Bath Life - Issue 436

#BathTogether

TAKE ME

ISSUE 436 / 29 JANUARY – 11 FEBRUARY 2021 / £3

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL INTERIOR EXPERTS SHARE THEIR DESIGN SECRETS ISSUE 436 / 29 JANUARY – 11 FEBRUARY 2021 / BONKERS FOR BRIDGERTON

ALL SHOOK UP COCKTAILS FROM OUR FAVOURITE CITY BARS

LOVE AFFAIRS LITTLE GIFTS WITH A BIG HEART

ROOM SERVICE TOP DINING OPTIONS TO ENJOY AT HOME

REGENCY LIVING

A COMBE DOWN ABODE FIT FOR A DUCHESS

Bridgerton 10 PAGE

BRIDGERTON EXCLUSIVE

THE INSIDE STORY ON THE BIGGEST SHOW ON THE PLANET RIGHT NOW

inBath

EDITOR’S LETTER

above: Bridgerton comes

to Bath (page 12) Love is all around (page 33)

below:

Dearest Reader, The Author of this column, has heard it whispered by many of those who reside in the glorious city of Bath, that they have been indulging in a certain show called Bridgerton. Indeed it is a beauty of show, brought to our eager attention by the Lord Netflix, who we have on good authority, spent both a long summer and a late November in this most Georgian of places searching for the fairest places to be brought into the fold. And what a triumph its debut has been gentle Reader. I have been furtively delving behind the scenes to bring you more inside stories with the help of a secret source who remained shockingly close to the drama throughout (page 12). There’s also a glimpse of the often shameless and sometimes scandalous Bridgerton high society on page 21, and over on page 20 I persuade another one of my many clandestine contacts to spill the beans on the true nature of that fancy and frivolous Featherington front door.

I leave with you with exciting news of the most wonderful cocktails concocted by the most magnificent of Bath’s inn keepers (page 36), and there’s word from the illustrious designers of the city on how best to keep one’s scullery (page 70). And, as I am always most thrilled to be able to report, intoxicating love is most definitely in the air on page 33.

Before I bid you farewell, and turn in earnest, pen in hand, to unearth more Bath gems for the next edition, I must express both my sincerest thanks and my deepest apologies to a certain someone, for, as it may already be noted by you my clever Reader, this writing is a somewhat ham-fisted attempt to mimic that of the legendary Bridgerton narrator and gossip columnist herself Lady Whistledown.

Yours humbly, Lady Moolla of Bath

SARAH MOOLLA

Follow us on Twitter @BathLifeMag Instagram @bathlifemag

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

Issue 436 / 29 January – 12 February 2021 COVER Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury and Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Brigrton on the set of the Netflix period drama blockbuster Bridgerton (page 12)

INSIDE BRIDGERTON SPECIAL

12 BEHIND THE SCENES Our exclusive Bath adventure into the

world of the show taking Netflix by storm

20 OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS How the museum at No 1 Royal

Crescent secured a starring role in Bridgerton

32 HIGH SOCIETY Meet the dukes, duchesses, and débutantes who

have stolen our hearts

ARTS

24 ARTS LEAD The look of lockdown 26 WHAT’S ON Just because it’s lockdown doesn’t mean we can’t

find loads of lovely ways to keep you entertained

28 BOOKS Nic from Mr B’s Emporium is telling it like it is with his

non-fiction choices

FOOD&DRINK

36 LOVE POTIONS Kiss goodbye to Dry January with these locally

shaken choices

44 FOOD BOXES Home dining with Homewood and Castle Farm 46 FOOD & DRINK NEWS Dispatches from the Bath foodie scene

SHOPPING

33 INTRO We’re shot through the heart with this on target print 34 EDITOR’S CHOICE These V-Day goodies have us feeling all

36

70

heart eyes emoji

BUSINESS

55 BATHWORKS The successful local businesses and start-ups

making the headlines

58 BIZ Q&A Kitchen confidential with Rob Cash of Kutchenhaus 55 BATH LIFE AWARDS digital wonderlab celebrate their win

PROPERTY

50 GARDENING Snowdrops, millions of them, and they’re glorious 63 PROPERTY NEWS The Bridgerton effect on Bath’s property scene 66 SHOWCASE A peek inside a property worthy of Bridgerton nobility 70 KITCHENS 10 essential ingredients to create the perfect kitchen

DEPARTMENTS

7 SPOTLIGHT Samosas in Space goes international, plus sleep out

to help out and

11 FLATLINE It’s his birthday and the presents were meaty 30 GREG INGHAM He’s all smiles and suggest you should be too 82 LIVES Meet Thomas Corneill, he’s with the band

Editor Sarah Moolla sarah.moolla@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy editor Lydia Tewkesbury lydia.tewkesbury@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 Contributors Nic Bottomley, David Flatman, Greg Ingham, Matilda Walton, Dr Amy Frost and John Mather Group advertising manager Pat White pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy advertising manager Justine Walker justine.walker@mediaclash. co.uk Account manager Annabel North annabel.north@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Dan Nichols dan.nichols@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 and Exeter. 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

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

SPOTLIGHT Weddings

LOVE UNDER LOCKDOWN

Charity

SLEEP OUT TO HELP OUT The Big Bath Sleep Out will be an at-home event this year. For their biggest annual fundraising event, Bath homeless charity Julian House are calling on families and households across Bath and the local area to spend a night in the garden on 5 March to raise vital funds.

“The fact that the Sleep-Out is at home this year provides a stark contrast to the dangers men and women living on the streets must face – especially during this ongoing pandemic,” says Jessica Gay, organiser of the event. “People taking part in the Big Bath Sleep-Out: At Home may be cold and a little wet. However, the next morning people can go indoors, have a warm bath, a cooked breakfast, chat to family and friends about their experience or just catch up on lost sleep. The big difference for people who are forced to sleep rough is that they don’t have that option.”

Yes, sleeping out will be different this year, but there’ll be an optional series of live-streamed events on the night so you can still share your sleep out experience.

For more: www.bigbathsleepout.co.uk

married lives together any longer, and so with restrictions beginning to tighten and weddings becoming smaller and smaller, we decided to push back our big plans to 2021 and have a small ceremony in a place that was meaningful for us both – Bath!

“When I realised that my parents and sister wouldn’t be able to make the wedding I was devastated. It was really my only non-negotiable amongst all of the unknowns and instability. However, for us, the main thing had always been about starting our married lives together, and so with my parents’ encouragement and absolutely all of the stars aligning for us, we were able to marry!”

For more: www.teambath.com/netball

© GRAHAM NIXON/ W W W.GRAHAMNIXON.COM

Wrap up warm and spend a night in the garden to support Julian House

Team Bath Hall of Fame star Stacey Francis wed her wife and fellow netballer Sara Bayman in a magical ceremony just three days before Tier 3 restrictions began.

“We were originally meant to marry in West Sussex at a family property on 24 October 2020. Due to the pandemic, we pushed our day back as my netball season in Australia was delayed and I was not expected to return in time,” Stacey explains.

“Given how much of our lives are spent apart – I’m a professional netballer in Perth, Australia for the West Coast Fever, whilst Sara is director of netball at Loughborough University – we didn’t want to delay starting our

A beautiful story with a happy ever after

Walking

ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY

Why not use lockdown to start exploring the local countryside?

Just before Christmas, The Bathscape Landscape partnership conducted a survey of 100 local people to get an idea of how the pandemic has influenced our relationship to the countryside. Unsurprisingly, they found respondents revelling in time spent out of doors, with 80 per cent admitting restrictions had them getting out into the country more than they were previously, and around 90 per cent visiting once a week. Mental health as well as exercise was mentioned often as a factor driving people out to explore, the tranquility of nature a decent salve to an anxious mind.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your explorations, Bathscape offers a multitude of trail guides and an interactive map that highlights some well-loved local beauty spots.

For more: www.bathscape.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 7

SPOTLIGHT

We’re lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and here’s the proof

Epic journey

OUT OF THIS WORLD

Team Chai Walla are ready for blast off

Elon Musk eat your heart out – it turns out getting to space isn’t that hard after all.

Niraj Gadher, owner of Chai Walla on Kingsmead Square, has launched a samosa into space – in a craft of his own making – and documented the entire adventure on his YouTube channel in a film by Jack Fisher and Jackson Kingsley. The travelling samosa eventually crash-landed in France, where its epic journey has made international news.

For more: www.cinematicamedia.com @chaiwallabath on Instagram

@upupandawaytheuk/www.upupandawaytheuk.com

@tobypentreath.photography

Fighting the pandemic one vaccine at a time

Covid-19

VACCINATION STATION

Is that a light at the end of the tunnel, we see, glimmering in the distance? It certainly seems that way with the opening of Bath’s very disco Covid vaccination hub at the Pavilion. The large-scale vaccination programme is still looking for members of the public to join a bank of volunteers to help deliver the vaccine to local people. Volunteers work as part of a team to help vaccinate patients registered with nine of the Bath City practices and Health and Social care workers – a total of about 90,000 people. If you’ve got some spare time on your hands this lockdown and fancy doing your bit, email BSWCCG.volunteers@nhs.net For more: www.bathneshealthandcare.nhs.uk

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

@westcountryfamily

Proud Finalist of

It’s all about the little details‌ 8 Pulteney Terrace, Bath, BA2 4HJ Email: kelly@kellymariekitchens.com Showroom: 01225 481881 Mobile: 07796 554466 www.kellymariekitchens.com @kellymariekitcheninteriors | Supplier: www.haecker-kuechen.de

Attention Business Owners and Directors Do you need more than just accounts and tax returns from your accountant?

Being able to prepare your MTD returns, accounts and tax returns is a given for a professional firm.

Seven Reasons why hundreds return to PG Owen Ltd each year.

But can your accountant help you make more money?

4 Free advice sheets and newsletters to help your business grow

Does your accountant have experience working in your specialist field?

4 Advice from experienced qualified professionals

Does your accountant give you answers or just more questions?

4 In house mortgages, life, pensions and investment advice.

We are more than just your accountants; we are your complete business partners.

4 Clear fixed and guaranteed fees. When we say fixed we mean it

4 We speak to you in plain English 4 Full range of legal and probate services through our sister company 4 A unique one stop advice service for all businesses and individuals from cradle to grave and beyond!

Contact us now: 7 Northumberland Buildings, Wood Street, Bath BA1 2JB T: 01225 422183 E: bath@pgtax.co.uk

www.pgtax.co.uk

FLAT LINE DAVID FLATMAN

That sinking feeling

© TAKING PICTURES

There’s more to the birthday boy than just meat, and car mags...

“I unwrap these donations of calorific love and want very much to believe that they’ve all misjudged me”

W

e all judge books (and magazines) by their covers.

We all seem to agree that deciding that things are a certain way because of the certain way something or someone looks is a silly thing to do, yet we all seem to do it. I do it all the time. It can be quite fun, actually. It doesn’t work, though.

Kitchens. I want to talk about kitchens. How kitchens link to the paragraph you’ve just speed-read while holding your flat white might seem tenuous, but bear with me.

I’ve just had a birthday. It was, as birthdays go, unremarkable but lovely. The kids were allowed awful amounts of sugar all day, I was afforded the traditional luxury of deciding precisely how the day should go (sacked off home schooling after lunch, watched a Harry Potter movie, walked Badger the dog in the sloppy, squelchy Lansdown mud and fog, ate like the Royal Family presumably eat, then watched two Brummies turn a field into a not-terribly-tasteful house on Grand Designs, my girls offering utterly precocious and uniformed critiques of every aesthetic decision).

It’s the gifts I received that struck a note. They were all – all – excellent; I have brilliant mates and a brilliant family. Lucky me.

But they were all – all – foodthemed. Every single one. In fairness I did ask for a cast iron pan – which I got – but the rest told the (admittedly boring) story of quite a fat man at whom everybody looks and thinks: meat. Meaty boy.

Meaty man. Meaty mitts.

These wonderful gift-givers all see this human book and judge its plot to be protein-based.

And I unwrap these donations of calorific love and want very much to believe that they’ve all misjudged me, failing to see my hidden depths. Why is it only my mum who buys me books like Henry Kissinger On China? (She’s very keen for me to be cleverer than what I am). As my daughter said to me just last night: “Everyone

says you’re hard to buy for but you’re not. Just get you meat and car magazines.” Is that it?

Is that what I’ve amounted to?

How unimaginative.

But actually no, it isn’t. You see, I’m into kitchens. I know, food-based but at least it gives me another category of magazine or website to peruse about which my girlfriend can actually engage. She’s reasonably bored of me setting out restoration plans for Land Rovers I’m definitely not going to buy. Indoor kitchens, though, aren’t really where my passion lies. I spend hours planning my next outdoor kitchen, the fact that I don’t have the house or garden yet is but a semantic speed bump.

I plan everything and no, it’s not simply a ‘barbecue area.’ My plans include shelter, preparation space, power for lighting and fridges and an outdoor dishwasher (yes, you can find them!), hot and cold water, mains gas (none of those Homebase canisters thank you, as they run out without warning and make me anxious), storage, and bespoke units cut around my favourite grills and gadgets. Oh, and we will need music. And seating. And heating.

I love an indoor kitchen, but the outdoor versions have the added bonus of cool air, space, and peace.

If my girls want to join in then lovely, but if they don’t then I suck in the solitude with all the enthusiasm of a commercial extractor hood (I’ll need two of those).

If you’ve never considered doing a ‘proper’ outdoor kitchen then do. They don’t actually need to be all flashy and expensive. All you need is to be dry and warm. So get a roof and get a coat. I cook outside all year round and I love it.

I like to describe it as a wild human experience but my friends scoff and declare it to be about nothing more than grilling big lumps of grass-fed meat. In reality they might be right.

This book’s cover may indeed tell you all you need to know.

David Flatman used to play rugby for England and Bath, now he talks and writes. Follow him on Twitter @ davidflatman and Instagram @dflatman www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 11

BEHIND THE BRIDGERTON SCENES Paul Tomlinson, the locations manager of the biggest show on Netflix, ever, reveals all about making Regency history in Bath

Danbury House, home of Lady Danbury, played by Adjoa Andoh, is The Holburne Museum on Great Pulteney Street

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

ALL PICTURES © NETFLIX

By Sarah Moolla

BRIDGERTON SPECIAL

“We had to devise special ‘horse routes’ to get them from their base at the Charlotte Street Car Park” www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 13

BRIDGERTON SPECIAL

I

Bath’s Albert Street can be seen in episode one and if you look closely the modern day Assembly Inn has become The Red Lion

t is estimated 63 million households have been smitten with the new Netflix TV series Bridgerton since its debut less than six weeks ago. The eightpart period drama, which dropped on Christmas Day, has held the number one slot in the top 10 lists of 76 countries. A yard stick of its incredible and immediate success is that it is already about three times more popular than season three of The Crown.

And if you aren’t sure what we’re talking about or why we have an image of a laughing Lady Danbury and Daphne having their make-up done on our cover, let us coax you out from under that rock and fill you in.

Bridgerton, narrated by the legendary Julie Andrews as the gossip writer Lady Whistledown, tells the dreamy, steamy, and sumptuously beautiful story of the romance between Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings, also known as Simon Bassett.

It’s a big budget, bodice ripper of a yarn with Queens, palaces, bonnets, corsets, breaches, and balls and in no way to be confused with the coquettish suggestiveness of Jane Austen-lite. No, because when we say balls, we don’t just mean the type débutantes attend...

The show, which has captured the heart of the world and got pulses racing (yes we’re looking at you, swoony sex scenes), is based on Julia Quinn’s popular book series, and actually set in Regency London, but a huge chunk of filming happened in contemporary Bath. Landmarks such as the Crescent, the Holburne, the Assembly Rooms and Pickled Greens café, now known as the Abbey Deli, all have identifiable major roles. Spotting these long and lingering scenes of our own gorgeous city has been fascinating, and invoked a sense of pride of just how effortlessly elegant Bath is.

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

To learn more about Bath as the Bridgerton backdrop, we spoke to Paul Tomlinson, the show’s locations manager, to talk us through the trials and tribulations of filming an early 19th century drama in the middle of a busy and bustling present day Bath.

Obviously we’re thrilled to bits Bath has become such an important part of the Bridgerton story, but how did you go about choosing the locations for the London scenes?

In the early stages of production we spent a long time investigating various options for our exterior street scenes. Whilst the bulk of the story is set in London, we were keen to explore other cities that could appear as Regency London.

“Our unit base was situated at Lansdown Playing Fields on one occasion, and Bath Racecourse on the other three visits”

Was Bath the obvious choice?

We considered options across the UK, but Bath always stood out as the perfect fit for the project. The prevalence of Georgian architecture in Bath was ideal for our period, and the golden Bath stone gave a brightness that matched the visual style of the production. Also, Bath was a popular destination during the Regency period for high society gatherings and grand balls, so it felt like the ideal background for our characters to inhabit.

How many other locations were used? And how many scenes were filmed in Bath?

We filmed at over 40 locations throughout the UK, including Rangers House in Greenwich, Hampton Court Palace in Surrey, Castle Howard in Yorkshire, Stowe Park in Buckinghamshire, Badminton House in Gloucestershire, Wilton House in Wiltshire and many more.

We filmed over 70 scenes in Bath, across 14 different locations. In total the Bath scenes were filmed over a period of 13 days, during four separate visits.

The team used Royal Crescent for many scenes including as the home for Siena Rosso the opera singer, and as the backdrop to Daphne galloping on a horse to stop a duel

Most of Bridgerton’s locations were in or around listed buildings, like Hampton Court for the Queen’s Palace, which meant extra care at all times

BRIDGERTON SPECIAL Any issues about Bath that had to be taken into consideration?

During our early conversations about filming in Bath we were strongly advised to avoid filming during the summer holidays, as it is such a busy time with many tourists visiting the city. This was always our intention, however due to unforeseen circumstances it became clear one of our visits would occur during August – peak tourist time. The Film Office were incredibly understanding of this and whilst it certainly made our first visit more challenging, we were able to achieve our scenes and work around the issues that arose due to the number of visitors in the city at this time.

How is permission to film in Bath granted?

suspending parking bays, arranging alternative parking for displaced resident cars, making sure our filming didn’t clash with any planned street works or events.

There’s also sourcing parking for our many technical trucks, creating a special area for our horse and carriage team to be held on our filming days, applying through the council to temporarily remove street signs, bollards, bins and street lights, rearranging resident bin collection days so they didn’t clash with our filming, obtaining the relevant permits to film scenes with a drone and much, much more.

We had a diligent team working for months in Bath to get everything ready.

The scenes could never have been filmed without all their hard work.

“We filmed over 70 scenes in Bath, across 14 different locations”

In order to film on any public highway or council owned property, permission must be obtained from Bath Film Office in advance. The notice period varies depending on the size and scale of filming.

Smaller productions with minimal requirements might only require one week’s notice, however anything that involves a road closure or traffic control requires at least six to eight weeks’ notice. For Bridgerton we made contact five months prior to filming.

How does that then take into account residents and businesses?

Once we had chosen our preferred options, a period of heavy consultation was required to discuss our filming plans with any local businesses and residents who might be directly affected by our filming.

We had a team of people working in Bath for several months prior to filming to make sure all the relevant permissions were obtained and our filming could be achieved whilst keeping disruption to a minimum.

What other sorts of permissions and permits are needed?

In addition to the resident and business liaison process, our preparatory works also included applying for road and pavement closures,

How long does it take to set up?

The consultation process and obtaining necessary permissions took months, however in terms of physically preparing and dressing the locations, this varies depending on the location.

For example, the Modiste dress shop location was one of the longest to prepare and took around five days. The location was the Pickled Greens café on Abbey Green, which had to be completely adapted for our filming.

Where do you start when it comes to adapting a set like Pickled Greens into The Modiste?

Prior to filming all the furniture and modern fittings were removed and replaced with period items – this involved removing fridges, table units and the entire front serving area. The exterior signage was changed and then lighting equipment was rigged around the building to aid our filming. Once we had finished filming, everything was carefully put back as it was before we arrived. For the Modiste we had to do this three times in total as we visited on three separate occasions.

The Assembly Rooms chandeliers are a key feature in many of the ballroom scenes

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

There was a core crew of around 200 people who worked and travelled helping to film Bridgerton

40 locations throughout the UK were used for various scenes in Bridgerton

Bath’s Abbey Street features heavily – the exterior of Gunter’s Tea Shop is Bathrooms at No 5, and the then Pickled Greens café (now The Abbey Deli) was used as the exterior and interior of Madame Genevieve Delacroix’s celebrated dress shop Modiste

When it comes to sealing off the area, how do you keep people away?

For exterior scenes we had a team of stewards who helped clear areas whilst we were filming. Normally each filming take lasts a few minutes, during which we asked pedestrians to wait whilst we filmed. We were very lucky during our time in Bath, as the majority of the public were happy to wait and watch whilst we filmed our scenes, before continuing on their journey.

How many people make up a crew?

We had a core crew of around 200 persons, although not all these people were on set at the same time! In addition we had a number of supporting artists (also known as extras) – on some of our filming days we had over 100 supporting artists.

We saw a lot of horses galloping past the Crescent a few times on the show. Tell us a little about that.

Is this where the cast and supporting artist would wait between takes as well?

In addition to having waiting areas at our unit base on filming days, we also reached agreements with local residents and businesses to hire spaces near to our locations for our cast to use as Green Rooms. This enabled us to have comfortable places for the cast to wait in between scenes that was as close as possible to the locations.

“We filmed at Bath Assembly Rooms, which feature a set of original chandeliers that were made for the building in 1771”

Yes, I shouldn’t forget the horses, on some filming days we had multiple horses on set with us and who were a big part of the team.

We had to devise special ‘horse routes’ to get them from their base at the Charlotte Street Car Park to the various locations. It was not unusual to be passed by a string of horses on their way to one of the sets!

How did it work for areas for things like hair, make-up, costumes for example?

During our four visits to Bath, our unit base was situated at Lansdown Playing Fields on one occasion, and Bath Racecourse on the other three visits. To service our filming these unit bases were where all our articulated trailers were parked. These included costume and make-up

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

trailers where the cast are prepared for filming; a mobile production office where the production team and producers were based; and catering vehicles where food was prepared for the cast and crew. We also had to set-up marquees to accommodate the many supporting artists, so they had space to get ready on the filming days.

Was all food supplied at your unit bases?

In addition to the food that was prepared for crew at our unit base, we also had agreements with some local cafés who provided drinks and snacks for the crew. We were well looked after by the local businesses and it was great for the crew to be able to step away from set for a moment to grab a drink.

What was it like setting up the lighting?

Many lights are often required to illuminate and enhance the sets.

These are normally rigged in advance by a specialist team. In Bath we often had multiple lighting teams leap-frogging around the city to make sure everything was ready in advance of filming, and then returning to clear away our equipment once we had finished.

Any issues with the sound?

Bath can be a noisy place with the hustle and bustle of the many

BRIDGERTON SPECIAL Stewards ask passer-bys to keep noise levels down during filming

tourists pounding the streets. We had a team of stewards who kindly asked people to keep noise to a minimum during our brief filming periods. In most instances people were happy to oblige, which really helped with our filming.

Any issues and restrictions using Bath’s famous buildings?

Most of the locations were in or around listed buildings, which means a great deal of care had to be taken to protect the fabric of the buildings and make sure no damage was caused during our filming. This often meant preparatory works took longer than normal given the extra care required when working in this environment. Thankfully we had a very respectful crew who treated all the locations with a great deal of care.

Which was your favourite Bath location and why?

I couldn’t choose a favourite as I am really pleased with how all the locations appeared on screen. However, two locations deserve special mention; I really enjoyed our filming at the Bath Assembly Rooms and seeing the location on screen in episode one. We filmed the interior of Lady Danbury’s ball in the Tea Room at the Assembly Rooms. The rooms were opened in 1771 for the purpose of dancing and music and were at the heart of fashionable Georgian society, so it was great to film scenes in a space which would have hosted such events for real during the Regency period.

And the second?

The second is our filming on Abbey Green, which deserves a special mention due to the amount of work that was undertaken to achieve our filming. In order to film those scenes we had to reach agreement with all the surrounding shops so we could cover any modern aspects of their buildings with period dressing. This involved liaising with over 50 individual properties so we could carry out our works whilst keeping disruption to a minimum. Abbey Green features several times during the series, and this location really helped to expand the world of Bridgerton. The attention to detail from the dressing teams was also incredible, and definitely worth a second watch if you missed it the first time.

Any worrying moments during filming?

To those who know, Bath’s Beauford Square is easily recognised in this shot

YOUR BATH STREET GUIDE TO BRIDGERTON Alfred Street is where the gossip papers of Lady Whistledown are seen being handed out; Bath Street and Trim Street are used extensively for sweeping, populated, atmospheric shots; and Beauford Square stands in for the streets of Mayfair where Penelope and Eloise like to meet. This area is transformed into a bustling Covent Garden market.

Abbey Green is very central to the Bridgerton world including Bathrooms at No 5 on Abbey Street, which was the exterior for Gunters’ Tea Shop, and Pickled Greens café as the exterior and interior for Madame Genevieve Delacroix’s Modiste dress shop.

The arch by The Columbian Company coffee house on Abbeygate Street is where the Duke of Hastings gets into a fight, and is later found having had too much to drink.

Royal Crescent doubles up as Grosvenor Square, and with No 1 Royal Crescent becoming the exterior of the Featherington House (turn to page 20 for more).

Siena Rosso, the opera singer, also lives on the Crescent.

The exterior of Lady Danbury’s house is better known to most Bath residents as the Holburne Museum The dazzling dance sequences for the balls were filmed at the Bath’s Assembly Rooms.

We filmed at Bath Assembly Rooms, which feature a set of original chandeliers that were made for the building in 1771. They are considered one of the finest sets to have survived from the 18th century and were described to us as irreplaceable. We wanted to feature the chandeliers in our filming as they added to the beauty of the location, which involved lowering them so they would appear within our shots, and using a camera crane so the camera could pass above the chandeliers looking down at the dancers below.

Sounds a little tense…!

This whole process was carried out with a vast amount of diligence and care, but it was still a nervous time considering our close proximity to such priceless items. I was very relieved once we had finished our filming and the chandeliers were raised back to their normal height.

The chandeliers can be seen clearly in the scenes and really enhance the location, so it was definitely worth it.

What is one of your favourite memories of filming Bridgerton in Bath?

Throughout our filming in the city we had large amounts of cast and extras in full period costume, often followed by several horses, walking through the streets of the city as we moved between sets. During this time, they would be walking amongst residents and tourists, who seemed completely unphased by the sight of these glorious period costumes. It always surprised us how this seemed to be accepted as a normal occurrence in Bath, as if it was entirely expected on an every day basis! n For more: www.netflix.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 19

BRIDGERTON SPECIAL

No 1 Royal Crescent Bridgerton style; below: As seen in real life

Opportunity knocks

T

How the front door of the museum at No. 1 Royal Crescent came to have a leading role in Bridgerton

By Amy Frost, the museum’s curator

he exterior and entrance hall of No.1 Royal Crescent is used for the Featherington House, and when you see it on screen it’s had a bit of a makeover with swags and a balustrade added to bling it up, and in addition, there is a CGI’d balcony. You can see the idea is it contrasts with the exterior of the subtler Bridgerton House.

Filming happened in November 2019 and earlier in the August, including one of those really hot weeks – we were impressed by the cast in all their Georgian finery walking around the Royal Crescent in such heat, and even more impressive was the film crew who were out in blazing sun for very long days.

The crew and location team were brilliant, and made the whole process of setting up and working in and around the historic house work very well. We had done lots of planning with the art department and set teams so that once they were in the house it all went very smoothly.

What was really nice as well was just how appreciative people were of the house. The directors, producers, cast and crew were continually thanking us for letting them use the building. There is a lot of trust involved in allowing filming crews inside the museum, and

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

the Bridgerton crew made my job as curator a lot less nerve wracking. They worked ridiculously long hours, and were often rushing between different locations being used in the city at the same time, but were always friendly and considerate, always checking that we were happy with things.

We had fun seeing the house transform outside with stone lions and lampposts appearing.

Knowing it was to be the Featherington house, we knew they would want to jazz it up a bit to suit the family, so our pale white door was painted a bold blue and our simple door knocker swapped out for a much more flashy one. It’s fascinating, because it all looks a bit fake when you see the location dressed, but then I was allowed to watch on the monitor during shooting and, when you saw it through the camera, it looked brilliant.

It was odd seeing green screens going up and chatting to the art department about how they were going to make our house look like one side of a London Square. I’m an architectural historian specialising in the

exact period of the show, so we had quite a few laughs about things being the wrong or right period, but they knew what they were doing, and the fact that this is from books set in the early 19th century but written in the 21st, is important. It’s a version of the period seen through the soft lens of romantic fantasy, and once you get that, any quibbles about whether a small detail (that only a total expert on the period would probably notice anyway) is or isn’t accurate, doesn’t really matter that much, you can just sit back and enjoy.

It is always an absolute treat seeing the Royal Crescent empty of parked cars and free of traffic, but seeing it with wonderfully dressed people promenading and horses and carriages was brilliant. We loved it at the end of the day when everyone except the security teams went home, and we got to wander about looking at the amazing carriages with the family arms painted on them ‘parked’ on the road. n

“To be the Featherington house, we knew they would want to jazz it up a bit”

For more: www.no1royalcrescent.org.uk

BRIDGERTON SOCIETY PAGES

Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey)

The Duke of Hastings also known as Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) and Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor)

Lord and Lady Featherington (Ben Miller and Polly Walker) with daughters Prudence and Philippa (Bessie Carter and Harriet Cains)

BRIDGERTON’S HIGH SOCIETY

Cressida with her mother Lady Cowper (Jessica Madsen and Joanna Bobin)

Based on the best-selling novels by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton is a quick-witted romantic drama partly filmed in Bath. It has the elegance of Downton Abbey, the storylines of a gripping soap, and the occasional glimpses of the back of Primark. The eight-part, gorgeously steamy romp, set in 1813, tells the tale of Daphne Bridgerton making her society debut in search of a husband. Along the way she meets the Queen, makes some enemies and is the source of much gossip thanks to the anonymous writer Mrs Whistledown.

Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan)

Photos by Netflix; www.netflix.com

Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel)

Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page)

Lady Violet Bridgerton and daughter Hyacinth (Ruth Gemmell and Florence Hunt) The Bridgerton family

Marina Thompson and Lord Hardy (Ruby Barker and Anand Desai-Barochia)

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

1

THE ARTS S N A P S H O T S O F B AT H ’ S C U LT U R A L L I F E

BREATHE

Was there ever a pose more emblematic of lockdown than this? The lethargy, the buzz of consistent, low-level anxiety and even the reluctantly felt tranquillity play out in a moment personal but oh-so-universal – granted, we’re not all doing it in the nude, but if you’re living alone, why not?

The artist, Andrea Swann-Martinez, a student at Bath Spa University of Art and Design created Breath of Air during lockdown. Her background is in performance – she attended the Oxford School of Drama prior to her time at Bath Spa – which inspired in her a fascination with expressing human physiology and psyche in new ways evident here. A piece driven by body positivity, Andrea says of the work: “Being comfortable and confident in one’s own skin – particularly at a time when all else is so uncertain – was a major driving force in creating this piece.”

Breath of Air by Andrea Swann-Martinez is part of The Art Cohort Winter Open Exhibition; £70; www.theartcohort.co.uk You can see more of Andrea’s work via her Instagram, @swannstudio www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 25

WHAT’S ON January – February

Personal trainer Milly Jackson is offering her classes as part of the Bath Rugby X BathFitFam collaboration

14 February

BAKLAVA FOR YOUR VALENTINE Now more than ever is the time to finally learn how to cook, or experiment with new cuisine. Up your culinary skills with a Zoom class with Wafaa Powell. Learn to create your own healthy, tasty and affordable Lebanese cuisine from scratch with her expert guidance.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a class to make some treats for you love (or maybe just for yourself).

Wafaa will be teaching keen students how to make baklava, a sweet middle eastern treat made from syrup-soaked flaky filo pastry.

Classes cost £30 per household.

For dates and booking visit www.dancingflavours.co.uk BELLY DANCING WITH DANCING FLAVOURS In addition to her delicious cook alongs, Wafaa Powell is also a belly dancing teacher. Get your groove on at one of her regular Tuesday night classes – virtual for the

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

moment, of course. Energising, a great way to shake off those negative emotions and toning to boot (handy after all the previously mentioned homemade baklava), belly dancing is a great way to de-stress body and mind – just what we need right now. www.dancingflavours.co.uk

17 February

THE CITY OF BATH IN ENGLISH LITERATURE This lecture from Sabine Purshouse is all about Bath’s appearance in literature. This talk will take you beyond Austen and through the poets, playwrights and novelists who have sought literary inspiration from Bath’s golden skyline throughout the centuries.

7.30pm; £5; www.brlsi.org THE HIVE YOGA STUDIO ONLINE CLASSES During lockdown it is more important than ever to prioritise self care. Signing up for a few online classes with The Hive Yoga Studio is one great way to take a moment

for yourself during anxious times.

As well as teaching a range of styles of yoga, they also offer HIIT classes with Olympian Amy Williams, stretching sessions and Pilates among other options, seven days a week. www.jointhehive.co.uk DANCE FIT & ZUMBA There’s no better spiritual lift than shaking it out to great music.

Fortunately. Dance Fit Bath has shifted online for lockdown, with a range of classes in their unique and joyful fusion of dance, aerobics and Zumba. Live work outs are streaming most days, with a bumper weekly work out on demand with extra tracks if you want to practise and perfect those routines ready for the IRL Green Park gatherings. www.dancefitbath.co.uk ONLINE EMBROIDERY WORKSHOPS The Art Cohort is hosting a series of online embroidery workshops throughout February. Marion Bedford will lead the classes on

Zoom, demonstrating basic embroidery stitches as well as giving even the shyest stitcher the chance to really embrace their creative soul. Workshops run twice daily at 10am and 6.30pm on selected dates. £30 for four sessions, starter kit available – £10 postage included www.theartcohort.co.uk READING IS MAGIC Last year, Bath Festivals collaborated with book festivals from all over the country to create Reading Is Magic, the online festival of 25 events with bestselling children’s authors and illustrators including children’s laureates from the UK and USA, Cressida Cowell and Jason Reynolds. Specially for lockdown while so many kids are stuck at home, Bath Festivals have extended free access to the festival. With videos and podcasts for primary and secondary school ages available, it’s a wholesome and educational means to while away a few lockdown hours. You can access the free library of events using

WHAT’S ON promo code FREEMAGICBCLF. www.readingismagicfestival.com BATH RUGBY X BATHFITFAM BathFitFam and Bath Rugby have joined forces to keep us fit and healthy through lockdown.

BathFitFam is a unique organisation in the city that brings together fitness instructors and personal trainers with a wide range of expertise to promote Bathonian wellness. The weekly timetable is diverse enough that there is something on the schedule for all ages and abilities, from high intensity impact workouts to sessions aimed for the whole family. www.bathrugby.com

above: Jason Bryant's Reaching for Rainbows exhibition of photographs details the many faces of lockdown left: Make these sweet, flakey pastries at home with Wafaa Powell's online classes below: Learn more about The Watersplash by Henry Herbert La Thangue with the Victoria Art Gallery's YouTube series

WE GET IT GET TOGETHERS In a time where many have been shielding at home for months, organisations like We Get It, Bath’s support community for those dealing with cancer, have become absolutely vital. Every Friday at 10.30am they host the Get Together on Zoom – a chance to grab your beverage of choice and touch base with a community that knows what you’re going through better than any other. The first Thursday of every month at 8pm they also host The Friends & Family Hang Out, a supportive monthly meet up for the family members and loved ones who look after, listen to and lift the spirits of people dealing with cancer. www.wegetit.org.uk TOP TEN TREASURES The Victoria Art Gallery has produced a new YouTube series to keep us entertained while we wait for the city’s cultural life to restart.

Top Ten Treasures is hosted by gallery manager Jon Benington and museum assistant Jim Riseley and is released weekly. The ten selected pieces offer just a glimpse of the breadth of work in the gallery’s extensive permanent collection.

The fascinating videos dive into the history of works like Hugo Van Der Goes’ Adoration of the Magi, one of the oldest pieces on display in the museum. We’ve all got a bit more time on our hands right now – why not use it to up your art history knowledge? Search for the Victoria Art Gallery on YouTube REACHING FOR RAINBOWS Somerset photographer Jason Bryant’s online exhibition of photographs with South West Heritage Trust offer one man’s take on life since March 2020. From

winding shopping trolley queues to roped off playgrounds, children laughing in rope swings with their adults, rediscovering the joy of long hours spent outside, and sombre moments of reflection, the array of images capture the gamut of when it was first announced that we would be entering lockdown. Shepton Mallet-based photographer Jason has been working in the press going on two decades, with his shots gracing the pages of many publications including The Times and The Daily Telegraph. But, for Jason, it is ultimately that which he sees on his own door step that inspires him most of all. www.swheritage.org.uk STORYTELLING Every week, bookshop Mr B’s Emporium invites its youngest devotees to take a seat and fire up YouTube for a story, engagingly read by Gemma Dunnell – who adds in the occasional aside of her own for good measure. Yes, it’s technically for the kids, but even grown-ups will find themselves drawn into the happy, colourful worlds Gemma guides us through.

Embrace magical beings, other worldly explorations and animal and dinosaur friends with the little ones – and grant yourself some easy homeschooling peace in the process. Search Mr Bs Emporium of Reading Delights on YouTube BRIDGERTON If you’ve not watched it yet, now is the perfect time. The Shonda Rimes-produced Regency drama – much of which was shot here in Bath – has become one of Netflix’s biggest shows of all time. Silly, sexy and utterly escapist, it tells the tale of the eight Bridgerton siblings and their quest for love, wealth and status in high-powered world of the Regency-era upper classes. Plus, you’ve got the added fun of spotting all the Bath locations – turn to page 12 for more on that. www.netflix.com SHY OF MAKEUP Transform your look in lockdown with makeup classes from the experts at Little Lab. With eight years of teaching under their belts and over 4,000 students now able to achieve that perfect eyeliner flick, they’re offering virtual workshops in everything from getting your daily routine down to statement looks for special occasions (one day we will have those again, honest). By appointment only, www.littlelab.co.uk n

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

BOOKS NIC BOTTOMLEY

Telling it like it is

From the Trump administration to climate change and contemporary tales of the pandemic – it’s time for reading to get real

“The authors put their own fictitious spin on the unfathomable event we’re all living through” 28 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

L

ast time I wrote I focused, not for the first time in the last 12 months, on escapism. But it occurred to me that I should also explore the flip-side – the way books can help us engage with and understand the ceaseless madness that surrounds us. It might be tempting for many of us to escape to fantastic fictional worlds so we can forget the all-too-real one we’re living in, but equally there are times when we can’t put our heads in the sand and where books can help us make sense of the big issues around us and give us some hope that we’ll come out on the other side.

By the time this pandemic has played out there will doubtless be hundreds of books written about it. A few are emerging already, though many of the early ones appear so hastily put together that I doubt their ability to help us understand what we’re living through. One book on the subject that is intriguing is The Decameron Project: 29 New Stories from the Pandemic (Simon & Schuster, £16.99) which features specially commissioned new short stories by an incredible list of authors.

The original Decameron was the 14th century story-cycle novel by Giovanni Boccaccio set just outside Florence at the time of the black death. At the beginning of the novel, a group of ten young men and women meet amidst their city’s increasing lockdown and decide to get out and into some plague-less air by moving to some handily available villa in the nearby hills.

To pass the time, in between endless mealtime flirting that doesn’t strike a chord with modern social distancing recommendations, the ten friends tell the group a story each per day along a given theme. Whatever the theme might be, the stories inevitably end up boiling down to thrilling tales of adventure, crime, cunning and, almost relentlessly, sex.

There are 71 fewer tales in the new Decameron Project but the calibre of the story-writing on display is impressive. Originally beginning as a New York Times project in the early months of the pandemic, contributors include many prize-winning novelists and some of the most acclaimed young writers from many different backgrounds. European writers such as Colm Toibin, Paolo Giordano, David Mitchell, Kamila Shamsie and Laila Lalami rub shoulders with acclaimed North American voices from Margaret Atwood to Esi Edugyan. In so many different styles the authors put their own fictitious

spin on the unfathomable event we’re all living through.

Lurking temporarily in the pandemic’s shadows is of course the greatest existential threat of them all – the climate crisis that continues to envelope our planet thanks to negative human behaviour.

My colleague Jess has absorbed more reading in this area than anyone I know and late last year the book she was recommending to us all was The Future Earth by Eric Holthaus (Harper Collins, £16.99).

Whilst never shying away from the desperate situation we’re in and the colossal and immediate challenge that faces us, Holthaus nevertheless weaves in a thread of optimism hooked to the essential premise – that humans caused this and it’s also within our capacity to stop it. Looking at some of the ambitious but vital solutions that have been proposed to rectify the crisis, Holthaus shows the reader the world we could create if we did what’s needed and why that is so worth fighting for.

Some of the changes our planet needs require wholesale buy-in from the very highest points of the world’s leadership, and perhaps that may be slightly more plausible once Washington manages to put safely into effect the democratic change it has been tasked with.

Making sense of the violence and vitriol we’ve seen in Washington this month, and all that attends it, has been particularly difficult. There is no shortage of books that reflect on the Trump administration and every other aspect of modern American political life, including Jon Sopel’s brand new UnPresidented (BBC, £20). If you can stomach reliving the election and everything that led up to it then these very immediate recollections on an extraordinary period for Sopel as the BBC’s North America Editor make for an absorbing and constantly eye-widening read.

But if you need more hope (and who doesn’t?), then perhaps it’s time to turn to the next generation of leadership and to Kamala Harris’ own book The Truths We Hold (Vintage, £9.99).

First published back in 2019, this exploration of the principles of social justice that underpin Harris’ own political mindset might just be the kind of reading, like the others on this page, that helps us both navigate the big issues we face whilst also providing a pathway to a brighter future beyond.

Nic Bottomley is the general manager of Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, 14/15 John Street, Bath; tel: 01225 331155; www.mrbsemporium.com

#BATH TOGETHER GREG INGHAM

Smiles better

Media Clash chief exec GREG INGHAM goes beyond grinning and bearing it to celebrate the simple pleasures of smiling…

W

e’ve learned to take pleasure in small things in these times, rebasing our expectations. The glass isn’t so much half full as half-sized. Take joy in those moments. Nature budding as though it’s spring, shy leaves unfolding early raises the soul. It might be a son or daughter who returns your look and knows, unsayingly, what you’re going through and knows you know what they’re going through, that brief kinship. Or it might just be a single smile.

There is no action simpler which has greater impact. Ants may lift multiple times their body weight. But the ratio of effort to effect of an action that’s right under your nose is unmatched. A single smile can make a day. And it might even prompt a friendship or more. “They smiled at me…”: it’s not only adolescents who marvel at exchanged social grins.

“We shall never know all the

good that a simple smile can do,” Mother Teresa.

That sweet moment when you are out walking and you share a smile embellished by a sidestep shuffle of social distancing – a passing acknowledgement of our shared humanity in a fleeting moment. More prosaically, that shared meme or daft vid on WhatsApp groups triggering unseen smiles and then teethygrin emoticons by return. There’s something wonderfully mimetic about smiling. As birds take to the wing at unexpected sound so one smile prompts another. You smile, they smile. And even if a smile isn’t returned, it’s at least received.

It’s an impulse – not a habit – we grow out of as we age. All the wonderments of childhood mean kids smile an average of 400 times a day. Some miles of smiles in childhood. Adults? Not so much.

We manage 40 to 50 a day, which is still maybe up to three times each waking hour (which by the way do not include those nighttime waking hours that we’re really not talking about here.

“A single smile can make a day” 30 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Smiling in the dark in your own is the only time when smiles are properly weird.).

We should ponder why and when we smile, those phatic moments of interaction, those triggers by and from us.

Admittedly, not ponder them to the extent of a former colleague who stated with, it has to be said, not wholly well-placed pride that he “decided to learn to smile”.

(So much wrong with that. That “learn” still baffles.)

There’s a democracy in smiling. Nearly everyone can. We need to share our smiles more, our easiest and perhaps best gift.

Visual generosity. Random acts of smiling. Smile at the beauty of Bath. Smile at the coming of the spring, those fecund happy days that make children of us all.

Smile at the thought of shoeless summer when the sun will beat down to dry the dew-kissed land.

Smile, even if teeth-clenchingly, at the sheer absurdity of our current predicament. Smile with confidence that better times are coming, that this too shall pass.

Think also of how more freely we all now say ‘hello’ or nod as we walk past or queue up. As that wise essayist William Hazlitt said, “A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and

accomplish miracles.”

This pandemic has retuned our sense of what it is to be human; we can be more in harmony with others because whoever they are, they too are experiencing much as we are.

Brief discourse is permitted, invited, even expected – all the more so because most of us have spent time with few people so far this year. We have more fingers than those we’ve spoken with face to face at any length. And if all this strikes you as a tad fanciful (for shame, by the way!), then just try smiling at its sheer daftness.

That’s fine, that counts. And it probably nudges you up from a lower percentile of smilers.

Truth is, these times plain aren’t funny. Nor notably happy.

But we might as well take and give simple pleasures where we can. Like smiling.

“I love those who can smile in trouble,” said Leonardo da Vinci.

#BathTogether – always…

Introducing my Art Cushions

We can't wait to welcome you back to our shop, but in the meantime you can still find us online:

www.jodycory.co.uk

9 Abbey Churchyard, Bath, BA1 1LY | 01225 460072 jody@jodycory.co.uk | www.jodycory.co.uk |

H O M E V I S I TS R E M A I N AVA I L A B L E D U R I N G C OV I D - 19 LO C K D O W N

Specialist Neurological Physiotherapy at Home B AT H & S OM E R S E T We are a team of highly experienced physios who have developed our specialist clinical skills working at the UK’s largest dedicated neurological hospital, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London.

We provide treatment and rehabilitation to clients with a variety of neurological conditions including: Stroke • Parkinson’s Disease • Multiple sclerosis • Brain tumours Balance/Vestibular issues • Spinal cord injury • FNS...and more

Please get in touch to find out how we can help you reach your full potential.

01225 962004 katie@neuroconnectrehab.co.uk www.neuroconnectrehab.co.uk

43x43cm £28

55x55cm £42

Beautiful New Website: www.emmaroseartworks.com The Art Studio . Knight’s Barn . Wellow . Bath BA2 8QE

SHOPPING LIVE WELL, BUY BETTER

LOVE KILLS

We’re totally enamoured with this striking and powerful print, Shot Heart/Target #03 by Patrick Thomas, who now lives in Berlin and has exhibited his limited-edition silkscreens across five continents, where many are now held in private and public collections.

We’re also pretty smitten with the acclaimed graphic artist’s recent efforts to help support other artists during the pandemic. In March 2020 he launched a free online platform to enable remote real-time collaboration between artists during lockdown, which saw thousands of creatives participate worldwide.

Shot Heart/Target #03 limited edition of 100 by Patrick Thomas, is available through Modern Art Buyer, £120; www.modernartbuyer.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 33

HOT WATER BOTTLE WITH STAG MOTIF, £29.99 This hot-stuff, heart-shaped, hot water bottle has a soft merino wool felt cover in red and is decorated with a hand-printed white stag motif.

From Vinegar Hill, 16 Milsom Street, Bath; www.vinegarhill.co.uk

LOVE HEARTS

We’re not saying it subtly this year – in these restrictive times our Valentine’s love needs to be shouted from the rooftop

HEART AND STRIPE SLIPPER SOCKS, £35 These gorgeous slippers have an ergonomic, non-slip and micro-ventilated sole, and are machine washable at 30 degrees so tootsies stay scrunchy clean.

From Blue Women and Home at The Loft, 1-2 Bartlett Street, Bath; www.theloftbath.com

HEART KITE MIRROR, £15 Look at the one you love (yes yourself) with this pocket mirror

by John Derian – handmade in their New York studio using reproductions of vintage prints.

From Maze, 19 Green Street, Bath; www.mazeclothing.co.uk

HEART COIN ZIP PURSE, £136 This cute heart-shaped in scarlet croc print purse is sturdy enough to carry a small hand sanister and mask, so we can add a little love to these times of Covid From Mulberry, 38 Milsom Street, Bath; www.mulberry.com CASINO ROYALE WALL ART, £252 Take a gamble and use this print designed

by MindTheGap to tell them they’re the ace in your deck Stockists Woodhouse & Law, 4 George’s Place, Bathwick Hill; www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk

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

ED’S CHOICE HANGING GLASS HEART, £10 A handmade small fused heart of glass perfect for hanging is a gorgeous way to say you love them.

From Bath Aqua Glass, 14 Cheap Street / 15 Abbey Churchyard, Bath; www.bathaquaglass.com

LITTLE HEART CARD, £2 This card by Hadley Paper Goods may be petite, but its wonky, hand-drawn, vibrant heart radiates a lot of love.

From Julia Davey, 20 Wellsway, Bear Flat, Bath; www.juliadavey.com

LOVE HEART MATCHES, £6.50 A fabulous box of large matchboxes, styled on an early 20th century letterpress, and contains approx. 150 ways to light up someone’s life.

From Luca & Figg, 6 Widcombe Parade, Bath; purchase via www.trouva.com

HEART GLOW BOX, £14.50 We love this. Designed and produced by a Bath business using sustainably sourced poplar plywood, this magical box glows in daylight and requires no batteries From Rosie Flo; www.rosieflo.co.uk

HEART DESIGN DOORMAT, £29.95 This natural coir doormat is either 'I love you so much, you can walk all over me' or 'I welcome you with love'. Up to you.

From Graham and Green, 92 Walcot Street, Bath; www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

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

Mandalyns manager Declan Gray with owner Kalvin Simmons

RAISE YOUR GLASSES PLEASE...

10 of our favourite Bath bars share their best cocktails recipes for an at-home toast until we meet again Compiled by John Mather

W

hether it’s to mark the end of dry January, a toast to love itself, a homeschooling end-of-day reward, or a drink to celebrate the arrival of vaccines – whatever it is – we say cheers and thank you to our lovely local mixologists for sharing their favourite tipples for a little lockdown lounging.

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

CHELSEA SIDE CAR

From Kalvin Simmons, owner of Mandalyns, Fountain Buildings, 13 Lansdown Road, Bath; www.facebook.com/mandalynsbath Ingredients Equal parts gin, Cointreau, and lemon juice, and a lemon rind twist to garnish Method Chill a martini glass with ice and water. Whilst your glass is chilling, add ice to a Boston cocktail shaker (or any similar container with a secure lid) and pour in the ingredients. If you like your cocktails sweet, add a little sugar syrup to taste. Add the lid of the Boston and shake well.

Discard the ice in the martini glass and strain your cocktail into the glass leaving any remaining ice in the Boston. Finally, garnish with a zesty lemon rind twist.

Why this? It reminds me of when the bar is full of life, with people having a great time. It’s also so easy to make but we would suggest using a good quality gin like Scout & Sage, that’s produced locally.

Enjoy with Thick cut salt and vinegar crisps or hummus and cucumber cut into batons – but always with Diana Ross on in the background.

COCKTAILS

FOUR WORD LOVE LETTER

Concocted by Dave ‘Hawaiian Dave’ Penson, general manager of The Common Room, 2 Saville Row, Bath; www.commonroombath.co.uk Ingredients 30ml Lanique (rose spirit drink), 10ml lavender syrup, 10ml lemon juice, Lunetta Prosecco (or any prosecco) Method Add Lanique, lavender syrup and lemon juice to a shaking tin, then shake ingredients with ice and double strain into a flute and top with prosecco. Garnish with a small edible flower.

Tell us a little about the name you’ve given this Four Word Love Letter is in reference to the declaration of love; also one of my favourite mini card games (love letter), which I have been playing over lockdown online with friends; plus the four ingredients all start with L. Why have you mixed this one? It’s fresh and floral, with a delicate effervescence thanks to the bubbly – so suits Valentine’s Day perfectly.

Drink while playing the online card game or watching your favourite romantic movie.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 37

THE VOULEZ VOUS

Mixed by Louis Moon, bar manager of The Hideout, 1 Lilliput Court, Bath; www.hideoutbath.co.uk Ingredients 20ml vodka, 20ml Noilly Prat, 20ml white sugar, 20ml lemon juice, approx ½ teaspoon ruby red grapefruit marmalade, tiny pinch of salt Method Add all your ingredients into a shaker with ice, shake and strain into an ‘up’ glass. Serve with some pink grapefruit oils, from a twist of peel, on top.

On the most wanted list I chose this cocktail because it’s a bestseller down at Hideout. It’s super refreshing, fruity, and extremely easy to both make and drink, which will have you wanting more.

Best enjoyed In the Hideout Bar, but failing that for now, I like to enjoy mine with my girlfriend as we bake together or relaxing, watching TV.

WARM & COZY

Mixed by Rob Clench, bartender at Homewood, Abbey Lane, Freshford, Bath; www.homewoodbath.co.uk Ingredients 50ml Mirabeau Rose Gin, 100ml apple juice, 10ml lemon juice, 25ml ginger beer, 3 dashes Angostura bitters, 1 teaspoon organic honey, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 slice of lemon, cloves Method Warm up the apple juice and ginger beer, but don’t boil it. When it’s ready, add the honey, lemon juice, bitters and stir the ingredients together. Pour everything in a mug/heat proof glass preferably, add Mirabeau gin, and garnish at the end with the cinnamon stick and lemon slice.

Describe the Warm & Cozy. It has a floral note, which complements the warmth and spice of the drink. To taste, it’s rich apple, rose, and honey flavours, in balance with the sweetness of the gin and the aromas of cinnamon and cloves.

Why did you select this? I’ve chosen this cocktail because it’s simple to make at home, and it works like a treat with the cold weather outside. It’s easy to drink especially after Dry January, and it can be a special drink to enjoy with your partner on Valentine’s Day. Consume with shortbreads or dark chocolate – it really works.

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

COCKTAILS

REVEREND GREEN

Mixed by Ian Harman bar manager of No.15 Great Pulteney, 15 Great Pulteney Street, Bath; www.no15greatpulteney.co.uk Ingredients 35ml apple juice, 25ml mint infused gin, 15ml green chartreuse, 5ml sugar syrup, Double Dutch Cucumber & Watermelon tonic (or elderflower tonic) How do you make the mint-infused gin? Fill a 300ml bottle with mint leaves and top with gin, leave to infuse for 12-16 hours then strain the gin and discard the mint leaves.

Method Simply shake your ingredients (bar the tonic) with ice and strain into a thin highball glass over cubed ice. Top up with around ⅓ of a bottle of your Double Dutch tonic and garnish with thinly sliced apple, fresh or dehydrated Tell us why the Reverend Green? When I think about a busy Bar 15, this is the drink that comes to mind. It’s fresh and minty, the green chartreuse really comes through with soft apple notes at the end. It’s best drunk pre-lunch or predinner, and ideally in the garden when the weather warms up a little.

DISARONNO & CHERRY SOUR

Made by Tom Pople, general manager of Circo – Cellar Bar, 16-18 George Street, Bath; www.circobar.co.uk

Ingredients 25ml Disaronno (or Amaretto), 25ml Cherry Heering (or any cherry liqueur), 25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, 12.5ml Gomme (sugar/simple syrup), 25ml egg white (1 medium egg’s worth), 2-3 maraschino cherries (Luxardo are best) Method Measure all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill and dilute a little, then strain and shake again without ice to emulsify everything. Strain into martini glass, or it can be served over ice in a rocks (small tumbler) – up to you! Then garnish with a Maraschino cherry or 2. Or 3.

How does it taste? It’s not too sweet, not too sour, and is a consistent bestseller on the Circo menu.

How best served Because this tastes like a delicious boozy Bakewell tart, it’s great served as a dessert-style cocktail after a lockdown date night meal, or have a few during an evening of Sunday board games.

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

COCKTAILS

PALOMA

Mixed by Callum Rixson, operations manager at Dos Dedos, Edgar Mews, Bartlett Street, Bath; www.dosdedos.co.uk Ingredients 30 Cazcabel Blanco Tequila (available at Independent Spirit of Bath), 10ml fresh lime juice, 10ml agave, small pinch high-quality sea salt, top with pink grapefruit soda (If you can’t get grapefruit soda, add 50ml freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and top with soda) Method This one is really simple and deserves to be more well-known. Get a chilled high ball and fill with as much ice as you can get in the glass. Build the drink and give it a quick stir and serve with a wedge of grapefruit, fresh or dehydrated. You can also multiply all the ingredients by five and get a big old jugful, so you can top up easily – you deserve it!

Chosen because It’s big, fresh and fruity, with a little bit of a bitter twang at the end to keep you going back for more (seriously, just make a jug). It’s pink and fizzy, so how can I not love it.

Best consumed with? It doesn’t really matter, as it goes with pretty much everything, but it’s best drunk with loved ones, whether in person or virtually.

75 LOVERS

Created by Guy Hobley, Chief Drink Slinger and head bartender at The Walcot, 90 Walcot Street, Bath; www.walcothousebath.com Ingredients 500g of frozen strawberries, 200ml of tonic syrup made with 200ml tonic water, 100g sugar and juice of 1 lemon, 75ml of pink gin of choice, sparkling wine or cider Method To make the tonic syrup, combine all ingredients into a saucepan, heat until sugar is dissolved and then cool before use. Combine ingredients into blender, blend until smooth, then freeze for 12-24 hours. If too clumpy blend again and re-freeze. Place a scoop of sorbet in your finest glassware and then top with finest sparkling wine or cider Describe the taste for us Teenage dreams and your first kiss in the rain - with added sparkling strawberries. It’s a favourite of The Walcot bar team – delicious and quaffable.

How should we enjoy 75 Lovers? With the lights dimmed, your favourite Taylor Swift song on, having your own personal lockdown/Valentine’s day party.

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

WILDLY BRAMBLE Created by Flow bar’s barman Konnor Gulliver, 8 The Bridge, Frome; www.flowbarfrome.co.uk

Ingredients Retribution gin, fresh raspberries, twist of lemon Method Simply pour the Retribution gin, (this is a gin that literally shouts juniper from the bottle) over the raspberries and add the lemon twist for zest.

Any extra touches? We serve ours with a rosemary smudge which has been lit (and extinguished) for that extra wow factor and to make sure all the senses are seduced.

Why is Wildly Bramble your preferred concoction right now? It’s named it after the local Bramble & Wild Florists – it’s sharp, sexy, grown up and just a little bit exotic. It might just suit lockdown and social distancing as you won’t want to share this.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 41

COCKTAILS

RED DRESS

Mixed by Leo McAlroy, assistant manager of Sub 13, 4 Edgar Buildings, Bath; www.sub13.net Ingredients 45ml (2 eggcups) Cotswolds Whisky Amaro Liqueur No.1, 15ml Aperol, 15ml lemon juice, 7ml (this is half a tablespoon) Chartreuse Yellow, 2 fresh strawberries muddled, and 1 to garnish, soda water to top.

Method To start, chill down your glasses by adding ice and cold water. Next if you have a mixing glass perfect, if not you can use a pint-sized glass. Add two strawberries and the lemon juice, then start muddling. Then add the Chartreuse Yellow, Aperol and Cotswolds Whisky Amaro Liqueur No.1. Now add ice ¾ of the way up and start stirring. This is the important part; we want to stir for about 30 seconds so the drink is diluted as we are not serving this drink over ice. Once ice cold, discard your water and ice from your glass, then pour through a fine sieve to stop any of the strawberries getting in. Top with soda water and garnish with strawberry slices.

Describe the taste Fruity, floral and complex. Using three liqueurs, orange peel, lemon juice and strawberries truly keeps things simple and empowers all these sophisticated flavours to work together.

Why did you mix the Red Dress? I love this drink as it is seasonally appropriate from November to February. The spices and botanicals used in the Amaro are warming yet fruity.

I also love using local ingredients, this is a great chance to try something different, an Italian style digestif, made by Cotswold Distillery. So, in addition to this make sure you go to your local fruit and veg market as many places are still open during this third lockdown. I hope you enjoy this drink as much as I do, see you all on the other side. Salute!

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

COCKTAILS

Franklin & Sons rhubarb tonic water with hibiscus, £2.50, www.independentspiritofbath.co.uk

Free The Tipple: Kickass Cocktails Inspired

by Iconic Women by Jennifer Croll and Kelly Shami, £9.99, www.theoldfieldparkbookshop.co.uk

Silver hourglass drinks trolley, £295, www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

Rutland cocktail shaker, £25, www.indiajane.co.uk

Brass pineapple bottle opener £14.50, www.vinegarhill.co.uk Silver plated gin and tonic drink stirrer, £19.95, www.frenchgrey.co.uk

COCKTAIL SHOPPING LIST Throw these beauties into the mix and help shake up the perfect cocktail

Leaf champagne coupe glasses, £8.95, www.homefrontinteriors.co.uk

Georg Jensen Bernadotte stainless steel thermo jug, £160, www.mallory-jewellers.com

Reeded bone ice bucket, £250, www.oka.com

Scout & Sage gin,£37, www.beckfordbottleshop.com Garden Trading curzon mirror tray, £45, www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk

Zebra coaster, £7, www.avenidahome.com

Gold drinks measure, £14, www.rossitersofbath.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 43

HOME DINING

CASTLE FARM

Lydia Tewkesbury feels better thanks to the Castle Farm @Home Supper Club

A

t the point our kindly Bath Life editor Sarah dropped the ‘At the Cabin’ supper club box from Castle Farm on my doorstep, I was on day seven of self-isolation and day four of my own bout of Covid. Fortunately, I got the mild flu version, with a severe side effect of feeling sorry for myself – and increasingly as though the prevailing mental health advice of the moment to go outside! The magic of the great outdoors! Walking! Etc, was designed to mock me in particular. Basically, I was in need of some serious comfort, and so this review could not have come at a better time – because the Castle Farm supper club is a lot more than a simple box of food, it’s a whole mood. There’s even a playlist involved.

Castle Farm take their theme seriously, so beyond the cooking instructions (nothing onerous don’t worry – you pretty much just pop it all in the oven for a bit) they provide some guidelines for cultivating the atmosphere. If I had one criticism it would be that all of this was very much designed for two, rather than the isolated and Covid-addled – but the added benefit that the box fed me for pretty much the entire weekend more than made up for the instructions to play

boardgames and read aloud to my loved ones (and, to be fair I could have phoned them for this purpose, but I doubt they would have thanked me for it).

I did, however, create my mood with a supper podcast in place of human interaction (WTF with Marc Maron’s interview with Kate Winslet, if you’re interested) and – per CF’s suggestion – the fake fire thing going on Netflix to evoke the ‘cabin’ aesthetic. Fortunately, these weak attempts at atmosphere on my part were hardly necessary at all, because the mood was set entirely by the food. Kicking off the proceedings was a warm brioche with tangy onion marmalade and rosemary and garlic soft cheese. Heated in an oven proof dish, the cheese melts into perfect dipping consistency for the onion-ey brioche, leaving me wondering why I ever ate it any other way. On the side I munched my way through a light starter salad of salt baked roots – heavy on the fennel, my favourite – winter leaves and cherry vinaigrette.

Fresh and totally moreish, it had me raring to go for my mains: pie, the ultimate comfort food for a chilly winter evening. Warmed by the vibes of my fake fireplace, I tucked in greedily to the crimped cabin pie filled with rich mushroom

“This bar of gloopy goodness was chocoholic heaven”

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

and roasted pumpkin, and served with buttery winter greens, mashed potato and pot-roasted Jerusalem artichokes topped with crunchy hazelnuts. The sumptuous flakey pastry of the pie and the creaminess of the mushroom and roasted squash came together with melt-in-themouth effect – a heart-warming meal in every sense of the word. While I paused to make room for pud – a brownie definitely meant for two that I definitely ate for one. I’m in isolation, what else was I to do? – I tried out the Cabin Quiz. Yes, this meal also comes with a themed quiz – one of the answers was, appropriately for me, cabin fever. Before self-pity had the chance to descend again, I reached for the sticky, melt-y chocolate and peanut butter brownie with salted caramel sauce. A level of brownie perfection I have not seen achieved in a while, this bar of gloopy goodness was chocoholic heaven, utterly luxurious and achieved something remarkable to boot: it made me a little grateful for my isolation.

It meant I didn’t have to share.

Castle Farm release new food boxes every week.

The Supper Club takes place on Saturday night, with a curry night on Fridays and on Sunday, Castle Farm’s beloved roast to take home. n

DINING DETAILS Castle Farm, Midford Road, Midford; tel: 07564 783307; www.castlefarmmidford.co.uk Collect from: Castle Farm at 5.30pm on Saturday Prices: From £65 Drinks choice: Comes with a spiced hot chocolate from Seven Hills, any other bevs to be supplied by you Vegetarian options: Yes, I had the vegetarian box.

There is one for meat eaters too.

Ease: 10/10. Simple instructions that amounted to about 20 minutes in the oven overall.

HOME DINING

“Tender, succulent steak, heaped high with red onion BBQ salsa, crisp pancetta, Somerset Cheddar”

OLIO AT HOME

Deri Robins discovers a five-star drive-thru at Homewood

W

hat have you most missed during Lockdown 3.0?

For us, it was a decent burger. A proper burger, in a toasted bun, with real minced steak topped with salad, cheese, bacon and anything else you can conceivably pack in before the thing collapses under its own gravity.

However, we’re swerving takeaways at the moment – in recent experience, they’ve been a bit of a scrum. This severely limits our options; we’re tucked away in rural Freshford, the place that Deliveroo forgot.

Not for nothing, however, does our neck of the woods regularly top those ‘best villages in the UK’ lists – we don’t like to boast, but not too long ago, a glorious photo of Freshford commanded a double-page spread in the Sunday Times. Because this is not merely a postcardpretty village, it’s an incredibly well-served one; it has a community run shop selling Bertinet bread, olive oil from The Mani, locally made artisan jams, and so on; the award-winning

Freshford Inn, and even its own boutique hotel, the fabulous Homewood.

A takeaway from Homewood, we felt, would be nothing like the alarming time we’d had queuing at a hatch for [don’t like to say] at [insert central Bath location]. Espying a burger on the Homewood menu, we signed up for the Saturday night takeaway.

There was a short choice of four meals.

Two curries – chicken Malay, with coconut, lime, coriander and poppadom, or a halloumi Massaman, with sweet potato and spinach, and poppadom. There was also the Brixhambattered haddock and chips option, but lockdown has made us creatures of habit, and Oyster Shell Tuesday Night is officially Fish Night.

Naturally, we seized on the Stokes Marsh Farm steak burger. It was everything we’d hoped it would be; tender, succulent steak, heaped high with red onion BBQ salsa, crisp pancetta, Somerset Cheddar, accompanied by tempura Kalonji seed onion rings and pimenton salt fries.

We also decided to give the Massaman curry a

whirl – a fusion of Thai and Indian style, made from a red-style curry paste and dry whole spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

The other essential component is roasted peanuts, which added an extra layer of richness and texture to this lovely dish, which we greedily mopped up with naans as billowy as pillows.

Collecting the meal is just as you’d expect from this most genteel of hotels: you simply drive up to the front door, and staff bring out the order. ■

DINING DETAILS Olio At Home, Homewood, Abbey Lane, Freshford, Bath, BA2 7TB; www.homewoodbath.co.uk Available The drive through service is available every Saturday from 5-8pm Prices £10-£12 Valentine’s Day special Available 13 and 14 Feb with two courses for £25, or three courses for £32 – see website for menu To order Call 01225 723 731 or email reception@ homewoodbath.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 45

FOOD & DRINK NEWS

MAKING IT OFFICIAL Now we know, The Bath Pizza Co really is serving up the best slices in town. The pizza restaurant in Green Park Station has just been named Independent Pizza Restaurant of the Year by the Pizza and Pasta Association.

“To receive this recognition is an outstanding achievement by the team after what has been a rollercoaster of a year,” says Alex Peters, director of the Bath Pizza Co. “There were some outstanding pizzerias from all over the UK in our category.

“Led by head chef Jonah Pole and general manager Alex Pitts, the crew have worked tirelessly through the ups and downs of 2020 – this award is a reflection of their dedication and hard graft.”

For more: www.bathpizzaco.com

Award-winning pizzas are available from the restaurant in Green Park Station

THE GOLDEN TICKET As if you didn’t already have enough motivation to order, Heritage Fine Foods is running a competition for their customers during lockdown. Any orders placed between now and the end of March will be entered into a draw for some truly delectable prizes including: First prize: an overnight stay for two people at Marco Pierre White’s hotel, The Rudloe Arms in Corsham and an evening meal worth up to £150 – and breakfast the next day.

Second prize: an evening meal at your MPW venue of choice up to the value of £150 (excludes The Rudloe Arms) Third Prize: A champagne tea for two worth £34.95 at an MPW venue of your choice (again, not the Rudloe).

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? If that weren’t enough, 10 lucky runner ups will also receive an MPW apron worth £35.

For more: www.heritagefinefoods.co.uk

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

Ken and Kay Mortimer, directors of Heritage Fine Foods are rewarding lockdown loyalty with a competition

Say it with cake

P.S. I LOVE YOU Nothing says I love you better than cake. Sarah

McNally is offering these gorgeous Valentine’s Day boxes – four white chocolate cake hearts decorated with gold leaf and filled with rich chocolate cake truffle mixture. In a time when so many are loving from a distance, these tasty beauties make for the perfect gift on what might be something of a bittersweet Valentine’s Day this year.

For more: www.sarahmcnallycakes.com

YOU’VE GOT MAIL

This delicious afternoon tea is just one of the new options from Thoughtful

NEW BEGINNINGS Back in the first lockdown of March 2020, The Wheatsheaf Combe Hay started a click and collect farm shop to supply locally sourced meat, fish and veg, bread, milk and eggs and select other essentials.

Such was the phenomenal response, as we make our way through lockdown the third, they have now got a shopfront. Known as The Shop, the Wheatsheaf ’s farm shop offers all of the goodies of their click and collect service along with delicious deli treats, takeaway hot drinks, cakes and pastries and a classic pub takeaway menu.

For more: www.wheatsheaffarmshop.com

Thoughtful Bakery has launched three new delicious options to keep our sweet tooths satiated through the tough lockdown climes.

Thoughtful brownies, an afternoon tea and a selection box of their famous doughnuts – all available for delivery.

“Through this last year we have worked hard to continually innovate and respond to our audience as well as explore new markets, because we need to,” says Duncan Glendinning, owner of Thoughtful. “The first lockdown kept us very busy as we were quick to respond and offer click and collect or home delivery. As the country has settled into the consecutive lockdowns more services have become available, so we’ve found ourselves needing to raise our game and push ourselves harder than we ever have.

“I am forever grateful to my incredibly passionate and hardworking team, and our loyal and supportive customers, without whom we wouldn’t be here today.”

For more: www.thoughtfulbrownies.co.uk; www.thoughtful-bakery.myshopify.com

Squirrel Sisters Grace and Sophie want to revolutionise our snacking habits

NATURALLY SWEET

The farm shop and deli is filled with locally-sourced treats

Somerset’s anti-sugar warriors The Squirrel Sisters have launched a brand-new online shop filled with sugar-free snacks. The No Added Sugar online shop is a continuation of the pair’s mission to bring awareness to the sugars often hiding in our food.

“Our passion is driven by first-hand experience,” says Grace Tyrrell of the brand. “I cared for my sister Sophie who was seriously ill and could not tolerate any sugar in her diet. Trying to find tempting food for her that had no added sugar was impossible. We as consumers simply do not understand the extent to which sugar is hidden in our food – savoury as well as sweet – so I started to create my own recipes for her that were healthy, tasty, and naturally sweet.”

For more: www.squirrelsisters.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 47

FOOD & DRINK culture differ here?

During my time in London, everything was fast-paced and high pressured for chefs and those in the food industry. I wasn’t able to deal directly with producers, so I missed out on building those relationships.

In the country, not only can I focus on my relationships, but it’s a necessary part of the job. My clients here like to know where things come from and how they’re sourced. During the pandemic more than ever my clients want to support the whole supply chain.

Charlotte Archer landed the dream job of judging for The Great Taste Awards

CHARLOTTE ARCHER

The private chef, tutor and health coach on her multi-hyphenate cooking career A childhood spent travelling the world for her father’s military career meant Charlotte was exposed early to the richness of different cultures, cuisines and ingredients. It’s no wonder she grew up an inveterate foodie. The graduate of the Leith’s School of Food and Wine is now a private chef, tutor and health coach – and has even started teaching The Leith’s Introductory Certificate of Food and Wine, a sixth form course she credits as the origin of her professional culinary ambitions.

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

You were the private chef to the Ambassador for Monaco!

What was that like?

Working for the Ambassador was incredible. She is a fabulous woman, who I have a huge amount of respect for. On an everyday basis I was cooking for the Ambassador and her family, and then there was the Embassy, where I did all the diplomatic lunches and dinners – there I could truly show off my skills. I also cooked for the VIPs she regularly hosted, an unbelievable opportunity to cook for some highprofile individuals.

You moved to Somerset from London. How does foodie

And now you’re a judge for the Great Taste Awards. Is that as dreamy as it sounds?

It really is such fun. You’re surrounded by like-minded people from all sectors of the food industry, all with one goal: to find those star products! Though yes, some products can be . . . ‘interesting’, the majority of the time, submissions are delicious.

The amazing thing about these Awards is the opportunity it gives those producers who may not have the resources to market in the way big names can. Like in so many industries, the loudest person is so often heard first, but The Great Taste Awards allows those quieter producers a voice that is respected amongst the food world.

What’s the best part of being a judge?

The best thing is definitely discovering a three-star product – one that you and your fellow judges all taste in silence and then can’t help but smile and nod at each other over. It is especially rewarding if it turns out to be from an independent small business or has not had a star before.

And the worst?

Some of the items are not so starworthy products. That said, I give a huge amount of respect to anyone creating a product – a massive amount of work and commitment goes into it, so hats off to them.

You also teach cooking privately. Who are you teaching?

My private cooking classes are literally for everyone and anyone!

From parents wanting their children to learn before going to university, to those wanting a few new star dinner party dishes to

impress their friends. All courses are personalised to suit that individual or group, and what they want to get out of the session. I also run the course in the client’s homes, when Covid restrictions allow, and being in their space, working with their equipment, their ovens, etc helps them feel more confident with what’s at their fingertips to recreate the dishes by themselves.

What’s health coaching?

Health coaching focuses on health as a whole, not just what you are putting into your body.

For example, someone can be considered ‘overweight’ but in reality be an extremely healthy eater. It is the other aspects of our lives that make us, as a whole, healthy. This includes relationships, work-life balance, exercise, finances, etc.

What is your advice for sustaining healthy habits?

Everyone has a rebel inside them!

If you are restricted too much or told too many times not to do something, you would not be human if you didn’t push the boundaries a little. However, if you come to the decision yourself that a certain change would be beneficial, then you can set achievable boundaries, ensuring you are more likely to succeed. A health coach can help you make those changes by asking thought-provoking questions to help you determine strategic goals.

Who would benefit from health coaching?

Anyone who is struggling to start or continue with a healthy lifestyle would benefit from the support of a health coach, especially if you know it is not just your diet/ allergies that are the problem.

How do you maintain a positive relationship with food?

Accountability is key. Most people who see a health coach do not necessarily have a severe dietary problem – that is definitely a nutritionist’s area – but they struggle with change and temptation.

Health as a whole is about balance, there is no point being so tough on yourself that you are miserable, you need to have an honest balance.

For more: www.charlottearcher.com

Reach the best in the west Affluent, active and influential and just a call away

Repairs, Restoration Alteration of Stone Buildings New Build Stone Cleaning Stone Carving Fireplaces

Bath Life team pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk

Tel: 01225 462688 / 07968 697091 Email: Julian@bathstonemasons.co.uk

www.bathstonemasons.co.uk

SNOWED UNDER

Explore the history of the incredible snowdrop display of Rococo Gardens, Painswick House Words by Nick Woodhouse Images by David Broadbent

T

he snowdrop has long been the much-anticipated signal that, whilst spring is not quite upon us, it is undeniably on its way.

Despite its reliable entrance each year, it’s difficult not to marvel at how something so delicate can make its way through such unfavourable conditions, and in such quantities. The annual spectacle at Rococo Gardens at Painswick is no exception.

Thanks to over two centuries of naturalisation, and a far-reaching renovation project in recent years, the garden boasts one of the most renowned snowdrop displays in the country.

The original gardens in the hidden valley behind Painswick House were initially laid out as pleasure gardens by then owner

bird’s eye views of the house and gardens in 1748. Robins’ painting style was very much in keeping with the Rococo; intricately illustrated borders would frame the depictions of the gardens, incorporating birds and plants that would occasionally escape into the main body of the painting. Sadly his work, like the garden style itself, was soon forgotten, overlooked in favour of new tastes, of differing temperaments. By the time Hyett’s descendant Lord Dickinson had inherited Painswick in 1955, the gardens were largely neglected; brambles and fallen trees covering any indication of what lay underneath. Pine trees were soon planted instead, to make the most of government grants on offer at the time. The original gardens were all but lost.

Fortunately, the 1970s saw the art world rekindle its love affair with the works of Robins. A London exhibition of his works led two visitors to submit a journal article on the gardens at Painswick in Garden History.

Lord Dickinson began to wonder if perhaps Robins’ depictions that hung on his own walls were far more accurate than he had imagined. Initial exploratory work in 1984 discovered an original path running from the one surviving building, the Red House, just as depicted by Robins in his paintings. This saw the start of an ongoing restoration project of the gardens, now the only complete example of a Rococo garden in the country. A collection of the curious features a Gothic Eagle House, a curved Exedra, a plunge pool and a Doric seat that once formed part of the garden’s pigeon house.

It’s not fully known just how Painswick’s snowdrop collection started but it is believed to be thanks to established nurseryman James Atkins, who lived in a cottage on the estate from the 1850s until his passing three decades later. Many plants we know today were named after this eccentric plantsman, from delphiniums to hellebores, but it is perhaps a snowdrop, Galanthus Atkinsii, for which he is most recognised. Believed to have been

“A carpet of over five million snowdrops in the wooded areas of the garden” Benjamin Hyett in the early 18th century.

The space was by no means as large as many of its contemporaries, but what it lacked in magnitude it most certainly made up for in flamboyancy, offering a wealth of unusual garden buildings, often adorned with whimsical ornamentation. The aesthetic was without a name at the time but would now be described as Rococo, a style most associated with a brief period in between the popularity of the regimented formal gardens favoured in France and that of the more relaxed English landscape movement that followed. This transition between these two very contrasting design styles led to an unusual mix of features; serpentine paths would cross their straight contemporaries; classic buildings would sit alongside the Gothic.

Such was his pride in the gardens at Painswick that Hyett commissioned Bathonian Thomas Robins to paint a series of detailed

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

obtained from a trip to Naples, this variety was on sale from around 1875. Renowned garden writer EA Bowles once described it as the “loveliest of all snowdrops... the outer segments are wonderfully long and very perfect in shape, making the flower resemble a pearshaped pearl…”.

Galanthus Atkinsii is now one of many varieties that form a carpet of over five million snowdrops in the wooded areas of the garden each winter. The timing of the snowdrop season differs slightly each year, depending on the weather over the previous months.

Generally, the first spikes show through the leaf mould in December, with flowers appearing the following month, ready to look their best in February. Aconites and cyclamen add to a display that has attracted visitors from as far afield as Australia and Taiwan in recent years. Many such galanthophiles will also visit the nearby gardens of Colesbourne, with its 10 acres of snowdrop walks around the former home of naturalist and avid plant collector Henry John Elwes.

Today the garden is cared for by a charitable trust with a team of 20 staff, supported in turn by a team of 80 volunteers, all dedicated to the ongoing restoration of the space. Without their ongoing efforts, there is every chance that the Rococo would have long been relegated to the history books. The Rococo was deemed vulgar by many at the time; it was undeniably frivolous and embraced traditionally conflicting styles, but above all it was fun.

And we all could do with some more of that right now.

For more: Painswick Rococo Garden, Gloucester Road, Painswick, Stroud; wwwrococogarden.org.uk

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

GARDENS

clockwise: The Galanthus Atkinsii variety has been described as the ‘loveliest of all snowdrops’; the early 18th century owner Benjamin Hyett created the flamboyant landscaping style that later became known as Rococo; the garden now boasts one of the most renowned snowdrop displays in the country

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 51

SPONSORED BY:

It’s the city’s business

BATHWORKS THIS ISSUE >>BECOME A MENTOR WITH B IN BATH (57) >>ROB CASH OF KUTCHENHAUS (58) >>DIGITAL WONDERLAB (59) Glynn Hayward, owner and creative director of Complete Control, hopes Bath Unlimited will offer local businesses opportunities for collaboration

“WE SEE BATH UNLIMITED AS A VIRTUAL FRONT DOOR TO COME ON IN AND SEE WHAT IS BEING CREATED”

The power list

B

ath Unlimited’s new campaign, 21 for 2021, showcases – you guessed it – 21 local firms innovating in their sectors. Launched last October as part of the city’s recovery mission, Bath Unlimited highlights the achievements of our local world-class companies in defence, engineering and built environment.

“We are really proud to be part of Bath Unlimited to showcase what we are doing at Complete Control alongside just some of the

BUSINESS CLUB

other amazing companies of Bath,” says Glynn Hayward of Complete Control, the double BAFTA-award-winning children’s production company based out of Church Farm Business Park in Corston. “We see Bath Unlimited as a virtual front door to come on in and see what is being created within the city and discover some real success stories which are right under our noses. We see the project as a great way also to enable collaborations to happen amongst the business community too.”

The campaign showcases the variety and dynamism of the companies that make up our

local economy, and, organisers hope, will help potential future investors in the city see it too.

“Bath is a hub for amazing businesses and we have been fortunate to work with a large number of awesome start-ups and scale ups, helping them to bring their innovative ideas to life,” says David Kelly, CEO of Storm Consultancy, the digital technology agency and one of the 21. “Whilst each day is rewarding in our field of work, it's an honour to have been named amongst some huge players in Bath Unlimited's 21 companies.”

For more: www.bathunlimited.org

Virtual one hour sessions, all free to attend Search Bath Life on LinkedIn for upcoming dates and registration If you would like to get involved, please email events@mediaclash.co.uk MEDIACLASH.CO.UK 115

BATHWORKS Bath residents have really taken to the Voi scooters

SCOOT UP It’s hard to miss the cheerful red Voi scooters zipping about the city. Following the launch of the pilot last year, Bath residents have embraced this fun new means of public transport. Fans are in luck, the e-scooter trial is expanding to new destinations including Oldfield Park and Bathwick.

Since the scooters arrived in Bath they have been used for over 12,500 rides with 4,800 unique riders and a whopping 31,000km travelled.

“The West of England has really embraced our e-scooter trial and I’m pleased that so many people have taken the chance to try this new, low-carbon form of transport that’s helping to keep our region moving,” says Mayor of the West of England, Tim Bowles. “We’ve taken an incremental approach to the launch so that we can all get used to the scooters on our roads, and now following this early success we can expand our operating area so that more residents in Bristol and Bath can benefit from another alternative to the car for short journeys to access essential work and services.”

For this latest lockdown, Voi has announced the return of the popular Voi-4-Heroes programme, which provides free rides to NHS workers, emergency service personnel and armed forces.

For more: www.voiscooters.com

FREE WHEELING V Cars is offering free rides for the elderly and vulnerable to reach their Covid-19 vaccination appointments. The private hire vehicle operator is working with GP practices to offer rides to people eligible for the vaccine who have no other means of transport.

“In these first few weeks of the programme, we are helping to assist the first wave of people get their vaccinations,” says Jack Price, regional director of V Cars. “For those who don’t have another means of transport, we want to help our local community beat Covid.

“We don’t want to bring any additional pressure on the NHS or GP practices and it’s vital that people do not call their GPs or NHS asking about free rides. Our offer is strictly on appointment only for those persons who are eligible.”

For more: www.v-cars.com

V Cars are offering free rides for people who need transport to get their vaccine

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

Tom Dean is one of the super swimmers of Team Bath to have been selected

MAKING A BIG SPLASH Fifteen students who train at the University of Bath have been named part of the first ever England Swimming Team ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The group, which includes seven students and Olympic and Paralympic medallists, will be considered for selection for Team England at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year.

“We’d like to offer our congratulations to everyone who has been named in the first England Swimming Team – we hope it will lead to a real team unity that will deliver the best games ever,” says Grant Robins, Swim England head of talent and team leader for the swimming team at the Commonwealth Games.

All of the swimmers selected will be involved in England Swimming Team camps and competitions in preparation for the Games, with the squad being reduced closer to the competition date in line with qualification standards.

For more: www.teambath.co.uk/swimming

SPONSORED BY:

Renée Jacobs is looking for mentors to join B in Bath

MOVERS AND SHAKERS ETC

In her role with Student Minds, Sue will be an advocate for better student mental health

SHARE THE WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE B in Bath has launched a mentorship scheme. Free for all and open to anyone aged 16 or over, the scheme will serve people who consider themselves to be from an under-represented background, helping with career, education and personal development. Renée Jacobs, Founder of B in Bath, says, “Mentoring is a great way to share skills, knowledge and experience with someone outside of your usual sphere of life. Becoming a mentor will help you to develop coaching and management skills, in a more informal way than you might get at work. Having a mentor enables you to discuss the challenges and success you experience at work with someone impartial, but who has already had experience in that area.

“Anyone can be a mentor – you don't need 20 years’ work experience. And anyone can have a mentor, we all have areas in which we can grow and develop. We are looking for mentors (and mentees) from all walks of life and at all stages in their careers.”

The B in Bath scheme aims to match all mentors and mentees personally, with real thought and consideration given to the skills and needs of both parties. The aim is for all of their members to have their own mentor – and hopefully to become mentors themselves, in time. Renée is encouraging anyone interested in becoming a mentor to get in touch with her for further information, which you can do through the B in Bath website.

Find out more and sign up to be a mentor: www.bib-network.org/mentoring

MATTERS OF THE MIND

Vice-chancellor of Bath Spa University, Professor Sue Rigby has been appointed chair of the Student Minds trustee board, a mental health charity working with students, service users, professionals and academics to improve overall mental health of students.

“I'm delighted to be stepping into the position of chair of the Trustee Board for Student Minds.

This is such an important charity that offers vital support to students and their universities,” says Sue. “The journey through university is a life changing one and it is essential that students have the support they need to achieve their potential.

I am thrilled to be able to help Student Minds to grow and thrive.” www.studentminds.org.uk

CUSHY NUMBER

Local artist Emma Rose has relaunched her website for the release of her brand-new art cushions. The beautiful vegan suede cushions are all made in the UK and feature the Emma’s distinctive, tranquil works. For every cushion ordered, a tree will be planted through Trees for the Future, an organisation helping train famers in Africa, Latin America and South East Asia to regenerate their land. www.emmaroseartwork.com

NEW YEAR NEW ROLE

You can become a mentor at any stage in your career

Battens Solicitors has announced an exciting new appointment. Patrick Mears has joined the South West law firm as head of commercial property in Bath. Patrick has worked in the local market for many years, and is renowned for his considerable experience in commercial law.

“We are delighted that Patrick has joined the Battens team to head up our commercial proposition in Bath,” says David Stephens, Battens’ chairman. “The pandemic created an extremely challenging year for business owners and those involved in commercial property during 2020, so being able to call upon an experienced, hands-on legal team at competitive prices is crucial for the Bath market.” www.battens.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 57

SPONSORED BY:

BATHWORKS

Rob opened his second store in Bath last year

BIZ Q&A

Rob Cash, Kutchenhaus Rob has always loved designing kitchens. After 15 years working with B&Q and Homebase he decided to go into business for himself, and opened a franchise with Kutchenaus Tell us a bit about your job My role has changed a lot over the four years, from doing pretty much everything myself to building a team around me. We have a great team who all have key roles to take customers from enquiry to completion, and my role is to support and motivate them.

My other responsibilities include managing the business finances, marketing, HR, health and safety – as well as producing and designing kitchens when required.

Why did you choose to open a franchise?

When deciding I wanted to open my own business, I decided on the franchise route as it provided me the structure and framework, not to mention the existing support for setting up a new business.

Why did you choose Kutchenhaus?

Kutchenhaus provided me with a perfect launch to open the business

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

and helped make our first years a success. They have ambitious growth plans and provide us with all the support and backing of a national brand, whilst we provide our customers with the friendly local service.

What are some of the latest trends in kitchens?

There has certainly been a shift towards darker muted tones and mixing materials in a kitchen.

Our textured concrete doors have been particularly popular, and 2021 has seen our supplier launch more finishes in the darker colours.

There has also been an increase in customers adding warmer wooden tones to their kitchens, from splashbacks to open shelves or worktop finishes.

What do you consider a great kitchen design?

Great kitchen design is all about transforming a room into something

that not only looks stunning but improves people’s lives. A kitchen is not just a place to cook food – it often becomes the home office or a homework station, too. The need to consider how the kitchen functions has never been more important and the design needs to reflect the needs of the whole family.

Do you offer any non-kitchen related services?

Whilst we are known for our kitchens, our furniture can also be used for other spaces including home offices, TV living room units and also bathroom furniture.

What has it been like for you, pivoting the business virtual?

We have adjusted quickly to the virtual way of working, which includes providing virtual design appointments, delivering samples and providing online brochures.

Initially it felt strange, but some of the changes have improved

our productivity and will probably remain in place once things go back to normal. Our internal communications have also changed from face-to-face meetings to online team calls. We have embraced it all and used it to benefit our business. It has not stopped us from designing, selling and installing our kitchens.

What have some of the challenges been?

I guess the biggest challenge has been the inability to invite customers into our beautiful showrooms. We have been overcoming this with our virtual appointments and providing customers with samples. We also have videos and photos of our showrooms to help demonstrate what a customer would see in-house. As challenging as the year has been, we still continue to work and we even opened our second showroom, here in Bath.

What do you like about virtual appointments?

I like the fact that we can provide the design service from anywhere and still inspire people with our stunning kitchens. We can design the kitchen in real time with the customers and make changes together from the comfort of home. The virtual design service has made the design process work better around customer’s needs and availability while keeping everyone safe in the current climate. In certain cases, we have even had multiple users join the calls from different locations to help make better use of everyone’s time, reducing the need for extra follow up appointments.

How do you think the pandemic has impacted the way people see their homes?

We have all been using our homes more than ever before and this has resulted in an increase of people looking at home improvements.

The home needs to serve different functions than it did 12 months ago, which is leading more people to consider how they can change things to suit their new way of life.

We have heard many customers say that if they can’t go on holiday this year, they would look to make home improvements instead.

Kutchenhaus, 5 Saracen Street, Bath; tel: 01225 634025; www.kutchenhaus.co.uk

SPONSORED BY:

BATHWORKS

BATH LIFE AWARDS 2020

Nathan Baranowski, chief wonder maker at digital lab, reflects on the company’s Bath Life Award BUSINESS SERVICES WINNER SPONSORED BY Georgina McLaren and Nathan Baranowski in full celebration mode

You won! Congratulations!

Yes, we won! We were over the moon, and so delighted to have achieved this award.

It all happened just ahead of the Covid-19 lockdown, which somewhat tempered the euphoria initially.

Tell us a little about the company

We are a small but perfectly formed team providing strategic digital thinking and beautifully crafted technology to help people see what is possible – and make it happen. It all started a few decades ago, working from my bedroom in my formative years, writing code and building websites to help my friends get their start-ups off the ground. Now, together with my team, I work with purpose-led organisations, defining their visions and building their digital future to ensure their strategy, planning and delivery is efficient and effective so they can grow and continue their good work.

What does that involve?

From digital roadmaps, maturity models and managed digital transformations, to building websites, apps and integrated solutions, we aim to make a difference in whatever we do. We focus on projects and organisations that are working for the benefit of others so we are always fulfilling our mantra: using technology for good.

What does winning the Award mean to you, the team and the business?

It was a huge accolade for us, as our local area is at the heart of everything we do; we work, live in and breathe Bath and the surrounding area. From the services we procure to the coffee we buy from a local roasting house, we are lucky to be in such a richly creative place surrounded by the most scenic of landscapes.

The team – who are our key attribute in providing

our customers with the best experience – are really proud that they have been recognised through this Award from Bath Life, as they are totally dedicated to the projects they get involved with and immensely passionate about delivering the very best.

How are you supporting local?

Many of our clients are South West based, because the business is eager to make an impact locally – Wiltshire Air Ambulance (WAA) is a leading example. We also work with other local businesses in partnership to deliver projects where specific expertise and knowledge is required to successfully take organisations through the right journey to achieve their vision and goals. Recently we have partnered with Red IX (design consultancy) and Second Mountain (comms consultancy) to name just two.

Talk us through a recent example that best illustrates the work you do:

Our work is all about facing challenges and helping see the solutions others often can’t.

Thinking digitally throughout the Covid-19 crisis has kept the momentum going for one of our clients, Celebral Palsy Cymru, formerly known as Bobath Children’s Therapy. They had already started working with digital lab when the virus hit the UK, and they saw all of their vital face-to-face care delivery for children change overnight. They needed to go virtual, and engage in a very different way to continue to support the families and those most in need – we helped with that.

How did you help?

Their processes were all very manual, lots of duplication and non-value adding activity. Infrastructure was not fit for purpose, so we focused on how to maintain delivery of their services while we improved how they worked. Our teams worked shoulder to shoulder to

understand their ambitions, and through a digital audit delivered a high-level strategy, using the right technology to achieve those ambitions. We used automated, simplified and effective technology to enable the charity to provide better services, share knowledge, improve fundraising ability and continue to tell their story with refreshed branding.

How might you describe your key clientele?

We help charities, not-for-profits and health and wellbeing organisations to deliver greater impact by getting more from digital, turbo-charging their budgets to deliver more, attract new funds and positively impact more people.

We also help start-ups to translate their ideas into robust delivery models that can scale faster, and we work with enterprises of all sizes to help them make the most of technology.

What’s your company philosophy?

We are a team of techies, digital creatives and strategists with a simple purpose – to positively impact behaviour and enhance people’s lives through technology. We really try to live by our values, keep our eyes wide open and ask why, be curious, interested and open.

Any moment you/the company have been particularly proud of?

There really are a few I could mention, the one I will focus upon is the way the team have responded over the pandemic and lockdown situation we all find ourselves in. Everyone has been awesome. The ability to get heads down and continue with focus despite the uncertainty has demonstrated that the values are truly ingrained and we have been able and continue to offer our support where we can to those who need it.

10 Kingston Road, Bradford on Avon; tel: 01225 220155; www.digitalwonderlab.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 59

BATHWORKS “GIVE YOUR BUSINESS A BOOST NOW 2021 IS HERE!”

Awards mean business The Bath Life Awards will now be held on 9 September and can help you generate business…

T

he Bath Life Awards offer many muchneeded routes to generate business for Bath companies. Whether for attendees or sponsors, they’re great for profile, relationships and restarting all those vital business conversations and making new connections.

Each year, the leading companies and organisations in the city come together to celebrate – after months of marketing and promotion.

“A great way to get on board with Bath’s biggest business event is through sponsorship,” explains Annie Miekus, events and brand manager at MediaClash.

“You gain key, exclusive and high-profile alignment with a leading sector. And the earlier you come on board, the sooner you start to benefit from the marketing.

“The Bath Life Awards are the city’s most efficient, effective and stylish business event of the year. As well as the unrivalled celebration of excellence, great value is created by and for all involved.”

The Awards are headline sponsored by the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa. The current roster of category sponsors is: Apex City of Bath Hotel, Bath Audi, Bath

Life, Clearly PR, Enlightened Lighting, Hotel Indigo, Marsh Commercial, Minuteman Press, Novia, Savills, Spaces, Stone King and Truespeed.

The Awards are backed by extensive marketing over several months: major email campaigns; at Bath Life’s other events like our Business Clubs & Surgeries; via a bespoke website; through all social media channels; and of course, in Bath Life.

The extra time for the Awards means yet more marketing benefits for all.

Several category sponsorships are currently under discussion. Please contact annie.kelly@ mediaclash.co.uk if you wish to get involved.

And nominations are now open. The Awards are free to enter, and companies can enter multiple categories.

Last year saw another glittering ceremony at the historic Assembly Rooms, with over 500 guests in attendance. The Awards were trending on Twitter, such was the huge interest in them.

For more: www.bathlifeawards.co.uk @BathLifeAwards

SPONSORSHIPS For remaining options, please contact annie.kelly@ mediaclash.co.uk or pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk

TICKETS Available to Finalists and Sponsors only, updates when on sale. Limited number of Silver Sponsorships including Table.

AWARDS The uberglam Bath Life Awards are held on 9 September at the Bath Assembly Rooms.

Nothing beats being there…

NOMINATIONS Open via website www.bathlifeawards.co.uk

Please note: the Awards sell out every year with many on the waiting list.

SOCIAL MEDIA Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter for all updates.

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

Sponsors gain close association with the most prestigious event in Bath

Sponsors get promotion a-plenty, everyone’s a winner!

Business is done from, at and around the Awards. Countless conversations are triggered by deep association with the city’s leading business marketing activity.

TESTIMONIAL

“Sponsoring enabled us to not only project our business more strategically into the area but also led to numerous opportunities that have borne fruit.

Without doubt this form of sponsorship gives most growing businesses the additional exposure which is vital in today’s competitive marketplace and is also great fun at the same time, so a definite win-win scenario.

Matthew Weaver, Tile & Flooring

ADVERTISING FEATURE

PLAN IT IN ADVANCE Local legal expert HELEN STARKIE explains the use and effect of an Advance Directive

A

statement signed by an individual to confirm what medical treatment they would and/or would not want to receive if at some future date they were to lack capacity to make informed decisions and give appropriate instructions to their medical advisers themselves is most frequently termed an ‘Advance Directive’ or ‘Advance Decision’. The term ‘Living Will’ is also sometimes used but is becoming less popular as it is thought that it can cause confusion. Whereas a ‘Will’ deals with a person’s property and finances a ‘Living Will’ does not. It deals with health decisions only.

So, what is the use and effect of an Advance Directive? And how does it differ from a Lasting Power of Attorney relating to an individual’s health and welfare?

An Advance Directive is an instruction to the medical advisers, current and future, of the individual making it to give or withhold certain types of treatment in particular situations. Once signed it is registered in the individual’s medical records. It is binding upon medical practitioners in England and Wales and its contents will override any contrary decisions made by any representative of the patient. A doctor giving life-saving treatment to a patient against their wishes would be laying him or herself open to legal action.

An Advance Directive may address: • particular forms of treatment – eg cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the use of intravenous fluids, pain control and or nutrition and hydration, • particular conditions – eg brain damage, • particular religious beliefs – eg blood transfusion for Jehovah’s Witnesses.

What an Advance Directive cannot do is: • request something illegal – eg assisted suicide, • request specific medical treatment (in terms of specific medication and/or surgery) which must be decided by the medical adviser in the light of his or her specialist knowledge but in line with the general aims of the patient, • appoint someone to make decisions for you – this can only be done in an appropriate Lasting Power of Attorney.

A doctor may not follow the directions given in an Advance Directive if: • the wording of the document is unclear, • the individual has made changes invalidating

its contents – eg changed his or her religion, • there have been advances in medical treatment which may have affected the individual’s original decision – unless the Advance Directive specifically stipulates that he or she would decline treatment even if scientific advances had been made.

To be effective, an Advance Directive must be signed, dated and witnessed and made of his or her own free will by an individual with the mental capacity at the time of signing to make the decisions reflected in it. If there is any doubt about any of these elements the doctor will be unable to act upon the instructions contained in the document.

An Advance Directive differs from a Lasting Power of Attorney in relation to an individual’s health and welfare in that the latter appoints a third party (the Attorney) to make decisions about medical treatment – but also in relation to general care, residence and other welfare matters. Whilst the LPA gives authority to the Attorney it does not give instructions, as the Advance Directive does, to the individual’s medical advisers.

For anyone concerned about their potential treatment in a time of particular need the most secure way of making their wishes known and

ensuring that they are carried out is to make both an Advance Directive and an LPA for their health and welfare. The two documents should be carefully drafted to ensure that their contents are consistent with each other and that neither inadvertently revokes the other. The Advance Directive should be registered in the patient’s medical records and a copy deposited with their Will. The LPA should be registered at the Office of the Public Guardian so that it will be immediately available for use in an emergency and the registered LPA should again be deposited with their Will.

This article contains general advice and anyone contemplating making either an Advance Directive or a Lasting Power of Attorney should seek advice specifically designed to cover their particular views and circumstances. ■

Helen Starkie Solicitor 38 Gay Street, Bath, BA1 2NT; 01225 442353; www.helenstarkie.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 61

PROPERTY P L A C E S T O L I V E , W O R K A N D P L AY

16 Belmont, a Grade II Listed townhouse recently marketed through Savills for £1.5million, is a magnificent example of a Regency-style property

THE BRIDGERTON EFFECT

LUKE BRADY, head of office at Savills Bath, on how the Netflix blockbuster is boosting the city’s property market

F

Savills Bath’s Luke Brady

or this part of the South West, the popularity of the Netflix period drama, Bridgerton, which was partly filmed in Bath, has certainly drawn more focus on our city with its backdrop of beautiful Georgian architecture.

Not only does it promote our fantastic city and the surrounding areas to a wider audience, as well as benefit the local economy, but it also has a positive effect on the property market where we have received an increase in enquiries from potential buyers looking to buy either a primary or secondary home.

The demand we have seen in Bath and across the south of the UK has been extraordinary. With many anticipating continued flexible working and less five day a week commuting, this has opened up the market much further, but from London

in particular. The experience of lockdown has encouraged many buyers to seek more space both inside and out, while the stamp duty holiday offering the potential to save up to £15,000, has further added to pent up demand.

It seems ultimate lifestyle relocation and second home choices were the stand out performers of 2020, and according to our indices, prime regional city values increased 4.1 per cent over the course of the year, suggesting buyers still value the amenity and connectivity on offer in key regional cities such as Bath. We have excellent communications including access to the M4 and London via Paddington and added to this is the beautiful surrounding countryside, and excellent private and state schooling options.

For more: www.savills.co.uk

PROPERTY Bath Property Awards

© PHOTO BY PETE HELME

START NETWORKING

Be part of the Bath Property Symposium and boost your business

The Bath Property Awards are returning on 12 March as part of a virtual conferencing symposium featuring thought leadership seminars, structured networking for sponsors and delegates, and culminating in the celebration of excellence, the Awards ceremony itself.

The event will have an emphasis on networking, acting as a catalyst for business development across a range of professional services at a time when there are precious few opportunities. Keynotes and the Awards, which is headline sponsored by Mogers Drewett, will be livestreamed.

“The Bath Property Symposium is a key event for property in the city, providing vital networking hubs that your company can join and build business relations that are not possible currently in real life,” says events and brand manager Annie Miekus of MediaClash. “You can even host your own unique hub, invite guests and meet new contacts in a hugely beneficial feature opportunity.”

To discuss hosting your unique bespoke networking hub, please contact annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk For more: www.bathpropertyawards.co.uk

New residents

MOVE TO THE COUNTRY Berkeley Place, the Bath and Bristol based

property and construction company specialising in restoration projects, has seen a recent dramatic increase in the number of clients moving to the area.

One such case resulted in the renovation of a Grade II listed Georgian property in Lansdown for a client who was relocating to Bath from Hong Kong. Founder of Berkeley Place Nick Cryer explains “The client moved back from Hong Kong at the beginning of February 2020, when we were still completing final bits, and they are now in full occupation and loving it. They have since instructed us to undertake some further work to the basement and rear garden.”

For more: www.berkeleyplace.co.uk Berkley Place has seen an increase in people moving to Bath Shazad Banaras is the latest recruit to Mogers Drewett

Appointments

ON THE HOME TEAM Shazad Banaras joins the Mogers Drewett residential property team in

Bath as a solicitor after completing his training at Bristol law firm TLT. He will be dealing with all aspects of residential property transactions, including freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, re-mortgages, transfers of equity and new build purchases.

Residential property partner Alison Treble says, “We are delighted to start 2021 with Shazad coming on board. As we all work hard to ensure as many of our clients as possible complete before the stamp duty holiday ends in March, Shazad’s expertise will greatly help the team.”

For more: www.mogersdrewett.com

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

SCOTT HOUSE

Matilda Walton enjoys a taste of Regency living in this Combe Down property 66 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

F

ollowing the smash hit success of Netflix’s Bridgerton series, Regency is all the way back in fashion – as if it ever left. With that in mind, today we’re taking a peek inside a home fit for a Featherington. Scott House, the regal yet homely Grade II Regency property in Combe Down is just the ticket for the buyer looking to make their life feel a little more… stately. The magnificent detached property, built from iconic golden-hued Bath stone, sits among similarly handsome homes in an especially sought-after part of town – within reaching distance of Bath proper, Combe Down Village and the fantastic schools of Prior Park College and Monkton Combe junior school in between.

PROPERTY

HOUSE NUMBERS Guide price

£2.5m

Square foot

4304

Bedrooms

6

Reception rooms

6

Bathrooms

3

Savills Bath, Edgar Buildings, 17 George Street; tel: 01225 474500; www.savills.co.uk

One step through the grand pillared porchway to the well-proportioned and inviting reception hall with cheerfully crackling open fireplace, and Scott House envelops you into a space that is as welcoming and cosy as it is grand and imposing. Though the house retains many of the features typical of the period, across both floors it is immaculately presented, with up-to-the-minute design choices sitting well alongside those desireable features that you might find in the home of Lady Violet. Downstairs you’ll find more than enough room for welcoming those gentleman callers – a well-proportioned drawing room, breakfast room and further sitting room offer options whether you’re after a place to show off your womanly wiles (piano, painting, etc) or need a quiet place away from the gossips to share a rare moment of levity (beware spending too long alone together though – that way scandal lies). Perhaps the most impressive feature of the house, however, is the dining room – at 29 feet in length you’ve room for an

impressive table layout worthy of a duke and duchess.

It’ll be perfect for dinner parties, too, when we’re allowed to be out in society once again. With real wood floors and another grand open fireplace, this really is a remarkable space for hosting – chef and full kitchen staff optional, but always recommended.

Upstairs you’ll find all six bedrooms, two bathrooms and the first-floor laundry – one doesn’t want to go all the way downstairs to wash one’s undergarments, does one? – airy, bright spaces of comfort and retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the house.

Outside, there is more than enough space for promenading about the garden (the safest promenading option during a time of pandemic) in a space predominantly laid to lawn. Well stacked flower borders accent the area, with a private courtyard and doubledoored conservatory providing multiple options for sitting down for afternoon tea – and, when the time finally comes, a glass of bubbly with friends.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 67

EVERYTHING AND THE KITCHEN SINK Your ten point recipe to renovating or installing a new kitchen

By John Mather

Design by Neptune

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

INTERIORS

“Once the kitchen was just a small functional space… the domain of servants and cooks”

I

n keeping with the Valentine’s theme elsewhere in this issue, we’re looking at the heart of the home – the kitchen. It’s often the room that attracts us when we buy, and can add fiscal value to the home when done right. It’s also where we love to hang out at parties, restrictions permitting of course. So if you’re renovating an existing kitchen, or installing a new one, we asked local design experts to talk us through the 10 essential features for you to consider.

1ALWAYS ON THE RISE

The kitchen should be one of the first places you consider when looking at purchasing or redesigning your home, as Verity Woolf of WOOLF Interiors explains, “Once the kitchen was just a small functional space in the very back of the house or in more affluent houses, the domain of servants and cooks.

“Over time kitchen design has evolved from the kitchen being this functional peripheral space, to moving up several places within the hierarchy of the home, to the most important and sometimes largest room in the house. It is on show and is often the most technically complex space.”

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

INTERIORS

above: Design by Woodhouse & Law; right: Design by Bath Kitchen Company

2FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Verity believes one of the factors for the continued rise in the popularity of the kitchen is food – the actual variety, range, interest and the excitement around the forever expanding foodie options. “With the availability of new foods, people have wanted to experiment with food and to experience eating together communing in the kitchen as much as possible,” says Verity.

And as this is a trend that’s not going anywhere, Nathan Sheppard, director at Saltford Kitchens, points out, “consider your layout appropriately. If you are looking to have a galley kitchen, try and fit in a space for a breakfast bar, so that it is inclusive of other people.

“If you have an open-plan kitchen-diner, consider having enough storage for appliances to be hidden, to keep a neat surround that is always on show.

This can also be a great way of entertaining informally, and an important excuse to have beautiful finishes.

“Our sister company, SBS Design and Build, have built a reputation specialising in kitchen-diner extensions and know ways to create extra space to fit in the perfect kitchen for our customers. The approach of either adding an extra area through extending or reconfiguring the space by opening areas up to each other, really changes the feel of the home and helps make the kitchen the hub of family living.”

3PLAN OF ACTION

Neil Straker, managing director of Cheverell, suggests as soon as you start thinking about replacing an old existing kitchen or creating a new space, begin your research, and do lots of it.

“Cut out pictures of things you like, build up a mood board, whether it’s from Pinterest, old magazines, this feature of course – all this information is a real help for your kitchen designer.”

Once your ideas are underway, it helps to start building a picture. “Etons always provide initial sketches for clients to help them visualise how their kitchens are going to work – not just the look and layout – but it helps with the mood and the purpose of the space,” says Sarah Latham, creative director of Etons of Bath. “The sketch [on page 75] is for a Georgian hunting lodge and the client was a keen chef and loved to entertain. So, for

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

sociable cooks, it’s key to not only include ample workspace and storage but also plenty of seats and spaces for guests to mingle while the cook is working their magic.”

4ON THE SURFACE

“Also don’t forget how much of a pounding that kitchen floor will take,” says Neil Straker. “Asking yourself some key questions first when choosing a floor, for example – have you got, or will you be getting, pets? Do you want underfloor heating? If you opt for a tiled floor, are you considering natural stone or porcelain? How easy is it to clean? Is it maintenance free?”

“There are lots of options when it comes to kitchen flooring,” as John Law, creative director of interiors of Woodhouse & Law, points out.

“Natural stone can look great but needs to be sealed and installed correctly so that it can be maintained well. Timber is similar, but care needs to be taken to choose a board that can withstand wear and tear. Some finishes are susceptible to marking, particularly with hot oils or red wine, but others are designed to withstand this better, albeit at a price.

“Porcelain can be a good option for kitchens and the quality has vastly improved over the last ten years. We recently installed a porcelain floor in an open-plan kitchen, with the same material running onto the terrace outside.

The material is very easy to look after and the surface is treated so that it is anti-slip. There are even options for detailing such as step nosings, which were not previously available.”

And how to make that small kitchen look bigger? “A classic trick, when designing a smaller space, is to make noise in a certain aspect of the room to distract from its real footprint,” says Lulu Keyzar, store leader at Neptune

“Japanese inspired minimalism is coming to the forefront, made up of soft beiges, sage greens, oak and walnut cabinetry”

Design by Hobson’s Choice

INTERIORS Bath store. “Flooring is a common tool for achieving this – patterned tiles, though not to everybody’s taste, are one option. Another, rustic wooden floorboards, tumbled edge limestone tiles or unexpected materials like terracotta brick will serve their purpose, just on a subtler scale.”

5WHAT’S IN STORE

Surely the old adage you can’t have too much storage is true? Wrong says Charlotte Wright, design consultant of Hobson’s Choice. “The tendency may be to fill the area with as much storage as possible, however, the ‘negative’ space is just as important.

“Minimum distances between units are key, and movement around the kitchen needs to be considered. Imagine yourself using the space day-to-day in a particular activity such as coming home with the shopping; is there an easy route from the front door to unloading the shopping onto a worktop?

Consider where the dry food or larder storage is in relation to this drop-off point as this can improve the functionality of the kitchen.

“Storage option are almost unlimited now with brands such as Nolte Kitchen offering hundreds of different options and unlimited combinations of these different features. Extra tall cupboards are becoming popular and plinth draws that pull out from underneath the base units with integrated pop up step ladders are a good way of providing clean lines and accessibility to these harder to reach units.”

6WORK IT BABY

When it comes to work surfaces, “quartz is still the king,” says Nathan Sheppard. “But extra hard, slim line worktops such as Decton are starting to gain more popularity. If budget is an issue there are also an amazing range of new high quality laminate works tops available that come with varying designs and textures and form a thickness from 12mm up to 100mm.”

7LITTLE ISLANDERS

“Installing an island, particularly within larger kitchens can be a great way to make a space work better ergonomically,” says John Law. “It

can provide a greater preparation space as well as enabling you to place appliances in a location that makes sense. It’s important to make sure the proportions of the island are right for the space. If the island is too big, it can disrupt the flow of the space. If it’s too small, then it can look lost within the overall scheme.

“An island can be a great way to create bar seating, offering a less formal space for dining and a great spot for guests to perch and enjoy a drink whilst the host is at work. We try to ensure that we make the most of potential storage opportunities, including creating shallow storage, concealed by panelling underneath a bar which can be used for items that are only occasionally used.”

8APPLIED THINKING

There’s the all important appliances to think about and as Charlotte Wright, says, “Selecting the right ones for your home can make a considerable difference to your enjoyment, and even the layout possibilities, of the final space. Understanding what you would like to cook is the first step in choosing the right appliance functionality for your new kitchen.

“In recent years, the performance of downdraft extraction has increased dramatically. Removing the need for ceiling hoods, often positioned on an external wall, or ducted through ceilings. This means that induction hobs can be more easily positioned on kitchen islands, so the cook’s view is into the room when working, allowing them to talk to guests and be part of the conversation without turning away. It also provides a clean appearance across the ceiling, providing space for decorative lighting or storage.

“Preparing moist, succulent foods is what we often set out to achieve when cooking. However, it is not always easy to introduce controlled amounts of steam whilst baking, or reheating leftovers in the microwave without it drying out first. This is where steam ovens can revolutionise the quality of your cooking. Quickly and easily invigorating last night’s pasta, or perfectly cooking the Sunday roast chicken so the meat is tender on the inside and the skin is crisp.”

There’s the smaller details as well to take into consideration, reminds John Design by Cheverell

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

Design by Saltford Kitchens

“It’s not always all about the big picture”

Design by WOOLF Interiors

INTERIORS Law, “Boiling water taps are a practical addition to many kitchen designs, particularly where there is limited worktop space. Similarly, extraction built into a hob or worktop can be a great solution where the cabinetry needs to be installed at low level. We use appliances like this when designing kitchens within period buildings, where higher wall-mounted cabinetry might not work aesthetically in relation to ornate architraves or it isn’t practical to vent the extraction.”

9FOOD COLOURING

You can go for all white of course, but as Kelly Marie Hawker Hicks, creative director of Kelly Marie Kitchen says, “Making the kitchen a talking point is about injecting a little more personality into the space – if you are going for a clean look you can add a pop of colour using a glass splashback or a beautiful piece of real stone.

“There are beautiful textured Italian wallpapers too, which really give the wow factor. Think of the space as a blank canvas, then strike out with patterned wallpapers, pops of colour, funky textures or elaborate flooring to add colour and fun into the space.”

James Horsfall designer/ director of Bath Kitchen Company, is also seeing a trend that’s called Japanese-inspired minimalism. “Where the Scandinavian design trends have dominated the last few years, we are seeing Japanese-inspired minimalism coming to the forefront – this is made up by soft beiges, sage greens, oak and walnut cabinetry with simple accents of brass or fluted glass tying it all together beautifully. It still has the subtly of a neutral but there’s a lot going on.”

10A FEW ADDED INGREDIENTS

“It’s not always all about the big picture,” says Lulu Keyzar. “Take a moment to notice the finer details and update your accessories. Having cookbooks you love on display, and pretty pots and crockery on your shelves add so much character to a room. Plants can also make a real difference in the kitchen, bringing the atmosphere to life.”

Be careful not to overdo it, advises James Horsfall. “The rule is when you style a room, complete the job, and then take 40 per cent of it away. The true key to styling is keeping it simple. Some beautiful ceramics on the open shelving, or dinnerware, or even some art on the walls is a great way to make your kitchen look more lived in.”

YOU’VE BEEN READING… A. James Horsfall designer/ director of Bath Kitchen Company, which has more than 30 years of designing and installing bespoke handmade kitchens, 7-9 North Parade Buildings, Bath; www.bathkitchencompany.co.uk

B. Neil Straker, managing director of Cheverell who specialise in the design, creation and installing of internal fitted bespoke furniture.

Waller Road, Hopton Park, Devizes; www.cheverell.co.uk A

E

B

F

And of course, look up, says Charlotte Wright. “Lighting in the kitchen is one of the most important aspects to get right. Ceiling extractors often have their own lights, which are handy when cooking. When using downdraught extractors, a collection of striking pendants above can provide a similar function.

“Do not shy away from having several lighting circuits to suit your needs; one for the main lights (when you drop that contact lens), another for task lighting and a third for ambience. This will provide flexibility in the space and can change the feel of the kitchen with the flick of a switch (or a voice command if using a smart system).

“For example, if using a bulkhead construction above the island, recessed LED strip lighting hidden around the shadow gap can cast an appealing glow on the ceiling, especially in kitchen-diners where one might like to change the mood during dinner.

“In the same way, if there are pendants above the breakfast bar or wall lights, these can be good to use in the evening along with the task lighting to create a casual soft ambience.” ■

C. Sarah Latham, creative director of Etons of Bath, the interior designers who provide specialist expert advice, design, sourcing and project management for Georgian properties.

108 Walcot St, Bath; www.etonsofbath.com D. Charlotte Wright, design consultant of Hobson’s Choice, who have more than 40 year’s experience in the implementation of high end interior projects from start to finish, London Road, Bath; www.hobsonschoice.uk.com C

G

Sketch by Etons of Bath

D

H

I

E. Kelly Marie Hawker Hicks, creative director of Kelly Marie Kitchen Interiors, independent specialists of bespoke kitchen and interior design, supply and installation, 8 Pulteney Terrace, Bath, www.kellymariekitchens.com F. Lulu Keyzar, store leader at Neptune Bath store, the design experts and interiors retailer, 1 Tram Yard, Walcot Street, Bath; www. neptune.com G. Nathan Sheppard, director at Saltford Kitchens, which offers the best of both German and English built kitchens as well as top line appliances and accessories. 439 Bath Road, Saltford, Bristol; www.saltfordkitchens.com H. John Law, creative director of interiors of Woodhouse and Law, which specialises in interior and garden design, 4 Georges Place, Bath; www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk I. Verity Woolf, director of WOOLF Interior Architecture & Design, who have practises in Bath and London specialising in unique private luxury residences; www.woolfinterior.com

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

RE-IMAGINE YOUR HOME WITH SHUTTERS Re-imagine your favourite living spaces with premium made-to-measure plantation shutters.

With effortless function and a timeless look, our wide range of shutter styles are suitable for any property.

We are able to provide a complete shutter service including measuring and fitting.

Email us directly to learn more.

01225 469 559 info@aspectwindowstyling.co.uk www.aspectwindowstyling.co.uk 1 Saracen Street, Bath, BA1 5BR

fî‚?î „

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Join the kitchen club KELLY MARIE KITCHENS on progressing through a difficult year

I

t’s been a challenging time for everyone since the pandemic began – not least for independent local businesses – but Widcombe-based kitchen designer Kelly Marie has found lots to be positive about.

“When the first lockdown came in at the end of March I was so worried that the business would suffer,” says Kelly. “I questioned whether kitchens would seem important to people and whether they would risk investing their money in this way. But in fact over the first lockdown, I had record numbers of new enquiries.

What I’ve found – and I think this will be the case with lots of businesses working in the homes and property world – is that customers who have not been able to spend on holidays this year have diverted the spend into home improvements. Plus, of course, through all of us being made to spend more time at home, interior design and the state of kitchens has been front of mind for homeowners over this period.

“And as to whether kitchens are important – so many customers have confirmed to me it’s the most important room in the house and having a new kitchen installed has been one of the brightest moments in a year to otherwise forget.

“To take nothing away from how challenging and tough this year has been for all of us, I

consider myself very lucky to have seen my business grow over 2020 and I hope telling this story shows that it is possible for a small business to flourish in these times. I feel privileged that my business has maintained and created jobs for my dedicated fitting team – and I’ve also hired my mum!

“But the one thing that has motivated me the most, and which I take the most happiness from, is seeing customers, working with them to create their dream kitchens and then seeing their excitement and joy when the project is completed.”

“I FEEL PRIVILEGED THAT MY BUSINESS HAS MAINTAINED AND CREATED JOBS FOR MY DEDICATED FITTING TEAM” Another aspect of her work Kelly loves is bringing people together. “Lots of clients have become friends and I’m looking forward to catching up with them all when we’re allowed.

In fact, I’ve introduced many of them to each other and they have built up their own social network in Bath where they meet in each

others’ kitchens: the Kelly Marie Kitchen Club!

“I’ve been lucky to work on some very exciting kitchen projects this year. One that stands out for me is at a converted barn complex called The Piggery. Here, I created two new kitchens – one has been a working kitchen and the other a ‘party kitchen’ for guests, with a mixture of copper surfaces and fittings with original undressed stonework. Another project I loved was a vibrant red kitchen with sparkles.

“I love to create kitchens with personality and individuality, with the vision and needs of my customers always at the heart of the design.” ■

8 Pulteney Terrace, Bath, BA2 4HJ; 01225 481881; 07796 554466; kelly@kellymariekitchens.com; www.kellymariekitchens.com  kellymariekitcheninteriors

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 79

ADVERTISING FEATURE

FOR THE HOME Our local businesses are poised and ready to help with all your home needs for winter

CLAIR STRONG INTERIOR DESIGN

Clair Strong Interior Design is a small, creative company based in Bath, providing a wide range of services for both residential and commercial clients. Her portfolio of projects includes the design, project coordination and sourcing for some of Bath’s most beautiful residences, as well as sports clubs, offices and other commercial venues.

Contact Clair on 01225 426906 or 07855 79731 www.clairstrong.co.uk

ETONS OF BATH

KUTCHENHAUS

Bath’s leading fireplace, wood burner, gas fire, chimney and flue specialist. From classic to contemporary, concept to completion, their team of experts can work with you to achieve your perfect interior. Brands include Chesney’s, Barbas Belfires, Hwam, Stuv and Jetmaster. Get in touch or visit the showroom. Mendip Fireplaces, Monkton Combe, Bath BA2 7HD. info@mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk, Tel: 01225 722706; www.mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk

BATH KITCHEN COMPANY

FLOORING BATH LTD

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

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

WESTSIDE DESIGN

CHEVERELL

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

MENDIP FIREPLACES

Kutchenhaus have opened a brand new showroom in the heart of Bath bringing their beautifully designed and highly engineered German kitchens to the city. Owner Rob Cash and his experienced and talented team look after every customer through the journey from enquiry to completion, creating kitchens of the highest standard at affordable prices. 5 Saracen St, Bath BA1 5BR; Tel: 01225 634025; www.kutchenhaus.co.uk/showroom/bath

www.bathkitchencompany.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;

Flooring Bath Ltd has decided to bring a flooring show home to you. They will visit the space that requires flooring (commercial or residential), measure it, go through samples and work out your best option. They pride themselves on sourcing quality products and the ability to work with all trades and conditions with a can-do attitude.

Call James or Nick on 07761 663492 /07704 062181 info@flooring-bath.com; www.flooring-bath.com

BONITI

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

BATH LIVES left to right:

Rich Beeby, Lee Cole, Tom Corneill, and Simon Whitehead

“I’ve always known that I was meant to be living creatively”

TOM CORNEILL

The Young Martyrs singer songwriter on why he gave up his safe daytime job to start a band Tom Corneill worked in investments for 12 years before returning to his true love, music, on a full time basis. He is now the lead singer with the band Young Martyrs which he formed with Rich Beeby, Lee Cole, and Simon Whitehead, during lockdown. They recently recorded their debut album Young Martyrs. Tom has also just written a book about mental health called How To Lose Yourself Completely.

I was born in Taunton but came to Bath Spa University at 19 and never went home.

I’ve been in the Bath area for 17 years now and I’m surrounded by forests and green hills, with a stunning city on my doorstep.

I started playing my dad’s old guitar when I was really young. I always wanted to sing

and play guitar, though I’m not sure I ever really believed it was something that ‘normal’ people really did for a living.

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

I’ve gone from earning a good, regular wage with lots of benefits and security to earning nothing (yet!)

and having no guarantees whatsoever. But the thing is, I’ve always known that I was meant to be living creatively, which is what I’m doing now, and it feels right. It’s early days and I have faith. I have freedom and I get to play guitar all the time. That’s a pretty good start.

I’ve been in bands I loved for a couple of decades, playing to different crowds, but during

that time I had been writing a collection of songs that felt much more authentic to who I am. These songs felt like a way back to where I needed to be, so I approached the other guys and things just fell into place to create Young Martyrs. We play Americana; rock music with just a hint of country here and there.

It was hard making an album during lockdown. We found

just enough opportunities to

rehearse in studios that were still open and it was strange working on something so exciting but not once being able to shake hands or hug or high five.

The Young Martyrs album was produced at Indefra Studio in Frome where Seb really looked

after us, making space for us to record safely, and making the whole thing sound fantastic.

It was being played on several stations before the album launched and the messages

we’ve received have been massively uplifting. We’ve been invited to interviews and onto podcasts, it’s been an amazing response. We can’t wait to be able to play at gigs to a live audience.

I broke my back a few years ago. It was linked to

sleepwalking, and to stress.

The recovery took a long time.

During that time I learnt to build watches and built myself a pretty special timepiece. I named it

Kermit. He’s come to mean a lot to me, he comes everywhere.

My book is essentially a memoir and is about identity,

mental health, feeling like you don’t belong, and ultimately how being honest with yourself can lead to an exciting recovery.

The last meal I ate out in Bath was The Oak (formerly

the Acorn). I eat mostly plantbased these days and that place is wonderful.

To anybody visiting Bath I’d say come by train, pick up a

coffee from Roots & Shoots café on Newbridge Road, make sure you take time to walk down all the tiny cobbled streets, stop for a look in Vintage n Rare Guitars on Queen Street (even if you don’t play, it’s like a museum!), and stay late enough to have an Old Fashioned cocktail at The Hideout on Lilliput Court.

For more: www.youngmartyrs.com / www.tomcorneill.com