Used by millions around the world to improve the appearance of facial lines and wrinkles.

“My treatment made a fantastic difference giving me back my youthful appearance and my confidence.”

“My skin felt and looked 10 years better than when I walked in.”

36 Gay Street, Bath • Tel: 01225 466851 • www.theorangerylaserandbeautybath.co.uk

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The Body Clinic...

by Victoria Rawlinson, Heath & Fitness Practitioner Bespoke Nutrition & Lifestyle Plans available

IPL Facial Rejuvenation and Thread Vein Removal

IPL Acne Treatment

Jaime Brain Dip CDT RCS (Eng) GDC 142490

Not happy with your dentures?

Are your dentures loose or painful?

We can help regain your confidence and your smile

IPL Nasal and Ear Hair Reduction

WE OFFER • FREE Consultation • New Dentures direct • Flexible dentures • • Denture repairs • Saturday appointments •

BOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION ON

01225 311 681

27 Walcot Buildings (Weymouth Street), Bath, BA1 6AD

www.jbdentureclinic.co.uk

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36 Gay Street, Bath • Tel: 01225 466851 www.theorangerylaserandbeautybath.co.uk

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style Boutique Salons & Spa

Don’t know what you need to use on your hair or skin?

CAUDALIE UK are coming to Frontlinestyle Bath with their very latest generation CAUDALIE skin scanner. This exclusive day will allow you to have an in-depth look at your skin and their Caudalie Express facial will allow you to experience their luxurious, antioxidant properties first hand.

Join us at Frontlinestyle Bath, Tuesday 22nd October until 8pm, 60 min appointment, spaces limited.

Booking fee *£10 includes *NEW* ELEVEN hair consultation and CAUDALIE skin scanner with express CAUDALIE facial. *Fee redeemable on purchase on the day.

anner IE Skin Sc CAUDAL £10 n o Facial ly + Express m p 8 l ti n u 22/10/19

4/5 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2AJ 01225 478478

11 Broad Street, Wells, BA5 2DJ 01749 672225

Book online www.frontlinestyle.co.uk

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Perfect vision without glasses at any age ✜ ✜ ✜

Over 30,000 successful cataract and vision correction procedures.

Eyelid surgery, removal of eyebags, excess skin and lumps.

Virtually 100% patient satisfaction.

Javad Moayedi,

MD, MRCOphth, MSC Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon Bath, Bristol, Somerset and Harley Street, London

Specialist in Cataract, Lens and Laser Vision Correction and Eyelid Surgery Contact No: 07885 655091 Email: javadvisionuk@gmail.com Facebook: Javad Moayedi www.javadmoayedi.co.uk

CJ Beauty Offering a wide range of treatments

15% off for new clients on their first treatment

massage manicure pedicure waxing tinting facials IBX nail treatment LVL lash lift callus peel hopi ear candles microdermabrasion

10 -11 Green Street , Bath, BA1 2JZ 07840 864829

Owner Michelle previously Senior Therapist at Green Street House

cjbeauty.uk

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DAVINCI 430 PENDANT

BY BELID, SWEDEN

LIGHTING SPECIALIST

8 BATH STREET, FROME. TEL: 01373473555 WWW.FIATLUX.CO.UK TUESDAY – FRIDAY 9.30AM – 5.30PM, SATURDAY 9.30AM – 5.00PM

“Founded in 2011 by Marcus Spanswick, who already had 20 years’ experience in the industry, Mardan Removals and Storage Ltd is a, family run, professional full service removals and storage company based in Bath. Marcus wanted to build a company that he and his team would be proud of. The key to the company’s success is providing a personalised service, treating each customer as an individual to ensure they get an excellent removal service. Mardan have a fleet of vehicles allowing them to offer; commercial moving, local to international moves and storage”.

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL MOVERS • PACKERS • STORERS • SHIPPERS

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THE LITTLE BOOK OF

HOMES, INTERIORS AND GARDENS our guide to the best businesses and services

Autumn

/ Winter 2019 PROMOTED CONTENT

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Inside stories It’s time to get your house in order. Our autumn/winter guide sources all the best trades and services to help spruce up your house and garden and introduce a new style statement. From sash windows, lighting and tiles to consultancy, design and fitting services, this directory provides the answer to all your interior and exterior plans

TOTAL BATHROOMS Unit 2, Brassmill Lane Trading Estate, Bath BA1 3JF Tel: 01225 462727 Web: totalbathrooms.co.uk Total Bathrooms has a mission to transform every bathroom in its community into a sanctuary that meets its clients’ needs, wants and budget. With their large showroom on the Brassmill Lane in Bath the team have been doing just that since the turn of the millennium.

There are over 60 displays to inspire you and Total Bathrooms provide a one-stop shop, including all those extra items to complete your project like tiles, flooring, wall panelling, lighting, accessories and extractor fans. In addition, the company can offer free site surveys to give you peace of mind and full installation services are optional, too, for those wanting complete project management. Uniquely to the south west, Total Bathrooms offers a large range of ex-display and end-of-line products with stock available to take away. Whether you are a retail customer, a tradesman, or a large contractor, Total Bathrooms can help you find all of the products you require at the right price so that they can transform your day, every day.

CLAIR STRONG INTERIOR DESIGN Old Orchard, 88a Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD Meetings by appointment.

Tel: 01225 426905, Mob: 07855 797311 Web: clairstrong.co.uk Clair Strong Interior Design Ltd is a small, friendly and creative business based in Bath that provides a wide range of services for residential and commercial projects in the UK and abroad.

Working with an extensive network of professionals and trades, its portfolio includes projects of all sizes, from smaller-scale jobs, such as staging a property for sale, to Photography by nicksmithphotography.com complete interior solutions for homes and businesses. The team enjoys a collaborative approach with clients, working with them to create spaces that meet their needs, improve their home or work life and exceed their expectations. Call or email Clair to arrange a consultation.

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FIAT LUX 8 Bath Street, Frome BA11 1DH Tel: 01373 473555 Web: fiatlux.co.uk Let there be light... Fiat Lux opened its Frome showroom in 2003, and since then it has been the go-to place to see a huge range of superb lighting, from traditional fittings and shades to the most up-to-date trends in contemporary lighting designs. For interior lighting projects there are fixtures and fittings, bulbs, coloured cords and cables in every possible combination, as well as a full display of exterior lighting ideas. Fiat Lux works with leading manufacturers such as Vita, Original BTC and many more and is an established favourite with property developers, architects, interior designers and all lighting aficionados, professional and domestic.

Whatever your style, mood or interior desire, then a trip to Fiat Lux will really light up your ideas.

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TR HAYES TR Hayes has been selling furniture in Bath for over 100 years and has a reputation for good quality and good service. The large store features many well-respected brands, with an amazing array of furniture of all types on display – sofas and chairs, dining and living room furniture, beds and mattresses (including Hypnos, Vispring and Tempur). Styles range from classic to contemporary, with ranges to suit all budgets. There are also highly respected carpet and curtain departments. Carpets and wooden flooring can be fitted, made-to-measure curtains and blinds provided, and advice on poles and accessories is available. With friendly and knowledgeable staff to help guide you, and excellent aftersales care, you can rely on TR Hayes.

Image: G-Plan

15–18 London Street, Walcot, Bath BA1 5BX Tel: 01225 465757 Web: trhayes.co.uk

BONITI

MARMALADE HOUSE

Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Wiltshire SN14 8JA Tel: 01225 892200 Web: boniti.com

Tel: 01225 445855 www.themarmaladehouse.co.uk

Run by Giles and Simon Lunt, Boniti is a high-quality interiors (and exteriors) business. The showroom is a destination for all types of natural stone, porcelain and timber flooring, as well as decorative tiles, stoneware, Kadai firebowls, garden furniture, homeware accessories and the highly desirable Everhot range cookers. Boniti has an impressive client list of property developers and offers a specialist bespoke service that will supply and fit worldwide. For large and small projects, the Boniti team are masters of their profession and it shows in every detail. The showroom is easily reached from J18 of the M4.

Marmalade House is an awardwinning, professional furniture painting and design company, based in Bath. It specialises in French and Gustavian finishes that include the layering of colours, distressed paintwork and lime-washing as well as gilding, colour-washing for ageing and waxing services. The focus is all about colour and style and how that fits into a customer’s home. The team of trained interior designers also offer a design and styling service that brings together the client’s style and aspirations for change.

For those who prefer to do everything themselves, the company also offers popular training courses on how to paint furniture to professional standards, and the use of colour within your home. Run by Vanessa, Marmalade House is an established, friendly company that has its clients’ interests at heart, whatever changes they would like to make, and at whatever scale.

KELLY MARIE KITCHEN INTERIORS 8 Pulteney Terrace, Bath BA2 4HJ Tel: 01225 481881 (Mobile: 07796 554466) Web: kellymariekitchens.com Kelly Marie has more than 15 years experience in the kitchen design industry. She has had the pleasure of working on many luxury kitchen projects in the Bath area and now owns her own unique and creative business based on a constant list of word-ofmouth recommendations. Her technical designs with intrinsic creativity allow spaces that are functional yet beautiful. With a vast portfolio of luxury German kitchen projects, Kelly works with each client’s budget, providing personalised attention throughout the design process. Kelly believes that it is all about the little details and her approach combines purposeful variations of colour, textures and finishes. The careful selection of these elements endow the home with a sense of harmony, while reflecting the individual style of the client.

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WOODHOUSE & LAW 4 George’s Place, Bathwick Hill, Bath BA2 4EN Tel: 01225 428072 Web: woodhouseandlaw.co.uk Woodhouse and Law is a well-established full service interior and garden design partnership. From the showroom and studio on Bathwick Hill, the company offers every component necessary in the delivery of a project from concept to completion, ensuring the highest quality throughout.

The unique service combines the expertise of in-house interior and garden designers with that of a highly skilled team of local craftsmen and technicians. So, whether your project is residential or commercial, the team at W&L can help with a wide range of services to transform your space. From making up soft furnishings to a full design service and project co-ordination, everything is delivered with exceptional attention to detail. To arrange an initial consultation, get in touch or pop in to meet the team.

SCHMIDT BATH

HOUSE OF RADIATORS

1 Park Road, Bath BA1 3EE Tel: 01225 337276 Web: schmidt-bath.com

22 Wellsway, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 2AA Tel: 01225 424199 Web: houseofradiators.co.uk

Providing bespoke made-to-measure solutions in Bath for over 30 years, the Schmidt Bath team, headed up by Leroy McKenzie, can transform every room of your home. Specialising in kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, Schmidt Bath, formerly Interior Harmony, has highly skilled in-house installers headed up by Colin Bevan, and can now offer complete renovation projects including extensions. The growing design team based at Park Road in Bath can help you create your dream kitchen, advising on the best layouts and appliances from brands including Neff, Siemens and Miele. If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen, revamp your bedroom or design the perfect home office, give the team a call to book your free quotation.

House of Radiators sells traditional and designer radiators that can be off-the-shelf sizes/finishes or bespoke sizes and colours. This popular, family-run business opened its Bear Flat showroom in 2011 and not only sells to Bath areas but throughout the UK and overseas. Following a recent re-fit there are over 100 radiators on display and due to increasing popularity the traditional cast iron and column radiator range has expanded.

With over 45 years experience in the heating and radiator industry they offer a friendly and high level of customer service. This is key in helping customers choose the right radiator for their home that will not only look amazing but will heat their room and do its job. Because the team work with 20 of the leading manufacturers and distributors in the radiator industry, there’s always something to suit all budgets and styles. Locally the company offers a free, at-home consultation where they’ll measure up and work out the correct heat requirements and size up radiators accordingly.

BEAR INTERIORS Tel: 07977 548340 Web: bear-interiors.co.uk Bear Interiors owned by Lynette Labuschagne is a well-established, small, approachable company based in Bath. Drawing on more than 25 years experience in the industry, it can offer a broad range of services for all types of residential and commercial properties.

From expert advice on a room-by-room basis to complete house renovation, the company works with their clients to create individual affordable solutions. Project Management services include design and build, CAD, surveys, kitchen and bathroom design, flooring, lighting and soft furnishings. To arrange a free consultation call Lynette Labuschagne on 07977 548340 or email her at: lynette@bear-interiors.co.uk.

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NEWMAN’S JOINERY

BEN ARGENT KITCHENS

3 Broadway Court, Miles Street, Bath BA2 4HX Tel: 01225 318378, Web: newmansjoinery.co.uk

Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Wiltshire SN14 8JA Tel: 01225 892270 Web: benargentkitchens.co.uk

In April 2015, Roland Newman took over the thriving Hulin & Hudson joinery firm following the retirement of Mike Hulin.

Based in Widcombe, the joinery shop was a well-established local business providing highquality joinery for houses in Bath and the surrounding areas.

Chris the foreman worked with Mike for almost 20 years and continues to run the workshop, so the wealth of experience and local knowledge has been retained.

The company deals with everything from timber windows, staircases, doors and frames to alcove cupboards, panelling, timber conservatories and shop façades and they have a specialist knowledge in listed buildings. Contact Newmans for a free, no-obligation initial visit to discuss your requirements.

Creators of bespoke contemporary kitchens that successfully combine functional design with elegant simplicity. Ben has a background as a designer/maker and extensive experience in the specialist furniture industry. He launched the company in 2007 with a clear understanding of the subtleties and technicalities required to achieve sophisticated and highly individual contemporary kitchens. The beautiful new showroom is conveniently located near M4 J18 with plenty of free parking. Please contact them to arrange a viewing.

BATH RECLAMATION

VERVE POP-UP SHOP

Tel: 07983 556757 Web: bathreclamation.co.uk

Upstairs @ Georges Larnicol Chocolate Shop 5 Burton Street, Bath BA1 1BN Tel: 07785 332536 Web: verveliving.uk

It was a sad day when Walcot Reclamation and Walcot Architectural Salvage had to move out of Bath, but the good news is that former manager and director, Cary Morgan, now owner of Bath Reclamation, based just outside Bath in Newton St Loe. Bath Reclamation stock and source all types of reclaimed materials, with a special focus on building materials such as Bath stone ashlar, paving, flooring, roofing and bricks. All other types of salvaged materials and salvaged items – from windows to sleepers, curbs and respawn pine – are kept in stock when available.

Verve is an interiors store with a difference. This creative hub is all about mixing it up. At its core is an ever-changing collection of vintage furniture which sits alongside contemporary pieces including artwork, gifts and accessories. Verve specialises in sourcing and supporting British designers and working with them on an exclusive basis, so you won’t find them anywhere else in Bath. Verve is also proud to showcase artwork by local artists, from beautiful limited-edition prints and original oils to wire sculptures and porcelain ceramics.

Verve is excited to be doing a boutique popup shop in central Bath this winter. Find Verve upstairs at the George Larnicol Chocolate Shop from 8 October. Pop in and a warm welcome awaits. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am– 5.30pm.

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DIBLE & ROY INTERIORS Bridge Street, Bradford on Avon BA15 1BY Tel: 01225 862320 Web: dibleandroy.co.uk

HEIDI REIKI FENG SHUI, REIKI AND ENERGY CLEARING Tel: 07776 255875 Web: heidireiki.com What people say about Heidi Reiki. Work: “We really appreciate the work Heidi did for us; energy clearing the space after we had moved into our new clinic in London. Heidi is lovely, and has a very professional and healing nature. We had been recommended by a friend and are so glad we did. Heidi gave us reiki sessions individually with specific advice for each of us to feel as good as possible. Our clinic space feels so clear and peaceful now, thanks to Heidi’s extensive and thorough work on the area. Heidi also gives you a thorough report explaining everything she did and what she found, which she also talks through with you, giving you tips to enhance the energy in the area. It honestly all made such a difference and our clinic has been thriving ever since. Thanks again for all your work Heidi and we look forward to our next session in the future.

Highly recommend to everyone.” Chiropractic Alchemy, London.

Home: “Heidi came and transformed my home and, through her amazing use of Feng Shui and reiki. My home now feels lighter, brighter and far more homely. I now enjoy putting the key in my door at the end of the day. Heidi’s aftercare was a real surprise and a gave me lots of reassurance. Thank you.” Home owner, Bath.

ELMORE KITCHENS 5 Saracen Street, Bath BA1 5BT Tel: 01225 335600 Web: elmorekitchens.com Elmore Kitchens are an independent kitchen retailer designing and installing stunning kitchens.

They work with some of the best German and British makers of kitchen furniture in order to create kitchens that transform homes from merely functional to special places for all occasions. All their kitchens have three main qualities running through their core, innovation, excellence and craftsmanship and together they create the kitchen dream. Elmore Kitchens believes that getting the design right, however long it takes, is essential to a successful kitchen installation. Its spacious design studio in Bath has seven fantastic displays over two floors that encapsulate the very latest in kitchen design and product innovation.

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Based in the centre of Bradford on Avon, Dible & Roy has an extensive showroom across two floors offering fabrics, flooring, wallpaper, furnishings and accessories. Their fabric and wallpaper library is one of the largest ranges in the south west and customers’ homes include country cottages, town houses and new-build properties. Offering a home-measuring service and consultations allows Dible & Roy to tailor, design and create bespoke looks and design. Their sample service will deliver fabric, wallpaper or carpet examples to your door for the ultimate convenience.

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AVONVALE CARPETS 37 Kingsmead Street, Bath BA1 2AA Tel: 01225 427057 Web: avonvalecarpets.co.uk

IGNIS STOVES Fire Engine Shed, Unit 6 Colliers Yard, Radstock BA3 3PT Tel: 01761 437366 Web: ignisstoves.co.uk Situated in a beautiful old fire engine shed and offering a range of carefully selected wood burners to suit all styles and budgets you will find Ignis Stoves. Brands such as Jetmaster, ACR, Parkray and Burley are on display and, as well as beautiful stoves, Ignis also supplies and installs fire surrounds and hearths in a variety of materials. With over 10 years experience in the industry Jake and Emma offer a more personal touch, working closely with clients, builders, interior designers and architects, guiding them through the process from initial contact to installation and completion.

The choice of flooring is vital in transforming any room and the range of options can sometimes overwhelm. Luckily Avonvale Carpets is on hand to assist. It has served homeowners and businesses throughout the city of Bath and Wiltshire for 47 years, providing an excellent choice of flooring, in-depth expertise and perfect fitting. An independent, family-run business, Avonvale Carpets only works with trusted, local, professionally trained fitters, and deals directly with major manufacturers. The extensive selection of quality flooring is second to none: woollens, naturals, stain resistant, vinyls, laminates and tailor-made options, too. You will be amazed at the variety on offer in the shop, found just off Kingsmead Square.

MORGAN SASH WINDOWS Tel: 07939 087333 Email: Info@morgansashwindows.co.uk

JOEL BUGG FURNITURE & SPACES Tel: 01225 583520 / 07779 236242 Web: joelbugg.co.uk Joel Bugg Furniture & Spaces designs and creates elegant, bespoke fitted furniture and interiors, which are architecturally thought through to seamlessly fit and suit your property. Joel and his team offer a fully managed service from initial space planning and concept designs, using teams of skilled cabinet makers in their manufacture through to final installation. They will also recommend, source and provide lighting, flooring and other finishing touches as required.

Their expertise spans all interiors from kitchens and bathrooms to libraries and boot rooms, and as well as working directly with clients they work collaboratively with architects and interior designers to deliver a truly tailored solution.

Jamie Morgan of Morgan Sash Windows specialises in the manufacture and refurbishment of sash windows in period and listed properties, covering locations in Bath, Somerset and Wiltshire. All types of carpentry work is undertaken, including the complete refurbishment and repair of windows, draught proofing, the manufacture and fitting of new sash windows, the replacement of sash cords, the elimination of rattling frames, the easing of jammed windows, glass and putty replacement and the installation of fittings and locks. A family business, Morgan Sash Windows also works closely with Bath Reclamation in Newton St Loe to source difficult items.

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ANNA DESIGN CURTAIN AND SOFT FURNISINGS Tel: 01761 471663 / 07779 951691 Web: anna-design.uk Anna Fraenkel has 16 years experience making soft furnishings, 11 of which have been working with her main client Jane Clayton. Anna will visit, advise, chat through a client’s project, and for those who are not exactly sure what they want, she can step in and help, interpreting ideas and helping them to find out what would suit the room and their taste. Fabric can be costly and having bespoke soft furnishings takes time and expense, so it’s important to get it right. Her advice is to “pick your fabric before you pick your wall colour and only pick what you love. What you really love will give more pleasure in the future than having everything matching or what’s in vogue, dictated by magazines and the media. It’s what makes your home individual and unique.” Anna will take the time to ensure that your soft furnishing ideas are made to perfection.

STEPHEN GRAVER Elmsgate, Edington Road, Steeple Ashton, BA14 6HP Tel: 01380 871746 Web: stephengraver.com At Stephen Graver, they do things differently. The company ethos is to differentiate themselves by offering a unique combination of totally bespoke design, installation and project delivery. Whether it’s a kitchen, bathroom or a bigger remodelling or renovation project, or something specific or unique to a certain space, you can be assured of innovative design and total project management. It’s also why most of their business is by recommendation or word of mouth and why you’ll find a client testimonial behind each of their projects. Stephen Graver’s project management and after-care are second to none, which is another reason why they have relationships with clients that last much longer than the end of their renovation projects. Their business is built on reputation and they really care about getting it right, first time, every time. For more inspiration, and to see just why they’re different, take a look at their website and view the extensive gallery of finished projects. If you’re in the process of planning your own home improvements, talk to Stephen Graver to see how they can bring your ideas to life.

KINDLE STOVES Glenavon Farm, 331 Bath Road, Saltford BS31 3TJ Tel: 0117 924 3898 Web: kindlestoves.co.uk At the heart of your home should be the perfect stove.

Kindle Stoves is a local specialist in stoves approved for burning wood in Bristol, with a wood-burner to suit every home and every style. The team stock the super-efficient Clearview, Contura and Rais models as well as many more, offering a full installation service, from fireplace alterations to slate hearths and stone fireplaces. Their lovely new showroom, situated just outside Keynsham, has one of the largest displays of wood-burners in the south west and is open seven days a week. Pop in for advice and brochures or to book a home survey. They also sell seasoned logs, gas fires, the Big Green Egg outdoor cooker and Aga Rayburn range cookers.

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

THE BATH FRAMER 6–7 Walcot Buildings, London Road, Bath BA1 6AD Tel: 01225 920210 Web: thebathpictureframer.co.uk The Bath Framer, owned by Kelly, is a friendly boutique picture framers that has a beautifully quirky front of house and an amazing naturally lit workshop. Both are a joy to work in and to visit for customers wanting to see how frames are created. Since opening, the business has gone from strength to strength, building a client list of local residents and businesses based in Bath, Bristol and beyond.

A bespoke framing service, tailored to suit all individuals’ needs runs alongside a gorgeous selection of cards, gift wrap and stationery.

JOHN BOYCE PLASTERWORK Unit 5, Channel View Farm, Clevedon, Bristol BS21 6US Tel: 07970 278028 Web: john-boyce.co.uk John Boyce Plasterwork Ltd is a locally based company with over 30 years experience in the plastering trade, tackling any size of job from a simple repair to a complete restoration project. The team has a large range of moulds built up over the last three decades and is capable of matching and reproducing any type of plasterwork.

The company also has a large range of stock cornices and ceiling roses to pick from, with something to suit most tastes and budgets. They carry out ceiling surveys and repairs, lime plastering and rendering and bespoke one-off pieces; offering free, no obligation quotes and advice. Visit the website for a small taste of what John Boyce Plasterwork can offer.

The eclectic Homefront Interiors has an ever-changing selection of homewares, gifts and cards. This little independent store may be small but it has a wide range and a regularly updated stock of new and vintage homewares and follows a simple ethos of sustainability. This could mean recycled materials, fair-trade origins, small-scale production or simply showing a little love and care to vintage finds. It is the clever mix of vintage and contemporary alongside an ever-growing selection of handmade pieces from local artists, including textiles, ceramics, jewellery, art prints and cards, that makes Homefront such a great destination.

Ideal for gifts and unique finds for your own home.

ADDICTED TO PATTERNS Web: addictedtopatterns.uk Instagram: addicted_to_patterns Bristol-based Addicted to Patterns studio offers unique collections of hand screen-printed wallpapers and textiles, crafted to measure from highest quality, ecofriendly materials, all decorated with original hand drawn, illustrative designs.

As experts in surface decoration, they offer a truly personal approach, with colour matching and bespoke pattern design for various surfaces. The studio’s trademark quirky, modern and twisted classical prints travel from wallpaper on to curtains, cushions and lampshades. Addicted to Patterns offer a free consultation at the beginning of every project and are commissioned by both private and commercial clients.

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ARCHITECT YOUR HOME Tel: 0800 849 8505 Web: architect-yourhome.com Architect Your Home’s service kicks off with an initial design consultation – this is where your project starts. The consultation will include an in-depth discussion to fully establish your requirements and aspirations. You will also be provided with sketch drawings of a properly considered and collaborative design proposal. The practical implications of your design will be explained in detail and you will be equipped with the necessary tools so that you can move your project forward confidently to the next stage. You will also receive advice on issues with planning permission, listed building consents and structures. At the end of the session you will have an agreed proposal and recommendations on the next steps and on how to move the project forward.

BATH KITCHEN COMPANY 7–9 North Parade Buildings, Bath BA1 1NS Tel: 01225 312003 Web: bathkitchencompany.co.uk Established in 1987, Bath Kitchen Company is a well-regarded family business based in Bath. With vast experience, the company takes pride in its close attention to detail and its understanding of what each client requires. Whatever an individual client’s tastes, the team will find a bespoke kitchen that strikes a perfect balance between aesthetic and practical requirements. Consequently every kitchen is unique, beautifully designed and perfectly functional. Handmade using premium materials and to the highest standards, a beautiful kitchen can be carefully crafted to make the most of available space, existing features and the latest technology. Whether designing for Bath’s oldest private homes or cutting-edge city apartments, the principle is the same – Bath Kitchen Company will create a place that enhances your lifestyle.

HURLEY ENGINES AND GRASS CARE Unit 7, The Maltings Industrial Estate, Brassmill Lane, Bath BA1 3JL Tel: 01225 336812 Web: hurleyengines.co.uk Hurley Engines and Garden Machinery have been trading in Bath since 1967, providing services such as engine machining and re-manufacturing in their fully kitted-out engine machining workshop.

A little while after opening, Hurleys made a move into garden machinery where they began to supply and repair commercial and domestic products and are still doing so today. Hurleys are also a main dealer for some of the world’s leading compact industrial engine manufactures such as Kubota, Yanmar and various other brands. So, whether you’re after a new machine for your garden or your business, in need of your engine re-manufactured, need parts, or your machines serviced or repaired then this is the team to call.

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MANDARIN STONE 15–16 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LJ Tel: 01225 460033 Web: mandarinstone.com Renowned for its comprehensive natural stone collection, Mandarin Stone has gained quite a reputation for its on-trend and beautifully designed porcelain. Ranging from those that cleverly mimic materials such as wood, concrete and marble to striking glazed and patterned tiles, the collection has endless surface design possibilities. Established for over 25 years and with 10 inspirational UK showrooms, it offers dependable specialist knowledge as well as technical expertise. Almost the entire natural stone and porcelain collection is held in stock in the UK, so lead times are short.

SHUTTERCRAFT Tel: 01749 649171 / 07765 854353 Web: shuttercraft-somerset.co.uk Shuttercraft Somerset is a local business with a great understanding of their products and the requirements of different properties in Bath and Somerset. They don’t believe in high-pressure sales techniques, working with you to determine the right product to match your needs, ensuring that you will only receive the right products for your home. The Shuttercraft team pride themselves on customer care and communication throughout the installation process, from initial meeting to project completion. Simon Moody says, “As the owner of Shuttercraft Somerset I am proud of the reputation we have gained for our professional, honest approach and competitive pricing. We supply market leading S-Craft products to homes and businesses across Bath so give us a call for a free survey and quote.”

RP DECORATING OF BATH Tel: 01225 429992 Mobile: 07894 331181 Established since 1988, Rob Price runs a small professional painting and decorating business. Based in the city of Bath and serving its surrounding areas Rob delivers a very high standard of work and personal customer service. His work has included Georgian houses and manor houses, grade-listed buildings, apartments, family homes and new-builds. He is also able to take on jobs of all sizes, both commercial, rental and domestic, whether it is interior or exterior.

He can work with customers’ paint or can supply quality paints including designer paints such as Farrow & Ball and Little Green. He’s also a specialist in wallpaper hanging and can repair and line ceilings with a reinforced lining paper to prevent it from cracking. Free quotation available.

CATRIONA ARCHER Tel: 07823 884945 Web: catrionaarcher.com Catriona Archer believes that interior design should be accessible to all, which is why she provides professional, affordable interior design that makes the most of your existing possessions and space before suggesting additional items that could be introduced. With over 25 years of styling experience, Catriona offers practical and creative interior solutions that respond to your lifestyle needs and reflect your own personal style. In a half-day or full-day consultation, hands-on styling will start the ball rolling. You can then choose to implement the suggestions yourself or take advantage of the broad range of services offered. Simply contact Catriona to discuss what works best for you. For homes, property sales, B&Bs and holiday rentals.

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RADSTOCK CARPET AND BED CENTRE The Old Cinema, Coombend, Radstock BA3 3AW Tel: 01761 432808, Web: radstockcarpetandbeds.co.uk Featuring a large carpet, hard flooring and bed showrooms, the Radstock Carpet and Bed Centre is located just seven miles south of Bath in an old Methodist chapel and there’s free parking just behind the shop. It’s an independently owned business with its own specialist carpet and hard-flooring fitters. The range of flooring is enormous, including every style and quality of carpet, luxury vinyl tiles, vinyl and wood flooring and there is also an extensive range of beds and mattresses on show, and at highly competitive prices. A visit is well worthwhile allowing you to chat to the knowledgeable and friendly staff who evidently take great pride in their excellent customer service. They have received glowing reviews from customers on Facebook and Google.

FRAMING WORKSHOP

MBGGOLD REFURBISHMENTS

80 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD Tel: 01225 482748 Web: theframingworkshop.com

Tel: 07515 389147 Web: Mbggold.com

In 28 years of trading on Walcot Street, The Framing Workshop has framed many weird, wonderful, beautiful and fascinating objects and collections, all of which have their own story to tell.

What do you have tucked away that you could have framed and displayed to tell its own story? Paper, canvas, fabric, objects, memorabilia – go and be inspired!

Mariusz Omachel started MBGGOLD in 2012 having moved to Radstock with his family. He wanted to create a company that specialised in every part of the building and refurbishment process, with an emphasis on attention to detail and quality.

The company aims to work with private individuals and companies, offering a premium quality service on projects in and around the city of Bath to a radius of approximately 30 miles. The highly experienced team provides skilled and dedicated labour using locally sourced materials. Each project is individually estimated and all construction is supervised by a manager on site. MBG Gold works with several highly respected partner firms in the area. To view examples of their work visit the website or phone for more details.

HEARTWOOD SAUNAS Tel: 07903 116673 Web: heartwoodsaunas.com Heartwood Saunas make the highest quality and most energy efficient handmade outdoor saunas in the UK, available as wood-fired and electric-heated. The sauna designs are 100% handmade in the workshop in Machynlleth, Wales, where Heartwood build each one to order and deliver it ready to go. Beautiful cedar cladding allows the sauna to blend naturally into its surroundings, while inside thick natural sheep wool insulation and a unique vapour barrier ensures maximum energy efficiency. The glass wall gives breathtaking views to the world outside as you relax and enjoy the health benefits of a traditional sauna. Surrounded by the incredible knotless Western Red Cedar walls inside, you cannot help but relax and let your stresses melt away. Heartwood Saunas use the highest quality materials and design their saunas to last. The majority of the timber used is felled, milled and processed from a local private woodland. Heartwood offer high-quality saunas to hire, to buy or bespoke design.

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KNEES HOME AND ELECTRICAL Spitfire Retail Park, Trowbridge BA14 0AZ and High Street, Malmesbury SN16 9AA Tel: 01225 754161 Web: knees.co.uk Loved locally since 1879, Knees offer a one-stop-shop to update your home. They sell the top appliance brands, beautiful furniture and pride themselves on spending time with their customers to help find the right product for their needs and their budget. Knees regularly have great offers as well as a price match promise so that you can be sure you will receive the best deal available. Buying from a local family business like this means that customer care is always taken seriously. With a fabulous showroom in their flagship store in Trowbridge, you can see a wide range of appliances, home furniture and accessories. You can also drop by for one of their regular free cooking demonstrations where professionals are on-hand to provide expert advice.

GARDEN AFFAIRS Trowbridge Garden Centre, 288 Frome Road, Trowbridge BA14 ODT Tel: 01225 774566 Web: gardenaffairs.co.uk Garden Affairs specialises in made-to-measure, high-quality garden buildings. The extensive display of top-notch garden offices, posh sheds, summerhouses and gazebos can all be made to the size and style you require – flexibility is what it’s all about. Take a look at their range of garden rooms which features a contemporary concept that solves the problem of space constraints, especially in city gardens. The Linea range of modern Scandi-style cabins are perfect for all uses, and comply with most planning guidelines, and look great too. Garden Affairs offers a fixed price installation service throughout the UK, or choose a DIY kit delivered to your door.

ETONS OF BATH Tel: 01225 639002 Web: etonsofbath.com

TREETOP CO 32 Lawrence Avenue, Bristol BS5 0LE Tel: 07432 071186 Web: treetopco.co.uk Oh to have a treehouse – the ultimate secret lair, the den of all dens.

Treetop Co’s focus is to use nature as inspiration for the design and create structures which look and feel organic. Also available are custom cabins, garden studios, summerhouses, and adventure playgrounds. Construction methods are based on techniques from India, building structures that are harmonious with nature, using shapes and approaches which complement the natural environment.

Treetop Co will manage your entire project, starting with a free consultation, taking you through design and planning and on to the build itself, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable process from start to finish. Branch out with Treetop Co and get in touch to discuss your creative construction.

Founded in 2006, Etons of Bath is a specialist interior design practice focused on refurbishing, renovating and reinvigorating period homes and hotels. Their team of 12 interior designers, planners and project managers help you plan, design and deliver classically inspired interiors that add value, turn heads and improve the use of space. They cover projects of all shapes and sizes from large country estates to Bath townhouses, small apartments and cottages, boutique hotels to bijou boltholes, combining creative flair and solid experience together with a passionate and friendly team.

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WALLER & WOOD 4 Abbey Green, Bath BA1 1NW Tel: 07803 033629 Web: carolewaller.co.uk / wallerandwood.co.uk Carole Waller is a painter who has developed a technique to encapsulate painted silk between toughened glass for interior and exterior applications. These glass panels can be used for windows, screens, tables, doors or free-standing panels in the garden or the house – anything you might incorporate into your home where interesting glass would be appropriate. The glass is toughened and the resin is UV resistant, so there will be no loss of colour in sunlight and the pieces withstand extremes of temperature and weather. Carole accepts bespoke commissions and has some pieces available to purchase. Recent work includes an installation at No.15 Great Pulteney for the hote’s spa windows and rooms. Carole also makes paintings which are unframed shimmering lengths of cloth, and loves to make pieces with visuals that relate conceptually to your home. The showroom and gallery in the heart of Bath shows both her work and that of her partner, Gary Wood, who makes spectacular wall pieces and sculptural work.

PET PORTRAITS Web: www.idopictures.co.uk Email: emma@idopictures.co.uk Art is an exciting way to enhance your home, and what better than a unique oil painting of your precious pet? Whether it’s a loyal canine companion or a favourite furry feline, a portrait makes a wonderful keepsake, either for yourself or as a gift to surprise a loved one. Bath-based artist Emma Swift creates expressive pieces that capture the individuality of your pet and will bring a smile to your face every day. After consulting with the pet owner, Emma expertly paints not just a likeness of the animal, but includes all of its personality too, using high-quality oil paints to achieve a rich depth of colour. Emma works in both traditional and modern styles to suit your taste.

ORIENTAL RUGS OF BATH Bookbarn International, Hallatrow Business Park, Wells Road, Hallatrow, Bristol BS39 6EX Tel: 01761 451764 Web: orientalrugsofbath.com Oriental Rugs of Bath sources a beautiful and eclectic range of handmade rugs, kilims and furnishings from the Middle and Far East, promoting centuries-old traditions and designs. Afghan tribal weavings are interspersed with ornate Persian carpets and Turkish mosaic lamps.

The shop itself is nestled in the countryside between Bath and Bristol and offers exemplary guidance through the rug choosing process. Specialist cleaning, repair and valuation services are available and all stock can be purchased online.

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Designs on a dining room

Sarah Latham, creative director of Etons of Bath, created this classic and luxurious styled dining room in a Georgian farmhouse for a client. The brief was to design a space that felt grand and theatrical. Here she gives some tips on how to create a dining room with character and atmosphere in a Georgian home COLOUR AND LIGHT STATEMENT WALL Create a statement wall with murals, chinoiserie or artwork. This hand-painted chinoiserie uses 24 carat gold and its reflective finish creates warmth.

Think about the time of day you will entertain. Is it likely to be evening or lunchtime? Plan your colour scheme and lighting to suit and to balance the natural light.

LIGHTING WINDOWS

A beautiful chandelier is a must in a Georgian dining room. But use lighting controls so you can dim it down low and support it with wall lights and table lamps. You want it to sparkle but not to flood the room with light.

Enhance bay windows with elegant panelling.

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WINDOW DRESSING Luxurious curtains dress a window, soften the space and improve the acoustics.

Photographs of a recent project by Etons of Bath

LIGHT FITTINGS Choose light fittings with exciting detailing and use lampshades in an accent colour rather than a standard off-white.

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FLOORING

Add in a contemporary rug to balance the classic style. A rug is also essential for the acoustics of a room.

Herringbone floors are making a comeback and work well in a period home.

Etons of Bath: etonsofbath.com

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THE BATH MAGAZINE to advertise tel: 01225 424499 email: sales@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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FADED GLAMOUR

“To me, an object that was once the height of elegance but is now a bit battered has far more allure than something brand new,” says Pearl Lowe, the Frome-based former singer, now known for her love of vintage interiors and fashion. Her book Faded Glamour is published this month and here we have an excerpt, profiling designer Solange Azagury-Partridge’s eclectic country cottage in Bruton. Photography by Amy Neunsinger her most exquisite pieces are on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and she is also renowned for her interiors collections – you would expect Solange to know a thing or two about colour. But in this small space she takes her palette to another level, creating a home that is warm and inviting even on the most drab of days.

Solange and her husband Murray fell in love with the 100-year-old property more than a decade ago while visiting friends in Somerset.

At the time, they wanted to create a nest that they and their children could seek refuge in, away from the big smoke of London. The brief was simple – she wanted it to feel like a home, rather than a weekend cottage, and it

had to be comfortable, warm and welcoming.

By knocking down a couple of walls in the downstairs of the house and expanding the kitchen space into an outbuilding so they could comfortably seat ten people for gatherings, they have achieved this. At the core of the house is what Solange and her family call the Fire Room. “It got that name because we have fireplaces at both ends of the room – which we gained by knocking a wall down and opening up the room,” she says.

“On a cold day, we light them both and hunker in here to read, talk and watch movies, and it’s where we entertain when we aren’t in the kitchen.” Key to her design plan was comfort, so everywhere you look are overstuffed sofas and day-beds waiting to be snuggled up on. “When I’m here it’s all about relaxing – I spend quite a lot of the time here horizontal, I’m not ashamed to say!” she laughs. These sofas and chairs are covered in a giddy array of colourful fabrics and throws that Solange has been collecting for years.

“I have piles and piles of fabric,” she says.

“I buy them on a whim – sometimes from abroad, often online, or I find them in markets. I never have a plan for their use, it will just come to me while I’m doing up a room and I’ll seek one out that I think fits.”

Solange doesn’t like to conform. In a corner of the living room, for example, a sofa covered in a flowery chintz from Sanderson sits happily at right angles to one dressed in an ikat print. Mismatched rugs from Morocco form a colourful patchwork across the central living spaces. A heavy, embroidered, mirrored curtain serves as a draft excluder over the front door; a wild, boldly coloured Swedish fabric has been used to cover an Eames-style chair and footstool in their snug. “It was covered in black leather originally, which didn’t work for me. Now it makes me smile and want to just sink into it in the evening.”

Suffice it to say, Solange loves her fabric – to such an extent that almost every single OPPOSITE: Solange Azagury-Partridge’s use of bold colour, rich textiles and contrasting prints is on display at the end of the living room where an antique Moroccan wall hanging is paired with a sofa covered in a traditional English floral chintz.

LEFT: A second living room is covered in a William Morris fabric and the star-print rug comes from Solange’s own collection. The woodwork throughout the house is painted the prettiest of pinks.

INSET: Pearl Lowe

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f you are ever in need of an injection of colour on a cold, wet winter’s night, then I suggest you inveigle an invitation to the three-bedroom country cottage where the designer Solange AzaguryPartridge sets up home on weekends, high days and holidays. Set in one of the most picturesque villages in the west country, this is one of the most delightful cottages I have ever visited. Aside from the charm of the building itself with its tiny turret and beautiful walled garden, it’s what lies inside that will make your spirits soar as she opens her baby pink front door and ushers you in from the cold.

Given that she is one of the most respected jewellery designers of her generation – some of

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room is covered in it. “I love using fabric on walls, because it feels not only quite luxurious, but it’s warm and also creates a depth of sound in a room – a soft echo that you wouldn’t get from papers or paint.” And what I love here is that she hasn’t been afraid to mix these fabrics up – so they are often not only contrasting with each other, but going head to head in a riot of colour and pattern. “That’s actually for practical and economic reasons,” she admits. “As I often don’t have enough of one fabric so have to use another, but I like the effect in a house like this.”

All the woodwork in the house has been painted the most enchanting shade of baby pink. And on the spiral turret staircase leading up to the first floor, she has been even braver with her use of colour by covering each step in a different shade of carpet, creating a magical rainbow to take you up to bed – a real stairway to heaven. A yellow velvet studded sofa that she bought as a pair from eBay for £100 (she loves a bargain, as do I, which is why she is a woman after my own heart) clashes against the shocking pink toile de Jouy she has lined the hallway and downstairs bathroom with. Fabrics from William Morris and Liberty have been used to create warmth and cosiness in rooms where all anyone wants to do is kick their shoes off and relax.

This is certainly a house that I would like to spend some serious horizontal time in, as Solange’s bold use of colour is full of wit and wonder and brings a smile to your face. “But that’s the thing about colour – we all need a bit of it in our lives,” she says. “And for me, quite frankly, I can never have enough of it.” n

ABOVE LEFT: Solange has created a real stairway to heaven with rainbow shades of carpet – not only has it created an incredible gem-like feature out of this delightful spiral, but it was a clever way of using off-cuts of carpet

ABOVE: The family bathroom – one of the few rooms in the house not to have been lined with fabric – is papered in a palm-print Martinique design that Solange found at the Beverly Hills Hotel

ABOVE: An Eames-style chair and footstool have been updated with a botanical-print fabric from Sweden upholstered on the chair. “I doubt very much it is real Eames because I picked up for £100,” laughs Solange

BELOW: The master bedroom – including the sloping ceiling and bedlinen – is covered in an old-fashioned antique oak print, which is contrasted with panels of a Manuel Canovas fabric

Faded Glamour: Inspirational Interiors and Beautiful Homes

by Pearl Lowe is published by Cico Books, £19.99

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FIREPLACES

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W W W . I G N I S S T O V E S . C O . U K

Fire Engine Shed, Colliers Yard, Radstock BA3 3PT 01761 437366

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MUSIC | INTERVIEW INTERIORS Imperial Purple, described as ‘deep parts of flower of saffron crocus’

Sap Green, described as ‘underside of lower wings of orange tip butterfly’

Broccoli Brown, described as ‘head of black-headed gull’

PAINTING A NEW FARROW Farrow & Ball is known for its original paint recipes, their rich pigments and their eco-friendly emphasis. A new collaboration with the Natural History Museum sees a brand new palette range based on the colours of nature

F Ash Grey, described as ‘fresh wood ashes, and ‘breast of long-tailed hen titmouse’

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arrow & Ball already has 132 colours on its colour card. Each colour – from Mizzle to Pale Hound and Dix Blue to Sulking Room Pink – tells a story drawn from nature, from the landscape, or from history, each with the potential to transform a room with its rich pigments. But now there’s more colours and a new card: this month Farrow & Ball launches a brand new palette of 16 colours developed in collaboration with the Natural History Museum, all inspired by the true colours of nature.

The collaboration draws on the museum’s rare book library, which holds Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours, a taxonomic guide to the colours of the natural world that was used by Charles Darwin as an essential tool on his 1891–36 voyage on HMS Beagle.

First published in 1814, the book became an invaluable tool for scientists and artists, an official classification of colour in a pre-photographic age. Every colour described in Werner’s book evokes a vision of a colour with descriptions from the animal, vegetable and mineral worlds. It is the colours in this book that have inspired the new Farrow & Ball palette, bringing the true colours of nature into the home. And the Colour by Nature colour card uses the very same natural descriptive outlines from the selected colours from Werner’s book. Examples are Duck Green, described as neck of mallard and upper disk of yew leaves; Orange Coloured White, described as breast of white or screech owl; and Dutch Orange, described as streak of red orpiment.

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Each shade in the Colour by Nature range has been meticulously identified, classified and researched in the same way as those that make up the Farrow & Ball core palette, and are blended with an eco-friendly water base that’s kinder to the environment and safe to use in all rooms of the home. Each hue is also available in a choice of five interior finishes, expertly engineered to deliver exceptional vibrancy, durability and coverage.

Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball said: “This is the first time we have created a new palette as an extension to our carefully curated colour card. With the expertise of the Natural History Museum we hope to inspire homes across the globe, and what better way to do that with the eco-friendly colours inspired by nature?” n

Farrow & Ball, 124–126 Walcot Street, Bath.

The Colour by Nature palette is available from showrooms, stockists, farrow-ball.com or call 01202 876141. Farrow & Ball also offers an interior colour consultancy service

W108

Broccoli Brown.™

Head of Black headed Gull.

Zircon.

DT

W29

Ultra marine Blue.™

Upper Side of the Wings of small blue Heath Butterfly

Borrage.

Azure Stone or Lapis Lazuli.

MT

W40

Imperial Purple.™

Deep Parts of Flower of Saffron Crocus.

Fluor Spar.

MT

W24

Scotch Blue.™

Throat of Blue Titmouse.

Stamina of Single Purple Anemone.

Blue Copper Ore.

DT

W53

Emerald Green.™

Beauty Spot on Wing of Teal Drake.

Emerald.

MT

W50

Verdigris Green.™

Tail of small Long-tailed Green Parrot.

Copper Green.

MT

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Verdigris Green, described as ‘tail of small long-tailed green parrot’

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INTERIORS

Kitchen flair

A kitchen in a Georgian house is in need of a redesign. How to find a solution that is clean and modern, yet also respectful to the period interior? A trio of Bath-based designers and craftsmen took on the challenge

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ake an 18th-century house with a high-ceilinged kitchen – this is a space that has always been the beating heart of the family home. The room, however, was full of design challenges when it came to a redesign on account of an old-fashioned dark green Aga, a lack of cohesion, along with a shortage of morning light.

The owners – an entrepreneur and a documentary film maker – worked with local architect Anne Claxton Keyes to plan the space and it was she who recommended the kitchen designer, Ben Argent.

Bath-based builder Richard Vallis was asked to re-imagine the interior. First, he raised the doorway into the kitchen from the entrance hall. He then opened up the double doorway leading from the kitchen into the family room, and expanded the doorway into the utility area, creating a unified sense of flow.

The installation of a dramatic set of sliding doors enabled a clear division of space, whenever needed, and maximum light in the room. On a warm day, though, the doors can be thrown open and the whole space opens up, bringing further attention to the beauty and style of the new kitchen.

The large sliding glass doors mean that natural light streams in from early morning to late afternoon, which keeps the space warm and welcoming.

The kitchen designer, Ben Argent, had distinctive trademarks in his design approach; ambitious and elegant, it incorporated high-end modern design, natural materials, innovative solutions, and a fine eye for detail.

Under Ben’s supervision, the previously compromised ceiling height in the kitchen was celebrated by lifting the wall cupboards to full height. From the provision of a discreet hidden cupboard for the owners’ combi oven to elegant full-height larder cupboards for maximum storage capacity, nothing has been overlooked.

The storage within the wall of cupboards, pigeon holes and lift-up panels is modern, full of character and in keeping with the Georgian house.

The owners took pleasure in being able to use a local architect, builder and kitchen designer along with skilled local craftsmen.

What’s more the job was completed on time and on budget. n

KITCHEN FEATURES • Layered depth storage gives interest to the main wall. Includes lift-up panels, veneered pigeon hole shelves and high-level wall cupboards with feature vertical grooves, accentuating the tall ceilings.

• The beautiful vintage antiqued mirror splashback gives a real elegance and perfectly complements the warm teal tones of the lacquer.

• The island is raised off the floor with Ben’s signature bespoke veneered legs and is finished off with a characterful slab of solid wood, treated to create a vintage grey finish.

• The kitchen features hand-sprayed lacquered fronts; veneered high-level fronts with grooves and a lacquered finish; sintered stone worktops; and antique mirror glass splash-backs.

• The appliances include the refurbished Aga; the Miele dishwasher; the Fisher & Paykel fridge freezer; the Quooker flex tap with boiling and filtered drinking water; and a Quooker Nordic soap dispenser.

Ben Argent Kitchens: 01225 892270; benargentkitchens.co.uk 96 TheBATHMagazine

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GARDEN | STYLE

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Margaret Grant from Sheppards Gardens

Hydrangea ‘Macrophylla’

Keeping it green

How green is your garden? Gardening is the most naturally sustainable activity – you just need to remember a few simple dos and don’ts to embrace an eco garden philosophy, says Jane Moore

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ardening circles are buzzing with talk of sustainable gardening and efforts to reduce the use of plastic, but what does it all really mean?

Isn’t sustainable gardening what we all practise anyway? In fact, isn’t gardening the most sustainable of all activities? Yes of course, in its pure form, but we can all do a bit more, we can all be a little more mindful of our environment and the limited resources of our fragile planet. These are hefty topics to swallow along with your morning coffee, I know. But I am here to break sustainable gardening down into nice, bite-sized chunks.

BE ORGANIC It’s so easy to be organic – in fact, you’re probably 90 per cent there already. Most of it, quite frankly, is simply good husbandry such as making your own compost, practising crop rotation in your vegetable patch and encouraging predators into your garden. But the big transition is letting go of the pesticides and herbicides, the slug pellets and the rose spray. If you make your own compost, avoiding shop-bought fertilisers 108 TheBATHMagazine

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isn’t so difficult, but it is hard to do without the odd spot of weed killer now and then.

A little weeding very often is the only way to keep control organically and it is a thankless task, although the wildlife will be grateful.

Don’t be tempted to start using salt or vinegar to manage those weeds – it just doesn’t work and only knocks back the foliage a little. And please don’t be tempted to mix them together as you’ll be creating a potent acidic concoction that will have a negative impact on the soil.

BRING IN THE BIRDS AND BEES You may already have the odd bird box, bird bath or feeding table dotted around your garden. If you don’t, then what are you waiting for?

Unless these things are already on your Christmas wish list, then do find some space for them in your garden. Birds are top predators, especially the little ones such as blue tits and wrens, and will eat their own body weight in invertebrates in no time at all. Admittedly that also means some of your lovely earthworms and butterfly caterpillars but it also includes less attractive visitors

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such as aphids. Added to that birds bring such a lot of life and colour into the garden, which is especially cheering as we head into the dormant winter months.

Plant butterfly and bee friendly plants – nectar-rich flowers and herbs will improve pollination of all your fruits and vegetables as well as adding to that all-important ecosystem that you’re cultivating. There are so many of these plants to choose from that you could fill up an entire National Trust garden, but the key thing is to provide a long season of flowering from spring to autumn.

You can’t go wrong with a flower selection including buddleia, sedum, cosmos and lavender, while brilliant herbs include rosemary, thyme, borage and marjoram.

COMPANION PLANTING While you’re busy planting pollinatorfriendly flowers, don’t forget that a little companion planting may help things along too. The classic combination is to under plant roses with alliums, whether chives, garlic or something a little more ornamental.

This is supposed to deter aphids, although I’m not convinced. Having said that there’s

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GARDENING

no doubt in my mind that planting pollinator-friendly plants in your vegetable patch goes a long way to improving its ecosystem, encouraging friendly insects such as ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies which are not so friendly to pests.

MAKE YOUR OWN COMPOST It’s one of those rights of passage, making your own compost: you can’t really call yourself a gardener until you’ve done it.

Many of us spend years perfecting our perfect composting technique and then spend hours discussing it when we meet fellow gardeners. It is a strangely addictive pursuit and one I will encourage you heartily to take up. Not only does it save you money buying shop fertilisers, but it also saves lugging rubbish out of the garden and commercial compost into the garden. So much better to put that effort into building a nice compost bin and then turning the heap regularly – that’s my tip for creating fantastic compost.

RECYCLE, REDUCE AND REUSE Nurseries have finally started to use recyclable bedding packs and pots which make life much easier for the sustainable gardener. These plastics are more expensive to buy, but we can put them in our recycling boxes, although you’ll need to check with your recyclers. Look out for the pale, beige-

coloured pots and packs. Black plastic is still a no-no for recycling and there are an awful lot of them about – even in the supermarkets.

At least you can wash out and reuse black plastic pots and packs, which is more than I can say for those little trays that supermarkets use for their tomatoes. Better still, buy the tomatoes loose and steer clear of the plastic packaging altogether. It’s not so easy when it comes to buying plants, although I’m a great fan of buying bare root roses and trees – you get so much more for your money, but that’s not realistically possible for most of the year and certainly not for smaller plants. Nonetheless things are improving.

CREATE HABITATS Your garden is a mini ecosystem in its own right – or it could be. Do everything you can to create lots of habitats within your garden.

Put in a pond – even if it’s miniscule, a body of water does wonders for wildlife, attracting anything from frogs and toads to newts, dragonflies, damselflies and birds and butterflies.

Let your lawn grow and add in wildflowers to turn it into a meadow, just mowing a couple of paths through it so you can get to the shed. And finally don’t be too tidy: don’t trim under the hedge so the wildflowers can establish, leave the

Jane using homemade compost

herbaceous stems untouched in the winter so the birds can have the seeds and let that pile of logs rot so the beetles have somewhere to hide. Remind yourself, and anyone else that questions your garden maintenance standards, that a neat and tidy garden is akin to a desert for wildlife, whereas a little slovenliness is a good thing. Blame me if you get complaints. n Jane Moore is an award-winning gardening columnist and head gardener at The Bath Priory Hotel. Twitter: @janethegardener

Create space with a garden room GARDEN OFFICES • LOG CABINS • STUDIOS • SUMMERHOUSES POSH SHEDS • TIMBER GARAGES • OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES

01225 774566 • www.gardenaffairs.co.uk Visit our Display Centre at Trowbridge Garden Centre 288 Frome Road, BA14 0DT THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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the directory

to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

Electricians

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

Chauffeur/Private Hire

At running bath our specialist staff use the latest technology to analyse your running gait and goals, allowing us to recommend the best footwear and products for you.

We provide Bath Airport transfers to and from all major airports in the uk. We use only Hi spec vehicles and give a near on chauffeur experience at less than regular taxi prices.

Airport transfers • City to city travel • Hi spec vehicles 1-8 seat vehicles available • Account work considered • Free Wifi in selected vehicles Card payments taken with Izettle • Prices start from as little as £39 Call or email us for a quote now!

@Romanbathprivatehire

Web: romanbathprivatehire.co.uk Email: Info@romanbathprivatehire.co.uk Tel: 01225 484346

Come and join us on our free weekly group run every Wednesday 6.30pm from the shop, a difference route every week!

www.runningbath.co.uk 18 High St Bath BA1 5AJ

Tel: 01225 462555

House & Home

KEIKO KISHIMOTO Health, Beauty & Wellbeing Holistic Treatments for Wellbeing

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

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

Trowbridge & Neal’s Yard Bath

ONEMAGAZINEONECITYONEMONTH Email: annadesign@btinternet.com

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PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

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his property is a handsome 4 bedroom Grade II listed Georgian townhouse, 1 of an elegant terrace of 8 set in a fine elevated position enjoying wonderful southerly views over Bath.

The property which retains a wealth of original period detail is approached via beautifully manicured formal gardens to the front and is entered into an elegant hallway. To the left with a fine aspect over-looking the garden is an attractive dining room with a handsome period fireplace and bespoke recessed built in cupboards, this is linked to a contemporary kitchen to the rear with a range of stainless units and built in pantry. Conveniently to the rear there is also a large secondary kitchen and utility room with an original built in Welsh dresser and door through to a pretty sun room. In addition there is a ground floor level guest WC accessed from the rear lobby.

On the first floor there is a pretty mezzanine level bedroom and bathroom and stairs rise to the formal drawing room which has 2 large floor to ceiling sash windows with working shutters, which lead on to a wonderful stone and lead canopied verandah. This is linked via magnificent wedding doors to a withdrawing room to the rear. There is a further mezzanine level bedroom and bathroom on the second floor and a lovely master bedroom with a well-appointed contemporary en-suite bath and shower room. In addition there is a further double bedroom with a charming aspect to the rear.

Externally there are beautifully manicured south facing formal gardens to the front along with a lovely paved sun terrace that spans the width of the property. To the rear accessed from the rear lobby there is a small courtyard with a stone outbuilding and steps that rise to a pretty gravel garden with a wealth of mature shrubs and trees and gated access leading to the Richmond Allotments and Millennium Green.

Richmond Hill, Bath • Fine period features • Generously proportioned accommodation • 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 4 reception rooms • Elegant lead canopied verandah • Impressive formal garden • Sought after residential location

Guide price: £1,500,000

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

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Belgrave Place, Bath £695,000

• • • • • • • •

3 bedrooms, sitting room Open plan kitchen/dining room Conservatory Study Family bathroom Wonderful views Pretty garden, raised deck and sun terrace Private garage

01225 333332 | 01225 866111

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Peter Greatorex managing director of The apartment Company

and secure. Therefore you will feel more reassured about leaving your property for lengths of time for work or play.

The maintenance costs of apartment living are far lower than for a whole property. This is one of the reasons why an apartment is the preferred choice for many, especially those who love to travel or those who don’t want the financial burden of continuous maintenance.

Being close by

Four heart-warming reasons to embrace apartment living

F

rom the grandest estate to the smallest studio, we all have a place that we call home. Should you wish to upsize, downsize or ‘sidesize’, you may have thought about the style of property you’re looking for. But before you choose a house over an apartment, we have four heart-warming reasons we think you should embrace apartment living.

For those who choose to live in the city, it’s often a desire to be close to amenities that is the deciding factor. Regardless of age, having shops, restaurants, parks, and friends within easy reach can really transform your quality of life. Bath has such a warm and welcoming feel about it – yes, there is hustle and bustle, but around the corner there is always a little oasis where you can sit and watch the world go by.

The benefits of our city’s landscape can also improve your mental health, whether you prefer a long walk in the countryside or along the river, or like to throw yourself into a hobby or two with other likeminded people. We’re a city that thrives on bringing people together and we hope you’re taking advantage of the benefits it can bring to your life.

Close-knit communities

The outlook is beautiful

Over the years, American sitcoms have showed us the benefits of apartment living. From Friends, to Frasier, to Will and Grace, each gave the apartment a starring role in the series, making the homes just as important as the characters who lived in them.

Owning an apartment gives you a shared interest in your surroundings. You will see your neighbours more often, whether that’s just a nod of recognition or an indepth conversation. Your neighbours may become your friends, but, more importantly, you will build a supportive community that looks out for one another.

Many of us love a room with a view, and what a view Bath has to offer.

From its Georgian streets to more contemporary additions, and from the surrounding hills to the inner city scenery, every window tells a completely different story of our city.

Living in an apartment may mean you are living higher than street level, and so will have an elevated perspective of your neighbourhood.

Imagine how your view will change as the seasons pass by, from those golden autumn leaves to the long summer days full of light.

Feeling safe and secure Your home doesn’t stand alone on the street, and it will more than likely have more than one entrance. In an apartment, you’re also surrounded by other homeowners who also want to ensure that their home is safe

[SOUTH WESTERN] LIMITED

Crafting beautiful homes

Bath | Somerset | Wiltshire | Cotswolds | Dorset

01225 791155 ashford-homes.co.uk

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Don’t make any decisions until we have shown you the real benefits of apartment living; we know you will be surprised by what you find.

Come and see Bath through the eyes of The Apartment Company.

The Apartment Company Pg@theapartmentcompany.co.uk or call 01225 471144

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PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

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his property is a stunning detached contemporary house constructed to an exceptional specification; a magnificent building that is a fusion between contemporary design and classical architecture. Beautiful natural stone, both inside and out, sits in perfect harmony with modern fixtures and furnishings. Constructed of Bath stone elevations under a slate-tiled roof there are hints of the Italianate style with its striking tower and arched windows a particular feature. The symmetry of the south-facing facade exudes a commanding grandeur.

The accommodation is arranged over three floors, with the main living accommodation at first floor level affording magnificent views. The entire property commands an exceptionally high level of specification with all finishes, both decorative and structural, having been executed with flawless taste and meticulous attention to detail. 19 Somerset Lane exudes grandeur and architectural merit whilst providing excellent accommodation for modern-day family living, extravagant entertaining or social events alike.

Upon entering, you are greeted by a stunning reception hall with marble floor. To the left is a marble staircase with an ornate handrail which provides access to the lower levels, as well as a glass-walled passenger lift, serving all floors. The staircase is housed in an impressive tower that affords considerable light and a sense of scale. Of particular note are the four key reception rooms on this upper level, three of which face south and enjoy a stunning aspect. The drawing room, dining room and kitchen/ breakfast room all have bi-fold doors providing access onto the balcony, which extends almost the entire width of the building. The proportions are exceptional and the ceiling heights superb.

Somerset Lane, Bath • Italianate style villa • Lateral living • 6 generous bedrooms • Premium residential location • Stunning landscaped gardens • Lift access to all floors

Guide price: £3,950,000

Savills, Edgar House, 17 George St, Bath. Tel: 01225 474500

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Wadswick Green apartments make reliable investment

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partments at Rangeford Villages’ Wadswick Green, the lifestyle village for over 60s in Wiltshire, are proving to be a good investment choice for residents and families alike, with the market for resale apartments flourishing. The village is seeing an increase in retirees keen to downsize into pre-owned apartments, without the budget for a brand-new home.

“The brand-new Almond Close apartments at Wadswick Green were over our budget, but our pre-owned Rowan Lane apartment offered everything we needed” explains Angie Marsh, who recently moved to Wadswick Green with her husband Roy. At Wadswick Green, her Rowan Lane apartment was built specifically for retirees and features an open-plan layout to facilitate mobility and a modern bathroom with a walk-in shower. The home was built less than five years ago and offers modern insulation, underfloor heating, wide entrances and floor to ceiling double-glazed windows, which provide a bright and friendly atmosphere.

“We feel other retirement developments cannot compete with the spacious, well thought out kitchens at Wadswick Green,” Angie comments. “The generous room sizes have also enabled us to keep everything important to us, like our large dining room table, chairs and sideboard.”

This village features extensive amenities, which include a swimming pool with jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, gym, spa and hair salon.

In addition, the retirement village is home to the highly rated The Greenhouse Coffee Shop and Restaurant.

“We have been looking at retirement developments for the past two years and saw so many, but Wadswick Green is not like anything else out there,” explains Angie. “The landscaped gardens in particular are a pleasure to enjoy with views over the surrounding countryside. Wildlife

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appreciate Wadswick Green too! We have pheasants, rabbits and squirrels on a daily basis running through the gardens.”

Prospective buyers also value the complimentary concierge and chauffeur service: “We have used the chauffeur service several times already and it has been incredibly helpful,” Angie says. “But perhaps the icing on the cake is the provision of maintenance services available to residents. We no longer have to search for a reliable plumber or electrician in the hope that we find someone reliable and trustworthy.

Now we only have to ask, and help is at hand!”

Wadswick Green offers a range of new build apartments such as Almond Close apartments, which start from £335,500. To make an appointment, please call the friendly team on 01225 584 500 or visit www.wadswickgreen.co.uk

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Central

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Darlington Road, BA2 £925,000

01225 809 571

A detached home with large plot and the Kennet & Avon Canal to the rear. It’s first time to the market makes it a special proposition. Views across the city, triple aspect sitting room with bay window, garage and parking.

Energy Efficiency Rating: F

central@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

Camden

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Gillingham Terrace BA1 £445,000

This lovely period home is located in the Camden area of Bath. Stylishly presented it is light and bright with a pretty south facing garden and city views. Gillingham Terrace is a row of period houses located in an excellent spot for those wanting to take full advantage of everything the city has to offer, yet tucked away and just 0.8 miles to Bath city centre.

Energy Efficiency Rating: D

01225 809 868 camden@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

18/09/2019 13:58

Newbridge Andrewsonline.co.uk

Newbridge Road, BA1 ÂŁ700,000

Conveniently located near the stunningly beautiful historic city of Bath, this elegant four storey Victorian house, built in local honey coloured Bath stone, has been sympathetically renovated to create a home which contains all the essence of its unique history but is contemporary and practical.

Energy Efficiency Rating: C

01225 809 685 newbridge@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

Bear Flat

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Combe Down, BA2 ÂŁ475,000

A beautifully appointed, Grade II Listed, three storey end terrace townhouse situated in Combe Down with open plan reception rooms, two bedrooms, a 150ft south facing rear garden and off road parking.

Energy Efficiency Rating: E

01225 805 680 bearflat@andrewsonline.co.uk

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CITY | BUSINESS

A GOOD TIME TO MAKE A MOVE? LUKE BRADY

Head of Savills Bath office and southern residential division

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ncertainty has been a prevailing theme in the market for some time now. As the country heads towards the 31st October Brexit deadline, it seems unlikely that the headwinds created will drop away any time soon.

Despite this inescapable backdrop however, the local property market has actually held up well this year.

Brexit has undoubtedly held back prices in the city and surrounds over the past twelve months. However, it is worth bearing in mind that in the last five years, average values have actually increased by 6.5%.

The number of new buyers registering with us in Bath this year is double that of 2018 which gives a sense of the level of demand. And, for the right property at the right price, they are buying. Throughout the year, our portfolio of homes on the open market has transacted well, with year-on-year sales up again. So far we have already sold in excess of ÂŁ70m worth of property.

Sellers have been cautious this year, with many choosing to hold out for a change in the political and economic landscape. Less available stock has just kept the balance in favour of the seller, who is dealing with less competition.

Our advice to those who are thinking of putting their house on the market in the next 12 months is not to hold off. Fear of the unknown is the greatest challenge in the current market, but based on our experience, we know that a little bit of certainty will go a

long way. It is impossible to predict what will happen and when, but preparation is key.

Talk to your agent now and they can work with you on a strategy that is right for you. Even if you choose to wait to launch your property, there are things your agent can be working on behind the scenes. Photography, for example, is a fundamental marketing tool.

The difference between good and bad photography can make all the difference when it comes to attracting interest at launch. Now is a good time of year to photograph your property, before we lose the leaves from the trees and the days become darker. Having photos done and ready puts you ahead of the game for whenever you choose to launch.

In some circumstances, your agent may advise that you market your property privately. People are often surprised by the number of properties that transact away from the open market, but, as an example, more than ÂŁ20m of our sales to date this year were privately arranged. This is another good reason to engage an agent.

Savills Bath offers its clients a full appreciation of the market, based on in-depth specialist research and sound local knowledge. If you are thinking of buying or selling in the area, contact our team of experts. Contact our team of experts on 01225 474 500. n

Luke Brady, Savills Bath. Edgar House, 17 George St, Bath BA1 2EN Web: savills.co.uk

From left to right: Holt Manor, Holt, Tylehurst, Sion Hill, and 26 The Circus, Bath, are just three properties recently sold by our team

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Belvedere, Lansdown An elegant one bedroom apartment occupying the first floor of a former Georgian townhouse, tastefully refurbished to combine a wealth of period features with modern comforts. Located on Lansdown Road, the apartment offers convenient access to the city centre, Bristol and the M4 Motorway.

Rent: ÂŁ1,100 pcm* Beautiful living room with high ceilings and floor to ceiling sash windows | open plan contemporary kitchen with stone work surfaces | good sized double bedroom with fitted wardrobes | contemporary bathroom | located a short walk from the city centre | tastefully furnished throughout, available furnished or unfurnished

Reside Bath | 24 Barton Street Bath BA1 1HG | T 01225 445 777 | E info@residebath.co.uk | W www.residebath.co.uk

*A Holding Deposit equivalent to one week’s rent will be payable.

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The Lodge

£1,750 pcm

Fully furnished to high standard · Open Plan Living Space · Three double bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms · Delightful enclosed garden · Private driveway parking · Available 17th September 2019

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Kensington Chapel

£1,350 pcm

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Alexander Buildings

£1,300 pcm

SALES

01225 471 14 4 The Apartment Company October.indd 1

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£1,695 pcm

Unfurnished · Two double bedrooms · Private parking space and garage · Private Garden · Council Tax Band E · Available 4th of November 2019

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Long Fox Manor

£1,250 pcm

EW

Springfield Place

Charlotte Street

£1,000 pcm

£1,375 pcm

Unfurnished · Private courtyard · Two double bedrooms · Central location · Available 1st of November 2019 · White goods included

ST

C

Park Street

£1,100 pcm

Unfurnished · Two double bedrooms · No students · Council Tax Band D · Quiet and peaceful · Allocated parking

N

Furnished · One bedroom apartment · Allocated parking space · Ground floor apartment · No Pets · Council Tax Band C · Available 11th October 2019

01225 303 870

EW

T LE

Unfurnished · Approx 848 Sq ft · Top floor apartment · Superb communal facilities · Allocated parking Views · Council tax band D

N

Unfurnished · Three bedroom apartment · South facing garden · Garden maisonette · Own private entrance · One private parking space · Available 21st of October 2019 · Council tax band A

N

Vale Lodge

T LE

Penthouse apartment · Two double bedrooms · Beautifully decorated · Private parking - Gated · Short walk from the city centre · Lovely Roof Terrace · Council tax band C

N

EW

EW

Norfolk Crescent

£825 pcm

Unfurnished · One bedroom apartment · Beautiful views · Georgian Crescent · Highly recommended · Residence parking permit · Available 15th of October 2019 · Council tax band B

sales@theapartmentcompany.co.uk

18/09/2019 13:59

m

m

m

®

N

EW

Lansdown Crescent

N

O.I.E.O

£850,000

Georgian · Grade I listed · Second floor · Two double bedrooms · Kitchen & Breakfast area · Stunning views · Period features · End of terrace · Approx. 1335 sq. ft.

SO

LD

Cavendish Place

O.I.E.O £525,000

EW

Circus House

Cavendish Lodge

O.I.E.O

£500,000

O.I.E.O

£800,000

LD

Northanger Court

O.I.E.O

£485,000

EW

Portland Place

EW

Connaught Mansions

O.I.E.O £335,000

£590,000

LD

Horstmann Close

O.I.E.O

£300,000

Ground floor apartment · Two double bedrooms · Two bathrooms · Private parking · Communal gardens · Level walk to the city · Bus links · Approx 673 Sq ft

N

Georgian apartment · Grade II listed · Two bedrooms · Stunning views · South facing drawing room · Newly repainted · Period features

O.I.E.O

Georgian · Grade I Listed · Individual drawing room · Two double bedrooms · Georgian features · Level walk to city centre · Lift access · Prestigious address · Parking space · Approx 929 Sq ft

SO

Three bedrooms · Secure parking · Communal outside space · Close to the city centre · Ground floor apartment · Aprox 1079 Sq ft

N

Georgian apartment · Grade I listed · Two double bedrooms · Second floor · Prime location · Beautifully refurbished · Views over The Circus

N

Three double bedrooms · Open plan sitting room/dining room · Beautifully decorated · Communal gardens · Highly sought after residence · Lift access · Allocated parking space · Approx 1119 Sq ft

SO

Georgian apartment · Grade I listed · Lower ground floor · Private courtyard · Large sitting room · Two bedrooms · Prestigious address · Approx 1066 Sq ft

N

EW

EW

St Peters Chapel

O.I.E.O

£275,000

Chapel conversion · Two double bedrooms · Open plan living area · Luxury bathroom · Close to the city centre · Approx 829 Sq ft

www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk

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