Bath Life – Issue 476 by MediaClash

ISSUE 476 / 12 - 25 AUGUST 2022 / £3 THE YEAR’S BADASSESBOTTLERSBALL-TOSSERS,BOLDESTBIGGEST&BOSSESTAT IF YOU‛RE SO GOOD, HOW COME YOUHITNEARLYME? GOOD WOOD* THE HIGHS, LOWS AND SECRETS OF A CAREER WELL LIVED ARCHITECTARRIVAL HAVE YOU DISCOVERED BATH’S NEWEST, FANCIEST (AND SURPRISINGLY GOOD VALUE) GASTRO PUB? OFFICE ENVY THE CO-WORKING GUIDE EVERYONE SHOULD READ *JOHN, THAT IS GAMEMASTERSOFTHE + THE BYSTANDERSFURRY WHO OUTSCORED EVERYONE (IN THE CUTE STAKES) 7 REASONS BRADFORDREDISCOVERTOONAVON (REASON #1 THEY’VE GOT WOLVES!) IT’S ONLY 3 YEARS LATE!

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EDITOR’S LETTER

MEDIASOUL©

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Goodness, but I’ve missed Bath Boules. Partly –okay, mostly – because it’s such a great excuse to see everybody, Queen Square awash with faces often familiar and always friendly getting serious or not-so-serious about an imported game that’s so great because it’s exactly that, a game and not a sport. (There’s recently been a campaign to get pétanque – a posh way of saying ‘boules’, as far as I can tell – into the next Olympics, but that would be a shame, to my mind. You can wear what you like, you can throw how you like, you can play with a beer in one hand and nobody looks at you askance. You could be sitting in a chair or on crutches, eight or eighty: as long as you can toss a ball, you can play. All this –plus the fact that the only way you’ll break a sweat is if the clouds fragment and out comes the sun – put it strictly in the ‘game’ category, I’m saying, and all the better for it.) This year, the Boules had everything. Some sun, plenty of rain – the Friday was Biblical, but we sent out a dove and it brought back a leaf and eventually we discovered dry land – and more teams than I’ve seen before. (Honestly, the Friday was rammed.) Most of all, I was reminded of why I love Bath all over again. Also this issue, a few reminders of another reason to adore our city: the architecture. We’ve a piece on John Wood the Elder (everyone’s favourite John Wood!) on page 38, and a review of a new restaurant in what’s always been one of Bath’s most polarising buildings, the monstrously huge (or just plain monstrous?) Empire Hotel at Orange Grove (page 46). Even when Bath’s not getting together for massive fun, this is a city to make your heart sing. in teams than I’ve seen before. (Honestly, the Friday was review(

BELOW: Gorgeous cool vase from Kara Leigh Ford (page 50)

ABOVE: Whoever placed that wine bottle there likes living dangerously (page 17);

SARAH MOOLLA

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 Sarah Baker, Matt Bielby, Nic Bottomley, Elsie Chadwick, David Flatman, Stephen Morris and Charlotte Walker Group commercial manager Pat White pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk Business development manager Annabel North annabel. north@mediaclash.co.uk

Business development manager Dan Nichols dan.nichols@mediaclash.co.uk Business development executive Kyra Hardy kyra.hardy@mediaclash.co.uk

Production and distribution manager Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk

Editor Sarah Moolla sarah.moolla@mediaclash.co.uk

Deputy production manager Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Production designer Matt Gynn matt.gynn@mediaclash.co.uk / Gemma Bourne gemma.bourne@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Bath Life MediaClash, Carriage Court, 22 Circus Mews, Bath, BA1 2PW. tel: 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 661792 BATH BOULES 17 BOULE SUMMER Recapping the competitive spirit, best moments and four-legged visitors to the 31st Bath Boules THE ARTS 29 A RTS INTRO Work is a four letter word 30 WHAT’S ON Theatre, music, comedy, and art in the city 38 JOHN WOOD THE ELDER The surprising eccentricity of one of Bath’s most famous architects 41 BOOKS Untrustworthy characters FOOD&DRINK 43 FOOD & DRINK NEWS The Happy Donut Bakery’s new shop 44 TAKE 5 Green Park Brasserie celebrates 30 years 46 RESTAURANT REVIEW Luxury that doesn’t break the bank at Bath newbie The Architect SHOPPING 49 SHOPPING INTRO The coolest way to sleep 50 EDITOR’S CHOICE Make every day a holiday with these choice home accessories 56 BRADFORD ON AVON Top 10 ways shop, chill and explore in BOA BUSINESS 66 WORKSPACES Destination offices 77 BATHWORKS Local business news, views, and interviews 81 BIZ Q&A Kogie Naidoo shares how she created a happy team at the Bath Clinic 82 BATH LIFE AWARDS Q&A Persephone Books celebrates year one Bath Life Awards success 84 ENTRECONF A round-up of insights from the dynamic virtual business conference PROPERTY 89 PROPERTY LEAD The £5 million renovation of Newark Works 90 PROPERTY NEWS Updates from the market 92 SHOWCASE Bright futures at Sion Hill Place DEPARTMENTS 11 SPOTLIGHT Michael Bublé comes to Bath 12 INSTAS Enjoying the city by air 15 FLATLINE French rules 53 BEAUTY Sarah Baker is in safe hands with Lindsay at Bradford-on-Avon Massage 98 BATH LIVES Author Emma Perry shares why you don’t have to write every day Issue 476 / 12-25 August 2022 COVER A four legged boules fan, photographed by Soul Media www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 9

In July the Royal Crescent was transformed for a double night open air Michael Bublé concert. The Grammyaward-winning global superstar’s appearance was the first live music event at the Royal Crescent in nine years, and was a resounding success, drawing crowds of 25,000 people across both nights. The concert, due to take place in 2020, had been delayed because of covid restrictions.

The total concert funds of £45,000 were donated to The Abbey Foundation Charity, where it will help enable completion of another phase of its Footprint regeneration project.

SPOTLIGHT

Over two nights, 25,000 people saw Michael Bublé perform his hits and more on the Royal Crescent lawns

“We set out to help deliver this concert ‘by Bath for Bath’,” say the Royal Crescent Society, who along with the Marlborough Lane and Building Residents’ Association, BANES Council and promoter Senbla, worked on the event. “We wanted to bring real and tangible benefit to the businesses of Bath and our surrounding areas both directly and indirectly as a result of playing our part in such an event. We are pleased to say this has been achieved. Most of the food outlets inside the concert arena came from our area and many of the drink products sold over the bar came from local producers. The 100-plus people working on the concert have been living in our hotels and spending in our shops for the last two weeks. And the local traders we have spoken to say they have benefitted directly from the spending power of the 25,000 or so people who came to Bath city centre to enjoy the concerts. Although the Society gained no financial benefit, it was good to feel that we contributed to the enjoyment of thousands of people. What a give back to Bath this has been.”

IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY PHOTOGRAPHYAITKENMARCBYPHOTOSALL www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 11

For more: www.thercs.co.uk Michael Bublé

@squaresbygel @phoebefrancesca@mollylfb @dunkablebath COME FLY WITH ME @neil_rockin26 @travelerduygu @brilliantbath @milpics @optasiavirtualtours SPOTLIGHT Float high above the city in the tranquil peace of a hot air balloon 12 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

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he thing that annoys me most about the Bath Boules is that I usually miss it. I’m not entirely sure why, but those in positions of power at the magazine seem disinclined to run any potential dates past my PA and me (I don’t have a PA). Instead they go all Donald Trump and do what they like, staging it over a weekend when I’m working away or my dog is getting married again. I’ve been twice and, at the risk of saying of Bath Boules precisely what I said of the Bath Life Awards, it might well be the best event in town. I don’t co-host it, which certainly makes it more relaxed for me, and likely more enjoyable for all of you (although there ought always to be someone with a microphone ready to mock without mercy the Savills crew in their posh suits).

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

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 15 WWW.BETTYBHANDARIBRANDPHOTOGRAPHY.COMPHOTOGRAPHY;BRANDBHANDARIBETTY©

France?

But I like the notion nonetheless. People are always (never) asking me where I’d buy a holiday home if I could choose anywhere. After I’ve been told that Wales, Scotland and Ireland aren’t options as they’re too close to home (that’s the point; the best holiday homes are the ones you can drive to, thereby avoiding the queueing and crampedness and general crapness of all airports and aeroplanes), it’s always France. But it’s only ever me who says that. Everybody else wants to get all exotic and think Portuguese or Ibizan or Croatian. Nope. They’re just showing off; they don’t even like those places. They want to say France, but don’t want to be like their dads who took their families to France in the old days, often for a sweaty week in a low-grade tent (also sounds inappropriate, but isn’t). If you’ve ever been to a Provençal village called Bargemon, then you’ll know. If you haven’t, then do. It’s heaven, and I promise it will make you fall in love with France. Bath Boules reminds me of my holidays there a few suns and moons ago, and gives me hope that one day that baguette-fuelled linen lifestyle will be mine. It might actually be a feasible move, if only the traffic wasn’t so bad at Dover these days, and the blasted dates worked.

My favourite bit is the Saturday, with the saucisson baguettes, the gassy beer, the naughty crêpes, and the Massif Coq. I thought teaching my two young daughters to call it that was hilarious – and it was – but it seems less appropriate now. It was a different time, etc. The one time anybody even cared enough to see if the dates worked for me, and I duly went on a Saturday, we had such a fun day that even said daughters recall it with smiles and tell me they’d like to go again. The reason it’s so fab is because it’s so French, and the French do these things best. I recently took a work trip to Australia and was reminded of just how informal a nation it really is. I love it. Everyone’s a ‘mate’, plenty of things are deemed ‘too easy’, and even famous people turn up at an international sporting event in flip flops. The French, though, they take foodie socialising to another level. It’s not necessarily how informal they are, but more the style with which they make the sensational look effortless. Admittedly, flip flops are less common in Provence than on Coogee Beach, but the anti-hecticness of French holidays has always made me dream of living there, at least part time. It won’t happen because houses aren’t free, and I’d effectively be unemployable on account of my bang average linguistics and determination to do nothing but lounge around in a barely-buttoned-up linen shirt and watch old Renaults pootle by as I sip espresso.

“The reason it’s so fab is because it’s so French, and the French do these things best”

Shall

Why the French rule, and other holiday destinations drool

FLAT FLATMANDAVIDLINE

SCENETHELATESTADVENTURESINPARTY-GOINGACROSSBATH CROWNBOULES Zut alors! Il a plu un peu at Bath Boules, not that anyone let that put ’em off… www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 17 PHOTOS BY SOUL MEDIA Playing it boule

This year’s tenacious winning teams were Sage Developments on Friday, Gem Solutions on Saturday and The Genesis Trust on Sunday. The competition is in aid of the Bath Boules Foundation, which every year uses the funds from the event to gift grants to local charities. These grants are available on application, and charities are encouraged to apply at any time – though funds are most often granted for speciﬁc projects or equipment that will make a realThedifference.BathBoules is only possible with the help of the local community, from the teams to the food stalls, the bar, the entertainment and the sponsors. Every year the weekend is a celebration of Bath at its very best – bring on 2023. We can’t wait to do it all again. For more: www.bathboules.com

Alexandra Bailey and the Western Building Consultants team Cheers to the Boules!

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

THE CLASSBOULING

AD ChiversAlan Nordberg makes a throw for Great Western Wine

The Bath Boules returned to its fullest, roadclosing, food-ﬁlled, city centre-dominating best this July. Over a packed three-days in Queen Square there was drama – the Friday monsoon! – joy and competitive spirit in the air as 172 teams battled for the trophy of the day – all in the name of raising money for charity.

Boules plus beer equals a fantastic weekend Greg Ingham and Alistair Colston‘Fetch!’ Celebrate the wins

Les Redwood, Dave Hogan and Stan

Stallard

Chris Garratt, ofﬁcial Boules ref, in actionTeam Groupia Fantasy Faces’ Hannah Southﬁeld was on hand to bring the festival vibes It’s all in the wrist Sticklers for accuracy, this lot 20 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk There were many hotly contested points

SOCIETY The Studmeister Mike Dearing, Luke Carless, Kate Carless and Oliver Day The tension was palpable www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 21

Crowds went wild Zack Day, Gem Solutions Saturday winner, high ﬁves the crowds Celebrations from The Genesis Trust Team Spellbound by the boule Jane Ingham, Sean Ingham, Greg Ingham and Dan Nichols 22 I BATH LIFE I SOCIETYwww.mediaclash.co.uk The ref is always on hand to settle disputes Mark Thompson

Street food vendors took over the roads around Queen Square Team 12 Trim Street Gary Day Sometimes a throw happens as if in slow motion... There is no happiness like a day at the boules No boules day is complete without at least one brownie Ref Chris Garratt keeps the crowds under control 24 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk Zack Day, Adrian Slattery and Mark Gerrish, Saturday winners from Gem Solutions

The bar was never quiet Boule veteran Les Redwood takes his shot www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 25 Andy Berman, Steve Sheldon, Jonathan Jordan and Kieran Curtis Boule dogs: which one’s your fave?

Layla Arthur and Emily Thatcher The Bath Carnival team Boules make us hungry A tense moment from Sunday’s ﬁnale...Jérôme Budin and Becky North Sunday winners Simon Harris, James Wrigley and Danny Sorace from Genesis Trust Sarah Baker Andrew Berman and Stephen Sheldon Absolute focus 26 I BATH LIFE I SOCIETYwww.mediaclash.co.uk

Des Hughes’ sculptural practice engages with traditional materials in new, inventive, witty, and sometimes dark ways, and his work bears witness to an obsessive, physical enquiry into both materials and methods. The artist, originally from Birmingham, is renowned for re-thinking conventional sculptural materials such as plaster, marble, bronze and clay. Alongside his sculptural work, however, textiles have also become a potent aspect of his practice, as here. Whilst his embroidering looks spontaneous, like a handwritten scrawl –his cross-stitch is self-taught and has a distinctly amateur appearance – the raw edges and wonky letters give his samplers a homespun quality, even if the message is anything but…

Des Hughes: Work is a Four Letter Word exhibition can be seen from 20 August until 4 September at the Bo Lee and Workman gallery, 50 High Street, Bruton; www.boleeworkman.com

SNAPSHOTS OF BATH’S CULTURAL LIFE THE ARTS www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 29

WORDLETTERFOURAISWORK COTTON2019,HUGHES,DESBY 48CMX73ALUMINIUM,ANDRESINLINEN,DYEDONCROSS-STITCH

WORK IT, BABY

Hauser & Wirth Somerset presents a major comprehensive exhibition of works by Henry Moore, curated by Hannah Higham of the Henry Moore Foundation in collaboration with the artist’s daughter, Mary Moore. www.hauserwirth.com Until 11 September RAISED EMBROIDERY FROM THE 17TH CENTURY

Until 31 August TIN CITY: METAL POSTCARDS An exhibition inspired by the Bath artist Jo Nye’s love of folk art and religious iconography. Widcombe Social www.widcombesocialclub.co.ukClub; Until 31 August MIXED EXHIBITION

Until 27 August ASHRAF HANNA

The Adam Gallery’s summer exhibition, to be found on Northumberland Buildings, includes works by Barbara Rae, Fred Cuming, Colin Kent, Dan Parry-Jones and Luke Elwes. www.adamgallery.com Until 4 September HENRY SHARINGMOORE:FORM

Until 29 August MATERIAL LANDSCAPE Features new works by six artistmakers including Jack Doherty, Daniel Freyne and Nancy Fuller. Through a dedication to process, the works explore the fluid dialogue between material and maker, form and function. www.hauserwirth.com

EXHIBITIONS

Until 18 September LOVE LIFE: DAVID HOCKNEY DRAWINGS 1963-1977 With more than 40 of David Hockney’s drawings on loan from private collections, the new Love Life exhibition is a wonderful way to enjoy the artist’s incredible talent. Works on display from the book of the same name include Ossie Wearing a Fairisle Sweater, and Celia in Black, drawn in Marrakesh in 1971. Holburne www.holburne.orgMuseum; Until 8 October LINE AND TEXTURE: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF NANCY SHEUNG This exhibition at the Museum of East Asian Art offers a rare opportunity to view the work by Hong Kong photographer, Nancy Sheung. This is the second time that Nancy’s work has been shown in the UK. Her pieces are often focused on the female with a strong emphasis on patterns and lines, and stand out from her contemporaries in approach and boldness, ensuring they remain fresh to viewers today. www.meaa.org.uk

Regardless of their social status, most women were expected to be competent at needlework during the 17th-century, but only a privileged few were able to afford the time or materials to make decorative embroidered pictures. This focussed loan exhibition in the Wirth Gallery allows visitors to look closely at these exceptional works. www.holburne.org

Until 16 October MARY SIMPLEFEDDEN:PLEASURES

The current Beaux Arts exhibition features the work of Ashraf Hanna, which is hand-built from a clay produced to his personal specification, and the results are stunning – flowing, undulating forms that are smooth to the touch yet with a distinctive grain. www.beauxartsbath.co.uk

ONWHAT’S 30 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk 13 August –8 September MOOREJEFF©

Over 110 paintings and works on paper, covering the career of Mary Fedden (1915-2012), have been drawn from private and public collections, including Tate and the Government Art Collection. The exhibition will shed new light on the artist’s working practices by including her easel in the installation, as well some of the ‘simple pleasure’ still life objects she found inspirational. Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk Terry Gilliam, co-director of Into the Woods, coming to Theatre Royal Bath

On the day of her wedding to Theseus, Phaedra catches sight of his young son Hippolytus. She falls instantly in love. Consumed by lust and a longing for a love she knows cannot be requited, death will be her only escape. Benjamin Britten’s cantata Phaedra was written in 1975 and was to be

CHILDREN Until 4 September SUMMER AT LONGLEAT From indoor beaches to a birds of prey exhibition, Longleat has a whole range of extra activities along with the safari, the maze, the adventure castle, and the gorgeous parkland. www.longleat.co.uk

Until 31 December HERSCHEL 200 EXHIBITION To commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Bath-based astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822), a major exhibition at his former home on New King Street (the very place Uranus was discovered!) will highlight the hugely important contributions he and his sister Caroline made to our understanding of space. www.herschelmuseum.org.uk

SHEUNGNANCYOFESTATE©

Take a rare and exciting look at the life of dinosaurs through their eggs, nests and embryos. This remarkable hands-on exhibition at the American Museum oﬀers an astounding array of dinosaur eggs and nests collected from all over the globe, with a special focus on the importance of American fossil sites in our understanding of dinosaurs. www.americanmuseum.org

THEATRE / CINEMA Until 23 August PHAEDRA AND MINOTAUR

TOP: The ArtMuseumonNancyphotographycaptivatingofSheungwillbeexhibitionattheofEastAsianuntil8October; MIDDLE: Dan Parry-Jones is just one of the artists exhibiting at Adam Gallery’s summer show; BELOW: More than 110 paintings and works on paper by Mary Fedden can be seen at the Victoria Art Gallery until 16 October

WHAT’S ON

Until 31 December HATCHING THE PAST: AMERICAN EXPLORERSDINOSAUR

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 31 Britten’s last vocal work. Ustinov; www.theatreroyal.org.uk 17 August – 10 September INTO THE WOODS This imaginative and delightfully playful new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s elaborate fairytale Into the Woods gathers a talented ensemble cast, including Julian Bleach, Audrey Brisson, and Nicola Hughes, led by the legendary stage and ﬁlm director, Terry Gilliam. Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.ukBath; 23 August NT LIVE (ENCORE): PRIMA FACIE A repeat showing of Jodie Comer’s West End debut at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the UK premiere of Suzie Miller’s award-winning Prima Facie. Jodie plays Tessa, a young, brilliant barrister who has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game. An unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge. Little www.picturehouses.comTheatre; 25 – 28 August BLOOD WEDDING TRB Theatre School Summer Company returns with Frederico Garcia Lorca’s epic tale of intimate fractured lives hurtling desperately towards the inevitable as the threat of civil war brews right across the Sierra mountains. The Egg; www.theatreroyal.org.uk 27, 28, 29 August

SUMMER SCREEN

The American Museum is hosting, for the ﬁrst time ever, an outdoor cinema event in its amphitheatre. Classic movies to be screened include Elvis, Back to the Future and Dirty Dancing, which can be enjoyed with American-inspired food, drink and popcorn, while surrounded by the unique and beautiful gardens. www.americanmuseum.org

Until 30 October YOU CHOOSE This is a exhibitioncommunity-ledwiththepieces selected by seven local residents, Bath Spa University fashion design students, and children from Oldﬁeld Park Junior School. The 11 displays tell the stories of their personal appreciation and interpretation of the fashion works, which include historic treasures such as a 1750s man’s worsted wool banyan and an 1881 beetle wing embroidered day dress, along with designs from Kenzo, Ossie Clark, Junya Watanabe and Gareth Pugh. This will be the last display by the Fashion Museum in its Assembly Room home, before it moves to a proposed new Milsom Place location. www.fashionmuseum.co.uk

Some of the big names taking part in this brand new children’s literature festival include Michael Morpurgo, Waterstones Children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell, Wild Child author and young naturalist Dara McAnulty, along with bestselling illustrators Martin Brown, Rachel Bright, Sophy Henn, Yuval Zommer, Katz Cowley, Adam Stower and William Grill. There will also be story time sessions and character costume appearances by The Gruﬀalo and Little Nutbrown Hare from Guess How Much I Love You. www.forestryengland.uk

27 – 29 August

25 August

COMEDY 20 August KRATER COMEDY CLUB A night of laughs with Raymond & Mr Timpkins, Matt Bragg, Kelly Convey, and Luke Honoraty. Komedia Bath; www.komedia.co.uk Every Sunday DRAG KARAOKE AT MANDALYNS

Most days of the week the welcoming and upbeat LGBTQIA+ Mandalyns bar has always got something upbeat, fun, and groovy happening, and Sunday nights are no exception. Their drag karaoke nights are in fact so darn good, Sunday is the new Saturday. Mind

BRILLIANT BEASTIES

WILD WONDER AT WESTONBIRT

16 August / 13 September

27 August KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS The American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer best known for his solo work, and as the former lead guitarist of rock band the War on Drugs, is touring to promote his ninth studio album (watch my moves). Bath www.bathforum.co.ukForum; 2 September SYKESMARTIN A new collaboration from two of British folk’s ﬁnest voices, Miranda Sykes (Show of Hands) and Hannah Martin (Edgelarks, Gigspanner Big Band) join forces to present a set of songs that take them back to their shared roots of ﬁne harmony and skilled instrumental improvisation. Chapel Arts; www.chapelarts.org

The American Museum & Gardens is hosting monthly sessions for preschoolers and their carers – with songs, stories, sharing rhymes and creative activities – all celebrating the world of the wonderful animal kingdom. www.americanmuseum.org

THE BILLY JOEL SONGBOOK Acclaimed singer-songwriter and pianist Elio Pace pays homage to one of our most legendary living musicians, with a thrilling live show that will transport the audience through a catalogue of Billy Joel’s hits including She’s Always a Woman, An Innocent Man, Uptown Girl, Tell Her About It, and the great We Didn’t Start the BathFireForum; www.bathforum.co.uk

MUSIC 19 August – 17 September IF OPERA Kicking oﬀ the If Opera season 2022 is the Picnic Prom with The Clare Teal Seven, continuing with thrilling and emotional productions of La Rondine, Rita and Il segreto di Susanna, the interactive family show The Man in the Moon, Dido and Aaneas with guest conductor Christian Curnyn and the Bristol Ensemble, and Tales from Chez Bullier, featuring music by Puccini, Verdi and Lehar. www.ifopera.com

32 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk WHAT’S ON

ABOVE: The packed and glorious If Opera season starts at Belcombe House on 19 August; LEFT: See the exquisite ceramic work of Ashraf Hanna at Beaux Arts until 27 August; BELOW: It’s a laughing matter with comic Kelly Convey at Komedia Bath on 20 August

Laurel Dalley Smith is a dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company in New York, currently in Bath performing in Minotaur, choreographed by Kim Brandstrup, as part of Deborah Warner’s Phaedra and Minotaur appearing at the Ustinov Studio from 12th to 23rd August. Laurel has lived in New York since 2015, where she joined the Martha Graham Dance Company and has danced in many iconic Graham ballets, including Errand into The Maze, Chronicle and Appalachian Spring. She’s now delighted to be back in the city she grew up in. Born in Bath, Laurel studied at The Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance, before moving to London at 16 to study at Central School of Ballet. “What a dream to be at the Ustinov this Summer,” she says, “dancing with Jonathan Goddard and Tommy Franzen. Bath is so beautiful and full of magic.”

Every Saturday BATH FARMERS’ MARKET Between 9am and 1.30pm a whole array of foodie traders from Bath and surrounds gather together under the Green Park roof, including Bath Soft Cheese, Janifa’s Kitchen, Seven Hills Chocolate, Botanica Studios, Pullins Bakery, and the Thoroughly Wild Meat Co. www.bathfarmersmarket.co.uk 21 August A BELLE NASH WALK WITH WILLIAM KEELING IN BATH Join the author and former foreign correspondent of the Financial Times as William Keeling takes to the streets of Georgian Bath to tell the story of the first volume of The Gay Street Chronicles, his new series about the colourful Bath councillor Belle Nash. The Toppings book voucher of £9.99 includes admission to the event and a copy of the book. www.toppingbooks.co.uk 28 August BATH VINTAGE & ANTIQUES MARKET

CULTURE CLUB …with Laurel Dalley Smith

On the last Sunday of every month the Bath VA visits Green Park Station,with its wide array of vintage and antiques offerings, which include decorative antiques, collectables, retro, furniture, fashion, jewellery, sculpture, curiosities, gardenalia, salvage, carpentry, art, and vinyl.

OTHER Every Friday and Saturday KROWD KEEPERS Upstairs at The Ale House on York Street every Friday and Saturday night, some of the world’s best and most innovative magicians take to the stage. The intimate 35-seat venue run by resident magician Billy Kidd promises award-winning performers who have featured on the stages of Hollywood’s Magic Castle, Penn & Teller’s Fool Us and Wizard Wars, amongst others. www.krowdkeepers.com

JONESCHRISTOPHERBYPHOTO

Laurel Dalley Smith: hometown girl

you, their Boogie Night Saturdays are pretty much the bomb as well.

www.facebook.com/mandalynsbath

www.vintageandantiques.co.uk n

What are your favourite places in Bath? I suspect one will be the Theatre Royal, plus the spa – any spa. The last great film you saw? West Side Story remake. Hands down. Astonishing. A film you could watch over and over again… Lawrence of Arabia A painting that means something to you? British contemporary artist Harry Yeatman Biggs never fails to inspire, from landscapes to portraits to energetic pop art. Your lockdown boxset? Steve Carrell’s Space Force; George Mumford’s The Mindful Athlete; Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2; Barber’s Adagio for Strings; Kurt Elling’s Dedicated to You Best TV show ever? Peaky Blinders. I can’t get enough! The book that changed your life? George Mumford’s The Mindful Athlete The book you could happily re-read? Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier. Last live music gig you went to? Kurt Elling at Catalina Jazz Club in LA. Remarkable. What would be your desert island disc? Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On? What else do you like? Dan Harris’ app 10% Happier, a great entry way to meditation. The Problem with Jon Stewart podcast is smart and funny. And my blog, www.bluepearl.blog, which sure is therapeutic to do. Phaedra and Minotaur are at the Ustinov, Friday 12 to Tuesday 23 August; 01225 448844 or www.theatreroyal.org.uk/ustinov Take to the streets of Bath for a Belle Nash walk with author William Keeling on 21 August

34 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk WHAT’S ON

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These striking works will be on display at 15 New Bond Street during the August Bank Holiday. The show is only open for four days. Don’t miss it. n

SPONSORED CONTENT

T he last exhibition Joanne had planned was in April 2020. She had booked a space and was in final preparations when the pandemic hit. It felt too risky to hang the work with the threat of lockdown imminent. The show was cancelled – and a later online exhibition held. Over the ensuing months, Cope worried her career would grind to a halt – but instead she became busier. Periods of lockdown provided many people with a chance to re-evaluate their interiors. Sales were steady and commissions came flooding in. Cope was luckier than most, and her daily routine didn’t change too much as a result. Since then, her wish to exhibit in a physical space has been at the forefront of her mind. With a new collection of cattle paintings ready to unveil, Joanne believes buying and investing in a piece of art is an emotional as well as financial commitment. And what better way to interact with art, and get a feel for it, than to see it in the flesh. Cope’s impressive portraits of the ordinary cow are wonderfully engaging and alluring. “When I look at cattle, I interpret their returning gaze as gentle curiosity,” Cope says. The majority of her subjects are painted looking out from the canvas to engage the viewer. Cope’s paintings seem to give glimpses of an inner life which she hopes will lead the viewer to contemplate our relationships with, and reliance upon, these familiar farm animals. She places the cattle in traditional portrait poses, lovingly rendering them in oil paint, with soft brushwork and a subdued colour palette. Before beginning a piece, Cope will experiment with chiaroscuro, the fluctuation between light and dark, to direct focus and create drama in each composition. The animals are set within abstractions of their natural habitat, giving hints of a misty morning, bracken on a hillside, or a cloudy sky. “

August Bank Holiday will be a special one for Bath-artist JOANNE COPE as she has her first in-person exhibition after more than two years Cattle Paintings by Joanne Cope 26-29 August 15 New Bond St, Bath, BA1 1DG 07958 703 438; www.joannecope.com www.mediaclash.co.uk PERFECT

Cope traditionally works wet-on-wet, or alla prima, an oil painting technique in which layers of oil paint are applied on top of each other. As thin layers of colour are built up, she considers depth of field, adding details to the eyes, nose and head to keep them in sharp focus, while softening her brushstrokes to the midriff, keeping attention on the face of the subject. “Once I feel the portrait has resolved itself and has the right energy, I will apply a glaze to unify the colours of the whole piece,” she says.

I BATH LIFE I 37 PICTURE

COPE’S ALLURING.ENGAGINGAREORDINARYPORTRAITSIMPRESSIVEOFTHECOWWONDERFULLYAND ”

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

WEST COUNTRY PATRIOTISM

FEROCIOUSLY ECCENTRIC In short, because Wood (1704 – 1754) was ferociously eccentric. A fantasist of epic proportion, his mumblings about druids and temples lay uncomfortably with genteel Bath and were quietly ignored for generations. Then came Tim Mowl and Brian Earnshaw’s Architect of Obsession: John Wood and the Creation of Georgian Bath, a study of the man’s genius now published afresh in a new, revised edition. Architect of Obsession is a detective story, a biography of a brilliant but flawed man, and a fairy tale made real in Bath stone and ashlar.

The son of a local builder, at 12 Wood is apprenticed to a joiner. At 17, he’s in London, leasing a plot of prime land to build a house –at 17! Little more is known until the summer of 1725 when he emerges with a visionary scheme for Bath that would knock the socks off anything in contemporary London.

Why did a little Somerset spa town of 9,000 souls need a Royal Forum, a Grand Circus and an Imperial Gymnasium? And what forces compelled this 21-year-old joiner to believe he was the man to build them? In his essay Towards a Description of Bath, Wood himself, brimming with self-justification, describes the theoretical framework for his transformation of the town. West Country patriotism, pursuit of architectural fashion – dumping baroque fussiness in favour of elegant Palladianism, the architecture of Rome. And his obsession with Freemasonry and Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem – the fount of his architectural vision – and the unlikely story of Bath having once been a Roman legionary camp and a key Wood’s 1736 Plan of Bath shows his building projects at the time. He was clearly keen to show off the newly built Queen Square, which is drawn bigger than it really is; below: The only known likeness of John Wood, snappily dressed, in a detail from a freshly restored painting by William Hoare. (Stephen Morris)

s every Bathonian knows, climb Lansdown and you’ll find the three stones that Bladud, king of the Britons, founder of Bath, erected as a temple to the sun. Actually you won’t. The temple, like the wandering Bladud and his leprous pig, is a folk tale – a story to brighten a dull day without a shred of historical truth. So why, then, did John Wood, Bath’s great architect, the ‘great restorer’ of the city – a man both practical and financially astute – fall so happily in love with the legend?

THE MAKING OF GEORGIAN BATH

A new edition of a classic book tells the story of John Wood the Elder, an eccentric architect with an obsession By Stephen Morris

Architect of Obsession: John Wood and the Creation of Georgian Bath by Tim Mowl and Brian Earnshaw with Cathryn Spence, is a newly illustrated and revised edition of the classic work, first published in 1988. It’s published by Stephen Morris Publishing, £35, and can be ordered by emailing www.stephen-morris.co.ukgmail.com.johnwood1754@Formore: “A picture as freshtoday as it was then”

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 39 HISTORY component of the empire. (Wood even drew a map showing the streets and barracks upon which he would impose his own 100-feet-wide WoodAndStreet.)laidon top of all this is the young Wood’s rewriting of the legend of Bladud, so as to make Bath the heart of a once great kingdom. The young Wood, architect, antiquarian, ‘of fabulous whimsys and his own crackt imaginations’ is willing upon his home town a vision of a pre-Roman Bath where druids worship, erect stone circles nearby and beyond, sometimes burn non-believers.

‘A GREAT FOOL’ Not everyone shared his vision. Bishop Warburton (who was related by marriage to Ralph Allen, Wood’s financier and business partner and sometime enemy) takes Wood as ‘a great fool and not less a knave.’ And yet, incredibly, his two great set pieces, the Circus and the Crescent, the essence of the World Heritage City, are in Wood’s mind replicas, if only in dimensions, of the prehistoric circles at Stanton Drew and Stonehenge. How many visitors coming from Stonehenge to the Circus realise that they are looking at earlier and later models of the same temple to the sun? The Circus is a homage to the first and second temples of Jerusalem with all three classical orders thrown in, and decorated with a frieze of obscure illustrations taken from a dead (and exceptionally bad) poet.

top to bottom: The Circus as originally built, with a covered reservoir, obelisks and mounting blocks. Wood described it as a space ‘for the Exhibition of Sports’ – but which sports?; in Belcomb Brook Villa near Bradford on Avon, Wood created an impressive home for a wealthy mill owner, tacked onto his factory across the yard (Stephen Morris); Wood’s plan of the stone circles at Stanton Drew. In his vivid imagination, he here finds temples to the sun and moon and, with Stonehenge, the essence and measurements for the Circus and Royal Crescent; The hand of God the architect at the Circus. Wood’s metopes for the Circus include dolphins, a snake gazing into a mirror and, from a popular horoscope game of the time, four blowing faces

THE UPSTART BUILDER Behind the pseudo history and the great works, Architect of Obsession paints a picture of Wood as the upstart builder, young man of business and often absent project manager. It’s a picture of the speculative builder as fresh and lively today as it was then. Wood: the dilatory surveyor and union snooker who falls in and out of favour with Bath’s movers and shakers: Chandos, Ralph Allen and others, whose sewage pipes instead of lead are ‘made of boards nailed together’, whose toilet cubicles are built withoutDeliveriesdoors.are delayed or lost, bills unpaid, scab and skilled labour recruited from Yorkshire. Ralph Allen, whose quarry provided the stone for Bath’s transformation, with Wood’s help broke archaic working practices. The stone was now cheaper to extract and, critically for Wood’s vision, worked by skilled masons who knew how to cut it. Today walk around the component parts of St John’s Hospital and you’ll see the transformation, from early, rough-worked stone (the facade by the Cross Bath) to precisely trimmed ashlar, in the courtyard.

UNTUTORED INTELLECT In Architect of Obsession, Mowl and Earnshaw have created a portrait of Wood’s short life that by turns makes him both real and unreal. A time-served apprentice joiner of immense and seemingly untutored intellect, whose mind hovers somewhere in the clouds. A dilettante who hates to get his boots muddy but who oversees the canalisation of the Avon. An architect who builds fabulous houses with hopelessly noisy partition walls. And one who climbs the heights of Lansdown to worship at a temple only he can see. No statue of Wood exists. His remains lie buried in Swainswick where his hero Bladud fell, beyond the city that had for years frustrated and inspired him. On his memorial stone is written Armigeri – so giving himself a heraldic title in one final act of invention. n

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

There’s nothing more off-putting, in a novel, than a narrator or lead character who is reliable. Firstly it’s inherently unrealistic, but also it can make for a story humdrum.predictablethat’sandIprefer a protagonist that you just can’t trust. Which brings me to Trust, the new novel by Hernan Diaz (Macmillan, £16.99). This literary puzzle centres on Benjamin Rask, and his wife Helen, a mysterious New York financier who makes and breaks Wall Street in the 1920s. The novel is told in four layers which explore Rask’s character and the wheeling and dealing he undertakes to build up the American economy before seemingly orchestrating and profiting from its dramatic crash. Each layer presents the apparently true story of the Rasks to the reader from a different perspective and we accept each reality we encounter, before finding it chipped away by the slightly contradictory accounts that follow. Diaz’ storytelling skills are shown off by the different styles employed across the four sections. The first tranche is written as an almost Gatsbyesque novelisation of the life of the Rasks, the second as Benjamin’s draft autobiography, the third comes from his secretary’s viewpoint and the fourth element comes from Helen’s diaries. Trust is stylistically comparable to novels such as Hanya Yanigahara’s To Paradise and Tash Aw’s Harmony Silk Factory, and is as enjoyable and accomplished as both of those brilliant books. It’s a more than worthy follow-up to Diaz’s excellent Western debut Into the Distance The publication of Nevada by Imogen Binnie (Picador, £9.99) is a heartening success story. First published by small US publisher Topside Press in 2013, it has now been reissued as a ‘classic’ just nine years later by Picador here in the UK. The novel centres on Maria, a trans woman living in New York who has been having a really bad week. She’s been unceremoniously dumped by her girlfriend and fired from her job as a bookseller for not caring enough about her job (no sympathy from me on that front). Her grand plan for getting life back on track involves stealing her ex-girlfriend’s car and taking a road trip west to Nevada, chasing the headspace of the open road. As we follow her progress, Maria becomes a compelling and highly entertaining central character. Her perspective is very unconventional and we learn that her view may not be the most truthful, or at least not representative of how most would seeInthings.fact,as we absorb the vignettes that intersperse the narrative showing the viewpoints of others (for example, her ex), we start to understand what a mess Maria is – and perhaps love her all the more for it.

BOTTOMLEYNICBOOKS

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

Nic on the enigma of the unreliable narrator

Look talkingwho’s“WelearnthatMaria’sviewmaynotbethemosttruthful”

Lastly, if there’s one sure-fire breeding ground of dubious truths, it’s social media, and that’s the world at the centre of We Had to Remove this Post by Hanna Bervoets (Macmillan, £12.99). Kayleigh begins work at a social media platform, as a moderator who has to review content that has been identified by algorithms as offensive. Her days become dominated by hate and depravity as she is constantly exposed to toxic footage. This novel is narrated in flashback – with the entirety being a statement to lawyers with whom Kayleigh is reluctant to engage. She doesn’t want to join the emotional damage lawsuits being taken on by her fellow employees.

However, Kayleigh’s story begins to reveal the toll her job has taken on her personality and relationships, until the reader is left doubting her ability to know what’s real and what’s not. Making her yet another of literature’s enticingly unreliable narrators…

• Domestic and commercial roofing specialists • Covering Bath, Bristol and the South West • Trading since 1985 Tel: 01225 421499 Email: PeasedownBraysdownwww.youngsroofingbath.co.ukmail@youngsroofing.co.ukLodge,Woodborough,StJohn,BathBA28LN

Bath Soft Cheese was one of over 100 Somerset-based products recognised by Great Taste

DONUT STOP ME NOW

Visit the Happy Donut Bakery at 28 Milsom Street

Locals like Bath Culture House, Swoon Gelato, Ma Cuisine Ready Meals, The Somerset Chilli Co, The Newt In Somerset, Bath Soft Cheese and many more besides all picked up stars for their offerings – you can ﬁnd the full list of winners on the Great Taste website. “We are chuffed to be unveiling the list of award winners for 2022,” says John Farrand, managing director at the Guild of Fine Food. “It’s been another exceptional year of high quality, innovation, and creativity. We’re seeing a steady increase in plant-based products year-on-year and the fermented and functional foods are really starting to hold their own in terms of taste.”

For more: www.alwayssunday.store

You can now ﬁnd chef Jaq Brewer serving up delicious, deli-style food in Always Sunday Store on Broad Street. Jaq’s delicious lunchtime treats are inspired by the ﬂavours in Middle Eastern and North African cooking, and include a range of salads and light bites.

After taking Bath by storm launching a delivery service for their handmade vegan donuts, Meg Smith and Nat Morris, the pair behind the Happy Donut Bakery, now have their own shop. Find them at 28 Milsom Street, where they are sharing a space with Nicole De Villiers’ florist, Blomme. “We’ve been looking for a shop for a while now, as our pop-ups have been going down so well. Operating as a delivery service for the last two years has been a lot of hard work and just wasn’t where we wanted the business to go in the long run,” they explain. “The response has been amazing, it’s blown us away. It’s been so nice to see so many familiar faces; I think that some of our customers are even more excited than we are. So far, we’ve sold out of donuts every day, which is great.” You’ll find freshly made bakes, shag cakes and donuts on the counter every day and a range of soft drinks, milkshakes and filter coffee from Girls Who Grind, along with a selection of bright and floral mugs, candles and vegan chocolate bars. Brand new for the shop, Meg and Nat will also offer donut decorating workshops and shag cake masterclasses. For more: www.thehappydonut.co.uk

For more: www.greattasteawards.co.uk

SUNDAY GIRLS

Jaq Brewer will be open from12.303pm on Friday and Saturday until the end of August, and then Wednesday to Saturday from September.

Jaq Brewer and Lexi Dart IN GOOD TASTE

“I’m open to working alongside talented, inspirational people, and when Jaq reached out to me in regards to her concept for a seasonal, fresh, homemade takeaway from our store, I couldn’t resist,” says Lexi Dart, founder of Always Sunday, which comprises the shop, the TOWN + HOUSE on London Road, holiday properties Boltholes by Always Sunday, and her own home in Bathwick. “Her enthusiasm and experience has brought us together to showcase Jaq’s talent against the backdrop of our store, and they couldn’t be more harmonious.”

SNAPSHOTS OF BATH’S FOOD SCENE FOOD & DRINK www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 43

This year’s Great Taste award-winners have been announced, with a remarkable 529 South West awards – more than 100 of them for products by Somerset-based producers. Great Taste is a one-to-three-star award from the Guild of Fine Food, blind judged by a legion of more than 500 restaurateurs, food writers, head buyers and other big hitters from the foodie world.

ALEX PETERS

“Enjoying greatfood and drinkwith the peoplemost important toyou is one of life’sgreatest pleasures”

What’s your favourite thing on the menu? I’ll have to sit on the fence between our caramelised apple and cider glazed ribs and our rib-eye with Bearnaise sauce (washed down with the Chairman’s Reserve). The Asian tom yum mayo and lime and yuzu gel that head chef Rob is creating for our calamari starter is not one to miss either.

What’s new for this summer? Green Park Brasserie recently launched its first ever Brunch and Bottomless Brunch menu, which has been very popular so far. We also relaunched the Bath Pizza Co Pizza & Pint/Prosecco deal which we opened with over six years ago. 2023 will see a new concept launched which we’re hugely excited for, so we’ll have to catch up in a few months. Take us through designing the menu… We’ve a brilliant team running the Green Park Brasserie kitchen, overseen by our outstanding GM, Alex Pitts. The Brasserie menu is built on foundations of quality produce from local suppliers with an emphasis on seasonality. We’ll work through a long list of dish concepts before landing a shortlist and then refining the components. Quality of produce, accessibility of price point and kitchen efficiency are key criteria.

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

What’s coming up? Alongside our regular live music evenings inside Green Park Brasserie, we’re hosting the incredible Harlem Rhythm Cats at Bath Pizza Co on Friday 26 August, from 6pm onwards. Expect plenty of dancing, pizza, Prosecco and good times.

TAKE 5

The director of Green Park Brasserie on hitting the big 3-0 Green Park Brasserie is a buzzy central spot in an 1800s former train station booking hall. Expect laid back vibes, delicious locally-sourced dishes and live music every Wednesday to Friday. Back in 2016 the Brasserie launched its sister business, the Bath Pizza Co on the station side terrace, offering delicious al fresco pizza, cocktails and craftGreenbeer.Park Brasserie celebrates its 30th birthday this year, and director Alex is here to tell us the secret to a long, happy restaurant life… Happy 30th birthday to the Brasserie! What’s the secret to your longevity? In a word, evolution – and What type of food can we expect? As well as Brasserie classics, including our steaks, burgers, fish cakes, ribs and other mainstays, we also have daily changing specials – a few recent examples include wild duck breast, lamb cutlets and Cornish hake, sea bass and sole dishes. Do you source produce locally? We work closely with many different local producers, but my personal favourites are the steaks we source three miles up the road from the team at Newton Farm. Some of our fish is brought up first thing in the morning from Newlyn Fish market in Cornwall and that is exceptional, too. From the bar, our draught beers from Bristol Beer Factory are my go-to recommendation.

What’s it like working in a father-son team? It’s certainly different from other working environments. We’re fairly direct with each other, and while we have a different approach on a few things, on the whole it’s worked well. After decades of graft, it’s fantastic for me to see Dad putting his feet up.

For more: Green Park Brasserie and Bath Pizza Co, 6 Green Park Station, Bath; www.greenparkbrasserie.com keeping your foot on the accelerator. My father, Andrew, took on the site in 1992 and the business has changed continually since then to survive. We’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by brilliant people and have always seen the role of the business to be a place for the people of Bath and visitors to love spending time in. And personally? What keeps you invested in it all? I believe that enjoying great food and drink with the people most important to you is one of life’s greatest pleasures; creating that environment is what makes us tick every day. Any 30th celebration plans we should know about? We’re currently planning our next venture, which has taken up a lot of planning this year. So, we’ll be tying in the new business launch with a big 3-0 party in 2023. Keep an eye on our social media for more… What have been some of the biggest changes over the last three decades? Bath has changed significantly since 1992, both in its geography and as a destination domestically and internationally. On the whole, these have been positive for business. It’s easy to forget how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful city, and one that is reasonably economically robust. From a personal point of view, the addition of Bath Pizza Co in 2016 has been exciting for the business and we’re working hard to create amazing careers for our people.

PhotographyCurdPacific©5 Bathrooms No.at 5, The Shambles, Bradford on Avon BA15 1JS 01225 309110 | info@bathroomsatno5.co.uk | www.bathbathrooms.com

Walking past Framptons the other day, I was distressed to see it seems permanently shut; not that I was a regular there exactly, but the relaxed atmosphere coupled with an imposing space offered something different from Bath’s usual pub offerings. Happily, however, I seem to have almost simultaneously discovered the perfect replacement: The Architect, even bigger, even more grandiose, and located in an even better spot, on the flipside of the same Empire Hotel. It’s taken a long time to get here. The old Garfunkel’s in the same slot – family friendly, built around a gigantic mushy salad bar – was something of a Bath staple, but when it finally shut in 2019 mourners were thin on the ground. Time for something better here, many thought, and this prominent space certainly deserved it – so it was something of a surprise when planning permission for a replacement was refused, the council apparently responding to fears of a noisy ‘mega-bar’ from residents of the chi-chi retirement flats upstairs. The combination of a lengthy appeals process and extensive refurb would leave what’s now The Architect closed for three years. But residents needn’t have worried. The result is hardly a rowdy place but instead a splendidly plush one, buzzing rather than loud, and taking great advantage of the Empire’s formidable but somewhat schizophrenic architecture. The adjective-loving architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner variously called it ‘a monstrosity’, ‘unbelievable’, ‘pompous’ and ‘frolicsome’, and it’s certainly bizarre, a great Bath stone lump with three distinct roof styles, part castle, part house and part cottage, each apparently representing the three social classes. Indeed, the new pub is named for Bath City Architect Major Charles Edward Davis, who built it back in 1901, as well as nearby Parade Gardens. Though not to all tastes, it’s certainly a striking building, not least in the huge and prominent groundfloor space that houses The Architect. Ceilings are ridiculously tall and slathered with ornate plasterwork, there’s wood everywhere – in the floors, the panelling, the booths, the endless bookcases – and an eclectic mix of vintage furniture, thick rugs, ornate glass, oddball pictures and potted Triffids sweeps you into another world; just walking in the door is something of an event. That the well-trained staff genuinely give the impression of being pleased to be here, all efficient, ARCHITECT

THE

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

One old favourite might have gone, but – hurrah! –here’s a new one to replace it, and just around the corner too By Matt Bielby

natural-seeming friendliness, doesn’t hurt. New owners Brunning and Price are a fast-growing, predominantly northern pub chain, and The Architect is their first south west venue; they exhibit an admirable sense of humour (freely admitting to Pevsner’s distaste), as well as a commitment to allowing each venue to establish its own style and flavour. Though the setting is grand, the menu is not, hitting all the familiar bases – light bites, children’s options, gluten free choices, a range of Sunday roasts – but with more of an emphasis on seasonality and imaginative ingredients than you might expect. (Alongside the chicken liver pâté, fish pie and steak burger on the constantly rotating menu you might get potted trout with piccalilli, or a sweet potato and aubergine katsu curry, say.) With starters £6-9, mains £15-18, and puds under £8, you’re at the accessible end of gastro-pub territory, but in a space that feels four or five times as posh. What’s not to like? Precious little, actually. There are plenty of seating options – a sun terrace for 30 (popular on the humid evening we went), bar and lounge options for walk-ins, and an orangery, as well as the main dining room. We tried to be reasonably adventurous with our picks: solid cocktails (a Negroni and a Kir Royal), a £22 a bottle of house white (a Macabeo from Spain, fresh and acidic), to accompany wild mushroom arancini (£7.95) and Devon crab salad with brown crab mayonnaise, fennel and a toasted crumpet (£8.95). For mains we had sticky pork belly with a watermelon and pickled ginger salad, mirin, and a teriyaki dressing (£16.95), and pan-roasted hake with confit potato, watercress purée and sauce verge (£17.95), plus sides of buttered vegetables (£3.95) and halloumi fries with tomato salsa (£6.25). For pud, a shared rhubarb and stem ginger sponge with vanilla custard (£6.50) from seven options, plus ice creams – though the extensive cheese menu was also very tempting. Everything was hot – sometimes strikingly so – and cooked with a deft hand, the hake just-so and the arancini with a notable crunch, but it was the more left-field choices that especially impressed: I’d never have thought to put pink chunks of watermelon with pork belly and spicy Asian flavours, but it worked a treat. As does The Architect in its entirety, in fact. It’s a good value, welcoming, quality offering in a knockout space, and feels infinitely more special than your eventual bill would suggest. Pevsner called this building pompous, but we’d use one of his alternative adjectives: frolicsome. n

Style of food Eclectic, revolving around pub classics but not afraid to surprise Covers 186 Prices Starters £4.95-£9; mains £14.50£31.95; desserts £6.50-£8 Disabled access Good Drinks Over 50 gins, plus plenty of wines and cask ales

“A welcoming,value,goodquality offering ina knockoutspace”

Vegetarian options The menu changes daily, but there are always some, from the likes of Moroccan vegetable and chickpea pie to goat’s cheese salad Atmosphere Lightly buzzing, with plenty of space and a chilled vibe What else? Both dog and family friendly, and a good spot for afternoon teas and Sunday lunches

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

The Architect, The Empire, Orange Grove, Bath, BA1 1LP; 01225 439610; brunningandprice.co.uk/architectbath Opening hours Monday-Saturday 9am11pm; Sunday 9am-10:30pm Owners Brunning and Price; landlady Hannah Liquorish Established June 2022 Name of chefs Szabi Szabo, who’s been at Brunning and Price for a dozen years

DINING DETAILS

DO NOT DISTURB

LIVE WELL, BUY SHOPPINGBETTER www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 49 This has to be one of the coolest ways to sleep – the Luna Canopy kingsize bed from Frome-based Cox & Cox creates a focal point in the bedroom without dominating things. You get all the statement grandeur of a traditional canopy bed, but the slender and open frame allows space to ﬂow beautifully in your room.

Luna Canopy kingsize bed in white was priced at £1,225 and is now £918.75, and available to order from Cox & Cox; www.coxandcox.co.uk

From Charlotte Brunswick, 3 Church Street, Bath; www.charlottebrunswick.co.uk

An array of soft neutrals and ivory shades create a dried bouquet of eye-catching yet simple blooms. Varying textures amongst the ﬂowers complement each other, including Larkspur and French ruscus.

50 I BATH LIFE I

CHOCOLATE PILLOW BOXES, £3.95

www.karaleighfordceramics.comCeramics;

WEST BAY BUD VASE NO. 27, £69 Handmade vase with a crystalline glaze and the Somerset-based potter’s mark on the base. This is the perfect stand-alone piece, or container for some in-season ﬂowers.

Good things come in small packages, and these pillow boxes are the exemplar version of this. Choose either cherry and salted peanut, or rose and Earl Grey.

HONEYCOMB INDIGO VELVET CUSHIONS, £65 Designed and made exclusively with 100 per cent cotton velvet, and dyed with eco-friendly and organic products, these are perfect to pair with other patterns for an eye-catching look. From Indigo and Wills; www.indigoandwills.com

TreatLIFESTYLENEWyourself,andmake www.mediaclash.co.uk

From Pulteney Bridge Flowers, 14 Pulteney Bridge, Bath; www.pulteneybridgeﬂowers.co.uk

From Emma Rose Art Works; www.emmaroseartworks.com

CHECK IN TO A

DRIED NATURAL FLOWERS, PRICES START FROM £40

From Kara Leigh Ford

exemplar PASSION PLAY BY EMMA ROSE, £275 An enticing painting using spring colours to enhance any room. It uses copper leaf, Indian and French inks with acrylic on a canvas ready to be hung. Emma Rose is a contemporary artist focusing on texture and colour in semi-abstract pieces.

WALKERCHARLOTTEBYCOMPILED

From India Jane, 20 Milsom Street, Bath; www.indiajane.co.uk

From Neptune, One Tram Yard, Walcot Street, Bath; www.neptune.com

EDITOR’S www.mediaclash.co.ukCHOICE I BATH LIFE I 51 GRAND TOUR LAMP BASE, £225 Intricate white porcelain lamp with a naturalistic design consisting of ﬂowers and foliage in deep blue and oﬀ-white.

From Looking Glass of Bath, 93-95 Walcot Street, www.lookinglassofbath.co.ukBath; ALEX STOOL, FROM £465 Alex is a simpliﬁed and more linear interpretation of the Curule stool, a cross-legged design from Ancient Rome. Because the shape is so uncomplicated, the ﬁne joinery and the beauty of the solid oak become even more apparent.

High quality room diﬀuser from a sustainable source with the scent of salt and samphire. A fresh and summery smell with undertones of bergamot.

OXIDISED IRON CONVEX MIRROR, £1,900 A contemporary oxidised iron frame supporting an antique vintage mirror to rejuvenate empty wall space and lift the area.

NO.17 DIFFUSER,REED£24

From www.limelightlimited.comLimelight; UBIETY HAND WASH & HAND LOTION DUO, £28 Here’s a clementine and spearmint hand wash that soothes and softens the skin whilst gently cleansing. Then – why not? – follow up with a lemongrass and cedarwood hand lotion to leave ’em silky smooth. And the best bit? Each purchase raises money for Dorothy House. From Ubiety; www.ﬁndubiety.com

Mulberry Lodge, 22 The Strand, Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire BA14 6EP 01380 870 270 | info@mulberryliveincare.co.uk | www.mulberryliveincare.co.uk Total care delivered with expertise and compassion for your loved ones A personal and fully tailored service to suit your situation and wishes. Mulberry Live in Care is a small family-run care company based in Wiltshire who offer some of the best value care packages available anywhere in the UK. So if you or a loved-one requires specialist at-home care, we are here to help. We understand that looking for the right care solution can be daunting and you will have lots of questions. Please contact us to discuss how we can build a package specifically targetted to meet your loved one’s requirements. Since October 2017 my parents have had continuous 24 hour care in their own home all arranged by Sam. The lady we got first is still the primary carer and when she has breaks another carer swaps over until the primary carer returns. At no point have we been concerned for my parents welfare. David Chambers

Located on Market Street in Bradford, Lindsay has created a boutique and tranquil, intimate but perfectly formed treatment space filled with soft cushions, beautiful art, and an abundance of positivity.

left: Sarah felt her shoulders relax, her blood pressure lower and her well-being lift; below: Lindsay has a very intuitive approach to her holistic massage

BEAUTY

I was treated to a holistic massage with Lindsay who has decades of experience and is very interested in women’s health, feminine energy, and whole body well-being. I was in very good hands. And what workadaymyconsultationAfterhands!acomprehensivewhereIsharedconcernsaroundgeneraltensionand specific post leg surgery niggles, it was time for me to stop talking. Lindsay has a very intuitive approach to her holistic massage – exactly how it should be, of course – and says, “I feel extremely passionate about massage, and aim to provide a caring, non-judgemental touch, with the intention to nurture and heal. I feel it is an honour to be able to support people on their journey

For more: Bradford-on-Avon Massage, 17 Market Street, Bradford on www.bradfordonavonmassage.co.ukAvon;

to health and well-being through massage.

Do salons know we don’t really like that? Lindsay has an excellent ear (as well as hands), and her tunes were uber cool, unintrusive and just the ticket for zoning out and switching off. I felt the shoulders relax, the blood pressure lower and my well-being lift. Just lovely. This intimate, cool salon offers a bespoke experience for every user. If you need a full restorative hour (priced at £60) made just for you, then get booking; you’ll be in the safest of possible hands. n

A holistic practitioner treats the client as a whole, taking into account their emotional and spiritual well-being as well as their physical bodily needs.”

Massage can mean different things to different people because bodies can be complex, some much more so than others, and if that’s the case with you then you really need to trust your therapist and hope that they have all the experience and skills required to understand your specific needs. Enter Lindsay I felt recoveryLindsay,happening.infact,specialises in pregnancy and post-natal massage, womb massage too, but also offers a full range of massage treatments including deep tissue and holistic massage. As a practice, Bradford-on-Avon Massage also offers reflexology, aromatherapy, and shiatsu.

After listening to these specific concerns, and instead of following a set routine, Lindsay looked to work the areas that needed most attention, tailoring what she did specifically to those spots. That said, I ended up receiving a full body massage, including face, ears, fingers and toes. My shoulders and neck had some very special attention, as did my legs (the site of surgery some five years ago). Lindsay checked in with me on strength of pressure as she moved around the body, lighter touches where needed, stronger on others. Lindsay uses coconut oil for all massages, although she says that she’s very happy to discuss that if anyone has any specific concerns. I very much enjoyed the playlist, too; no whale music here, you’ll be pleased to hear…

IN GOOD HANDS Sarah Baker discovers a holistic massage that delivers that well-being feeling from the minute she walks into the Bradford on Avon salon “I very muchenjoyed the playlist too; no whale music here”

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thecomfortingItandaboutmostWowBradford-on-AvonfromMassage.–weinstantlyhadtheincredibleconversationscarsandscartissuerecoveryandtrauma.wasenlighteningandand,evenbeforetreatmenthadproperlystarted,

Repairs, Restoration • Alteration of Stone Buildings New Build • Stone Cleaning • Stone Carving • Fireplaces Nigel Dando WE BUY Gold, Silver & Platinum in any form or condition. Nigel Dando 11 Pulteney Bridge, Bath BA2 4AY Tel/Fax: 01225 464013 www.nigeldando.co.uk • Roof Replacement • Detailed Lead Work • Repairs • Flat roofing • UPVC Fascias and soffits 01225 251458 | 07540 JACKSON-DIXROOFING@OUTLOOK.COM700908

www.libbycarterandco.com;libby@libbycarterandco.com;393022; f  Find us on social media SPONSORED CONTENT Fall in love with made-to-measure window dressings by LIBBY CARTER & CO DRESS TO IMPRESS

W ith over 40 years of experience in onLibbydressings,made-to-measurecreatingwindowtheexpertsatCarter&Codrawtraditionalhand-sewing methods and their extensive fabric collection to create the ideal solution for any size of window and style of property. The company’s passionate and dedicated team will arrange exclusive home visit consultations to evaluate all aspects of the room and ensure the end result is a perfect ﬁt for your window, as well as the colour scheme and design of your space. Customers will then be presented with unique concepts incorporating a variety of fabric, trimming, and ﬁnish options.

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Libby Carter & Co’s attention to detail is evident in the artful lining of the curtains, which gives each window dressing an elegant look and lush fullness, while also providing cosy thermal insulation. The company can also provide poles, tracks, and bespoke pelmets in a range of materials and ﬁnishes. All the roman blinds produced by Carter & Co are also hand-sewn to the highest standard, with the option to add chain mechanisms or motorised systems, both of which follow the UK child safety regulations. Whatever your needs, the team will guide you through each step of the process. Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN (by appointment only); 07743

“Romans, Saxons, Normans, Georgians andVictorians have all seepedinto the surroundings”

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DAWCHRIS© www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 57 THE BEAUTIFULANDBRAVETHEOFBRADFORDONAVON

Ten BOA places you must visit ASAP

1Iford Manor Gardens, Iford, Bradford on Avon; www.ifordmanor.co.uk These beautiful gardens, also known as The Peto Garden, are full of flora and fauna (well, cats), cloisters and terraces, and were crafted by Italian designer Harold Peto, who lived at Iford from 1899-1933. They have since become an internationally renowned, Grade I listed attraction; the attached Manor has been home to the CartwrightHignett family since 1965, who aim to maintain and conserve the captivating natural environment. Refreshments are served in the housekeeper’s tearoom, with homemade cakes and a cake-of-the-day at weekends. These grounds were a key location in charming 2020 movie The Secret Garden, starring Colin Firth and Julie Walters.

OUT OF TOWN

ith its combination of nature and Normans,thewithshadessteppingfromwalkable!)someBradfordarchitecture,historicalvisitingonAvon,eight(practicallymilesBath,feelslikeintovariousofthepast,thehistoryofRomans,Saxons,Georgians

By Charlotte Walker

and Victorians seeping into the surroundings, all building up to make a pretty picture box of a place. Snaking around the River Avon, Bradford also offers the contemporary buzz of a wealth of gorgeous indie retailers and venues to eat, drink, shop and chill. Here are our top ten must-visits at BOA.

4 Lamb Bradford-on-AvonYardBA151FG Luellafashion.com/sassySummerSaleNowOn Save up to 50%

Kettlesmith Brewery oﬀers experience days where you can join the team for a day and get involved in all the stages of beer production, from the science of brewing to the ﬁ nished barrels. Plus, you get to leave with a case of 12 bottles of beer.

Dating back to the 14th century, the Tithe Barn was part of a Medieval grange belonging to Shaftesbury Abbey. In the Middle Ages it was used as storage for tithes – which was the tenth of the crop given to the church – and later became a farm when Shaftesbury Abbey was dissolved. The barn continued to be used as a farm until the 20th century, when it was designated a scheduled monument and later a Grade I listed building. Surrounded by green space and facing the canal, the timber cruck roof still has the original arched support beams. There’s also free entry, a coﬀee shop and a gift shop.

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2Tithe Barn, Pound Lane, Bradford on Avon; www.english-heritage.org.uk

4Kettlesmith Brewing Company; No 16 Treenwood Industrial Estate, Bradford on Avon; www.kettlesmithbrewing.com

1 32 4

3Bradford on Avon Museum, Bridge Street, Bradford on www.bradfordonavonmuseum.co.ukAvon; Run by dedicated local volunteers, the museum has free entry and access to objects that tell the history of Bradford on Avon, from Roman occupation through the agricultural and industrial revolutions and on to more modern times. Exhibits include a replica of a local pharmacy, St Christopher’s Shop, which closed in 1986; the Bradford on Avon paintings of artist W H Allen; prehistoric, Stone Age, Bronze Age, Medieval and Roman artefacts; military memorabilia; and miscellanea from local trades, such as iron founders, clockmakers and the wool industry.

This small, independent craft brewery features an on-site pub and shop selling bottles, gift packs, and even kegs. Its aim is to brew eclectic beers celebrating British, European and American styles whilst paying close attention to balance, depth and drinkability.

St Laurence is a believed to be one of the most intact Anglo Saxon churches of its kind, and dates back to St Aldhelm (d. 709). Its architecture, with its tall and narrow windows and intricate stonework decoration, suggests it was built for nuns in the early 11th century. Despite being small – it oﬀers seating for no more than 15 worshippers in a bijoux congregation – the church is still used a place of worship today by the Holy Trinity church.

7 5Bradford on Avon Wharf; www.bmac.katrust.org.ukwww.canalrivertrust.org.uk;

Once the busiest wharf on the Kennet and Avon Canal, Bradford on Avon Wharf is now a great spot to stop and chill, and is peppered with beautiful historic features. Sitting just on the edge of the town, this is a tranquil area where you can watch the boats navigating their way through the locks. The canal is manned by Canal Trust volunteers, and along the waterside are numerous pubs and places to eat. Boat tours are also available, such as Barbara McLellan Trip Boat, which oﬀers ﬁ sh and chips or afternoon tea en route.

6St Laurence Church, Church Street, Bradford on Avon; www.greatenglishchurches.co.uk

7The Little Zoo 16A, Farleigh Wick, Bradford on Avon; www.thelittlezoo.co.uk

The Little Zoo is an animal rescue and rehome centre in Farleigh Wick, just on the outskirts of Bradford on Avon, run by husband and wife team Gary and Nicky Emery. For over 30 years, they’ve provided sanctuary for exotic pets that are either unwanted, or have proven too hard to look after for their original owners. These include snakes, tarantulas, raccoons, meerkats, ocelots, and servals. In more recent years the Little Zoo has invested a huge amount of time and eﬀort into providing a safe and humane facility for their pack of Eurasian wolves and cubs, which are an endangered species in most European countries. You’ll need to book an experience to visit, but once there you’ll have the opportunity to get up close and personal with a wolf, all funds raised going directly to securing the Little Zoo’s future.

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Timbrell’s Yard. Found by the banks of the winding River Avon, and with predictably brilliant views, you should pop in to enjoy award-winning food and maybe stay over in one of their stylish bedrooms. 49 St Margaret’s Street, Bradford on Avon; www.timbrellsyard.com Work Rural. Managers of dynamic workspaces in Glove Factory Studios in Holt. 1 Brook Lane, Holt, Bradford on Avon; www.workrural.com DIRECTORY

A HANDY BOA

Call in to see a wonderful example of a farm shop supporting local, independent businesses and sourcing from local produce, enabling a short and fully traceable supply chain. Throughout the year, there are taster sessions and meet-the-producer events, along with fruit, veg, jams, chutneys, coffees, handmade pottery, and beauty products to buy, plus a refillable grocers. Its adjacent butchers sells the meat the farm has been producing for more than five generations, and in the renovated barn you’ll find freshly made pizza. Delicious! 10Bradford on Avon Town Market; Facebook @BOAweeklymarket

Bradford on Avon Massage, massage specialists – turn to page 53 to read about our visit. 17 Market Street, Bradford on Avon; www.bradfordonavonmassage.co.uk

This 300-seater concert hall, renowned for its superb acoustics, attracts world-renowned visiting performers from across the style spectrum, including classical, worldmusic, contemporary, jazz, and folk. It’s a permanent home for local orchestras, choirs and music groups too, building community and showcasing talent. Along with some 150 concerts per year, regular activities include dancing and singing for younger years, young musician groups, and jazz academies. Launching the new season of classical favourites on 23 September is the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Sassy & Boo. A chic boutique with a range of both on-trend and classic ladies clothing and accessories. 4 Lamb Yard, Bradford on Avon; www.luellafashion.com

Cassia Collective. Don’t WFH; instead work from BOA at this co-working hub and café. Kingston Road, Bradford on Avon; www.cassiacollective.co.uk

Digital Wonderlab. The innovative and award-winning expert website designers have made BOA their HQ. 10 Kingston Road, Bradford on Avon; www.digitalwonderlab.com

If Opera 2022. The season of operas, picnic proms, and a family show, which starts 19 August and ends 17 September, will take place in the fully weatherproof Saddlespan theatre in the magical grounds of Grade I listed Belcombe Court. Belcombe Road, Bradford on Avon; www.ifopera.com

Dream Doors. This kitchen remodeler specialising in an extensive collection of designs, kitchen doors, worktops and accessories, 10 Silver Street, Bradford on Avon; www.dreamdoors.co.uk

Bowline Communications. The culture and communications marketing agency are located in the heart of BOA. The Georgian Lodge, 25 Bridge Street, Bradford on Avon; www.wearebowline.com

Orton Jewellery. Jewellers and goldsmiths, offering bespoke jewellery services and a large range of handmade pieces. 6-7 Market Street, Bradford on Avon; www.ortonjewellery.co.uk

Alfred’s, selling pre-loved menswear including suits and coats. 37 Silver Street, Bradford on Avon; www.secondhandroseroundabout.co.uk

OUT OF TOWN 8Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon; www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk

9Hartley Farm Shop & Kitchen, Winsley, Bradford on www.hartley-farm.co.ukAvon;

Taking place every Thursday between 8am and 1.30pm, the town market is a thriving hub of local traders producing and selling goods. It takes place at the Bridge Street car park in the centre of the town for easy access, although, when raining, the market is set up beneath the roof of St Margaret’s Hall. Look out for jams and marmalade from Go Wild Preserves, artwork by Laura Daisy and hand crafted jewellery by Cami-Lou Jewellery Design. n 10

Alfred’s We sell your Pre Loved Menswear and Accesories on a 50/50 basis Please call either shops to arrange a drop o or if you have lots we can arrange a home visit. Alfred’s 37 Silver Street, Bradford-on-Avon Alfred’s 27 Walcot Street, Bath Bradford-on-Avon 01225 684688 Bath - 01225 481660

The Old Ham Tree, Ham Green, Holt, Wilts, BA14 6PY Tel: 01225 782 581 - www.theoldhamtree.com TRADITIONAL VILLAGE PUB SERVING REAL ALES AND GREAT FOOD. EAT - DRINK - STAY. GLUTEN FREE MENU AVAILABLE.

Tim: Our team are a mix of cultural change and communications specialists, talented creatives, coaches and facilitators. Essentially, we blend behavioural psychology with creativity to change things for the better. What key trends are you seeing right now?

CULTURAL EVOLUTION

The Georgian Lodge, 25 Bridge Street, Bradford-on-Avon, BA15 1BY For support with your culture and communications, start a conversation with Bowline on 01225 931012 or email www.wearebowline.comhello@wearebowline.com

SPONSORED BY JOIN THE FUN

Sponsors also get access to the fun shoulder events taking place around the Awards, like the Grand Reveal Day when we learn all about the year’s fresh crop of ﬁnalists, and the exclusive Finalists’ and Sponsors’ Reception where everyone has the chance to meet and network in advance of the big night.

FrancescaPersephone’sBeauman I www.mediaclash.co.uk

There’s still time to get involved in the 2023 Bath Life Awards. Sponsorship offers a range of exciting beneﬁts including exclusive association with a particular category, the chance to present an award, and specially decorated company tables.

Scan Me!

The VP and GM for Google has been at the forefront of the games industry as a creator, developer, investor and executive for more than 35 years. Phil formerly ran Xbox games development for Microsoft, and was president of Sony’s PlayStation games studios worldwide. “I think every entrepreneur shares many amazing characteristics that are common to anyone who is a risk-taker, and who has that determination and vision and tenacity to follow through,” Phil said. And success, he added, isn’t necessarily driven through the desire for ﬁnancial gain. “It’s often driven by an ethos of, ‘I want to change the world… I want to change my piece of it.’”

The challenges involved in funding; the need to close the gender gap (and how to make it happen); the wish for sustainability in ﬁnancial planning; how best to grow your business; how to devise a good exit strategy –these were just some of the topics tackled by our panel of experts at the latest EntreConf, which was held online in order to reach the maximum number of businesses.

The day-long event oﬀered a series of dynamic, insight-packed talks, designed to inspire the sector while bringing together some of the most exciting companies of our time to share their opinions and experience. Tech giants and innovators, strategists, business leaders and creatives all joined us to talk about their philosophies, their backgrounds, and their plans for the future, as well as dispensing invaluable advice. As well as the three starry keynote speakers, the day involved two panel discussions and three expert insight talks, all interspersed with networking opportunities. There was also the unveiling of the EntreLeague: a list of the region’s leading entrepreneurial businesses, as chosen by a panel of experts (see pages 86-87).

“MAKE SURE EVERYONE IN YOUR TEAM CAN DO YOUR VERSION OF THE FIVESECOND, FIVE-MINUTE AND FIFTY-MINUTE PITCH”

“I thought he was challenging, but I could see his single-minded vision coming through in that conversation. It was not an easy conversation, but it deﬁnitely resonated, and I could see how he had achieved everything he has.”

Speaking about those who have inspired him, Phil revealed he was once lucky enough to spend a few hours with Steve Jobs.

GEORGIA STEWART Georgia is CEO of Tumelo, a company that gives investors and pension members visibility of the companies they are invested in, and a shareholder voice on the environmental and social issues those companies are facing. Her experience across the sustainable investment sector includes equity investment analysis at Jupiter, cleantech venture capital at IP Group and conservation projects at Fauna and Flora International.

THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Georgia’s journey started at Cambridge University. “Like so many other universities, it has a big pot of money, an endowment, invested in the stock market. But like many other investors, One of the freshest new conference and networking events in the South West, EntreConf returned on 30 June with a day packed full of insights, stimulation and inspiration

The future is unwritten TO RIGHT: Phil Harrison, Georgia Stewart and Levi Roots

Phil’s advice to any entrepreneur steering a company is to “be crystal clear on what you are building and for whom, and make sure that every member of your team, whether you have five people or 500 people, knows that vision.” And the key to that? “Over-communicate: make sure everyone in the team can do your version of the five-second, five-minute and fifty-minute pitch.”

LEFT

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PHIL HARRISON

SUSTAINABILITY & PHILANTHROPHY IN FINANCIAL PLANNING

Dominic Davis and Julie Book of Burges Salmon

PANEL 1: FUNDING With Claire Ladkin, All About the Cooks; Nick Hounsﬁeld, The Wave; Richard Spilsbury, Link Stone Advisory; Roger Saul, Sharpham Park. Wise words: “Whenever you bring funds in, you have to understand that while you are captain of the ship, it is now owned by a number of people. You’re there to guide it, but it isn’t yours. It’s now everybody’s I think that’s a vital lesson” – Roger Saul.

Our next EntreConf event takes place over dinner at the Avon Gorge Hotel, Bristol, on 12 September For more, entreconf.com/dinner

A businessman, food writer and musician, and currently chair of St Paul’s Carnival, Levi found national fame in 2007 when he appeared on BBC’s Dragon’s Den, pitching the Dragons the Reggae Reggae Sauce he’d been selling at food fairs and carnivals for 16 years. And yes, he clinched the deal; you can still watch him charming the room on YouTube. His breakthrough business moment came about through a stroke of luck: a BBC researcher sampled his sauce, and he was invited on to Dragon’s Den. “I always loved a challenge, and I wanted to overcome this challenge,” he said. On the show, two Dragons said they were prepared to invest £50,000 for 40 per cent of the business. One, Richard Farleigh, Levi believes, invested in the sauce; the other, Peter Jones, invested in him – a huge confidence boost for this budding entrepreneur. The first major order came in, from Justin King from Sainsbury’s. “That was the moment that I knew this was going to be something amazing.” The news came back fairly soon that Reggae Reggae Sauce was outselling Heinz Tomato Ketchup. Levi told us that his mentoring by Peter Jones had been key in his financial success. Another plus has been the fact that he has become the public face of the company; the person branding. He is aware that this strategy won’t work for everyone, but for Levi it has worked extraordinarily well. He also added: “Anybody can be an entrepreneur…”

“One of the advantages of crowdfunding is that it doesn’t come with a lot of interventions from the investor. However, it’s quite a ﬁckle market, depending on the sector; crowdfunding is best suited for consumer businesses” –Richard Spilsbury.

Duncan MacIntyre, Florence Kiss, Maximilian Martin of Lombard Odier THE ENTREPRENEUR’SGAMEPLAN Dimo Dimov, University of Bath School of Management

EXPERT INSIGHTS WE HEARD FROM: EXIT PLANNING

PANEL 2: THE OPPORTUNITY GAP (AND HOW TO FILL IT) With Leanne Olivier, The Female Edge; Alison Ettridge, Stratigens; Claudia May, Storm Consultancy; Elly Rowley, NatWest; Jane Ellis-Brush, University of Bath.

BATHWORKS

Wise words: “The greater diversity of entrepreneurs and business leaders, the greater and more positive impact we have on our business eco system in the UK” – Leanne Olivier. “In 2019, £250b could have been added to the UK economy if female-led businesses had grown as the same rate as men’s. In the last year, 140k new female-led business were founded; so plenty of progress has been made, but there’s much to do” – Ellie “WomenRowley.stillundersell themselves. We need to be really strong and confident about what we can bring. There’s a difference between resilience and bloody-mindedness; noting the difference is important” – Alison Ettridge. “Build your network and keep asking for support; be persistent – keep on until you get a response” – Jane Ellis-Brush. Watch the full event at entreconf.com/videos www.mediaclash.co.uk

TOP ROW, FROM LEFT: Richard Spilsbury, Claire Ladkin, Roger Saul; MIDDLE ROW: Nick Hounsﬁeld, Leanne Olivier, Alison Ettridge; BOTTOM ROW: Claudia May, Elly Rowley, Jane Ellis-Brush

FOR THE DIARY

LEVI ROOTS

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

I BATH LIFE I 85

it has very little transparency about where that money is actually invested, or which companies are actually being invested in. It had very little voice over how those companies were being run, even though theoretically they are owners of theseThiscompanies.”entangledworld of shareholders, ownership and stewardship inspired Georgia to set up Tumelo. “It’s what made me passionate about this idea: if you could get investors to be more responsive, then you could drive change.”

01225 300414 | mail@nexusofbath.co.uk | www.nexusofbath.co.uk RESTORATION & HERITAGE SPECIALIST IN BATH AND SURROUNDINGS • Sash Window Restoration & draught prooﬁng • • Premium painting & decorating, wallpapering • • Wet rooms & bathrooms full refurbishment • • Bespoke hand painted kitchens • • Plastering, carpentry, tiling •

How the interior of Newark Works is expected to ﬁnally look; INSET: The industrial warehouse site, once home to the Victorian engineering company Stothert and Pitt info@sbsdesignandbuild.comsbsdesignandbuild.com01225874676

Riverside development NEWARK WORKS TO RULE

PROPERTYPLACESTOLIVE,WORKANDPLAY

The £5 million renovation of Newark Works warehouse is set to open in October Bath’s landmark Newark Works on Bath South Quays has been transformed into a vast new creative hub, following a twoyear renovation project costing £5 million.

The renovation of the site began in 2020 following a £7m deal between regeneration specialist TCN, which is behind the redevelopment, and construction giant BAM. The hub was originally scheduled to complete in March 2021, but the project was delayed and the new space is now due to open in October this year. The 40,000 sq ft grade-II listed warehouse has been turned into flexible creative working space for Bath’s independent businesses and entrepreneurs, and will have super-fast broadband, bike storage space, and shower and locker facilities. The building has also had new roof structures, replacement windows and a full internal reconfiguration with new walls erected, which are at the height of two double-decker buses. The industrial warehouse was once home to the Victorian engineering company Stothert and Pitt, which developed the first steam crane in 1851, and TCN has wisely kept Stothert and Pitt’s old cranes as part of the office space.

For more: www.newarkworks.co.uk

PROPERTY NEWS

Bath

Nominations

The Institute of Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS) has opened its new 11,300m2 purpose-built facility at the Bristol & Bath Science Park in Emersons Green. The £70m facility, which has been funded by the University of Bath, the UK Government’s Research England and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, houses state-of-the-art powertrain, propulsion and both vehicle- and component-level research platforms, ﬁtted out with cutting-edge, specialist equipment capable of serving the whole transport sector, from automotive and aviation to marine, oﬀ-highway and heavy-duty vehicles.

Professor Gary Hawley, executive director here, says, “This is an exciting time to be involved in advanced propulsion research, and we look forward to many fruitful collaborations with industry partners and innovators as we embark on the next stage in the expansion of IAAPS.”

IAAPS is also adding a green hydrogen manufacturing and testing facility to its portfolio, set to be operational in spring 2023, which will not only decarbonise the energy used on site by reducing the whole building’s carbon footprint, but which will also form the foundation of a regional hydrogen and renewable transport research hub.

For more: iaaps.co.uk Bristol & Bath Science Park DRIVING FORCE are now open for the Bath Property Awards 2022, covering the business period of July 2021 – June 2022. There 18 categories, which are all free to enter, and include architect, ﬁnancial, contractor, rising star, residential sales agent and residential interior designer. To help your chances of securing a win, make sure you check out the vital top ten tips for nomination entries on the website. The ﬁnalists will be revealed on 20 September, with the Bath Property Awards ceremony happening on 4 November at the Apex City of Bath Hotel. www.bathpropertyawards.co.ukmore: Property Awards TIP OFF

Be winners like Saltford Kitchens! University of Bath has helped fund the new facility for the Institute of Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems

For

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Some homes don’t just come with beauty, style and comfort; some rare gems, like this Sion Hill luxury development, are steeped in architectural heritage too. No.1 Sion Hill Place is an absolute treasure of pure Georgian elegance. For a start, it was designed by John Pinch the Elder in 1818, who is renowned as the last of the great Georgian architects in Bath, with his work on the Bathwick estate, including St Mary’s Church and Sydney Place, considered amongst the most exquisite in the city.

No.1 Sion Hill Place was actually remodelled and extended in the 1930s when the front facade of a John Wood the Elder designed house (see page 38 for more on him), originally erected in 1738 in Chippenham, was rebuilt stone by stone onto the west flank of the building to create Summerhill Mansion and No.1. The building’s interior was then remodelled for Ernest Cook in 1936, grandson of travel entrepreneur Thomas Cook, when the new staircase, doors and flooring were added. Many items were refurbished from Chesterfield House, Westminster, which was once the London town house residence of the Royal Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary and aunt of our current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The property is currently undergoing an extensive Chadwick steps back in time for a history lesson that comes with a bright future

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1 SIONPLACEHILL Elsie

The apartments each offer a variety of principal suites with lavish dressing room spaces, exceptional en-suites and generous room proportions. Designed to complement the original features of the building, the bathrooms and en-suites offer large basins, free standing stone baths, quartz cabinet surfaces and large walk in showers. And while the crafted architectural restoration work has been artfully constructed with a strong Regency colour palette, for a limited time the development has an opportunity for a buyer to choose and specify their own kitchen colours, worktop finishes, appliance specification and floor finishes. A way to truly make your mark on history. and exciting restoration and refurbishment programme, and coming to market very soon will be two duplex apartments, two regular apartments and a penthouse suite, each possessing all the immeasurable features associated with its Grade I listing plus the prestige of being located in one of Bath’s most salubrious addresses. (Not for nothing was Sion Hill Place named one of the top six residential streets in the UK by the Sunday Times in This2019.)is a rare opportunity to truly make an apartment your own, and be part of the very architectural fabric that makes Bath so special. From the moment you enter into the grand lobby, the feeling is more akin to arriving at a grand manor house. From the impressive entrance area onwards, you’ll be immediately struck by the breath-taking ceiling heights of this period, not to mention the immaculate detailing that continues throughout. The embellished cornices, oversized architraves and skirting boards all have unique ornate detailing, while the curved stone staircase continues the standard of craftsmanship through its delicate wrought iron balustrade and elegant sweeping lines. Each apartment presents a modern kitchen integrated into traditional spaces. Fitted with stateof-the-art appliances and sympathetically designed around the original features of the room, each kitchen HOUSE ApartmentsNUMBERSforsale5 Prices from £1.85m Named one of the best addresses in the UK 2019 Originally designed in 1818 For more: Hamptons Bath, 32 Gay Street, Bath; www.hamptons.co.uk

will have a stunning, unique look, with all the modern conveniences associated with a luxury cooking-cumgathering space. Hand-built, these kitchens will have embellished plaster cornices and pilasters, and can be finished to any customer colour scheme. These are sumptuous homes with embellished finishes and exquisite detailing. Flooded with natural light from large bay windows, each apartment offers the most generous living space. And gorgeous details abound: extensive original features, cast iron column radiators, ceiling mouldings, and immaculate original sash windows that open out onto expansive, south facing, and more-than-usually leafy views over the adjacent crescent.

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Honey Willow handcrafts meaningful jewellery for loved ones and life’s milestones. All jewellery is handmade to order in central Bath. www.honeywillow.com @honeywillowjewellery 8 Pulteney Bridge, Bath BA2 4AX jewellery@honeywillow.com 01225 422 339 Opening Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm. Sunday, 11am–4pm Pearl hoops £105 GBP necklacechokerBirthstone £85 GBP Visit the website to see the full range, or visit our shop on Pulteney Bridge. Discount code: BATHLIFE10

Take care of yourself inside and out www.mediaclash.co.uk

VERVE FESTIVAL By day immerse yourself in nourishing yoga, meditation, gong baths, forest bathing and breathwork. Relax in the spa and enjoy the best in local food and drink. Then, party the night away to DJ sets by Huey Morgan, Will Streetwise and DJ Emma. The perfect day for healthy hedonists. Hatch House, West Hatch, Tisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6PA; www.feeltheverve.com

FOR THE BODY & MIND SPONSORED CONTENT

REBECCA O’REILLY is a certified holistic nutritionist and naturopath specialising in helping people overcome chronic and mystery illness, using food as medicine. With food and nature at the core of her practice, Rebecca is passionate about supporting those who have struggled to find answers to their health issues. She works with clients both locally and internationally through her online and in-person practice in Bath. info@rebecca-oreilly.com; www.rebecca-oreilly.com

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THE TEAM BATH GYM & FITNESS CENTRE. Even modest physical activity is known to energise our mental as well as physical health, boosting our well-being and helping us get more from every day. Team Bath are ready to help you start or restart activity - often the hardest step. Our expert and welcoming staff and trainers will be there to support you. Everyone welcome. 01225 383597; teambath-memberships@bath.ac.uk; www.teambath.com/fitness

REVITALISE SKIN CARE is an exclusive medical clinic with an ability to deliver great aesthetic results, whilst maintaining the highest standards of patient care, based on the team’s exacting levels of knowledge, professionalism and training. Prior to every treatment full consultations with patients are offered to discuss options. Key treatments include: wrinkle reduction injections, dermal fillers, nonsurgical face lifts and advanced laser hair removal. 01225 760556; www.revitaliseskincareclinic.co.uk

The newly designed Hot Tub Junior Suites are just one of the latest additions to Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa. Each suite sits on a private terrace surrounded by hedges, adorned with unique art pieces, underfloor-heated, and offers a walk-in rainforest shower experience. What better way to connect body and mind than a private countryside retreat? Boreham Rd, Warminster BA12 9HH; 01985 804680; www.bishopstrowhotel.com

LIVELIFE HEALTH & FITNESS brings health and fitness to your front door. Personalised, habit forming long lasting changes, in the comfort and security of your home and garden. LiveLife takes the stress from busy professionals looking to make meaningful changes, in order to live a more balanced, confident and healthy lifestyle for themselves and their family. 07858 022228; www.golivelife.co.uk/bathlife

DR LUCY FACIAL AESTHETICS is a medical Aesthetics clinic situated in Widcombe, Bath offering a bespoke service for all your aesthetic needs. With an emphasis on ‘natural’, Dr Lucy uses Wrinkle relaxing, Dermal Fillers, Profhilo and Mesotherapy’s to deliver outstanding natural results from anti-ageing to tweaks which enhance or disguise certain features.

BISHOPSTROW HOTEL & SPA

07894086663;nicolle.appletonnutrition@gmail.com; www.appletonnutrition.co.uk

APPLETON NUTRITION is founded by Nicolle Appleton, a fully-qualified Nutritionist with 15 years-experience in Alzheimer’s disease research. She is a specialist in optimising the health and wellbeing of those affected by Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. Our diet can deeply affects our minds and our lives – get the knowhow on nourishing your brain with the choice of strategy sessions and 6-months programmes.

LITTLE LAB offer award-winning beauty classes and beauty salon treatments; they are no strangers to makeup classes. They have been teaching people how to achieve a three-to-five-minute daily routine for over eight years in their shop in Bath, and have taught 4,500 people their bespoke routine. Think of it as shy-ofmakeup mentoring aimed to give confidence. Book Live for your beauty appointments. 20 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LN; 01225 310849; www.littlelab.co.uk

10 Rossiter Road, Bath, BA2 4JP; 07887514154 www.doctorlucy.co.uk

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE TODAYSUBSCRIBENevermissanissueof Bath Life – get your own copy posted to you on the Friday the magazine comes out Get yours for £40 for UK subscriptions (26 issues) www.mediaclash.co.uk/subscribe £4026ISSUESFOR

NEXUS OF BATH is a Bath based family business specialising in painting and decorating, plastering, tiling, sash window restoration and other property restoration. Nexus have built a reputation for the highest standards of workmanship with experience across a range of projects from listed buildings through to new builds, with a complete commitment to customer service and health and safety Tel: 01225 300414; www.nexusofbath.co.uk

COOPERS HOME APPLIANCES Coopers Home Appliances is an independent retailer trading continuously since 1947 and specialises in kitchen appliances. We have built an enviable reputation, delivering great products with an eye for the unusual. Value driven and customer focused. Striving to make shopping a pleasurable and human experience – a real antidote to the soulless online shopping ‘trip’. 01225 311811; www.coopershomeappliances.com

Our local businesses are poised and ready to help with all your home needs for Summer FOR THE HOME SPONSORED www.mediaclash.co.ukCONTENTIBATHLIFEI97 VIRTUOSO FLOORING Offering stylish, innovative flooring solutions to meet the needs of the savvy Bath homeowner. Virtuoso employ the largest team of experienced fitters in Bath. Their dedicated team are ready to turn your dream floor into a reality. Call now for a free consultation or visit their new show room on Moorland Road. To enquire, email info@virtuosoflooring.co.uk or call 01225 972715; www.virtuosoflooring.co.uk WOOLF INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN create unique, client-focused contemporary and traditional interiors, valued for their individual, beautifully tailored characterful design. With 25 years of expertise delivering space planning, detailed design, procurement, art curation and project management. An award-winning practice with studios in Bath & London, WOOLF are accredited designers of historic, period, listed houses and hotels. Tel 01225 445670; woolfinterior.com MENDIP FIREPLACES BATH Bath’s leading fireplace, wood burner, gas fire, chimney and flue specialist. From classic to contemporary, concept to completion, their team of experts can work with you to achieve your perfect interior. Brands include Chesney’s, Barbas Belfires, Hwam, Stuv and Jetmaster. Get in touch or visit the showroom. Mendip Fireplaces, Monkton Combe, Bath BA2 7HD; info@mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk, Tel: 01225 722706; www.mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk

JENNIFER MOSSE DESIGN STUDIO A bespoke, tailor-made, client-focused interior design consultancy service based in Bath. Specialising in residential interior design and providing a truly personal service adapted to each client’s needs, Jennifer’s unique style blends seamlessly between period and contemporary homes. The aim is simple – to create spaces that bring joy, reflecting her clients’ lifestyles and personalities. Tel: 07738289189; www.jennifermosse.com

BATH KITCHEN COMPANY Based in the heart of Bath and specialising in bespoke, handmade kitchens, Bath Kitchen Company become personally invested in every kitchen they design and build. It’s about attention to detail at every stage – creating a beautiful space that enhances the way you live. 7-9 North Parade Buildings, Bath BA1 1NS; Tel: 01225 312003 www.bathkitchencompany.co.uk

CLAIR STRONG INTERIOR DESIGN Clair Strong Interior Design is a boutique, creative company based in Bath, providing a wide range of services for both residential and commercial clients. Her portfolio of projects includes the design, project coordination and sourcing for some of Bath’s most beautiful residences, as well as hotels, sports clubs, offices and other commercial venues. Contact Clair on 07855 797311 or 01225 426905; www.clairstrong.co.uk

SCHMIDT BATH Providing bespoke kitchens and made-to-measure interiors across the Bath area for more than 35 years, Schmidt Bath offers luxury solutions for the home at affordable prices. With a dedicated in-house fitting team, your project will be completed to the highest standards. Visit their showroom to see the latest ranges and more of what they can offer. 1 Park Road, Bath BA1 3EE; Tel: 01225 337276; www.schmidt-bath.com

The children’s author and primary school teacher on learning that writing books isn’t something that only ‘happens to other people’ which led me to setting up the review website, My Book Corner. However, I had absolutely no notion that I could actually consider writing a book myself It just wasn’t on my radar as something that I could do. I grew up in a working-classproudlyhousehold, and writing books was just something that other people did – I merely enjoyed reading them. As it turns out, reading and teaching so many books in such wide-ranging genres over the years has turned out to be perfect training. Maybe I’m a bit of a late developer, or maybe I was just waiting until the timing was right. The first thing I remember writing was an overly long story about a spider in a drain back Emma Perry is an author and primary school teacher who lives in Combe Down and is both founder of MyBookCorner and organiser of International Book Giving Day. Her first picture book was I Don’t Like Books. Never. Ever. The End illustrated by Sharon Davey, published by David Fickling Books in February 2020, and there are two new publications coming out this month: Puddling!, illustrated by Claire Alexander, and Know It Owl, illustrated by Andrea I’veStegmaier.always loved reading. I could be found with my nose in a book, or cycling to and from the local library. I adored writing too – something “It’s often while doing other jobs around the garden that ideas percolate and bubble”

Honest – this isn’t an excuse for procrastination, I promise! But, it’s often while doing other jobs around the garden that ideas percolate and bubble, or plots begin to untangle themselves. I don’t write every day. I know some writers swear by it, but that just doesn’t always work for me. I’ve found it much more productive to chip away at stories in short bursts, giving them plenty of space to roll around in my imagination in order to become stronger. My favourite Bath indie shops are Mr B’s, Toppings and Oldfield Park Bookshop for book filled heaven; Chapter 22 for wonderful vibes of plants and music combined with great coffee; and Julia Davey, tucked away in Bear Flat, is my go-to for gifts. Always. And when shopping for little ones? My Small World is the place to go. n Know It Owl by Emma Perry and illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier is throughcan£7.99,bypublishedStoryhouse,andbeorderedlocalindie bookshops For more: www.emmaperryauthor.co.uk in primary school. It went on and on and on and… Funnily enough, it never went anywhere.

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EMMA PERRY

Publishing is filled with ups and downs, it’s a real rollercoaster of a ride. There’s lots of waiting. Lots of silences. And did I mention the waiting? That’s often the hard part, but outweighed by the best moments. Receiving an email with sample artwork from the illustrator via the publisher has never failed to be a huge moment. Huge. Andrea Stegmaier’s portrayal of Owl in our book Know It Owl blew me away. Her artwork is so rich in colour, detail and texture. It’s an utter privilege to be creating books with such a wonderful team – Bath-based publishing house Storyhouse Publishing have been a dream team for me. I’ve always fancied being the type of writer who whiles away the hours in a fabulous café, and gently taps away at the keyboard. I have tried it. More than a few times. But I just can’t last there very long! In all honesty, I like to be surrounded by the books on my shelves and my own notepads whilst nestled in my very own comfy chair and, yes, there do tend to be more than a few distractions, but sometimes I need those.