Bath Life – Issue 393

Food/Arts/Entertainment/Shopping/Property ISSUE 393 / 7 – 21 JUNE 2019 / £3 @BathLifeMag

CELEBRATING THE BEST OF THE CITY

COLOUR IN THE CITY

EATING OUT ALLURING AL FRESCO SPOTS

BATH CARNIVAL IS ON ITS WAY ISSUE 393 / 7 – 21 JUNE 2019 / COLOUR BURST

PRIDE AND JOY

Artistic celebrations for Pride month THE BATH UPGRADE

OUR NEWEST BUILDINGS (AND WHAT THE ARCHITECTS THINK OF THEM)

YOU’VE BEEN FRAMED SUNGLASSES TREND SPOTTING

A TASTE OF SUMMER Beer gardens and courtyards in Bath and beyond!

Butcombe pubs and inns have Summer covered with outside dining areas, pop up BBQs, gin gardens and more.

Whether it’s a trip to your local or exploring somewhere new there’s a pub garden for everyone with Butcombe...

The Methuen Arms, Corsham 01249 717060 methuen@butcombepubs.com

From the relaxing Methuen Arms in Corsham to the lively Pig and Fiddle in Bath, the spectacular view of the Quarrymans Arms to the new-look Pelican in Chew Magna. Make the most of the weather and join us for a spot of al fresco this Summer.

The Pig & Fiddle, Bath 0122 546 0868 pigandfiddle@butcombepubs.com

The Quarrymans Arms, Corsham 01225 743569 quarrymansarms@butcombepubs.com

The Pelican, Chew Magna 01275 331777 pelican@butcombepubs.com

The Smoking Dog, Malmesbury 01666 825823 smokingdog@butcombepubs.com

Visit butcombe.com for a full list of all our pubs

EDITOR’S LETTER

I ABOVE: We ask local

artists to respond visually to Pride Month (page 46) RIGHT: Carnival-themed shopping (page 84)

’ve always referred to Bath Life as ‘my baby’, but now’s the time to hand it over to a very trustworthy sitter because I’m having my first actual real-life baby in a few weeks (maybe he’ll even be here by the time this issue hits the shelves). So, after years of attending fabulous events in the city, interviewing incredible locals, and hunting out the best spots for everything from afternoon tea to afterdark chill-outs, I’ll be out of office for a while.

Anyway, here it is, my final issue of 2019, and I hope you enjoy it. It’s a celebratory one this week, with a focus on Bath Carnival, Pride Month and all the summery fun that’s to be had around these parts.

On page 26, we start you off with a chinwag with the carnival’s co-ordinator, Stu Matson, who tells us his one simple rule: that the procession should only be used to promote unity and celebrate diversity in the city. And, inspired by festival fever, we’ve put together a shopping guide full of the riotous colour that will be hitting the streets on 13 July (page 84).

We also take you on a tour of the appetising assortment of al fresco spots dotted along waterfronts, on rooftops and in prime people-watching zones in and around Bath (page 65); we bring you along on our camper van journey to the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (page 122); we fill your diary with unmissable summer days out (page 48); and we kit you out with the fiercest sunglasses around, so you can do all of this in spec-tacular style (page 83).

Although I’m very sad to be stepping away from the magazine for a time, I’m confident that my wonderful stand-in, Matt Bielby, will give it the TLC it deserves. To be honest, he’s so good that I’m worried, dear reader, you won’t want me back...

Until next year, Bath.

LISA EVANS Follow us on Twitter @BathLifeMag Instagram @bathlifemag

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 3

Issue 393 / 7 – 21 June 2019 COVER Image from artist Mark Mawson’s none-morecolourful Aqueous series. See page 46 for more

SUMMER IN THE CITY

26 THE BIG INTERVIEW We grab Stu Matson, head

honcho at Bath Carnival, to talk high costs, higher headdresses, and the joys of working with Bath’s unexpectedly strong samba community

ARCHITECTURE

34 TOMORROW’S WORLD Three top local

architects, and one very interested semi-outsider, assess the state of play with Bath’s buildings

THE ARTS

ARTS INTRO Grab your sunglasses, it’s Pride!

WHAT’S ON Theatre, music, comedy and more BOOKS Edgy novels from the dark side of America THEATRE Old plays get a makeover – and how!

FOOD&DRINK 60 65 77 78

34

RESTAURANT Well worth a road trip to Frome AL FRESCO Summer’s here, and the eating is easy TERRIFIC TRIO We all scream for ice cream FOOD & DRINK NEWS BTP boss tells all

84

60 6 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

26

65

© CASPER FARRELL

46 48 57 59

Issue 393 / 7 – 21 June 2019

shopping

83 intro Future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades 84 editor’s choice Colour me beautiful

LIFESTYLE

23 inside story Philippa’s taking it outside 87 beauty Ané Auret on the joy of declutttering 122 travel A camper van to heaven (well, the Gower) 134 gardens Repping Bath at Chelsea Flower Show 146 lives Teacher by day, novelist by night

Business

125 business insights Super-comfy garden

furniture and men doing stretches in the streets: it must be summertime, right?

property

139 showcase There are views, and then there are

views. Trust us, this house has views

departments

139

122

11 spotlight 14 Society 21 a man’s world

146

Editor Lisa Evans lisa.evans@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy Editor Matt Bielby matt.bielby@mediaclash.co.uk Managing Editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior Art Editor Andrew Richmond Graphic Design Megan Allison Cover Design Trevor Gilham Editor’s Photo Bonnie Rose Contributors Ané Auret, Nic Bottomley, David Flatman, Philippa May, Sarah Moolla, Anna O’Callaghan and Nick Woodhouse Group Advertising Manager Pat White pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy Advertising Manager Justine Walker justine.walker@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy Advertising Manager Polly Jackson polly.jackson@mediaclash.co.uk Account Manager Annabel North annabel.north@mediaclash.co.uk Sales Executive Louis Grey louis.grey@mediaclash.co.uk Production/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 Chief Executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief Executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Bath Life MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath, BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash. co.uk @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of 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). 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

8 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

spotlight Queen Square action!

© Perry Harris

Metal storm

Festivals

No, it’s not some vast, green Cthulhu-like space monster terrorising the poor Thomas Gainsboroughs at Bath’s Holburne Museum. Instead, it’s a piece by artist Perry Harris to celebrate the fact that the award-winning arts and design pop-up Forest of Imagination is returning to the museum on 20-24 June, a crazy eclectic four-day participatory event for all ages. Now in its sixth year, you can expect a trail of multi-sensory art installations and artworks in the museum grounds plus out along Great Pulteney Street and into Sydney Pleasure Gardens, as well as creative workshops and sculptures. Highlights this year include artworks by Piers Taylor, Alison Harper and Anthony Head; workshops by The House of Fairy Tales; and soundscapes by – get this! – Heaven 17’s Marytn Ware.

For more, www.holburne.org

© Ben Robins

The Emerald Forest

Bath Boules: where it’s always sunny, guaranteed

Boules Weekend is almost upon us, running Friday, 14 June through to the Sunday, and it’s free to watch, grab a drink, and enjoy the clank of metal-on-metal throughout.

Don’t miss out – and there might just be time to get tickets for the Friday night party, or even take part in the tournament itself, too. (Check out the website below for any last-minute tickets.)

Plus, don’t forget the Creative Bath Awards: it’s on 13 June in Queen Square’s big marquee, and tickets to both the Awards and the associated big Summer Party are available on the site at www.creativebathawards.org.

Future Publishing is now on board as an anchor partner in a three-year deal, and things are looking good!

For more: www.bathboules.com

Water features

Wet works

Why does Bath – Aquae Sulis as was, for goodness’ sake – make so little of the water all around it? There are precious few places where you can sit and enjoy the river, and our fountains and water features are few and far between. It’s one of the questions we ask some of Bath’s architects in one of this issue’s big features (page 34), and we were pleasantly surprised to find plenty of water-lovers among them.

“We’re passionate about the role water plays in Bath, yet it’s surprising how little evidence there is of it in the city,” Dougal Anderson of Oldfield Road architects Stride Treglown told us. “In fact, one of my colleagues, Rob Delius, won an RIBA competition with an idea of creating a network of water features around the city. We’re hopeful some of these ideas will begin to emerge, and are specifically liaising with local businesses in Kingsmead Square to design a water feature there.”

Indeed, the image he sent us – seen here – was called ‘Bath could have this!’ And we have to say, we’re keen…

For more, www.stridetreglown.com These trees are well watered, it seems…

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spotlight Best of Bath

June marks the start of Visit Bath’s ‘Summertime in Bath’ campaign, a celebration of the best of Bath’s hot-weather happenings, like this little selection here…

Bath on the Beach

Bath or Bahamas?

It’s hard to say…

Too full to dance?

Surely not!

© Pub in the Park

Tonnes of sand return to Vicky Park’s Royal Avenue on 14 June, plus cabanas, hammocks, picnic tables, palm trees, volleyball, fun games, summer beers and cocktails, Mexican food, ice cream and loads of space to chill out. It’s free to enter too; the only thing you’ll need to book is the volleyball court.

For more, www.bathonthebeach.co.uk

Pub in the Park The maths for this one is simple: top food plus good music equals fun. Running 21-23 June, celebrated chef Tom Kerridge’s threeday festival is this year hosted by MasterChef: The Professionals judge Monica Galetti, while live music comes from the likes of Basement Jaxx, Gabrielle, Texas, Will Young, Soul II Soul Sound System, Dodgy, The Bluetones and the Cuban Brothers.

For more, www.pubintheparkuk.com

Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park, Steam & Diesel Traction Weekend This one may sound more of a specialist taste, but we’re quite excited about the idea that the The Strawberry Line Railway will be hosting visiting steam traction engines, steam locomotives and diesel locomotives from across the country on 22-23 June.

Expect rides galore from 1pm each day.

For more, www.avonvalley.co.uk/events

© Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park

Summer in the City

We’re a tiny bit disappointed with HS2, we have to say…

National Garden Scheme

Eboni Usoro-Brown, watch out!

Flowers’ power

This year’s National Garden Scheme – in which thousands of otherwise private gardens are thrown open to the public for a couple of days a year – kicks off on 30 June, and the Bath garden you see here, at 70 Entry Hill, is one of them. It belongs to Nyla Abraham, a local dentist, who’s living proof that gardens are good for your health; hers helped hugely when she was recovering from a debilitating autoimmune disease. “I would touch the petals on the Michaelmas daises and smell the roses,” she says. “I would stare at the fiery red Virginia creeper in autumn. Doing these things made me just happy enough to keep me afloat, and stop me sinking into depression.”

Entry will be just £3, 10am5pm, and you’ll be able to buy cakes and tea. Fingers crossed If it rains, every visitor for the sun! can shelter here For more, www.ngs.org.uk

12 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Sport for all

New tricks

There’s a new programme of Team Sports for the over 50s running at Bath Sports Centre every Tuesday and Thursday, plus – from the 16 June – Sunday mornings too. Whatever your gender or fitness levels, try your hand (or foot) at basketball, netball, football or even beach volleyball – yes, really – while getting involved couldn’t be easier. “Everyone is made welcome with a sport-related warm up, undertaken before each game starts, to make sure of maximum fun,” says organiser David James.

For more, www.lifeintheolddogs.com

Brad Abrahams are proud to announce we now recycle all contact lenses and packaging

SCENE T H E L AT E S T A DV E N T U R E S I N PA R T Y- GO I N G AC ROSS BAT H

Dame Darcey Bussell

Matt Haig

Nicholas Parsons

Kate Williams

Mariella Frostrup

Jo Brand

TALKS OF FAME

Sara Cox

Bath Festival is over for another year – so sad – so it’s time, we felt, we took a look at some of the great and the good at this year’s most engaging and spectacular performances, be they gigs, readings, talks or screenings, right across the city. We’ve world-famous dancers, celebrated historians, top novelists, Radio 2 DJs and broadcasting legends – Nicholas Parsons, we salute you – up on stage, meeting fans, or just hanging out, enjoying the city. Yes, we get famous folk in Bath all the time, but never this many of them – and they’re rarely this accessible.

Photos by Bath Festival

Alastair Fothergill, director of David Attenborough’s Our Planet

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Neil Oliver

Paul Dolan

SOCIETY

Daryl Jacob and Matt Powell

ALL THE PRETTY HORSES

C’mon, everyone likes horse racing, right? It’s fun, it’s exciting, you can have a drink, you can have a flutter – hopefully winning a little, or at least not losing too much – and it’s an ace way to bond with family, colleagues and friends. Sure, the two minutes of real excitement are great – everyone ‘jockeying’ (yes, we went there) for position to get a good view of the finish line, while the chaps on the horses do likewise on the track – but if anything the little gaps between the races are even better, as you try and work out which nags to back, if only by the tried and tested method of going for the funniest name. Well, here are the guys from MJ Church, one of the South West’s largest civil engineering and earthworks contractors, enjoying a race day with pals at Bath Racecourse, all proceeds going to the The Forever Friends Appeal at the RUH. Smiles all round too, so we guess nobody lost too much.

Liam McStay and Stephen Baddeley

Photos by MJ Church

Lucy Sutton, Rachel Corcoran, Paula Church and Elizabeth Rees

Nick Hutt and Shaun Miller

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Katharine Mortimer and Tracey Merrett

Gemma Sumsion and Patsy Gould Tom Mowles, Lynne Mowles and Simon James

Andy Lucas and Jon Evans

SOCIETY

Lucy Beattie

THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER

We’re big fans of 3 Café Kitchen at Three Ways School in Odd Down, and the students recently helped prepare and present canapés and refreshments when the Bath Percent Club – a group of local businesses committed to giving back to their community – held an event there.

3 Café Kitchen has been open two years now, offering delicious, locally sourced, handmade food, freshly made on the premises; the guys from the school get both training and work experience here. “The young people chatted to guests, while showcasing their skills and employment potential,” says Trevor Osborne of the Bath Percent Club. “In a city of such stunning beauty there is such diversity of needs, and events like this epitomise what we’re all about.”

Photos by Three Ways School

Jo Stoaling

Xxx Tim Harris and Jane Middleton

Ali McDowall, Michelle Morgan, Jo Love, Lucy Aston and Duncan Bell

PYJAMA PARTY

Pjoys, Bath’s posh pyjama brand, hosted a Coffee, Croissant and Conversation event at Number Three hair salon in support of Mental Health Awareness Week; guests included former Bath and England rugby player Duncan Bell, Ali from Positive Planner, Lucy Aston from Yogadoo, pilates teacher Gaby Paxton, and awardwinning mental health activist Jo Love – many wore PJs, which can represent both good and bad mental health days.

Pjoys’ founder, Michelle Morgan, donates £10 from every purchase to a foundation supporting the Samaritans.

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Photos by Sarah Shore

Selina Katzschke and Victoria Brown

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A MAN’S WORLD DAVID FLATMAN

Easy does it

© TAKING PICTURES

Sometimes, the best days are the simple, unplannned ones, says Flats...

“No real planning, just down to our pants and running and splashing and bundling”

W

e adults have the propensity to overcomplicate things when it comes to entertaining both ourselves and our children.

Admittedly it is nice to spend the odd weekend wheelspinning from the trampolining centre to the petting zoo to the park to the cinema, but it doesn’t always have to be so hard. Equally, it can be nice to give the chaps a decent excuse to wear their swanky new threads and put on a big old do for the grown ups.

My dear old mother recently had my kids for the weekend and, well, the things they did.

There were organised play dates with new kids from Nana’s neighbourhood, a trip to the London Eye, a Willy Wonka afternoon tea at One Aldwych, a tour of London’s most significant buildings (it turned out that my seven-yearold genuinely knew more about the history of the Houses of Parliament than my father – well done, Kingswood!), extended swimming pool time, gardening lessons, and makeup tutorials.

And this was in about two and a half days. I know: spoiled brats.

I, too, like to cram some days full of activities and treats, and I do feel fortunate to have so many options. I try my best not to spoil them along the way, but what’s the point in having choices if you never take the fun ones? That said, though, the packed days are not always my favourites days, nor are they theirs. The days we all seem to remember most readily are the simple ones, the ones on which each experience is not rushed through, and on which each section of the day is simple enough to recall.

Last week I subtly manipulated my girls into ‘wanting’ a barbeque, as this is my favourite little hobby (well, cars and motorbikes and lawn mowers and robot vacuums are

really my favourites, but not even I can find a way to make my girls find any of these subject matters tolerable), and we hatched a plan to cart a load of portable gear to some woods a few miles outside Bath and to hunker down for the day. It seemed a somewhat labour-intensive afternoon for me, but I bought in.

Then, around midday as the beasts were playing ‘schools’ outside the front door, they decided they didn’t want to move from their classroom and asked if said barbeque might ultimately act as their school lunch. Quietly relieved, I set up a little grill under a tree in the garden and, using a large log as a perch, set about having the girls fit and spin their own chicken and lamb skewers (I did it all but they claimed the glory). Under the tree we sat, sheltered from a very light summer drizzle, chomping and nattering away. “Daddy,” said the miniature parliamentary expert, “this is absolute heaven.”

And she was right. Sitting outside with some lovely grub, some naughtily fizzy drinks, and some space to play, we had hit the jackpot, and with minimal effort and no planning.

After lunch, we pottered out to a location I shan’t reveal (the gorgeous, welcoming locals requested this as visitors routinely take over their quiet little street) for a play and a paddle in and around a trickling stream, in what felt to the girls like a secret forest. It was five minutes away and it was magical. No real planning, almost no effort, just down to our pants and running and splashing and bundling.

Al fresco dining doesn’t have to be hard work, and neither does a day of fun. The London Eye was fabulous, but I’d take a barbie under a tree any day.

David Flatman is an ex-Bath and England rugby star turned TV pundit and rent-o-mic. Follow him on Twitter @davidflatman

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 21

inside story philippa may

go all out With sun-drenched evenings on the horizon, there’s no more enchanting way to entertain guests than al fresco in the garden

T

he summer is finally upon us, and there’s nothing better than Bath in the sunshine.

We should, as Britons, be planning on soaking up as much of it as possible, as we all know it’s not likely to last too long. I’m currently in the process of starting a big revamp of the garden, and this is the prime time to get it levelled, soil turned over and some fresh grass seeded so that it can flourish over the warm months.

Gardening, it seems, is not my forte, but I’m treating it exactly the same as the rest of the house, with great planning going into which area is for eating, which for morning coffees and whether there’s space for a few loungers to really capitalise on the sun this summer.

First on the agenda is to organise some shrubbery to turn our battlefield into an enjoyable space, a secret garden full of big greens that make it feel English yet tropical. Just this week I discovered Lowden Garden

“After four years with just a small roof terrace, I’m now able to host big outdoor dinners”

Centre and could not be more excited to venture out there to find the perfect pieces while enjoying a wood-fired pizza – the ideal combination. Their eclectic mix of quality homegrown and responsibly sourced plants and trees is refreshing, coupled with their wealth of experience, which makes me feel, as a non-gardener, that I’m getting the advice I’ll need to keep things looking smart all year round.

A big thing for me, after four years with just a small roof terrace, is the excitement of being able to host big outdoor dinners.

Nothing feels quite so continental, and with a big firepit and a solid dining area, evenings with friends can last until the dawn.

Much like everyone buying for their garden, I’m sure Pinterest is the first hit. Inundated by incredible imagery of outdoor dining set ups, complete with lighting and central floral arrangements, I’m sure we have all fantasised about recreating a Pinterest-worthy garden feast, and Bath’s shops have everything you could ever need to do this.

I’ve deliberated hard this week, finalising my top choices for the perfect summer spread, starting with the Brissi ‘Montagny’ dining table – a large and solid base to host guests, with the detailing on the legs making for a truly contemporary set-up for your outdoor dining, especially when coupled with Rossiters’ rattan

dining chairs. The table dream is topped with natural linens and the new Bowsley china collection from Neptune, layering pasta bowls on top of dining plates which are set with linen napkins and a sprig of rosemary (the only herb I seem to be able to keep alive). The centerpiece is made up of fresh eucalyptus, old empty Bon Maman jam jars filled with tealights, and some large black lanterns from Biggie Best. I’m all for filling the table with as many candles as possible to refrain from having to put on any flood lights that will destroy the mood of the perfect set up. The summer table isn’t complete without a big Ottolenghi salad, and I’ve found the most standout way to house it – the large wave decoration bowl, from Graham and Green.

I’m now ready to create the ultimate garden dinner party when a sun-drenched evening calls, and if it’s particularly dry a large natural weave rug under the table can make it feel extra special and as though your patio is a part of the house. Now all you need is a perfectly barbequed leg of lamb and the Ranelagh glassware set from OKA to complement the free-flowing wine…

Philippa May is an interiors enthusiast and the head of marketing for the Bath-based accessory label Abbott Lyon.

Follow her on Instagram @_philippamay_

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 23

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26 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

the big interview

Bath Carnival has been running for seven years this year, and – though it’s had its wobbles – has grown steadily, beginning with just 80 procession performers and now with thousands taking part on the day.

The current organiser is Stuart Matson, and we thought it high time we met up with him to find out how it all works…

Words by Matt Bielby

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 27

the big interview

N

otting Hill doesn’t have Britain’s only carnival, you know. Other cities took note early on (Bristol has also hosted a major carnival since the ’60s) and, in more recent years, Bath has got in on the action too.

Ours, however, has a slightly different flavour to big city carnivals, making it perhaps a little more like Notting Hill when it first started out as a hippy street party inspired by London Free School.

That said, it’s got quite a lot in common with the Rio de Janeiro Carnival too. (There’s certainly a shared love of flamingo-pink outfits and high-tempo samba.) Each year there’s a different theme: 2018 brought together three of the biggest carnivals – Rio, the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, and Mardi Gras – for a cacophony of fun and noise, while this year the theme is ‘Express Yourself.’

You’re a music guy at heart, aren’t you, Stuart?

I started out as a journalist before cutting my teeth booking gigs for my best friend, Craig Sutton – formerly The Flamenco Thief – who, fortunately for me, is a phenomenal guitarist. Between 2013 and 2014 we toured Europe, driving from Bath to Istanbul and back in a Vauxhall Astra estate, and when we weren’t on the road I’d return to Bath, where an old friend of mine, Robbie Verrecchia, was leading the charge for a carnival to be established in the city. The first year it did happen, I pitched in, building a pretty scrappy website, designing the event flyers and posters and booking some live bands, and by 2015 I had to give up the touring lifestyle due to ill health, and started programming live music for a

wonderful festival in Bruton called Farmfestival – and inevitably getting sucked further into the world of Bath Carnival. These days I spend most of my time trying to keep the carnival alive in Bath, splitting the remainder of my day between Farmfestival and Glastonbury, where I’m involved with the West Holts stage.

“The reason we have a carnival here in Bath is because enough people believe it needs one”

You make it sound like it’s hard to keep it going…

The reason we have a carnival here in Bath is because enough people believe it needs one, and are willing to make enormous sacrifices to make that happen. Back in 2013, a small group – notably Robbie – managed to make it a reality, and as a community we need to keep that spirit alive. We have more in common with each other than we have differences, and carnivals are a platform for us to come together and celebrate what we have in common – as well as what makes us unique.

Funds, we’d imagine, are a perennial problem…

In 2013 that was definitely the biggest obstacle, and it’s still the case today – but on a much bigger scale. The project has gone from operating on a shoestring budget of around £3,000 to over £70,000 in just seven years – testament to its growing popularity, but also a reflection of the rapid rise in costs relating to delivering a free event for Bath. Years ago, local councils were in a position to help fund community carnivals, but these pots of money have all but disappeared. If we’re not careful, it could ultimately spell the end for the carnival in Bath.

We’re guessing it’s always evolving, of course…

Stu’s having fun, but that rash around the eye still doesn’t seem to have cleared up…

That’s one of the beautiful things about it. We’re always taking inspiration from other carnivals, cultures and traditions around the world. In fact, this was the basis of last year’s theme: Carnival Cultures. Because we’re not limited to any one specific style of carnival, ours totally unique, a complete melting pot of cultures.

For instance, Rio is synonymous with high-tempo samba, St Paul’s with the bass-heavy sound system culture, while at Mardi Gras in New Orleans they boast incredible marching brass bands. At Bath Carnival we celebrate all of this, and over the years we’ve explored other styles, such as maracatu drumming, steel pan floats, salsa, capoeria, moko jumbie, even Irish dance!

That said, Bath Carnival was born out of the samba community in the city, and there’s a huge appetite for Brazilian percussion at the final event. A lot of the Bath Carnival team make the annual pilgrimage to Brazil to perform at the carnival there.

For me, personally, I’ve enjoyed raising the standard of Party in the Park, bringing it in line with the rest of the event. It has now blossomed into a wonderful free World Music festival, with the diverse cultures featured in the procession now reflected on the main stage: everything from reggae to bossa nova, Afrobeat to Americana.

And anyone can get involved?

That’s one of our key values. Throughout the year our carnival artists engage with a huge range of community groups, local schools, special needs organisations and homeless charities, as well as the general public. For the past few years, we’ve had an LGBT+ bloc in the procession, and in 2017 we helped launch the first ever Bath Pride in the city. Indeed, the Carnival is open to everyone, with one simple, important rule: that the procession should only be used to promote unity, and to celebrate the diversity here in the city.

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© Tim Maynard

© Helena Cr addock

© paolo ferla © paolo ferla

© paolo ferla

the big interview

Since day one we’ve wanted the procession to be the highlight of a wider programme of activities on the day.

That’s why, against the odds, we always strive to organise a free festival event – and an after party, too.

Naturally the procession is intrinsically linked with the arts-based workshops which take place in the months leading up to carnival. Schools, charities and community groups make costumes and learn dance routines and musical pieces to perform in the procession, so the procession is still the most important part of the event.

This was put to the test in 2016, when we made the difficult decision to cancel the festival in order to do the procession justice. That year the costs relating to delivering the free carnival procession had jumped up significantly, with road closures, infrastructure, medical cover and security all mounting up. In the end we couldn’t raise enough to deliver both the festival and the procession. This year, though, we’re on track for the full package – indeed, in addition to the procession and Party in the Park, we’re launching Fiesta at the Rec. As in previous years, the procession will be assembled at the Rec but – together with Kids of Bath – this time we’ll be curating loads of fun activities for families to enjoy while they’re there, and it’s all free! It means young children can take in the atmosphere of carnival being assembled without the crowds. Sophie and Libby from KOB are curating an awesome programme of activities, including team sports, walkabout acts, have-a-go workshops, immersive games and a picnic area.

Give us some highlights to look out for, then...

I’m personally super-excited about the line-up for Party in the Park this year. We’ve bagged the Los Angeles hip-hop legend – and gold-selling artist – Fullee Love of Jurassic 5, who’s performing with his full soul-funk band.

© CASPER FARRELL

Tell us about the two main strands, then: the processions and the Party in the Park…

The next round of Marvel films would seem to feature rather more feathers than we’ve become used to (above), while (below) Police Interceptors has rarely seemed more cheery

© chloe moore

Tonina is also on the bill, an American jazz sensation who’s flying over to make her debut UK performance at the carnival after she saw last year’s highlights video.

Then there are our headliners, one of my favourite dub-reggae outfits, Backbeat Soundsytem; they’re an incredible, energetic eight-person ensemble.

In terms of the after party, there’s some big news there too. Back in 2013 we held the first of these at Komedia, with Mr Scruff headlining. Since then we’ve had amazing successive sell-out parties at Moles Night Club, but this year we return to Komedia for a special evening with BBC6 Music’s Don Letts. Don is renowned for his legendary, genre-defying DJ sets. Once you add in some live samba, carnival dancers and immersive décor, I think this will be our biggest after party to date – and ticket sales would suggest the same.

Before any of that, though, we have three months of Carnival Arts workshops, and the results are proving to be remarkable. Collaborative workshops with service users from Action on Hearing Loss, Genesis Trust, Julian House and Wheels For All has seen participants expand on their incredible wheelchair structures from last year, which now have even more elaborate matching costumes.

30 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Got any favourite moments from carnivals past?

I’m always super excited whenever we secure funding to work with Action on Hearing Loss, as the staff and service users there have become part of the carnival family. I also love seeing the new dance routines dreamed

the big interview up by local dance groups, such as PQA Bath and Irish Hills School of Dance, while my favourite costume is probably our lead artist, Hannah Southfield’s, latest creation: it’s a blue and green peacock inspired samba outfit, custom designed for one of our dancers.

One of my best memories is from the 2017 event: the procession had just finished when I got a radio call saying, ‘Stu, get over to Sydney Gardens, we’ve got a proper festival on our hands here!’ Having witnessed tens of thousands of people lining the streets for the procession, it was just the best feeling to walk back into Sydney Gardens and see the festival totally buzzing too.

In future years I’d love to further expand the creative content and the artistic objectives of the carnival project.

We have the right artists and creative minds involved to implement some really innovative, ambitious ideas.

Unfortunately, the costs continue to rise, with no signs of that coming to an end. Perhaps even next year, we’ll come to a crossroads. We rely so heavily on the generosity of our sponsors, public donations and the in-kind support of some amazing businesses, but there isn’t an infinite pot of money. Unless those in power can help slow down the escalating costs of road closures and traffic management, we may lose carnival from the city’s event calendar.

But we’re not going anywhere this year, and have been fighting hard to keep this a free event, with engaging workshops that bring us together throughout the summer.

Saturday, 13 July is set to be a truly special day for the city.

Finally, how can spectators get the most out of it?

Enter into the spirit and wear something colourful – perhaps getting your face painted, putting on a wacky outfit or wearing a funky head dress. Otherwise I’d liken it to turning up at a fancy-dress party in your everyday attire; you’ll only feel left out if you don’t make the effort.

As for watching the carnival procession, there are four very different spots I’d recommend…

1. Bath Recreation Ground

Families with young children find the crowds a challenge, so pitching up at the Rec, where the procession is assembled, is a great solution. This is why we’re partnering with Kids of Bath, who are curating a day of free family entertainment, Fiesta at the Rec. 2. Laura Fountain

This is probably my personal favourite, and watching the atmosphere build as the procession lines up on Great Pulteney Street is incredible. The procession also ends back at this point, and there’s always a big jam session with drummers from all over involved for a big finale.

3. Orange Grove

The procession route opens into a spacious viewing area around Orange Grove. This is also where the Judges Panel is located, so the performers really put on a show here. Also, the procession passes here twice!

4. George Street

We switched the route up last year so that the procession heads up – instead of down – Milsom Street, making the top of George Street a fantastic viewing platform. Plus, there’s plenty of outdoor seating at places like Adventure Café and Slug & Lettuce. n For more, www.bathcarnival.co.uk

32 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

© Jamie Worsfold

And going forward?

Dressing up, Stu says, can be key to enjoying the carnival, and we’re sure this gentleman would agree

Seize the day!

Fancy helping out at the carnival?

Here’s how you can get involved…

1

Volunteer on the day No experience necessary, and it’s super-simple and fun. “We need 100 volunteer stewards on Saturday 13 July,” says Stuart, “and shifts can be done in pairs, so you can do it with a friend. This year we’re hoping to recruit five local companies to bring their team to do a short four-hour shift, like the team at SearchStar will be doing. As a thank you, our stewards receive a Bath Carnival T-shirt, plus a vegan snack, bottle of water, and souvenir event programme.”

Go to: www.bathcarnival.co.uk/volunteer-1

2

Support the artists Again, no experience necessary. Get creative in the studio preparing templates for school children and vulnerable adults to make their costumes with.

“Saturday, 13 July is set to be a 3 truly special day for the city” 4

Spread the word “We don’t have much of a marketing budget,” says Stuart, “so we need to spread the word organically.

Anyone with a spare five minutes can attend the 2019 Facebook event > Invite all their friends > Like our Facebook/Instagram pages.”

Sponsorship With competition for grant funding now so competitive, carnival relies more and more on private investment. “We have sponsorship packages from £50 to £5,000, so it’s very easy for local businesses to align their brand with our important community values,” says Stuart.

5

Small Donations The quickest, simplest way to show your support.

Even £3 via the LocalGiving page makes a huge difference, as Carnival can collect GiftAid. Go to: localgiving.org/charity/bathcarnival

ARCHITECTURE

Stride Treglown’s design for a new look, mixed development Twerton Park

34 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

CITY OF TOMORROW

Bath’s architects have helped fill in some of the city’s biggest eyesore gaps, and opened up the Western Riverside. But what next?

We spoke to a few leading voices to find out…

By Matt Bielby

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 35

ARCHITECTure Aaron Evans has been responsible for much of modern central Bath, including the casino, hotel and restaurants of Saw Close

B

ritain still has an uneasy relationship with modernist buildings. And Bath – with World Heritage Site status to protect, and perhaps still smarting from the so-called Sack of Bath – is more wary than most. Generally, people are happy to see buildings constructed in the modern way, just as long as they’re to strict Georgian proportions and covered with honey-coloured stone.

At least, that’s the perception. How true is it? We rounded up three of the city’s top architects, plus Caroline Kay – CEO of Bath Preservation Trust, where they promote high architectural standards – to find out…

Topic 1: What have we got to be proud of?

Over the last decade, Bath seems to have addressed many of its biggest architecture issues – the Western Riverside and SouthGate, primarily – and it’s filled in many of the more obvious little holes with smaller, often Georgian-style projects. Now we’ve had time to get used to most of these, what’s the verdict?

“If contemporary Bath were to be judged by its built environment, I think we’re faring well,” says Stuart Thompson of Aaron Evans Architects. “SouthGate has greatly improved the experience of arriving in Bath by train, and we’ve learnt to become bolder with our architectural aspirations; this has led to successful projects such as Eric Parry’s extension of The Holburne Museum, a fantastic example of how a contemporary scheme can complement a historic building.

There are plenty of areas we still need to address, though – like the lack of modern workspaces or a range of appropriate housing.”

36 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

“It proves that Bath is a living place, rather than just a museum piece” “The last decade has certainly seen significant evolution for Bath,” says Dougal Anderson of Stride Treglown, “as large scale developments have brought highly visible changes. As much of the redeveloped land was effectively derelict, particularly Western Riverside, the ability of new developments to address public space – and create a more pleasant environment – is ultimately a positive. In fact, it’s remarkable that – considering how small Bath actually is – so much land was available. It proves that Bath is a living place, rather than just a museum piece.”

“Western Riverside definitely shows an appetite for boldness in masterplanning,” says Jonathan Crossley of SRA Architects, “yet in some instances they’ve stopped short of going the whole way, and creating new spaces and architecture as bold as their Georgian predecessors achieved. This is not the case in all instances, however, and I’ve some faith that there’s a move towards a more nuanced approach going forward. I look forward to seeing how Bath Quays begins to open up and tap into the potential of the river corridor, for instance.”

“Yes, the proposals for Bath Quays are the next important development for the city,” agrees Stuart Thompson. “It focuses on

providing a new commercial quarter for central Bath, with new dwellings, shops, cafés and a new public park. A pedestrian bridge has been granted planning approval too, to open in 2020. It could all be transformative for Bath, with the expected creation of 2,700 new jobs.”

“At the very least, we have given the lie to the accusation that nothing ever gets built in Bath,” says Caroline Kay, CEO of Bath Preservation Trust. “With four major housing developments through and out, and several other major sites coming forward for other developments, there’s been significant change and investment. This is a development issue rather than an architecture issue, however. On the architecture front there’s a creeping ‘Western Riverside Aesthetic’ of block-like buildings with mansard set-back roofs which have spread like a rash across development sites; only the Alison Brooks houses and the Egret West buildings on Bath Riverside have brought some more interesting answers to the question of how to do contemporary well in Bath. It’s important to remember, though, that exceptional buildings like The Holburne or Thermae were substantially underwritten by Lottery money, and it can be hard to get buildings at the appropriate level of quality from the commercial market.”

Topic 2: where are we going?

Looking forward over the next 10 years, where will the exciting architectural stories come from?

“In 2016 we worked alongside B&NES to secure the flood defence works that enabled the opening up of the area surrounding Bath Quays,” says Jonathan Crossley.

“I’m pleased to see this area developing, and hope it can be a catalyst for further activation of the river

Freedom Centre UK by SRA: a church-cum-art centre on a constrained riverside site

The Holburne extension: much admired, but by no means the be-all-and-end-all of contemporary Bath architecture

corridor – and the possibility of the introduction of the river itself as a new artery into the city.”

“The thing is, the commercial reality of delivering large projects has to be understood,” says Dougal Anderson. “Bath is an expensive city to build in, and the end product is therefore expensive to purchase.

Finding an answer to this quandary, and being able to deliver ‘actual’ affordable homes, would help create a more sustainable place, where those who work here also have the choice to live here. But achieving this within the constraints of the World Heritage City is a challenging brief.

To deliver affordability comes with the need to deliver economy, and it takes considerable skill to be able to meet all the challenges of cost and quality and still create designs which maintain the character of Bath.”

“The next wave of major projects are the North and South Quays developments, which are mostly new office accommodation, and Stadium For Bath,” says Caroline Kay. “In addition, there’s still a large area of Bath Riverside to be built out, and the seemingly stalled Bath Press site. If they go to plan, the Quays project should redefine the city economically, and the Stadium is the most visible site and therefore, if it goes ahead, may well be ‘city-defining’. Land is limited in Bath, and so other developments are likely to be redevelopment of some of the post-war sites, or other smaller projects.”

Topic 3: The problem with housing

This is not just an issue for Bath: all over the country, housing has twin problems. For one thing, we need to build more – much more – and fast too, but we have to keep them affordable. Tricky enough if we were good at it – but the vast swathes of uninspired, shoebox-sized cul-de-sac estates skirting our towns say that, while the Georgians and Victorians were masters at it, we’ve lost the knack somehow. In this context, then, how is Bath doing?

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ARCHITECTure “Badly. Architecturally, there have been some nice little one-off developments and a few ‘Grand Designs’ houses, but this is not affordable for many,” says Caroline Kay. “A vast amount of potential housing land has, in fact, gone to student accommodation and is – with the possible exception of Twerton Mill – uninspiring. How could we do better?

There’s a vicious circle in the relationship between Bath’s over-inflated land prices and the scale and quality of what gets built or proposed for that space. I’d like to see a way that the community doesn’t suffer for a developer having paid too much for the land.”

“There is a perceived shortage of truly affordable housing in Bath,” says Stuart Thompson. “It’s often a challenge to achieve the high levels of density required within a particular site, when a large area is needed to satisfy the requirement for vehicle parking. This issue could be mitigated with improved public transport links, reducing our dependence on private cars.”

“Addressing the social disparity that exists within the city would be an admirable aim for the next decade,” says Dougal Anderson. “Bath is a beautiful city and most would count it a privilege to live here, but it is also home to considerable poverty. Although this is far more than an

“Addressing social disparity would be an admirable aim”

architectural challenge, it does ultimately involve the skill of architects to help ideas come to fruition. The delivery of new homes, community facilities and improvements to the public realm are important ways of maintaining a cohesive society. It may also require new ideas to alleviate current issues in the housing crisis. As part of our current work with Bath City Football Club in Twerton, redeveloping part of their stadium, we are also designing co-living dwellings and providing self-contained studio flats, but with shared communal spaces, so people living there have the opportunity to meet others. They’re aimed at those leaving home for the first time, and this helps as a first step.”

Topic 4: Are we going to keep turning our backs on the river?

For a city that used to have water in its name – Aquae Sulis – Bath doesn’t do much with the medium. The river is still largely ignored – where can you eat or drink overlooking it, for instance? – and there’s a noticeable lack of fountains or water features anywhere.

“The recent development of the area around the train station was inspired in my opinion, and has really helped activate this part of town,” says Jonathan Crossley. “The reinterpretation of the railways arches and the immediate environs stands in contrast to SouthGate over the road in terms of showing what can be achieved. As with many other areas in Bath, however, there is no relationship with the river, which is a shame. Recent developments at Western Riverside have made some token gestures to try and bring the river into use, but they’re

SRA transformed the old Beau Nash Picture House into the modern Komedia, a great resource for the city

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 39

ARCHITECTure

SRA’s Bridgemead development, where an extension to the care home is paired with a new, innovative flood defense scheme

“Given the problems Bath has with congestion, we should look to the river as part of the solution” only isolated instances. Given the problems Bath has with congestion and the historic building stock and street patterns, it seems obvious to me that we should look to the river as part of the solution. Having lived on the waterways and commuted to Bath by bike from as far as Bristol and Devizes, I am well versed in how successful or otherwise these routes can be. The sustainable transport network breaks down somewhat in trying to traverse Bath city itself. With a bit of vision, a route along the river could sew these disparate parts together and facilitate connectivity more generally.”

“Actually, there is now a café on Bath Riverside,” says Caroline Kay. “And, once North Quays and, potentially, Stadium for Bath come forward, there should be much more public riverside space to enjoy.

But there are other opportunities – the Colonnades, for instance. It would be great to have more water features in the city too, as long as someone is committed to their maintenance. This appears to have been the stumbling block. Personally, I love seeing water running as a feature within a street and, given the number of springs on the upper slopes, one would have thought this should be possible.”

“There’s definitely a reinvigorated interest in all things water in Bath,” says Stuart Thompson. “The masterplan to redevelop Bath’s river and canal corridors is becoming a reality; the Cleveland Pools Trust has secured nearly all the funding it requires, and plans to reopen this hidden Georgian gem in spring 2021. Attention has been given to the perceived lack of riverfront eating and drinking establishments in Bath too, with initiatives and competitions such as the Colonnades

Project at Parade Gardens. New commercial and residential developments along the river have also included places to eat and drink, such as Coffee #1 at Bath Riverside.”

Topic 5: The trouble with the Georgians

All of Britain lives – and builds – in the shadow of gorgeous Georgian architecture, of course, but Bath more than most. The default setting for new builds in the city seems to be Georgian – some would say codGeorgian, or Georgian pastiche – which is admirably safety-first as an approach, but hardly innovative or exciting. So, have we built too much in this style?

“I don’t think so,” says Caroline Kay. “SouthGate is indeed sort of mock-Georgian on steroids, the Warminster Road development is an extremely odd neo-classical mash-up, and there have been some ‘replica’ infills such as Herschel Place on Bathwick Street – yet the majority of new development has not been ‘cod-Georgian’ but something quite different. Yes, there is a default of Bath stone in the city centre, but this is one of the distinctive characteristics of the city and there is no reason why one cannot have adventures in stone. My view is that Bath is still struggling to find a contemporary aesthetic which supports the ‘Outstanding Universal Value’, so called, of the World Heritage Site without striving to mimic it – and, in particular, finding one that the commercial market is prepared to pay for.”

“I see this as a reflection of what more generally could be a pattern of development for Bath,” says Jonathan Crossley, “and perhaps it gives an opportunity not to feel as bound by the Georgian blueprint.”

“As a design-led architectural practice, we will endeavour to seek a contemporary solution which is sympathetic to its historic surroundings,” explains Stuart Thompson. “However, it is often the case that the context is too historically sensitive, and the only correct design solution is to employ the historic vernacular. If the design is well researched and correctly detailed, a contemporary building in a period style can still evoke delight.”

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ARCHITECTure

20 Manvers Street saw Stride Treglown take an unloved ’70s office block and transform it into a light, open-plan workspace

Topic 6: The next ten years

Architecture never sleeps, of course, and plenty of Bath’s best have exciting new projects on the go which – in their big or small ways – will define the way we live over the next few decades. So what, pray tell, have we got to look forward to?

“The ability to bring around mixed-use developments, such as our Stride Treglown project at Bath City FC, helps with maximising the potential of sites and creates vibrancy though multiple uses,” says Dougal Anderson. “And other examples from our own practice show that such developments can be modern, larger in scale than what was there before, but still sensitively designed – things like Widcombe Social Club, 20 Manvers Street and Bath Sea Cadets. These projects have used the intensification of a site to bring positive benefits for both the city and community, and ultimately contributed to the environment.”

“Over our 40 years as an architectural practice we’ve completed many buildings in Bath city centre, including three that bound Saw Close: Seven Dials, Bluecoat House and the Saw Close mixed-use development,” says Stuart Thompson. “Saw Close has become a popular place to gather, and Bath’s success as a city – dating back to the 18th century – has been as a leisure destination. Saw Close was a great opportunity to reinforce and build on this rich social history by creating a lively public area. The removal of the former car park, street detritus and introduction of the shared surface has helped visually link the surrounding buildings to the public space.”

“The activation of the river is important for Bath, and perhaps gives an opportunity not to feel bound by the Georgian blueprint,” says Jonathan Crossley. “In 2017, SRA Architects were successful in securing planning consent for a fitting extension to Bridgemead Care Home on the banks of the river, and – though we were able to negotiate

42 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

“I believe we’ve achieved the type of innovative architecture that could breathe new life into Bath” the tricky conditions experienced in working alongside water – the project was sadly not able to be progressed. Also on the riverside, though, we have recently completed works on Freedom Centre UK, a church community building. In this instance we benefitted from a client with passion and vision for the type of building they wanted to achieve and, together, I believe we’ve achieved exactly the type of innovative, user-focused architecture that could breathe new life into Bath.” n

You have been reading…

Dougal Anderson senior associate architect, Stride Treglown www.stridetreglown.com

Caroline Kay CEO, Bath Preservation Trust www.bath-preservation-trust. org.uk

Jonathan Crossley architect and associate, SRA Architects www.sra-architects.co.uk

Stuart Thompson architect, Aaron Evans Architects www.aaronevans.com

Land | B u i l di ng | U ti l i ti e s | B IM

BATH 01225 314370 www.surveybase.co.uk

Q

Online Quotation Service

over the rainbow Pride Month has arrived, so we’ve asked local artists and gallerists to respond visually...

A

s June is Pride Month, there will be thousands of LGBT celebrations taking place over the world this summer (including a section of Bath Carnival, a little later, on 13 July). The uplifting nature of Pride, with its flamboyance, inclusivity and theatricality, rather than angry demonstrations, unites millions of LGBT people. It showcases a serious message in an exciting way that appeals to a wide audience, with a far wider appeal than traditional forms of protest.

With that said, we’ve asked Bath’s artists and gallerists to showcase artworks that they think capture the joyful, exuberant spirit of Pride Month. Here are a few of our favourites...

A paint-and-ink-in-water print, part of the Aqueous series by Mark Mawson, from Modern ArtBuyer, 1 Cliffe Drive, Limpley Stoke, Bath; www.modernartbuyer.com

46 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

arts The End of the Rainbow giclĂŠe print, by Andy Goodman, from Fivebargate Illustration Studio, based on Bailbrook Lane, Bath; www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FivebargateStore

Birchwood Spring oil on canvas, by Derek Balmer, from Axle Arts, 9 Leighton Road, Bath; www.axlearts.com

Giraffe with Headdress lino print, by Millic McCallum, from Art Salon, 21 Broad Street, Bath; www.artsalon.co.uk

Red Breakthrough oil on canvas, by John Eaves, from Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge Street, Bath; www.victoriagal.org.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 47

What’s on 8 June – 7 July

Martin Kemp: bringing back the ’80s in style

exhibitionS

Until 3 November

borderlines

German snapper Kellner has an oddball, semi-cubist relationship with American architecture: he takes lots of tiny pictures of details and combines them to create a wibblywobbly version of the whole. Kind of amazing, actually, and worth seeing.

Until 13 July

The Edge hosts this highly topical and political exhibition, originally curated

by Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh to coincide with Brexit, which explores the many and varied impacts of borders through the work of a half dozen or so international artists.

All Shook Up: Thomas Kellner’s America

11am-5pm; The Edge, University of Bath; www.edgearts.org

Tuesday-Sunday 11am-5pm; American Museum & Gardens; www.americanmuseum.org

Until 18 July

Until 3 November

This latest Art at the RUH exhibition celebrates an individual location’s distinctive character through the work of five contemporary photographers.

The American Museum is always stuffed with pioneer-era quilts, of course, but this is something different: 20 brand-new ones designed by this San Franciscan artist, never seen together in the UK, and inspired by

genius loci: sense of a place

8am-8pm; free; Royal United Hospital; www.artatruh.org

48 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Kaffe Fassett’s quilts in america

the museum’s permanent collection.

10am-5pm; various prices; American Museum & Gardens; www.americanmuseum.org

Until 10 November

EAST ASIAN LIFE This fascinating exhibition remembers the original utilitarian functions of many of the most exquisite objects in the museum.

Though they’re now viewed as art, loads of ’em – from writing tools to vases – were once everyday objects.

Tues-Sat, 10am-7pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm; various prices; Museum of East Asian Art, next to The Circus; https://meaa.org.uk

Until 5 January 2020

Image control Sub-titled ‘Understanding the Georgian Selfie’, this is a look at how rich Georgians used flattering oil paintings and busts as we use social

media to exaggerate popularity, wealth, beauty and status.

10am-5pm; No.1 Royal Crescent; www.no1royalcrescent.org.uk

Until 1 March 2020

GLOVE STORIES Gloves? Really? Turns out there’s way more to them than just keeping your pinkies warm. Thrill to 400 years of rare glove history, from embroidered 1600s gauntlets to the Duke of Edinburgh’s carriage-driving gloves.

10.30am-4pm; entry included in Fashion Museum ticket; Fashion Museum Bath; www.fashionmuseum.co.uk

20-24 June

FOREST OF IMAGINATION Forest of Imagination is back, in collaboration with the Holburne Museum. A collective of local and international artists invite visitors

what’s on to step into another world, one full of playful multi-sensory installations and architectural artworks dotted around the museum and spilling into the streets and parks nearby: the idea is to connect people (that’s you and us) with the natural world in fun, thought-provoking ways. It’s especially great for kids, and free too.

The Holburne Museum and Sydney Gardens; www.forestofimagination.org.uk

22 – 23 June © Paul Bl akemore

widcombe art trail One of Bath’s prettiest areas is always worth a wander, but especially so this weekend, as artists from Horseshoe Walk to Lyncombe Hill throw open their doors and invite you to look at their work – and workspaces.

Free; www.widcombearttrail.com above:

Borderlines at Andrew Brownsword Gallery, The Edge, University of Bath left: With recent appearances on 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Taskmaster, Lou Sanders’ comedy is destined for big things below: Michelle Asante stars as Cassandra in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

6 July

LIFE DRAWING CLASSES There are two life drawing sessions up at The Edge – a morning one and an afternoon one, each workshop three hours long and hosted by tutor Alex Roberts. All abilities welcome, all materials included – and all skills, with a bit of luck, will be improved.

(And yes, there might well be a naked body or two involved.) £24 (£19 concessions); The Edge, University of Bath; www.edgearts.org

plays/shows

Various dates from 26 June EDINBURGH FRINGE PREVIEWS A talented range of 20 different stand-ups bring their new brand new material to Bath. The hilarious troupe, including the likes of Phil Nichol, Jayde Adams, Lou Sanders and Catherine Bohart, will play their Edinburgh Fringe shows to 70 lucky people at Komedia.

7pm doors open, shows 7.30pm; Komedia; www.komedia.co.uk/bath

© nc-Reh

6 June – 6 July

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE The UK premiere of Christopher Durang’s Tony award-winning comedy is coming to the Ustinov Studio. Lauded as a hilarious blend of Chekhov’s famous ennui and a dissection of social media culture, it’s one of the most loved Broadway plays of recent years. Two middleaged siblings live together, a third – who bank-rolls them both – comes to stay, and if you think there won’t be tears and arguments, you don’t know your Chekhov. But it’s fun and

funny, too. “A sunny new play about gloomy people,” The New York Times said, which seems about right.

Evenings 7.45pm, matinees Thursday and Saturday 2.30pm; £32.50/£27.50 discounts; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

14 June – 6 July

BLITHE SPIRIT What’s the fastest way to destroy a marriage? Why, by conjuring up the ghost of your first wife, of course!

Starring the inimitable Jennifer Saunders as a hapless clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, Blithe Spirit tells what happens when a couple are haunted by a past relationship – literally!

Mon-Sat 7.30pm; matinee Thurs and Sat 2.30pm (not 13 or 15 June); various prices; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

20-21 June

THE HOLLAND HANDKERCHIEF This Rondo production tells of young romance ripped asunder by the powers that be, as chilling and curious a piece now as it was when it was created in 1711. Folk music and stagework intertwine in this magical retelling from new theatre company Kerchief Theatre, joined on stage by folk sister duo, Violette.

7.30pm; £11; Rondo Theatre, St. Saviours Road; www.rondotheatre.co.uk

13 July

russell howard Award-winning local comedian Russell Howard hosts a one-off show at Theatre Royal to raise funds for Bath Rugby Foundation. You know this guy, of course – but what you might not know is that he’s a long-term supporter of Bath Rugby Foundation.

7.30pm; various prices; Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Music 8 June

bath camerata ‘Mater Ora Filium’ is a programme specially crafted by Bath Camerata’s guest conductor, the English choral music specialist Paul Spicer. The title work, by Arnold Bax, is paired with English masterpieces ranging from William Byrd to Herbert Howells.

7.30pm; £20; St Mary’s Bathwick; www.bathcamerata.co.uk

15 June

the handful chamber choir This is a world premier performance of a new commission written for ‘The Handful’ Chamber Choir – an

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 49

7.30pm; £15; Prior Park College Chapel; www.thehandful.org

21 June

MARTIN KEMP: DJ SET Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp is hitting the decks for a night of music from his favourite decade. (That’s the ’80s, of course – what did you expect?) Exclusive VIP ticket holders will have the chance for a meet and greet with the musician, actor, reality TV star and celebrated Silver Fox. 7pm doors open; early bird tickets £16, VIP package £40; www.komedia.co.uk/bath

Family 8 June

family takeover Artist educator Victoria Willmott hosts regular days of fun, creative activities for families up at The Edge.

11am-2pm; free; The Edge,

University of Bath; www.edgearts.org

12 – 13 June

THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT A creative take on Edward Lear’s classic tale; sail away in a pea green boat with this engaging and immersive performance for children.

10am and 11.15am; £4/ lap seats (0-6 months) £1; The Egg; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

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22 June

BIG FAMILY MUSIC DAY Catch some of Wiltshire’s most exciting young talent flexing their musical muscles. Experience music from around the globe with a performance from Wilshire Young Musicians featuring African percussion and a live ceilidh.

10am; £6/£3 under-18s and students; Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon; www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk

22 June

COLLAGE CLUB LONDON Scissors and glue to the ready: it’s time for collage club! Join Stephanie for a marine-inspired cutting and sticking session, perfect for all abilities. All materials are provided, and there are three sittings. (Bet all the boys try to make a shark.) £7.50 per place; suitable for age 5 and up; Spotty Herberts, 5 Queen Street; www.spottyherberts.com

23 June

FROME CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL Face painting, rock climbing, archery and zip lining make up just a few of the fantastic activities on offer at the Frome Children’s Festival. With an admirable emphasis on accessibility for all, the fab festivities run right through town, from the Cheese and Grain to Welshmill Park.

11am-5pm; free; various locations; www.fromechildrensfestival.org

© Andy Lloyd

outfit committed to supporting new composers – by Cardiff-based rising star Alexander Thacker. It promises a great climax to their first season under new director Tomos Watkins.

left: Young musical talent on display at the Big Family Day Out above: With an emphasis on inclusivity, there’s something for everybody at Frome Children’s Festival right: Enjoy dinner lovingly ‘cooked’ by David Flatman below: Thousands of pounds are raised for charity at Bath Boules each year

© Ben Robins

© Steve Creffield Photography

What’s on

What’s on other Until 9 June

© casper farrell

Bath Fringe Festival There’s just a tiny bit of Bath fringe to go, but there’s still time to catch Walcot Arts Weekend (revolving around The Bell on both the Saturday and Sunday from 1pm); My Father the Tantric Masseur (Roann McCloskey hilarious, thought-provoking piece on life as a gay British-Algerian woman) at St James’s Wine Vaults on the Saturday night, a fresh new take on Romeo and Juliet at The Mission Theatre, and many more.

Various times, prices and locations; www.bathfringe.co.uk

SPARKFEST Bath Spa University is hosting its second-ever Sparkfest, featuring 100 performances across eight venues in five weeks. This is a must-see, folks.

Various times, venues and prices; www.bathspalive.com

14 June

WILDEST FRIDAY NIGHT PARTY Knives and forks to the ready: it’s time for one of the culinary events of the year. Celebrate the beginning of Bath Boules with dinner prepped by ‘executive chef ’ (yeah, right) David Flatman, followed by a night of dancing and debauchery.

7pm; £40; Queen Square; www.bathboules.com

14-16 June

BATH BOULES C’mon, you know this one: there’ll be 64 teams competing over three days to win glory – and in the process generate oodles for charity.

And it’s almost as much fun to pop along when you’re not taking part, as two sides of the Square are shut off to make room for delicious booze and street food stalls.

Free; Queen Square; www.bathboules.com

15 June

ladies day, bath racecourse The classic season highlight, when all the big hats come out to play.

From 11am; £30 and various prices; Bath Racecourse; www.bath-racecourse.co.uk

20 June

THE MIDSUMMER GARDEN PARTY

Five-star local institution The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa is celebrating midsummer with a

52 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

That’s a real-life unicorn, we promise you

bang. Also, with music, champagne and a five-course menu packed with the best seasonal produce, so it’s sure to be a sumptuous evening, and a tonne of fun. Even better, all proceeds go to Julian House.

One to watch out for

bath carnival, 13 July They call it Bath’s biggest party, and Bath Carnival has certainly grown over the past seven years, to now incorporate a four-pack of events – and all on the same day. You can move from one to another from mid-morning until (very) late at night, perhaps starting at Fiesta at the Rec (a family-friendly, low-key programme of free activities while you watch the carnival procession assemble), then making your way to a choice viewing spot to watch the main procession dance its way around city centre from about three. Then there’s Party in the Park in Sydney Gardens, a sort of mini-festival in its own right running 10am till 10pm, with a line-up of top World Music acts (not least Fullee Love of Jurassic 5, who’s flying in with his full soul-funk band); a Chill Field; acoustic area; and loads to eat and drink. Finally, there’s the After Party at Komedia, running until 3am with Don Letts (of The Clash, Big Audio Dynamite, documentary and music video directing, and – most recently – BBC 6 Music fame) on the decks.

Sounds good, eh? Well, it will be. Find out more though our Big Interview with organiser Stu Mason on page 26 this issue, and start getting your Rio Carnival-esque outfit together now…

10am-3pm; free (After Party £9.50); The Rec, Sydney Gardens, Komedia and the streets of Bath; www.bathcarnival.co.uk

7pm-10pm; £99 per person; Royal Cresecent Hotel & Spa; www.royalcresecnt.co.uk

27 June

Solar Wind and Weather

Whether you’re English or not, it doesn’t matter: if you spend any time at all in Bath, you’re going to become preoccupied by the weather. At the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution on Queen Square they understand this obsession, and have got Dr Tim Hooker to explain how the sun – far away though it may be – impacts our terrestrial weather systems in such profound and unexpected fashions.

7.30pm; £5 (students £2); BRLSI; www.brlsi.org

3 July

BATH LIFE BUSINESS CLUB

Want a good view of the parade?

Stilts might be an idea…

This month’s speaker: Sam Roberts of Boston Tea Party. (See p78 for more.)

Contact Stephanie Dodd (Stephanie.Dodd@ mediaclash.co.uk)

5-14 July

FROME FESTIVAL

With over 100 free and ticketed events spanning everything from relaxed pub gigs to world-class classical music, there’s something for everyone at this year’s Frome Festival.

Big name bands Scouting for Girls and The Coral are performing at the Cheese and Grain; tickets are flying out the door.

Box Office is at the Cheese and Grain; Fromefestival.co.uk/cheeseandgrain.com

© paolo ferla

Until 15 June

ADVERTISING FEATURE

An award-winning design legacy Robert Welch at home in the sixties

R

obert Radford Welch (19292000) was a silversmith and designer who was passionately driven to design functional, affordable, beautiful products.

He changed the established face of stainless steel tableware in Britain, transforming the look of products and their affordability, and influencing their popularity with the post-war consumer. In doing so he produced what would later be heralded as iconic mid-century designs, many still sought after by collectors today.

Robert was born to artistic parents in Hereford: his mother, Dorothy, was a painter and his father, Leonard, a self-taught craftsman.

His early life in the lea of the Malvern Hills undoubtedly gave him a deep appreciation of the beauty of nature, and he showed an aptitude for drawing and working with his hands from an early age.

While studying silversmithing at the Royal College of Art, Robert visited Scandinavia several times and it was on one of these trips, in Sweden, where he first saw examples of Modernist stainless steel tableware.

It made a profound impression on the young designer, as did the Scandinavian design ethos generally. He decided to concentrate on stainless steel design during his final year at the Royal College of Art, a career-defining decision. He recognised immediately the exciting possibilities which this state-of-the-art material offered, but

Robert Welch Shop on Broad Street, Bath

Designer and silversmith ROBERT WELCH transformed the look of stainless steel tableware in Britain

Iconic Campden toast rack Alice and Rupert Welch staying true to their father’s design principles

Drift Beverage Collection

“EVERY NEW PRODUCT CONTINUES TO BE DESIGNED IN THE ‘ROBERT WELCH WAY’” he would continue to balance industrial design alongside silverwork throughout his entire career.

In September 1955, with his studio and workshop in the Old Silk Mill, Chipping Campden, finally operational after extensive renovations, he pinned a sheet of paper to his drawing board and thought, “What now?”

It was from this inauspicious start that his first modern range of stainless steel tableware, called Campden, would originate. It was to go on to win several design awards, starting with a Design Centre Award for the iconic toast rack in 1957, and would remain in production until the 1980s.

Today the company is still based in the original workshops at the Old Silk Mill, and is run by Robert’s children, Alice and Rupert.

Staying true to their father’s strong design principles, and pushing the boundaries of

Drift Afternoon Tea Set

innovation and technology, Alice and Rupert work closely with a team of talented designers to perfect every stage of design.

The innate motivation to create timeless products remains in the company’s design DNA, ensuring his memory lives on, and that every new product continues to be designed in the ‘Robert Welch way.’ Most recently, the globally renowned Red Dot Award 2019 was bestowed upon the Drift beverage collection, which offers a range of presentation pieces for the home.

The Drift range includes candle holders, salt and pepper shakers, pinch pots, bowls, an afternoon tea service and a collection of barware. Visit the company’s studio shop in Bath, located on Broad Street, for the Drift collection and the wide range of cutlery and homewares on offer. ■

6 Broad Street, Bath, BA1 5LJ 01225 336530 www.robertwelch.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 55

T h e C u r ta i n E x c h a n g e For the best dressed windows

IN BATH

11 Widcombe Parade, Bath, BA2 4JT | Tel: 01225 422078 | Email: curtainexchange@live.co.uk www.curtainexchangebath.co.uk

BOOKS NIC BOTTOMLEY

On the edge This week, we look at a trio of edgy novels, all set in poverty-stricken American landscapes

“Despite its relentlessly gritty undercurrent, the prose is lyrical”

I

t seems strangely incongruous to be tying together my earlier notes for this article at the desk of our Bath Festival pop-up bookshop. Above me hangs one of those colossal Assembly Rooms chandeliers, and, from where I sit, I can see not one but four vast marble fireplaces and many oil paintings of noble folk. The soundtrack from the adjacent café is best described as ‘sweeping orchestral lite’.

Not, therefore, the mood music and surroundings for a trio of recent novels with a real edge to them and which are all set in poverty-stricken American landscapes that feel a lot further from the genteel civic rooms of our fair city than the mere 3,000 or so geographic miles that separates them.

But these books are just so captivating that I can’t be budged from my mission to tell you about them...

GUN LOVE This one, by Jennifer Clement, was longlisted for last year’s National Book Award – an American literary prize that often goes unnoticed over here but which reliably throws up some fascinating candidates. Despite its relentlessly gritty undercurrent, the prose here is lyrical throughout, with echoes of Flannery O’Connor, and the narrative voice of the main protagonist is extraordinary and distinctive.

That lead character is a 14-year-old albino girl named Pearl France, whose home is the front seat of a broken-down car stranded in a Florida trailer park. It soon becomes apparent to the reader that many of the residents of the park are miscreants who are up to something; not so apparent, though, to Pearl herself, who appears naive to much that is going on around her.

For Pearl, life is a simple mix of playing by the creek, sneaking cigarettes from her neighbours and schlepping the 45 minutes or so to school and back. For a good while, she remains oblivious to the violence that lurks behind the surface of everything around her, until yet another shady character shows up at the park – a friend of the local pastor – and turns her simple but desperate life on its head.

Vintage, £8.99

A FRIEND IS A GIFT YOU GIVE YOURSELF This William Boyle gangster novel has three incredible women at its heart, leading to the predictable but still brilliant publisher tagline ‘Thelma & Louise meets Goodfellas’. Rena is the widow of a Brooklyn mob boss who had been making a valiant effort at living out her senior years in relative peace. However, when she resists her neighbour’s attempted sexual assault by clobbering him on the head with an ashtray, that plan goes awry and she ends up on the run with two unlikely wingwomen.

First, there’s her teenage granddaughter, Lucia, who sees the trip as a way of escaping her mother, and then there’s charismatic ageing porn star Wolfie.

With Rena’s aggrieved neighbour and various other ne’er-do-wells from their pasts on their trail, the trio begin a violent, comic romp of a journey which is supremely enjoyable and thrilling at the same time.

No Exit, £12.99 ON EARTH WE’RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS Finally, and featuring another very different but very disenfranchised American community, is Ocean Vuong’s forthcoming On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. This is a poetic emotional novel that simultaneously recounts the post-Vietnam War migrant experience of the main character’s Vietnamese mother and grandmother, and his own coming-of-age as a young gay man. This is not a novel of plot – though it does have a tender and unlikely love story as its centrepiece – but rather it tells one family’s troubled history and in so doing hints at the myriad of different complex personal histories that make up modern America.

Ocean Vuong’s use of language is as exquisite as you’d expect from a young debut novelist who is already a prize-winning poet.

Many turns of phrase demand to be re-read and mulled over. And while occasionally, for me, that meant that the story lost its impetus, overall I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in a stunning piece of insightful writing.

Vintage, £12.99 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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© MANUEL HARL AN

THEATRE ANNA O’CALLAGHAN

Retellings and revivals

Old plays inspiring new plays is this week’s theme... and there are some rather exciting adaptations on the way

P

laywrights are a magpie bunch.

They have been extracting nuggets from the works of other playwrights for centuries. Almost every one of Shakespeare’s plays developed from an existing source – be it Arthur Brooke’s 1562 poem The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet; the classics, Ovid and Plutarch in particular; and Holinshed’s Chronicles. In turn, Shakespeare’s plays have inspired new works. West Side Story famously transposed Romeo and Juliet from Verona to New York in the 1950s, and The Lion King took Hamlet from Denmark to the African bush.

Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead lifts two of the minor characters from Hamlet and places them centre stage; Joe Calarco’s Shakespeare’s R & J (which enjoyed its UK premiere production at the Theatre Royal in 2003) is about four students who are rehearsing a secret production of Romeo and Juliet in a strict Catholic boys’ school; and David Greig’s Dunsinane imagines what happens after the end of Macbeth.

Of course, it’s not just Shakespeare who provides inspiration. One of theatre’s biggest successes of the last decade, Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors, followed the story of Carlo Goldoni’s 1743 Italian comedy A Servant to Two Masters. It is the case with all these plays that you need know nothing about their sources. They may be appreciated entirely on their own merits.

FROM FAR LEFT:

Lewis Reeves and Janie Dee in rehearsals for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; and Katherine Parkinson and Rupert Everett wiil star in Uncle Vanya

The opening play of the Theatre Royal Bath’s Summer Season 2019 goes by the quirky title of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, names which will ring a bell with anyone even vaguely familiar with the works of Chekhov (apart from Spike!). Vanya and Sonia are middle-aged siblings who lead a quiet life in the family’s farmhouse in present-day Pennsylvania.

When glamorous sister Masha, a successful film star, sweeps in unannounced, her handsome toyboy, Spike, in tow, the siblings are appalled to discover that she is planning to sell their family home. There are numerous Chekhovian allusions – there is a cherry orchard, and the girl next door is Nina. While Chekhov’s familiar themes of dashed dreams and squandered hopes become hilarious in this riotous comedy, it can be thoroughly enjoyed by someone who knows nothing at all about Russian drama.

Written by Christopher Durang, Vanya and Sonia won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play. The Broadway cast included Sigourney Weaver and Frasier’s David Hyde Pierce. For our UK premiere in the Ustinov, the cast includes Olivier Awardwinning Janie Dee, and it’s directed by legendary American director Walter Bobbie, whose production of Chicago is the longest-running musical revival ever presented on Broadway.

Less than two weeks after the curtain comes down on Vanya and Sonia, audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy bona fide Chekhov

“Playwrights have been extracting nuggets from the works of other playwrights for centuries”

6 June – 6 July Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike 18 July – 3 August Uncle Vanya

when Uncle Vanya itself opens in the main house. This story of unrequited love and misplaced dreams will transport you to the close of the 19th century and a ramshackle estate in the heart of the Russian countryside which is managed by Vanya and his niece Sonia on behalf of his brother-in-law, a retired professor.

When the professor arrives with his stunningly beautiful young wife and announces his plan to sell the estate, their lives are thrown into turmoil.

This new version has been especially commissioned from acclaimed playwright and screenwriter David Hare, whose previous adaptations of Chekhov’s Platanov, Ivanov and The Seagull are considered masterworks.

Vanya will be played by My Best Friend’s Wedding’s Rupert Everett, who will also be directing the stellar cast which includes The IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson, and Ann Mitchell who is always magnetic in her EastEnders role as Cora Cross. There is undoubted humour, if not downright hilarity, in Chekhov’s work.

Having these two pieces running so close to each other offers a fascinating chance to experience both the chicken and the egg.

Anna O’Callaghan, Marketing Manager, Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose; 01225 448844; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

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stony street house This buzzy indie restaurant, café, wine bar and wine shop ticks all the boxes apart from one, but we’re not complaining...

By Lisa Evans

S

mall isn’t a word that Stony Street House’s menu writer seems to understand. Just bear this in mind when you’re ordering your small-plate starters, yeah?

My goliath bowl of patatas bravas – potato cubes served in a tomatoey sauce with artichoke hearts, olives, and soft, sweet onions that melt around the edges – is all lightness and darkness, fluffiness and sauciness. And, for matey, a thick wedge of bruschetta – a satisfying crunch to its crust – topped with creamy goats’ cheese, chicory that’s been blackened around the edges, walnuts and juicy red grapes, proves almost too whopping to conquer.

Full. Let’s go home.

We can already guess that the pizzas are going to be cracking. But I’ll tell you about them anyway – well, the few slices we actually manage to squeeze in, that is.

I go for a simpler choice than I normally would, as multiple toppings seem too much of a feat tonight. Even so, my piping-hot margherita with added whole black olives and a whoosh of freshness from basil leaves is a fine piece of work.

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My dining pal selects a more daring pizza path with his choice of fennel sausage, Tenderstem and roasted onion smatterings. Buried under amber-dappled squeaky-onthe-teeth mozzarella, the sourdough base is thin, crisp and littered with charred blisters that release wafts of the wood-fired oven’s smokiness into your mouth.

What surprises us is the huge veggie and vegan variety – from the Portobello mushroom, roasted garlic, rocket and cashew option, to the crème fraîche-topped beauty with egg and truffle. But you can also pop on meaty additions – like prosciutto, wild venison chorizo and nose-tickling nduja – if you want to unvegify them.

It’s not all about pizzas here, though. Any of the ‘small’ plates – such as the ragù with tagliatelle and a snowfall of parmesan, or the shell-on prawns with garlic and lemon mayo – can be turned into large plates (so, XXL plates, then), or you can go for a make-your-own sharing board, featuring pick ’n’ mix local cheeses and West Country charcuterie.

For dessert, it’s affogato for him, and a classic sticky toffee pud for me. There’s a pleasing commitment to ingredients from close by, with coffee from the Dusty Ape

restaurant

micro roastery in Hilperton, and clotted ice cream from Marshfield Farm.

The setting in which you’ll enjoy all of this is very much Frome chic – Frome being named last year as the country’s most stylish location – and, from impressive floor-to-ceiling widows, the restaurant overlooks the market town’s colourful indie shops and cobbled lanes – or should I say ‘stony streets’?

A multifunctional space split across two floors, there are sleek wooden tables, squashy sofa areas, funky artworks, exposed bricks, industrial piping along the ceiling, and bare boards on the floor.

And although the food and interior design is exciting, the main focus within the walls of this beautifully renovated Edwardian building is the wine. Founder Kent Barker has been working with wine for the last 30 years, supplying the great and the good of London and Bath with the best booze he could get his hands on.

The vinous list at Stony stretches to over 400 bottles – including plenty of organic and biodynamic varieties – from regions around the world, and are available to take home from the shop or enjoy in the wine bar; there are also 10 premium wines on tap, which can be whisked away in refillable bottles.

So, that’s the sustainability box checked. And the foodie box checked. And the location box checked. The only thing they’ve got to work on is their portion sizes; but can I really complain about getting too much for my money? Not really. Next time, I’ll get over my British reserve and ask for a doggy bag. n

“Although the food and interior design is exciting, the main focus is the wine”

Dining details Stony Street House, 8 Stony Street, Frome, BA11 1BU; 01373 470970; www.stonystreethouse.com In a nutshell A space that revolves around wine, but also serves fabulous food and coffee in a relaxed, stylish setting in the heart of Frome We ate Patatas bravas; bruschetta with goats’ cheese, chicory, walnuts and grapes; pizza; affogato; and sticky toffee pudding Vegetarian options A surprising amount, as well as vegan and gluten-free choices Drinks Over 400 wines from around the world, available to drink in or take home, including wine on tap Atmosphere A cooler than cool friendly buzz Service Warm, knowledgeable and totally professional

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62 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

al fresco

outside chance

There’s little that refreshes the soul like that first al fresco summery supper. As the evenings get longer, and the desire to be outside gets stronger, here’s a guide to some of our favourite open-air dining and drinking spots in and around the city...

Relax into exotic vibes at The Bird

By Lisa Evans www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 65

The Bird, Bath Pulteney Road What’s new?

There’s a pop-up for 2019: The Nook Garden, which you’ll find at the back of The Bird. It has a mix of informal seating, our favourites being the sink-into low cushions. It’s south-facing and decked out with exotic Balinese parasols, creative planting and plenty of flamboyant bird-themed touches, such as sculptures and a focal point tree adorned with lanterns.

The views...

You’ll be looking out over The Rec towards the old Empire Hotel and Bath Abbey.

We’re ordering...

Sourdough pizza, crispy buttermilk chicken burgers, and sweet treats such as Eton mess and Marshfield ice creams. www.thebirdbath.co.uk

Timbrell’s Yard Bradford on Avon Why we like it...

Taking a bistro-style pew on the flagstone terrace among galvanised planters to the front of the property, which seats up to 80, you can almost dip your toes in the River Avon, it’s that close. There’s a cool, contemporary rustic look there, and its tranquil waterside location keeps it mellow.

Burano Café is designed to look like a little slice of Italy

Our favourite time to go...

In the morning, sitting in the sun with a cup of coffee, staring at the view of the medieval arched bridge and Holy Trinity Church.

We’re ordering...

Fowey mussels with cider, leeks, smoked bacon and wild garlic, or the mackerel stuffed with crab, capers and lemon.

What else?

There are pop-up bars, food stalls and live DJs on warm evenings and bank holiday weekends. www.timbrellsyard.com

Vino Vino Wine & Cocktail Bar Sawclose

We’re into it because...

We love to people-watch, Aperol spritz in hand, and the location of this one – on a buzzy pavement terrace in the heart of the city – is ideal for spying. It’s sophisticated and sociable, too, good for leisurely lunches, after-work and pre-theatre drinks and sharing plates, as well as lateevening wine imbibing.

We’re ordering...

Cheese, charcuterie and bar plates from a menu created with a ‘sharing with friends’ mentality. From the summer options, we particularly fancy trying the quinoa tabbouleh with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, pomegranate and raspberry balsamic glaze, as well as the homemade sliders with an Italian twist.

Other highlights...

Live blues, jazz and pop music once a fortnight, which you’re not reprimanded for singing/dancing along to. www.vinovinowinebar.co.uk

Burano Café Milsom Street

Why we like it...

At the back of home furnishing store Brissi, you’ll find an pleasant hidden courtyard designed to make you feel as if you’re right in the heart of Italy. It calls itself ‘Bath’s best kept secret’ and, in a surrounding of delicate flowers, vintage bikes and classic Brissi-style adornment, it serves coffee and cakes in a peaceful escape away from the crowd.

When you’ve had a shell of a day, treat yourself to dinner at Timbrell’s Yard

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We’re ordering...

Caramel peanut brownies, coffee and walnut muffins, and sticky apple and ginger cake. www.brissi.com

al fresco Corkage Chapel Row

Its best bits...

We’re fans of the secluded feel of the walled, vine-covered garden, with a wooden terrace above it and a pretty view of the backs of the Georgian houses nearby. There’s seating for 45 out there, and the space is adaptable, so whether you’re having an intimate date night or a celebratory bash with all your best buds, there’s a table for that.

We’re ordering...

plenty of tasters from the 150-strong wine list. www.corkagebath.com

Pintxo

Barton Street

Why we like it...

Well, it’s in a sherry garden for starters, so the name of the space alone is a draw. It’s a Mediterranean-vibe courtyard that the sun hits all day, where drinking sherries of all varieties is thoroughly encouraged.

From the range of shareable small plates and chargrills, we’re drawn to the Brixham crab with celeriac remoulade on Bertinet sourdough; the fried pig’s head terrine with piccalilli and watercress; and the chargrilled hispi with miso butter and grana padano. Plus, of course,

We’re ordering...

“You may be greeted by ducks and swans that like to waddle around the garden”

The Methuen Arms

San Sebastian-inspired tapas – such as Basque-spaced lamb skewers; crispy jambon with dates and goats’ cheese; and prawns with garlic and chilli – while we chair-bop to Spanish music. www.pintxo.co.uk Corsham

Why we like to visit...

It has two beautiful outside areas – a peaceful courtyard, and a blossoming garden area. Come evenings and weekends, the spaces have a great boozy buzz about them long into the evening.

There’s a great boozy buzz about The Methuen Arms

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ALFRESCO

Sparkling waterside views at the Cross Guns;

below: The Old Crown Kelston is real locals’ pub

It stands out because...

Although it has a relaxed, fun beer garden feel, the food offering is 3 AA Rosette level. Rather than your standard burgers and chips, they offer refined, memorable dishes – many of the ingredients being homegrown, including honey from their own hives.

We’re ordering...

Crispy chilli beef brisket, and garlic mushroom arancini with pickled shimeji.

What’s coming up...

Over the year, they’re hosting gin, rum and cider festivals, a garden party, and an Oktoberfest celebration. www.themethuenarms.com

Cross Guns Avoncliff Bradford on Avon

What makes it special...

It’s in a waterside location, which seats around 300 people across three levels. As you work your way down to the bottom, you may be greeted by ducks and swans that like to waddle around the garden. It’s a great pit stop if you’re adventuring along the water by paddleboard, kayak, canoe or narrow boat, or if you’re cycling along the towpath. The views of the sparkling River Avon and the Avoncliff Aqueduct are quite special, especially when you’re gazing at them while reclining in a deckchair.

We’re ordering...

Barista coffee, a homemade granola pot and a smoothie if we’re visiting in the morning; or, for lunch, we’d go for a classic pub grub dish: a homemade pie with mash and gravy. The deli in the garden has fresh salads and baked goodies inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine; you can fill up a tapas box and take it away for a riverside picnic. www.crossgunsavoncliff.com

The Old Crown Kelston Kelston

What to expect...

Nestled at the foot of Kelston Roundhill, follow the path through a luscious green archway to The Old Crown’s outside bar, garden lodge

68 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

local love

Here, foodies tell us about their favourite al fresco spots in and around Bath...

“We enjoy visiting the Hare & Hounds. Being situated at the top of Bath, it offers exquisite views. We also relish The Field Kitchen in Holt – a modern industrial-style café – and The Bathampton Mill.”

Serena Nelson-Hall at The Pear Tree Inn, Whitley “Our favourites are Côte Brasserie and The Marlborough Tavern.”

Chantal Vilassaint at The Courtyard Café, Lilliput Court “I love the Orangery Café and Terrace at the American Museum & Gardens; it’s a great family-friendly location for coffee and cakes.”

Neil Glasspool at Homewood, Freshford “We love people-watching outside Cafe Lucca; and, for something more relaxing, the Garden Cafe at the back of The Holburne Museum opens onto Jane Austen’s favourite strolling spot: Sydney Gardens.”

Chris Hardwicke at The Bird, Bath, Pulteney Road “We love walking to Iford Manor for a cream tea; The Peto Garden is stunning. Also, The Galleries Shop & Café in the village is lovely.”

Carole Gould at The Inn at Freshford, Freshford

The Holcombe Inn Our Tranquility and kitchen gardens are a fabulous place to eat and drink in relaxed environment, plus we have a large family garden with a swing and sand pit.

We have just launched a new lunch menu alongside our normal lunch menu with further choices.

We have an exciting bar with so many choices including cocktails, wines by the glass including champagne & Prosecco, local ales, ciders and much more. We are a very popular choice for a Sunday roast. Booking is advisable as we do get busy.

Please see our website for info on opening hours etc

LUNCH MENU

WANT TO RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS? A unique opportunity has arisen to own your own café in Bradford on Avon.

Other small units to let for various uses.

STARTERS Courgette & Mint Soup, mint crisp Deep Fried Pork Belly, spiced pork skin, squash puree, apple sauce Cod Fishcake, lemon mayonnaise, wilted spinach Rainbow Endive Salad of Blood Orange, beetroot, candied pecans, chardonnay vinaigrette, herb quinoa MAINS Duck confit, pearl barley & beetroot Orzotto, tenderstem, Maderia Grilled Mackerel, fennel puree, fried potatoes, black olive & red onion dressing Scotch Duck Egg, sautéed celeriac & garlic, cream mustard & parsley sauce (vegetarian) Pan Roast Pork Loin, Parmesan polenta, roast carrots & red wine DESSERTS Vanilla Pannacotta, fruit compot & meringue Sticky Toffee Pudding, toffee sauce, vanilla ice cream Chocolate & Coffee Sundae, chocolate brownie Chef’s daily choice of cheese, house chutney & biscuits Or why not choose your own selection of 3 cheeses (£2.50 supplement)

2 courses £18.50 | 3 courses 24.95

For more information: T: 01225 863258 E: pacwclarke@aol.com

Stratton Road, Holcombe, Bath BA3 5EB T 01761 232478 E bookings@holcombeinn.co.uk www.holcombeinn.co.uk

Cosy and colourful sums up The Courtyard Café

or the large lawned area – a quintessential English country garden complete with apple trees that the Old Crown’s cider is made from.

The vibe...

Laidback, friendly and fun; it’s a real locals’ pub.

We’re ordering...

Frozen cocktails, a plate of sizzling barbequed delights, and something from the pizza menu. www.oldcrownkelston.com

The food...

It’s no-nonsense British cooking; the new summer menu features seasonal salads, pizzas, and meats and fish cooked over the coals. www.homewoodbath.co.uk

Mantra

Bladud Buildings

Why we’re drawn to it...

The Inn at Freshford

The view is one of the best bits; the paved terrace at the back of the restaurant offers wonderful vistas over Bath and the surrounding countryside. You can see Sham Castle and watch the cows in the fields while you indulge.

What we like about it...

We’re ordering...

Freshford

There’s a serene terraced garden with four levels, each with its own charm. The paved tier is a good spot for watching passers-by; the lazy lawn is perfect for kicking off your shoes, chilling out and watching the 1,000 goldfish in the garden’s multileveled pond; and the two decked levels have an outdoor kitchen and a smokehouse, where delicious BBQs are rustled up on sunny days.

We’re ordering...

Classics, like burgers, or fish and chips, or maybe something a little more adventurous such as spatchcock quail with shaved kohlrabi. There are also bakers on site who create a killer orange and rose polenta cake.

What else?

Coming soon are supper clubs, which will be hosted in the garden when the weather is being kind. These will be on the first Friday of every month. www.theinnatfreshford.com

Homewood Freshford

What to expect...

Their terrace area – complete with wisteria in full bloom – looks out over the leafy gardens and the valley towards Freshford. One of the most popular times to visit is between 3-5pm on weekends, for afternoon tea.

70 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

A sharing menu, featuring Indian treats such as hot chilli chicken, aromatic lamb rogan josh, tadka dahl, and spiced ice cream. www.mantraofbath.co.uk

The Courtyard CafÉ Lilliput Court

Why we like it...

It’s a cosy courtyard with only around 20 or so seats, so it feels quite private. It’s an eye-catching spot, with colourful tables and chairs, and climbing plants, from ivy to hydrangeas.

We’re ordering...

All-day breakfast – especially something from the dedicated waffle menu – or maybe a light lunch, like Havana toast featuring sourdough topped with spicy pulled pork, ham, Dijon mayo, cheese and a fried egg. www.courtyardbath.co.uk

The Pear Tree Inn Whitley

Why we like to visit...

This bustling village pub, nestled on the outskirts of Bath, offers quirky dining in the ample garden which, unsurprisingly, boasts plenty of pear trees – the fruit from which is used in gin and tonics and desserts.

© Nick Cole

AL FRESCO

left: Party on at the Inn at Freshford;

above: Keep calm and curry on at Mantra

“Drinking sherries of all varieties is encouraged here” local love

Here, foodies tell us about their favourite al fresco spots in and around Bath...

“Our favourite is The Lock Inn in Bradford on Avon. They have canoe and bike hire there, so it’s the perfect place to start off your adventures.”

Chloe Burford at Cross Guns Avoncliff, Bradford on Avon “The Quarryman’s Arms, Box, has incredible views over the countryside that surrounds Bath. It’s a gorgeous place to watch the sun go down with a pint. We also like The Pig & Fiddle, and Opa Meze Restaurant.”

Maddy Sinclair at The Methuen Arms, Corsham “The Weaving Shed, on the opposite side of the river to us, is a lovely waterside location.”

Klaudia Briddon at Timbrell’s Yard, Bradford on Avon “The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa’s garden is a secluded oasis near the city.”

Jane Shayegan at Vino Vino Wine & Cocktail Bar, Sawclose “The Thoughtful Bakery offers great café street dining next door to us.”

Mark Mentzel at Pintxo, Barton Street

There’s a new ‘wine walk’ – a path across the garden surrounded by herbs and pretty plants – to lazily enjoy, or you can just sit and stare out over the neighbouring farms. And coming soon is a large chandelier-lit pagoda dining area, which will cater for large parties and functions.

We’re ordering...

Coconut mixed bean curry with fragrant rice and sesame pak choi; merguez lamb sausages with a warm beetroot, feta and lentil and mint salad; and sticky pork ribs. www.peartreewhitley.co.uk

The Wheatsheaf Combe Hay

What to expect...

The terraced garden, set on three levels, takes in the vistas of the valley beyond; our favourite time of day to enjoy it is after a long walk in the ancient Combe Hay. It’s only 10 minutes from Bath’s centre, but it feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere enjoying the peace and wonderful views of the countryside.

The food...

The lovely thing about the menu here is that you can actually see where the ingredients are coming from; they have their own chickens which lay eggs daily, and there’s a kitchen garden full of seasonal vegetables. www.wheatsheafcombehay.com

The White Hart Inn Widcombe Hill

Why we like it...

Although it’s so close the city centre, the south-facing suntrap of a back garden is hidden from the street, so it’s nice and quiet; it’s also walled, so there’s a secluded, hush-hush feeling to it. When inside it, you’re surrounded by Mediterranean-style planting, including flower beds full of roses, clematis, vines and passion flowers, as well as festoon lights, storm lanterns, and roaring fires by night.

Look out for...

Their live monthly music bashes on Friday nights. www.whitehartbath.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 71

Welcome to Mantra, an Indian Restaurant in the heart of Bath, that specialises in serving progressive Indian food. Mantra is a family run authentic Indian restaurant. Our dishes are healthily packed with flavour, crunch, punch and zing offering plenty of choice to vegetarians and vegans. Inspired by seasonal ingredients, our food contains only the freshest produce prepared in a way that captures the amazing diversity of India’s regional cuisines and childhood street food memories.

5, Bladud Buildings, The Paragon, Bath BA1 5LS Tel: 01225 446 332 Email: info@mantraofbath.co.uk www.mantraofbath.co.uk

FRENCH CONCEPT STORE, CAFÉ AND BISTRO WITH AN ADDED CHAMPAGNE AND CHEESE BAR

“Don’t miss one of the most enjoyable experiences of all from a trip to Bath.

Amazing food, character, and run by lovely people. Proper French cooking, some of the best I’ve ever had.”

– Trip Advisor review

Comptoir+Cuisine & Champagne+Fromage 5 George Street, Bath, BA1 2EJ

Tel: 01225 684733

www.comptoirpluscuisine.com | www.champagneplusfromage.co.uk

Beautiful, relaxed riverside dining...

Serving lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday, and Sunday lunch Beautiful food  Carefully selected wine list  Boating available Private customer car park  Pretty, covered terrace overlooking the river

Please contact Ben & Rosy with any enquiries: tel 01225 428844 email ben@bathwickboatman.com | www.bathwickboatman.com The Bathwick Boatman | Forester Rd | Bath | BA2 6QE only 5 mins stroll from the Holburne Museum

Top Lane, Whitley, Wiltshire SN12 8QX T f @peartreewhitley 01225 704966

www.peartreewhitley.co.uk

TERRIFIC TRIO 2

1

3

A SONG OF ICE AND DESIRE As we walk the ever-hotter streets of Bath, what’s our favourite street food?

Ice cream, of course!

1

LUSCIOUS These guys are based at Neston Park, a beautiful organic estate out Corham way, where they make all-natural, Soil Associationcertified organic ice cream using the finest ingredients. Rich Jersey milk is collected every day from the farm, and their eggs and cream are also locally sourced, while more exotic ingredients – we’re talking things like roasted Sicilian hazelnuts – come from organic certified suppliers. They’ve only been trading for 18 months, but the two founders have already won a Crumbs Award and started spreading the word: their stuff’s available locally in farm shops, cafés and delis, as well as at Daylesford, Selfridges and Planet Organic in London.

“Our Madagascan vanilla continues to outsell everything,” says director Kate Clark, “but close behind are the ever popular strawberry and Jersey cream, rich chocolate, and peppermint chocolate chip. Our Italianinspired chocolate hazelnut flavour, launched last year, has been hugely popular too, and won a Gold Taste of the West Award. It also tastes delicious!” And what’s next? Only salted caramel, of course, which is bound to sell fast because, well, salted caramel. www.lusciousorganics.co.uk

2

MARSHFIELD You’ve met the new kids on the block, but now here are the old kids: these guys have been making real dairy ice cream on their West Country farm for 30 years. “It all uses fresh milk from our own dairy herd,” says Kelly Lacock, “and we pride ourselves on using the best quality ingredients – going local where we can. This year our birthday cake ice cream has been a huge hit; it has a shimmer ripple, comes covered in sugar sprinkles and is packed with cake pieces. Some of the exotic fruit flavoured ice creams are decreasing in popularity a little, though, as people are picking our refreshing sorbets instead.”

Marshfield is a bit of a local institution, and you can buy their ice cream all over the West Country: at beaches, National Trust sites, theatres, farm shops and a whole raft of indie retailers. “Or,” says Kelly, “you can simply enjoy it at our parlour on the farm. It’s open on weekends until the end of September.” Easy to find, too – you’ll drive past it on your way up the A46 to the motorway. www.marshfield-icecream.co.uk

3

SWOON GELATO You should never confuse the stuff they sell at Kingsmead Square’s Swoon Gelato –

“an artisanal gelato bar with a bit of Italian swagger,” they tell us – with mere ice cream.

It has 50 per cent less fat, for one thing, which means, “you can eat twice as much, and the flavour is creamier and more intense.” It’s all handmade on site – even the chocolate sauce – and there are always 16 flavours on offer, including five that change monthly, one chosen by Twitter poll: past winners include carrot cake gelato. “Right now, though, our two most popular flavours are pistacchio and salted caramel,” say the husband-and-wife team behind Swoon, Bruno and Ana-Maria Forte, “but our mango and chocolate sorbetti – suitable for vegans – is on the up, as are guest flavours like Lotus biscuit made with oat milk. And at Easter we did hot cross bun gelato, which was really popular.”

These guys also sell homemade granita – an iced drink traditionally enjoyed for breakfast in Sicily with brioche, though here we tend to sip it on its own – while their head gelato chef, Luisa Fontana, recently created a limited-edition Bath Blue cheese gelato for the 30th anniversary of the World Cheese Awards. “It had a creamy texture, salty bite, and blue veining throughout,” Bruno says.

“We served it in celery instead of a cone.” ■ www.swoononaspoon.co.uk

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FOOD & DRINK NEWS

ALL WHITE NOW Actually, it’s not: it’s still strictly half Pierre Koffmann and half Marco Pierre White’s stuff in the kitchen, but it’s true that they’ve a new menu at Koffmann and Mr White’s and, in their usual offbeat style, it hopscotches between languages, so one moment you’re being offered coronation shrimp curry, fresh mango, ginger, Madras curry sauce and buttered rice (£18.50, by the way), and the next the new poussin grillé, épices douces aîoli (pictured), which you have to pay for in Euros. (Only joking, it’s £15.95.)

Now the warmer weather is here, the affordable Anglo-French brasserie’s pavement level seating comes into its own, too. www.mpwrestaurants.co.uk

Don’t let the hat fool you: there’s no way he did a full shift in the kitchen

Poussin grill: new, ace, but watch out for swooping seagulls

THE BOAT THAT ROCKS

Remember The Pride of Bath? It was a big Dutch barge thing that held raucous parties chugging up and down the river at night, doubtless disturbing many a cow’s beauty sleep.

Later it became The Penny Lane, a similar party boat but permanently moored just past North Parade Bridge, and now it’s been reinvented once again as The Avon Parade, central Bath’s only floating licensed café, serving locally roasted coffee, locally sourced food, British (and international) wines and spirits, and offering both private hire options and regular events. 86 feet of fun, then, with great views from the top and snug swan-viewing options down below. www.theavonparade.com

Bath’s Pride is no long moving, but tastier than ever

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FRIDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR EATING This year’s Wildest Friday Dinner Party – Friday 14 June, from 7pm, sponsored by Savills – sees our Queen Square marquee taken over by, uh-oh, David Flatman for what he tells us is “a sit-down dinner event like no other”. There’ll be massive platters of gorgeous food, massive chunks of David Flatman and Matt Powell entertaining happy chompers, plus a bar, interviews, a live band and dancing. “Hurrah for Larkhall Butchers,” says Dave, “as they’ve generously donated all the meat to maximise how much we can raise on the evening for charity.” And yes, it’s the good stuff too.

For more: www.bathboules.com

Sam Roberts: cup-for-life pioneer

PARTY ON, DUDE

Two questions for you. First, do you ever drink coffee in Bath? And second, do you ever come along to Bath Life’s Business Clubs? If the answer is yes to the first and no to the second, then you should perhaps consider one of our upcoming Business Club shindigs, this one with Sam Roberts, boss at local micro-chain Boston Tea Party. It’s on the lunchtime of 3 July, at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, and you’ll not only scoff a nice posh lunch, but you’ll get to hear Sam talk about sustainability – BTP was the first coffee chain on the planet to stop issuing single-use coffee cups – and his move from advertising into the foodie world, plus (no doubt) the Jamietroubling business of growing while retaining your soul. www.bathlifebusinessclub.com

Luxury mobile toilet trailers for weddings and all special events

01225 312 151 ▼ bathloos@sky.com www.bathluxurytoilethire.co.uk

Fancy working at Crumbs?

We're on the hunt for bright sparks looking to forge careers in media sales. If you’re passionate about food and drink, and have love for our local independent businesses, then we may have the job for you. It’s all about working with clients to curate, pitch and deliver advertising campaigns across our pretty awesome food magazines and digital channels.

Sound like your cup of tea? Email your CV to jo.cains@mediaclash.co.uk or give us a call on 01225 475800 for a chat.

www.mediaclash.co.uk

food hero

also have an allotment that we are hoping this year will mean we can serve guests our own produce.

What’s the story of the business’s beginnings?

Brunch bunch Meet the founders of The Second Breakfast Club, which is all about ‘honestly sourced boutique brunches’ in Bath...

Photos by Suzy Slemen Photography According to couple Connor Pouncy and Bella Reynolds, brunch is a very important part of the day. So, together, they set up The Second Breakfast Club, which hosts pop-up foodie events in Bath that are inspired by brunch dishes around the globe; it’s no longer just about avocado and bacon. Here, Bella tells us more...

Tell us about The Second Breakfast Club...

Ever since Connor and I met, we realised that our passions fell under the same umbrella: honest food, nothing processed, making others happy, and, of course, eating at any chance you get. This all came together very naturally into forming what has now become Second Breakfast. We invite any brunch

lovers to come and experience our five-course tasting events.

Where would we find these pop-up events?

At Always Sunday House on Bathwick Hill. Our upcoming dates are 9 and 16 June.

Do you collaborate with other independent businesses?

We wouldn’t be who we are without the enthusiasm and dedication of our regular suppliers. We have spent a lot of time getting to know local independent businesses – like The Leafy Tea Company, The Warmley Bakehouse, and Larkhall Butchers – to make sure we are offering produce from people that are as passionate as we are.

We do a lot of foraging, preserving and pickling to make the seasonal produce last longer. We

Our first event was in August 2018.

We met while working on weddings and events – I was coordinating, and Connor was doing the food.

Our favourite discussion to have (in between running around trying to get wedding guests settled) was always focussed on eating. Who doesn’t love brunch? It’s that beautiful foodie grey area, where those of us that are up too late for breakfast but realise it’s too early for lunch reside.

Is the Second Breakfast Club an actual club (i.e. can people join the club)?

We invite everyone to join our mailing list, and that is the first step to joining the club.

You get first dibs on upcoming events, exclusive member offers and updates on exciting brunch news.

And once you’re in, you’re in.

Where does the business name come from?

We take inspiration from our travels, and every place has its own take on breakfast/brunch. The term ‘second breakfast’ is used all over Europe to describe brunch: the Germans call it Zweites Frühstück, and in Polish it’s Drugie Śniadanie.

On top of this, we’re big fantasy fans. We have always said that if we were mythical creatures, we’d be hobbits, purely because we spend the majority of our time talking about what we are going to eat next, including second breakfasts.

Although, at 6’2”, Connor is a very large hobbit.

Do you only run pop-ups?

We also offer catering services, and we are looking at doing private events, whether that be a special occasion at a venue or simply a party of people that want to have brunch and cocktails brought to them in their B&B so they can stay in their PJs. We also have a brunch delivery service in the works.

“It’s no longer just about the avocado and bacon”

Give us a taster...

A summery menu might include choices like mackerel ceviche with pomegranate, persimmon salsa, and chilli and lime dressing; shakshuka with baked egg, labneh and coriander; and pulled beef rib on hash brown with mustard greens and cured egg yolk.

Being a couple in business together, how does that dynamic work?

We love working together, and we bring out the the very best in each other. We wouldn’t want to be working with anyone else. www.thesecondbreakfastclub.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 81

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

SHOPPING LIVE WELL, BUY BETTER

YOU’VE BEEN FRAMED After a few brief heatwaves, hopefully summer is going to start properly sticking around now. So what better way to embrace the new season than with a new pair of shades? In terms of shapes, you’ve got octagonal and cat-eye frames at the fore, and when it comes to colour, there are emerald greens, cherry reds and two-tone hues stealing the show. There are also loud prints, 3D detailing, a sprinkling of glitter, and, of course, some classic statements. Here’s our pick of the pairs we want...

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Emporio Armani frames, £147, from David Clulow, 14 Union Street, Bath, www.davidclulow.com; 1330 frames, £300, from Cutler and Gross, 9

Bridge Street, Bath, www.cutlerandgross.com; Monokel, £90, from John Anthony, 26-28 High Street, Bath, www.john-anthony.com; Lemtosh Mac, £340, Kathryn Anthony Optometry, 16 Pierrepont Street, Bath, www.kathrynanthony.co.uk; Chloe frames, £266, from Ellis & Killpartrick, 18 New Bond Street, Bath, www.ellisandkillpartrick.com; Brake Gloss, £150, from Found, 17 Argyle Street, Bath, www.foundbath.co.uk; Etnia Barcelona Sahara, £199, from Brad Abrahams Optometry, 2 Upper Borough Walls, Bath, www.bradabrahams.uk.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 83

CUBAN FIESTA LANTERNS, £9.99 FOR A SET OF THREE Complete your Cuban, Mexican or summer-themed party display with these pretty concertina lanterns From Strawberry Blue, 6a The Shambles, Bradford on Avon; www.strawberrybluehome.co.uk

DRESS, £79 Asymmetric, layered and A-line, this crisp cotton, grass-green frock is certainly an eye-catcher From Cos, 24-26 Union Street, Bath; www.cosstores.com

CARNIVAL COLOUR Inspired by Bath Carnival – which will fill the city with party vibes on 13 July – here, we’ve hunted down bright buys from local shops...

PIÑA COLADA TURBAN, £85 These fun, frisky made-to-order headpieces are crafted by local milliner Vashti Mayne at her dining room table From The Headonista, based in Larkhall, Bath; www.theheadonista.com

UP, UP AND AWAY CANVAS, £199 A wonderfully bright and vibrant artwork to act as a focal point in any room From Silcox Son & Wicks, 5-7 New Street, Bath; www.silcox.co.uk

84 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

KAHLO CLIP EARRINGS, £85 Celebrating the distinctive style and creative nature of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, these colourful, sculptural accessories feature Swarovski crystals and a cactus-like form From Alexandra May, 23 Brock Street, Bath; www.alexandramay.com

ED’S CHOICE SKYLAR DRESS, £380 New from Stine Goya is this puffed-sleeve, frill-fronted floral number. A gorgeously summery choice From Grace & Mabel, 3 George Street, Bath; www.graceandmabel.co.uk

NECKLACE, £68 Handcrafted from amethyst and quartz by local maker Leah Jarosy at her home studio in Box, this necklace, like all of Leah’s designs, is a one off From Eden & After, based in Box; www.edenandafter.co.uk

HANGING DECORATION, £34 These giant neon paper two-tier decorations are ideal summer statements.

They’re also Fairtrade certified and are made out of recycled materials in Jaipur, India From Leak, 3 Larkhall Square, Bath

MATCHBOX SEAT PADS, £35 EACH With designs inspired by colourful retro matchboxes, these quirky pinched seat pads will uplift kitchen chairs, armchairs and benches to add a layer of sumptuous comfort From Graham and Green, 92 Walcot Street, Bath; www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

MANICURE, FROM £12 Playful, bold shades are key to a summer mani. Head to Glow Beauty to get the look From Glow Beauty, 5b Bartlett Street, Bath; www.glowbeautybath.co.uk

CLUTCH, £19.99 Let your true colours shine through with this rainbow-hued, tassel-garnished bag From Vinegar Hill, 16 Milsom Street, Bath; www.vinegarhill.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 85

beauty Ané Auret

Less is more

This week: how (and why) to declutter your beauty stash...

T

here are few things I love more than a good ‘before and after’, especially when it comes to having a clear out. I’m not ashamed to admit to binge-watching Mari Kondo, the Japanese de-cluttering guru, working her magic.

As a self-confessed beauty junkie and skincare addict, I have a lot of products on my bathroom shelves and in my makeup bag.

Many of them I haven’t touched for months, and I’m not alone.

It’s estimated that the average woman in the UK uses about 36 products every day when it comes to hair, body, skincare and makeup. Case in point, I actually have two different makeup bags and, at last count, there were nine lipsticks that I have only used once or twice.

So I decided to strip back and simplify my skincare and beauty kit for summer. It’s the perfect time to do it.

The result is that you save money – pretty pennies that can be better invested in a brilliant new SPF, perhaps – and you feel lighter and brighter.

Here are my top tips on how to edit your beauty kit...

• Get in the right frame of mind, set some time aside and be ruthless about what you’re actually using. Be honest about what works best for you and what you love. Most of us have products that we reach for over everything else, and that’s a really good sign to keep it. One way to declutter is to take out anything you haven’t used in the last six months – chances are that isn’t going to change in the next six.

• Look at your daily routine and all the steps you take every day. Could you take a couple of steps out? Do you really need the tinted moisturiser, the BB cream, CC cream and foundation? It’s a time to both edit and upgrade your skincare routine, and think about what your skin really needs right now.

• Check expiry dates.

Remember, products go off, lose their effectiveness and can cause breakouts or bacterial infections.

• Group and organise. Go through and tidy shelves and drawers so you can easily see what

“Strip back and simplify your skincare and beauty kits for summer”

you you need – no rummaging required. Out of sight can easily become out of mind. Also, group your products so you can easily find what you’re looking for as you go through your routine.

Things you use every day should be in one place, and once-a-week treats should be out of your way.

It sounds simple but it can really save time.

• Sort and clean beauty tools, makeup brushes and beauty blenders. We’d never apply foundation with dirty hands, but for some reason many people use makeup tools that have never been cleaned. I simply use baby shampoo and lukewarm water to wash my brushes, and they are so much more effective when clean.

• Recycle or regift. Now that you’re organised, what do you do with products you no longer need?

Not everything needs to end up in the bin. Once you’ve got rid of expired, unusable products and recycled where you can, maybe you could regift an unused, wellintentioned Christmas present, or swap items with friends.

• Don’t dump, donate. Another great option after your big clearout is to donate your products to organisations which help families, women and children by supplying and distributing nearly-new and unused beauty essentials. Gather together your own products, or organise a collection with friends or at your office and you can really make a difference. Beauty Banks, founded by beauty journalist Sali Hughes, is similar to a food bank but with essential personal care and beauty items. They collect, repackage and distribute parcels to their charity partners. Locally, you can find a Beauty Banks dropoff point in Found, on Argyle Street. Another option is Give and Makeup, founded by skin and beauty expert Caroline Hirons, also a non-profit initiative that brings everyday beauty essentials to women escaping domestic violence.

Ané Auret is a self-confessed beauty obsessive and founder of Bath-based skincare brand Ané. Learn more at www.beautybyane.com and follow her on Instagram @beauty_by_ane

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 87

H E A L T H , b ea u t y & w ell b e i n g

sp ring / S UM M E R 2019

Bare Beauty

by Helen Mulloy Reid

A calmly confident therapist based in the city of Bath, Helen offers a personal wellbeing service designed to enhance your natural beauty.

Facials Wraps Scrubs Massages Holistic Therapies Beauty Treatments Gift Vouchers Organic Products Made with Love

www.barebeautytherapy.co.uk priory place, north road, bath ba2 5dl

FEELING GOOD!

Because looking after yourself is Job #1, we’ve rounded up the best of Bath’s wellbeing professionals of every stripe

M

ore and more, we’re all coming to the realisation that – before we can look after other people, or perhaps even help save the planet – we really need to take care of ourselves. (You know how they tell you to pull down the oxygen mask for yourself first? The same principle applies.) Luckily, Bath is home to an impressive collection of fitness, beauty and wellbeing professionals, offering everything from simple procedures to improve the way we look and feel, to extensive fitness regimes, healthy eating options and more. Over the following pages we detail some of the most impressive of them, each offering a clear, enticing pathway to a new, better you.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE BEAUTY

BARE BEAUTY

Helen Mulloy Reid, founder and owner of Bare Beauty, has a naturally calming aura herself and uses her truly grounding energy, combined with natural skincare lines, to ensure you are relaxed as well as soothed in body and soul.

Helen uses organic skincare products as well as offers extensive advice on taking a consistent holistic approach to help you achieve radiant, glowing skin via a personalised skincare regime. She offers facial yoga as an integral part of her signature facial. One of her organic brands used is called ‘Pai’, meaning goodness.

The Bare Beauty salon is based at Helen’s home in Combe Down, close to Bath; it’s almost opposite Rainbow Woods and has unrestricted street parking. Helen offers an extensive treatment menu for women, men and teenagers, and is happy to offer flexible appointment times to fit around your life.

Priory Place, North Road, Bath, BA2 5DL; 07986 863797; info@barebeautytherapyco.uk; www.barebeautytherapy.co.uk

BEYOND BEAUTY

“I’ve been to a few salons within Bath and surrounding areas and Beyond Beauty is by far the best for customer experience and procedure. Great male pedicure. Fantastic girls are really welcoming.” Grant Bidmead 18 Chelsea Rd, Bath, BA1 3DU; 01225 338838; www.beyondbeautybath.com

ENHANCE MEDISPA

Enhance Medispa is an independent salon situated in the heart of Bath. Here they pride themselves on offering a bespoke and personal service, specialising in both aesthetic and beauty treatments. They boast a wide range of professional skincare products and services, including a doctor-led injectables clinic, as well as natural alternatives such as cosmetic acupuncture.

Enhance always offers complimentary consultations for anyone who wants advise on skincare or treatment information.From June 2019 they will be introducing Image skincare and Elemis. Offering advanced skin peels and aesthetic facials as well as relaxing and luxurious Elemis treatments.

01225 422851; www.enhancemedispa.co.uk; info@enhancemedispa.co.uk; Instagram: enhancemedispabath

BROW WORKS

BrowWorks offers a prestigious eyebrow and beauty service that was established in Bath in 2014. BrowWorks is Alison Barlett, a trained artist who brings style to all aspects of brows, whether shaping, tinting or microblading to give a natural, fuller, complementary looking brow. Alison offers an exclusive service in a warm, friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Where Brow Works is unique is that it offers services with longevity, meaning you can get up each morning without needing a time consuming make-up regime. It’s started to offer lashlifts and dermaplaning too, all things to make life easier, giving a fuss free, youthful look.

Valley View, Westwoods, Bath BA1 7QE; 07891 739478; www.browworks.co.uk

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Glow Beauty

This warm and welcoming beauty salon can be found in Bath’s Artisan quarter, Bartlett Street, offering an enticing treatment menu including eyelash enhancements, LVL lash lifts, brows, manicures, pedicures, gel nails, waxing and facials. The salon is light, airy and modern, with fresh white walls, blush pink soft furnishings and accents of gold, the perfect place to relax and unwind. The team at Glow aim for every guest to both look and feel fabulous after their visit. They also offer exclusive use of the salon, perfect for birthday celebrations and brides to be!

Glow Beauty, 5b Bartlett Street, Bath BA12QZ; www.glowbeautybath.co.uk

Planet Beauty

Put yourself first for a change and book an appointment at Planet Beauty. At this beauty salon on the very popular Moorland Road, they offer an extensive range of treatments and are renowned throughout the West Country for specialist areas, such as intimate waxing, skincare, and gel nails. As soon as you walk into the relaxed, welcoming salon, the genuine desire to help you to look and feel your best is obvious. Continually expanding their knowledge of the latest developments, products, and beauty treatments, Planet Beauty has skilled therapists boasting combined experience of more than 50 years. From hair removal lazer treatments to Nimue peels and radio frequency skin tightening, you’re sure to find the treatment you desire.

4 Moorland Rd, Bath BA2 3PJ; 01225 469090; www.planetbeautybath.co.uk

DENTISTRY

AQUaE SULIS DENTAL

In addition to offering a wide range of dental procedures, Aquae Sulis Dental provide an extensive portfolio of the latest non-surgical cosmetic treatments. These treatments are administered by Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner, Cheryl Wright, a registered nurse, who is highly qualified and experienced in aesthetic (cosmetic) procedures.

These include treatments for facial wrinkles, facial and leg thread veins, frown lines, ‘crow’s feet’, skin rejuvenation and contour reshaping for a more youthful appearance.

• Dermal fillers • Lip augmentation • Wrinkle/muscle relaxing treatments • Dermal needling • Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) • Microsclerotherapy (thread veins) All treatments are available for both men and women, and are provided with the utmost discretion. Please call to book a free, no obligation consultation; parking is free.

Station Court, Ashley Avenue, Lower Weston, Bath BA1 3DS 01225 339767; www.aquaesulisdental.co.uk

Bath Dental Clinic

Bath Dental Clinic provides bespoke specialist restorative dentistry and specialist children’s dentistry in their state-of-theart surgeries in central Bath. To arrange an initial consultation, please call or visit the website. Saturday appointments available.

21 Catharine Place, Bath BA1 2PS; 01225 333848; reception@bathdentalclinic.co.uk; www.bathdentalclinic.co.uk

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advertising feature EYECARE/OPTICIANS

Brad Abrahams Optometry

Located in the heart of Bath, Brad Abrahams Optometry offers the most comprehensive eye examination in the region. With innovative, state of the art technology that gives an unrivalled view of the retina, not found anywhere else in Bath, Brad’s is the place to go. The practice boasts over 1,000 frames to choose from, making it one of the widest ophthalmic and sunglasses collections in the region, so gone are the days where you would have to compromise your fashion style for the sake of your vision.

Make your style statement at Brad Abrahams Optometry.

Brad Abrahams Optometry, 2 Upper Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1RG; 01225 444321; www.bradabrahams.uk.com

BA1 HAIR

At BA1 Hair they believe everything is personal; including the relationships between their clients and their staff. “We want our staff to love coming to work, and our guests to love the BA1 Hair experience,” they say. No 5 Bartlett St is home to this beautiful salon, the amazing building offering a unique space split over different levels, all accentuated by massive skylights and windows offering plenty of natural light. With the addition of their passionate team and loyal customers, the salon comes to life with a friendly buzz. Established in 1986 by founding director Philip Thompson, and later joined by fellow director Zac Fennell, the salon is dynamic, creative and a fun place to work.

5 Bartlett Street, Bath BA1 2QZ; 01225 420611; www.ba1hair.co.uk

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HAIR

artizan

This independent salon is one of only a limited number of Aveda-exclusive salons in the UK. Their mantra is simple: a hairstyle isn’t just about fashion. It must suit your face shape, your lifestyle and, most of all, your personality.

“We have been delivering innovative hairdressing and great customer relationships for over 25 years,” they says. “We are delighted to have thousands of happy customers and great online reviews. Our focus is on pampering you with little extras in our nurturing and wellbeing-centred salon. We offer a complimentary stress-relieving neck, head and shoulder or hand massage for all clients, using mood-lifting flower and plant essences. Our staff are friendly, welcoming, approachable and knowledgeable, because we wish you to feel relaxed as well as have a great experience.”

Because they want you to get the results you desire, they believe the consultation is the most important aspect of their service.

For advice or to book a free consultation, call 01225 447087; email reception@artizanbath.co.uk or book online at www.artizanbath.co.uk

Bobby mak hair

Bobby Mak Hair is an oasis of calm amongst the bustle of one of Bath’s busiest streets, Milsom Street. They have stylists of all ages and experiences and can offer a range of services. Whether it’s a cut and blowdry, colouring, make-up or a quick wash and finish you’re after, they’re sure to be able to help. Pop up and have a look for yourself. This is a proudly independent, unpretentious, family and dog friendly salon, happy to create the style you like.

They use Matrix, Muk and Moroccan Oil products, and prices are from £20.

15 Old Bond Street, Bath BA1; 01225 337245; www.bobbymak.com

WELLNESS MASSAGE BY CLARINS *NEW* CLARINS Wellness Treatments promote a feeling of infinite well-being for the body and mind, leaving your skin looking more radiant and soothed.

Book a Wellness massage in June and receive a FREE Clarins gift to take home

POPULAR TREATMENTS AT FRONTLINESTYLE INCLUDE: Blow dry bar • Massage • Facials • Lashes • Caci Synergy • IPL & Electrolysis • Waxing • Nails • Footlogix • Wigs

BOOK ONLINE www.frontlinestyle.co.uk. Late night opening 4/5 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2AJ • 01225 478478 • 11 Broad Street, Wells BA5 2DJ • 01749 672225

20% off any service*

*introductory offer

Open Tues – Sat. Open until 7pm Thurs.

Late appointments available upon request

20%

Student Discount Tuesday – Friday

01225 337245 15 Old Bond St, Bath BA1 1PB

www.bobbymak.com

AN INDEPENDENT MEDISPA IN THE HEART OF BATH SPECIALISING IN AESTHETIC AND BEAUTY TREATMENTS

Lower Ground Suite, 3 Miles's Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2QS info@enhancemedispa.co.uk | 01225 422851 | www.enhancemedispa.co.uk Open Monday to Saturday - By appointment only

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CLAIRE BROWN

Emily Mander Hair

FRONTLINESTYLE Hair Salon and Beauty Spa

PARKS HAIRDRESSing

Relax, unwind and de-stress in this beautiful first floor salon, overlooking Milsom Street in the heart of Bath. Claire and her team provide the latest hair cutting and colouring techniques, alongside the industry’s latest must-have products, leaving you feeling a million dollars. But they don’t stop there. They understand their client’s needs and offer a full beauty package, all whilst having your having your hair revamped.

At Claire Brown Hair Salon they ensure they offer clients the best of the best at all times. From Wella Professional, Olaplex and ColorWOW, to Nail Harmony Gelish and the award winning HD Brows, the brands speak for themselves. Also located in the salon is award winning Microblading and SemiPermanent makeup artist, and aesthetician, Lena Shackell. Her professionalism and love for her work makes her the best in town.

This is, they say, perhaps Bath’s best-kept secret.

29 Milsom Street, Bath, BA1 1DG; 01225 462112; www.clairebrownhairsalon.com

Frontlinestyle is a multi-award winning family business, rated 5 in the Good Salon Guide, offering a wide array of hair and beauty treatments for men and women – perfect for everyday pampering or a special occasion. This luxury Grade II listed treatment spa, spread across three floors in central Bath, is renowned for its state of the art facilities and highly trained team of stylists and therapists.

The friendly and polite team include a Master Colour Expert (the hair industry’s colour elite), specialists in hair and scalp concerns, as well as a wigs specialist offering a discreet and private wig fitting service. Expert beauty therapists offer the very latest, award-winning CACI Synergy non-surgical facelift, IPL permanent hair reduction and skin rejuvenation aswell as a huge range of specialist facials, massages, nails, lashes, electrolysis, waxing and slimming. All using the finest products and highest levels of hygiene.

4-5 Monmouth St, Bath BA1 2AJ; 01225 478478; www.frontlinestyle.co.uk

Known for her effortless beach waves and naturally sun-kissed highlights, Emily uses advanced colour techniques that allow your colour to last between 3-6 months.

Emily established herself on the Gold Coast in Australia, working and educating alongside some of the best hairdressers in the world. There she curated innovative techniques that she uses today to create that effortless beach hair we all love.

Now living back in the UK, her aim is to educate other stylists by running various colour workshops and private educations, bringing the Australian hair culture to the UK. To see emily in salon at Number Three or to attend one of her workshops/private education, book through her website www.emilymanderhair.com emilymanderhair

Parks Hairdressing is a city centre standard salon in the suburb of Oldfield Park, which opened in May 2011. It offers superb hairdressing, quality service and value for money. At Parks you will receive a friendly but professional welcome in relaxing surroundings, where you can enjoy the complimentary refreshments. The team offers specialists in all aspects of hairdressing, so whether you are after bespoke colouring, hair extensions, barbering or hair up for your special day, they have it covered. Best of all, they are currently offering £5 off when spending over £30, and £10 off when spending over £50.

Call 01225 448887 or book online at www.parkshairdressing.co.uk; Email : info@ parkshairdressing.co.uk

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Bath Dental Clinic provides bespoke Specialist Restorative Dentistry and Specialist Children’s Dentistry in our state-of-the-art surgeries in central Bath.

To arrange an initial consultation, please call 01225 333848 or visit bathdentalclinic.co.uk Saturday appointments available.

Catharine Cottage, 21 Catharine Place, Bath BA1 2PS

Tel: 01225 333848 | Email: reception@bathdentalclinic.co.uk | www.bathdentalclinic.co.uk

Summer 2019 Workshops Join us for these inspiring workshops in June.

THE WISEST PART OF YOU A Journey weaving together crystal sound, movement and energy work. With Kamala Mann Saturday 15th June 2.00 – 4.30pm: £30

108 SUN SALUTATIONS & CHANTING FOR SUMMER SOLSTICE With Tim Chalice & Simona Hernandez Friday 21st June 2019, 7.00–9.00pm: £25

INTO THE LIGHT YOGA IN THE PARK With Simona Hernandez at Henrietta Park, Bath To celebrate DHI's 20th anniversary and to raise money for their vital work.

Sunday 23rd June 2019, 9.45am–11.15am Minimum donation £13

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Bath Circuit Training

Nick Mitchell has been in the fitness industry for 25 years, and has been teaching this class for an incredible 20 years! “We like to think that he makes his classes friendly, fun and easy to follow,” say the guys here. “We welcome everybody right from the start, and make an effort to get to know your name, which makes you feel included from your first visit. With weekly circuit training and pilates classes local to Bath, you will be able to find something that fits. We provide great value for money, and with discounts for block bookings you can’t go wrong.” Bi-annual luxury glamping fitness retreats in March and September available.

07886 786508; www.bathcircuittraining.co.uk

bath pilates

Bath Pilates Academy is a well established Pilates school teaching Pilates in various venues around Bath. It was founded

by Margo Singleton, who decided to start teaching it when she discovered the personal benefits of Pilates, which helped relieve her own back and shoulder injuries.

Pilates practice can help you become more flexible, improves posture and helps tone the body. Margo believes that classes should be enjoyable and instructive, and she teaches in a positive and friendly helpful way. There are no more than 12 people in any class, so that everyone can benefit from individual correction if required. Alternatively, you could book a one-to-one for individual attention in your own home.

Margo is a qualified Franklin Method spine and pelvis educator. Franklin Method uses Dynamic Neuro-cognitive ImageryTM and techniques which creates lasting change in your body and mind. This method uses scientifically proven tools used by many top athletes and sports people with success, and some of these tools are incorporated into her classes.

If you’d like to start changing your movement practice today, book a lesson on 07939 994757 or email info@ bathpilatesacademy.uk; www.bathpilatesacademy.uk Find Bath Pilates Academy on Facebook

BYM FItness

The professional yet private BYM Fitness studio is Bath’s most exclusive and original ladies-only gym.They work closely with their clients in a realistic way to help them achieve and maintain a sustainable level of fitness and a lifestyle appropriate to them.

BYM Fitness offers an innovative yet personal approach to training, based on feeling good both physically and mentally.

Nutrition and lifestyle choices play an enormous part in the training process, and they create workouts and nutrition plans to complement one another. Training options include boxing, spinning, strength training, pre- and postnatal exercise and HIIT. Whether it’s one-to-one or in a group, you will be working with expert trainers striving to help you meet your goals.

Hillcroft, Lansdown Road, Bath BA1 5TD 07789 712405/07767 895246; www.bathyummymummies.co.uk

BETTER leisure

Finding the motivation to start a new fitness routine can be difficult. However, Better leisure centres in Bath have a great variety of fitness classes to keep or get you back into shape in a fun, social setting. You can settle the mind with yoga, let loose with Zumba, or drop by at a time that completely suits you to choose one of the 800 on-demand classes available at Better Bath Sports and Leisure Centre’s virtual studio.

As a social enterprise, Better is committed to providing access to great community facilities at a price everyone can afford, and they reinvest any financial surplus made back into its services and facilities. So far, Better has reinvested over a £100m. www.better.org.uk/banes

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COSMETIC ACUPUNCTURE Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture points and modern day understanding of cell renewal. This celebrity endorsed treatment aims to…

• Reduce fine lines & wrinkles • Rejuvenate & Brighten skin • Increase collagen • Increase elasticity of skin We recommend a course of six treatments, but clients often see results after just one.

To Book Call

01225 422851 @jlw_cosmeticacupuncture

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CLASS – Boutique Fitness

Join the culture of health and movement at Bath’s Riverside by popping down to CLASS, the city’s latest boutique fitness studio to open its doors. Their unique combination of complementary exercise classes includes high intensity bootcampstyle Turn & Burn™, Primal Patterns™ (a fun and dynamic bodyweight movement class) and various restorative forms of yoga. Co-founder Rob Suchet says, “It’s all about providing balance in your training, in order to achieve the broadest type of fitness.” They’ve also brought-in Vital Cafe to offer healthy snacks, salads, wraps and recovery smoothies, which are ready for collection straight after class. With monthly membership from £37, no joining fee and no contract, CLASS is making it hard not to say ‘yes’ to a healthy lifestyle.

Ground Floor, Sovereign Point, Bath Riverside, Bath, BA2 3GJ; 01225 302812; info@class-bath.co.uk; www.class-bath.co.uk

FLY Fitness

FLY is Bath’s brand new, luxury boutique gym, located in the heart of our great city at 3-4 Bath Street.

Placing emphasis on both wellness and fitness, FLY offers signature classes using the latest techniques, as well as a team of experienced personal trainers. If you’d prefer to go it alone, an open gym kitted out with the latest cardio and strength training equipment is accessible at any time.

FUELD, based within the FLY building, also offer a unique menu made up of delicious, nutritious (but still affordable) food.

To join FLY, buy a weekly trial-pass or take a tour, go to flyfitness.co.uk or call them on 01225 466058

F45 BATH

With it’s zero contract requirement, delivering complete freedom of choice. In just under five years F45 has become the world’s fastest growing fitness phenomenon..

Why? Quite simply because it guarantees results. It’s technology driven and tremendous fun with a great atmosphere, having been designed for those who value their time and who like to train alongside like-minded people. F45’s slogan – ‘Team Training - Life Changing’ – is no coincidence.

There are no age restraints. F45 works for everyone, irrespective of their ability. Each session – there are 8 a day to choose from, including at weekends – lasts exactly 45 minutes.

There are two dedicated PTs per session to motivate, correct form, and help everyone through.

If you went every day for a month, you would never do the same session or exercise, which is the secret to F45’s success.

Your Bath Family F45 is in the centre of town, yet still offers great parking.

F45, 7 Avon Street, Bath BA1 1UN; 07570 057696 or 07776 658319. Follow us: f45bath; f45_training_bath email: bath@f45training.co.uk. There is a 14-day experience for you to try; www.f45training.co.uk/bath/experience

Health Bath

HEALTH is Bath’s leading independent personal training business. The private studio is small but perfectly formed, incognito behind frosted glass and a coded entry system, immediately behind the iconic Royal Crescent. Inside you’ll discover a cornucopia of kit and equipment, gorgeous showers/ changing facilities, and friendly welcoming staff. While it may look and feel a boutique hotel, the team at HEALTH are serious about getting you the results you deserve. Everyone sees the Nutritional Therapist and receives a bespoke nutrition plan before starting any training, and your workouts are designed from scratch with detailed support and hi-tech monitoring every step of the way. If you’re serious about investing in your health and body shape, then HEALTH is the place for you. www.health-bath.co.uk; info@health-bath.co.uk; 01225 465111

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Aquae Sulis Dental is a private Dental Practice in Bath. Highly experienced in a wide range of dental procedures including dental implants, we offer a service that puts you and your needs first. In addition to dentistry, we also provide our clients with a full portfolio of facial aesthetics treatments.

The Aquae Sulis team is led by Ian Bellamy, who many of our patients’ credit with breaking a lifetime of dental-phobia. His patient-centric style has won the loyalty of patients in Bath for two decades and the team he has built here shares the same passion for making a difference through gentle dentistry.

Treatments include:

        

Dental Implants Teeth Whitening Veneers, Crown and Bridges General Dentistry Sedation for Anxious Patients Facial Aesthetics Anti-wrinkle Therapy Dermal Fillers Snoring & Sleep Apnoea

Aquae Sulis Dental, Station Court, Ashley Avenue, Bath BA1 3DS Free parking outside the practice

01225 339 767 | info@aquaesulisdental.co.uk | www.aquaesulisdental.co.uk

ALLERGY TESTING Feeling unwell? May I help you?

ARE YOU FIT INSIDE AND OUT?

uk co. st. yte erg all w. ww

Headaches & migraine, tiredness & fatigue, weight problems, eczema or other skin problems, asthma, catarrh & sinus congestion, IBS & digestive disorders, anxiety & depression.

If you suffer with any of the above complaints, an hour’s test could change your life!

For your nearest tester please contact Cindy on 07747 800097 or 01934 824056, or email allergytesting@churchviews.co.uk

Now testing at Lansdown Clinic, Bath BA1 5EE www.allergytest.co.uk

Luxury & local The most sophisticated audience is just a call away

✆ 01225 475800

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luthertraining

Luthertraining is all about longevity and simplicity. They focus on how well your body performs and teaches you how to move, through a wide range of mindful skills and challenges that keep you feeling at your best, both mentally and physically. Adam's approach to strength and mobility derives from his own practice of calisthenics, gymnastics, martial arts, handbalancing, yoga, traditional weightlifting, surfing, skiing/snowboarding and primal flow. There are many disciplines that are taught at Luthertraining that will help you to gain true strength, mobility and flexibility. Luthertraining has a refreshing, modern take on the fitness industry. Calorie counting, punishing exercise routines and image-based workouts are replaced by nourishment and movement. Adam will help you to reach your true potential, no matter your age or level.

07867972465; www.luthertraining.com

take charge bikes

Take Charge offers service and maintenance on all types of bikes, but anybody considering an electric bike is encouraged to pop along and try a demo bike. An electric bike works like a regular bicycle, but with power assistance when you want it. Take charge of your life – you too can really benefit from an electric bike. With the range of speciality e-bikes, you are sure to find a bike that can keep up with even the most demanding of tasks.

Trekking, mountain biking – in fact, all your road/off road adventures – become more fun with an electric bike. Off-street parking is available next to the shop or very nearby.

1 Victoria Buildings, Lower Bristol Road, Bath BA2 3EH; 01225 789568; www.takechargebikes.co.uk

Health, wellbeing and medical

Jessica Louise Wellness

Deep Connexions

It is sometimes difficult to understand why children struggle with their balance and co-ordination, to complete everyday tasks, learn new things or cope with new situations, as there seems to be no obvious explanation. The reasons for these struggles may be the continued presence of baby/primitive reflexes within the child’s central nervous system.

Neuro-Developmental Therapy (NDT) INPP Method is the assessment and diagnosis of physical factors that may underlie such specific learning difficulties, underachievements and behavioral problems. Many of these can be overcome by undertaking a daily movement programme of prescribed exercises designed to improve the physical maturity within an individual’s central nervous system. The programme is completely drug free, non-invasive and appropriate for children aged approximately 7 years and above.

The Equilibrium Natural Health Centre, 23 Leafield Way, Neston, Corsham, Wiltshire SN13 9RS; 07790 783280; www.deepconnexions.co.uk

Cosmetic acupuncture is derived from traditional Chinese medicine, popularised and endorsed by celebrities reported to use it, include Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow, Howard Donald and many more. This is a holistic and nonsurgical treatment that can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while sculpting and defining the face. The precise application of small, sterile acupuncture needles stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, filling out the lines and wrinkles, helping give clearer and smoother looking skin whilst leaving the individual feeling revitalised and refreshed.

This unique treatment can also help with acne and breakout scarring, dull or dry complexions, uneven skin tone and pigmentation issues. For a free consultation, please contact them.

For appointments, call Enhance Medispa on 01225 422851; for more information, @jlw_cosmeticacupuncture or call Jessica on 07800911435

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Yoga with Kate

10% off sweatshirts & first yoga class Use Code: BATHLIFEOM

allabouttheomyoga@gmail.com allabouttheom.yoga

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NEAL’S YARD REMEDIES

The Natural Therapy Rooms above Neal’s Yard Remedies offer a wide selection of therapies from experienced practitioners.

Their masseurs work holistically and will tailor the massage to suit you rather than do an identical treatment each time. You can also treat yourself to rejuvenating face massages or facials using Neal’s Yard Remedies products.

For more specific health problems they have Acupuncture, Osteopathy, and ‘Gentle spinal alignment’, as well as Herbal medicine, Naturopathy and Homeopathy.

Many of their practitioners are trained to work with pregnancy and preconception and some work with children.

Neal’s Yard Remedies attracts talented and committed practitioners. Therapists in the Natural Therapy Rooms have all gone through a thorough selection process and are well trained and insured.

11 Northumberland Place, Bath, BA1 5AR; 01225 466944; www.nealsyardbath.com

THE REFLEXOLOGY ROOM

The Reflexology Room is a Bathbased, therapeutic haven where you can retreat to rest, relax and rebalance.

Owner Hannah is a certified member of the Association of Reflexologists and trained in the Original Ingham Method of Reflexology.

Reflexology is a complimentary therapy that promotes better health, both physically and mentally, helping unblock areas of congestion that can cause our systems to become sluggish and promoting the body to rebalance itself to reach its optimum.

Reflexology can benefit people of all ages and supports pain management, stress, tension and anxiety alleviation, recovery from a sudden illness or an operation. It can also help with managing ongoing conditions or preparing for pregnancy.

07895 266165; Hannah@thereflexologyroombath.co.uk; www.thereflexologyroombath.co.uk

RADIANCE WELLBEING

Tucked away within the honeycomb of Bath’s meandering side streets, not far from the pulsating heart of the historic city centre, you will find Radiance Wellbeing, housed in a lovingly restored 480-year-old merchant’s building which, as its name suggests, radiates an exciting yet mellow vibe, amid beautiful artworks and murals by local artist Alex Lucas.

The layout, interior design and furnishings of Radiance Wellbeing create a sanctuary for the soul and a cocoon for the senses. Each therapy space is of a different design, between them featuring two twin-therapy spaces, roll-top baths, walk-in rain showers and snug, cosy corners to escape the stresses and strains of our hectic world. If you're seeking exceptional service, great value for money and treatments designed to bring out the very best in you, then they can’t wait to meet you.

2 New Bond St Place, Bath, BA1 1BH; 01225 975997; www.radiancewellbeing.co.uk

VERVE FESTIVAL

Tickets are now on sale for VERVE, a festival celebrating health, wellness and nature. Taking place on 7-8 September near Tisbury in Wiltshire, it offers inspiration, relaxation and a little healthy hedonism. “Set deep in the hills of the Cranborne Chase, surrounded by peaceful woodland, join our fantastic coaches and therapists for yoga, meditation, pilates, forest bathing and woodland workouts, or simply relax in our wild spa offering facials, hot stone treatments and sports therapies,” they say. “Our guest speakers will explore the latest ideas about sleep, nutrition, sex, relationships, breaking habits and building confidence, plus a dedicated children’s programme will introduce the joys of art, storytelling and bushcraft.”

There’s also food and shopping by local producers and makers, drinks and dancing under the stars on Saturday night, plus a luxury tented camp, making VERVE the perfect weekend retreat.

Use code: BATHLIFE for 10% off all ticket types.

07930 398 432; @vervefestival; www.feeltheverve.com

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BATH MASSAGE CLINIC MASSAGE THERAPY WITH INTEGRATED ENERGY HEALING

REMEDIAL, HOT STONES, THAI, PREGNANCY, TMJ AND SPORTS WWW.BATHMASSAGECLINIC.CO.UK 07525 936546 5 Bartlett St, Bath BA1 2QZ 01225 420 611 | ba1hair.co.uk

3 CHAPEL ROW, BATH, BA1 1HN

advertising feature Nutrition and diet

riverford

Riverford delivers organic veg boxes in and around Bath.

Their seasonal boxes of fruit and veg (named Observer Ethical Product of the Decade) will change the way you eat and live – you’ll eat more healthily and reduce the amount of plastic in your kitchen at the same time. Riverford grow the tastiest varieties of fruit and veg, and their organic methods make sure soil and wildlife are cared for.

Alan and Vicki Mowat run Riverford in Bath. They don’t charge for delivery, you don’t have to be at home when they deliver, and your orders are completely flexible and in your control. And they provide recipes in every box, so you’ll never be short of ideas for what to do with new varieties or old favourites.

01225 437438; alanandvicki@riverfordhomedelivery.co.uk; www.riverford.co.uk

Goodness Grazers

Grazing Platters are the next big thing in catering! Whether it’s a life celebration, or a business launch or meeting, Goodness Grazers is the preferred healthier catering choice.

At Goodness Grazers they bring people together in a casual, social dining way – with a visually tempting display of fresh and nutritious foods. Their eye-catching platters are made up of locally sourced produce – speciality cheeses, cured meats, antipasti, artisan breads, crackers, chutneys and relishes, dried fruits, nuts, sweet treats, crunchy crudite, and colourful fruits.

And with an emphasis on being eco-friendly, all their platters, plates and cutlery are bio-degradeable. This is healthy catering, with a consciousness – and a real feast for the eyes!

Email: hello@goodnessgrazers.co.uk; Instagram & Facebook: @goodness.grazers

Alexis Prior Nutrition

Our 40s is the perfect time for us to focus on our health, as it’s when health issues can start to come to the fore.

Maybe you’re feeling fatigued, bloated and low, or you’ve noticed your waistline expanding even though you’re exercising and eating the same things. Are IBS and perimenopausal symptoms getting you down?

By using a functional medicine approach, Alexis can help you identify the root causes of your health issues. She then personalises a nutrition and lifestyle plan to fit your lifestyle.

She supports women over 40 with hormone balance, thyroid, adrenal health, digestive health and autoimmune conditions, offering one-to-one consultations, group workshops, online programmes and a Hot Women private Facebook Group.

The Bath Practice, 26 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2AP; www.alexispriornutrition.com, or call 07909 732017

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Visit our tranquil therapy rooms, we have over 35 therapists practising in 5 beautiful treatment rooms…

Lucy Peel, MSc

Naturopath and Nutritional Therapist A highly qualified practitioner with 10 years’ experience, Lucy offers support with health issues including digestive complaints, hormone balance (including blood sugar balance), sleep, mood and anxiety and skin problems. Lucy will create a personal programme that is realistic for you and your lifestyle. Therapies in her naturopathic toolbox include: • Nutritional Therapy • Therapeutic Massage and Fascia work • Bach Flower Remedies • Reiki and Yoga • Lifestyle advice and stress management techniques.

CNHC Registered. lucy@naturopathyforhealth.co.uk www.naturopathyforhealth.co.uk

Kyle Packer (MSc; MTI; CNHC)

Medical & Holistic Massage Therapist Kyle specialises in deep tissue and trigger-point mobilisation with a foundation in Swedish massage.

He trained at the Bodyology School under an osteopath, and holds qualifications in anatomy, physiology and pathology. Using only organic products, his primary concerns are the relief of chronic pain, improved mobility and healing through relaxation. 10% off your first booking!

Practicing at Neal’s Yard on Sundays, Mondays and alternate Saturdays. www.stress-knot-kneaded.com 07446 845 107 01225 466 944

Sharon Rich

Holistic Therapist Offers a range of holistic therapies specializing in emotional support.

Holistic Massage (with or without essential oils), Reflexology, Reiki and Bach Flower Remedies. Also, available is a 90 minute Emotional Wellbeing Package for £70 combining a 30 minute Bach Flower Remedy consultation (inc. bespoke blend) with another therapy of your choice. Sharon practices in Bath at Neal’s Yard Remedies and on a mobile basis travelling to you. To find out how she can help you or to discuss a treatment Call: 07834 483953 www.sharonrich.co.uk

Maxine Kear

Solution Focused Hynotherapist With over 27 years experience, Maxine has worked with many people who live with or are aware of symptoms of Anxiety, Depression or Anger. These symptoms can manifest both mentally and physically.

With Bodywork (Massage), Health Kinesiology, Healing and Solution Focused Hypnotherapy she provides a safe, warm environment, empowering people to take control and with time and work create changes to bring balance, focus and calm into their lives.

07985976798 or www.maxinekearhypnotherapy.co.uk

11 Northumberland Place, Bath, BA1 5AR Call 01225 466944 to book | nealsyardbath.com

CLAIRE BROWN HAIR SALON F irs t Fl oor, 2 9 Mi l s om S tr eet, Ba th B A 1 1 D G 01 2 2 5 4 6 2 1 1 2 | i nf o@c l a i r ebr ow n . c o m www. c l ai reb ro w nh ai r sal o n. c o m

Madeleine Zagni

Works in central Bath at Neal’s Yard, the Bath Practice and from Stanton Prior. She practises: • Structural Integration/ Rolfing which over a series of sessions looks to adjust the guy ropes of your body, to improve posture, release restrictions, leaving you feeling aligned, with less pain and a greater ease of movement.

Great for old injuries and accumulative imbalances addressing the cause not just the symptoms.

• Sports massage • Remedial massage • 1 on 1 Yoga Tuition - useful for structural and physiological conditions. Have an assessment and a practise tailored precisely for your needs, and learn to BREATHE… www.mztherapy.com

VISIT OUR FRIENDLY BEAUTY SALON WITH A VARIETY OF QUALITY TREATMENTS INCLUDING NIMUE PEELS Stockists of Jane Iredale mineral cosmetics 4 Moorland Road, Bath BA2 3PJ | 01225 469090

www.planetbeautybath.co.uk

advertising feature SPAS

The Gainsborough Bath Spa

Originally built in the 1800s, The Gainsborough Bath Spa occupies two Grade II Listed buildings with distinguished Georgian and Victorian façades in the heart of the World Heritage Site of Bath. Named after the artist Sir Thomas Gainsborough, the luxury hotel is unique in the UK, in that it has the exclusive privilege of having access to the natural thermal, mineral-rich waters.

Tapping into the original thermal springs, the Spa Village Bath here offers a contemporary perspective on the city’s thermal water heritage. Coupled with the historic use of aromatherapy in Great Britain, this spa, set beneath a glass atrium within this Leading Hotel, gently supports the brand’s philosophy of honouring the healing traditions of the region.

Non-residents can also enjoy a choice of luxurious Spa Days which combine a spa treatment with bathing in the natural thermal waters and a spa lunch or afternoon tea.

Beau St, Bath BA1 1QY; 01225 358888; www.thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk

Royal crescent hotel and spa

The Spa & Bath House here is a luxurious haven tucked away at the end of the five-red-star hotel’s beautiful acre of gardens.

Gentle light from a chapel-style window dapples the relaxation pool, and the Himalayan sauna, steam room and vitality pool complete the soothing environment. There’s a modern gym for fitness enthusiasts, and decadent treatments for those seeking a little extra TLC. Finish your spa experience with a Champagne Afternoon Tea in the beautiful garden, soaking in the sunshine, birdsong and wonderful floral scents – sheer bliss.

16 Royal Crescent, Bath, BA1 2LS; 01225 823333; info@royalcrescent.co.uk; www.royalcrescent.co.uk

Spa 15 at No.15 Great Pulteney

No.15 Great Pulteney’s quirky spa is hidden beneath the pavements of the grandest street in Bath. A true haven for relaxation, with a personality all of its own, Spa 15 is the place to indulge all of the senses.

With a large cedar wood hot tub within exposed stone vaults, a barrel-shaped sauna, and separate steam room, Spa 15 is in keeping with No.15’s vivacious spirit and celebration of local up-and-coming artistic talent, and each of the four treatment rooms has been individually designed with art at its heart. With a Tapestry Room, Sock Room, Coral Room and Pottery Room, you’ll want to keep your eyes open while experiencing one of their wonderfully relaxing ila or Natura Bissé treatments.

15 Great Pulteney Street, Bath; 01225 807015; no15greatpulteney.co.uk/spa15

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa

Set in 500 acres of unspoilt parkland, ESPA at Lucknam Park will leave you feeling completely rejuvenated. Take a refreshing dip in the 20 metre indoor pool, unwind in the five thermal cabins and enjoy calming views of the arboretum from the hydrotherapy pool. Their award-winning facilities also include a salt water plunge pool, experience showers, ice bar and a social lounge with a skincare mixology bar. The highly trained therapists perform a range of personalised treatments using ESPA or Carita products. The adjoining Brasserie offers a seasonal a la carte menu in a stylish and contemporary setting.

Colerne, Chippenham, SN14 8AZ; 01225 742777; spa@lucknampark.co.uk; www.lucknampark.co.uk

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NUTRITIONAL THERAPY FOR WOMEN OVER 40 Do you need support with perimenopausal symptoms?

Are you literally a Hot Woman?

• Improve your energy, mood and manage hot flushes.

• Understand what’s going on in your body and take control of your health.

• 1:1 consultations – personalised perimenopause solutions including private laboratory testing, nutrition and lifestyle support.

• Fun and educational Hot Women group workshops in Bath and Corsham.

• Private Events for you and your friends from your own home • Free 30-minute exploratory call on 07909 732017 or email: alexis@alexispriornutrition.com

www.alexispriornutrition.com

£10 OFF

when spending over £50*

£5 OFF

when spending over £30*

45 MOORLAND ROAD, OLDFIELD PARK, BATH BA2 3PN 01225 448887 WWW.PARKSHAIRDRESSING.CO.UK *not to be used in conjunction with any other offer

advertising feature SPAS

The Bath Priory

Nestled within four acres of mature award-wining gardens and spacious terraces, The Bath Priory is part of the AA Hotel Group of the Year 2017-18, and sets itself apart as a peaceful haven in a bustling city. The Georgian house of honey-coloured Bath stone enjoys a tranquil location just a short walk from the city centre. Welcoming guests as if to a private home, The Bath Priory is where much of proprietors Andrew and Christina Brownsword’s private art collection adorns the walls.

To help you truly unwind, our Garden Spa by L’Occitane offers massages and a selection of luxurious treatments by the famous French skincare brand.

Weston Rd, Bath BA1 2XT; 01225 331922; www.thebathpriory.co.uk

Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa

The Aquarias Spa is a place to restore mind and body, to reset and recharge. The beautiful honey Cotswold stone building exudes a calming and relaxing environment that whispers ‘switch off’ as you walk through the doors.

Immerse yourself in experiences such as the indoor/outdoor hydrotherapy pool, or stretch out on the heated stone recliners, indulging in the therapeutic benefits of the salt scrub showers, Natura Bissé Pure Air bubble and thermal suite. It’s one of the most relaxing spa experiences you will find in the heart of the Cotswolds. Meanwhie, energise in the gym, fully equipped with cardio, weights and all the latest equipment.

“Pamper yourself, and experience one of our treatments, expertly delivered to provide the ultimate benefits and deliver results,” they say. “Relax, enjoy the space, enjoy the tranquillity and allow yourself the luxury of the time to unwind.”

Easton Grey, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 0RB; 01666 827070; www.whatleymanor.com

woolley grange

Woolley Grange has just launched Wellbeing Days & Stays for teams of six or more. The day includes meeting room hire, mid-morning coffee and healthy snacks, a two-course seasonal lunch (using kitchen garden produce), a two-hour wellbeing and yoga session in the yurt, afternoon tea/coffee and cake, and full use of the hotel grounds for relaxing walks and talks. For the Wellbeing Stay, add in dinner, bed and breakfast, full use of the spa, pools, steamroom and sauna, and, if required, childcare in the Woolley Bears Den. To enquire, call Vicky on 01225 864705 or email events@woolleygrangehotel.co.uk.

Woolley Green, Bradford-on-Avon, BA15 1TX; 01225 864705; www.woolleygrangehotel.co.uk

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advertising feature YOGA

shen yoga

All about the Om

All About the Om yoga classes are all about giving you a moment to look after yourself and look inwards to see what you need – not to mention, have a really beautiful stretch! If you’re looking for a friendly yoga class, whatever your ability, All About the Om’s group and private classes, taught by Kate, are designed to be enjoyable and give you a chance to be you.

Don’t worry if you think you need to have a headstand mastered, or that you must be able to touch your toes – you really don’t. Whatever point you’re at today, it’s exactly where you need to be and it’s the best starting point. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about turning up and giving yourself some precious ‘me time’. allabouttheomyoga@gmail.com; allabouttheom.yoga all_about_the_om

bath massage clinic

At Bath Massage Clinic, a new venture just off Queen Square, they know all about stress. Life stress, to be exact – what it is, and how it affects the human body.

And connected to that understanding is a deep desire from Debra and her team of experienced therapists to help you swish that stress away. Creating, in the process, a calmer, healthier, more joyous version of you.

Whether you melt into a gorgeous, immune system-boosting restorative massage, or enjoy an anxiety-quelling homeopathic consultation, Debra and her team are on hand, with a range of therapies to help reboot, refresh and reset your soul. And as Debra’s massage is combined with sumptuous integrated energy healing, why fight it? Just try it!

3 Chapel Row,Bath BA1 1HN; 07525 936546; www.bathmassageclinic.co.uk

Sophie Shenstone is a mother, a gardener, musician, lover of language and philosophy, and an established yoga teacher and holistic massage therapist, with 19 years of teaching and Shiatsubased body work in Bath and around. Blending creative breathflow, core strength and meditative enquiry, her classes acknowledge the seasonal shifts and encourage students to ignite their inner wisdom. Sophie has also taught pre- and postnatal yoga since 2004, including Shiatsu for labour.

She runs yoga/wilderness retreats too, where you can expect to find yourself meditating in the forest and sleeping under canvas. Yoga is a tool for navigating life’s turbulent waters. It provides an inner compass and a safe sanctuary during times of anxiety and confusion, with regular top-ups of stress-busting mind/body maintenance, minus the side effects of prescription drugs! She has recently completed an intensive training with TeenYoga, carrying the torch for bringing yoga into mainstream education.

07867 578797; www.shenyoga.co.uk

Yoga Bodhi

Having celebrated their 10th anniversary on 11th May this year, Yoga Bodhi is more than just a yoga space. “We have created a warm, quiet and light yoga space in the heart of Bath,” says owner Simona Hernandez, “Join us for yoga classes, special events and guest teacher workshops. We offer yoga classes in a range of styles suitable for all, from beginners to advanced students and from gentle yoga to dynamic vinyasa practice. We have two spacious studios with varied classes running every day, a communal space to have tea and chat and changing rooms.

Yoga Bodhi has all the yoga mats and props you will need, so you only need to bring yourselves. We are in the centre of Bath, five minutes walk from The Podium car park.”

8 Bartlett Street, Bath BA1 2QZ; 01225 464848; www.yogabodhi.co.uk

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We specialise in showstopping Grazing Platters and Picnic Boxes. It’s casual, sociable dining at its finest!

Let us cater for your next corporate or celebration event hello@goodnessgrazers.co.uk | www.goodnessgrazers.co.uk

A Bath-based therapeutic haven where you can retreat to rest, relax and rebalance. Reflexology is a complimentary therapy that can benefit people of all ages and improve wellbeing.

Please quote code Bathlife01 to receive 15% discount from your first treatment

07895 266165 | hannah@thereflexlogyroombath.co.uk www.thereflexologyroombath.co.uk

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Swashbuckling hair Welcome to BLACK SAILS BARBER SHOP …

B

lack Sails Barber Shop was created

by Paul Taylor-Clinch and Andrew Scammell who, between them, share 40 years of barbering experience. Paul and Andrew first worked together at Andrew's award-winning Scammells Barber Shop in Bristol, before Paul spent two years working at the world-famous Schorem Barbers in Rotterdam.

During visits to Rotterdam, the pair planned their collaboration on Paul’s return to the UK. While working at Schorem, tonsorial artist Paul travelled all over Europe showcasing his skills at hair and fashion shows on stage – also recently working at Granada studios, cutting hair behind the scenes for the period gangster epic TV series Peaky Blinders. Paul is also an international educator for the hair brand Reuzel, teaching and showing barbers his years of knowledge in the craft all over the world. During his time at Schorem, Paul became known as Pirate Paulus, which led to the creation of Black Sails Barber Shop.

Black Sails Barber Shop is the place to go for the discerning gentleman and his sons. Choose from individually crafted haircuts to suit each customer, be it a classic cut to something more modern, to hot towel luxury shaves and quality beard grooming using only the finest oils, balms and pomades. There’s also a wide range of hair and beard products from Reuzel & Mariner Jack available to purchase. Black Sails is also sponsored by T.W Steel watches, Reuzel hair pomade, and Mizutani scissors. All services are by appointment only as they know your time is a premium.

Black Sails looks forward to welcoming you soon. ■

15 Lark Place, Bath BA1 3BA 01225 287839 blacksailsbarbershop.nearcut.com

A modern look using Reuzel grey to create beautiful texture through the layers and a strong silhouette

Left: Razor fade executive contour with Reuzel green.

Right: Using Reuzel pink and white combo, this classic Greek lightning inspired haircut by Paul at a class in Norwich

We offer a wide range of services. From shaping and felling, to light pruning and complete removal of large trees.

We use the latest machinery and always leave your gardens and worksites clean and tidy.

PROTECTED TREES OF BATH The historic importance and architectural beauty of the City of Bath means that it is one of the biggest Conservation Areas in the UK, covering almost three quarters of the city.

It’s not only the listed buildings of Bath that are situated in the city’s Conservation Areas – there are a great number of trees as well.

This means that as local tree surgeons, West Country Tree Services Ltd are knowledgeable and well-versed in the laws pertaining to trees in conservation areas and those subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) If you are looking for qualified, professional and reliable tree surgeons in Bath and surrounding areas, then look no further.

Stump Removal means you benefit from:  No future management  No regrowth  Space for other land use e.g. planting, landscaping or building  No safety hazard  Reduce the source for pests or pathogen

T: 01225 345137 M: 07759 205453 E: enquiries@westcountrytreeservices.co.uk westcountrytreeservices.co.uk

THE BEST VAN FOR THE JOB SARAH MOOLLA visits the Gower and is persuaded to try out the California VW camper van along the way

122 I bath LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

great escapes

A

opposite page, top to bottom: Setting up the

Sunkissed Camper’s home at the Oxwich Bay Campsite; with the bell tent option, Stuart has included gorgeous extras; the stunning Oxwich Bay coastline this page, top to bottom: Beach frolics; the California with the awning extended; a sleek interior; the fire pit is the perfect option for both food and warmth

s soon as there’s a whisper of sunshine, the upbeat chatter starts.

“Be great if we had a camper van,” the other half says. “Imagine it, throwing a few essentials in a van for a spontaneous weekend roadtrip to watch a sunset in Scotland.” I frown and shake my head because I’m actually imagining traffic jams, narrow lanes with incoming tractors, sat navs with no signal, rowing on a B-road until we have to pull over in a layby for a night of terrible sleep in a confined space where sticky food has been spilt. Hands up, I’m a negative Nellie by nature. It’s the open road meets a closed mind.

However, when the chance came to try out a California VW camper van from Sunkissed Campers in Bath for our annual camping trip to the Gower, my hesitancy was railroaded by a “If you don’t, then I may never speak to you again”. Also, in fairness (or unfairness, depending on your view point), our young teen boys chimed in. “A camper van? Woah! That sounds sick!” Long of limb, short of temper, few of words, and easily bored, their response swayed me.

As the years go by, where once the promise of boules on the beach, and burgers on the barbecue was enough to cause a meltdown of fizzy joy, now it’s a roll of the eyes, a grunt and a grump, followed by a Fortnite update panic.

So before you could say “Will there be wi-fi?” we were off to Oxwich Bay in a bright red automatic California Ocean VW. One of my concerns was the size and manoeuvrability of a camper van, as we have a smallish, manual car. However, this was amazingly easy to control, sharp and light, even navigating those winding Gower lanes. Oncoming tractor? No problem – use the visual sensors to reverse. Also, the increased space in the van was delightful. So much so, we couldn’t hear the boys bickering. Then we realised they weren’t. They were as comfortable and chilled as they would have been on the home sofa.

On arrival at Oxwich Bay Campsite, instead of discovering a torn groundsheet, a lost mallet and not enough pegs, it was handbrake on, roof up, beer located, and we’re done. Normally there would be hours of trying to unpack all the essentials I’d insisted we bring to cover all eventualities, but this baby really did have everything built in. There’s the 42-litre fridge, stainless steel sink with fresh running water, twin burner hob, and masses of easy-access storage. This isn’t even covering all the cute and smart kitchen extras that Stuart, who owns Sunkissed Campers, has cleverly incorporated (think doll’s house but with a practical twist).

I could instantly see that the California would cope with the four of us comfortably for the holiday.

The (heated) front captain seats swivel round, and the reclining rear bench seat slides back to transform from driving position to a great-sized living space with a pull-out table. And then, later,

“Now we’re all California dreaming about the next trip” a two-up, two-down bedroom. We had one minor hiccup: when we couldn’t slide the rear seat back, but Stuart is amazing – he texts back with exact instructions in under a minute. Turns out we were being a bit too ginger and gentle; Stuart assured us these machines are robust and built to last.

We also had opted to use the bell tent and the fire pit. Both were a beautiful revelation. The bell tent was up in seconds, and was large enough to house us all, even standing up. The fire pit delivered perfectly cooked food and evening outdoor heat, as well as a flickering, enchanting epicentre to our evening.

There are so many touches, both integrated and those that Stuart has added to the camper van experience, that had us all swooning. The foldaway chairs, the awning, outdoor table, the rugs, cutlery, a coffee pot, tea lights, fairy lights, games and even a candelabra. There are no short cuts – it feels thoughtful, luxe and indulgent. Stuart has accessorised the California exactly as he would like it, and it’s this care and attention to detail that guarantees an instant holiday vibe, camping cred, and sure-fire Instagrammability.

It all made for one of the most relaxing breaks we’d ever had. And the backdrop of Oxwich Bay, with its sweeping, broad butterscotch sands and huge expanse of turquoise seas backed by majestic dunes and beautiful woodlands, meant we had no need to search out (or spend extra money on) other things to do. The evenings were spent enjoying the fire pit burgers with cold drinks from the fridge, and, when the chill set in, we did a few rounds of cards in the van while listening to tunes from the Bluetooth sound system. And bedtime – thanks to insulated window blinds, integrated lighting and a programmable heater – was a dream, to the extent that, now, this negative Nellie is a VW weekend warrior convert and would use one for family trips, festivals, and for those get-away-from-it-all moments. Hiring the Sunkissed Camper van has been a real tonic for all of us, and now we’re all California dreaming about the next trip.

Travel details The cost of hiring a VW California from Sunkissed Campers starts from £95 per day for a minimum of three days, and includes fully comprehensive insurance for one driver, unlimited mileage, and 24-hour roadside assistance For more: Sunkissed Campers, Weston Garages Bath, 1-2 High Street, Bath; 01225 330106; www.sunkissedvwcampervanhire.co.uk

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businessinsights b at h g e t s s e r i o u s Andrew Grant: shaping the way the future feels across the country, and often internationally too SPONSORED BY:

The Hot Seats

The Green Man Andrew Grant – founder and director of landscape architect Grant Associates of Milk Street, wedged in between Bath College and the Odeon – has been picked as part of an influential new Design Group by the guys at the National Infrastructure Commission.

What’s this mean? Well, he’ll be championing design excellence in every new national project, with – because of his speciality – supporting biodiversity a big part of his brief; other Design Group experts

Bath-based Hansford Furniture has come up with a new wrought iron, coil-spring rocking chair, designed for the garden – it’s based on something co-founder Giles Withers came across Elegant for garden outside a bar in furniture, isn’t it?

Williams, Arizona during a US road trip.

“It’s the gentle rocking motion that makes them so relaxing,” he says, and since nobody in the UK was offering similar, he and pal James Samuels decided to make their own. Now available in black, green and duck egg blue, you can buy them at events, on eBay and through the website below.

For more, www.hansfordfurniture.com (Not that Mr Whiskers seems too impressed)

will concentrate on transport, architecture and the like.

“In the context of global actions on climate change, biodiversity loss, human migration and massive urbanisation, landscape planning and design is fundamental,” Andrew says. Two current projects he’s working on in parallel: Curzon Street railway station in Birmingham for HS2, and a masterplan for Castellana Norte, the new district being created in northern Madrid.

For more, www.grant-associates.uk.com

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS

SUPER FLY This is Chris Walker-Hebborn, an ex-Olympic swimmer – he won silver in a relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics and gold in backstroke at the 2014 Commonwealth Games – now working as a personal trainer at FLY Fitness, a new city centre gym near Thermae Bath Spa. He’s also part of a judging panel – alongside Bath Rugby’s Chris Cook and Jamie Barrow, Britain’s fastest snowboarder – who’ll be selecting two deserving Bath types to get a free 12-month membership to FLY. To nominate a friend, or for more on this, go to the website below.

For more, FLYFitness.co.uk/nominations

So popular, they’ve brought it back!

GARDEN STATE OF MIND Chris takes it to the streets

Not just your normal coach trip…

SILK SHAKERS This isn’t your normal Royal Crescent-snapping coach trip, but instead a delegation of Chinese journalists, cultural representatives and other movers and shakers, who recently toured the city as part of a bonding exercise between local businesses and the vast Chinese market, organised by Yang Ding, founder of Bath-based New Silk Route Digital. “Bath’s a very pretty city,” said Li Li, president of the UK China Northeast Association, “and our members thoroughly enjoyed every second of the trip.”

For more, newsilkroute.co.uk

You may have noticed that the big, occasionally windswept area in the middle of the SouthGate shopping centre is looking rather more engaging than normal, as this summer’s bringing-the-country-to-thecity installation ups the green content radically. Named Secret Garden, it sees the return of the successful flower archways on St Lawrence Street North and St Lawrence Street South, but now adds to it 20 wicker dragonflies and butterflies.

Even more striking is that you can now soak up the sun in ‘pocket parks’, which see mounded lawns, apple tree planters, giant parasols and assorted pieces of art (including totem poles, a shadow lantern and a wall of writing, all created following literacy workshops with local schoolchildren and featuring words associated with the city) transport the area into a real Teletubbiesstyle playground.

“We want to be known for our stunning summer installations,” says centre manager Guy Henderson, “and the Wisteria Walkway went down so well last year that we decided to build on the botanical theme.”

For more, www.southgatebath.com

SPONSORED BY:

BATH SPORTS NEWS Where Bath gets its sweat on

business insiGHTS

Business matters Diary

Movers and shakers etc

From networking breakfasts to all-day affairs, we’ve got the courses and classes to help your business flourish 12 June FSB Business Masterclass Subtitled ‘Boost Your Business with Facebook’, this Federation of Small Businesses event is all about kicking on with your company’s online presence, key to both productivity and reaching new customers and clients. 10am-12pm; £15; Bath Racecourse; www.fsb.org.uk 24 June Small Business Bootcamp, Somerset This free one-day course aimed at beauty professionals sees Inverness hair salon owner and business coach Caroline Sanderson share digital and Facebook marketing tips and more; particularly suited to hair, beauty, MUA and spa types, we reckon. 10am-4pm; free£18.72; location TBA; www. facebook.com/carsanderson

Eboni (left) and Serena: luckily, a gold medal will pair very nicely with their outfits

The Call Up

You may well recognise Eboni Usoro-Brown – a past Bath Life Big Interview face – and her co-captain at Team Bath Netball, Serena Guthrie, but their profiles were recently raised yet again when they were named in the 12-strong England Roses squad for this summer’s Vitality Netball World Cup in Liverpool. Both played key roles in last year’s historic Commonwealth Games success for the Roses, and Blue & Gold Superleague Head Coach Anna Stembridge believes they can add another gold to their collection when the tournament takes place in Liverpool this July. “There are some seasoned athletes in the England squad, and I genuinely believe they will win the gold medal,” she says. “I think they will do themselves proud and their country proud.” That, of course, we knew.

For more, www.teambath.com/sport/netball

25 June Business ExChange’s Big breakfast Guest speaker James Read of digital agency Giant Peach is guest speaker at this networking event, based around the idea of ‘Going Green’ – James won the Absolute Carbon Reduction category at The Planet Mark Awards 2018. 7.30-9am; £22.12; Cumberwell Park Golf Club, Bradford on Avon; tbebathandsomerset.co.uk 3 July Business Essentials for New Businesses An excellent one-day starter workshop for new BANES businesses, part of a series of Council and EU-funded courses, this one covering planning your business, marketing it, tax issues and more. 9.30am-5.30pm; free; Bath and Country Club, Queen’s Parade; www.bathandcountyclub.com

Justin Marking and Jane CronwrightBrown of Savills at the 2019 RESI

Special agents

Well done to these guys: Savills won UK Sales Agency of the Year and Letting Agency of the Year at the 2019 RESI Awards – the residential property Oscars – at glitzy Grosvenor House in London’s West End. “These awards are testament to how hard everyone is working in residential sales, residential development sales and lettings throughout the country,” said Justin Marking, head of global residential.

For more, www.savills.co.uk

In the zone

Novia Financial, the Bath-based wealth management firm, has seen operating profits leap by a whopping 72.5 per cent for the year ending 31 December, 2018, with revenues up over 11 per cent; sales and assets under management are up too. “It represents an extremely resilient performance under difficult trading conditions,” says chief exec Bill Vasilieff, “and we’re are delighted to report that our new online external web portal, Adviser Zone, has been successfully implemented and well received in the market, too.”

For more, novia-financial.co.uk

Back for good

Jane Bamford-Graham, a lawyer who started her career as a trainee at Bath law firm Stone King, has returned to the company as an associate solicitor on the family team. Elsewhere at Stone King, Hannah Brittain has been promoted to senior associate while Sarah Clarke and Simon Stone have been promoted to associate solicitor.

For more, www.stoneking.co.uk Jane BamfordGraham

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business insiGHTS

though, and the most important thing is to keep it varied, keep it interesting, keep it challenging, keep it fun – and keep it simple. ‘Simple’ does not mean easy, it means don’t over complicate things. We haven’t got time to follow long, detailed workout programmes full of sets and reps, or counting calories on every meal. But a few exercises done well, until you’re ready to progress, will relieve stress – not add to it!

one to watch

Adam Luther runs Luthertraining, a very different sort of personal trainer set-up, where movement is very much in, and weight machines are very much out…

How’s life, Adam?

Really good, thank you. After years of planning Luthertraining and talking Luthertraining, I’m finally doing it! The business operates from my home in Box, and I like to think I specialise in not specialising. By this, I mean that I have a diverse approach to training. For over two decades, I have dabbled in all sorts of different activities and disciplines – calisthenics, gymnastics, kung fu, traditional weightlifting, yoga, jump rope, hand balancing, primal flow, Qigong, Thai chi and meditation – and I was hugely into surfing, snowboarding and skating, too.

Sounds very varied…

A session with me can be adjusted to suit the more competent athlete, who wants to learn how to achieve advanced jump rope tricks or a freestanding handstand pushup, or a complete beginner who wants to learn strength and mobility basics.

My clients vary enormously in age and experience – at present, the youngest is 13 and the oldest 74. I train both men and women,

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often drawn to my approach after seeing my website, but they all want different things. Some want more energy, some want to work more on inner strength, and some on confidence and self belief. As a whole, though, they all want to feel stronger and more flexible.

It sounds very different to the traditional gym session…

Fortunately, movement is becoming more popular. People are starting to realise that being able to crawl, roll, swing, hang, jump, invert, rotate and so on is much more beneficial for your body and your mind than standing on a cross-trainer for an hour staring at a screen, or sitting on a bench watching yourself do bicep curls in the mirror. Minimal equipment is required.

Realistically, how much effort should we put in?

Two hours a week won’t get you much in return. I would recommend at least five, which – out of 168 – isn’t a huge amount.

Anything is better than nothing,

Is getting slim or muscular what we should really be aiming for?

Unfortunately this seems to be the case, especially for youngsters.

‘Beautiful’ reality TV stars and enhanced social media selfies don’t help the situation, so the majority of male gym users try to get bigger while the women try to get smaller. Men will consume way more protein than they actually need, often using substances to enhance muscle growth. Women, on the other hand, will consume fewer calories than they need, often running on empty. Both sexes are predominantly focusing on how they look without giving a thought to how they feel. Their physical and mental health suffers enormously.

So, what should we be doing?

Bodyweight strength and agility – while looking after your spine, taking care of your joints, and eating real food most of the time – will result in an all-round healthy lifestyle for anyone.

What do you say to people who genuinely don’t enjoy the gym?

I say, ‘Me too!’ Lots of gyms lack natural light and are full of conditioned air, and can be rather intimidating for people who aren’t sure what they should be doing.

And there are countless ways to be healthy without stepping foot in a gym – dancing, walking, boxing, climbing, trampolining – the list is endless. Just move and, if possible, do so while breathing in fresh air.

Is coming for a session or two with you a week enough?

I have someone who comes to me once every three weeks. He has no problem motivating himself, as he trains five days a week and has done for years. He wants to take things up a level and learn some challenging new skills, such as ‘human flag’ and ‘strict ring muscle ups’. I teach him the progressions he needs to work

on, and away he goes. At the same time, though, I also have a lady who sees me three times a week.

She wants to make some serious lifestyle changes, and has made a deal with herself that she won’t be doing any retail therapy until she feels the way she used to before she stopped loving herself. She openly admits that she is not motivated at all, so she’s made herself accountable and, by her own choice, paid me in advance for three months of full-time training. My goal is to teach her everything I know and help her make it a lifestyle, so that moving every day becomes just part of who she is. First we make our habits, and then our habits make us.

“simple doesn‘t mean easy” Tell us about the options.

I charge £50 for one hour of oneto-one, £75 for two-to-one. Or you can pay £225 for five sessions one-to-one, and £350 two-to-one. I may look into doing group sessions at some stage, but my main focus is to teach people how to move with good technique – I can just about watch two people well, but not 10. If I do eventually do group sessions, it will be with existing clients who have already been taught by me.

We’ve come along for a one-toone, then. What will happen?

I would first find out what you can and can’t do, and what you do and don’t enjoy. From here, I will tailor your sessions. My job is to teach you how to do a proper pull up, a proper push up and a proper squat. I know many people who have used gyms for years – or even had personal trainers – yet can’t do a pull up (or a modified version of) or a push up; some have never even done a squat!

It is imperative that we can all pull, push, squat and lift our own weight. Depending on your abilities and goals, I will also teach you how to handstand, how to skip, how to box, how to use gymnastic rings, how to lift weights and – of course – how important it is to eat real food.

Basically, I will teach you how to be a strong, confident, mindful mover – who will go on forever!

For more, www.luthertraining.com

ADVERTISING FEATURE

The Smart City Project

Allison Herbert, CEO of BATH BID, looks at the demographics of the people that visit Bath....

O

ne of our tasks at the Business Improvement District is to improve the quality of the business intelligence provided, and I’m pleased to announce that we have made a major step forward with the introduction of the Smart City Project. This is pioneering; indeed, Bath is the first city to develop this tool. We are delighted to be at the forefront of providing visitor insights for our business members in Bath.

In recent years the BID has shared weekly footfall and comparable sales data. The footfall counters are in ten locations and this allows us to identify which parts of the city are the busiest at which times of day – all of which can be compared to regional and national averages.

Over the next few months Bath BID will introduce the Smart City Project to city centre businesses to provide a much fuller understanding of those that visit Bath. The project will provide insights for businesses about the demographics of the people who arrive here, their interests, their spending patterns and where they come from.

The aggregated trends will be helpful in business planning and for organisations such as Bath BID, who use the information to understand the city’s performance and support Bath to be resilient in the face of a changing high street environment.

What we have learned from the first few months (Jan-Mar 2019) is the expenditure by both local people and those from further afield is significant. Residents living within 10km of the city centre accounted for 40% of the footfall and 59% of the total estimated spend of £450m in-store in the first quarter of the year (in BA1/BA2). In addition, local residents spent an additional, estimated £420m online.

The Smart City Project will facilitate better business decisions using the best information available. It will be interesting and important to collaborate with others to help make this happen; and we are looking forward to it. ■

www.bathheritagebuilding.co.uk info@bathheritagebuilding.co.uk

RESTORATIONS | EXTENSIONS REFURBISHMENTS | NEW BUILDS

Allison Herbert, CEO of Bath BID Third Floor, 21 Stall Street, Bath BA1 1QF 01225 430640 www.bathbid.co.uk

BUSINESS INSIGHTS

BATH LIFE AWARDS 2019

Plenty of businesses go out of their way to ‘keep it local’, but few with quite the verve and commitment of Helen Rich of Taste of Bath…

We’ve rarely had such an amazing reaction, Helen, as when you won your award…

Oh, it meant the absolute world! The shock, the emotion, the sheer elation – I’ll never forget that feeling! I’m Bath born and bred, building a business from scratch, and to be recognised for my hard work, endeavour and passion by 500 of Bath’s best was a massive personal achievement. Our business is passionately Bath-centric, focussing on linking small Bath producers with bigger Bath businesses. The Bath Life community is chock-full of clients, mentors and friends, and to share this moment with them moved me to tears.

Where do you keep the award?

It has pride of place in the office, sat right in front of my computer. Every

BUSINESS SERVICES WINNER SPONSORED BY

day it reminds me that winning a Bath Life Award was my dream, and that I managed to achieve that dream.

Why do you think you won?

The judging panel’s comments praised Taste of Bath for the way it connects businesses, and I think that’s really what it’s all about when it comes to business services. We’re determined to make a real contribution to our local community, and by offering a

business gifting service that exclusively celebrates incredible local produce, we’re not only promoting our family of brilliant small producers – and sharing Bath’s talents with the world – but we’re also giving bigger businesses an opportunity to support those small producers and celebrate their Bath roots. It’s a virtuous circle that benefits the city in so many ways.

What about Bath itself?

What sets you apart from rivals and colleagues, do you think?

“THERE’S NO DOWNSIDE TO WORKING WITH TASTE OF BATH”

That we’re offering something really fresh and exciting. Yes, there are many business gifting options out there, but – let’s be honest – a lot of them feature pretty generic gifts. Who really wants a branded stress ball? What Taste of Bath offers is a gift that the recipient will genuinely be excited to open, because everyone loves really good food and drink. This said, we also make sure we don’t get distracted from the real goal of business gifting, which is to put the brand front and centre and get a message across.

Best bits of your job?

I love the authenticity of what I do: supporting local producers with huge wholesale revenue, while also working with Bath’s top businesses to promote Bath worldwide. There’s no downside to working with Taste of Bath.

© SOUL MEDIA

Where do the frustrations lie?

Make no mistake, Helen was very excited to have won…

Mostly with people who expect business to be handed to them! Taste of Bath has adapted continuously – listening to what our clients require, offering new services and refining existing offerings. I serve my client’s needs; they don’t serve mine.

We’re based in Newbridge; I grew up here, and for me it was always going to be the best place to build the ‘Taste of ’ empire. What I love about Bath is its community and business credentials: we may be smaller than Bristol, but we have so many incredible businesses, all smashing it.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Spend time with those who have already succeeded. I spend hours over coffees and lunches learning from experienced CEOs and directors, who’re an absolute inspiration.

Finally, what’s coming up…

We’ll be expanding the ‘Taste of ’ family, with Taste of Bristol – having lived in that city for eight years too, I know just how much fantastic food and drink there is to be discovered there, and it’s got a really vibrant, thriving independent community.

We’re aiming to recreate the virtuous circle we’ve built in Bath.

For more: www.taste-of.co.uk

SERVICES GUIDE DATING AGENCY

HOME CARE

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For a professional and personal service call

0800 180 4788

www.carolinecrowther.com

GARDEN SERVICES

STONE SPECIALIST

Mike Daw Landscapes Repairs, Restoration Alteration of Stone Buildings New Build Stone Cleaning Stone Carving Fireplaces HARD LANDSCAPING • GARDEN MAKEOVERS PATIOS • FENCING • DECKING • DRIVES • TURFING

Daytime: 07585 956107

Tel: 01225 462688 / 07968 697091 Email: Julian@bathstonemasons.co.uk

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To advertise here call ✆ 01225 475800

gardens

SHOW AND TELL A celebration of Bath at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show...

Words by Nick Woodhouse Photos by RHS/Neil Hepworth

I

t’s always a joy to see Bath so well represented at the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Local horticulturalists, nurseries and businesses all headed again this year to the grounds of the Royal Hospital for what is undeniably the highlight of the horticultural calendar.

While the event is open to the public for just five days, the lead-up and afterlife of any showgarden stretches far beyond this. This year saw 28 gardens contending for the much-coveted judges’ certificates. The show was definitely greener than ever, both in colour and attitude.

Planting not only took on a more calming palette of greens, yellows and white, but it also seemed also to reflect the growing momentum to more sustainable living. Drought- and

show gardens once the show is over, asking all exhibitors to ensure their gardens are ultimately relocated in their entirety or across a number of projects.

Best in Show went to Andy Sturgeon’s M&G Garden this year. Here, burnt timber structures represented natural rock formations inspired by a recent visit by the designer to the beaches of Australia. The biodiverse selection of planting was based on the colonising plants of a woodland setting, highlighting nature’s incredible ability to regenerate.

Although plants were selected from all corners of the planet, their ability to survive the vagaries of the British climate was given equal consideration.

It was great to see Bath’s very own Iford Manor providing inspiration for Jo Thompson’s silver-gilt winning garden this year.

This was Thompson’s second collaboration with sponsor Wedgwood, this year’s garden celebrating the company’s 260th anniversary. Iford Manor is one of Thompson’s favourite gardens to visit, something she does on an annual basis. “Iford is a masterclass in framing and scale and context and layout,” says Thompson, “Harold Peto certainly knew what he was doing.” A pavilion subtly referencing Iford provides the show garden’s main structure. Its arches looked on first glance to be constructed from stone and steel but were in fact made from plastered wood and ply board for the show. The garden is also strongly influenced by Etruria, the village and factory built for Wedgwood’s workers by founder Josiah Wedgwood in the 18th century.

Watercourses and canals were integral to Etruria and this was reflected in the showgarden by a channel running throughout.

Bath-based garden designer Rosie Nottage returned to Thompson’s all-female planting team again this year. Unusually for the show, the team plants every plant within the ground, rather than buried pots. This allows plants to intermingle in their own, more natural way.

“It was great to see Bath’s very own Iford Manor providing inspiration” pollution-tolerant planting appeared throughout the gardens, with trees being often being favoured over the garden studio or outdoor living spaces. And what a range of trees this year – from a leaning pine on the Morgan Stanley Garden, to a giant monkey puzzle tree in the Forestry Commission’s Resilience Garden. The message was undeniable: we must look after our woodlands and help them adapt to the growing threat of climate change.

Chris Beardshaw’s Morgan Stanley Garden was perhaps the most dedicated to minimising the environmental impact of his Chelsea offering, with plants grown in taupe pots, a new alternative to the single-use black plant pot. Ground works on this garden were also undertaken with an electric excavator rather than the traditional diesel counterpart.

Encouragingly, the RHS has also reacted to the recent debate over what happens to the

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Thompson took particular note of visitors to her 2018 Chelsea garden; they loved the naturalistic look but struggled to recreate it back home. This year, planting still had a determined wildness but was constrained to more structured beds and borders. Colour hues were predominately of a soft palette, ranging from pastel pinks and apricots to deep caramels. Highlights included Rosa ‘Buff Beauty’ and Angelica archangelica, the latter supplied by Jekka McVicar. Home to the country’s largest collection of culinary herbs, Jekka’s nursery is a short drive from Bath in the South Gloucestershire village of Alveston.

Horticulturalist Jonny East and artist Paul Jackson, both Bath locals, also returned to Chelsea this year, collectively helping Bristol-based business Agriframes build and plant up their show stand. The company, a leading supplier of plant supports and garden structures, is led by Bath-based husband-and-wife team Andrew and Hannah Downey. Bath’s iconic architecture is hugely influential to the design of their products, so their sponsorship of this year’s Bath Festival seemed a natural choice. “Bath,” says Andrew, “is the perfect example of how practical and functional design can still be beautiful to look at.” His sentiment is of course spot-on and should perhaps remind us that we don’t always need to look at Chelsea’s five days of glory for all our inspiration. Sometimes it’s here, too, right before us.

Nick Woodhouse is the co-director of interior and garden design company Woodhouse & Law on 4 George’s Place, Bathwick Hill, Bath; 01225 428072; www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk

above: The Morgan Stanley Garden, designed by Chris Beardshaw right: The Wedgwood Garden, designed by Jo Thompson

below: The Resilience Garden, designed by Sarah Eberle

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AJ Removals Removals - Storage - Shipping - Packing

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

FOR THE HOME Our local businesses are poised and ready to help with all your home needs for summer

KNEES HOME AND ELECTRICAL

TR HAYES

Loved locally since 1879, Knees offer expert advice on top kitchen appliance brands, beautiful furniture and home accessories. And, for their age, you will be surprised at how stylish they are. Discover more in their Trowbridge store or online. #SurprisinglyStylish.

Spitfire Retail Park, Trowbridge BA14 0AZ Tel: 01225 754161; www.knees.co.uk

TR Hayes has been selling furniture in Bath for over 100 years now, and has a reputation for good quality and good service. The large store features many big name brands, with an amazing array of furniture of all types on display. There are also well-respected carpet and made-to-measure curtain departments.

15-18 London Street, Walcot, Bath BA1 5BX; Tel: 01225 465757; www.trhayes.co.uk

BATH KITCHEN COMPANY

ETONS OF BATH

Based in the heart of Bath and specialising in bespoke, handmade kitchens, Bath Kitchen Company become personally invested in every kitchen they design and build. It’s about attention to detail at every stage – creating a beautiful space that enhances the way you live. 7-9 North Parade Buildings, Bath BA1 1NS; Tel: 01225 312003;

ALLSOP CARPETS

Based in Frome, Allsop Carpets display an extensive range of floorings to match your style and budget.

With carpets and flooring available in a variety of designs, Brian Allsop and his team pride themselves on delivering excellent service from the beginning to end with over 35 years of professional experience.

Corner Garage, Christchurch Street West, Frome BA11 1EB; Tel: 01373 463866; www.allsopcarpets.co.uk

BONITI

www.bathkitchencompany.co.uk

Founded in 2006, Etons of Bath is the UK’s only specialist interior design practice focussed on refurbishing, renovating and reinvigorating Georgian and Regency homes and hotels. Their team of 12 interior designers, planners and project managers can help you design and deliver classically inspired interiors that add value, turn heads and improve the use of space.

Tel: 01225 639002; www.etonsofbath.com

Boniti is based on the outskirts of Bath and offers a wide range of quality interior and exterior products: natural stone and timber flooring, Everhot range cookers, garden furniture and Kadai firebowls. As well as the vast selection of products on offer, a friendly and personal service is at the heart of all that they do.

Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton,Wiltshire SN14 8JA; Tel: 01225 892 200; www.boniti.com

WESTSIDE DESIGN

CHEVERELL

LUCY COLLINS

www.westsidedesign.co.uk

www.cheverell.co.uk

Westside Design is a family-run Bath based company offering a tailored design, manufacturing and installation service for all aspects of cabinet making and joinery. Specialising in contemporary bespoke kitchens and interiors.

Contact Michael on 01225 330843 or 07976 268458 or email info@westsidedesign.co.uk

Cheverell is set in the heart of Wiltshire with a stunning showroom and workshop, offering a full bespoke design, manufacturing and installation service in kitchens, bedrooms, and interiors. Established in 1989 it has over 30 years of experience to guide you through the whole process. Cheverell, Waller Road, Hopton Park, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 2GH; Tel: 01380 722722;

Inspired design and styling can excite & enhance our lives and enable us to feel nurtured and uplifted.

Whether it be redesigning the interior and exterior of a property, altering the colour palette, introducing a new style, changing soft furnishings, refreshing, replacing or decluttering – leave it to Lucy… The Coach House, Linden Gardens, Weston Road, Bath BA1 8DB; Tel: 07710 223285; www.lucycollins.me www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 137

a place to call home

property a pl ace to c all home

modern masterpiece Take a look inside this contemporary, design-led family home with the most incredible panoramic views

By Evelyn Green www.mediaclash.co.uk mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 139 141

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PROPERTY

T

hose who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, and that’s probably true of whoever moves into Prospect House in the Lansdown area. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows, running the length of entire walls, are the property’s main appeal. The real attraction lies in the connection between interior, exterior and the surrounding landscape.

Oh my god, the views. From the back of the detached house, you can see for hundreds of miles over the green, lush countryside beyond, with, thankfully, no other houses close enough to peer back at you. If you ever wished to live in harmony with nature, this modern

see-through abode would certainly be an ideal way to enjoy the comforts of luxe interior style while being surrounded by the unspoilt beauty of the great outdoors.

Imagine opening your eyes each morning, especially in these lovely sunshiny months, and the first thing you see are cloudless skies through the 12 or so windows that surround the bed. Maybe not so ideal on a hangover day, but that’s what curtains are for. And imagine taking breakfast al fresco on the decked balcony – or in the dining room that it leads off, complete with four gigantic glazed sliding doors – just absorbing the vistas and smell of bacon. Bliss.

Even on rainy, grey days there’s so much more to love about this sophisticated, contemporary, threestorey house. Once inside, the entrance hall rises to the full height, creating a dramatic space overlooked by the gallery. This upper level allows the master bedroom suite the very best of the outlook over the countryside through the almost completely glazed south east wall. The en suite bathroom has a separate shower and double basins, and, as an added benefit, there is plenty of hanging space in the separate Sex and the City-style walk-in wardrobe. There are five other good-size bedrooms, too, two with en suites.

The expansive L-shaped open-plan kitchen/living/ dining room is a thing of exquisiteness; it’s bright and airy – obviously – and is decked out with blonde wood, clean lines, pure white walls, cool pendulous lighting fixtures, and modern, neutral furniture.

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PROPERTY

No wonder it has such a fresh, spotless look, it was only built in 2016; it was constructed as the flagship house on this development, by the well regarded developer/builders Charlcombe Homes, and, in our opinion, is a modern masterpiece.

As for the outdoor space, the house is accessed through electrically operated hardwood gates that lead to a driveway providing parking for several cars, and there’s also a double garage as a bonus. We’ve already touched on the spacious balcony, but leading from that is a set of steps heading down to a patio and lawn area, that just scream ‘garden BBQ party’, which benefit from the sun most of the day and have the full advantage of those panoramic scenes. Being right next to and above a field, the garden has an elevated rural feel with equally uninterrupted views out over the green belt.

So if thoughtful architectural design, insane views, and a location that’s only around a mile and a half away from Bath city centre tickles your attention, then we suggest a viewing of Prospect House, stat.

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House numbers Square footage 3,284 Bedrooms 6 Bathrooms and WCs 5 Outside A pretty patio and lawn area, along with an expansive balcony

Price £1.725M Where Prospect House, Granville Road, Bath Knight Frank, 4 Wood Street, Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2JQ; 01225 325999; www.knightfrank.co.uk

Bath LIVES

“My book is now a film starring Alison Steadman” – 20 June – at King Edward’s School, and supported by Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights.

Do come along!

Catherine Bruton The King Edward’s School teacher on her new book, dancing with Nelson Mandela, and working with refugees...

Touched by the migrant crisis, Bath-based English teacher Catherine Bruton decided to write No Ballet Shoes in Syria, a children’s book which tells the story of a little girl who arrives in the UK after fleeing from her war-torn country, with dreams of becoming a ballerina. Here, Catherine tells us more...

I knew I wanted – no, needed – to write about the Syrian migrant crisis...

Hearing Judith Kerr, the author of When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, speak at the Bath Children’s Literature Festival about the parallels between her story and the current situation in Syria, gave me the idea for No Ballet Shoes in Syria, a modern story about a child displaced from their home by war in Syria, fleeing across Europe, and seeking asylum in the UK.

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It will hopefully make young readers look beyond labels...

like ‘refugee’ to see the children behind them. When the book’s 11-year-old Aya, an asylum seeker who has recently come to the UK, joins a local dance class, some of the other girls use these labels as an insult, but, as they get to know Aya, they see her as a girl with hopes and dreams just like their own, and their perceptions begin to shift. I hope the same might be true for young people who read the book.

To ensure I portrayed the book’s characters fairly, I spoke to members of the Syrian community who had come to Britain...

I contacted Bath Welcomes Refugees and other refugee resettlement projects. In fact, the book launch for No Ballet Shoes will be a fundraiser for BWR, held on World Refugee Day

For research, I also went along to local ballet classes to see the young dancers...

Annette Hind, the director of Bath’s Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance, was kind enough to let me come along and watch some of her wonderful girls train. I definitely borrowed a few catchphrases – and a few leotard fashions – but mainly I was inspired by seeing the joy and beauty of dance – which is central to the story.

I teach at King Edward’s School in Bath...

A few of my pupils actually read early drafts of the novel and gave me lots of helpful feedback. I’ve been teaching there for 10 years, and I also do small group teaching sessions at Bathwick St Mary Primary School and Freshford School.

Being an English teacher is a great privilege. I get to spend the days with young people who constantly inspire me with their receptive and imaginative response to texts, their creativity and their openness to new ideas.

This isn’t my first book...

I have written three for teens: We Can be Heroes (now a film starring Alison Steadman and Phil Davies); Pop! (which I adapted into a musical which was performed at King Edward’s School last year); and I Predict a

Riot. I also write the Somersaults and Dreams series, under the penname Cate Shearwater.

I live just outside Bath, in the village of Limpley Stoke...

I love the city for its rich literary tradition and wonderful businesses – Mr B’s is a favourite place of mine; I also love the Hope & Anchor Pub in Midford, and the Freshford Galleries Shop and Café.

Something that not many people know about me is...

I started my teaching career in Africa, working with refugees from Angola, Rwanda and the former East Germany, and I am still involved in fundraising for Otjikondo – the first school I worked in, in Namibia.

A memory I treasure is...

I once danced with Nelson Mandela! It was in 1997, Bhisho, South Africa. He admired my red dress. n

No Ballet Shoes in Syria, written

by Catherine Bruton and published

by Nosy Crow, will celebrate its book launch at King Edward’s School, Bath, on World Refugee Day, 20 June www.nosycrow.com