Bath Life - Issue 446

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ISSUE 446 / 18 JUNE – 1 JULY 2021 / £3

STREETS AHEAD

THE WINNING WAYS OF WALCOT

LOVING YOUR WORK BEAUTIFUL OFFICE SPACES

I LOVE CHOUX

PERFECT PICK-ME-UP PATISSERIES

LICENSED TO GRILL ISSUE 446 / 18 JUNE – 1 JULY 2021 / NOVEL IDEAS

BBQ ACCESSORIES TO LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE

WORD ON THE STREET

CHAPTER AND VERSE ON THE BRILLIANT BOOKSELLERS OF BATH

TAKING PRIDE

SOUTHGATE FLIES THE RAINBOW FLAG

A LOVELY BUNCH

SRI LANKAN CUISINE AT THE COCONUT TREE

PLUS / DAVID FL ATMAN / PE RCY PL ACE / MINE RVA WINE

© BET T Y BHANDARI

EDITOR’S LETTER

O

© CHRIS DAW

ABOVE: Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath (page 50) BELOW: Cocotail at Bath’s new Coconut Tree (page 66)

ne o my first proper visits to Bath, up rom that there ondon, involved stumbling into one o the best ever street parties ’d been to Friendly aces, ab ood, live music, sunshine, and wine We did need passports to oin in with the estivities, as it turned out it was Walcot ation ay, a day Walcot treet declares itsel an independent republic This ubilant and oyous event was undoubtedly one o the actors that helped woo me away rom the big smo e and into the arms o Georgian Bath The event hasn’t happened or uite a ew years now, but li e ic Cudworth, the renowned artist and Walcot treet resident o many years who we meet on page along with many other Walcot wonders ’d love to see its return one day to help celebrate and appreciate this remar able and historical street Once in Bath itsel , new ’d made the right choice but as an at home reelancer it was tough getting to now new people Then met a Mr arry Wainwright e’d ust opened the Oldfield ar Boo shop and, be ore had a boo group, he was my boo group early every wee ’d pop in to tal , browse, badger or recommendations, and buy boo s arry, li e all o the ama ing boo sellers on page , provides the ind o community service that only an indie can hope to achieve good example o which is the Boo barn who put aside vintage finds or regular customers to surprise them This considered indness combined with nowledge and customer care is balm or the soul t’s no wonder our cover star Francesca Beauman helped her mother icola Beauman bring the legendary publisher and boo seller ersephone Boo s rom ondon to Edgar Buildings t’s in the best o company

SARAH MOOLLA

Follow us on Twitter @BathLifeMag Instagram @bathlifemag

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

Issue 446 / 18 June – 1 July COVER Francesca Beauman, bookseller with Persephone Books, photographed by Betty Bhandari; www.bettybhandari.com

COVER STORY

©W W W.CHRISDAWPHOTOGR APHY.COM

50 BOOKSELLERS Celebrate Indie Bookshop Week with

a tour of Bath’s best

THE ARTS

35 ARTS INTRO Reckoning with history at Bath Abbey 36 WHAT’S ON Art, performance, music, and more coming

up in the next few weeks

18

45 BOOKS Mr B’s wartime reads

SHOPPING

18 WALCOT STREET How Bath’s Creative quarter

survived and thrived, together

59 SHOPPING All-weather seating the contemporary way 60 EDITOR’S CHOICE It’s barbecue season

FOOD&DRINK

63 FOOD & DRINK NEWS Online bread-making, award-

winning food tours and a new cookery book for kids

64 TRY 5 Sweet tooth teasers 66 RESTAURANT New Sri Lankan street-food spot the

delightful Coconut Tree

68 TAKE 5 Get fired up with Woodsmith 72 WINE The holiday that inspired 10,000 grapevines

BATH LIFE AWARDS PREVIEW 75 AWARDS SEASON This year’s finalists revealed

BUSINESS

101 BATHWORKS News, views, and interviews from our

successful local businesses

105 BIZ Q&A Chris Harris, the mind behind the new Bath

attraction, Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein

112 WORKSPACES The post-Covid office

PROPERTY

119 INTRO Bath Abbey hits funding target 120 PROPERTY NEWS Updates from the market 124 SHOWCASE Elegant tranquility for sale at Percy Place

DEPARTMENTS 8

112

SPOTLIGHT Summer Sundays will inject theatre, music and fun back to the city centre 15 FLATLINE Flats on building a wellness reserve for bad days 17 PHILIPPA MAY The magic of pre-loved furniture 91 GREG INGHAM Awards season has MediaClash

CEO Greg reflecting on the best Bath has to offer

130 BATH LIVES Fred Mawer, certified Bath expert shares

experiences from a career of travel

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 Betty Bhandari, Nic Bottomley, Christopher Daw, François Faye, David Flatman, Philippa May and Matilda Walton 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

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Explore Milsom Place to discover some of the best alfresco dining spots in the heart of the city alongside stylish retailers, prestigious brands and exclusive art installations…

Milsom Place, Milsom Street & Broad Street, Bath BA1 1BZ 01225 789040 milsomplace.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

© GR AHAM WILLIAMS, FOR PEOPLE’S TRUST FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES (PTES)

The PTES is hoping to match last year’s Living With Mammal’s Survey numbers

Summer activities

SUNDAY BEST ummer has officially begun in Bath, and with it comes the launch o the Bath B ’s ummer undays, a programme o entertainment, events and activities or all the amily Every unday rom now until ugust, the city centre will host a variety o oy ul pop-up per ormances including everything rom ane usten-style dancers to Bath Carnival stalwarts amma de amba ome wee ends there’ll be balloon artists delighting the city centre, and other wee ends, ace painters bringing a splash o colour to the day We are so pleased to see the city reopening and welcoming people bac , and are een to encourage people to spend time in the city over the summer months, says llison erbert, chie executive o Bath B Our ummer undays initiative is designed to showcase Bath as a vibrant, amily- riendly city with lots to en oy, and we are een to include as many events and special offers as possible, to ensure there is something or everyone you would li e to find out more about getting involved in ummer undays, we would love to hear rom you Coming up on une, the B is celebrating li ting restrictions with a Welcome Bac to Bath ay, with a mass o activity across the city centre courtesy o the Bath Fringe Festival Bedlam Fair t’s not to be missed For more: www.welcometobath.co.uk Jamma De Samba will perform during Summer Sundays

Conservation

FOUR LEGGED FRIENDS The eople’s Trust o Endangered pecies TE is running its iving With Mammals urvey and they need your help Following record participation last year, new or , the TE are extending the survey to last all year To ta e part, TE are as ing people to loo out or and record sightings and signs o wild mammals li e ootprints and droppings in their gardens and local green spaces espite the challenges o , one positive was the number o people seeing wild mammals more re uently, some or the first time, says avid Wembridge, mammal surveys coordinator Connections with nature are so important not only do we gain a uni ue insight into the lives o our wild neighbours, which is hugely beneficial or conservation, but wildli e watching and being close to nature is nown to have a positive impact on our mental health too, which is needed now perhaps more than ever The data gathered rom the survey enables more understanding o how mammal populations are aring across the , and highlights where action is needed For more: www.ptes.org

200-year-old graffiti has been discovered by the canal

Restoration

LEAVE A MARK

While tac ling the graffiti popping up along the ennet von Canal, volunteers rom the Canal iver Trust made a surprising discovery Georgian graffiti dating bac almost years The initials C M were ound dated , and later The waterway through Bath is a ey part o this historic city, providing a tran uil oasis away rom the bustling streets, and we’re wor ing hard to ma e it even more attractive, says Morgan Cowles, Canal iver Trust heritage and environment manager Graffiti is a problem or our charity, and we wor with our ama ing volunteers to help protect the delicate abric o some o Bath’s most iconic sites owever, it appears that tagging’ isn’t a new scourge, with this carved graffiti dating bac almost two centuries For more: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

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

© BATH PRESERVATION TRUST

Mayoress Chloe Ovens and Mayor Cllr June Player officially opening No1 Royal Crescent

The view is remarkable from every direction Heritage

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

@mhh.photo

@bassmanphotography

The Mayor of Bath, Cllr June Player officially reopened o oyal Crescent this month ew or , o now eatures a remar able immersive experience using an innovative mix o actors, digital pro ections, and sound that offer a glimpse o what li e was really li e or the city’s most ashionable Georgians s you wal through the house, it comes to li e around you with activity throughout n addition, the house, which is decorated as it might have been in the s, now reveals what it was li e living below

stairs, with new displays in the servants’ hall, house eeper’s room, itchen and scullery The pandemic has proved to be a huge challenge or our sector and we are very grate ul or unding received rom both the ational ottery eritage and Cultural ecovery Grants, says Bath reservation Trust’s director o museums, Claire ixon This unding has enabled us to trans orm this museum into a modern, exciting visitor experience whilst still ensuring the sa ety o all visitors Our authentically dressed rooms presented alongside an immersive experience demonstrates how a historic house can provide something or everyone and we are thrilled to be opening our doors once again For more: www.no1royalcrescent.org.uk

Put your thinking caps on for Julian House’s summer scavenger hunt

Scavenger hunt

THE GAME IS AFOOT

@bestbitsofbath

Grab your magni ying glasses and deer stal er hats there’s a mystery to be solved ulian ouse is encouraging us to turn detective or its brand-new Big ummer cavenger unt From uly to ugust, challengers will tre the length and breadth o the city hunting down secret riddles, which, once solved, unloc a hidden treasure where you might ust win a price The cavenger unt has been organised in partnership with Bathscape, and offers two trails to choose rom uper pies, a amily adventure around a two-mile route, and Code Brea er, a six-mile G hunt or adults and older teenagers t’s been an incredibly tough year or everyone, so our new event doesn’t charge a tic et ee, says event organiser essica Gay o ulian ouse nstead, it is a antastic chance to have un and at the same time donate what you can to raise much needed unds to help support vulnerable men, women and children experiencing homelessness and escaping domestic abuse By en oying a un-filled day out, you can also help change lives per ect combination For more: www.julianhouse.org.uk

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SPOTLIGHT There are 3,675 ribbons used here, and yes, we did count them

SouthGate

PRIDE & JOY

The wisteria hung in SouthGate back in 2018

The Day of the Dead streamers from October 2019

There’s a new display in SouthGate that reveals a real pride in our city. A colourful walkway of rainbow bunting was recently unveiled, transforming St Lawrence Street and The Place into a multi-coloured canopy.

The 3,675 individual ribbon strips follows the centre’s Umbrella Street, Wisteria Walkway, and Day of the Dead installations in previous years and will remain in place until September.

Guy Henderson, centre director at SouthGate Bath, says, ter a difficult year or so many people we’re looking forward to seeing our local shoppers again as well welcoming tourists to Bath this summer, and hope that the colourful scheme will help bring a smile to their faces.

“Throughout the summer, we’ll also be participating in Bath in Bloom where we’ll have lots o flower hanging bas ets as well as bee and butterfly shaped floral sculptures Kathryn Davis, Visit West’s director of tourism, says, “SouthGate Bath’s installations always make such a welcome addition to the city, bringing lots of vibrancy to the streets each summer. We’re expecting it to be a busy summer this year with staycations and domestic holidays on the rise, so it’s great to have the city looking so bright and colourful for visitors to enjoy as they spend time exploring the shops and restaurants that Bath has to offer For more: www.southgatebath.com

Bunting also part of the Day of the Dead celebrations organised in collaboration with Bath Carnival

The colourful umbrellas were the subject of many a photo opp

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

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FLAT LINE DAVID FLATMAN

Pain killers

© TAKING PICTURES

It’s all about giving negative thoughts about pain the elbow, says Flats

“Being an incredibly hard man, I hit the deck like a shot pigeon and it was some time before I got up again”

I

haven’t been poorly since February 2019, when I quite possibly had Covid. I mean it might not have been that, but we do all like to say we’ve had it, don’t we? I was so poorly that, or the first time in my adult li e, I actually became frightened.

I somehow drove my daughters to school, having made them breakfast bagels and sorted their uni orms, then effectively passed out in the car park before I could drive off Having dragged myself to the doctor’s surgery, I was told to eep my fluids up and try to have a kip. And with said advice went my dignity; she clearly wasn’t quite so convinced of my obvious peril. But I was ill, and it was horrid. The one thing that got me through – aside from it being a sufficiently minor malaise that said doc even took the chance to ask me a few questions on how Bath were doing and if I thought Jeremy Guscott was a nice man (he’s lovely – she agreed) – the one thing was the memory of how good it felt to not be so poorly the previous day.

I store it up, you see. I store up wellness and keep it in reserve for those days when my tummy or my shoulders or my seafood doesn’t play ball. I know my stored up good-feeling can’t make me better on its own – I’m not mad – but affirming and reaffirming that this sharp, clear, tangible memory of a feeling will be precisely how I’ll feel the next day is genuinely excellent medicine.

I used to do it mostly with my elbows. Now you can read this and roll your eyes and presume that you’ve done more laundry than me, or more polishing of picture frames, or even more typing than me, but my elbows have l seen more work and suffered more abuse than yours have. My two elbows have been

my sworn and committed enemies for two decades now, but it does appear that relations might just be on the verge of recovery. The MBST course I wrote about a couple of months ago has, it turns out, seemingly acted as a version of marriage therapy for the ‘bows and me.

I had the treatment At The Core Physiotherapy on Walcot Street and it worked – we’ve established that. But I have also recommended it to friends and now they are piling in too. One texted me to as how ’d fixed’ mine as he, a very large and mighty man, ‘couldn’t hold a pen.’

He starts soon and has high hopes.

The thing is, I did actually prang my right elbow last week and boy oh boy was it grim. It was grim because it hurt my elbow a lot, but also because the incident involved a snapping piece of gym equipment ricocheting into my gentleman’s area. Being an incredibly hard man, I hit the deck like a shot pigeon and it was some time before I got up again.

Anyway, my point is that the following day I was in exactly the same pain that had haunted me for so long and it should have been depressing but it wasn’t, because I knew that by the next morning it’d all be gone and I’d be back to how I was feeling until that slapand-collapse moment. Stored the feeling up, see. You should try my technique, and you should look into that therapy. I don’t point you that way because somebody has asked me to, but because I now know how easily we often learn to live with pain when we shouldn’t.

Still think I had Covid.

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

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 15

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STYLE COUNSEL PHILIPPA MAY Beam Bench made from decommissioned fire-hose, £3,000, www.elvisandkresse.com

RESCUE AND RENOVATION Philippa on the restorative effects of a little R&R

I

t’s an odd one, renovating a house. t eels li e a neverending journey of discovery. It’s extremely exciting at the beginning, there’s so much that’s untapped, the reason you loved the place in the beginning is because you saw that potential shining through and fell in love. But as the weeks turn into months and the excitement and the money start to wane, the journey takes an unexpected turn.

You lose the passion, especially once you’re in and it’s technically ‘liveable’.

So how do you reignite the passion to get it past the line?

I’ve turned to looking for big

alternatives to the normal to bring back my spark and get away from the more mundane decisions that get old quickly. I’ve always been much more interested in picking up and restoring old furniture and fixtures than buying brand new and adding to our consumption guilt. And it seems that this has become a nifty way of bringing structure back to a slow renovation slog. One whole room to finish might seem daunting, but one small piece of furniture to upcycle is a Saturday job and one of those small jobs every weekend and we’re winning...

So far we’ve saved three chairs, one sideboard, two chests of drawers, four bedside tables and a couple of vases. It feels as though

“It feels as though we’re homing the unloved pieces of Bath”

we’re homing the unloved pieces of Bath and I’m all here for that.

So far, there doesn’t seem to be any negative impact... you save a bit o cash, you get a finish or style that you really want and although it may be time consuming the end result gives you all the feels – I really don’t think you get the same excitement saving up for an expensive piece, waiting a year for it to arrive, to then never use it because you’re too scared you’ll stain it or even worse you’ve waited so long for it to arrive you change your mind on the style completely by talking yourself out of it. With a sideboard you’ve lovingly sanded, painted and up cycled, however, it’s as though you’ve gained a new friend to enjoy, you’ve both been through the same journey and there’s a satisfaction and pride with that.

Bath is lucky enough to have a few market gems, Green Park, the Cattle Market, even venturing out to Frome for a sift, so I don’t imagine we’ve a shortage of great local haunts to pick up a new friend. However, this week

I read about something I can’t get out of my head, a new brand to me, sustainable luxury lifestyle website called Elvis and Kresse – a beautiful business that rescues the London Fire Brigade’s decommissioned hoses – saving them rom landfill by turning them into pieces for your home.

Could you think of anything more magical?! They’ve even partnered with Burberry to create bags and wallets too – all sustainably. A whole per cent o their profits are donated to charities related to the rescued materials – what a fabulous idea and one I hope becomes a frequent goal of more small businesses. Forget the leather strap handle trend of 2017, now you can have a genuine decommissioned red British firehose to complete your rescued cupboard – to say I’m burning with love is an understatement.

Philippa May is an interiors enthusiast and is director of her branding and marketing company Mayd Studio.

Find more Philippa style on Instagram @_philippamay_ www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 17

STREET LIFE

WALKING IN A WALCOT WONDERLAND We catch up with just a few of those people helping make Walcot Street so very wonderful Words by Sarah Moolla Photos by Chris Daw

W

hile the pandemic got busy punching the hell of out of high streets, knocking out the chains like loose teeth, there’s a certain quarter in Bath that has remained pretty much intact. It’s as if a protective shield was drawn up around Walcot Street, comic book style, and thanks to the combined super powers of indie-ness, awesome-ness, fabulous-ness, it has emerged from this torrid time, as intoxicating, unified, and as impressive as ever From the family owned furniture shop TR Hayes, the largest in Bath at the top of the Street to the glitter ball of The Yellow Shop selling retro, vintage and designer brands, there’s a rich seam of incredible retail and beautiful businesses running all the way through this city centre enclave.

We can’t list them all but a few highlights include The Framing Workshop, who have been framing pictures from their Walcot Street home for more than 30 years; Avenida, selling more artist designed coasters than you’ve eaten hot dinners; the artisan Landrace Bakery; Georgian home interior specialists Etons of Bath; the glassblowing studio of the Bath Aqua Glass Shop; Harvest the healthfood shop mecca; printers Minuteman Press; the far Eastern rugs of Haliden Oriental Carpets the one stop floor shop Capitol Carpets; leading real wood specialists Broadleaf Timber; and the ultimate home style emporium Neptune. These nestle shoulder to shoulder in perfect harmony alongside the real ale, live music freehouse The Bell Inn; the towering hair and beauty hub Melanie Giles; the bric-à-brac flea markets; the former mortuary now Walcot Chapel Arts Space; the lifestyle management team Bath Concierge; the Bath Labour Party HQ; the tunnel of trees mural by artist Stanley Dunwood plus the two-floor, achingly cool Walcot House home to DJs, dining, and Dilly Bar. Here we meet just a few other traders contributing to the wonders of Walcot Street.

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“Steeped in history and steeped in community”

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STREET LIFE

1

Grace Clements, marketing & PR coordinator, Jim Lawrence – British made lighting, ironwork and home furnishings, 114-116 Walcot Street; www.jim-lawrence.co.uk We fi rst opened our doors in ovember We have long coveted a location in the West Country, and when our dream location opened up, we new the time was right The shop itsel is a Grade listed building built in the s The uni ue curve o the shop ront is what initially drew us to this spot eputedly it was built as such to ma e space or the coaches turning rom the Bell Coaching nn opposite reviously owned by much loved ichard athaway ighting, we are pleased to be carrying on the tradition or showcasing beauti ul lighting in this lovely location The variety o expertise on the treet means you really can get everything you need or a period home rom paints, carpets and anti ue mirrors, to upholsterers and interior designers We are thrilled to have oined them Throughout the loc downs, the Walcot community continued to communicate and wor together on how we could all trade in the uture under the government guidelines once we came out There were also many conversations with the council during this time on what the new norm would loo li e it has been a great support to stay connected in these ways during this period

“The shop itself is a Grade II listed building built in the 1700s” www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 21

STREET LIFE

“Walcot Street gave a sense of ‘togetherness’”

2

Nuray Morris, CEO and founder, Tilian Kids – ethical eco-friendly clothing and high quality gifts for babies and small children, 142 Walcot Street; www.tiliankids.com “I had been searching for a shop and had already heard about Walcot Street’s reputation as an artisan and independent centre of shopping, cafés and services. I opened 15 October 2020 and was absolutely delighted with the location, at the top of the Street, and next to some other really interesting and unique businesses.

“Of course lockdown was extremely challenging, particularly as this was my first venture into retail and I had absolutely no experience or connections to lean on. Happily though, Walcot Street gave a sense of ‘togetherness’ and, in the light of the restrictions imposed under the pandemic, of us all being ‘in this together’. I was really lucky to establish close friendships with the lovely people at Bath Concierge and Taylor’s Bagels, who are both slightly further up the street from my shop. It was great to be able to share a riendly word and a lovely coffee also appreciated being able to discuss shared concerns and issues. I really valued that sense of community that these regular conversations provided.

“There is something very empowering about becoming part of the Walcot heritage and an awareness I am trading in probably the oldest commercial street in the city

3

Steve Causer, owner, American Dream Comics – current and vintage comics, plus graphic novels, manga and toys, 72 Walcot Street; www.americandreamcomics.co.uk “American Dream Comics has been part of Walcot Street for 26 years this year. Some would say it is part of Bath’s history as well as being one of the oldest comic book stores in the UK. I personally took over the store 12 years ago and took it from it being all about comics to growing it into the destination shop it is now.

“Walcot Street always struck me as the cool street of Bath. Steeped in history and steeped in community. It has always been a very friendly street with everyone happy to help and support each other.

When first got involved with the other retailers on Walcot Street, the pride and passion for the area was very evident. This is still there and has always been great motivation to tell people that Walcot is somewhere you need to visit when in Bath.

“Online is a requirement these days. It helped us to survive through the trying period. But it’s also allowed us to understand more that our kind of shop is uni ue and is providing something different or people – to be able to spend time browsing, chatting and hanging out is also important. And not just for our older and regular client base, but for the new and younger customers finding us or the first time

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Anthony Reed, founder and proprietor, The Looking Glass of Bath – specialist framers and mirror makers, 93-95 Walcot Street; www.lookinglassofbath.co.uk “I opened my shop in the Street Christmas 1987 and we have been trading here ever since. The reason I chose Walcot Street was that there were many other owner occupied businesses here supplying antiques and architectural fittings besides household decorative fittings etc “During the lockdown obviously we closed the shop but since we have a wor shop on the first and second floor, we were able to eep that open or orders ta en be ore and during the pandemic owever it was a relie when we were able to open up the shop and see our customers ace-to- ace One highlight during the end o this period was installing mirrors all around the oman Baths, which had been discovered at the ewt in Somerset.”

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© PAUL O CONNOR

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Bronwyn Williams-Ellis, ceramic artist and sculpture, Old Orchard, 88a Walcot Street; www.bronwyn-williams-ellis.co.uk / www.handmade-tiles.co.uk My first impressions o Walcot treet, bac in , was that it was very individualistic and various, distinctly oddball, with people rom all sorts o bac grounds with wonder ully varied s ills, nowledge and businesses, adding to the atmosphere They were, and still are, always ready to advise, help, and support each other. The creeping gentrification and housing developments does worry me though – that it will make it ar too expensive or small interesting businesses to move in and start up here.

“Lockdown reduced us to a monastic isolation, with no bespo e tile commissions at all or a complete year ter a spell at home, came bac to the studio as wor on my own, and undisturbed by the urgency o commissions, was able to create a complete exhibition o over pieces – which I suspect would not have happened without lockdown.”

STREET LIFE

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Darrin Christan, director, Coopers Stores – mid to premium home & kitchen appliance retailer, 13-15 Walcot Street; www.coopers-stores.com “Coopers has been trading since 1947 and was originally based in London. We then opened our Walcot Street showroom in 1994. We love Walcot Street. It has that unique feel that you just don’t get anywhere else. Over the years Walcot Street has built itself to become a serious retail destination, especially for all things home-related. The quirkiness and eye for the unusual of the street traders suit us and the type of products we like to sell. Anyone visiting Walcot Street will definitely have a more relaxing and en oyable shopping experience than s to some o the best o Bath’s independent retailers. Together we have created a real shopping destination.

“Lockdown was a rather lonely time for us at Coopers. We were one of the few Walcot businesses that stayed operating throughout all three lockdowns.

Although the doors were closed, I was still working rom my office overloo ing the street The eedbac had from customers was amazing and kept me going through the low points. The way I saw it, a fridge or a cooker is a vital appliance and I felt a responsibility to be there for those in need.”

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STREET LIFE

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Karolina Nowacka, general manager, AQUA – a modern British, Italianinspired restaurant, St Michael’s Church House, 88 Walcot Street; www.aqua-restaurant.com “AQUA has been on Walcot Street for around 12 years, and I myself have been here seven years.

As soon as you arrive on Walcot Street you can see that it’s not just the slightly quirky vibe like the little figureheads that can be ound over the walls, and thriving independent shops that make it so special, but you can actually spot the surrounding green countryside from certain vantage points.

“There’s always been a sense of helping each other out – the Bath Guide Shop on Walcot Street, which is a division of the Girl Guides, are always so kind and supportive. But also other restaurants, Thai Basil and Walcot House, we see as our friends and colleagues and not our rivals. We all lend each other support, be it advice, wines glasses, or recycling bins. Post lockdown that feeling has been emphasised, and it’s about appreciating each other and we are delighted so many of us are still standing.”

“We are delighted so many of us are still standing” 26 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Excellent - 4.9* out of 5

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NEW QUOOKER LIVE DEMONSTRATION AREA OPENING THIS JUNE Our doors are open and we welcome customers back in to the store.

If you’re looking for advice or have any queries, you can of course also reach us by phone, email or via the website.

01225 311811 | enquiries@coopers-stores.com | coopers-stores.com Coopers Stores, 13/15 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BN

STREET LIFE

8

Andrew Pocock, owner, Didicakes – artisan cake makers, 132 Walcot Street; www.didicakes.net “We took over the business in August 2020, just as lockdown one was ending. We loved the vibe on Walcot treet rom the first day we came to visit the company. The mix of wonderful artisan makers and little independent businesses is fantastic. It seems to be much loved by those who know it and remains a hidden gem within the city, yet to be discovered by many.

“Everybody had to deal with the lockdown situation in their own way, different businesses were impacted by the rules differently For me the business mantra every problem is an opportunity in disguise’ holds true whatever you have to deal with. We reshaped the business taking the opportunity to really invest in online and customer service. We introduced a free delivery service across Bath, Bristol and across to Swindon.

We have wonderful customers who stood by us and supported us through those tough weeks and months.

“I truly hope that customers will continue to support great local businesses. But we can’t take that for granted, we’ll keep working and adapting to stay relevant.”

9

“Many Walcot locals and customers have been incredibly supportive”

Nick Cudworth (pictured here in 2017) gallery owner and artist, Nick Cudworth Artworks – renowned for landscape, still life and portraiture work, 5 London Street; www.nickcudworth.co.uk The gallery first opened in Bac then, Walcot was a bit more rough and ready but it’s always had bags of character. It is getting better every year with more vibrant businesses coming to life and some amazing cafés we spend many an hour drinking coffee in “We had to close the gallery for over a year due to Covid and family illness, and that was very hard. I think all the traders really kept an eye out for each other. I have un ortunately recently suffered a stro e so cannot paint anymore. Many Walcot locals and customers have known about our amily’s difficult year and were incredibly supportive and have popped their heads in to welcome me back into the community.

“It has been a real joy and relief to re-open once again and start to feel the world and Walcot waking up. Ideally, one day, the Walcot Nation Day could be reintroduced – council and restrictions permitting.”

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 29

STREET LIFE

10

David Pascall, showroom manager, Farrow & Ball manufacturer of eco-friendly paint and wallpaper, 124-126 Walcot Street, www.farrow-ball.com “Farrow & Ball have had the showroom here since 2008. Our Grade II listed building made of classic Bath stone is lucky enough to be on a street lined with beautiful Georgian architecture. Originally famed for its art and fashion scene, Walcot Street has evolved over the years as a destination for home and decorating needs.

Covid definitely created an impetus or people to redecorate, re ocus on their home and complete obs that have been on the to do’ list We were able to adapt and offer a call and collect service during this time and also launched a virtual colour consultancy service which was hugely popular s the world opens up again, we are really looking forward to welcoming our customers back to the showroom and helping them with their new pro ects and colour ul plans

“Walcot Street has evolved as a destination for home and decorating needs” 30 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

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

Bath Life team 01225 475800

Tilian Kids

Individual ceramic wall mounted art works and drawings on show in the studio.

Plus designer tiles and panels on show and to commission.

Tilian Kids Children's Boutique 1 42 Wal co t Stre et , B a t h B A1 5 B L www.ti l i anki ds.com ti l i an. ki ds

ANTIQUE AND MODERN CARPETS BOUGHT, SOLD REPAIRED AND CLEANED NOW IN OUR 30TH YEAR IN BATH LARGEST SELECTION IN THE SOUTH WEST

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Bronwyn Williams-Ellis Old Orchard, 88a Walcot Sreet, Bath, BA1 5BD  Tel: 01225 460805 Sculpture website: www.bronwyn-williams-ellis.co.uk Tiles website: www.handmade-tiles.co.uk

The Framing Workshop has been trading as an independent family run business on Walcot Street for over 28 years. We treasure you, our client, and spend time helping you to find the best way to display and protect your cherished objects, artworks and memorabilia. Creativity and respect for each artwork are core to what we do.

Every picture tells a story. Come and share yours.

80 WALCOT STREET, BATH, BA1 5BD | TEL: 01225 482748 www.theframingworkshop.com framing@theframingworkshop.com

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

THE UGLY TRUTH Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the New York Police Department in America in May 2020, and the subsequent worldwide Black Lives Matter protests, Bath Abbey has pledged to address its own history, and to both learn from it and help educate others. The Abbey, like other churches, accepted payments for monuments from people who made their ortunes rom the profits o slavery In recognition of this wrong, Bath Abbey have collated a Monuments, Empire & Slavery exhibition to tell the whole story behind many of those grandiose epitaphs, such as this memorial of Colonel Alexander Champion who was in charge of the British Indian Army and in April 1774 led a war against the Rohillas (Afghan Highlanders) at Miranpur Katra.

Monuments, Empire & Slavery runs until 4 September and in conjunction on 25 June, the Abbey is hosting a Zoom discussion with panellists to include Wera Hobhouse MP, Renée Jacobs of the B in Bath network, and The Rector of Bath Abbey Revd Canon Guy Bridgewater; www.bathabbey.org

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

Paradise Lost (Lies Unopened Beside Me) created by Ben Duke comes to Bath 8 and 9 July

WHAT’S ON 19 June – 15 July

EXHIBITIONS Until 27 June

IN THE MEANWHILE Artist and illustrator Jessica Palmer will be exhibiting a new collection of paper collages as part of an art project organised by Bath Spa University, working with B&NES Council and Milsom Place, to bring temporarily unoccupied shop spaces into productive use. Milsom Place; www.milsomplace.co.uk

Until 30 June

RUH ART FOR HEROES AUCTION Each exhibit created by our homegrown talent including Jason Dorley-Brown, is for sale as part of this online auction with proceeds going to the RUH’s two charities, Art at the Heart and the Forever Friends Appeal. www.artatruh.org

Until 30 June

KURT JACKSON: BIODIVERSITY

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

Always check Covid-19 restrictions and instructions with venues before your visit

In this series of paintings, sculptures and mixed media works, Jackson aims to celebrate the planet’s biodiversity, but also highlight where it is sadly being lost. Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk

She draws with white on black, which illuminates the quality of play of light on leaves, stems, trees and ripples on water. Beaux Arts; www.beauxartsbath.co.uk

enlivening the contrast with the smooth white surface and the luscious interior glazes. Beaux Arts; www.beauxartsbath.co.uk

Until 1 July

Until 3 July

LET THE MUSIC PLAY AGAIN A new exhibition with portraits of musicians including Miles Davis, by illustrator Sarah Hawkins in celebration of music as a universal language and as an art form that has human interaction at its core. The Art Cohort; www.theartcohort.co.uk

PRECIOUS AND RARE: ISLAMIC METALWORK FROM THE COURTAULD Ten remarkable highlights from The Courtauld’s world-class collection of Islamic metalwork are on display. One exceptionally rare piece is The Courtauld Bag, made in Mosul (present-day northern Iraq) in around 1300-1330 for a noble lady of the Persian-Mongol court and is recognised as one o the finest pieces o slamic inlaid metalwork in existence.

Holburne Museum; www.holburne.org

FROM BAUHAUS TO OUR HOUSE: MODERN BRITISH FEMALE DESIGNERS An exhibition of important modern textiles presented as Fine Art in their own right, seeks to celebrate the genius and influence o an extraordinary group of women artists including Lucienne Day, Marian Mahler, and Mary Warren, whose talent and vision is as vibrant and relevant today as it ever was.

Gray M.C.A; www.graymca.com

Until 3 July

SHEILA CLARKSON Sheila Clarkson uses white pastel and acrylic on black paper to depict and suggest the contrasts between light and dark in the natural world.

Until 3 July

LARA SCOBIE Edinburgh-based Lara makes slipcast vessels using ‘parian clay.’

The term ‘parian’ is derived from Paros, the Aegian Island famous for its beautiful white marble, which was used extensively in classical Greek sculpture. Lara applies decoration on to altered asymmetric forms, the geometric, ‘op-art’ patterns of her surface drawing

Until 1 August

Until 30 August

NICHOLAS POPE In Portraits of a Marriage, ten sculptures – in characteristically entertaining, abstract but honest form – depict the artist and his

WHAT’S ON

ABOVE: Providing some of the musical jot at Pub In The Park is Sophie Ellis Bextor MIDDLE: Lucienne Day is just one of the textile artists celebrated at Gray M.C.A’s From Bauhaus To Our House exhibition BELOW: Still time to bid on Dog Walking in Lockdown

by Jane Riley as part of the RUH auction

wi e at different stages o their li e together during more than years o marriage Holburne Museum; www.holburne.org

onnie Wood, elen Mirren, n elica uston and helley uvall merican Museum; www.americanmuseum.org

Until 4 September

Until 2022

MONUMENTS, EMPIRE AND SLAVERY The exhibition ocusses on a number o the bbey’s memorials that reveal the relationships between those commemorated in the bbey, the city o Bath, the British Empire, and the slave trade in the and s t will also explore the presence o the bolitionist movement in Bath and aims to encourage visitors to reflect on past in ustice and the need or racial e uality now and in the uture The bbey is also hosting an online discussion surrounding the exhibition on une chaired by Wera obhouse Turn to page or more Bath Abbey; www.bathabbey.org

Until 5 September

CANALETTO: PAINTING VENICE This once-in-a-li etime exhibition will enable visitors to en oy and study up-close beauti ul paintings that not only present themes o th -century enice and the Grand Tour, but also explores the artist’s li e Holburne Museum; www.holburne.org

Until 8 September

THOMAS LAWRENCE: COMING OF AGE The olburne Museum’s first virtual show will give insight into the early li e o the great portrait painter, who honed his talents as a child, s etching in his ather s inn in evi es, be ore then coming to capture Bath society Holburne Museum; www.holburne.org

Until 31 October

OUCH! This online exhibition rom draws on themes explored by research underta en by the Bath Centre or ain esearch Based at the niversity o Bath, the Centre is made up o an interdisciplinary team o researchers exploring how pain affects how people live rom everyday aches to long-term and chronic pain www.44ad.net

Until 31 October

SHOOTING STARS: CARINTHIA WEST, BRITAIN AND AMERICA IN THE 1970S Features a collection o intimate natural portraits and li estyle shots ta en in merica and the by s model and actress Carinthia West hotos includes Mic agger,

SHOEPHORIA! iscover the ascinating evolution o shoe style over the last years, rom the actual ootwear worn by ueen Mary and ueen ictoria through to the recent wor o contemporary designers, such as ivienne Westwood and immy Choo Fashion Museum; www.fashionmuseum.co.uk

MUSIC

Until 20 June

PUB IN THE PARK long with the incredible line-up o master che s, there is live per ormances rom Beverley night, ophie Ellis-Bextor and a udimental set The ub in the ar team will also be inviting , ey wor ers to oin them at ictoria ar or a special evening as their way o saying than you www.pubintheparkuk.com

1 July

JANE MCDONALD The B FT award-winning singer and presenter who ound long term ame through her appearance on BBC docusoap The Cruise and is now celebrating more than years in the business is bac with her et the ight n’ tour The Forum; www.bathforum.co.uk

COMEDY 19 June & 26 June

KRATER COMEDY CLUB augh along to obert Wine, indsey antoro and Mi e Gunn with MC tu Goldsmith on the une, and the ollowing wee it’s the turn o ddy an er Borg, Catherine Bohart, Charlie Ba er with MC Tom Green The cabaret style seating comes with several dining options and table service Komedia Bath; www.komedia.co.uk

THEATRE / CINEMA Until 26 June

COPENHAGEN n a i-occupied Copenhagen, in , a clandestine encounter

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

Bath's best kept secret Bath, BA2 7BD

americanmuseum.org

WHAT’S ON

© JAMES FINDL AY

is known to have taken place between two Nobel Prize-winning physicists, Dane Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. This acclaimed play by Michael Frayn, looks at the relationship of the two old friends and long-term colleagues, who now found themselves on opposite sides of the political divide. Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

ABOVE:

Oliver Ford Davies and Stephen Boxer star in Theatre Royal’s A Splinter of Ice MIDDLE: See Stiff & Kitsch at the Rondo on 3 July as part of the Bath Fringe BELOW: Enjoy an open air screening of Mamma Mia! at Bath Racecourse on 24 June

and optimism for the future.

The Little Theatre; www.picturehouses.com

28 June – 3 July

Until 26 June

TIME FLIES Bath Drama explore themes of life, love, and lust through a selection of short comedy sketch plays by American playwright David Ives.

Rondo Theatre; www.rondotheatre.co.uk

A SPLINTER OF ICE This new play by Ben Brown, stars Oliver Ford Davies and Stephen Boxer. As the cold war begins to thaw and Britain’s greatest living novelist Graham Greene meets with his old MI6 boss, Kim Philby, spy, and traitor, the two men set about catching up on old times. With a new world order breaking around them, how much did the writer of The Third Man know about Philby’s secret life as a double agent for the Russians? Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Until 30 June

8 – 9 July

Until 3 July

FESTIVALS

24 June

BATH FRINGE 2021 A bumper packed programme that includes events from Fringe Arts Bath, Bath Arts Workshop, and Bedlam Fair. There’s theatre, live music, comedy from the likes of award-winning musical comedy duo, Sally O'Leary and Rhiannon Neads a a tiff itsch, visual arts popping up all over the city including on the streets of Bath. www.bathfringe.co.uk

ROUTES To take part in Routes, audience members are invited to join the Egg Assembly online using their own laptop or desktop computer, which then sends participants on an escape room style adventure to explore the many threats and challenges facing our natural world, including logging, animal poaching, corruption and the destruction of forests. Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk OLEANNA Set on an American campus exploring the themes of privilege and power. A seemingly innocuous conversation (or is it?) between a college professor (Jonathan Slinger) and his female student (Rosie Sheehy) warps into a nightmare, which threatens to destroy them both. Ustinov; www.theatreroyal.org.uk MAMMA MIA! Pack your picnic and enjoy the smash hit musical starring Meryl Streep and Julie Walters based on the songs of ABBA at the outdoor cinema at Bath Racecourse. Next day, on the une, is the film that nobody puts in the corner, Dirty Dancing. www.adventurecinema.co.uk

27 June

UNCLE VANYA Marrying the intimacy of the screen with the electricity of live performance in an exciting new hybrid o film and theatre, this Sonia Friedman Productions/ Angelica Films co-production is far more than a simple adaptation of the Chekhov play. Full of tumultuous frustration and hidden passions, but brimming with hope

PARADISE LOST (LIES UNOPENED BESIDE ME) There is a possibility that God made everything because he was terrified o doing nothing ere is a retelling of the story of the beginning of everything inspired by Milton’s Paradise Lost – told by Ben Duke through words, music and the easily misunderstood medium of dance. Ustinov www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Until 31 July

20 – 21 June

UNBOUND A summer solstice celebration for the wild at heart woman offering the chance to realign and recharge with wellness talks, massages, and all inclusive nourishing food, all with luxurious bell tents to sleep in by a beautiful lakeside woodland. Marston Park, Frome; www.theedenroom.com

2 – 11 July

FROME FESTIVAL The Lightning Seeds are opening the Frome Festival at the Cheese and Grain where reggae legends Aswad, will also be performing. Comedy names performing include Reginald D Hunter, comedy songwriter Mitch Benn, and poet and performer John Hegley. Look out for free

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

WHAT’S ON entertainment around town including opera and dance, along with new outdoor venues. www.fromefestival.co.uk

22 – 25 July

WOMAD 2021 Charlton Park in Malmesbury is transformed into a weekend of musical discovery with UK talent such as A Certain Ratio, Greentea Peng and The Comet is Coming, performing alongside Chinese classical musician Cheng Yu and Silk Breeze, Ireland’s Dublin Calling Big Band, and Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra from Nigeria. There’s also a world of children's entertainment, delicious global cuisine, and fun workshops.

WOMAD; www.womad.co.uk

24 – 25 July

DIGGING DEEP LIVE Jamie’s Farm, where the team combine the ethos of farming, family and therapy on their working land to help the disadvantaged, are hosting talks, workshops and activities as well as a seat at the feasting table, before the evening of celebration with music and dancing. Camping will be available to all ticket holders at no extra cost.

Jamie’s Farm; www.jamiesfarm.org.uk

10 – 12 September

VINTAGE NOSTALGIA FESTIVAL A fun and fabulously charming family festival in Stockton Park celebrating a rose tinted past with jazz, swing, classic cars, vintage fashion, and dance. www.vintagenostalgiafestival.co.uk

OTHER

Opens 30 June

MARY SHELLEY’S HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN A brand new attraction comes to Gay Street celebrating all things Frankenstein including an 8ft monster recreated as Mary imagined in her novel, and a horror experience in the dank and foreboding underbelly of the house. an n t in m

Until 1 August

BATH ON THE BEACH Along with big screens showing UEFA Euro 2020, table tennis, pétanque, and adventure golf, there’s summerinspired coc tails, wood-fired pi a, loaded nachos and fries in Bath’s Caribbean-inspired beach bar, located at the Royal Pavilion in Victoria Park. www.bathonthebeach.co.uk

Until 29 August

SUMMER SUNDAYS Every Sunday around the city centre,

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

there's going to be a range of pop-up, free performances including Jane Austen dancers, samba bands and street theatre. Also look out for face painting, craft workshops and arts activities. On 29 June the Bath BID Welcome Ambassadors are hosting a special Welcome Back to Bath Day. www.welcometobath.co.uk

Until 12 September

TALES OF THE GARDEN Experience specially commissioned sculptures blooming up across the expansive landscaped grounds of Longleat. Using a variety of materials and crafting methods, designed and curated by UK-based artists, these nine installations tell the unique and fascinating story of Longleat, such as the time kangaroos roamed the lawns in the 1800s.

Longleat; www.longleat.co.uk

21 – 27 June

DIGITAL PLAYGROUND As part of Bath Fringe, this is an immersive, walk-through forest installation of oversized, robotic flowers and hanging gardens. As visitors move around it becomes apparent that the forest’s appearance subtly changes according to their movements and position in space. www.bathfringe.co.uk

1 July

ENTRECONF A new virtual conference, seeking to inspire entrepreneurs, start-ups and scale-ups with powerful insights, and to link them with local key advisers and partners. www.entreconf.com

ABOVE:

BELOW:

British Indian sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar is playing at Womad Sheila Clarkson’s Light and Water is just one of the pieces on display at Beaux Arts

Successful, well-established year-round language school in the centre of Bath requires

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We teach adults and teenagers, and need both single and twin-room accommodation.

For further details, including rates of payment, please contact our Accommodation Manager: Sarah Wringer, Kaplan International Languages Bath, 5 Trim Street, Bath, BA1 1HB Direct Line (01225) 473502, Email: sarah.wringer@kaplan.com

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BOOKS NIC BOTTOMLEY

War paint Nic on three novels that explore art and the perspective it offers on wars

“Katya becomes trapped by ISIS in an abandoned museum during the uprisings”

A

trio of novels that simultaneously explore war and art have recently come across my radar and are worth adding to any to-be-read pile.

Two are set, at least partly, in World War II, and the other is based around more recent conflicts whilst also lin ing bac to ancient history.

The action in Still Life by Sarah Winman (Harper Collins, £16.99) begins in Tuscany with a stri ing scene in which art historian Evelyn inner and her ormer lover en oy delicious wine and ood on a terrace overloo ing talian countryside being ravaged by the latter days of the war This odd uxtaposition o a moment o serenity detached rom the surrounding conflict eels li e a per ect metaphor or the disconnect between the horrors of war and beauty of art that all three o these novels see to demonstrate We soon witness Evelyn ar more closely involved in the turmoil as she encounters a British soldier, brilliantly named Ulysses Temper, whilst rescuing a renaissance painting from a church in Florence Temper’s rescue efforts soon turn to human sub ects as he tries to tal down a man set on umping rom a roo , despite the language barrier between them.

These two characters remain at the heart of the narrative even after the war ends, with the timeline uic ly progressing into the s where we find lysses in dour post-war ondon before reconnecting with Italy again. Despite the troubled times Still Life is full of hope and reflections on the power and beauty o art, and is a novel with two fascinating central characters particularly Evelyn who can be both dismissive and utterly compelling, particularly when she gets onto the sub ect o her past li e in the company o EM Forster Leonora in the Morning Light by Michaela Canter imon chuster, also eatures Mediterranean wartime settings and characters more concerned with art and beauty than with the tragedies playing out around them. But this story is all rooted in truth, being based on the lives of the circle of artists at its core.

The heroine is the artist eonora Carrington who moves rom her amily home in England to head to Paris and beyond with the Surrealist artist Max Ernst t first in thrall o Ernst and his circle, including the li es o icasso and

Dali, Carrington soon starts to cultivate her own experimental artistic style and to challenge Ernst’s view o her as ust his beauti ul muse The intricacies of their relationship and the development of their art soon play second fiddle to the immediate threats o war though, particularly once the Surrealists become targeted as degenerate influences The boo ’s second more immediately dramatic timeline sees Ernst on board a train from a labour camp where he has been held, trying to leave Nazi Germany but struggling to find sa e harbour beyond its borders ltimately this side of the tale will spin on beyond the war and to merica, as Ernst and Carrington reconnect, the latter recovering from the mental health traumas that had been a icting her, and crucially ma e the ac uaintance o art collector eggy Guggenheim who will significantly influence their utures Finally, All Our Broken Idols by Paul Cooper (Bloomsbury, £9.99) is another novel with a split narrative and a lot to say about the power of art and its impact on our view of history. The more contemporary setting here is Mosul in where atya, a British- ra i woman wor ing on a dig discovers part o a frieze, the remainder of which sits in the British Museum The element she’s uncovered now though shows a ing suffering a graceless all as a chariot is attac ed by a lion putting a very different spin on that ing’s stature and legacy to the one that has been passed down over the centuries. n the counterpart storyline we are bac in the equivalent location, the Nineveh of ancient ssyria, in the th century BC as an ailing ing obsesses about his legacy, which is to be depicted by his sculptor brother – a principled man who will only carve the truth. s the connections between the two strands deepen, and as atya becomes trapped by in an abandoned museum during the uprisings, this pacey and bittersweet novel explores how art can change perspectives and how history can be traded and manipulated even by those who don’t own it.

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

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

SPONSORED CONTENT

Sustainable, mindful living

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Their suppliers are UK-based; often small, independent businesses. Owner Ann Perry always tries to use suppliers that are local to the Bath/Bristol area, but will sometimes search further afield to find those that can keep up with the demand.

The Fill range is delivered on a closedloop from Northampton, a family business who make an eco household and personal care range for refilling, you can bring your own bottles too.

Local collections include home fragrances from a small business based in Marshfield, and deodorants and luxury Bath salts from

Totterdown Apothecary. Planty Kate, a well known local brand has launched a wonderful skincare and body range, all refillable, and for a special treat, handcrafted bean to bar chocolate made by Bath-based independent Green Door Chocolate, using ethically sourced single origin cacao and wrapped in sustainable packaging.

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TRENDING TONES & PATTERNS FOR YOUR HOME Peggy Braybrook, design centre manager at TILE & FLOOR in Bath, talks about the trends in colour and pattern that are bringing warmth, hope and much needed freshness to our homes.

S

ummer, full of promise, brings the chance to refresh our spaces. At Tile & Floor we match the ranges we curate with seasonal trends. At the moment a number of colours, along with the draw of patterns, are at the forefront of our design conversations with clients.

THE CALL OF NATURE Aquamarine and green tones are very popular; green symbolises renewal, growth and nature so using it in interior schemes will create a feeling of balance and calm. Bringing nature into our homes with a muted sage or olive tone adds both elegance and a sense of warmth, especially combined with brass, wool textures and neutral shades.

Amongst our ranges are many beautiful Moroccan Zellige, Bejmat, encaustic and hand-crafted tiles in a wide range of greens to choose from, whether plain or patterned. We have recently introduced a stunning range of botanical designs inspired by the National Trust. Decorative tiles work perfectly with larger, more neutral stone or wood floors. These combinations create a peaceful sitting room where one can sit quietly, or give a sense of calm to a busy kitchen.

IN THE PINK Blossom with its floral scents is one of the first signs of spring. Much like the draw we feel to the greens of nature, pinks are both calming and nurturing.

Whether as a splashback in a kitchen, an entire bathroom or just in throws and cushions, pops of bright pink or paler shades add warmth to our spaces.

Just as for green, there are a plethora of tile choices available, in plain, patterned, textured and gloss which can be laid in multiple designs.

PLAYING WITH PATTERN Pattern adds depth and impact to our spaces. Loved by Instagrammers, decorative tiles bring the wow factor – stars, stripes, floral, geometric; in fact, just about any design and shape, and in any colour you can imagine!

But there are other ways to introduce pattern that can be just as effective, yet subtle. Neutral tiles or wood laid in chevron, metro and herringbone add style and interest to walls and floors, while marbles with their unique veining and natural stone bring their own individual character.

Make an appointment at Tile & Floor’s London Road Design Centre,a stone’s throw from Walcot Street, to talk through your project ideas. A specialist will show you all the options to help create the perfect design, and can source almost any product sample for you.

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

James Thomas of The Beaufort Bookshops believes shops like his are more important than ever in a digitised world

TO THINE SHELF BE TRUE Let us take you on a magical tour of the bookshops of Bath

By Lydia Tewkesbury Photos by Betty Bhandari 50 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

W

e don’t know about anyone else, but team Bath Life have read more than ever since the pandemic hit. The huge stack of books on the nightstand since – well, forever, really finally shrun down to nothing, and still we gasped for more. In times of difficulty and let’s ace it downright boredom, fiction is a balm to the soul In Bath, we are uniquely spoiled when it comes to independent boo shops filled with nowledgeable and enthusiastic boo sellers In celebration of Independent Bookshop Week (19–28 June), we meet a few of them for an inside take on a life spent in the stacks.

JAMES THOMAS OF THE BEAUFORT BOOKSHOP

1 Beaufort Place; tel: 01225 571908; www.beaufortbookshop.co.uk

What’s the best part of running a book shop?

Interactions with customers, putting the right book in the right hands, is by far and away the best part of being a bookseller – the human contact and the eeling that you are ma ing a difference to people’s lives Bookshops are places of peace: antidotes to the turbulence and chaos of life in the 21st century. They are spaces where the mind can wander rather than race, and sa e havens where people come to find belonging and community. This is only going to become more important as the

BOOKSELLERS

“Bookshops are places of peace: antidotes to the turbulence and chaos of life” CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The magical children’s section at Mr B’s; bookseller Gemma Dunnell at Mr B’s; indie bookshops are full of friendly faces, like Isobel who works at The Oldfield Park Bookshop along side Harry Wainwright, owner (inset)

world becomes more digitised. I have several older customers and, from our discussions, it is clear that a trip to the bookshop is the highlight of their week.

NIC BOTTOMLEY OF MR B’S EMPORIUM OF READING DELIGHTS, 14-15 John Street; tel: 01225 331155; www.mrbsemporium.com

What’s it like running an independent book shop right now?

I am always positive about the outlook for indie bookshops and I think that now I am, oddly, more positive than ever that bookshops are even more valued by customers and that we and our bookselling peers will have a vital role to play in the rebuilding of high streets as we emerge from the pandemic. Of course, any bookselling business now needs to have an element o hybrid offer some online sales channel alongside the physical but when it comes to that physical browsing and boo discovery experience, everything we’ve been doing for the last decade makes us ready for this moment. If customers shop physically now, they want to en oy that experience and find it adds some value nd that’s where an indie boo shop can always excel through recommendations from the avid readers behind the till, through creating a welcoming atmosphere and by being close to its community.

What’s a visit to the shop like?

We believe that above anything else a boo shop well, our boo shop is a space or conversations about boo s to ta e place o yes, it’s true that we love nothing more than discussing books of every type with our customers. We love to recommend books, and to absorb their recommendations for books, in equal measure.

HARRY WAINWRIGHT OF THE OLDFIELD PARK BOOKSHOP, 43 Moorland Road; tel: 01225 427722;

www.theoldfieldparkbookshop.co.uk

What have learned from being a bookseller?

too an English degree, but learned more about ha espeare rom one of my customers who was a consultant surgeon. I still remember the time when Colonel Gaddafi ell rom power in ibya and my surgeon friend called into the shop: “Coriolanus”, he exclaimed to

© CHARLENE LIM PHOTOGR APHY

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

BOOKSELLERS me, “When the mob turns on you, you’re toast!” Every event over two decades could be interpreted through the prism of the Bard. “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none”, was his comment when we chatted about the internecine to-ings and fro-ings in the Conservative Party after David Cameron resigned.

What do you consider your role in the community?

When thinking about how to take the shop in new directions, I never really ask ‘What can we sell?’, it tends to me more ‘What is our role?’

Our role is to be there for the people who come into our world, to make them feel valued and welcome and to share their worlds joyfully. I often think that what I do isn’t really work, as it is such a joy walking through life with customers who have become cherished friends.

RICHARD SELBY OF BATH OLD BOOKS

9C Margaret’s Buildings; tel: 01225 422244; @BathOldBooks on Facebook.

Bath Old Books is a co-operative of four partners, Richard Selby, Nigel Cozens, Steven Ferdinando and Matt Garbett How’s business?

Since re-opening, we have been delighted to see many familiar faces returning to the shop and encouraged to hear customers saying how pleased they are to see us open again. This positive attitude has continued, but is not yet reflected in the numbers we are seeing lease do seek us out. We feel it is likely that once a full opening up has been achieved then footfall and customer numbers will increase. We often benefit rom tourists and visitors to Bath and when they return, we have every reason to be optimistic.

What is something you love about your work?

t can be particularly rewarding when we are as ed about a specific book and can then produce the very thing that someone is asking for, the rabbit from the hat moment. Conversely, I can recall one customer as ing or a specific title in a specific edition, new we had the exact boo and showed it to the customer only or them to glance at it briefly and then promptly leave the shop. Maybe it was a test!

xxxxx

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

ABOVE: Bath Old Books; BELOW: Richard Selby loves the magic moment

of finding the exact right book

“It is such a joy walking through life with customers who have become cherished friends”

The Beaufort Bookshop is a must-visit in Larkhall

SASKIA WEBB HAYWARD OF TOPPINGS & COMPANY BOOKSELLERS OF BATH 3 Bladud Buildings, The Paragon; tel: 01225 428111; www.toppingsbooks.co.uk

ABOVE: Bookseller Saber Kahn, welcoming readers to Toppings; BELOW: Edward Bayntun has books in his blood

Are things looking positive for indie bookshops?

efinitely and thin that’s all to do with the people who have chosen to come out and support independent businesses The pandemic really highlighted or a lot o us the need to support local shops and independents, especially when we want to help bric and mortar shops survive in Bath We certainly elt that support rom people, and have continued to since our re-opening What’s been exciting lately?

We’re moving to a big new premises in the centre o town later this year, and it’s been great getting started on that t’s very exciting to be able to loo to the uture and start wor ing out what to fill our shelves with How has the pandemic affected Toppings?

We normally have a big ocus on in-person author events, so we initially elt the hit o having to pull those We moved over to virtual events which we have on currently which have been a really positive, interesting experience thin there’s something uni uely intimate about seeing an author you li e spea ing rom their sitting room We’ve ust recently launched a whole new line-up o in-person, live events happening later this year ebastian Faul s, and Tom erridge are some upcoming names t’s an exciting prospect that return to the slightly chaotic bu o a live event and it definitely eels li e there’s an appetite or it

EDWARD BAYNTUN OF GEORGE BAYNTUN,

23 Manvers Street; tel: 01225 466000; www.georgebayntun.com Please could you tell us a bit about the shop and its history?

We have been in our current premises in Manvers treet since , and be ore that we were in orthumberland lace opening in and then Walcot treet now the site o the ilton otel The Manvers

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

treet building dates to and was originally the ostal orting Office, employing men and women over the three floors t was prone to flooding and so the ost Office moved out and we moved in, and it has changed very little over the last years, with the same light green paint bought in industrial uantities by my great-grand ather and urniture, and suspect some o the boo s may have been here or ever What’s it like running an independent book shop right now?

years ago, was told was mad to maintain the shop, as those in the now were convinced that boo s would soon be extinct, as we all migrated to indles bless my stupidity and stubbornness, and it may ust be that boo s are here to stay

BOOKSELLERS

“Talking to our customers is what gets us up in the morning”

NICOLA BEAUMAN OF PERSEPHONE BOOKS

8 Edgar Buildings; tel: 01225 425050; www.persephonebooks.co.uk Why the move to Bath?

After 20 years in London, Persephone Books made the move to Bath this year The city is the per ect fit with its rich heritage o emale writers, its Edgar Buildings location the street where the Thorpes lodge in Northanger Abbey , and two ersephone girls, ess and my daughter, Fran, already lived here.

Persphone Books specialises in 20th century women writers. Tell us about that.

We have always elt that the period - was a particularly strong one or women’s writing There are so many reasons or this, but an important one is that ewer women could marry a ter World War , but at the same time it was rare or them to be able to wor outside the home at something interesting Writing was an excellent solution and the impetus and process is actually described in one o our bestselling boo s, Miss Buncle’s Book by E tevenson How do you feel about the bookseller-customer bond?

ABOVE: Persephone Books recently made the move to Bath from London;

BELOW: Nicola’s daughter, Francesca Beauman is a bookseller at Persephone

Tal ing to our customers is what gets us up in the morning t is glorious and never, ever dull t ersephone Boo s we are incredibly proud that people coming in to the shop eel that they can tal to us, as or recommendations and tell us what they have en oyed t’s a clich but it’s truly a privilege

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 55

BOOKSELLERS DIANE NEWLAND OF BOOKBARN INTERNATIONAL 1 Hallatrow Business Park, Wells Road, High Littleton; tel: 01761 451333; www.bookbarninternational.com

How do you feel about the post-lockdown retail landscape?

It is looking very positive. There are always challenges as an independent business, and obviously we have had more than most in the last year, with the lockdowns, but creative thinking is what successful independent businesses do well, so we have adapted, improved our layout further and have a wider range of new stock as well as a higher quality of used books in the shop, which are still a fantastic price. Sales are healthy.

Yes! Many of our customers appreciate our personal approach, and some of the niche interests of our regulars include local canals in the area, vintage meteorological pamphlets and journals, historical, decorative lettering, local auna and flora, and vintage boo s rom the 1940s and ’50s. We may not know everyone by their names but their unofficial affectionate moni ers are the canal lady, the weather man, the alphabet man, the little bookshop man, the 1940s lady (who dresses the part in full 1940s attire) and many others – as well as our latest visitor, beautiful and stylish Villanelle.

We often informally put books aside if we know one of our customers would love them, then surprise them next time they come in with a pile o finds that ma e their day The pleasure this gives our customers, as well as us, when we see their look of delight, is huge and we do get praised for our genuinely friendly and helpful approach.

© BOOKBARN

Do you build relationships with your regulars?

Bookbarn is full of varied and diverse quality used books, and vintage journals

BOOK GROUP WITH THE EXPERTS We asked the hardest question of all time: What’s one book you would recommend right now?

Richard Selby, Bath Old Books: “Poetry

would be Seamus Heaney (signed if possible!), John Fowles is still a favourite, Shakespeare for me would always be near the top. So, I choose Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet, a tour de force that paints a wonderfully believable portrait of the spirited Anne Hathaway, whose husband is away at the playhouse, as she experiences life and the death of their young son Hamnet.”

Edward Bayntun, George Bayntun:

“I recently reread all of Evelyn Waugh’s novels, and A Handful of Dust made me laugh and cry, both common emotions over the last 15 months.”

James Thomas, Beaufort Bookshop:

“67 years after its initial publication, Ray Bradbury’s sci-fi fable Fahrenheit 451 continues to resonate. The novel’s central character, Guy Montag, is a fireman whose job is to censor literature and destroy knowledge by igniting books (the title refers to the temperature at which paper catches fire and burns). Alongside running the bookshop, I tutor English, and Bradbury is an author I return to time and again.”

Nic Bottomley, Mr B’s: “Last year my go-to

catch-all recommendation was certainly Benjamin Myers’ The Offing. Set in 1946 as the country recovers from a different great trauma it’s such a tonic of a novel about a young man

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

walking along England’s North-East coast, coming across a bucolic coastal cottage and befriending the lady who owns it over outdoor lobster dinners.”

Saskia Webb Hayward, Toppings: “One of

my absolute favourites was Lote by Shola von Reinhold, an intoxicating, surreal (and funny) escapade which follows a search for information on a poet long forgotten by history. It centres themes of black and queer identity and erasure, all woven into a hugely engaging narrative. I’ve also just got my hands on a proof for We Need To Talk About Money by Otegha Uwagba who we’re hosting later this year and it’s definitely one I would say to look out for. It’s a blend of memoir and social commentary that exposes how strange our cultural relationship towards money is.”

Nicola Beauman, Persephone Books:

“It’s impossible to pick one book out of our 140 incredible titles but a good place to start is with Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, which is a bestseller for us, has been filmed with Frances McDormand and is pretty typical of a Persephone book in that it is well written, funny, actually quite profound about women’s lives and full of fascinating detail about the period when it’s set, late 1930s.”

Harry Wainwright, The Oldfield Park Bookshop: “That’s an easy one! The Night

of the Flood by Zoe Somerville is a beautifully

So many books, so little time...

written novel which has just been published in paperback. It is a literary mystery story set in a bleak and haunting part of Norfolk in the 1950s. The young woman at the heart of the story is at the centre of tangled relationships with an old friend and an American pilot at a nearby base. The background of the Cold War and the eerie landscape create the mood for the events which follow, not least the flood (based on a real occurrence) which had a catastrophic impact on the locality at the time.”

Diane Newland, Bookbarn International:

“In a warehouse where we have upwards of a million books flowing in and out of our doors, that is an impossible question to answer! Read the one that grabs your attention, that stills the busy stream of chatter in your head, that transports you to another time and place, that makes you see life differently, that stops you in your tracks, or that teaches you something you always wanted to learn.”

Producing only the finest architectural joinery, furniture and kitchens.

T: 01225 459247 | M: 07896 809349 clayton@claytondavidson.co.uk | www.claytondavidson.co.uk

SHOPPING LIVE WELL, BUY BETTER

DIRECTOR’S CUT Denham is a contemporary take on the traditional campaign or director’s chair that you can use outside. Made from teak with heavy canvas slings forming the seat and backrest, it folds up so you can store it away easily over winter or take it away with you.

It’s showerproof, resistant to fading, and super comfy.

The Denham Campaign chair, £290, from Neptune, One Tram Yard, Walcot Street, Bath; www.neptune.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 59

BAM BAM BAMBOO COOKUT STRAWS, £13.95 100 per cent natural reusable organic bamboo straws in a set of six from sustainably managed forests – comes with a handy cleaning brush and a storage bag.

From Luca & Fig, 6 Widcombe Parade, Bath; aand m

BAMBOO FIBRE LEAF JUG, £9 Reusable eco-friendly alternative to disposable picnicware that is lightweight, durable and dishwasher safe – perfect for barbeques and outdoor dining.

From ProCook, 4-5 Quiet Street, Bath; www.procook.co.uk

IT’S A BARBIE WORLD Jazz up your burgers and buns for National BBQ week 2 – 11 July

ELEVATE STAINLESS-STEEL SOLID SPOON, £12 This stainless-steel solid spoon by Joseph Joseph is ideal for a range of cooking tasks and has an integrated tool rest that stops its head from touching the surface its placed down on.

Stockists Rossiters of Bath, 38-41 Broad Street, Bath; www.rossitersofbath.com

RECYCLED KADAI ON GOTHIC LOW STAND, £155 These beauti ul and unctional barbecue fire bowls are handmade from recycled oil drums by family workshops in India. Hand cut metal plates are riveted in the traditional way for strength and durability and feature the same drop handles as the Original Kadais.

Stockists Boniti, Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Near Bath; www.boniti.com

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

AMULET GLASS TEALIGHT BY BCS, £8 Hand blown by skilled artisans, this votive is rich with colour and twinkles beautifully and jewel-like when lit.

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

SET OF 4 MARSEILLE NAPKINS, £30 Inspired by fabric from Southern France, these gorgeous Marseille Napkins from Weaver Green are soft and textured like linen, stain-resistant, and made entirely from recycled plastic bottles.

From Weaver Green, Kilver Court, Kilver Street, Shepton Mallet; www.kilvercourt.com

ED’S CHOICE

SAGE GREEN BLANKET WITH GOLDFISH PRINT, £58.99 By the Danish designers RICE, this striking blanket can be used picnic style on the ground, as sumptuously soft wrap when the weather chills, or as a bed/sofa throw.

From Honey on The Hill, 30 Catherine Hill, Frome; www.honeyonthehill.co.uk

FLEUR DE LYS GOBLET IN TURQUOISE, £11 Made using handmade moulds in which coloured li uid glass is poured and cooled down to find its shape meaning every piece is unique. Also designed to hold hot drinks as well as cold.

From Always Sunday Store, 9 Broad Street, Bath; www.alwayssunday.store

SMOKEY JOE PREMIUM CHARCOAL GRILL, £89.24 The Weber Smokey Joe charcoal grill is an ideal portable grill thanks to its locking lid plus the rust-resistant stainless steel plated cooking grate ensures durability.

From Whitehall Garden Centre, Corsham Road, Lacock; www.whitehallgardencentre.co.uk

INDOOR OUTDOOR COCOON CHAIR, £695 Each chair has a curved, powder-coated iron shell with a pretty lattice effect in aux wic er and a cosy double cushion with bac and armrests From Cox & Cox; www.coxandcox.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 61

FOOD & DRINK YOU KNEAD TO WATCH THIS...

Join baking ‘godfather’ Richard Bertinet online for a bread making course. The Bath-based baker extraordinaire is launching a 23-episode online course with BBC Maestro that’ll guide the audience through making a broad selection o popular breads rom different cultures, including simple white baguettes, brioche buns, pi a, challah, flamiche, ciabatta, corn bread, bagels and tin loaves – all from the comfort of their own kitchen.

“My style is informal, no-nonsense, easy.

So many people are scared of baking; they don’t know where to start and have been overwhelmed by the seeming complexity of things such as sourdough during lockdown, it’s all everyone was talking about!” says Richard.

“My course teaches people the rudiments of baking so that you learn to trust your own instincts – the look, the feel, the texture of the dough so that you can find your own groove and run with it.”

BBC Maestro is an online course catalogue launched in October The first our courses attracted more than one million new users keen to develop their skills.

For more: www.bbcmaestro.com

© KIRSTIE YOUNG

S N A P S H O T S O F B AT H ’ S F O O D S C E N E

Jenny Chandler

Jenny’s book gets kids started in the kitchen

EARLY STARTER Green Kids Cook is a new cookbook by Jenny Chandler that aims to teach kids aged 7-14 how to cook and eat food that is healthy for them and the planet.

“The idea for Green Kids Cook was hatched when Greta Thunberg appeared at the Bristol climate change march last year; thousands of children calling for action with so little idea of where to start,” says Jenny. “The other, equally important, issue is the fact that so many of our young have no idea where their food comes from, how to cook from scratch and most eat woefully small quantities of healthy vegetables – so here are dozens of fun and tasty recipes and tips to get them in the kitchen, learning a vital life skill.”

Green Kids Cook is published by Pavilion Books and comes out 1 July. Jenny will appear at Toppings & Company on 15 July to lead a talk and cookery demo.

For more: Instagram @jennychandleruk

SWEET TASTE OF SUCCESS

Richard Bertinet will be teaching you to bake like him from home

The unique food and drink tours by Savouring Bath have won two bronze medals at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards. They took home prizes for Tourism Innovation and Experience.

“Winning two bronze awards at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards has been a truly humbling experience and I’m so very proud of what we’ve achieved in the last six years,” says Mike James, food tour guide with Savouring Bath. “I feel truly humbled and grateful to all the wonderful people in Bath’s independent food and drink industry who have contributed so much to our tours and make them such a joy for us to deliver, and such fun for our guests.”

It’s been a stellar year for the tour company, who also took home two gold medals at the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards.

For more: www.savouringbath.com

Mike James and the Savouring Bath team have enjoyed awards recognition this year

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 63

TRY FIVE

2

1

T

E

3

E

Our top stops or pastries and ca es for the sweeter moments in life

1

SUGAR CANE STUDIO Fang- u in, the Taiwanese pastry che behind Bath Farmer’s Mar et ave and the beloved shop on Grove treet, creates French patisserie with an sian twist Matcha a u i gateau, yu u and genmaicha macarons, matcha choux buns and more populate the ex uisite menu Fang- u launched ugarcane Studio following a career as a pastry chef in hotels and patisseries in ondon and Taipei, and specialises in macarons in traditional and experimental delicious flavours ugar Cane tudio also offers the creamiest matcha latte in town. www.sugarcanestudio.co.uk

2

MOKOKO The place to go for a classic latte/pastry combo t Mo o o, they hand ba e all their pastries and ca es in their open-plan ba ery in the Wapping Wharf Bristol branch and bring them fresh to Bath for us to enjoy. Crumbly, creamy, crispy and sugary classic croissants fill the shelves alongside decadent danishes filled with rich custard and stricky fruit (the peach, passion ruit and roasted ha elnut is to die or m m

3

CHOUX BOX PATISSERIE Forget the views, the real reason we all trek up the hill to Alexandra Park, is Choux Box atisserie offers a sumptuous selection

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

of choux buns with a modern twist. Special flavours li e Eton Mess, banoffee pie, otus Biscoff, Oreo and the spectacular tiramichoux’ sit alongside light, crumbly and flavour ul macarons Frome-born ounder Orlando artner cut his teeth as a pastry che in Michelin-starred itchens around the country before starting The Choux Box atisserie which also offers home delivery, F , and boasts only the most local o ingredients all sourced within a -mile radius of the city. www.thechouxboxpatisserie.com

4

CASCARA When it comes to baked goods, here in Bath, vegans are never le t out o the un Cascara, the cult vegan ca on pper Borough Walls always offers a mouth-watering selection o treats elicious vegan pastries non-vegans can’t even tell the difference , irresistible brownies, broo ies and nstaworthy ca es or plant-based people show that vegan ba ing isn’t an optional extra but a spiritual calling.

Instagram @cascarabath

5

NATA & CO A newer spot in town, Nata & Co is a Portuguese Bakery and home of the famous pastel de nata – creamy, crisp and utterly delicious ortuguese custard tarts Freshly

4

5

made in the shop on Bridge Street – if you walk past, you can see the team hard at work through the window – these tasty treats are authentic and handmade by a team of Portuguese chefs and based on a family recipe passed down to the founder. www.nataco.uk

COMING SOON

boscopizzeria.co.uk boscopizzeria 1-2 Milsom Place, Bath BA1 1BZ

The George & Dragon Rowde, Devizes

A traditional 16th century coaching inn combining cool modern day style with country character.

B& B PL US DI NN ER RATE FO R BA TH LIF E RE AD ER S OF £14 5 PER RO OM PE R NI GH T (EX CLU DIN G DR INK S)

• 2 AA Rosettes and an Egon Ronay star • Daily fresh fish from Cornwall and award winning meats from Walter Rose & sons • Newly extended covered outside terrace • Pretty English garden with picnic benches • Bedrooms are now open for booking

“The potted crab was warm, spicy and wonderful, the whitebait fresh and crispy and the avocado with crayfish perfectly spot on.”

– Giles Coren

01380 723053 www.thegeorgeanddragonrowde.co.uk

THE COCONUT TREE Lydia Tewkesbury soaks up the atmosphere in the latest addition to Broad Street

I

n many ways, my trip to The Coconut Tree, the new Sri Lankan place on Broad Street, felt like the start of my summer. The endless rain of May seemed to have dried up, sun shone through the clouds and I was finally starting to leave the house without a coat. Not only that, but The Coconut Tree was to be my first dine-in experience since restrictions had lifted a couple of weeks prior – and god, was I ready.

The Coconut Tree is all about Sri Lankan street food with an atmosphere to match. We had an early evening booking, but already there was a buzz in the air – music thrummed from the speakers, ice clacked around in cocktail glasses and cutlery scraped plates, culminating in the distinct hum that forms the soundtrack to the restaurant experience It’s a sound we’ve sorely missed.

The street style isn’t just limited to the food. Brightly

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

coloured graffiti adorns the walls and the bar has a warehouse chic kind of look, with bottles stacked in wooden crates along the walls. Dinner at The Coconut Tree has the side effect o ma ing you eel a couple o notches cooler.

The menu is extensive, and tapas-style, so ’d recommend checking it out online before you arrive to avoid that overwhelmed, pic ing the first thing that loo s vaguely familiar, situation. The point of a restaurant like this is to push you a little outside of your culinary comfort zone. went or a hopper, a satis ying bowl-shaped coconut milk pancake served with coconut sambol (a fresh blend of coconut relish, red onions and chillis), seeni sambol (caramelised onions with a hint of cinnamon) and lunu miris ri an an salsa The panca e was fluffy and light (and the bowl shape oddly satisfying in itself), and combined with the fillings was a superb balance o creamy, spicey and sweet – not to mention the perfect accompaniment for the rest of my meal. That was amba

RESTAURANT

maluwa, a curry made o unripe, firm green mango, gently so tened in an aromatic coconut sauce This was the first thing that caught my attention on my pre-arrival menu musings, and it did not disappoint weet, sour, and a little bit spicy it was warming and satis ying without being at all heavy Finally, went or brin als can’t say no to aubergine and these were ried to per ection with coriander, and tasted especially nice with the lunu miris My riend went or a meatier option, the devil por and pineapple With a head exploding emo i classi ying it ri an an spicy gather very spicy indeed , it was a sweet and sour mix o uicy belly por with acharu pic led style pineapple t went down a treat along with a portion o ried cheese cubes in lightly spiced stic y sauce and parotta roti We finished with coc tails The Coconut Tree isn’t a big pudding place though there are a couple options but the coc tail menu more than ma es up or it The Coconut Tree’s original Cocotails are a must served in character ul ceramics hand made in ri an a, they use Ceylon rrac , a spirit distilled rom the sap o the coconut flower, and hand-collected by toddy tappers’ who climb around coconut trees li e acrobats to collect the sap by hand went or the run en Elephant, which arrived with a story erved in uby the elephant, named or an orphaned elephant cared or by The Elephant Transit ome, run by The epartment o Wildli e and Conservation in ri an a she represents the donations Ceylon rrac ma e to the Elephant Transit ome With every Cocotail you’re helping care or an orphaned elephant t doesn’t get much better than that side rom the cute receptacle and story, the drin was delicious with the sweet Ceylon rrac with turmeric Cointreau and ginger beer a re reshing pic me up a ter so much spicey ood My riend went or the ri i Ti i ampero gold rum, coconut rum, raspberry and pineapple served in a ti i-torch inspired mug that the server set on fire with a flourish be ore presenting to us dynamic and un new addition to Bath’s dining scene, can see mysel spending many summer evenings ma ing my way through The Coconut Tree’s menu, one dish at a time

“With every Cocotail you’re helping care for an orphaned elephant” DINING DETAILS The Coconut Street, 36 Broad Street, Bath, BA1 5LP; www.thecoconut-tree.com Opening hours Sunday-Thursday 12pm – 11pm, Friday & Saturday 12pm – 1am Head chefs Praveen Thanginah, Dan Fernando and Shamil Fernando Covers 98 Prices Large plates £5-£9, small plates £2.50£7.50, side plates £2.50-£3; dessert £4-£5 Drinks Signature Cocotails made with Ceylon Arrack, TCT favourite cocktails, wines, beers and softs Vegetarian and vegan Loads. I’m vegetarian but I had an entirely vegan meal without planning to Atmosphere Buzzy and casual. The staff are incredibly helpful, and even offer a £20 option where they’ll choose your dishes for you (with input from you on what sort of foods you like)

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

TAKE 5 Woodsmith founders Martin Keane (left) and Daniel Johnson

“Our modern lives have pushed us towards nv ni n t tam food. Wood chips or charcoal will give you a big burst o intense smo e or a short period o time, per ect or grilling, whereas or an entire lamb coo ed or eight hours, you need the consistent heat and gentle smo e o logs

© ED SCHOFIELD

Can the wood actually change the flavour?

Yes. For example, the mildly smo y pplewood pairs brilliantly with poultry and shellfish, while a el complements bold flavours li e meats and vegetables When you burn wood, hundreds o small chemical reactions occur simultaneously sugar molecules in the wood caramelise in the intense heat and exude a sweet ruity per ume, while other natural components produce the distinctive aromatic taste and enticing smo iness

MARTIN KEANE, WOODSMITH Embrace the old ways with wood-fired coo ing Founded by Martin Keane and Daniel Johnson, Somerset-based Woodsmith work with West Country farmers to produce cooking woods. Their wood is natural and unrefined, and by sourcing locally just outside Crewkerne, they support the longevity and sustainability of the woodland for years to come.

What’s so special about cooking over fire? t is an experience n the most part, our modern lives have

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pushed us towards convenience, to tame fire and put it inside a metal box, be that an oven or a microwave There is certainly a time and place or that, but i we have learnt one thing rom being loc ed down or most o the last year it’s that en oyable experiences that brea the monotony o li e can be simple but so rewarding Why cook this way? ust li e any ingredient, different types o wood have their own uni ue characteristics that lend themselves to certain types o

Any advice for newbies? tart by understanding the basic principles, most importantly how you can control the heat ou don’t have a dial to turn down or a button to switch, so you need to get used to controlling the heat through air flow ou also want to give yoursel space magine coo ing on a hob, you have your high heat and low heat burners Well, set yoursel up li e this when coo ing over fire eave an area with no fire underneath so you can move the ood i things are getting too hot What's the most important thing to know? n most instances flames are not your riend, so i you are coo ing something that is li ely to drip at, avoid having the fire directly below the food.

Tell us about the different rubs you offer The picy One not or the aint hearted contains five types o chilli and three types o pepper, they wor together to bring a lip-smac ing good flavour and not ust noc -your-soc s-off heat This goes well with attier oods but also fish, and our current

avourite grilled pineapple The mo y One is our all-rounder, and pairs well with most things, but definitely goes well with slowcoo ed por dishes What are some of your favourite recipes? t’s almost too simple to call it a recipe, but chic en wings rubbed with our The mo ey One rub, then slowly coo ed on a BB with a couple o hand uls o pplewood chips is ust the per ect combination ou are aiming or a coo ing temperature o C and about minutes coo ing time The chic en will be meltingly so t t’s ma ing me hungry ust thin ing about it Can you make vegetarian meals this way too?

Most definitely n act, coo ing vegetables whole in the embers o a fire has to be one o my avourite things to do This way o coo ing achieves something call per ectly burnt Ta e an onion e t whole and coo ed directly in the embers you will blac en and burn the s ins, but at the same time steam the inside to produce the most intense onion flavour you’ve ever had t’s absolutely delicious If you had to chose, what's the one best thing about cooking over fire? could probably write a whole boo on the benefits o this way o coo ing Whether it’s becoming more connected to the ood, or how you completely switch off rom everything else and concentrate But ultimately, it comes down to flavour Coo ing over fire, whether with charcoal, wood or a mixture brings out flavours in your ood no other coo ing techni ue can even get close to.

You can pick up Woodsmith products at Landrace Bakery in Bath, Durslade Farm Shop in Bruton, and Frome Hardware in Frome.

For more: www.woodsmithwood.com

SPONSORED CONTENT

RECOVER AND THRIVE

Bath Building Society’s Charity of the Year is VOICES, a local charity challenging domestic abuse and changing lives

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OICES is a unique local charity established in 2014 by survivors of domestic abuse to help others to thrive, not just survive. The service is founded on the insights that come from lived experience, working alongside and beyond crisis services to support people long term, if needed.

The charity currently supports c. 160 local people annually, enabling adults and their children to be safe, recover and thrive. Our model has been and continues to be co-created with people with lived experience, and past and present clients. Since we were established we have directly helped in excess of 400 victims and survivors and their children/families.

VOICES works with clients throughout their journey of recovery from domestic abuse. To do this, we provide groups that help women identify abuse (the Freedom Programme) and rebuild their lives afterwards (Recovery Toolkit), as well as a social and creative group, currently outdoors.

Alongside groups, clients can access individual support, specialist counselling and a free legal clinic run with the University of the West of England. The charity advises family, friends and professionals on how best to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

AMPLIFYING HIDDEN VOICES Too often, the voices of people who experience domestic abuse go unheard – VOICES helps clients who want to do so to contribute to consultations and research studies. These have made a difference: survivors working with VOICES helped inform the parliamentary debate on the Domestic Abuse Bill in 2020-21, contributed to research with the Ministry of Justice and helped design public campaigns to support current victims during lockdown for the Home Office and SafeLives.

The charity has supported survivors to contribute to research with the University of Bristol and UCL, looking at health outcomes and how lockdown has affected those living with domestic abuse and its impacts, to help GPs respond well, even when working remotely with patients.

for the Freedom Programme, £30 pays for legal advice or specialist counselling, £100 pays for a group’s course materials or for creche facilities for a Freedom Programme, enabling women with young children to attend this life-changing programme.

HOW YOU CAN HELP VOICES Demand for VOICES’ services grew hugely through the Covid-19 pandemic, the charity raises all of its own funds so community support is a vital resource for VOICES, not just in lockdown but to build on its vision of a Safe Space Centre in Bath for those recovering from domestic abuse.

Just £10 pays for individual course materials

“THE FREEDOM PROGRAMME ALLOWED ME TO UNDERSTAND THE ABUSE AND CHANGED MY PERCEPTIONS OF MY EX. RECOVERY TOOLKIT GAVE ME THE STRENGTH TO MOVE ON.” 70 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

“THIS SERVICE HAS SAVED MY MENTAL HEALTH AND HAS PROVIDED A SAFE SERVICE WHILST HELPING WITH COPING MECHANISMS FOR THE FUTURE.”

You can support VOICES in its mission by fundraising for us with sponsored events, practical help, or by donating regularly or as a one-off via our Localgiving page www.localgiving.org/charity/voices/ Named Charity of the Year by

© W W W.REBECCABROOKERPHOTOGR APHY.COM

THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE How a family holiday in France sparked the idea for a Bath sparkling wine called Minerva

By Françoise Faye

I

t was a holiday in France that sparked the idea for Eddie Sauvao and wife Emily to create a West Country sparkling wine.

The couple were in the Burgundy winemaking region of Beaune, surrounded by the Côte d’Or vineyards when, after a morning’s wine tasting at the renowned Le Cellier de la Cabiote, Eddie noticed the soil looked remarkably similar to that on the Emily’s parents’ farm. Eddie explains, “My throwaway comment at the time was perhaps we should plant a vineyard along with your quinoa …”

Emily Addicott-Sauvao had grown up on her parents’ Corston farm, which for more than 40 years, grew mainly wheat, barley, and linseed. She’s also happens to be the only quinoa farmer in the West Country. She agreed with Eddie’s assessment and six years ago they began the adventure to become producers of a premium West Country sparkling wine called Minerva, named the Roman goddess. n , they too the bold decision to plant ten thousand vines of the premium Champagne varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier with the view of producing a luxury and traditional (méthode) English spar ling wine The Minerva first vintage is due to launch onto the market this Christmas.

Corston Fields Farm is 320 acres of arable land expanding on an idyllic elevation with breath-taking views over Bath, and in an area with a rich history of fruit growing, particularly apples, thriving in the limestone abundant terrain. On visiting the vineyard and looking down amongst the budding vines, you can see the terrain is littered with large brown stones.

And that’s the poetry of wine production; the harsher the terrain, the more the vines struggle to produce characterful wine. A lovely fresh acidity is anticipated from the wine due to the

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cool climate and unique conditions.

The plot, within a dipped plateau, boasts a unique microclimate and as Eddie explains, “It’s perfect for viticulture thanks to large naturally occurring limestones that generate heat during the day to gently ripen grapes and offer excellent drainage during wetter months.” Also central to the wine’s production is biodiversity and sustainability On a fine day, you can spot a local family of hare, bobbing amongst the vines. There are no deer fences and wild animals are free to roam around and graze as they choose. Our family wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“We are following in the footsteps of the Romans who planted vin in t d It is also believed there was an ancient Roman vineyard within a stone’s throw of the current planted grapes, and this prime terrain could have been exploited for wine production as far back as the Middle Ages.

Eddie says, “We are following in the footsteps of the Romans who planted vines in these fields We’ve ta en it upon ourselves as the descendants o these fields, to pay tribute to those pioneers, in carrying on their legacy and adopting traditional winemaking practices.”

Avoiding the use of herbicides means all vines are hand tended, which means the whole family are often to be found in the vineyards including young daughters Rosa and Charlotte. Eddie and Emily have also enrolled the help of head winemaker Emma Rice in Hampshire, who has won several prestigious awards, including a precious

Top Sparkling Wine 2020 at the Wine GB Awards. And as Minerva “aims to celebrate and empower the next generation of women, representing the arts and of course wisdom; central values to our brand and family,” the pair are collaborating every year with a new international female artist to create a unique wine label For our first vintage, says Eddie, “We’ve teamed up with a local Bath artist Victoria Topping who’s well known locally and on the international art scene for her colourfully inspired creations, and has designed an exclusive Minerva label.”

For wine not yet bottled, it is already gaining traction and a sterling reputation with endorsements from The Pig Restaurant and The oyal Crescent, who are offering vineyard tours and tastings. The couple also plan to host al fresco Vine-Dining experiences, collaborating with James Harris head chef at the Beckford Wine Bar and Restaurant.

The family intend to plant more vines on a neighbouring field to produce a still white and rosé wine, and with Eddie and Emily planning tourist cabins and a tasting platform with views across the vineyard, the future for Minerva looks sparkling.

For more: Bath Sparkling Wines, Corston Fields Farm, Corston, Bath; www.minervawine.com

FRANÇOISE FAYE

Food enthusiast, linguist and educator, Françoise has a taste for the viner things in life, having spent the last few years in the fine-wine capital of Bordeaux, during which time she worked for a luxury wine merchant.

Now back on West Country home turf, her culinary blog, The Fork and Cork, is inspired from her training at Leith’s School of Food & Wine, and her certification from the Wine & Spirits Trust.

For more: Instagram @theforkcork

WINE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: It was a comment from Eddie Sauvao that sparked the

idea of growing wine in Bath; daughters Rosa and Charlotte lend a helping hand; it’s believed the terrain was used as a vineyard back in the Middle Ages; Emily and Eddie are hoping to offer Vine Dining experiences; the land at the Corston farm is perfect for grape growing

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BATH LIFE AWARDS 2021

© SOUL MEDIA

SPECIAL PREVIEW SECTION

The Bath Life Awards celebrating the best of the city, take place on 9 September at the Assembly Room. In this special preview, we give you a gorgeous glimpse into what to expect, and introduce our illustrious judges www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 75

© SOUL MEDIA

BATH LIFE AWARDS

IT’S THE FINALIST COUNTDOWN

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Who made the 2021 Bath Life Awards shortlist? ath; you’re amazing! We know you’ve all had an incredibly busy past few months, but that didn’t stop you from inundating us with your Bath Life Awards nominations. We received hundreds in all, from sectors right across the city: from retailers to restaurants, culture to charity, health to hospitality, legal to leisure. Taken together, they provide a fascinating snapshot of Bath business, from the smallest of the indies to the largest of the corporates.

OUR SPONSORS

Each nomination was carefully read, reread and read again. Discussions were held, and decisions were reached. On 20 May we held our Grand Reveal over Zoom – a live event in which the business community learned or the first time who had made it onto this year’s Bath Life Awards shortlist. If you missed it you can still watch the event on YouTube; or just turn to page 80 to see who made the cut.

It’s now over to our impeccably impartial and illustrious panel of judges, to choose the winners.

These, as ever, will be revealed at the big Awards ceremony – held this year on 9 September at Bath Assembly Rooms.

HEADLINE SPONSOR The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa A five-star haven of elegance and tranquillity in the historic centre of Bath, The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa has proudly Headline sponsored the Bath Life Awards for many years. With 250 years of glorious heritage behind its doors, it provides an authentic experience with the perfect balance of modern luxury.

LEAD SPONSORS Apex City of Bath Hotel, Bath Audi, Bath Life, Bath Rugby, Clearly PR, Enlightened, Hotel Indigo, Marsh Commercial, Minuteman Press, Novia Financial, Savills, Spaces, Stone King and Truespeed.

After the tumultuous year we’ve all had, we can’t wait to welcome you , in all your finery to the most hotly anticipated and most glamorous Awards ceremony in the city. Tickets invariably sell out quicker than you can say ‘Ooooh a second series of Bridgerton?’, so we strongly suggest you head to the website and join the waiting list pronto.

There are still a few exciting opportunities left to sponsor a Bath Life Award category. For more information please visit our website or email annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk For more: www. www.bathlifeawards.co.uk FEATURE SPONSORS Freestyle Designs (Cover Star), Sub 13 (Afterparty) and Triangle Networks (Connectivity Partner).

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BATH LIFE AWARDS

THE JUDGES WILL DECIDE…

Every year there’s a fresh panel of impeccably impartial and independent judges for the Bath Life Awards. It’s a diverse and knowledgeable group from a wide variety of sectors and sizes of business. They and they alone will decide our winners…

HELEN RICH, managing director and founder, Taste of Bath

ED MCKENZIE, financial advisor, McKenzie & Co

Ed is principle of Bath based financial advice firm McKenzie & Co and has lived in Bath his whole life working in the financial advice industry since university.

HARRIET BARBER, owner, B Hairdressing

Harriet has been in the hairdressing industry for 16 years and has run her own hair salon, B Hairdressing, for five years as one of the first gender neutral and vegan salons in the south west.

KATIE VANDER WOERD, director, Mallory’s Jewellers

Katie has spent the majority of her career specialising in marketing in the professional services sector.

She joined Mallory in 2014 as the fifth generation of the business, which has been family-owned and run since 1898.

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Helen grew up in Bath and always knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur. Taste of Bath is linking small Bath producers with over 140 businesses gifting clients a new ecommerce audience.

JAMAAR SEMPER, junior sous chef, Lucknam Park

Jamaar is a junior sous chef at Lucknam Park Hotel. He has risen through the ranks over the last four years and was recently a contestant on MasterChef: The Professionals

PAUL DANIELS, head of commercial real estate, Royds Withy King

KELLY MARIE, managing director, Kelly Marie Kitchen Interiors

Kelly has worked hard in the creative industry over 15 years and has become a successful business woman and entrepreneur. Kelly Marie Kitchen Interiors opened in Bath in 2018.

Paul joined Royds Withy King in 1993 as a trainee solicitor and is now a real estate partner and the commercial strategic lead for the firm.

STEVE BRAMMER, dean, University of Bath School of Management

Stephen serves as dean of the School of Management at the University of Bath. He is recognised globally for his research in the fields of corporate social responsibility and sustainability amongst many others.

AWARD-WINNING INDIAN RESTAURANT LOCATED IN THE WORLD HERITAGE CITY OF BATH LAVISH REUNIONS AND DAZZLING COCKTAILS AT THE MINT ROOM Experience a unique and adventurous 'Tour of India', our most famed 5-course tasting menu. Enjoy balmy evenings in the outdoor of our newly refurbished and glowing roof terrace.

*Covid safety measures are in place to ensure the upmost safety of our employees and guests.

The Mint Room, Bath

Longmead Gospel Hall, Lower Bristol Road, Bath BA2 3EB T: 01225446656

The Mint Room, Bristol

12-16 Clifton Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1AF T:0117 329 1300

Email: info@themintroom.co.uk website: www.themintroom.co.uk Follow us on social media: @themintroom

BATH LIFE AWARDS B L A 2021 IS H A PPE N I N G 9 SE P T E M B E R , BU T I N T H E M E A N T I M E LE T’S LO O K BAC K AT T H E FU N FRO M 2020 ( Y E S, B E FO R E A LL T H I N GS C H A N G E D...)

Bex Thibault and Lucy Stone

ALL PHOTOS BY SOUL MEDIA

Ashley Hill and Dan Rosser

Abi Constanza, Kelly Evans, Katie Cofferon, Francesca Randese and Julia Harrison

Heather Kilbane, Aaron CollinsThomas, Olivia Evans-McCaffery, Alex Miller, Charlotte Watts, Tim Whelehan and Rosie Grant

FLASHBACK! Were you there? Do you remember any of this? Each year the Bath Life Awards sell out, with dozens left on the Waiting List, for one very simple reason: we can only fit 500 people into the Assembly Rooms, meaning that for years now the Bath Life Awards have been limited to our sponsors and finalists only. With luck and early timing you could be one of the happy attendees this year – just look at the great time these guys had...

The beautiful entrance arch, decorated with magazine covers of yore

Did you pose with the Bath Life letters?

Carole Banwell Suspense in the air

Alison McDowall, Sophie CliffordSanghad and Libby Windle

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Becky Bendell and Oli Hudson

Harriet Barber, Sam Barber, Thomas Dobbin and Tash Collins

Bryn Jones

We did eat as well as drink, honest Bath Carnival Team

David Flatman and Kate Herbert Helen Mulloy-Reid

Emma Rose and John Rose

Helen Rich and Victoria Gray

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BATH LIFE AWARDS

Kartini Sutoto

Nickie Portman and Kelly-Marie Hawker-Hicks

Stacey Cooper, Mary Stringer and Helen Bedser

Nathan Baranowski

Luke Nix, Luke Taylor and Tom Wyatt Georgina McLaren

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Kat Dawe Schmeisser and Lotta Levänen

Richard Campbell, Tessa Campbell, Kristie Keyse and Milly Jackason Stephanie Wilder and Ben Wilder

Becky Pocock

ARCHITECTS

BATH LIFE AWARDS

Martha Heather

Jamie Butt and Bob Irwin

Mason Pollock and Benoit Cuvier

Sarah Moon and Lynne Fearnequest

Josef Karthauser Number Three Team

Jo Stoaling and Lucy Beattie Pauline Croft, David Maxwell and Beth Denny

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Jo Crosse and Luke Taylor

MEDIACLASH.CO.UK 39

FINALIST

Eco-sustainable hairdresser with a passion for sustainable products that love your hair and planet earth

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Bespoke one-to-one hairdressing appointments, with advice on services and products to use to suit your hair and lifestyle.

I offer an authentic, eco hairdressing experience in a beautiful setting. With my clients leaving feeling confident and happy in their own skin.

Using NATULIQUE 98% naturally derived colours, ammonia free, cruelty free and only the best sustainable vegan products.

As a member of GREEN SALON COLLECTIVE, ZERO WASTE GOES TO LANDFILL. I recycle – hair for Hair booms to soak up oil spillage or composting to grow food, used foils, empty colour tubes, all plastics, chemicals, PPE and paper.

Visit the website for more information on the other fantastic initiatives I embrace.

0779 617 0061 • www.karensilkhairdressing.co.uk

#BATH TOGETHER GREG INGHAM

Award winning The many and varied joys of the Bath Life Award nominations

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here are many pleasures of being involved with Bath Life ’ll spare you the litany. You can probably thread some o the details yourselves around the words joyous, celebration, good stuff, surprise and delight, insider knowledge, innovation, beauty, privilege, inspiration, meeting new people, greeting old friends…

Yet one of the greatest, undoubted oys o the year or me in Bath may at first blush appear, well, a bit o a chore t’s certainly not up there with one o the more obvious pleasures o the Bath Boules bac in ueen uare 23-25 July, votre groovy funsters de Bath ust can’t wait o, this one involves reading nd reading nd reading more nd then, ust as the end is in sight, the naughty stragglers appear prompting yet more guess reading This thing The Bath Life

wards nominations We had nominations this time taggering o many companies too the time to submit, sei ing the opportunity to self-diagnose the year. Pretty humbling how seriously these wards are ta en One company told us they’d been working for four days on their om it was actually very strong, use ully Others more typically gave a matter o hours The collective Bath omTime, which is now a thing, racks up, ooh well, goodness nows how many thousands of hours in truth. Longer several times over than that longest bingebox etflix multiple series you watched plus all the season’s premiership games, probably Loads, certainly. Every year they are a oy to read Companies you’ll have never heard o , per orming excellently, with distinct offerings Business we now well revealed in wholly surprising, remar able new ways. The sheer unalloyed decency o so many Bath organisations ndies and start-ups creating the

“There were dozens upon dozens of inspiring examples of how businesses have responded to the pandemic”

world as they’d wish it.

This year, of course, it has been different ll o us in the same storm but in different boats oms plotted the sheer determination of owners to survive, to keep all their team on board their battered ships as they attempted to pilot a route through that foulest of storms There were do ens upon do ens o inspiring examples o how businesses have responded to the pandemic, rom a civic responsibility point of view but also as smart business thin ers, pivoting adroitly. Post-Darwinian times the survival not so much o the fittest, though that helped, but of the fastest to switch tack.

Emotions sur aced re uently Try this ’m an absolute optimist But closing our doors in March is the only time ’ve ever cried in ront o my team in years Oh dear But wait didn’t realise that that my dar est moments as a business owner would end up being our finest hour as a team, and as a business aw emotion, candour, blea ness, success and sheer chut pah writ large. What openness to say that about crying t reminded me o an early-stage virtual Business Club where one participant was asked if being part of a husband-andwi e team wor ing together in a business in pandemic times was a problem shared or a problem doubled. He held it together, just.

But the truth was clear There was also much o this sentiment rom the oms Our business and incredible, passionate team is

thriving we have made changes that would have normally ta en years and our core values remain as strong as ever!”

The Great Pause really has also been the Great ccelerator nd this too was a pleasing thought aving nominated ourselves or the wards in previous years, reading the uestions regarding contribution to our local area has inspired us ndeed nd here’s the truth when we added that uestion a couple o years bac , a few people said they were pleased with the opportunity it would avoid the humble brag’ since they were being specifically as ed to say what they’d done. Others said that it made them realise that they really should be doing more Great ome were even apologetic s a new company we haven’t really done much this year but we intend to Best pullbac rom an overclaim We created a bu in the industry and on the streets O , the streets were empty, but you now what mean Favourite oddball comment The M too the difficult decision to put all staff on furlough, running the business rom his bedroom in his pants Tears, pivoting and pants all human li e is here #BathTogether – always…

Greg Ingham was a journalist back in the day and runs MediaClash jointly with Jane Ingham. He chairs Creative Bath, and can be found @gregingh

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 91

NEWTON FARM SHOP & CAFÉ

Shop. Butchery. Café • Traditional butchery, specialising in our home produced, high welfare, regeneratively farmed beef, lamb and pork.

• Highest standards of livestock production here on our Duchy of Cornwall tenant farm, free-range, grass fed, hormone free, no farrowing crates, soya free diet.

• Ethically farmed, locally sourced, free range chicken and eggs.

• Farm shop well stocked with cakes and ready-meals home made here in our kitchen. Local honey, and many award-winning locally produced cheeses.

• Stockists of English independent wines, local craft beers & ciders.

• Our café has plentiful indoor and outdoor seating, with stunning views over the Newton Park Estate. The menu includes a range of mouth-watering dishes using our own and other local produce, all freshly cooked here in our kitchen.

• Fully licensed, serving breakfast, lunch, Sunday Roasts, coffee, tea and home-made cakes.

FINALIST

• Locally grown flowers, plants, compost, charcoal, logs, kindling.

• Online shop for click and collect and local home delivery.

Newton Farm Shop, Newton St Loe, Bath BA2 9BT | Telephone: 01225 873707

|

Email: orders@newtonfarmfoods.co.uk

|

www.newtonfarmfoods.co.uk

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

Rapid, reliable and professional dental nurse cover for the South West.

Get in touch and tell us what kind of cover you need to keep your dental practice running smoothly…

07565288726  www.Dluxsmiles.co.uk Dluxdentalstaff@gmail.com

ARE YOU IN PAIN?

DO YOU SUFFER WITH NECK OR BACK PAIN? HAVE YOU GOT A SHOULDER, HIP OR KNEE INJURY? At Osteobath we provide treatment and relief for all joints and muscle pain.

Call us on 07754 417301or send us an enquiry at: info@osteobath.co.uk www.osteobath.co.uk We are open every day Monday – Sunday Norfolk Buildings, Bath BA1 2BT Our osteopaths are registered with The General Osteopathic Council and are members of The Institute of Osteopathy.

FINALIST

Protect our vanishing rainforests The Bath-based charity Rainforest Concern has protected over 5 million acres of threatened forests since it was founded 27 years ago. To find out how you can become a member, corporate partner or for other ways to help, see www.rainforestconcern.org “The work of Rainforest Concern becomes more vital every day as deforestation continues around the world.

They have saved many acres of forest and we must help them continue this vital work.”

Professor Sir Ghillean Prance FRS, former Director of Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew

01225 481 151 | info@rainforestconcern.org | Registered charity: 1028947

rainforestconcern

SOVEREIGN DAMP & TIMBER LTD We offer a comprehensive service for all kinds of damp proofing, basement waterproofing, timber treatment and specialist replastering.

• Domestic and commercial roofing specialists • Covering Bath, Bristol and the South West • Trading since 1985 Tel: 01225 421499 Email: mail@youngsroofing.co.uk www.youngsroofingbath.co.uk Braysdown Lodge, Woodborough, Peasedown St John, Bath BA2 8LN Tel: 01249 716161 | Tel: 01225 811222 1 Ingoldmells Court, Edinburgh Way, Corsham, Wiltshire SN13 9XN www.sovereigndpc.co.uk | info@sovereigndpc.co.uk

It’s the city’s business

BATHWORKS THIS ISSUE >>NEW INDIE CHARITY SHOP (102) >>ENTRECONF KEYNOTE SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED (103) >>BIZ Q&A CHRIS HARRIS, MARY SHELLEY’S HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (105)

LEFT: Live music: a

pre-pandemic sight for sore eyes; RIGHT: The t-shirt that started it all, designed

by Garry Gunchus; BELOW: Four Bath venues have joined forces to support each other

Never gonna keep us down

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he Bell Inn, St James Wine Vaults, The Grapes and The Royal Oak have joined forces to form 4 Bars to the Beat, a new collective of live music venues. A group for mutual support and promotion, the collective began when The Bell’s Garry Gunchus created a t-shirt playing on Chumbawumba lyrics (we got locked down, we open up again) and shared it on social media.

“Alongside hospitality, the arts have taken a huge bashing over the course of the pandemic, so when a chance arose, chatting with other venues on social media, to amplify our reach and further support

our local music scene, it seemed like a no brainer,” says Ellie Leiper at The Grapes. “The recent period of trading outside-only has only heightened our awareness that pubs provide huge social benefits to the communities we serve Music has always been a way for people to come together and our weekly sessions and guest acts create a special vibe that cannot be recreated by streaming music over a sound system.”

The 4 Bars to the Beat website will host gig listings and information about all the members of the collective, all in one place.

“It is important that we support the city’s art scene in a sa e and effective way, says The oyal

Oak’s Chris Powell. “Strength in numbers is what we’re going for. If the Covid crisis has taught us anything, it’s that music is central to so many people’s lives, and you will discover new acts and genres across the 4 Beats venues.”

A limited number of 4 Bars to the Beat t-shirts are available to buy at the venues of the collective.

The Bell Inn and The Royal Oak are fundraising for M dicins sans Fronti res rom une, culminating in a concert with Baka Beyond at The Bell, and acts to be announced at The oyal Oa on une Check their social media for more information and to donate via their Just Giving page.

For more: www.4barstothebeat.com

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BATHWORKS

COMMUNITY MINDED Chelsea Road has a new charity shop. Community Matters has been launched by Michelle Ebbage and will support a different charity every year “During the pandemic, I saw how much local charities were struggling to raise money, with their usual undraising events cancelled, says Michelle Eight out o charities believe the coronavirus pandemic will negatively impact their ability to deliver on planned ob ectives in the next months, and wanted to help came up with the idea of opening an independent charity shop so I could raise awareness and money or the many ama ing local charities we have here in Bath Community Matters will first support Boys in Mind, a Bath-based charity that wor s with schools and organisations to challenge unhelpful stereotypes, combat stigma and prevent suicide very fitting charity or a time when many people are struggling with their mental health, we hope Community Matters will be successful in raising some much-needed unds to support Boys n Mind’s incredible wor , says Michelle For more: Facebook and Instagram @communitymattersbath

Michelle Ebbage, Liz Budd, Sally O’Brien, Monique Pearce at Community Matters

SEWING SEEDS Three new green community pro ects have won unding in B E Corston will establish a community orchard, Freshford an orchard and copse and in Clutton, they will plant two new wildflower meadows with trees Each pro ect has got unding rom the Bath orth East omerset Council’s Ward Councillor Empowerment Fund These are antastic community initiatives that will ma e a tangible difference to improving people’s neighbourhoods, as well as benefitting the ecology o the area, says councillor ichard amuel, deputy leader and cabinet member or esources Economic evelopment upporting local priorities li e these helps to give people a bigger say in their communities and help tac le the climate and nature emergency For more: www.bathnes.gov.uk

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

Cllr Duncan Hounsell (front, middle left) with the Corston Community Orchard project steering group and Corston parish councillors at the orchard site

Pet furniture Bustle & Harley got the nod from Dragons Den starTheo Paphitis

BEST IN SHOW Bath-based pet urniture company Bustle arley received a social media boost rom Theo aphitis o Dragons Den. We’ve only been in business a short time and this year we have being trying hard to eep up with the demand for our products due to the huge increase in amilies buying dogs during loc down, says nnalee arley, owner o Bustle arley ll our products are handmade right here in Bath, and we will hope ully be expanding in the near uture to create more local obs in the community t is great to have support rom Theo because it’s been tough trying to raise our profile Theo is nown to be a small business champion, and hosts mall Business aturday B every wee end on his social media and website to spotlight deserving companies My vision is that everyone who has ever won an B retweet rom me becomes part o a riendly club li e-minded individuals who can share successes and learnings, says Theo The website will also give a valuable profile to the winners chosen, and wish Bustle arley et Furniture every success For more: www.bustleandharley.co.uk

Dr Despina Moschou, leader of the project with the LoCKamp test

MOVERS AND SHAKERS ETC

POWER IN OUR PALMS

The KES Bath reading team

REAL PAGE TURNERS

Pupils from King Edward’s Senior and Junior Schools were named the South West’s top readers following a win at the regional heats of the National Reading Champions Quiz.

Students from years 6, 7, 8 and 9 went up against teams from 68 other schools to win a place at the grand final at the end o the month, where they hope to be crowned National Reading Champions 2021.

We are so excited to host the first ational Reading Champions Quiz to celebrate young readers across the UK,” says Henrietta Roberts, project manager of the National Reading Champions Quiz. “There is an amazing wealth of literature out there for students to explore and through the Quiz we hope to motivate them to read as widely as possible – and to feel proud of their reading knowledge.” www.kesbath.com

HANGING UP HER SPIKES

Hurdler and Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European medal winner Eilidh Doyle has announced her retirement from competitive athletics. Eilidh is Scotland’s most decorated athlete of all time with 19 championship medals to her name – the vast majority of which she won while based at the Team Bath Sports Training Village.

“I take with me so many amazing memories but, most importantly, I step away happy in the knowledge that this is the right time for me to go. I’m not saying it was an easy decision to make but it was the right one and I am grateful I got to choose when it happened,” says Eilidh.

“The sport has brought me so much more than just medals. I have made lifelong friends, experienced incredible atmospheres, made history and even met my husband because of it. Now we have our wee boy, Campbell, and so much more to look forward to as a family.” www.teambath.com

Academics at the University of Bath are developing a handheld Covid-19 test device that offers results with gold standard’ accuracy within minutes world-first, the oC amp ab on Chip mplification test carries out genetic-based diagnosis and is roughly the size of a mobile phone. It has been developed by members of Bath’s Centre for Biosensors, Bioelectronics and Biodevices C Bio “The portable all-in-one device we’re working on would allow or the rapid identification o a virus or known variants. This will be crucial to combating Covid and future outbreaks,” says Dr Despina Moschou, leader of the project and a lecturer in the Department of Electronics

Electrical Engineering The difference the oC amp test offers is the standard o testing Existing rapid F ateral Flow ssay tests detect a virus by looking for proteins or antibodies within a sample, whereas the genetic test we are advocating identifies a ull genetic se uence specific to the virus t’s li e an enhanced, aster, miniaturised PCR test, that doesn’t need to be sent to a lab to be analysed.”

Covid-19 is the current focus of the project, but Dr Moschou believes the device could be adapted to detect a wide range of diseases including cancer, strains of antimicrobial resistance and other viruses.

For more: www.bath.ac.uk

FROM FAR LEFT: Chris Anderson, Ann Hiatt and Dale Vince

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT MediaClash’s new conference for entrepreneurs, EntreConf has unveiled a remarkable line-up of speakers, including the owner of TED Conferences and a ormer chie o staff or Google EntreCon The Future s nwritten on uly aims to give inspiration, practical advice and connections for entrepreneurs from any sector, whether new businesses, start-ups, scale-ups or those about to exit Free registrations are available online.

The three eynote spea ers will offer a wealth of inspiration and insight. Chris Anderson, owner of TED Conferences will give tips to entrepreneurs; Ann Hiatt, former business partner o eff Be os at ma on and then chie o staff at Google will offer unrivalled top-level experience in a discussion of business strategies; and Ecotricity’s founder, Dale Vince will discuss his career as a former new-age traveller turned leading green energy entrepreneur and pioneer, owner o the eco- riendly Forest Green overs and executive producer of Seaspiracy.

The conference structure means that a limited number of free conference passes are available via a uni ue partnership with sponsors Other sessions will be run by the University of Bath School of Management on entrepreneurial thinking; Burges Salmon on investment rounds development and wiss private ban ombard Odier will unveil exclusive research into entrepreneurs. Bath company Rocketmakers will lead a dynamic uturology’ session Bevan Brittan will present a new suite o offerings to help start-up businesses; and Bath Spa University will analyse how lifelong learning can aid entrepreneurial development. torm Consultancy is one o five associate partners of EntreConf, alongside legal IP experts EIP, Bristol Creative Industries, Creative Bath and MediaClash.

EntreConf is a virtual conference this year and a real-life event in 2022.

For more claudia.butler@mediaclash.co.uk; www. entreconf.com; Twitter @EntreConf

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And there’s an escape room.

How did that come about?

We partnered with a specialist company, Unlocked Vision, to develop the escape room. Working in a similar way as with Millennium FX, we supplied a brief with our key thoughts and then let the experts do their thing.

The premise is that you are trapped in Victor Frankenstein’s attic quarters with limited time to solve some pretty odd puzzles to avoid becoming part of the next creation…

BIZ Q&A

Chris Harris

The founder of Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein lifts the curtain on what it’s really like to plan and execute an immersive tourist attraction Have you always been a Mary Shelley fan then Chris?

Up until 2016, when a plaque was unveiled to mark the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein, the fact that Shelley had written a substantial portion of the novel here in Bath was not widely known.

Many people simply weren’t aware of it – myself included! I became quite interested in Shelley and the more I read about this extraordinary person and her eventful life, the more passionate I became about sharing her story. I discussed the idea with my business partner Jonathan Willis, who was as excited by the prospect as I was, and within a few weeks we had a plan and were busy fundraising.

Why do you think Mary Shelley’s Bath connections were lesser known – until now?

I believe the writer and educationalist Professor Sir Christopher Frayling first pitched the idea o celebrating Mary Shelley’s life to Bath Council about 40 years ago, but the concept was largely dismissed as being a bit too Hollywood! Fortunately, today’s council has been very supportive.

Talk us through a little of the House of Frankenstein experience We have used a mix of ambient music and soundscapes, aromas, lighting effects, pro ections, interactive props, and unusual and vintage items – and of course, a good sprinkling of body parts.

The basement features a disorientating walk-through experience – with some particularly scary effects to cran up the atmosphere a few levels.

Did you always have a clear picture of what you wanted to create?

Yes, up to a point. I always wanted to present Mary Shelley’s story within a visually sumptuous and atmospheric environment: low lighting, ominous soundscapes, special effects and interesting content. The aim was to create a subtly scary and visceral experience and I think we’ve achieved that. But the process has also been uite fluid, with the creative team pitching in with fresh ideas to widen the offer Can you tell us a bit about the life-size model of the Creature?

In her novel, Shelley only provides

a brief description of the eightfoot-tall (2.4m) Creature, which is very different to the iconic flat-topped, green s inned, bolts in the neck monster made famous by Boris arloff, or any o the many hundreds of other derivatives.

It was really important for us to realise Shelley’s own description of her Creature.

Who was the creative team?

We commissioned Millennium FX, a multi-BAFTA award-winning special effects company to help realise ictor Frankenstein’s monster as described in the novel. As far as we are aware no one has attempted this before, so our Creature is a genuine world first What was the design process like for creating Mary Shelley’s Creature?

We supplied a detailed brief and had various discussions, after which the exceptionally gifted graphic artist Chris Goodman set about designing the Creature t too around five months and the eight-foot, hyper realistic Creature, who only recently arrived, is quite a sight to behold.

What have some of the challenges been?

Updating a 200-year-old town house and making it safe and practical for visitors has certainly thrown up many complex problems. Fortunately though, almost every solution we’ve had to find has been an improvement to the original plan. I’ve learned that however much you like an idea, you need to be open to adapting and re-thinking things as you go along.

What’s your favourite thing about the attraction?

I love the whole house. It has a great feel to it, lots of quirky details and wonderful original features. But the most enjoyable aspect has been working with our quite exceptional executive and creative team. It’s developed into a much bigger project than originally imagined, made possible by a relatively small group of passionate, determined and talented individuals working together.

What’s something you wish more people understood about Mary Shelley and Frankenstein?

By the time Mary Shelley was 24 she had written and published Frankenstein, buried three of her young children, and become a widow. In addition to being entertained by the attraction, I’d like visitors to leave knowing that Mary Shelley was a brilliant visionary who deserves much more recognition than she currently receives.

Oh, and that her Creature wasn’t actually green!

For more: Opens 30 June, tickets available now.

Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein, 37 Gay t t at an n t in m

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SPONSORED CONTENT

THE ENTREPRENEUR SERIES EXPLORE, EMPOWER, EXPERIMENT

The founder of multi-million-pound business LUX Rewards, James Courtney, on his journey from student to CEO

I

’m from the South West, in Saltford, so Bath has always had a place in my heart.

It’s where I studied for my undergraduate business degree, and where I developed my company, LUX Rewards.

As a student at the University of Bath, I was a big fan of restaurant reward cards, but while working at PwC during my summer break, soon realised they weren’t fit or higherspending, corporate professionals.

“THERE’S A LOT MORE ON OFFER THAN JUST STUDYING AND BATH DOES PARTICULARLY WELL IN SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS” James Courtney, founder and CEO of LUX Rewards 108 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

I spoke to eateries in the city and saw a gap in the market for a more discreet reward system for these customers, like Air Miles for the restaurant world. And so, LUX Rewards was born. Five years later, it’s going to be valued at £8 million. I’ve found my place in the world as an entrepreneur and have loved taking on the challenges that come with it.

The chool o Management’s open-mindedness and desire for us to think ambitiously enabled me to develop LUX during my second

placement. There are lots of opportunities for budding entrepreneurs, such as the Business Plan competition, which I was fortunate to win two years running. The prize was incredible – a trip to the US to meet Bath’s alumni working for companies like Google, Facebook and J.P. Morgan. We were allocated a mentor and they actually became my first investor My network at Bath helped to grow LUX. Fellow graduates from the School of Management have helped me sign up their businesses as clients, and ’ve benefited rom alumni advice on how to start a business. A number of students have reached out to me over the years for advice too, which I’ve been happy to give. It’s a nice cycle.

Are you a graduate of the School of Management with a story to share? Connect with us: alumni@management.bath.ac.uk Interested in studying a business or management course?

Find out more on our website: www.bath.ac.uk/management

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MEET THE START UP The movers and shakers of Bath’s business scene

ALICIA SHARPE LUXECO HOLIDAYS

01225 941 081; www.luxecoholidays.com How did your business come about?

As a former teacher, I lived abroad, travelled to over 65 countries and had the most incredible experiences.

My calling is to inspire others to travel, so I took the next steps to make my vision come to life.

What sets your business apart from others in your field?

Our focus on sustainability and quality, as well as our passion and customer service. We firmly believe in giving back to local and international communities; these values are reflected in our policies.

How have the last 12 months been?

Challenging, yet exhilarating! It has not been easy facing numerous hurdles beyond my control, but I have learned so much and my determination to succeed has been tested and strengthened.

What do you love most about what you do?

The excitement of helping clients design their holiday and hearing their wonderful stories when they return. Some travel to honour a deceased loved one; rekindle a marriage; gain confidence or fulfil a lifelong dream. How amazing to be a part of those journeys!

ANNA SABINE

MANAGING DIRECTOR, CASSIA BATH hello@cassiacommunity.co.uk; www.cassiacommunity.co.uk How did your business come about?

It was a lockdown baby! My business partner Tom Graham and I spent a lot of lockdown talking about what the world of work would look like post-Covid. We reckoned it would need to look more business-friendly than many cafés, and more flexible and fun than a lot of co-working spaces currently on offer – and so Cassia was born.

What does your business do?

We’re a co-working café, so we have desks for hire by the day, an adults-only café on weekdays where people can come and work for a couple of hours, and an events programme running from September 2021.

FEDERICO ULIANA PASTA LABORATORY

1 Claremont Terrace, Bath BA1 6EH info@pastauliana.co.uk www.pastauliana.co.uk What does your business do?

We provide pasta making classes for up to eight people at our Pasta Laboratory. Our classes are suitable for everyone and we aim at making them fun and easy to learn. We also offer pasta dinner parties at the comfort of your home. These are suited for special occasions such as birthday parties or when you are simply celebrating with your loved ones. In the morning, the Pasta Laboratory is open to the public for the sale of our delicious fresh pasta and filled Tortelli.

What advice would you give to others starting a new business?

Just do it, and don’t be too wedded to any aspect of it. I think a lot of businesses struggle because their owners get too emotionally attached to things; if an aspect isn’t working, ditch it and do something else. You have to be a bit brutal with yourself, and make sure you’re responding to what customers want, not what you’d like.

What are your most important business values?

Sustainability, community, and excellence in employment – we’re on a mission to show that the hospitality industry can treat its staff really well.

What are your future plans?

We want to expand our services for corporate events, tourism and open a second Laboratory.

What advice would you give to others starting a new business?

Stick to what you believe and make your business stand out with an original concept.

Be ready to overcome a mountain of hurdles.

What do you love most about what you do?

I love getting people together and offering them a unique experience full of learning and laughter. There is nothing better than receiving good feedback on a fantastic evening and knowing that we did a good job!

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The blended café/ workspace at Cassia

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

THE FUTURE OF THE OFFICE

OFFICE POLITICS

Despite what you may have heard, the office is ar rom over’

By Lydia Tewkesbury

A

ter a year spent wor ing rom our collective studies, dining tables, and bedrooms, the office is due a renaissance Gone are the days o grey cubicles and strict wor ing hours now, i offices are to tempt people out o their trac suit bottoms and off the so a, they must be attractive, dynamic destinations ere, assembled experts offer their ta e on the modern office and a ew tips on how companies can adapt their spaces to eep up

Anna Sabine, owner of Cassia, Sovereign Point, Bath; tel: 01225 685825; www.cassiacommunity.co.uk The space: Cassia is a blended ca and co-wor ing space ome ca s aren’t set up or wor ers, while some co-wor ing spaces lac the bu o a ca , so we have created an adults-only ca at the ront where people can drop in to wor , and then The tudy at the bac , which is where people can hire ull-si ed des s by the day Who uses the space?

We have a real mix ome reelancers, some people who run their own business, and some people who wor or firms who allow them to wor at home but who want to be out o the house We also have a ew firms who hire the whole wor space or a day so they can get together and wor or have a team meeting, and be well catered or while they do it

How do you think the pandemic has changed the role of co-working spaces?

“We’re working hard to take co-working to a new level”

hope it’s orcing co-wor ing to up its game Too o ten someone has a building, shoves some chairs, tables and a coffee machine in it, and calls it co-wor ing, and that’s not good enough t Cassia, we believe in a much more blended model somewhere that the staff now your name, that you can come and wor and then stay or a coc tail or come to an event We’re wor ing hard to ta e co-wor ing to a new level and we hope that others will ollow our lead Rose Lucas, brand manager of Forward Space, The Old Church School, Butts Hill, Frome; tel: 0333 344 8850; www.forwardspace.co.uk The space: The Old Church chool TOC in Frome is an awardwinning shared wor space in a Grade listed ormer school and

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“TOCS is a real melting pot of ambitious and inspiring people”

boxing club set around a landscaped courtyard. Studios, workpods and individual desks surround the newly renovated lounge. As with all Forward Space workspaces, it’s designed with collaboration in mind, with booth seating, meeting rooms, standing desks and a brand-new shared kitchen.

Who are your members?

We see a huge variety of people through the doors at The Old Church School. From freelancers to start-ups to larger teams, the building has workspaces to suit all size of businesses and allows room for growth.

We are so proud to say that TOCS is a real melting pot of ambitious and inspiring people rom Frome’s finest creative and pro essional industries.

How do you think businesses can make returning to the office a positive experience?

Flexibility is ey or returning office wor ers Consider a hybrid model a routine that is part at home, part in the office We have ound these to be extremely popular since opening up again at The Old Church chool as members want to ease themselves bac into the office environment whilst maintaining the balance of work and home life.

Andrew Cresci, managing director of Grangeside Workspace, 129 Devizes Road, Hilperton, Trowbridge; tel: 01225 697700; www.grangeside.com The space: Grangeside Workspace is a high quality serviced work environment; light, bright and modernised throughout with top class internet, phone and security services. It is made up of boutique serviced offices with additional hot-des ing and a meeting room with everything included, so businesses can be quickly up and running. The idea is to provide a ‘work away from work’ environment, with the comfort of working from home.

How can businesses use co-working spaces to their advantage?

’m seeing progressive firms adopt a local wor environment or employees. Instead of commuting to nearby big cities, they allow local employees to wor rom our offices, while others are expanding their businesses and leveraging us to move into a new region.

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

TOP: TOCS was designed with collaboration in mind;

ABOVE: Grangeside Workspace is set in a characterful Victorian property

What sort of companies use the space?

Most are small companies or individuals working locally for larger companies. Start-ups use the space to get going quickly, as the serviced office allows them to ocus on their wor rather than the logistics o setting up office space We also see local small companies who en oy what we offer because o the uality environment we provide ro h ll ps ch e arket o cer o ocket akers 20 Manvers Street, Bath; tel: 01225 4366192; www.rocketmakers.com The space: Our office provides a delicate balance o an open-plan, socially-focused, hot-desking layout and taking a trip into space. We designed a space that is optimised for the way we work: collaboratively (open-plan), openly (whiteboards and huge screens) and experimentally (with all the latest gadgets and gizmos such as our Virtual Reality area).

How does the design of the office influence office culture?

Our office has a lovely big itchen and dining table when we’re there, we will o ten down-tools or lunch together or en oy a masterche ’ session in the evenings as we cook and share a meal together.

We also have a smaller meeting room called The Hatch, which has lowlighting and comfortable seating so that we can have some screen-free

THE FUTURE OF THE OFFICE time and even meditating sessions. Our quirky rocket meeting pods (aka Venture III) add a bit of levity and remind us to keep one eye on the bigger picture and not to sweat the small stuff Is the office still important?

The office is a home base’ or us all, a place where we can get our heads down and concentrate away rom home distractions, where we can support one another and develop ideas together on our glass walls.

Our office is an important element o our organisational culture we enjoy welcoming partners and clients to visit and work with us in our wor shop, and our unusual d cor and ama ing illustrative murals are an extension of our personality and brand.

Tom Lewis, operator at The Guild, High Street, Bath; tel: 01225 587888; www.theguildhub.co.uk The space: t The Guild, our co-wor ing spaces are bright and open, and designed to acilitate the role o the wor space as a shared community We’ve evolved the space over the past eight years o operation, and understand the changing demands o members particularly in terms of meeting and private spaces.

How has the pandemic changed things?

Some freelancers have got used to working from home and want to spend less time here, while others can’t wait to escape home and enjoy being around similar people again. But the biggest change is the demand rom larger companies contacting us and as ing or hot office’ style arrangements, where they hire an office a day a wee , plus a pool of time for their team to use the rest of the week.

What can traditional offices learn from co-working spaces?

Traditional offices have or some time been ta ing their cues rom co-wor ing spaces, particularly in their design ow i anything, as many people return to wor , thin co-wor ing spaces are starting to grow up and learn rom offices particularly in terms o practicalities like providing more private spaces for video conferencing.

Cathy French, head of communications at the St John’s Foundation on One Queen Square, Bath; email: hello@onequeensquare.com The space: The Grade listed One ueen uare, part o the t ohn’s Foundation’s investment property port olio and operated through its trading company, is Bath’s newest co-wor ing space, set to open its doors in the autumn. Set right in the heart of the city centre and thought ully re urbished with up-to-the-minute enhancements, the historic building now hosts a variety o private offices, flexible and dedicated des s, meeting rooms and a stylish events space What do you have planned to build the office community?

The ounding principles o membership are ocused on community, inclusion and in ormal luxury, and our aim is to bring together li eminded people, invested in social change We will be coordinating a busy calendar o events, seminars and networ ing opportunities to help nurture the member ocus’ dditionally, we will be developing relationships with local hospitality businesses to develop that ust across the uare’ eeling and to urther promote wor ing in partnership with Bath’s wider business community Polly Polglase, communications and membership manager at Glove Factory Studios, 1 Brook Lane, Holt, Bradford on Avon; tel: 01225 784080; www.glovefactorystudios.com The space: Glove Factory tudios is a pro essional and sensitive restoration of a beautiful industrial heritage building set in 17 acres o countryside, incorporating private studios, co-wor ing space, LEFT: The Guild, where workspace is a shared community; BELOW: The quirky rocket meeting pods at Rockmakers

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 115

THE FUTURE OF THE OFFICE

“Being part of a collaborative community can really help accelerate your business growth ” LEFT: Offices must be designed for multi-tasking, according to interior designer

Clair Strong; ABOVE: Glove Factory Studios is expanding over the next 18 months to enable double the membership

4 MODERN OFFICE MUST-HAVES

Clair Strong Interior Designer, Unit 1 Old Orchard, 88a Walcot Street, Bath; tel: 01225 426905; www.clairstrong.co.uk SPACE AND LIGHT breakout areas, meeting rooms for hire, café, and a members club room We fitted design-led wor spaces with modern acilities to offer all the benefits o an urban experience while en oying a rural setting tudio members can ta e a brea rom their des s and within minutes be waterside spotting ingfishers, geese, rogs, and the occasional wild swimming club member Why do you think businesses thrive in co-working spaces?

Being part o a supportive collaborative community can really help accelerate your business growth you suddenly have direct regular access to new expertise and nowledge The opportunities or collaboration are constant a casual chat can spar a flurry o ideas that lead to new pro ects and new business relationships How do you think the pandemic has changed the role of the space?

s the pandemic has continued, it eels li e we may have come ullcircle Over time, the pleasures o wor ing rom home have declined or many, and driven appreciation or eeping wor and home environments distinct dditionally, we’re now ta ing en uiries rom larger companies loo ing to leave city spaces or smaller, greener and more relaxed rural environments, where their teams can en oy plenty o brea out spaces as well as on-site social and cultural events We are dog- riendly too, which is a huge boon and certainly not ound in many city wor hubs We’re very positive about the uture n act, we’re so enthusiastic about it, over the next months we’re launching a urther , s uare eet o wor space, which will grow our community rom approximately to members

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

Natural light boosts productivity and helps prevent eye fatigue.

Offices with plenty of light and views of the outdoors provide a calm, welcoming environment that will improve satisfaction and productivity.

MULTI-TASKING SPACES

Make your office multifunctional to cater for every different type of work. Provide quiet areas for focused working alongside meeting rooms with the latest IT, and conference rooms dedicated to webinars (hello Zoom!).

Offices need a recreation area or lounge where employees can socialise. Make it a relaxing space to de-stress by providing sofas, a TV and some home comforts. It needs to be a proper break-out zone which breaks down communication barriers and encourages spontaneity and creativity.

DESIGN WITH WELLNESS IN MIND

Providing healthy foods (a fruit bowl in a kitchen, for instance) and a space for your employees to exercise will help their performance. Bike racks encourage cycling to work and, if you have the space, turning a big room in the office into a gym or wellness room with yoga mats, showers and changing facilities where you can host regular fitness activities is a great investment.

BIOPHILIC DESIGN

Biophilia (love of nature) focuses on bringing nature indoors to encourage better health, concentration, and productivity.

If you have an outside space like a rooftop terrace, balcony or patio, make it part of the office. If not, bring nature into the office by adding more plants and living walls, make way for natural light and use natural materials in the office.

Design Designfor forCommercial Commercial&&Residential ResidentialProperties Properties

clair@clairstrong.co.uk clair@clairstrong.co.uknn07855 07855797311 797311nn01225 01225426905 426905

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NEW INSTRUCTION

£425,000 DOWNSIDE CLOSE

Matthew Leonard Director

Lucy McIlroy Director

£625,000

Denise Latham Lettings Manager

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

Restoration Restoration of North Side of Bath Abbey completed as part of Footprint Project

THANKS A MILLION

Bath Abbey’s Footprint project raises a million pounds thanks to Brownsword Charitable Foundation

Rector of Bath Abbey, Guy Bridgewater with Andrew and Christina Brownsword

Bath Abbey’s community has successfully raised £500,000 for the Footprint project, which has been matched pound for pound by the Brownsword Charitable Foundation, to bring the total raised to £1 million.

In 2017 the Brownsword Charitable Foundation, founded by Andrew and Christina Brownsword, pledged half a million pounds in match funding to the Abbey’s Footprint project, which is a £19.3 million programme of work, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, that will provide new spaces for learning, music, better visitor facilities, undertake essential conservation work, as well as opportunities for volunteer and community involvement. Andrew Brownsword says, “We’re delighted that the match fund target of £1 million has

been achieved. The reason for establishing the match und in the first place was because we recognised what a groundbreaking project Footprint was and its significance to the city, and we’re very pleased to have been able to help inspire others to support this once-in-a-lifetime project. It has also been a pleasure to see what amazing progress has been made. ince our last visit, the historic floor has been restored fully, an eco-heating system using energy from Bath’s hot springs has been installed and the new facilities, underground spaces and interpretation programme are starting to take shape. Like many others, we simply cannot wait to be back in the Abbey again once the Footprint work is fully complete and its full programme of events and services resume.”

The Revd Canon Guy Bridgewater, Rector of Bath Abbey, adds “We are incredibly grateful to the Brownswords or their significant generosity to the Footprint project. When it launched, the Brownswords’ match fund was vital in kickstarting our fundraising appeal.”

For more: www.bathabbey.org

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 119

PROPERTY NEWS

LEFT: The apartment is in the Grade II townhouse Hamilton House BELOW: Enjoy views out over North Parade

Residential

ON PARADE

A charming two-bedroom apartment in the Grade II-listed detached townhouse Hamilton House, on North Parade Buildings, is up for sale via Inigo, an estate agency specialising in historic homes.

High ceilings, combined with original cornicing and wall panelling, create a sense of space and volume, and elegant bowed sash windows curve around the corner of the room. The elevated position allows natural light to flood in and offers views across the beauti ul city centre enclave For more: www.inigo.com

Application

NEW CASTLE?

The current owner of Midford Castle, has put in a planning application into Bath and North East Somerset Council to install solar panels on the 1775 historic building. The proposed plans are to install hybrid solar panels, a biomass boiler and build a barn to store the fuel on the 30-acre estate to heat the castle and the eight holiday lets.

The application states: “With historic buildings and large estates currently becoming an increasing burden on their owners not only in upkeep but energy costs associated with their occupation, this proposal includes sustainable energy aims to preserve the structures, reduce the costs and the environmental footprint so that the estate reduces its liability on its current custodian.”

Midford Castle was purchased from Wild At Heart actor Nicholas Cage in 2009, who had owned it for two years.

For more: www.bathnes.gov.uk

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

Midford Castle, once owned by the actor Nicholas Cage

PERCY PLACE Matilda Walton explores a stand out five-storey Georgian townhouse Photos by The Modern House

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

O

ne word comes to mind at first glimpse of the shingle, cherry tree flan ed wal way to Percy Place: elegance. From the buttery Bath stone exterior of the Grade II listed Georgian townhouse to the contemporary and tasteful neutral toned décor of each o its five floors, there is something elevated about the entire property. A sense of calm oozes throughout, perhaps due to the exceptional glow of natural light that streams through its floor-to-ceiling sash windows Sequestered in the beautiful surrounds of Percy Place, a short wal along the canal rom the city centre or along the character ul ondon oad, filled with some o Bath’s indie gems), the surrounds are tranquil, allowing the owners to ma e the most o the unusually plenti ul garden space comprised o a split level terrace leading directly to the entrance, and, at the rear, a carefully

PROPERTY

raised landscaped garden. ust thin o the dinner party potential or o a long unday a ternoon en oying the luxury o solitude, peace ully se uestered in a dec chair, and protected rom the prying eyes o the outside world by a line o mature trees. t promises a heavenly li estyle or the person willing to embrace it. ercy lace allows the status o a period property with none o the inconvenience ou’ll find plenti ul uni ue period eatures in the home, but they are set alongside all o the modern com orts li e solid wifi, provided by hard-wired under floor internet, so whether you’re embracing the WF li estyle or simply trying to en oy a night with a glass o wine and etflix, your connection is assured The basics are covered, but there are luxuries too, li e the intercom system running throughout the house, enabling easy communication across all five floors o more yelling down to the itchen when you want a cuppa rom someone more conveniently situated to get you one t’s li e having bells or your maids li e a real Georgian, but electronic and li ely a vaguely resent ul partner in place of a butler, depending on your budget. pstairs, you en oy the views across the lush

countryside of Somerset from a series of wellproportioned bedrooms, and a stand-out drawing room Two floor-to-ceiling sash windows rame the views here, bathing the room in a so t glow that highlights its beauti ul original floorboards and ex uisite wor ing marble fireplace n the current set up it is a boo worm’s sa e haven, with deep-set boo cases or your thought ully curated home library, and hand-cra ted cabinetry to house vintage boardgames brought out at amily gatherings, or perhaps even a snea y coc tail-ma ing station a boo in one hand and a coc tail in the other is a dreamy way to spend an evening ownstairs, the recently renovated garden level offers a considerately designed itchen and openplan dining room er ect or all seasons, in the winter you benefit rom the contemporary logburner set in a glowing Bath stone fireplace, and in the summer months, the ability to throw open the terrace doors to the garden Percy Place is an exceptional example of a Georgian townhouse that blends contemporary living with all the character o a listed home and one that can trans orm according to the needs o the season, too.

HOUSE NUMBERS Price

£1.25m

Sq ft

2,238

Bedrooms

3

Reception rooms

3

For more: The Modern House; tel: 020 3795 5920; www.themodernhouse.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 125

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“Getting the Blue Badge was the most demanding thing I’ve done in decades” timeshare salesman. I trained as a secondary school English teacher, a career that didn’t last long…

I met Emily in Stansted Airport. We were both going

to Cuba. She was updating a guidebook she’d written. I was impressed and wanted her job.

I once went to St Lucia for 10 days of research (yes, that’s

FRED MAWER The tour guide and travel journalist on earthquakes, Bridgerton, and meeting Branson Fred has been a freelance travel journalist for 30 years, writing newspaper and magazine articles and guide books. He’s a longstanding contributor to the travel section of The Daily Telegraph, and is the paper’s resident Bath ‘expert’. He also specialises in reporting on the Caribbean.

In 2018, Fred also became a professional Blue Badge tour guide, and does all sorts of walking tours of Bath. These range from city highlights to medical history tours and Bridgerton tours, which cover 14 Bath locations where some 70 scenes were filmed, including No. 1 Royal Crescent, and Abbey Green.

I live in Bath with my partner Emily and our boys Arthur, 19, and Edward, 16. We’ve been

here since 2004. Like so many incomers to the city, we moved

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

from London in search of a better quality of life. Though it took me a while to settle, I can’t imagine living anywhere but Bath now.

We have West Country roots: Emily grew up near Malmesbury in Wiltshire and went to the sixth form in Bath, while I spent much of my childhood near Sherborne in Dorset.

Growing up I considered becoming a tennis player. I

went to Millfield chool to hone my racket skills, but after getting drunk on an away match I was banned from representing the school ever again. I also fancied myself as a theatre director and put on some horrendously pretentious student plays at university and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

In my gap year before university, I worked on the

Costa del Sol as a tennis coach, promoter for a disco and

what they call it filled several notebooks with my observations, and managed to leave all my scribblings on the plane on the return flight

On a trip to Los Angeles, I got caught up in an earthquake.

It violently shook my high-rise hotel – I remember the TV in my bedroom being hurled to the floor We were all evacuated in the middle of the night and no one was allowed back in the building for ages. Many guests were stuck in the car park in their jim-jams.

Getting the Blue Badge guiding qualification was the most demanding thing I’ve done in decades. The course

lasts a year and ends with rigorous exams. As well as written tests, stony-faced examiners with clipboards assess you as you nervously deliver commentaries for coach, walking, museum, and cathedral tours.

Becoming a tour guide has given me something of a new lease of life. Clichéd though

this sounds, I genuinely love welcoming visitors to Bath, meeting lots of new people and being super friendly to them. I think tour guiding has made me a nicer person. Journalists tend

to be cynical and brusque – not exactly characteristics that work well when engaging with guests on a tour.

I’ve met Richard Branson – in the Grand Canyon of all places. It was on a lavish press

trip hosted by Virgin Atlantic, and the shindig involved flying the journos from Las Vegas to the canyon in a fleet o helicopters We live in Larkhall. I love the fact that there are so many scenic country walks from our front door we can take Lola our labrador on, such as through the riverside meadows towards Bathampton, up Charlcombe Valley and around and over Solsbury Hill.

I’ve been lucky enough to stay at most of the best hotels and B&Bs in Bath, in order

to review them for The Daily Telegraph. Arriving on my bike with a rucksack for my overnight bag sometimes raises eyebrows at reception in the posher places. We stayed at Hotel Indigo Bath last year just after it opened, and our meal at The Elder was up there with the best I’ve had in Bath (order the venison, its speciality).

I really like guiding guests on the northern slopes of Bath beyond the Royal Crescent,

around the lesser-known and under-visited other crescents – Cavendish Crescent, Somerset Place, Lansdown Crescent and Camden Crescent. Each has its own fascinating architectural idiosyncrasies and quirky stories to tell about its occupants.

For more: Fred Mawer Tours; www.fredmawertours.co.uk