Dining/Arts/Entertainment/Shopping/Property ISSUE 350 / 13 – 27 OCTOBER 2017 / £3
@BathLifeMag
CELEBRATING THE BEST OF THE CITY
WELL-OW AND GOOD
THE WELLOW HOME EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
ISSUE 350 / 13 – 27 OCTOBER 2017 / KEEPING IT LOCAL
HOT OFF THE PRESS
GET THAT WARM AND FUZZY FEELING IN YOUR HOME
TA L K SH P BUMPER
SCENE SECTION
MAKE SENSE
SEE, TASTE, HEAR, SMELL AND FEEL YOUR WAY AROUND BATH’S SPAS
MEET THE INDIES MAKING A DIFFERENCE
EDITOR’S LETTER / ISSUE 350 / 13 – 27 OCTOBER 2017
Local love
68
INDEPENDENTS’ DAY We meet the indies delivering on style and service
As Bath Life is an independent publication, it’s our aim to champion other indie businesses in the city. And, after witnessing something rather emotional recently within one of Bath’s small salons, it made me realise just how much the customer/owner relationship is valued. While I was in the waiting area, a client emerged from a treatment room, crying. She proceeded to thank the beauty therapist for making her ‘feel like herself again’ for the first time since her husband passed away. The therapist’s response was equally touching, and it was obvious how much the exchange meant to both of them – something you may not get to experience in corporate chains. So, on page 68, we chat to the indies about their unforgettable customers, including a homeless veteran who asked for a few hours’ work at Bath’s Thoughtful Bread Company in exchange for a free lunch, and returned weeks later to thank the staff for the confidence boost they gave him to find a job and a place to live. Elsewhere, as a nod to Halloween, we have hunted for all things black from the city’s shops (page 66); we’ve taken a sneak peek at a freshto-the-market former threshing barn in Wellow (page 90); and visited some of Bath’s best spas to discover their sensory journeys (page 32). Enjoy! Lisa Evans, Editor Follow us on Twitter: @BathLifeMag Follow us on Instagram:@bathlifemag
FEATURES / ISSUE 350 / 13 – 27 OCTOBER 2017
32
SPAS
Retreats for the senses at Bath’s beautiful spas
98
Bath Lives We talk to space psychologist and presenter Iya Whiteley
REGULARS / ISSUE 350 / 13 – 27 OCTOBER 2017 M E ET T H E T EAM
THE ARTS
Editor Lisa Evans lisa.evans@mediaclash.co.uk
45 Arts intro An operatic clash of the Titans at the Theatre Royal Bath
Managing editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Graphic design Megan Allison Cover design Trevor Gilham Contributors Safia Yallaoui, David Flatman, Angela Mount, Steve Jarratt, Nic Bottomley and Elie Gould Group advertising manager Pat White pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy advertising manager Justine Walker justine.walker@mediaclash.co.uk Sales executive Sophie Speakman sophie.speakman@mediaclash.co.uk Sales executive Michael Stevens michael.stevens@mediaclash.co.uk
46 What’s on Time to update the events diary
55 Bookshelf There’s a bit of an atmosphere in Nic Bottomley’s latest finds
FOOD 58 Restaurant Small plates but big on style at the Ring O’Bells
Production and distribution manager Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy production manager Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Production designer Matt Gynn matt.gynn@mediaclash.co.uk
61 Wine Matchmaking with Angela Mount
Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Commercial director Steve Hawkins steve.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk
63 Food & drink news The Sion Hill Place Supper Club, The Pig near Bath and The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
SHOPPING 65 Shopping intro A stunning design makes for a top table
66 Editor’s choice We go back to black
LIFEST YLE 41 The big relax
A warming lava shell massage
86 Heatwave We snuggle up with the best wood-burners and open fires
Bath Life, MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash
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© All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.
BUSINESS
DEPARTMENTS
77 Business insider
9 12 27 29
News, views and interviews from the region’s professionals
Spotlight Society A man’s world Inside story
About MediaClash We’re a Bath-based publisher, creative agency and event organiser Magazines Our portfolio of regional magazines celebrates the best of local living: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter and Salisbury. We also publish foodie mag Crumbs. (www.crumbsmag.com, @CrumbsMag) and wedding title Vow (@VowMag). Agency From the design and build of websites to digital marketing and creating company magazines, we can help. Events We create, market, promote and operate a wide variety of events both for MediaClash and our clients Contact: info@mediaclash.co.uk
PROPERT Y 90 Property showcase A sumptuous barn conversion in mellow Wellow
On the cover Found; for the feature turn to page 68 Photo Paolo Ferla, courtesy of Pixie
BONITI NATURAL STONE FLOORING | EVERHOT RANGE COOKERS TIMBER FLOORING | GARDEN FURNITURE
WWW.BONITI.COM | 01225 892 200 | SHOWROOM@BONITI.COM
BATH: ITS LIFE AND TIMES
Clockwise from top: A Fantastic Woman; Lost in Paris; Breadwinner; Sami Blood; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Aurore; Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
Who comes out on top in Battle of the Sexes?
FILM
WOMEN’S HOUR Film buffs will be in their element for the return of the city’s film festival next month. FilmBath – formerly known as the Bath Film Festival – is now in its 27th year, and opens on 2 November. And, in a first, the festival has achieved an exact split of films directed by men and women on the schedule. “I’m so thrilled that we have 21 films directed by women and 21 films directed by men: genuine equality in who’s telling the stories on screen,” says FilmBath’s executive director Holly Tarquini. “This is unheard of in a broad-based film festival such as ours – compare this, for example, to the BFI London Film Festival, where only 25 per cent of the films are directed by women. “The F-Rating, which we developed at the festival in 2014 to highlight films made by and about women has gone from strength to strength in the UK, and is now used by over 60 other cinemas and festivals: but we are the first to have genuine equality in our programme.” The festival’s programming team watched over 700 films to finalise its schedule, with movies starring top actors including Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Sean Bean and Michelle Williams. Various venues and prices; www.bathfilmfestival.org.uk
SPOTLIGHT
SPORTS
DRESSED FOR SUCCESS Bath’s landmarks have been incorporated into a design that features on sportswear for Team Bath Netball. The new design was worn at the first-ever British Fast5 All-Stars Championships, at The O2 Arena in London last month. The dress worn by the Blue and Golds features sites from the city skyline, including Bath Abbey and Pulteney Bridge. The team is sponsored by Sitec. Superleague winning captain Asha Francis, who is part of the ten-strong Fast5 squad, says, “We’re obviously really happy to have Viper 10 on board and I think they have done us proud with this kit with the Bath skyline on.” The dresses have been produced by Viper 10 Sportswear, the team’s new kit suppliers. For more: www.teambath.com
Asha Francis, Imogen Allison, Tash Pavelin and Jess Shaw
Lucinda’s design brings the outside in
DESIGN
OFF THE WALL Floral designs created by Lucinda Rogers, a student at Bath Spa University, feature on a range of printed-to-order wallpaper after she won a national competition. Lucinda’s Cinda’s Roses design, has been made into wide-width wallpaper by fabric and wallpaper company Lewis & Wood, and her design is available from Rossiters of Bath. The 20-year-old created the pattern when she was in her very first term at university. “I have always been hugely inspired by nature, and the garden at home is full of trees, old-fashioned roses and lavender,” she says. “The design took about five weeks to complete. I started by drawing the design out and then I had to paint it, obviously the repeat is quite large so it took a while.” It comes in four colourways, Blue
Yonder, Sunshine, Genie and Magic, and Lucinda will earn royalties on the paper, which retails at £63.60 per roll. For more: www.rossitersofbath.co.uk
Adventures in party-going
Lizzie Heffer and Les Redwood
SCENE AC ROS S B AT H , O N E S H I N D I G AT A T I M E
FULL-FIGURED
Euan Woodmand and Eleanor Preece
A fine Bath Boules Breakfast at Hall & Woodhouse
Guests at a breakfast event at Hall & Woodhouse, heard how this year’s Bath Boules raised a fantastic £52,235 for local charities. This is over 20 per cent higher than last year’s total, with the first tranche of grants starting to be allocated by the Bath Boules Trust. The event is headline sponsored by Royds Withy King, with over 500 companies involved and thousands of people attending. Next year’s event is set to be even bigger and better, and will be extended to cover a week. Photos by Samantha Walker www.bathboules.com
All smiles – but then Bath Boules did raise £52,235
David Gledhill, Nicole Howse and Sally Helvey
Celebrating Bath Boules 2018 lasting for a week
Tom Annear, Chris Garratt and Clive Hoskin
12 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
Kerrianne Gauld, Paul Myers and Loraine Morgan Brinkhurst
SOCIETY
Raising a glass to beautiful interior design
ALL THE TRIMMINGS A party was held to mark the opening of Etons of Bath’s showroom last month. The Walcot Street business is a merger of Latham Interiors and Eton Design, and offers interior design, fabric and window dressing services. It specialises in Georgian and Regency properties, with its showroom remodelled to reflect new designs, ideas, fabrics, lights and furniture.
Sue and David Rossiter with Chris Wearden
Duncan Lawrence with Andy Petherwick Peter Harrison and Ann Ross
Lynne Bridge and Marian McNeir
Chris Warby and Tony Copeland
Regina Gilbert, Sarah Latham and Sarah Brown
14 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
The design is on the wall at the new showroom
SOCIETY
SPILLING THE BEANS
Amelia Hartley, Laura Carnell, Dan Smart, Jeff Butler, Andrew Hartley, Charles Burgess, Sam George, James Kettlety, Nigel Swift, Phil Moger and Costle Radu
The opening of the 3 Café & Kitchen, at Three Ways School in Bath, saw delicious food served with a smile. As well as offering a wide range of homemade meals, drinks and snacks, the café will allow the special school’s pupils to gain accredited qualifications and vital work experience. Students will also grow and make produce to sell in the café’s shop, with the premises also operating as a meeting space for businesses and community groups. Photos by Nick Cole www.nickcolephotography.co.uk
Mary English, Jo Stoaling, Caroline White
Mayor of Bath Ian Gilchrist declares the café open
Mike Plows, Julie Poll, Lucy Beattie and Jeff Butler
Holly and Chloe have refreshments on tap
Ben Turner, Rebecca Stirling, Amelia Hartley, Sarah Cullop, Colin Blair, Mark Vicary
Mark Vicary and John Thornfield
Julie Dyer making the opening speech 16 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
SOCIETY
FRENETIC ENGINEERING
Ellie Marsh, Antiopi Koronaki, Eleana Karayianni and Pippa Long
The Lansdown Grove Hotel was the venue for an awards dinner held by the Institution of Structural Engineers, Western Counties. Ian Firth gave the president’s address, with fine dining, presentations and games all on the menu. The group was founded in 1923 and represents members of the Institution of Structural Engineers in Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, regularly holding seminars and training courses. Photos by Dave Saunders www.davesaundersphotography.com
Ian Firth handing over the honours to Claire Smith
Mahara Booshanam and Steve Holmes
Daniel Maskell and Tim Ibell say cheers
Engineering conversation
Charlie Sayer says even Len wouldn’t give it a 10
Jeremy Crew explaining the photo competition
Adam Crewe is all fingers
18 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
SOCIETY Charlotte Balmer, Pedro Carvajal-Chappara and Bert and Tania Beagley-Brown
BRICKWORKS A summer party was held to mark CaSA Architect’s 10th anniversary and, fittingly, the venue was in its most recently completed house in Bath. CaSA is known for its contemporary and sustainable designs, with an ethos of great architecture changing lives. The practice was founded by Ian Walker and Adam Dennes, and has won numerous accolades, including RIBA awards in 2013 and 2015. Photos by Adam Carter www.adamcarterphoto.com
Paul Harrington, Sean Payne and Richard Ford
The award-winning Adam Dennes and Ian Walker
Catherine Winchcombe, Rob Stiles and Simon Winchcombe Liz and Georgina Baylis
20 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
Jessica Stephens, Jen Lorrimar-Shanks and Adrian Biles-Wood Toby Cambray with Jerram Bird
SOCIETY
PAINTING BY NUMBERS
Xanthia, Patrick and Saskia Hallissey
20 years of open studios was marked with an evening of celebrations at Bath Artists’ Studios last month. Guests mingled among life-sized artworks, with one set of statues appearing to enjoy the party. Music came from live bands, while food and drink were provided, courtesy of a pizza bike and two bars, at the vibrant Comfortable Place studios. Photos by Philip Shone www.mamaisononline.co.uk
David Cobley and Marion Billett
Hannah Fitzgerald peruses the art
Katrina Fox and Laurie Peters
Karen Proudman, Grahame Baker-Smith and a friend
Quiet contemplation...
Lizzy Morgan and Francis Mosley
22 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
Liz Morris and Louise O’Sullivan
SOCIETY
SUMMER SCRUM The Bath Rugby Foundation held a rugby camp for children with disabilities at the Odd Down Sports Ground in Bath. 100 children attended, with players Tom Dunn, Aled Brew, Dave Attwood, Harry Davies, Henry Thomas, Francois Louw, Michael van Vuuren, and Max Lahiff all joining in the fun.
Three Ways pupils join in the fun Tabitha Barnes-Harris from Thrings and Ibby from HITZ
Jake Wennen from Thrings with Milo
Photos by Nick Cole www.nickcolephotography.co.uk
The Bath Rugby Foundation team
Lucas with Michael Van Vuuren
Nathan, Aled Brew, Billie, Riley and Dave Attwood
FOOD THAT’S WORTH A MINT The Mint Room was the venue for a Loake Shoemakers fundraising event, in aid of the Bath Rugby Foundation and the George Thomas Hospice. Over 100 guests dined in style at the event, with a Q&A and an auction adding to the £3,500 raised.
Lynne Fernquest, CEO of Bath Rugby Foundation, says: “We can’t thank our friends at Loake and The Mint Room enough for their effort they put into the evening. Every penny raised for our charity will make a difference to vulnerable youngsters’ lives.”
Our columnist David Flatman is currying favour
There’s nothing like a sharp-dressed man 24 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
4 Edgar Buildings, George St, Bath, BA1 2EE Tel: 01225 466667 Email: drinks@sub13.net www.sub13.net /sub13bar
@sub13bar
A MAN’S WORLD
DAVID FLATMAN
THOSE WERE THE DAYS A nostalgic Flats reminisces about his wild rugby nights out…
A
lmost invariably, retired rugby players either choose, or land, in a line of work that requires little or no administrative skill or consistency. Of course, there is the odd exception, but an accurate generalisation is that blokes like me are useless at getting lots of things done on time (this article, for instance, is now five days past Bath Life’s deadline), hence the job of ‘first team manager’ being one of the most relentless and repetitive on the market. I vividly recall one of our team managers having what amounted to an explosive breakdown for this very reason. We were training in Biarritz and, after a team night out where we were advised not to go too wild, a few things happened that might, on reflection, have caused some stress to the individual responsible for the general behaviour and geographical positioning of around 50 drunk men (oh yes, I forgot to mention that unless something truly awful happens, rugby players don’t really get told off; that’s what managers are for! Can’t have the talent distracted). In short, someone set off the fire alarm in the hotel, but nobody could get out of the fire exit as someone else had blocked it with a stolen JCB. Having evacuated for what we eventually discovered to be a puffing Silk Cut, nobody was able to re-enter their rooms as all of the spare keys were missing (yes, this means that someone had taken them all and was invading his mates’ rooms and sabotaging their belongings). I woke at dawn, oblivious to all of this drama, primarily because I was, for a short while, somehow in Spain. Post-explosion, all was forgotten and we moved on. In hindsight, cutting holes in the nipple area of all of his shirts the next night as he slept (someone clever retained a couple of keys) was perhaps a bit
much. Somehow, we are still in touch today, and I would even say we are good friends. Amazing. Mind you, he did once deliberately put me on a flight from Heathrow to Toulouse that included three – yes, three – stops en route as payback. Seriously, I could have driven there faster. And we had a match in which I was required to play, but he gave not a hang about my poor back or my levels of fatigue. Quite right, too. It is with surprise, then, that one of my colleagues from that former life has launched a business in a world where anything less than administrative perfection drives paying clients utterly barmy. Dan Hipkiss, a man whose temper was semi-legendary around the game has, with his friend Ross Anderson, started Bathstone. Bathstone are builders and project managers, and they’ve recently been working on my house. This is a risk for Dan, as I’d gladly slag him off on these pages were he to under-deliver (see paragraphs above). However, they have been rather marvellous. In fact, they’ve been so on top of things that it’s all got a bit too much for me. For years, I’ve wanted a builder who actively communicates instead of actively getting drunk on site. Well, I’ve recently muted our ‘Flatman House’ WhatsApp group. I can’t take it anymore. Daily written and photographic updates, instant replies to Mrs F’s questions about soil pipe dimensions, proactive suggestions to save us money. It’s just too much admin. I commend Dan and Ross aggressively, but I need someone to manage all the details for me. So yeah, a team manager of sorts. And I have just the sucker in mind.
IN HINDSIGHT, CUTTING HOLES IN THE NIPPLE AREA OF ALL OF HIS SHIRTS WAS PERHAPS A BIT MUCH
David Flatman is an ex-Bath and England rugby star turned TV pundit and rent-o-mic. Follow him on Twitter @davidflatman
INSIDE S T O RY
INTERIORS WILL COMBINE RELAXED EDGES WITH A NOD TO INDUSTRIALISM
DECONSTRUCTED LUXE PHILIPPA MAY’S ready to hibernate for winter among cosy yet daring interior design…
W
here did 2017 go? It feels like the year has whizzed by and winter is almost upon us again, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in my eyes. There’s almost nothing I love more than hibernating on a dark night in a cosy home or bar for a mulled wine and some good conversation. The past year has been an exciting one for interior design, and every month it has felt like there has been a fresh new theme to try. From reconnecting with natural materials to looking forward to the darker months with more rich jewel tones, I’ve felt inspired by so much I would have previously been too nervous to try. I’ve been slowly seeing interiors become more daring with rich colours and bohemian styles, previously thought of as outdated, making a comeback, and a fantastic example of rejuvenated flair is the Old Q Bar at the Queensbury Hotel on Russell Street, Bath. Always keen to take a peek at a renovation in the city, especially when it sits just down the road from our house, I was lucky enough to get a little preview of the new bar and it did not disappoint. The Old Q Bar has been given a quirky and cool new look by local designers at Jane Clayton, and now offers a relaxing space split across two rooms – perfect for a chic drink out. With plush furnishings accented by atmospheric lighting, I can’t wait to retreat on many a winter’s night for a cocktail or two made by their mixologists in their utterly welcoming abode. The weather even held tight long enough to check out their incredible garden The rejuvenated flair of the Old Q Bar at Bath’s Queensberry Hotel is inspiring Philippa
spanning numerous townhouses decked with furniture from Bramblecrest of Stroud, creating a perfect hidden haven for a warm summer night too. Yet again, I came away inspired by the depth of colour and wellplaced jewel tones that mix dreamy and boho flavours. The interior design industry is not immune to the deep issues that the world is facing right now, though it has a very interesting way of expressing itself and tends to reflect these intricacies like great art. I see this happening in two directions at the moment – through introspection in some ways, with the overarching desire for darker and more intense colours that express luxury and a self-indulgent attitude, and, on the other side, a careless approach about aesthetics where environments can be more fun, involved spaces to retreat to. In contrast to these deep, expressive themes, I have noticed a lighter and more playfully elegant look: watercolour that spiritedly dotes on a more easy-breezy life I imagine we all aspire to. I’ve noticed different interpretations of this idea all over, from book covers to tea towels in beautifully hand-painted watercolour patterns. I love that watercolours aren’t as structured as other art forms; the colours all blend beautifully together and form a slightly romantic and feminine look, much like a more grown-up tie-dye. Keep an eye out for these making their way onto bed linen and scatter cushions, too, with great styles to be found in Anthropologie and Graham and Green at the moment. In contrast to the perfect and pristine finishes and super shiny metallics that were ubiquitous this year, winter will welcome some deconstructed luxe. Think exposed brickwork, the use of concrete and blown plaster finishes, and the pairing of metals with raw, natural materials such as clay. These interiors will combine relaxed edges with a nod to industrialism without being quite as harsh. I’m excited by a turn to our senses and have been perusing ceramics with a raw finish – a way of hitting all these themes at once. I agree with Igor Josifovic from the Happy Interior Blog who says, “Tactile surfaces will evoke haptic discoveries. Our senses will once again determine the essence of the home – the cosiness and comfort of a warm nest where we can reduce the pace of our lifestyle, recharge and refocus. It is the feeling of coming home that will find its materialisation in interior design.” My favourite discovery has been the mixture of ceramic finishes in Hannah Bould’s designs. If you haven’t discovered her work yet be sure to check it out; her modern hand-painted pottery is fun and her mugs are on my wish-list for a snug night in with a hot chocolate and roaring fire this season… Philippa May is an interiors enthusiast and the designer and brand creative manager for accessories label Abbott Lyon. Follow her on Instagram @_philippamay_
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 29
H E A LT H A N D BEAUTY
SENSE-
ATIONAL Visit the local spas that satisfy all five senses… By L I SA E VA NS 32 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
The Royal Crescent Hotel spa’s chapel-style windows allow light to flood in
F
rom drinking as much Georgian-recipe hot chocolate as you like while bathing in natural thermal waters, to exfoliating your skin with herbal ice crystals, see, listen, smell, taste and feel your way around some of the best spas in and around the city…
Sight
The décor, design and look of a spa is always important, because first impressions count… Step into the Spa Village at The Gainsborough Bath Spa – the only hotel in the UK to offer access to Bath’s natural mineral-rich thermal waters – and you’ll be struck by its Romanesque design, the way in which beautiful columns reach up to the glass atrium, and how natural light pours into the main bathing pool. And a 4th-century Roman mosaic lies beneath the foundations of the hotel on Beau Street, a replica of which can be found in the relaxation area of the spa. One of the first things you may notice at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa’s Spa & Bath House in the city is its chapel-style windows. “It offers soft light and sumptuous surroundings and it’s so much brighter and tranquil since we replaced the dark, heavy wood that was there before our refurbishment last year,” says senior therapist Charlotte Edwards. “Our treatment rooms are warm and inviting with soft, fluffy towels and idyllic dim lighting.” Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa in Chippenham is surrounded by 500 acres of private parkland,
allowing you to be at one with the outdoors while enjoying a day of rejuvenation. “Unwind with a soothing spa treatment, soak in the scenic views from the hydrotherapy pool or perhaps come for a Saddle and Spa Day – making use of the fabulous equestrian centre with over 35 horses to suit all capabilities,” says spa director Sharon Rooney. Helen Mulloy Reid, the founder of Bare Beauty, believes salon aesthetics to be crucial for setting the scene to reflect a clean, calm but enticing environment. “The salon is based in my home – a Georgian three-storey cottage in the lovely village of Combe Down – that I renovated from top to bottom and have put a lot of love into,” she says. “As a once-upon-a-time stylist and florist, the look of the salon is very important to me. The client journey needs to start even before they enter the salon. The courtyard is full of bay and olive topiaries in a French laundry tub, and I have sourced some fabulous pieces of French furniture, and, as the salon is southfacing, there’s a lot of natural light.” At Homewood Park Hotel & Spa in Freshford, serene colours are relevant, as senior spa therapist Melissa Mitchell explains, “Colour moves us mentally; strong blues will stimulate clear thought, and soft blues will calm the mind and aid concentration.” Located in a Victorian walled garden, The Spa at Woolley Grange Hotel in Bradford on Avon is a relaxed, family-friendly environment housed in a contemporary oak-timber building. “Through the full-length glass windows, the view of our garden from the pool is breath-taking,” says spa manager Rachael Chapman. “Here you can watch our Indian runner ducks comically waddling and quacking around the garden, our gardeners preparing the land, and apples and conkers falling from the trees. It’s a true country idyll which feels as if the ‘real world’ is a world away.”
you’ll be
struck by its Romanesque design and how beautiful columns reach up to the glass atrium
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 33
H E A LT H A N D BEAUTY
TASTE
Salon smoothies, Georgian-recipe hot chocolate, and rose biscuits, anyone?... Bathers in the nearby 18th-century Cross Bath used to sip spiced hot chocolate, so The Gainsborough’s Spa Village keeps this tradition alive with hot chocolate made to a traditional Georgian recipe on tap for all spa visitors. “The chef prepares the drink – which contains vanilla, chillies, cardamom and cinnamon – freshly every morning,” says spa manager Kabir Aliri. “He also prepares a detoxifying probiotic drink for guests to enjoy during their consultations prior to using the spa facilities. This contains apples and seasonal fruits, along with a natural fermenting agent and brown sugar.” Natural flavours are served at Lucknam Park – from cool lavender-infused water pretreatment, to soothing herbal tea with rose biscuits afterwards. At Bare Beauty, you can get a health kick from ‘salon smoothies’ – such as a cucumber, mint, avocado and coconut water concoction – and all of the spa packages at Wadswick Green in Corsham include food, whether it be brunch, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner. And you can relax and recharge with a glass of Woolley Grange’s own Orchard Fizz – a combination of prosecco and their own orchard apple juice – or their own geranium leaf tea which comes fresh from the garden.
34 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
A detoxifying probiotic drink and a personalised aromatherapy pouch are prepared for every guest pre-treatment at The Gainsborough Bath Spa
BATHERS USED TO SIP SPICED HOT CHOCOLATE, SO WE KEEP THIS TRADITION ALIVE
You won’t hear the tinkle of raindrops in a rainforest or the cascading of waterfalls here
Sound
To chime, or not to chime?...
Tingsha bells signal the beginnings and ends of treatments at Lucknam Park
The music at Lucknam Park is based on binaural beats and energising tones, and therapists use tingsha bells in the ESPA Ayurvedic treatments – such as the Dosha Ritual or Uplifting Marma – to signal the beginning and end of a treatment. “The sound waves from the chimes help to open and balance the chakras (energy centres) in the body,” says Sharon Rooney. “This simply enhances the treatment.” Not all salons agree with the use of chimes, though, as Helen at Bare Beauty explains, “You won’t hear a ching of a Tibetan chime, or the tinkle of raindrops in a rainforest, or the cascading of waterfalls here,” she says. “I’m a massive fan of Spotify and have a really cool playlist. I have a few clients that have their own playlist that gets played when they are in.” At The Gainsborough, you’ll hear floating strains of classical masterpieces on a playlist compiled by renowned Pump Room violinist Robert Hyman, and, at Wadswick Green, expect tunes that range from Ed Sheeran to Enya. Sometimes it’s not about music at all, but the way in which conversation flows, as Charlotte at The Royal Crescent Hotel explains, “Communication between therapist and client is important to ensure the delivery of the best personalised treatment possible,” she says. And Sharon at Lucknam Park adds, “During our Mindful Massage and Mindful Facial, therapists will inform guests of how to perform simple deep breathing exercises. While listening to the sound of the guest’s breath, the therapist will guide them through visualisation techniques.” www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 35
H E A LT H A N D BEAUTY
SMELL
From lavender ice crystals to rub or the skin, to tailored aromatherapy salt pouches, here are the aromas that are heaven-scent... “When a client completes a consultation form, it will determine which element (wood, earth, fire, water or metal) they are,” says Charlotte at The Royal Crescent Hotel. “We’ll then match this to a specific body oil from our product range of Elemental Herbology – based on traditional Chinese medicine. For example, earth is soothing and balancing, and pairs well with essential oils such as ylang ylang and rose; whereas fire is more invigorating, and suits oils such as ho leaf and juniper. As soon as you walk through the spa door at Homewood Park, you’ll smell eucalyptus throughout the steam rooms, and if you opt for a facial, you’ll be greeted with the scents of rosewood, lavender and lime via hot mitts which remove oils and facial products. At The Gainsborough, every guest has a bespoke aromatherapy consultation, during which an aromatherapy salt pouch is created for them according to their mood and requirements, and in the ice chamber room, guests will find lavender ice crystals to rub on the skin to cool down after a thermal-water dip. On entering the spa at Lucknam Park, you are met with the aroma of blended essential oils from their ESPA diffusers and burning oils. Every guest chooses a specific oil to suit their needs, such as geranium to help balance hormones, or lemongrass to energise. You’ll find yet more scents at Wadswick Green, as senior spa therapist Melissa Mitchell explains, “Absorption of the oils helps to nourish the skin and promote healthy circulation and lymphatic drainage; and inhalation stimulates memories and emotions.” And at Woolley Grange, flowers and herbs grow in profusion in the garden and add to the scent journey you’ll experience. “Take a walk around the herb area and enjoy the scents of an English garden,” says Rachael Chapman. “There are varieties for healing, for cooking, and even herbs for children to collect to help make ‘potions’. Our Elemis skincare products reflect these fragrances.” w
RUB LAVENDER ICE CRYSTALS ON THE SKIN TO COOL DOWN AFTER A THERMAL-WATER DIP
Bath-based aromatherapist HELEN MULLOY REID on the powers of essential oils…
PINE
Properties: antibacterial, energising, antiseptic Benefits: helps with skincare, stress disorders and fatigue
ROSEMARY
Properties: stimulation for hair growth, anti-inflammatory Benefits: useful for haircare, mouth care and indigestion
THYME
Properties: diuretic, stimulant Benefits: helps with colds and helps to regulate the menstrual cycle
TUBEROSE
Properties: aphrodisiac, sedative, warming Benefits: enhances libido, eliminates body odour, soothes inflammation
36 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
Homewood Park’s indoor and outdoor spa areas flow seamlessly
H E A LT H A N D BEAUTY
Relax on a curved poolside lounger at Lucknam Park’s spa before a blissful massage
THERE IS NO FORM OF CONNECTION THAT IS AS POWERFUL AS TOUCH
38 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
Touch
The intuitive touch of skilled therapists’ hands is paramount to carrying out relaxing treatments… “Our Spiezia Touch Therapy Treatment is designed for clients who have been, or are going through, treatment for cancer or a long-term illness,” says Charlotte at The Royal Crescent Hotel. “We never want to turn a guest away from having a treatment because of a medical reason, so we have received specialised training to deliver beneficial treatments to guests who may be feeling at their worst or going through a difficult period of their life. The treatment is slow and hypnotic to send the client into a deeply relaxing state and take their mind of any pain or discomfort, and we use products specially designed to treat the skin from the impact chemotherapy or radiotherapy may have had.” Woolley Grange also makes it their mission to offer treatments for all, which is why they introduced their Mother-To-Be Massage. “It’s wonderful for pregnant ladies, who can immerse themselves in comfort as they sink into carefully placed cushions to take the pregnancy weight away,” explains Rachael Chapman. “Another popular treatment is the Elemis Deep Tissue Massage which is bespoke to each person and uses 10 different cultural touches to smooth out muscles and encourage the body to release its toxins.” At Lucknam Park, the sense of touch begins with the indulgence of soft, comforting blankets in the pre-treatment areas, then it moves on to warm basalt stones and cooling rose quartz crystals across the body, and ends with the firm, stimulating touch of massage. And, at The Gainsborough, Kabir Aliri says their unique Freedom treatment, which takes place in the natural thermal waters, explores the sensation of touch in two dimensions. “Firstly comes the touch of the warm waters on the skin as the therapist gently stretches and manoeuvres your body,” he says. “Secondly its in the deft touches of the therapist’s hands as they lull you into a state of total relaxation.” “Human touch is essential to survival,” adds Helen at Bare Beauty. “There is no form of connection that is as powerful as touch. It’s the language of compassion, and has a vast array of benefits. When I get a new client booked in for a massage, I very often close my eyes myself when massaging them to feel my way around their body by touch alone. I don’t use machines for facials or body treatments, I keep it simple; my hands are my tools.”
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 39
REVIEW
SHELL OUT
BEAUTY
Above: lava shells are the world’s first naturally self-heating massage tool; below: the haven that is Beauty@No.32
A visit to Bath’s Beauty@No.32 leaves LISA EVANS feeling a delectably weird combination of refreshed and relaxed
W
hen it comes to massage, nothing can surprise me. In the past, I’ve been pummelled with feet; spun around in a swimming pool; and been hit with a bundle of heated eucalyptus in the name of relaxation. So when I visited Beauty@No.32 on Monmouth Street to try their lava shells massage – their newest treatment – I was looking forward to it, but thought I knew what to expect as I’ve experienced this technique before. If I think back, I remember really enjoying the hot shells’ curves digging into my taut shoulders, the temperature melting away muscle tension and allowing for much deeper pressure than a manual massage. Back to the present day, and before we begin, my therapist at No.32, Tara, takes a brief case history (the treatment isn’t suitable for pregnant women, anyone who’s recently had an operation or has active cancer) and explains everything I need to know about the two smooth, palmsized, tiger-striped clam shells, which look unprepossessing on a table. A self-heating teabag-like sachet filled
LIKE WHEN THE HAIRDRESSER ASKS YOU IF THE WATER TEMPERATURE IS OK, AND IT’S REALLY NOT, I SAY ‘THAT’S PERFECT, THANKS’
with algae and sea kelp is placed inside each shell and, when combined with salt water, generates enough continuous, natural heat for an hour-long massage. I choose a massage that concentrates solely on the back, but the option is there to incorporate work on your legs, arms and any problem areas you specify. Lying on my front, anointed with deliciously scented coconut oil, nestled into the face cradle, inhaling a pleasant rosy fragrance that has been placed underneath my nose, Tara begins. When the shells first touch my skin, they make me jump, and I’m worried the powerful heat may be unbearable; but, like when the hairdresser asks you if the water temperature is OK, and it’s really not, I say ‘that’s perfect, thanks’. Within seconds, though, I get used to the intensity (and, it can’t actually be that hot because Tara holds them in her bare hands without flinching). She uses the surface of the shells as tools to penetrate down into the large muscles of the body, and she loosens tight knots with precision using the curved edges and tips. Then, once everything is limbered up, Tara uses her hands to give a manual massage, and repeats this cycle several times. This pattern of warmth and strong manipulation delivers the goods (and can help with water retention and skinfirming, don’t you know). After a 60-minute treatment, I feel that delectably weird combination of refreshed and relaxed. I wander out in a little cloud with that just-woken-up-from-an-11-hour-sleep feeling, and the fuzzy glow continues throughout the evening, leading to a perfectly rested night’s slumber.
Mother and daughter Heather Lippiatt and Claire Lawton co-own Beauty@No.32, and, this year are celebrating 19 years of keeping Bath beautiful. In April, they rebranded the salon from its former days as the Jennifer Lucknam Beauty Salon and gave the space a whole new look. The independent salon’s most popular treatments are facials, particularly the CACI non-surgical variety, and electrolysis, and their focus is on Thalgo as their luxury product brand.
I did say I couldn’t be surprised by massage, and, although the mechanics of this massage don’t come close to the shock of being beaten by aromatic sticks, Tara’s technique certainly did take me aback. She transported me to a place where my eyes rolled back and I had to try my hardest not to make embarrassing pleasure sighs – and that’s certainly never happened to me before (normally I’m too preoccupied thinking about what peculiar thing is going to happen next). I can confidently say this is one of the best spa treatments I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Beauty@No.32, 32 Monmouth Street, Lower Lansdown, Bath; 01225 42874; www.beautyatnumber32.co.uk
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 41
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15% OFF UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER WHEN YOU SHOW THIS ADVERT* *Does not apply to any of the sale items
a d vertising feat u re s h e p h e r d h u t s
The ultimate garden retreat
Quality, built-to-order and perfect for glamping – greendown shepherd huts provide enviable luxury in a very cosy environment
T
raditional shepherds’ huts have always being associated with romantic country living and, more recently, with the trend for outdoor garden rooms, alternative holiday accommodation and glamping. Now a local company – Greendown Shepherd Huts – are creating high quality unique shepherds’ huts built to order. Based at a farm near Saltford, owners Harry Long and Richard Hodges are passionate about craftsmanship, style and attention to detail “We’re committed to delivering a hut built from the best materials that combines comfort and practicality with contemporary style and design” says Harry, a carpenter by trade. “Our huts are constructed from specially sourced kiln dried oak, the colour of which blends and ages with their surroundings.
Features in the huts include Belfast sinks, cast iron exterior lights, Farrow and Ball painted panelling, table and chairs which fold away under the sleeping area, cleverly built in storage space, plug in cooking hobs and TV points. Instant hot water is provided from a LPG gas boiler and there is a fully functioning bathroom with walk-in shower. The huts are kept warm all year round with underfloor heating, insulted walls, NASAapproved super quilt layering in the ceilings, double glazing on the windows and a stylish wood burner. “Every hut we create is built to the customers brief,” explains Richard. “Clients can come out to our workshop in Saltford and take a look at the huts we have on site. We’ll discuss what they are looking for from the hut in terms of its use and the features they would like, and then come up with a bespoke design. Areas where the customer can have an input range from details like the pattern on the metal wheels, through to the size of the hut.” “Commercially, shepherd huts are a great investment,”says Richard. “An established campsite owner or a landowner looking to branch into the holiday sector can charge £90£150 a night for a hut, with a payback within two years. The huts could also be a useful and stylish addition to a wedding venue, the grounds of a country house hotel or as an Airbnb opportunity. “For private customers the huts versatility cover a range of uses including guest room, arts studio, home office, garden retreat or playroom.
With regard to planning permission, it is the same rules as apply to caravans and, unlike a built property extension, a shepherd’s hut can be installed in a day.”
Avon Farm, Avon Lane, Saltford, Bristol, BS31 3ET 07983 439782/07967 442267 info@greendown-shepherd-huts.co.uk www.greendown-shepherd-huts.co.uk
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 43
BEAUFORT Christmas Fair
Newnton Dairy Farm, Long Newnton SN16 9SR
Tuesday 21 November 2017 9.30am - 8.00pm
Admittance £5.00
Tickets available on the day / Children under 16 are FREE
Appreciate Italy in a totally new way Supported Charities
Immerse yourself in authentic Italian culture and tradition 9-day guided tours to the Unesco World Heritage recognised Cinque Terre, stunning Tuscany and glorious Emilia Romagna
www.beaufortchristmasfair.co.uk
5-day cooking lesson tours to Cinque Terre with professional and award-winning chefs “Before the big day” tours to the picturesque Lake Garda region For more information, visit our website www.doriatour.com
Music/theatre/film/more
PHOTO BY WWW.FEASTCREATIVE.COM
NO PLACE LIKE ROME
It will be a real clash of the Titans when Handel’s most celebrated opera, Julius Caesar, is performed in Bath by the English Touring Opera. Sung in Italian with English subtitles, the thrilling story of passion and revenge will be performed in two gripping parts. The Death of Pompey is on 30 October, with Caesar under threat from the King of Egypt, Ptolemy, and his sister Cleopatra. The next stage spectacle will be Cleopatra’s Needle, performed on 31 October. The new production is performed in period costume and conducted by Jonathan Peter Kenny. It features a stellar cast, including Soraya Mafi as Cleopatra and Christopher Ainslie as Caesar. 7.30pm, £23.50 – £37; Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 45
14 October – 3 November
Niamh Cusack is under pressure at the Ustinov; Bath’s firework displays will go with a bang; Afro.Boriginal’s Carnivale Queen is at the Walcot Chapel Gallery
Exhibitions U N TI L 2 3 O C T O B ER
THE AMAZING WORLD OF TREES The Bath Society of Botanical Artists has sought to capture the strong forms and delicate beauty of trees in this exhibition, with compositions that are scientifically accurate and visually pleasing. 10am; BRLSI; www.bsba.co.uk
U N TI L 2 8 OCTO BER
WATER’S EDGE The contrasting energy of the Cornish coast and the calmer River Avon feature in an exciting exhibition from Neil Pinkett. Artist Emily Kriste-Wilcox is also showing a selection of handbuilt ceramic vessels, in distinctive sea colours. David Simon Contemporary; www. davidsimoncontemporary.com U N TI L 2 9 OCTO BER
U N TI L 2 5 O C T O B ER
NEW WORK A beautiful show from naïve artist Elaine Pamphilon, with her work enjoying a confident approach. The artist enjoys bright, vibrant colours and is inspired by the light in St Ives, where she lives and works. Adam Gallery; www.adamgallery.com
1920S JAZZ AGE: FASHION & PHOTOGRAPHS With over 150 garments, this stunning selection of outfits, including sportswear and flapper dresses, reveals the glamour, excess, frivolity and modernity of the decade. American Museum; www.americanmuseum.org
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UNTIL 31 O C TO BER
THE TRANSFORMED LAND The Transformed Land collects work from various artists who are interested in place. Some frequently return to the same place, others are visitors, some are residents, and some are creators of imagined places. Circle Bath Hospital; www.artatruh.org UNTIL 9 NO VEMBER
THE CASTING OUT Thought-provoking outdoor sculpture from local artist Martin Elphick, designed to spark debate in Bath. Bath Abbey; www.bathabbey.org UNTIL 25 NO VEMBER
BATH AND THE SMITHSONS Past, Present and Future: Bath and the Smithsons, is part of
a series of events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Royal Crescent. The exhibition explores Bath’s unique architecture through two of England’s most influential post-war architects, Peter and Alison Smithson. The Smithsons’ buildings, at the University of Bath, was their last major project in England. The Museum of Bath Architecture; www. museumofbatharchitecture.org.uk UNTIL 10 DECEM B ER
JUBILATE A celebration of music and science in 18th-century Bath, with a fascinating collection exploring the 250th anniversary of William Herschel’s appointment as director of music in the city. Herschel Museum of Astronomy; www.herschelmuseum.org.uk
W H AT ’ S O N
ARTS
UNTI L 2 4 D E C E MBE R
THE MOST POPULAR ART EXHIBITION EVER! An exciting exhibition from Grayson Perry, tackling how contemporary art can address a diverse society. Arnolfini; www.arnolfini.co.uk UNTI L 7 J ANUARY
WILLIAM ROSE: THE DEVIL MADE THE COOK The Bath-based artist’s vision, expressed in this series of extraordinary paintings inspired by the cook, delves into the world of the subconscious and mysterious. The ingredients are ironic and mystical, the impact disturbing and humorous. Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk 1 9 O C TO B E R – 20 N OV E MBE R
PSYCHE, DREAMS AND SPACES An exhibition of oil paintings from Toni Cogdell and landscapes by local artist Antonella Scarpa-Isles. Toni’s portraits locate an area between figuration and abstraction, while Antonella’s layered paintings are a direct response to the moods and memories of places. Gallery & Barrow; www.galleryandbarrow.com 1 9 O C TO B E R – 21 OCTOBE R
AFRO.BORIGINAL Exciting exhibition of portrait paintings from dual-heritage artist Natasha Sweeting, with live African music on the opening night as well as food and drinks. 11am – 7pm; Walcot Chapel Gallery; www.natashasweeting.com
Plays/Shows UNTI L 1 1 N O V E MBE R
CHRISTMAS EVE Niamh Cusack stars in this gripping drama pitting two powerful antagonists head-tohead. A philosophy professor is on her way to celebrate Christmas with her family, when she is dragged out of a taxi and taken to be interrogated by the police. Is there incriminating evidence against her – or is this a case of state paranoia? Various times; £15 – £22.50; The Ustinov; www.theatreroyal.org.uk
The Bath Digital Festival will find out if friends are electric 1 7 – 2 1 OCTOBER
PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS Duncan Macmillan’s intoxicating play became the must-see show in the West End for its vivid portrayal of one woman’s entanglement in addiction, treatment and selfawareness. Lisa Dwyer Hogg plays an actress whose life has spun recklessly out of control. Various times; £19.50 – £33.50; Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk 2 4 – 2 8 OCTOBER
GOODNIGHT MISTER TOM In September 1939, a boy, William Beech, is evacuated from London to the home of recluse Tom Oakley in the tranquil village of Little Weirwold. But despite his intentions not to get too fond of William, they become firm friends – but trouble lies ahead. Various times; £12.50/£10.50; The Mission Theatre; www.bathboxoffice.org.uk 2 – 4 N OV E MBER
GHOST DANCES AND OTHER WORKS Possibly the most popular in the Rambert’s history, Ghost Dances tells stories of love and compassion. Created as a response to political oppression in South America, imagery from
the Day of the Dead festival and bewitching traditional music is used. It will also perform The Days Ran Away Like Wild Horses and New Work. Various times; £14.50 – £31; Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk 3 – 4 NO VEMBER
TWELFTH NIGHT Christmas 1917. As war wages on, those at home in Illyria try to forget and seek distraction. But when refugee twins, Viola and Sebastian, are shipwrecked and separated, they shake up this grief-stricken community, resulting in mistaken identity, folly and love. Various times; £10 – £12; The Mission Theatre; www.bathboxoffice.org.uk
FOREVER AMY A celebration of Amy Winehouse’s music – featuring the original band. The show celebrates the unforgettable music and live performances of most of Amy’s catalogue with the musicians who knew her best – and the ones who helped create her timeless sound. Featuring the incredible Alba Plano as Amy, this is an authentic celebration of Amy Winehouse’s music. 7.30pm; £22.50; Komedia; www.komedia.co.uk
Family fun UNTIL 1 7 DECEM B ER
Music 20 O C TO BER
2 NO VEM B ER
THE HOOSIERS Chart-topping indie pop band The Hoosiers are coming to Bath to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their number one album A Trick to Life. The debut album spawned the catchy classics Worried About Ray and Goodbye Mr A, and still pack out dance floors a decade later. 7pm; £15; Komedia; www.komedia.co.uk
SOUNDING THE WOOD Let your imagination run wild at musical playground Sounding the Wood in Bath. Find four instruments set within the woodland, and explore how sound is created. Prior Park; www.nationaltrust.org.uk 21 O C T O B ER
THE BIG DRAW: FACING UP TO IT Create faces of animals and people with colourful pens. 11am – 3pm; Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk w
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 47
ARTS
W H AT ’ S O N
The Railway Children is coming to the Theatre Royal Bath; The Rambert’s Ghost Dances 23 O C T O B E R
EXPLORER TRAIL Enjoy special paintings and see what you can spot on this fun indoor trail. 10.30am; Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk 23 – 2 7 O C TO B E R
BEHIND THE SCENES AT BATH ABBEY See what’s normally hidden with these family-friendly tours, part of Bath Museums Week. Did you know the Abbey’s historic floor and walls are covered with over 1,500 memorial stones? Explore their history and the fascinating people they commemorate. Various times; Bath Abbey; www.bathabbey.org
life in this exciting new stage production featuring period costume and digital projections. When their father disappears, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are turned upside down. Various times; £19.50 – £28; Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk 2 6 – 2 9 OCTOBER
THE TIGER WHO CAME FOR TEA The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mother are sitting down for tea – but who could it possibly be? Stunning stage adaptation of Judith Kerr’s classic book. Various times; £14.50; Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyalbath.org.uk 2 8 OCTOBE R
24 O C T O B E R
COLOUR EXPLOSION Use complementary colours to make big, bright pictures in oil pastel, also on 26 October. 10.30am; Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk 24 – 2 9 O C TO B E R
THE RAILWAY CHILDREN E.Nesbitt’s classic is brought to
ANYDAY Comic, absurd and surreal, Anyday uses breathtaking trampoline acrobatics and physical theatre to tell the charming story of Max, and the world he shares with a bird, on his trampoline. 7.30pm; £7 – £13.50; Wiltshire Music Centre; www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk
48 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
Other UNTIL 15 O C TO BER
ACHIEVE Inspirational weekend of 14 celebrity speakers, including Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Ruby Wax and Frank Bruno. The event is the brainchild of Homes Under the Hammer’s Martin Roberts. Also stalls and demonstrations will help participants achieve health, wealth and happiness. Various times; £10-£20; Assembly Rooms; www.achieve.co.uk 13 – 31 O C TO BER
FEAR Prepare to be scared with three award-winning attractions tellingly named Phobia, Purgatory and Anarchy, along with street theatre, a fire show, fairground rides, music, food and bars. Various times; £8 – £70; Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park; www.avonvalley.co.uk 14 – 22 O C TO BER
BATH DIGITAL FESTIVAL Will see events happening
across the city, including a Digital Takeover, with an open exhibition celebrating Tech for Everyone. Headlining the Digital Takeover is Paint Stitch, an exhibition by Lyn Snow, who combines largescale screen print abstracts with digital thread paint, to create exciting installation works for dramatic interiors. Various times and venues; www.bathdigitalfestival.co.uk 19 O C TO B ER – 2 1 DECEM B ER
LUNCHTIME EXHIBITION TOURS Learn more about exhibits on show in the gallery, on Thursday lunchtimes. 12.30 – 1pm; Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk 21 O C TO B ER
WESTONBIRT CHARITIES GYPSY BALL Dance yourself dizzy to gypsy punk band Ushti Baba and enjoy Moroccan food, magicians and more at this not-for-profit event in aid of Home-Start SD and the Great Western Air Ambulance. 7pm; £65; Westonbirt School, Tetbury; www.westonbirtfair.org w
ARTS
W H AT ’ S O N
23 – 2 7 O C TO B E R
BATH AT HOME Businesses in Bath are holding a series of home and interior events inside their shops. The event has been organised by Bath BID with Anthropologie, Fired Earth, Farrow & Ball, Rossiters, OKA and India Jane among those taking part. Various times and venues; www.bathbid.co.uk 24 – 2 5 O C TO B E R
WESTONBIRT CHARITIES FAIR An abundance of gifts and treats, free talks by local authors, children’s event ‘hunt the reindeer’, and more await at this Christmas fair. A not-for-profit event supporting Home-Start SD, the Great Western Air Ambulance and Toucan for Children. 10am; £7.50 – £8, children go free; Westonbirt School,Tetbury; www.westonbirtfair.org 27 O C T O B E R
THE MINISTRY OF BURLESQUE: CABARET Using the wild, weird and witty traditions of circus, cabaret and burlesque, Ministry of Burlesque Cabaret unfolds as a bold and daring, constantly evolving variety experience. 8pm; £10 – £46; Komedia; www.komedia.co.uk 27 O C T O B E R
MAKE AN OFF-THESHOULDER TOP Make an easy-to-sew top without the precision and time required for tailored dressmaking. No pattern is needed for this very wearable top, so once you’ve learned the technique, you can make them for anyone. 2pm; £40; The Makery; www.themakery.co.uk 27 O C T O B E R
HALLOWEEN BASH Spooky Halloween ball with live music, drinks around The Great Bath, a devilishly delicious buffet and prizes for the best fancy dress. 7pm; £45; The Pump Room; www.romanbathsearcys.co.uk 27 O C T O B E R
FRIGHT AT THE MUSEUM Venture behind the doors of
What do you serve The Tiger Who Came For Tea?
Claverton Manor for a host of ghostly storytellers, ready with the most ghastly tales from American folklore. Includes the story of Bloody Mary, who terrorised villagers in rural Pennsylvania 400 years ago. Various times; £6.50 – 28.50; The American Museum in Britain; www.americanmuseum.org 2 8 OCTOBE R
BEDLAM HALLOWEEN PARTY Expect some fiendish goings on at this party set in the 1800s, with some ghoulish experiments and monstrous creatures. It’s sponsored by Bath Academy of Media Makeup (BAMM), so there’ll be some very realistic makeup. When you arrive at the party you’ll be entering Bedlam, checked in and given a medicinal shot. Frankenstein’s monster will be recreated at
50 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
the event, plus music from the Urban Soul Orchestra. 7.30pm; £35; The Guildhall; www.jamandjuiceevents.co.uk
circus tricks and more. 5pm, with fireworks at 7.30pm; £3-17.50; Bath Racecourse; www.bath-racecourse.co.uk
31 O C TO BER
4 NO VEM B ER
HALLOWEEN PARTY Normally dressed in serene colours and oozing chilled vibes, this venue will become a frivolous Halloween party in Bath. With a smattering of Jack-o-lanterns, and everyone dressed in their scariest attire, are you brave enough to enter? All evening; The Cosy Club; www.cosyclub.co.uk 3 NO VEMBER
LIGHT UP LANSDOWN: FIREWORKS AND BONFIRE NIGHT A Fawke’s fest of fun family entertainment, good food, drink and a spectacular fireworks display. Warm things up with funfair rides, face painting,
FIREWORKS DISPLAY AT THE REC The Rotary-run fireworks display is now in its 42nd year. Money raised will go to Focus Counselling and other local charities. 7pm; £3 – 6; The Rec; www.bathbuildingsociety.co.uk 4 NO VEM B ER
PHILIP PULLMAN ON STORYTELLING Part of Topping’s Autumn Literary Festival, held in various venues across the city. Learn about Daemon Voices, the new collection of essays from this respected storyteller. 12pm; £20 – £40; Komedia; www.toppingbooks.co.uk
Would you like to work in Media Sales? We are always looking to hear from talented individuals who would like to work for MediaClash, presenting advertising opportunities and marketing solutions across our portfolio of fantastic local titles. We are a growing business and anticipate there being various opportunities over the next few months. If you would like to join our continuing success story please email your CV to steve.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk or give us a call anytime on 01225 475800 for a chat about the company, our magazines and available positions.
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a d v e r tisin g feat u r e a r t
FAMILIAR FACES Bath artist joanne cope brings her cattle back to the High Street in November
F
or more than a decade, Joanne Cope has been paying a painterly tribute to the humble cow. Both she and the subjects of her large-scale portraits – contemplative cows and handsome bulls – have become familiar faces in and around gallery spaces in Bath. The city is in for another treat this November as a new selection of work by this Bath artist is unveiled on Milsom Street. It will feature 18 recent artworks by Cope in a variety of sizes, including ten brand-new, large-scale oil paintings of cattle. Among them are beautiful images of Charolais, Limousin and Hereford breeds, along with lively mixed media studies of stags and hares. Cope strives for “simplicity and beauty” within her work, always mindful of striking a visually engaging balance between hard and soft edges, bright and muted colours, and the use of light for dramatic effect. She is fascinated by the way light reflects off the muscles of a bull's head or the flash of light in a cow's eyes, and enjoys the challenge of bringing those details to life with paint. She scouts out her subjects in their natural habitat as often as she can, watching their behaviour, sketching and taking photographs. “There’s no substitute for an encounter in the field,” she explains, and cites her opportunities to observe cattle in their natural environment as her best resource material. Back in the studio, Joanne uses the sketches and photographs to create small detailed colour compositions, from which she chooses the best to scale up and paint onto canvas. From there she begins layering up paint, working from dark
A selection of Joanne's working drawings
“...small studies are scaled up for the final painting” to light – sometimes checking the image in mirrors to get an entirely new viewpoint of the work in progress. Once Joanne feels a piece is complete, she then applies several layers of tinted medium to unify colour before the painting is finally varnished. Alongside the oil paintings in this new body of work, there is also a selection of energetic oil pastel drawings on canvas, which allow us to see Cope successfully exploring another medium to capture the appearance of these magnificent creatures. If past shows are anything to go by, these paintings will be well received as Joanne's exhibitions nearly always sell out. This show could be your chance to secure an original Joanne Cope piece, and have your very own resident bovine beauty.
Cattle Paintings by Joanne Cope 2 – 21 November 28 Milsom Street, Bath, BA1 1DN Tel: 07958 703 438 / 01225 322 962 www.joannecope.com
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 53
BOOKS
ARTS
THEY ARE WORTH SEEKING OUT FOR THEIR GENEROUS SCATTERING OF UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS
IN TWO MINDS NIC BOTTOMLEY turns his focus to two spectacularly tense, atmospheric novels…
N
ow that summer’s completely over (sorry to be the one to break that news) I want to look back at two very special novels – each set over a single summer themselves – that I enjoyed in the warmer days just gone. Ordinarily, I tend to focus on three or four books each time I tap out this column, but these two novels from independent presses deserve more space to breathe. Hummingbird by Tristan Hughes (Parthian, £10) is one of those novels that you come across every now and then as a bookseller, which you know is going to appeal to a great number of readers – thanks to its mix of plot, strong character portrayals, excellent writing and a superb sense of place. Zach and his father moved to Sitting Down Lake some time ago after the sudden death of Zach’s mother. Now a teenage boy, Zach spends the days of summer trapping leeches with Oskar, a taciturn Finn with a penchant for the bottle. Aside from Oskar, there are only five other lakefront inhabitants – each with their own oddities. There’s Lamar, who mysteriously acquires an ocean-going vessel and a lighthouse to add to his dockside;
Mrs Schneider and her grown-up and recently single daughter, both of whom have a penchant for long-distance evening swims; and the newly-arrived enigmatic Eva. Abrupt and inscrutable, Eva proves a livewire influence in this remote rural community. Together, she and Zach begin to explore the watery wooded landscape, seeking to understand the tragedies they’ve already endured in their young lives and identify the burdens weighing down their neighbours and families. Hummingbird is full of atmosphere but it’s also peppered with some oddball moments of action and a lot of snappy and very funny dialogue – particularly once natural loners Eva and Zach reluctantly team up and start to verbally spar with one another. The Summer that Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel (Scribe, £8.99) is a very fresh and different take on the southern gothic novel. Set in 1984, its plot somehow manages to explore religion, race, the environment, community, the beginnings of the Aids epidemic and mass hysteria during its 300+ pages. The novel’s narrator is Fielding Bliss, the son of a white prosecutor in a small town called Breathed (pronounced Breath-ed), Ohio. A strange name? Indeed. But it
doesn’t take many pages in the company of this author to realise that she chooses her names – and in fact all her words – with great purpose. Like a riotous midwestern Charles Dickens, she constantly raises our eyebrows and hints at character traits with the names she employs – Fielding’s father is called Autopsy; a boy who purports to be the devil is named “Sal” (which originally meant saviour); and the supporting cast carry larger-than-life monikers like Elohim, Grand and Dresden Delmar. Her inventiveness for names is just one aspect of McDaniel’s distinctive writing style – her sentences have an almost asymmetrical quality that makes the narrative unpredictable and vibrant. This is a debut novel and McDaniel sets out her stall in the very first sentences. “The heat came with the devil,” she begins. “It was the summer of 1984, and while the devil had been invited, the heat had not”. It emerges, soon enough, that the invite for the devil to come to town had been made by Fielding’s father in the local newspaper. A moral challenge of sorts. And no sooner than that invite is published, Sal arrives – a young black boy who claims to be Satan himself – and befriends Fielding. It’s Elohim – a short steeplejack who has taught Fielding his chimney scaling skills – who catches onto the idea that Sal really is the devil and starts to encourage the belief in others. The theory catches on widely, especially because Sal continues to insist on his devil credentials, and because an unprecedented heatwave arrives with him and hangs motionless and oppressive over Breathed. And when accidents start to happen, and a death-toll accrues, tensions really begin to build. Of the two novels, The Summer that Melted Everything is certainly the more unsettling, but each of the pair is equally worth seeking out for their great mix of tension and entertainment, and their generous scattering of unforgettable characters.
Nic Bottomley is the general manager of Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, 14/15 John Street, Bath; 01225 331155; www.mrbsemporium.com
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A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E F I N A N C E
WANT TO LEAVE MORE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES? Get your free guide to Inheritance Tax planning today and learn how you can reduce your Inheritance Tax bill with SAVINGS CHAMPION
L
ook after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves. How many of us were told that in our formative years? Saving for a rainy day or retirement is a concept we are all familiar with, yet how many of us have considered the impact of careful planning and how to save costs beyond our own lifetime, for those we leave behind? Saving and planning for the future should also include looking after your loved ones after you’ve gone and ensuring they get the full benefit of your legacy. The UK’s older generation has seen their wealth grow by 45 per cent* in the last decade, with rising house prices expected to account for over 70 per cent of the wealth transferred. And, as younger generations struggle to build wealth in these difficult economic times, more and more are now relying on inheritance than ever before. Currently, the number of families paying Inheritance Tax is at a 35 year high, as soaring property prices push the value of family assets above the current threshold of £325,000. The good news is that in April 2017, the government introduced the Transferable Main Residence Allowance (TMRA), which allows families to pass on more of their property wealth tax-free. However, not everyone will benefit – which makes planning ahead even more important.
“CURRENTLY, THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES PAYING INHERITANCE TAX IS AT A 35 YEAR HIGH, AS SOARING PROPERTY PRICES PUSH THE VALUE OF FAMILY ASSETS ABOVE THE CURRENT THRESHOLD OF £325,000.”
Download your free Guide to Inheritance Tax Planning: https://goo.gl/ymiFrQ
To help you, Savings Champion has produced a guide, Securing your wealth for future generations, which highlights some of the key factors to consider when building your legacy and trying to reduce your IHT liability. The guide includes: • Inheritance Tax: the facts • The simple dos and don’ts • How to protect your legacy • Where to start. *Source Kings Court Trust report conducted by The Centre for Economics and Business Research 2017
Download your FREE guide to Inheritance Tax planning at https://goo.gl/ymiFrQ or, if you are unsure whether Inheritance Tax might impact you, call us to see if you would benefit from speaking to an Inheritance Tax specialist on 0800 3213 582
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 57
58 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
R E S TA U R A N T
FOOD
Ring O’Bells We visit the indie gastropub on Widcombe High Street to try its small plate offering, which features everything from cheesy ice cream to butternut squash panna cotta By L I SA E VA NS
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f I had a penny for every Bath eatery that has tried to sell itself based on the fact that it uses fresh, local, seasonal produce, I’d have, well, at least 40p by now. This is not a unique selling point anymore. And, happily, Ring O’Bells has a lot more to shout about than this: namely, head chef David Giddings’ small plates menu – which was launched in August. The waitress suggests ordering a minimum of two little dishes each, but here comes our only warning to you: be careful, as the sizes of the dishes vary, and two isn’t enough for us. One of the plates, for example, consists of two scallops and a disc of black pudding – a portion size that would definitely leave you wanting more. Having said that, some of the dishes are extremely generous, such as the lamb (you’ll get two fat, thick cutlets with feta and confit tomatoes). We go for three dishes each, just to be safe. I am especially captivated by a bowl of edible-flower-topped roasted beetroot and Roquefort ice cream. Churned with savoury custard, the ice cream has that deep, complex, intense hit of tangy blue cheese, yet it has a sweetness to it, and, although creamy, has a grainy quality. The wrestle between rough and smooth doesn’t stop there. Once you dig your way through the ice cream, you hit a biscuity pastry basket, and, peeping through this golden enclosure is warm beetroot, which glints like a crimson jewel buried in treasure. The ricotta and nutmeg gnocchi is autumnal, rounded and comforting in flavour, and sits well next to the fresh crunch of green beans and garden zing of herbs. Resembling rotund bathers at the Thermae Bath Spa, the dumplings recline in a shallow, nutty amaretto-butter pool which coats the mouth with its silkiness. Perfect with a glass of shiraz. The scallops are pearly and meaty, are served in the shell, and come with roasted pepper sauce, botarga and
RESEMBLING
ROTUND BATHERS AT THE THERMAE BATH SPA, THE DUMPLINGS RECLINE IN AN AMARETTO BUTTER POOL
black pudding – sturdy flavours executed with a light touch. Charred aubergines come sliced, stuffed and rolled, with their creamy filling of feta, pine nuts and plump raisins enjoying each other’s company, and their bath of piquant tomato sauce sharpening everything up. Finally, out comes a perfect sphere of cider-braised, herbstuffed quail, accessorised with beetroot and apple chutney and celeriac purée. Alongside all of this, we order a side of truffle and rosemary chips, and don’t get me started on the bubbling cauldron of creamy, not-so-good-for-you goodness that is the dauphinoise potatoes, which run with hot, invigorating oils that shimmer on the blistering surface, and mingle with the cream underneath. It’s a testament to a restaurant when even the sides are full of intensity and care. My only criticism of the entire meal is that the potatoes arrive after we polish off all the other plates – but eating delicious carbs straight from the bowl isn’t really a problem, is it? And my comrade’s only disappointment was that the dish he had his eye on – Moroccan lamb rillettes with lime and mint salsa – had sold out, meaning he had to ‘settle’ for the tender, juicy lamb cutlets with confit tomatoes, feta and salsa verde (which he later realised was a thing of beauty in its own right). You don’t have to opt for small plates here, though; you can, instead, order from the steak section of the menu, from which you can select anything from lamb sirloin with a blueberry and port jus, to a £42 beef sirloin with a choice of three sides. But we can recommend the little dishes wholeheartedly (we’re just sad we didn’t have room to try the butternut squash panna cotta, juniper-smoked grouse or Cornish crab bisque). Dessert is dusted with edible glitter – a winner already. Naturally, there is a sticky toffee pudding, alongside a chocolate brownie with peanut butter ice cream. It’s only at this stage in the meal we make time to actually take in the warm, intimate country-pub surroundings – with its rustic wood adornments, low ceilings and exposed stone walls. We also notice the place is full – there’s a couple on a romantic date, friends sipping pints together, and a few larger parties enjoying celebrations of some description. It seems, whatever the occasion, the Ring O’Bells is the place to be. They know what they’re doing here. And what they’re doing is an utter joy.
DINING DETAILS Ring O’Bells, 10 Widcombe Parade, Bath, BA2 4JT; 01225 448870; www.ringobellswidcombe.co.uk Prices Vegetarian £6.75 – £7; fish £7.50 – £13; meat £7 – £12; steaks £19.90 – £42; sides £3 – £4.50 Drinks An eclectic but practical wine list adds to the gastropub’s conviviality Service/atmosphere Laid-back, easygoing but slick
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 59
WINE
DRINK EXPERT
FOOD & DRINK
UNLIKE THE FEISTY FLAVOURS OF THE FAR EAST, THERE IS A WONDROUS DELICACY ABOUT IRANIAN FOOD
MIDDLE EASTERN MAGIC Inspired by an upcoming Persian dinner and drinks event in Bath that she’s pairing flavours for, ANGELA MOUNT shares an introduction to Middle Eastern food- and wine-matching
T
he magic of food is like fashion – ever-changing, ever-evolving, exploring new territories, and rediscovering old classics. Food goes hand in hand with wine; it’s a symbiotic relationship. It’s no different from how spices, herbs and flavours combine, enhance, attract and partner. There’s a lot of debate about wine- and food-pairing – whether it works, whether it’s important, whether we wine people get a bit over-obsessed with the whole subject. But it’s all about playing with flavours, and enhancing the whole experience in a far more relaxed manner than simply wine-tasting. I’ve always loved the challenge of matching wine with the right dish, and it’s only when you try it, that you find out how tastes, and flavours can blend or clash so dramatically. Bath’s Great Western Wine has developed a brilliant programme of wine dinners, partnering largely with the Abbey Hotel on North Parade. Having matched up recipes from pretty much everywhere around the globe, the latest one has been a new one for me, since we are working with Iranian cookery school teacher Simi Rezai-Ghassemi to host a Persianinspired dinner at the Abbey Hotel’s Allium restaurant on 26 October. Unlike the more heated, feisty flavours of Tunisia, Morocco, India and the Far East, there is a wondrous delicacy, subtlety, and sweet gentleness about Iranian food, and Simi’s cooking. In preparation for the much-anticipated dinner, where Simi will be showcasing some classic dishes from her homeland, we’ve already had a little practice session to pair up the wines. I’ve given up protesting that my job is tough, since no one ever believes me, but this was genuinely a fun learning curve for me. To tantalise and tempt ahead of the event, here’s a teaser, and some suggestions for those of you who want to explore ideas at home... The main rule is to keep the wines fragrant, aromatic, juicy, pretty, and evocative, just like the style of the food. Avoid the heaviness of oak in both whites and reds, and, as I learnt, gentle,
fruity, dry rosés are also great. Having said that, Simi put me straight to the challenge, with a traditional broth called Osh, bursting with the heady fragrances of coriander, chives and parsley. I’ve always struggled with drinking wine with soup – it just doesn’t seem to work. But a punchy, lip-smacking, tangy small glass of Fino or Manzanilla sherry does the trick. The popularity of sherry is running high again, so join the revolution. Try La Guita Manzanilla (£5.95 for a half bottle), from the seaside town of Sanlucar de Barrameda, with its blazingly white houses, cobbled streets and seafront tapas bars, where the seafood is about as fresh as it gets. My idea of heaven. Crisp, tangy, with a nutty, salty bite, and searingly dry, it sends a tingle down the spine with its intensity. Another dish that Simi will be creating on the night is Kookoo – a type of Iranian frittata, using more herbs, but also turmeric and walnuts, with the addition of punchy, crunchy barbaries, which bring both sweetness and lemony freshness. Wherever I can, I like to bring in wines from the region, and as Lebanon isn’t a million miles away, I’ve paired this with the zestily fresh, yet alluringly exotic Ixsir Altitudes White (£16.95), a crisp, citrusy, white from the Sauvignon and Semillon, enhanced by a dollop of perfumed Viognier and Muscat. Similarly, any aromatic, fragrant white, with an off-dry edge would work. The beauty of Iranian food, like so much in
Mediterranean and Asian cultures, is the aspect of sharing; it’s all about families and friends. In October, we’re going to be enjoying beautifully fragrant rice, delicate saffron-andlemon-infused chicken, the most gorgeously pretty of seasonal salads, packed with herbs and embellished with edible flowers, and a little accompaniment of yoghurt with thyme and rose petals. I’ve always loved dry rosé wines with Middle Eastern food – in fact, with most spiced foods. Most dry fruity pinks will work; you need bolder, fleshier New World style for hot dishes, but with the exquisitely tender style of Persian food, lighter, crisp European wines work too. For this colourful, elegant feast, I’ve picked Chivite Las Fincas 2016 (£14.95), in its stylishly curvy bottle, exuding scents and flavours of ripe strawberries and cranberries – fruity yet characterful, with a lingering citrus finish. Red wines also work, but they need to be velvety, with a lightness of touch. The softness of Pinot Noir works, as does the juicy style of Garnacha. But, again, with the opportunity of staying close to Iranian roots, I’ve gone for a smooth, lighter style of red from neighbouring Turkey: K of Kapadokia 2012 (£14.50), full of gentle plum and spice character, with a softness of touch. Turkish wines are getting a lot of attention in the wine world these days, and there are some real gems to be discovered, from one of the countries with the oldest heritage of wine production. So, if I’ve tempted you, come and join us. Simi will be cooking and I’ll be talking wine at the Abbey Hotel on 26 October. Tickets can be booked at www.greatwesternwine.co.uk. And if you can’t come, try a few of these beauties when you are enjoying the heady, yet subtle character of this style of food. All drinks featured are available at Great Western Wine, Wells Road, Bath. Angela Mount is a Bathbased wine writer, presenter and international judge who had her taste buds insured for £10million during her tenure as one of the country’s leading supermarket wine buyers. She works with wine producers, chefs and distributors. For more: www.greatwesternwine.co.uk
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 61
Christmas for the curious Looking for a memorable venue for your seasonal drinks soirée or festive dinner? Our exuberant event spaces come crammed with personality and charm, to ensure your party will be talked about for weeks to come. To book, or to talk through a bespoke package, just for you, simply get in touch on enquiries@no15greatpulteney.co.uk, call us on 01225 800509 or visit www.no15greatpulteney.co.uk
Quality food • Great location • Free delivery
Our new website is now LIVE!
5% off online orders www.bathsushi.co.uk 01225 330508
FOOD & DRINK W H AT ’ S M A K I N G T H E G O U R M E T N E W S I N B AT H
DINERS DONATE
Fresh is best at the Sion Hill Place Supper Club
THE BATH SUPPER A MasterChef: The Professionals’ semi-finalist is honing his cooking skills every month in Bath. Chef Alex Dome can be found in the kitchen at the Sion Hill Place Supper Club, with the culinary event organised by foodie Paula Foulser. “We have been described as an exclusive dinner venue,” she says. “A completely unique concept in Bath where guests gather in an intimate setting to dine with other likeminded people – a cross between a dinner party and a restaurant. “Alex wanted an opportunity to create his own menus and to use his creativity and, as my husband and I have just moved to Bath, we needed a way of meeting people and making friends.” November’s menu includes pizzette bianche with garden herbs, venison shoulder cooked in chianti, and Amalfi
lemon tart. The cost is £45 per person, with diners able to bring their own wine. The supper club has space for just 24 guests. “The chef cooks in front of the guests who are seated in an open-plan dining room,” adds Paula. “You get amazing, delicious and creative food that celebrates seasonality and local producers. “We sometimes go out to forage for blackberries, wild garlic, hawthorn, nettles or sorrel, there’s lot of delicious ingredients right on our doorstep that we can use.” Paula says the club’s success is down to satisfied customers and Instagram. “We also have many diners who have become regulars, booking time after time after time,” she says. “It’s always nice to have a good mixture of familiar faces and newcomers.”
Two Bath hotels are helping to end hunger by taking part in a charity appeal. The Pig and No.15 Great Pulteney have signed up to Action Against Hunger’s (AAH) Healthy Mums, Healthy Kids appeal. Last year’s campaign raised over £470,000, with restaurants either offering dishes where a percentage of the cost goes to the appeal, or offering diners the chance to donate, until the end of October. Funds raised will be matched by the Department for International Development, and will go towards ending malnutrition in Senegal, West Africa. Matthew White, director of fundraising and communications at AAH, says, “All you have to do is eat out at your favourite participating restaurant and as a result help mums and kids have healthier, happier futures.” Diners can also win dinner for two, every month for a year, by sharing a photo of the restaurant they are dining at, with @ACF_UK. For more: www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk.
Details of the Sion Hill Place Supper Club can be found on Facebook
The idyllic Pig near Bath
THE GIN CROWD
Gin genius awaits at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
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A gin-spired menu has been created at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa. The hotel’s Gin Time experience has seen it partnering with Sipsmith gin, for both cocktails and food. The package starts from £465 and includes a bespoke flight of gin cocktails and a
three-course menu, until 23 November. Dishes include gin-cured salmon, saddle of venison and a gin and lemon parfait. It will also serve a modern take on a drink said to be a naval classic, The Gilmet. For more: www.royalcrescent.co.uk
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A Christmas Party to remember at the Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel We’ll prepare three fabulous courses to tease your taste buds before the DJ takes the reigns to �ill the dance �loor all the way to Midnight. SILVER PARTY NIGHTS Dates throughout December 2017 £29.95 per adult; Stay overnight from £145.00 per room 6.30pm – Bar opens; 7pm – Dinner served; Midnight – Carriages Private events catered for, minimum 50 guests
GOLD PARTY NIGHTS Friday 17th and 24th; Saturday 18th and 25th November 2017 Dates throughout December 2017 £40.00 per adult; Stay overnight from £145.00 per room 6.30pm – Bar opens; 7pm – Dinner served; Midnight – Carriages Private parties catered for, minimum 70 guests For bookings or enquiries please contact 01225 476 892 M A C D O N A L D B AT H S PA H O T E L Sydney Road, Bath BA2 6JF 01225 444 424 www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk
PHOTOGRAPH BY GLENN DEARING AND COURTESY OF SPLINTER WORKS LTD
Fashion/gifts/stores/more
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Splinter Works’ mission is to create furniture that is engaging, inspiring, experimental and theatrical, and the most unusual private commission they’ve completed is a banquet table inspired by Salvador Dali’s The Elephants. “We went to the home of a family who owned some of Dali’s early sketches for his 1948 masterpiece,” says Splinter Works’ co-founder Miles Hartwell. “The elephants’ extraordinarily distorted legs were an immediate inspiration to us, and it resulted in us creating this dream-like table that referenced the artwork, but also told a new story with further iconography to unravel.” Underneath the table are eight long-legged
elephants with trees growing out of their backs. When you look through the glass top, you see the herd carrying handmade blown-glass spheres that reference the tree of life, bursting with the vitality of dewy crystalline leaves, especially added to catch the light from above. “The whole effect of the dining table is sociable, interactive and a truly personal commission that reflects the owner’s character and transcends the piece of furniture into an artistic expression,” says Miles. Splinter Works, 18 Queen Square, Bath; www.splinterworks.co.uk
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BLACK OUT
OF COURSE, YOU’RE TOO OLD FOR HALLOWEEN – TECHNICALLY. BUT NOTHING HAUNTS YOU LIKE THE THINGS YOU DIDN’T BUY...
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1. AND RELAX
2. ACCESSORISE ALL AREAS
3. PUG LIFE
4. IN GOOD SPIRITS
5. LOOKING FLY
Floral pyjamas, £137 Feel both cosy and stylish in these Laurence Tavernier graphic floral print PJs From The Dressing Room, 7 Quiet Street, Bath; www.dressingroom bath.com
Monochrome necklace, £35 This porcelain-dipped pebble pendant necklace on a leather lace is minimal and chic From Elisabeth Barry Ceramics, Studio 4, Manor Farm, Claverton, Bath; www.elisabethbarry.com
Pug egg cup, £9.99 A set of these handpainted eggcups would be a perfect gift for a dog lover From Pug & Puffin, 7 Northumberland Place, Bath; www.pugandpuffin.co.uk
Dead Man’s Fingers rum, £25.95 A rather suitable tipple for Halloween, this smallbatch spiced rum has notes of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg From Independent Spirit of Bath, 7 Terrace Walk, Bath; www.independentspirit ofbath.co.uk
Bumblebee bag, £80 Reminiscent of Gucci’s pearl-studded Broadway clutch, this leather essentials-carrier features a cute design and adds a spot of bling to your outfit From Stag, 4 North Parade, Bath www.bathstagshop.com
66 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
ED’S CHOICE
SHOPPING
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6. ON THE DOT
7. HEY, BOO-TIFUL
8. RING THE CHANGES
9. HEELING POWERS
10. CALL TO ATTENTION
Casual shirt, £145 This fine Italian cotton shirt’s design features a retro black and white polka dot print and smoked mother-of-pearl buttons From Gieves & Hawkes, 20 Old Bond Street, Bath; www.gievesandhawkes. com
GucciGhost necklace, £205 With its trademark GG for eyes, this spooky pendant from the GucciGhost range incorporates art into a fine jewellery piece From Mallory, 1 – 5 Bridge Street, Bath; www.mallory-jewellers.com
Sterling silver rings, from £140 With their oxidised black channels, these rings certainly have a distinctive edge From Gold and Platinum Studio, 19 Northumberland Place, Bath; www.goldandplatinum studio.co.uk
Inferno boots, £290 With their classic and timeless shape, these Rupert Sanderson boots can be worn casually or on any special occasion From Grace & Ted, 10 Kingsmead Square, Bath; www.graceandted.co.uk
Vintage phone, £60 Surely no serious vintage interior is complete without a rotary dial phone. It’s the details that really count From Mebyl, 4 Cleveland Terrace, Bath; www.mebyl.co.uk
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Photo by derryn vranch
Indie magic Here, Bath’s independent businesses discuss their most unforgettable customers – from a homeless veteran who turned his life around, to a shopper that bought something from the same indie every day for two years…
ast month, I was in the waiting room of one of Bath’s independent beauty salons and overheard a recently bereaved client tearfully telling a beauty therapist that they made her ‘feel like herself again’ – something she hadn’t experienced since losing her husband. The emotion in return from the therapist was palpable. As a shopper, part of the delight of visiting indie businesses is the personal level of care and attention you receive, and the fact that you feel you can, after building a natural friendship with staff, share anything with them. Turns out, these relationships mean everything to the shop owners. Here we meet the owners of fashion boutiques, cafés, bars and homeware shops who encounter a world full of interesting and unique people, and who cherish these special meetings. 68 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
Above and below: The Thoughtful Bread Company has made an impact on its customers over the years
Duncan Glendinning, the owner of The Thoughtful Bread Company – an artisan bakery, café and baking school – on Barton Street You must get to know so many customers. Any unforgettable ones? There was a veteran who was homeless; he popped in asking for a few hours’ work – he did some scrubbing of our bread trays and went blackberry-foraging in return for lunch and a few quid. He came back weeks later looking rather smart saying that, thanks to the boost in confidence he got from us, he turned things around and got himself a job and somewhere to live. There was also one lovely lady who insisted on seeing me to tell me she had never enjoyed such a lovely food experience and would like to contribute to our growth – she later bought us a fridge!
Photo by derryn vranch
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By L i sa E va ns Photo g raph s cou r te s y of Pi x i e
SHOPPING
sense of being to Bath. Knowing regular faces and being able to welcome customers by name and have a ‘relationship’ with them is one of the most wonderful things.
PHOTO BY DERRYN VRANCH
What improvements could be made within the independent scene? We are incredibly lucky to have such a large number of small businesses that thrive and work together. The main reason we chose Bath to open our first shop was because of the wonderful support we had from independents. Communication is always the crucial factor; independents can’t be ‘better’ just because they are independent, there has to be added value in the product and the service. On every level, what we do should be better. Crucially it’s then getting the word out about what we do and why we do it that is important, and that is where we can all help each other. Adrian Campbell-Howard at Society café says a customer visited every day for two years
What do unique shops bring to the community? A difference. Without them, you may as well be getting off the train at any city where you’ll be met with chains. Independent shopping should be the beating heart of any city. Are there improvements to be made on the indie scene? Too many businesses close because rent and rates are too high.
A
VETERAN WHO WAS HOMELESS ASKED FOR A FEW HOURS’
Where are we likely to see you shopping? Independent Spirit of Bath – it’s one of the city’s true wonders. How difficult is it to run a business? Meeting the costs that running a small business in the heart of the city incurs is often a challenge. Also, running a team has given me the most challenges and the most rewards in the same breath. www.thethoughtfulbreadcompany.com
WORK IN RETURN FOR
ADRIAN CAMPBELL-HOWARD – OWNER OF SOCIETY CAFÉ ON KINGSMEAD SQUARE AND THE CORRIDOR
HE TURNED THINGS
Tell us about your memorable customers… In our Kingsmead shop, from day one we had a regular called Tam. He was there every day for two years before moving to Australia. We built such a great friendship. About two months ago (four years later) I saw him sitting in our Corridor shop with a big smile on his face. I ran up to him and gave him a hug; he meant so much to us having been so supportive in our first few years. Also, Tom and Rowan, who own Shape Studio in Bristol, were our very first customers at both the Kingsmead and the Corridor shops. To think that they have now designed and fitted out our Oxford and Bristol shops is incredible.
LUNCH.
AROUND
AND GOT HIMSELF A
JOB
What’s the best thing about running an indie? The independent shopping community brings a
What shops do you feel Bath is missing? I dream of the day we have a fishmonger. I would love to see a haberdashery as well. A street filled with only independent shops – a butcher, a barber, a greengrocer, a coffee shop. What are some of your favourites to visit? Magalleria is brilliant; Colonna & Smalls set the bar incredibly high for coffee many years ago and continue to push boundaries; Found is fantastic; I could live in Mr B’s and Topping; and The Foodie Bugle is a haven. What would you say to shoppers to encourage them to give indies a go? Independents are the soul of Bath. Support them and you will support the lifeblood of your city. www.society-cafe.com w
WHAT IS PIXIE? There are some fantastic local individuals and businesses using their voices to help independent shops thrive, because, after all, indies are what makes Bath so wonderfully colourful. These voices include the likes of Bath Indie Chat; Lux Rewards; Positive Projects; and Pixie – a local app via which people can discover, and earn loyalty points at, unique independent businesses, all through their smartphone. The Pixie app is currently only available in Bath and Frome, and here’s how it works: when users download it, they receive £5 worth of points with their first top up. Through the app, users can find small, creative independent businesses – from artisan coffee shops, butchers, museums and hotels, to restaurants, street vendors, events and markets. Pixie allows users to earn loyalty points, and will give free cashback which users can redeem and spend in any independent. It’s also a showcase for local events, inviting users to discover workshops, live music and foodie happenings.
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 69
SHOPPING
ED MCADAM, DIRECTOR OF FRAMPTONS CAFE BAR AND KITCHEN ON GRAND PARADE What do small businesses add to the city? Variety, creativity, fun and a huge mix of local produce and ideas, making Bath a wonderful place to be. Who are your most memorable customers? We have a few wonderful residents who live above us in The Empire; they are real characters and know a huge amount about the history of the building and Bath itself. How could the indie scene be better? Better communication between us all. Channels do exist but maybe a few networking or get-together evenings would help. Your favourite shops in Bath? Society Café, Hunter & Sons, and Homefront Interiors all have wonderful offers and great people running them. Biggest challengings of owning a business? I run the business alongside Tom and Sam – we all served together and met in the military. The areas of risk in business are very different to the ones you face in the military, and it is a very humbling experience putting your own savings into something. Awareness in Bath has been a great challenge as we are a little tucked away, but we’re very excited for what looks to be a busy build-up in Bath before Christmas. www.framptonsbar.co.uk/bath
EMMA SAVAGE, CO-OWNER OF GRACE & TED – A DESIGNER RESALE BOUTIQUE FOR MEN AND WOMEN – ON KINGSMEAD SQUARE
How do you think shops like yours enhance the city’s offering? We’re lucky to have such a varied mix of businesses – from cafés and clothes shops to art galleries and newsagents. The indies help to show visitors what Bath’s retail high street is about – vibrant, unique and top-quality businesses. For locals, the indies offer a personal level of service that you don’t often see in a chain store. How could the indie scene be improved? Navigation has always been a problem for the city’s independents. Many visitors don’t know where the indies are (just walk down every cobbled street and around every corner; you’ll find something there). There are lots of initiatives to help combat this – Sussed Out Maps, for example, and Pixie. What the city needs is simple wayfinding like finger posts and street maps that are easy to read…
SHE SAID ‘THIS SHOP NEVER
DISAPPOINTS ME,’ AND
THAT MADE MY WEEK
What sorts of shops would you like to see more of in Bath? Clothing shops for women and men. And, having a niece and nephew now, I definitely think Bath needs an independent soft play centre, and if it could be converted into a grown-ups-only soft play on Friday nights, then even better. And maybe if it had a permanent roller skating rink too… Favourite indies? Found – for cool homeware and clothing; Independent Spirit of Bath for anything alcoholrelated; and Alexandra May for all the sparkle you could ever need.
Below, left: service with a smile at Framptons; below, right: Phat Yaks is proudly community-focused
PHOTO BY DERRYN VRANCH
PHOTO BY DERRYN VRANCH
Tell us about a shopper you’ll never forget… We love getting to know our customers and we
have a solid base of regulars who we can chat to for hours. A lady visited recently who comes to Grace & Ted every time she needs an outfit for a special event. On this occasion, it was her stepson’s wedding. She found the perfect outfit – a dress, jacket and shoes – she looked incredible and every item made her feel great. She said ‘this shop never disappoints me,’ and that made my week.
70 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
FOOD & DRINK Beyond the Kale, Green Park Station Chai Walla, Monmouth Street Chapel Arts Café, Lower Borough Walls Comins Tea House, Monmouth Street DidiCakes, Walcot Street Dolce, New Bond Street Place Henry’s, Saville Row Nibbles Cheese, Guildhall Market Olé Tapas, John Street The Chequers, Rivers Street The Courtyard Café, Lilliput Court The Foodie Bugle, Abbey Street The Kingsmead Kitchen, Kingsmead Square The Locksbrook Inn, Locksbrook Road Time Out, Guildhall Market Wolf Wine, Green Park Station HOTELS Abbey Hotel, North Parade No.15 Great Pulteney, Great Pulteney Street FASHION, HAIR & BEAUTY Alexandra May, Brock Street BA1 Hair, Bartlett Street Bibico, Bartlett Street LittleLAB, Broad Street Number Three Hairdressing, Saville Row GIFT, BOOK & STATIONERY SHOPS Bath Stag Shop, North Parade Darcy’s, Gay Street Meticulous Ink, Walcot Street Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, The Paragon HOMEWARE Homefront Interiors, Margaret’s Buildings Indigo & Will’s, George Street Katherine Fraser, Walcot Street Rossiters of Bath, Broad Street HEALTH & WELLBEING Moovit Fitness, Granville Road ToniqLife Fitness Studio, Weston Road
PHOTO BY PAOLO FERLA
Every business featured in this article is a member of Pixie. Here are a few more to discover…
Emma Savage at Grace & Ted thinks indies offer a personal level of service that you don’t often see in chain stores
Any difficult parts of doing what you do? We strive to make sure the shop is always evolving. We often look for ways we can make things new and exciting – be it with the stock we carry, events, or simply how the shop looks. It can be hard to think of ways to do this; we want to give our customers a new and inspiring experience every time they visit. www.graceandted.co.uk
OLIVIA BREWER, CO-OWNER OF FOUND – AN ORIGINAL STORE SELLING CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES – ON ARGYLE STREET Where are we likely to find you shopping? We are big fans of The Foodie Bugle, The Hideout, and our new neighbours Beercraft of Bath. You must get to know so many customers… We are sincerely proud of the mix of people and generations of families that shop with us. Meeting new customers everyday is a wonderful part of the job, especially when they become lifelong friends. It’s exciting when musicians, Stateside actors and photographers regularly visit the store and enjoy the space we’ve created. We’ve shared both incredible and devastating news with customers and to have someone say that you’ve improved their day in any way is beyond heartwarming. Do you think building relationships like this help shape Bath’s personality? By investing in the local community, the city becomes a more vibrant place to live and work. Customers often tell us that they visit our city because of the independent businesses, emphasising that they don’t want to visit cities that have the same shops, cafés, restaurants and hotels.
KIDS My Small World Toy Store, St Lawrence Street Spotty Herberts, Queen Street
Is there room for improvement, though? As long as we all continue to keep sharing our independent business recommendations to customers, the community will only get stronger.
To learn more about Pixie, visit www.pixieapp.co
What’s the hardest part of what you do? When there are only two of you running a business – myself and my fiancé, Nik Blake – it can be
difficult having to close to meet designers, but we try keep it balanced. What’s coming up with you? We are excited about our annual in-store Happy Holidays event on 23 November. We’re collaborating with Bath-based florist Jess of Flower & Land to create a fun window display. www.foundbath.co.uk
SARAH GURUNG, THE OWNER OF PHAT YAKS – A STREET FOOD CAFÉ WITH A NEPALESE TWIST – ON KINGSMEAD SQUARE What makes Bath great? The one-off shops draw people back to Bath again and again. Ask any out-of-town shopper why they come here and they will tell you, they are here because it’s different. Any negatives to owning a business? Because Bath is a popular city, it attracts the larger national and international chains. As small shops, we have to compete with giants that have far greater resources and are able to pay higher rents. What shops do you most enjoy visiting? Society Café and Flamingo. I think Pixie’s stylish app has raised awareness of the independents we have. We have found that people will actively try new places because they are on Pixie. What’s new? Our charity, YYY Foundation – which was founded following the earthquake in Nepal in 2015 – has grown and become very successful. Since being shortlisted and being in the finalthree for the UK start-up charity of the year, we have built a reputation of trust and are now being approached by other charities to help; it is proving to be a winning formula using our business to drive YYY Foundation. We are hoping to complete another school and a community centre in a remote village later this year. www.phatyaks.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 71
10 York Street, Bath BA1 1NH | 01225 447920 | leatherchairs.co.uk
C H A R I T Y A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E
A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E C H A R I T Y
HELP WHEN IT'S NEEDED BATH’S CHILDREN’S HOSPICE celebrates its 10th birthday
N
estled in a beautiful and secluded setting in North Somerset, Charlton Farm is the only dedicated hospice for Bath families whose children have been diagnosed with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition. It looks after the whole family at a time when they need it the most. Charlton Farm is the second of three hospices to be built by Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW), and is celebrating 10 years since it opened its doors to families in Bath, West Wiltshire and Somerset. Unlike adult hospices, CHSW looks after families from the point of diagnosis and offers families short breaks, helping them to make the most of every moment with their children, often over many years and at any stage of a child’s illness. Laura Hobbs from Bath is supported by Charlton Farm, and stays for short breaks throughout the year. She says, “Our daughter Elodie has a complex
medical condition, which means she has seizures, hearing loss, a heart defect, low muscle tone and developmental delay amongst other health problems. Elodie requires round-the-clock care and support. Charlton Farm is a major lifeline; it gives us a chance to relax for a few days knowing that Elodie has the care and support she needs. It isn't just the
“CHARLTON FARM GIVES FAMILIES THE CARE AND SUPPORT THEY NEED” quality of the environment that makes the hospice what it is, it is the love, friendship and smiles found inside which is simply amazing.” Charlton Farm is open 365 days a year and its services are completely free of charge to families. Thanks to its partnerships within the community
and with local companies, such as Bath-based Curo, CHSW can continue to raise vital funds and awareness necessary to provide the very best respite, palliative, end-of-life and bereavement care for local families into the future. The charity would like to thank the people of Bath for supporting its cause for the past 10 years and urges you to get involved with its fundraising initiatives taking place in Bath over the coming months, including its very special Jail & Bail event in May 2018!
For more information: www.chsw.org.uk; call 01275 866600 or email reception.cf@chsw.org.uk
Quality flooring and carpets at competitive prices
Showroom in Chelsea Road, Bath info@interiorharmony.co.uk | 01225 483818 www.interiorharmony.co.uk
A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E D E N T I S T S
ADVANCED CARE Wide-ranging specialist care is available at BATH DENTAL CLINIC
H
eaded by consultant in restorative dentistry, Paul HR Wilson FDS(RestDent), we offer bespoke and gentle specialist-led dental care in our relaxed, state-of-the-art clinical environment.
Introducing Your Team: Paul HR Wilson: consultant in restorative dentistry; dental implants and cosmetic dentistry Michael Hahn: specialist in oral surgery; dental extractions, and facial pain Safa Somi: specialist in prosthodontics; dental implants and cosmetic dentistry Sarah Tukmachi: specialist in paediatric
dentistry; children’s dentistry Hatem Algraffee: specialist in periodontics. periodontal gum disease Robert Kelly: specialist registrar in endodontics; root canal treatment. To arrange an initial consultation, please call 01225 333848 or visit bathdentalclinic.co.uk. Saturday appointments available.
Bath Dental Clinic, Catharine Cottage, 21 Catharine Place, Bath 01225 333848; reception@ bathdentalclinic.co.uk www.bathdentalclinic.co.uk
BATH Not happy with your dentures? Are your dentures loose, too big or painful? Can’t eat or don’t like your smile?
Jaime Brain: Dip CDT RCS (Eng)
We can help you regain your confidence and get you smiling again.
Offering: FREE Consultation • New Dentures direct Flexible Dentures • Denture repairs Call us to book a free consultation on 01225 311 681 Saturday appointments available upon request 27 Walcot Buildings (The Old Pet Shop), Bath, BA1 6AD
www.jbdentureclinic.co.uk
Successful, well-established year-round language school in the centre of Bath requires
HOMESTAY HOSTS IN BATH to host both short-term and long-term students. We teach adults and teenagers, and need both single and twin-room accommodation. For further details, including rates of payment, please contact our Accommodation Manager: Sarah Wringer, KIE Bath, 5 Trim Street, Bath, BA1 1HB Direct Line (01225) 473502, Email: sarah.wringer@kaplan.com
Holiday Revision Courses: 23rd October – 27th October 11th December – 22nd December
January to June A Level Re-sit Courses
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DELIVERIES TO YOUR DOOR... TEL: 01249 444777 EMAIL: SALES@WOODSOFFICE.CO.UK WWW.WOODSOFFICE.CO.UK
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OUR SHOP HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN BATH FOR OVER 200 YEARS
For more information please contact Henry Pike on: 01225 334577 | revision@bathacademy.co.uk www.bathacademy.co.uk 27 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HX @BathAcademy
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Shake-ups/launches/intel/promotions
B AT H G E T S S ER I O US ECONOMY
GIVING THE GREEN LIGHT TO JOBS AND ECOFRIENDLY STAYS
The Combe Grove’s tranquil setting
QUOTE OF THE ISSUE
The Combe Grove Hotel is evolving into a centre of excellence for developing apprentices – and improving guests’ wellbeing
“WE WERE TRYING TO BE REALLY COOL WITH OUR TEENAGE BOYS AT A FESTIVAL, BUT ANDREW WAS TAKING PICTURES OF THE PORTALOOS”
The hotel has been taken over by The Elmhurst Foundation, with it offering exciting apprenticeships so young people can learn on the job. It also provides opportunities for people who want to return to work. “We care deeply about offering students from the local community a viable alternative to university, with rewarding opportunities to ‘earn while they learn’ and have an enriching work experience that provides a respected and valuable qualification,” says Amelia Strawson, the hotel’s marketing manager. “Over the coming months and years, our team of apprentices and master-craftsmen will continue to evolve Combe Grove into a go-to destination for health and wellbeing, making the very most of the tranquil, 76-acre woodland estate and outstanding natural views over the Limpley Stoke valley. “The other big changes have mostly been behind the scenes. We are surrounded by nature and wildlife and are committed to being environmentally sustainable, so we’ve switched to a green energy supplier called Good Energy, based in Chippenham.” The hotel is known for its treatments and these are being expanded, as well as more daily classes and residential courses, with a focus on wellness, introduced. “We hold 55 studio classes each week, including yoga, pilates, Zumba and aqua,” adds Amelia. “We have beautiful indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, a steam room, and hydro spa beds, as well as tennis courts and a golf driving range, both with professional coaches for private lessons.” Menus change monthly so chefs can make the most of local, seasonal produce, and salt and sugar is limited to make meals as healthy as possible. For more: www.combegrove.com
Mel Taylor on why organising the Bath Half is a 24/7 job For more: see page 84
£23M THE BIG NUMBER
The amount raised for charities by runners in the Bath Half For more: see page 84
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 77
BUSINESS INSIDER
ONE TO WATCH
KELLY ANN PERRY After only two years of trading The Bath Framer is expanding. Owner Kelly Ann Perry talks designs – and why she can’t possibly tell us what the cheekiest thing she has been asked to frame is...
Tell us a little about your background I worked in a framing shop in my home town for 20 years before setting up my business five years ago in Bathford, trading at the time as Kellyanndesigns, a name I was using for my interior design business. I finally decided to take the plunge and opened the doors to my beautiful shop on the London Road in May 2015, and have now expanded after just two years. What did you want to be when you were little? I wasn’t worried about that growing up, it seemed a long way away and I was far too busy climbing trees and ‘borrowing’ apples from neighbours’ gardens. What was your first job? My first job, funnily enough was in my local framing shop as a Saturday assistant. I was taking my art GCSE and it fitted in with my interests. Who’d have thought I’d still be doing it now? Tell us about your business and the eclectic range of frames you have All framing solutions are tailored to each individual customer. I use my interior design knowledge and my range of hand-picked colours on barefaced mouldings, that ensure the perfect frame for its location. I have done a variety of different types of framing – including work for the QE2. What are the best aspects of your job? My customers. We have a lot of fun and you’ll often find the shop full of laughter. What is the strangest/most unusual object you’ve had to frame? I can’t tell you…but it made me blush, haha. But I can tell you I have framed everything from old etchings, sports shirts, war medals and even a 1930s swimsuit. What’s your favourite framing style? I don’t really have one, although I find simplicity is often the best way to go. All of our frames are handmade on site, with many hand-finished using our own unique range of paint colours to suit your home’s interior. 78 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
Our mount board and backing board are pH neutral and conservation glass will filter out any harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun, ensuring your artwork stays true to its original colour and does not deteriorate over time. What was your proudest moment in business? Opening my shop in Bath. Tell us something about you that might surprise us… I’ve been in the framing industry since I was 15 and qualified as a Guild Commended Framer in May 1995, the youngest person in the country at that time. I’ve taken on the shop next door to mine as front of house and the current shop is now our workshop. It looks glorious.
www.thebathframer.co.uk
I HAVE FRAMED EVERYTHING FROM OLD ETCHINGS, SPORTS SHIRTS, WAR MEDALS TO EVEN A 1930S SWIMSUIT
MOVERS, SHAKERS, ETC
BATH RUGBY NEWS
Julie Moktadir
Bringing you the latest from the Bath Rugby headquarters
LEGAL FIGHT Stone King LLP has welcomed Julie Moktadir as a senior associate to support its strategy to develop its immigration law services. Steven Greenwood, managing partner at Stone King LLP, says, “Julie brings with her invaluable knowledge and a great deal of experience of the laws, policies and processes that make up this distinct area of work.” www.stoneking.co.uk
CARE MATTERS Lawyer Mei-Ling Huang has joined Royds Withy King in Bath as a partner, bringing with her a long track record of advising care providers, GPs and dentists on regulatory aspects of health and social care law. www.roydswithyking.com
TRADE MARK A state-of-the-art facility has been unveiled at Bath College’s Somer Construction Centre. The West of England Combined Authority and Local Enterprise Partnership supported the new build, with an allocation of £2.73 million. It will teach students and apprentices trades such as bricklaying, construction, carpentry, plumbing, electrical installation and stonemasonry. www.bathcollege.ac.uk
Wiltshire-based Box Steam Brewery has signed up for a second year as the exclusive sponsor for the Bath Rugby Ladies team. The brewery, which produces notable drinks like Piston Broke and Derail Ale, has developed a close bond with the team which ended the 2016/2017 season as champions of the Women’s Championship South West 2 league. The continued partnership means that the brand’s logo will again appear on both the first and second team’s official kit. The team plays at Lambridge. Player Sarah Burgess says, “The support from Box Steam Brewery is exactly what we need. It’s thanks to their backing that we can keep our club alive and strive to be the best. We take our sport very seriously, indeed women’s sport is being taken more seriously. We want to be a part of that and are so pleased that Box Steam Brewery does too.”
The brewery says the sponsorship is vital for helping more people take part in sport. Andy Roberts, Box Steam Brewery’s managing director, says, “We are delighted to keep this partnership going. “Supporting a local team is important to us and these women are passionate about rugby and bringing more people into the game. “Sport is good for everyone and supporting our local community is something we are committed to doing. We wish the ladies the very best of luck with the new season.” The brewery is based in the village of Holt, near Bradford on Avon, in Wiltshire. It was established in 2004 and is run by the Roberts family. It is one of only a few breweries with a master brewer. www.bathrugby.com
BUSINESS MATTERS DIARY From city centre conferences to networking breakfasts, make a note of these dates and make them work for you 1 6 OCTOBE R
Bath Life Business Club with guest speaker Tom Lewis, owner of the award-winning The Guild co-working hub. BLBC’s include lunch and are sell-out affairs, so book early. 12pm; £50; The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa; www.bathlifebusinessclub.com
Bath Digital Festival. Marketing and social media 7pm; The Igloo; advice, run by the Crafts Council. www.eventbrite.co.uk 1.15pm; £40; Bath Spa University, 26 O C TO BE R Green Park House; Breakfast networking by Small www.eventbrite.co.uk Business Focus; 1.15pm; £40; 19 O C TO BER Bath Spa University, #BathIndieChat Tweet Up with Green Park House, Bath; founder Sal Godfrey. Part of the www.eventbrite.co.uk 18 O C TO BER
BUSINESS INSIDER
FANTASTIC CAUSE FOR GOOD FOUR Our pick of the most exciting, intriguing or important local business stories right now
Azita with a young friend in Kenya
A charity near Bath which helps some of the world’s poorest people is urging people to donate and help change lives. Send a Cow’s communications manager, Azita Shamsolahi, went to Kenya to see the charity’s work for herself. “For most people in rural Kenya, their farm is everything,” she says. “It’s their home, it’s their livelihood – it’s how they feed their children. One small plot of land, must provide everything that they need to survive. If crops fail then mealtimes are dropped and, as there is nothing to sell, school fees go unpaid. “I met a 22-year-old woman called Mercy, mother to two young children. She single-handedly cares for them, her severely disabled mother and her siblings. She told me that she tries her best to plant crops but the yields are poor and often the whole family go to bed hungry.” But thanks to Send a Cow, Mercy’s life should soon improve, as the charity plans to work with her in a project supporting mothers. Give to the Newton St Loe charity’s Mother & Child appeal before 31 December, and the UK Government will double your donation. For more: www.sendacow.org
MOVING ART After 20 years on George Street, the Rostra Gallery has moved to new premises at 17 Margaret’s Buildings. The gallery will continue to exhibit an exciting range of works from established artists such as Sir Peter Blake, as well as championing new works from other artists including Charlotte Farmer and Clare Halifax. The gallery specialises in limited edition prints, and these will continue to be shown alongside paintings, ceramics and sculptures. Owner Emma Birts says, “The new gallery space is full of character and flooded with natural light, perfect for showcasing the beautiful works by our artists.” Its first exhibition in the new gallery is
called Rostra Relocated, and will include illustrative silkscreen prints by Johnathan Reiner and bronze resin sculptures by Hannah Kenway. For more: www.rostragallery.co.uk
BALL ROOM SPONSORSHIPS SELL OUT IN FOUR MINUTES
It’s going to be a sell-out success…
All remaining Ball Room Silver Sponsorship opportunities for the Bath Life Awards have sold out – just four minutes after going on sale. Mogers Drewett and Pearson May secured the two remaining Silver Sponsor tables in the Ball Room, and will each have a branded table for eight. “We’re thrilled to have both Mogers Drewett and Pearson May as Silver Sponsors at the Bath Life Awards this coming March,” says events manager Steph Dodd. “The exclusive tickets went on sale at midday and by 12.04pm, they had been snapped up. There are still very limited Silver Sponsorship opportunities remaining in the Tea Room, although we expect these to go shortly.” Sponsors also benefit from a high-profile marketing campaign in the run-up to the Awards, peaking in March. Nominations for the Awards open on 6 November and finalists are announced in January. All decisions are made by a panel of independent judges, newly selected each year. The current roster of Sponsors features: Headline Sponsor, The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Platinum Sponsor Bristol Airport, plus Savills, Bath Volkswagen, Fidelius, Bath Audi, Bath Rugby, Minuteman Press, Stone King, Bluefin, Bath BID, Tile & Flooring, Apex Hotels, Novia, Acorn Property, Curo, Kersfield, HomeLets, Bryers, First Bath, Hawker Joinery, Circo, Vistage, Enlightened Lighting, soVision IT, Clifton Marquee Company and SearchStar. Silver Sponsors include Mogers Drewett, Pearson May and Trevor Osborne Property Group. Get in touch with Pat White if you’d like to talk: pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk; www.bathlifeawards.co.uk
VEG PREP
The Mowats are in a growth industry
A couple who loved their weekly vegbox so much that they brought the franchise, have seen demand grown by over 50 per cent. Vicki and Alan Mowat took over the franchise in 2012, and now deliver almost 900 boxes of groceries every week. “I’d studied at the University of Bath and had always thought it would be an amazing place to bring up a family,” says Vicki. “So when we discovered that the Bath franchise was for sale, it felt like serendipity.”
After successfully increasing the business, the couple have had their franchise renewed for another five years. “We’ve come a long way in the last five years,” adds Vicki. “As well as growing our customer base, we’ve set up community initiatives like our Veg Fund fundraising and healthy eating scheme for schools, and a series of cookery workshops around Bath.” For more: www.riverford.co.uk
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 81
BUSINESS INSIDER
BATH LIFE AWARDS 2017
PROPERTY WINNER Sponsored by
KERSFIELD When it comes to building it doesn’t pay to cut corners. Development manager, Alex Feilden-Cook, explains why Kersfield’s Bath Life Award is testament to the company’s firm foundations So how did it feel to win a Bath Life Award? How did you celebrate? And where is your award now? It felt great. We were all very proud to have won the award, especially given the calibre of the other nominees. We celebrated in the most fitting way possible, with lots of champagne at the after-party and the after-after-party. The award sits above the fireplace in our office on Gay Street. What do you think makes Kersfield stand out from its competitors? We believe that good design leads to a good product and our ultimate goal is to produce homes of exceptional quality. If you try to cut corners and costs with the design from the outset, then ultimately the quality suffers. We also work extremely hard with our building contractors to ensure that our designs are buildable. There’s no point in producing exceptional designs if they just don’t work when it comes to construction. How did you get into doing what you do? I’m a qualified architect and worked for a practice in London for three years before making the move back to my home town of Bath. As an architect, I ran projects for some of the major developers in London. It was these experiences that gave me a taste for what being a developer is about and, when I was making
BUILDING GOOD RELATIONSHIPS PROVIDES A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR THE PROJECT 82 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
After the party there was an after-after-party for the Kersfield team
the move back to the West Country, I decided to make the change of career. Has it met or exceeded with your initial plans, and your expectations? And if so how? When you start out on a career there are all sorts of different options open to you. However, as an architect your path is usually pretty prescribed. To make the move into development was a risk, but it’s a decision that I have never looked back on. Do you think being an active part of the community is important in business? Absolutely. I make a big effort to work with local business and trades whenever possible and have met quite a few of our consultants and suppliers at community events. Have there been some tricky times for your business? Yes, of course. Due to the complexity of our business we must be prepared to react to different problems that occur. These can range from planning negotiations, contract adjustments to finishing standards on site. What do you aim to achieve in the next couple of years? As a business in general, we’re looking to grow gradually, picking up sites when appropriate and adding to our staff base to facilitate our workload as and when is necessary. As a Bathbased business we hope to further our growth and reputation in the city, whilst continuing to be a regular part of the business community. What advice would you give someone looking to go into this sector? Building good relationships with everyone that you work with provides a solid foundation for the project duration. Try not to make snap decisions and always be honest.
Any news to share, or exciting projects in the pipeline? Projects wise, we have a fantastic mix of houses and apartments about to come on the market at Walcot Yard, Lansdown Square West and Hope Chapel Apartments at Lower Borough Walls – all desirable locations in Bath. We have a potential pipeline project that will bring a slightly different style of properties to the market next year on Lansdown, with a mix of one and two bed apartments. What is your favourite thing about Kersfield? The variety of our projects and the potential we have for the next five years. The office and the people are great too! What do you love most about Bath? That even when it rains the city looks beautiful. What do you do when you’re not working? Enjoy life with my wife and my seven-year-old twin boys, Alfie and Charlie. I also enjoy watching rugby and going to CrossFit Bath. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this year’s Love Island. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? ‘Try to never make a decision standing up.’ If you can get back to your desk and think the decision through you are more likely to end up with a good decision. Who are your business heroes? Simon Silver, director of Derwent London, for his commitment to design and for the unparalleled success of Derwent London. Grayson Perry, for his interest in human culture and the variety of his successful projects off the back of his career as an artist. For more: www.kersfield.co.uk
BATH LIFE business club
May the course be with you The directors of the Bath Half Marathon, Andrew and Mel Taylor, spoke to an enthralled audience at the Bath Life Business Club, and explained why organising the one-day event is a year-round affair
T
ransforming what was effectively a club race into a sell-out multi-million pound charity fundraiser, has been no easy feat for Bath Half Marathon directors Andrew and Mel Taylor. They told a captivated Bath Life Business Club that, when it comes to organising the annual event, it’s very much best foot forward. There was just one bidder when the Bath Half was put out to tender – with Andrew and Mel seeing that the race could be transformed and become a powerful asset for charity. They had behind-the-scenes knowledge, former club runner Andrew had taken part in the 13.1 mile race, and had helped to organise it. That was at a time when it was only attracting some 1,500, mainly club, runners, and raising just £30,000 for good causes. By contrast, the race is now a sell-out affair with a capacity 15,000 runners, and £2.25m raised for charity this year alone. “I was the one who got us into this 17 years ago,” says Andrew. “I used to be a member of City of Bath AC, the running club that used to organise it and which set it up in 1983. “It was – and still is – an absolute nightmare to organise, and it was becoming more and more difficult for the club to find volunteers to organise it, so it had a crisis in 1997 when it nearly didn’t happen at all. “They ended up putting it to market before it was ready and there was only one bidder, because we felt we had a job to do.” For Mel the charity platform was the driving force for taking on the race, while Andrew felt there was unfinished business. “We sat down and looked at what the other races were doing, and we unashamedly
84 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
All smiles, but organising the Bath Half is a serious business
pinched all the good ideas, and Mel introduced a lot of her own,” says Andrew. The pair’s complementary skills have seen the race grow to become a key event in the city’s calendar. For former chartered building surveyor Andrew, it was project management and attention to detail, while for Mel her publishing and TV production background means she can “make something happen.”
a couple of men ran in inflatable penis costumes – they couldn’t go very fast because their outfits were around their ankles Safety is of course paramount, with the previous race format having to change. Long gone is the single carriageway race, which saw a lead car (ahead of the fastest runners) coming up behind slower entrants. Instead there are now 150 road closures, and countless reviews of CCTV and radio calls from race day, analysed throughout the year. The size of the route means that the race will never increase from 15,000 eager runners, with thousands more lining the route to cheer on loved ones. This means the race has become a colourful spectacle, with costumes sometimes leaving little to the imagination. (One runner decided
The bath half in numbers 4 March 2018 next year’s date £23m the amount the Bath Half has raised for charity 15,000 runners 850 staff working on the day 150 road closures 60 per cent local runners 13.1 miles – the distance in a half marathon 7 the number of days it takes to build
to don a mankini for the event, and wanted to know where he could leave clothes beforehand so he could protect his modesty). It also attracts celebrities, with Dermot O’Leary and Fearne Cotton among the stars running the race in previous years. “People just turn up and run in what they want, we don’t get to see the costumes beforehand,” adds Andrew. “We worked with breast cancer charity CoppaFeel for many years, and they have these huge sort of breasts which people run with on their fronts. They are filled with polystyrene balls but other runners complained that they squeaked. “That same year we had a couple of men who ran in inflatable penis costumes, by the time they started one had lost whoomph already. They couldn’t go very fast because their outfits were around their ankles. “But what I hadn’t seen was one guy who was running in an inflatable vagina costume, we missed that photocall as we could have put all three together.” The behind-the-scenes work doesn’t end on the day, instead the whole year is spent planning and reviewing. “There are 150 road closures but because we have done it for so long it has become
BUSINESS INSIDER
second nature,” adds Mel. “But it is a massive headache though. One year, Andy got a call on his radio as a lady was lying in the middle of the road and she wouldn’t get up.” That lie-down protest was because stewards wouldn’t let her drive on the traffic-free route – and rightly so. In 2004 the race came close to being cancelled as the ordered marquee – needed to house the first aid tent – didn’t arrive. But, putting their problem solving abilities to the fore, the team requisitioned a marquee from the runners’ village and carried it over turnstiles and people’s heads, and on to the street – and got it set up on time. “It’s very stressful,” says Mel of the lead-up to the event. “Andrew goes into a black hole, your sleep starts to go, you get that horrendous stress that means you pick up any bug that is going. I think it gets harder as you get older. “You keep rehearsing everything, it just keeps going through your mind.” The scale of the event means it’s hard to kick back and relax, with work always creeping in – even when it’s leisure time. “I was told off this summer when I went to a couple of festivals,” laughs Andrew. “We were trying to be really cool with our teenage boys, and Andrew was taking pictures of the Portaloos,” adds Mel. Despite the force for good, the pair are all too aware that high-profile events have become a target for terrorism. “I was working at the London Marathon the week after Boston,” says Andrew. “Road running events have been aware of the explosive threats since that period but the vehicle one has become fairly recent. “We have had measures in place coming Networking at the Bath Life Business Club
These ladies are the leaders of the pack
up to our third year now, it’s quite shocking that people should choose these events and in fact we’re terribly vulnerable in public places, you’re reliant on everyone behaving themselves around you.” And, despite these fears, the pair are all too aware of the powerful vehicle the race is for good, and the positivity it has on people. “What I love about the Bath Half is how it unites people,” says Mel. “It doesn’t matter what you do or where
you’re from, on race day you’re there to achieve the same goal “We had a runner who was a client at Julian House; he said for the first time he wasn’t judged and he loved every minute – hopefully it will give him some courage to change his path.” For Andrew, seeing a sick runner across the line and back into the care of her nurses and family, was both poignant and inspirational. “One year my job was as cycle marshall, right at the back to see the last runner home. One woman was very, very slow and kept saying that I should go away, and that she would finish on her own,” he says. “I explained I needed to see her across the line, and when she finally finished there was a group of people waiting for her. She was in terminal care, and had wanted to run the Bath Half before she died. It put me into pieces.” For more: www.bathhalf.co.uk
FRESH THINKING OVER A FINE LUNCH
The Bath Life Business Club is a select group of senior business people. It features a leading speaker and a damn fine two-course lunch. The next meeting is on 16 October, when our speaker is Tom Lewis, the owner of The Guild co-working hub. If you’d like to join, please contact Stephanie Dodd (Stephanie.Dodd@ mediaclash.co.uk). These events sell out quickly, so look out for the emails...
The Bath Life Business Club is sponsored by Bishop Fleming
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 85
ALL FIRED UP There’s nothing like curling up in front of a real fire on a chilly winter evening, enjoying the crackle of logs and flickering flames; but which design to choose? By sa m a n t h a wa l k e r Call us fussy, but when it comes to heating our homes, we want both style and substance. Someone who’s equally like-minded is blacksmith Dan Harding, the creator of some unique wood-burning stoves, known as Hotpods. Dan created his early versions from discarded gas bottles, hence their slightly rotund bodies. Today, his designs are more likely to be cast from melted-down brake discs, train wheels, and even park benches. “We had to find a way to make more stoves to meet demand,” says the company’s co-founder Lucy Aldridge, who also studies yoga in Bath. “We either had to find more people, and somehow bring them up to speed making Hotpods from recycled gas bottles, or we had to cast them.” The quirky designs, including the smaller Naughtipod, complete with girls’ names (the first was Holly Mae), have massively caught on. Prices: £1200 – £3344. www.hotpod.co.uk
Kindle Stoves’ Contura 610 comes in a range of colours
INTERIORS
PROPERTY
PHOTO BY JULIUS BRIGHTON
Dan Harding cosies up to his Hotpod
“Nothing can beat the cosy feeling of sitting in front of a roaring wood-burning stove,” says Henry Knight, the managing director of R W Knight and Sons in Marshfield. “I think it brings out the caveman feeling in us as all you need is wood – it will keep you warm, you can cook on it, and it gives you light. “They suit any property as there are modern and traditional designs, which you can get in a range of colours, and they add a focal point to a room, sometimes even the whole house.” And he should know – his father, Dick, started the business in 1974, being impressed with the warmth thrown out from a Norwegian woodburning stove. It transformed a draughty, damp farmhouse, so much so that Dick did less farming and diversified into selling stoves, with the range now including contemporary and traditional, and wood, gas and electric. And, it seems many people aren’t content just to have a wood-burner in their homes. “We’ve installed them in caravans, boats, shepherd huts and warehouses,” adds Henry. “We have even supplied stoves to hot countries such as Greece; prices are from £600 – £4,000.”
WE HAVE
FITTED A STOVE IN A GARAGE
SO A CUSTOMER
COULD SIT WITH HIS THREE
SUPERCARS
www.knight-stoves.co.uk
“As we are not allowed to burn wood in an open fire in most of Bath, many customers love the fact that we can heat our homes with wood in a woodburning stove,” says Clare Collins, from Kindle Stoves in Bath. “Not only do they look great, but they are the perfect way to use an original fireplace, or create a new one.” The green credentials aren’t bad either. “Burning locally sourced wood on a highefficiency stove can be carbon-neutral, so they are a fantastic alternative to fossil fuels,” adds Clare. And, when it comes to installation, Kindle likes to think outside the box. “We have fitted a stove in a customer’s garage, where he liked to sit with his three supercars with the warmth of a stove,” Clare says. “Many customers are moving away from stoves that are traditional, and instead are loving large, glass doors for a full view of the fire with simple, clean lines.
A shepherd’s delight – a small stove in a caravan
The Hex Grey wood-burner from R W Knight and Sons
“There is so much you can do with your fireplace, and using reclaimed Bath stone cladding on your chimney breast creates a fantastic room feature.” Various prices; www.kindlestoves.co.uk
“There was a period at the end of the last century where the focal point of the living room shifted towards the television and many fireplaces were replaced by other forms of heating,” says Joseph Baker, the director of Rudloe Stone in Corsham. “But a combination of higher gas and oil prices and increased awareness of climate change has led more people to consider the wood-burning stove, which, in turn, has seen the re-emergence of the fireplace as an integral part of the home.” But it’s not just the home that is proving popular when it comes to installation. “This summer, we installed a tiny stove in a portable shepherd hut, which was to be used as a bridal suite for a wedding and the subsequent honeymoon transport,” adds Joseph. Some stoves on the market even have purposebuilt sections for warming feasts. “By their very nature, the surfaces of a stove get very hot; hot enough to boil a kettle or keep your crumpets warm,” says Joseph. Prices vary for fireplaces and stoves. As for trends, sumptuous fabrics are providing perfect backdrops for stone fireplaces. “Velvet adds instant luxury and cosiness for autumn and, when combined with the rough, natural textures of stone, it adds visual interest and comfort to a room,” he says. www.rudloe-stone.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 87
Fireplace, Stove and Chimney specialists
As Bath’s principle Chesney’s dealer visit our showroom to see their latest range of woodburning stoves and fire surrounds. Our range of contemporary Hwam stoves and Jetmaster fires can also be viewed.
Mendip Fireplaces (Bath) Monkton Combe Mill, Monkton Combe, Bath, BA2 7HD Tel. 01225 722706 Fax. 01225 722729 Email. info@mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk www.mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk
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Get cosy in time for Christmas
Suppliers of contemporary and traditional wood, gas and electric stoves, from leading manufacturers. Over 100 on display, many working and in fire place settings. Stove spares and glass, accessories, baskets, patio heaters, outdoor fires, flues, chimneys and cleaning equipment available. Extensive product and installation knowledge and a showroom in a country setting. Castle Farm, Marshfield, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 8HU Our showroom is 4 miles from junction 18 off the M4, between Bristol, Bath and Chippenham | 01225 891469 www.knight-stoves.co.uk | enquiries@knight-stoves.co.uk
PROPERTY
SHOWCASE
THE GRANARY Evelyn Green admires an 18th-centrury, fourbedroom former threshing barn in Wellow 90 LIFE LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk 112I I BATH CLIFTON I www.mediaclash.co.uk
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PROPERTY
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Opposite page: a country cottage look combines with massive amounts of space to create a luxury kitchen; above: the bathroom is incredibly stylish and sleek; below: our favourite area of the home – the gasp-inducing open-plan living and dining space
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 93
PROPERTY
SHOWCASE
H
igh above the village of Wellow, you’ll find the magnificent masterpiece that is The Granary. Ideally placed in a quiet yet convenient position, well away from main-road traffic, and about six miles from Bath, the former threshing barn in Upper Baggridge is a beautifully refurbished 18th-century, Grade-II listed building of considerable importance to the locality. It has been thoughtfully and imaginatively designed with many innovative and architecturally enhanced features – although it still retains so much of the charm and accents of the original building – and enjoys stunning views from an elevated position above and to the south of the pretty village of Wellow where you’ll find a shop, a school, a trekking centre and a church. Barn conversions can sometimes be disappointingly cramped and weirdly laid-out, but through its size and design, The Granary is up there with the finest examples we’ve ever clapped eyes on. The first thing that hits you when you walk inside is the sheer height of the rooms, which instantly adds breathing space and drama. Step into the gasp-inducing handsome living and dining space, and the original, mellow, honeycoloured stone walls extend over 27ft until they meet the exposed ceiling beams above. And, although we shouldn’t be biased, this is definitely our favourite room in the house. Its open-plan design, floor-to-ceiling wall of windows, chic décor – such as the globe pendant lamps suspended from the ceiling on long chains, and statement features such as the flagstone floor, porthole windows and wood-burning stove – charm us so. We’d have been 94 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
Clockwise, from top left: views for days; there’s a Parisian edge to the décor in this bedroom; porthole windows add an unusual touch; another stunning bedroom with steps up to its own wet room
HOUSE NUMBERS
4,029
square foot of space
4
bedrooms
£1.75M price
2.5 ACRE gardens
happy not to have seen anymore of the house at this point – we’re already sold. But, venture on we must, as wonderfully there’s so much more to discover. Step through from this room into the superbly fitted, generous kitchen, and you’ll find a matching rustic floor, exposed ceiling beams, ties and rafters. The natural oak cupboards, granite worktops, double and single sinks and four-oven, cream-coloured Aga all add to the country charm of the property. The master bedroom offers incredible views towards the Wiltshire Downs and Salisbury Plain, and has a luxe en suite wet room where you’ll find a centrally placed oval bath with mosaic and tiled surrounds, and a twin wash basin. And as for the other three bedrooms, one is complete with an en suite cloakroom, another has steps up to its own wet room with a blissful monsoon shower, and the last offers unrivalled vistas. Outside, you’ll find 2.5 acres of land which includes an extensive gravelled courtyard, gardens, a raised lawn area with a mix of trees, a raised potential ménage area, and a paddock, all providing yet more wonderful views (and al fresco entertaining will be a breeze). There’s also an open-fronted cow byre garage with traditional stonework, plus parking and turning space for many vehicles. The house may look incredible on these pages, but to fully appreciate the building, quality of the workmanship, magical location, grounds and views, we recommend viewing it in person to be properly bowled over. Opportunities to own a home such as this don’t come around too often… Savills Bath, Edgar House, 17 George Street, Bath, BA1 2EN; 01225 474 500; www.savills.co.uk
a d v e rtisi n g f e atur e P R O P E R T Y
Look after your tenants and they’ll look after you
A
Peter Greatorex from The Apartment Company explains why building trust with your tenant is key to a successful let
quarter of UK households are expected to be renting privately by the end of 2021. Good quality tenants expect appreciation from their landlords, so you need to be the best possible landlord if you’re to attract those who will pay on time, look after your property and stay for a while. Here are a few things to think about to ensure you are seen as thoughtful, respectful and most importantly, trustworthy… Trust is one of the biggest things in this business. Tenants have promised to pay on time, look after the home and to be respectable neighbours, so they want to know that in return for their commitment, they will be looked after throughout their agreement with you. Reassure them they can contact you about anything, at any time and you will do your very best to fix the problem. Legally, you have to ensure a property meets safety standards, so things such as electricity, gas and drainage must all be checked regularly.
Tenants love to have issues they raise handled quickly and efficiently. They hate waiting so don’t delay until there is something else to fix before you deal with the problem. Botch jobs not only annoys tenants, but you’ll find you’ll be paying for it further down the line with constant repairs. Don’t do them! Make sure the building has good security systems in place, and the property itself has efficient doors and windows as tenants like to feel safe. It can be hard to find another rental property so let tenants know from the beginning that you will try and give them plenty of notice should you need them to leave. Sometimes, you will need to raise your rent, but give plenty of notice. Tenants want to feel comfortable in their home, and not constantly on edge that their landlord is going to pop by or call up to check all is ok. Of course, you are entitled to inspect the property (with appropriate notice), but otherwise try not to step on their toes.
Finally, always be friendly and professional. If you have great tenants, you really don’t want to lose them. These simple factors should help you entice respectful tenants, reduce void periods and achieve long-term financial success. However, for those who would prefer a professional to act on their behalf, we can carefully manage your property to achieve a successful tenancy and return.
For more advice visit our blog at www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk/blog.html Sales: 01225 471144 Lettings: 01225 303870 www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk
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B AT H L I V E S
Q&A
M
illions dream of travelling into space, but how many of us could actually do it? Dr Iya Whiteley – along with astronaut Chris Hadfield and Dr Kevin Fong – is an expert determining just that in BBC2’s Astronauts: Do you have what it takes? In the programme, 12 candidates are put through a series of gruelling physical and psychological tests to find out who has the skills (which include hovering a helicopter, taking their own blood and being tested for claustrophobia) to become an astronaut. Here, Bath-based Dr Whiteley – who has a master’s in clinical psychology and a PhD in aircraft cockpit design – tells us more... I work at, what I describe as, a smaller version of NASA My job title is the director of the centre for space medicine at the University College London. The centre is part of one of the largest space laboratories in Europe, the Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL). Our scientists participated in nearly every space exploration mission known to humankind. I develop technology for astronauts on longduration missions… I started out designing aircraft cockpits, but I now study grey matter as a space psychologist. My projects range from developing training programmes for astronauts, to exciting speaking engagements. I have always been the type of person who would refuse to sit in the office to write a thesis; I prefer to experience things for myself. I’ve studied all over the world and have worked with pilots in military airfields – I had to see it for myself, learn it, fly it, land it, observe it and receive all the answers, or I would not leave. I completed my PhD at the University of Bath as there weren’t many military airfields left in Australia, so I had to move to the UK. As a child, I was mesmerised by the Orion constellation… The stars looked like a parachute to me, and were very clearly visible from my bedroom window. My mum subscribed me to a junior inventor-type magazine, and, at the back of it, there were always short stories, and one really stuck with me. It was about two people from different planets, who met on a spaceship and spent their lives travelling through space – because their unique physiology meant they couldn’t live together on either of the birth planets. It made me wonder about space travel, and here I am working in this area to date.
98 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
IYA WHITELEY The space psychologist discusses working at a mini NASA; offering her expertise alongside astronaut Chris Hadfield in a new BBC2 series; and why nothing beats brunch at Bath’s Green Bird Cafe I’m one of the experts on BBC2’s Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?... On the programme, my role is to assess astronaut candidates’ individual performance and suitability for spaceflight, from a psycho-social point of view. I’ve dreamt about going into space myself… This year, the Soyuz – the only spacecraft currently ferrying humans to the orbiting outpost, the International Space Station (ISS) – went with one seat free. If only I was near the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in April, I would have borrowed a space suit and sneaked in. I would have fitted right in as I speak Russian and English (the two languages used on ISS). I have actually docked the Soyuz to ISS, but it was in the simulator admittedly! When I moved to Bath in 2001, I thought it was a movie set… I arrived on a bus on Christmas Eve. Bath was under a blanket of snow as we entered the city. Everything was so miniature and surreal. I certainly thought, oh this bus can’t possibly turn this corner, but it did every time. I now live on the south side of Bath. I feel honoured to have landed and settled here to raise our family… Given the heritage of innovation in Bath – from Roman architectural solutions and postal service improvement, to the invention of Plasticine and a fully functioning five-fingered prosthetic hand – I would like to help nurture this spirit of innovation in younger generations here.
The pleasures of working in Bath are immeasurable... Everything is a walking distance or a bike ride away. For a Sunday brunch, I adore The Green Bird Cafe; there’s a great morning buzz about it. I also never miss my hair beauty hour with Melanie Giles. When I am in, I feel like I am on a mini holiday. I also love waterfront café spots, and I imagine in the near future I will discover a new favourite café on the Avon behind the Bath Spa Rail Station, which is currently under development. The views here are incredible, too… I long for far-reaching views, so when I was pregnant, I would make sure to walk as often as I could along the Cotswold Way walk in Bath. On a clear day on Kelston Hill, you can see the Severn Bridge reaching across to Wales. Something that not many people know about me is… I won first place in skydiving competitions on aerobatics and precision landing. I also love precision folding – so I love folding parachutes, and admire the art of origami.
Although Astronauts: Do you have what it takes? ends this month, the programme is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. For more about Dr Iya Whiteley’s work: www.iyawhiteley.com, and for more on the programme: www.bbc.co.uk/astronauts
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