Bath Life - Issue 505 by MediaClash

I WALK THE LINE

WANDERING THE WOODLANDS OF BATH SKYLINE

OWN IDENTITY ISSUE 505 / JANUARY 2024 / £3

ISSUE 505 / JANUARY 2024 / SIGNATURE STYLE

HOW TO ADD CHARACTER TO YOUR HOME

NATURE NURTURE

THE NOURISHING GARDENS OF COMBE GROVE

YOUR GOOD HEALTH

QUICK FIXES POST PARTY SEASON

GOLDEN YEAR

LOOKING BACK AT 2023

MIRROR, MIRROR

THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL SHOPPING EDIT

PROMISED LANDS

THE BATH BUILDS THAT NEVER CAME TO PASS

+ CAREER PATH WITH GRAHAM PATERSON + CULTURE CLUB WITH NIKKI WARWICK + NETWORK NEWS WITH JOE CUSSENS

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas

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PHOTO BY DEVOL

EDITOR’S LETTER

ears ago – when the Riverside development was a mere ripple in the property scape of Bath – my very pregnant self and my husband, out of curiosity, had a little nosey around one of the showhomes. It was beautiful. Pristine, white, smart and slick. We ooooh’d and aaaaah’d over the integrated appliances and the pretty-as-a-RiverAvon picture balcony. It was all such a tidy, sleek lifestyle contrast to our scruffy, higgledy piggledy, Victorian terrace. My husband was seduced into thinking he was a suave bachelor living some monochrome, coffee-machine, minimalist kind of life And I fell slightly in love with the idea of windows that shut with a click and clean, new little nest for the soon to be three of us. This daydream lasted about 15 seconds as thoughts, much like our belongings, began to crowd in. Where would the gazillion records my husband collects for his imaginary record shop go? What about my battered books – even those school poetry anthologies that are staying with me forever? What about that weird painted South African ostrich egg on a tripod mount? And the huge hinged Moroccan style box we bought at Silcox & Wicks just because we liked it, and then plonked centre stage in the living room and chucked everything we were less keen on inside? Then there are the festival wrist bands, the holiday magnets, the waving lucky cat, the papier mache cartoon printed skull. These odd accessories, accumulated at random, are what makes us us. Tempting as it may be to start over, you can pretty much know every single one of these things would’ve been dragged with us, and promptly hurled in all four corners of this modern, spartan property. Making it a mess, making it ours. There have been times, of course, when I wish my house was like that Insta account (we all have one) – but to try and replicate that without heart is souless. Which is why I love this issue’s interiors feature, over on page 26. Our experts help guide us through the ways to make your home your own – from statues of nuns to shelves of kitchen utensils. No more ‘but that won’t go’ – everything goes. We just have to learn to go our own way.

SARAH MOOLLA An amazing, rich and eclectic kitchen by deVOL, part of our interiors feature from page 26

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

Issue 505 / January 2024

PHOTO BY CASPERFARRELL

COVER Spaces are getting personal over on page 26. Photo features Dot BP5902 wallpaper from the Farrow & Ball hristopher ohn ogers collection

INTERIORS

26 MY SPACE How to really make a home your own 41 SHOP LEAD Woodland magic meets Art Deco 42 EDITOR’S CHOICE Mirror, mirror and more mirrors

THE ARTS

55 ARTS INTRO adybirds y into Victoria rt allery 56 WHAT’S ON Theatre, music, comedy, art, and more 61 FILMS Winter tales at the Little

ILLUSTR ATION BY ROAM TO ROAM

PHOTO BY A HAPPY BATHONIAN

FOOD & DRINK

64 RESTAURANT REVIEW Happy vibes at Pomegranate 67 FOODIE NEWS Whiskey a go-go at Whatley Manor 68 RECIPE Winter warmer from The Pig Near Bath

WELLBEING

70 WALK THE WALK Explore the beauty of the Bath Skyline 74 GOOD HEALTH Expert tips on how to beat the festive slump 82 GARDENS ellness abounds at ombe rove

NETWORK

89 NETWORK LEAD The story of the Bath Pub Company lunch 92 NETWORK NEWS Local business news, views, and interviews 94 CAREER PATH raham aterson on the ounding o itty

PROPERTY

100 UNBUILT BATH Looking at what might have been in the city 105 PROPERTY LEAD Be king of your castle 106 PROPERTY NEWS The latest from the market 110 SHOWCASE A Lansdown home that stands out from the crowd

DEPARTMENTS

12 SPOTLIGHT Looking back at 2023 15 INSTAS The Christmas lights of Bath 19 FLATLINE Flats hates mess, hates tidying up 21 SCENE Hello, party people! 114 BATH LIVES Meet Iestyn Lewis

Editor Sarah Moolla sarah.moolla@mediaclash.co.uk Managing editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Cover design Trevor Gilham Contributors Ellie Hendricks, Elsie Chadwick, David Flatman, Rachel Ifans, Joe McSorley, Julian Orbach, Roam to Roam, John Mather, and Nick Woodhouse Commercial director 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 Marketing executive Grace Goodall grace.goodall@mediaclash.co.uk Production and distribution manager Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Production designer Matt Gynn matt.gynn@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Bath Life MediaClash, Carriage Court, 22 Circus Mews, Bath, BA1 2PW. tel: 01225 475800; www.mediaclash. co.uk Instagram @TheMediaClash ©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 and Bristol. 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

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 11

Year in review

RETROSPECTIVE PHOTO BY BET T Y BHANDARI

Month by month, celebrating the very best of Bath in 2023

MARCH

The Bath Festival line-up is revealed, and includes Bath-based Max Porter, author of Grief is the Thing with Feathers and Lanny, talking about his new novel, Shy

JANUARY

APRIL

Queen Charlotte, the Bridgerton origin story, launches on Netflix – with more glimpses of Bath as the backdrop

PHOTO BY JAMIE BELLINGER; INSTAGR AM @JAMIEBELLINGER

Bath-based photographer Joe Short is named one of the winners in the 2023 British Journal of Photography Portrait of Britain Awards, thanks to this picture of Viktoriia Zdrok, a Ukranian refugee

FEBRUARY

The Netflix period romcom Bridgerton romps back into town to film the third installment of the series

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

MAY

The summer programme of The Mayor’s Guides launches, and includes eight new walks exploring historical Bath – and all free

PHOTO BY LUKE SHADRICK. INSTAGR AM @LUKE_ SHADRICK

SPOTLIGHT

JUNE

Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales visits the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, based at the Percy Street Community Centre

JULY

Festival Hare by Molly Dickinson is spotted enjoying Bath Festival’s Party in the City

SEPTEMBER

The art of Zoë Power adorns Milsom Street

AUGUST

The Pentathlon GB team take part in the UIPM Modern Pentathlon Championships, held at the University of Bath

OCTOBER

Celebrating Bath Fashion Museum’s Dress of the Year 2022, the Miu Miu mini skirt

NOVEMBER

A look ahead to the new productions coming to Theatre Royal Bath, including HMS Pinafore performed by Opera della Luna

DECEMBER

We’ve all gone wild for Wonka starring Timothée Chalamet, some of which was filmed in Bath

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 13

SPOTLIGHT

SHINING EXAMPLES COMPILED BY GR ACE GOODALL

The shimmering beauty of the Bath Christmas lights

@clairethatcher

@chrisbaileyphotographer

@richmorrisinsta

@thegreenbirdcafe

@bath_shots

@bathchristmasmarket

@ellisreed

@ahappybathonian

@meldarbon

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

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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

NEW YEAR 5th January – Taylormania – Taylor Swift Eras: The Ultimate Tribute 11th January – Tommy Emmanuel 16th January – Bath Philharmonia and Nicola Benedetti 20th January – Re-Take That 23rd January – Wet Wet Wet & Go West 25th January – Chaka – The Music of Chaka Khan 27th January – Stewart Lee – Basic Lee 31st January – Sarah Millican – Late Bloomer 1st February – Sarah Millican – Late Bloomer 2nd February – Sarah Millican – Late Bloomer 5th February – Kaleb Cooper – The World According to Kaleb 6th–8th February – West Wilts Dance Festival 9th February – The Gilmour Project – All-Star Pink Floyd Tribute 10th February – Gareth Gates – The Best of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 13th February – ABC – The Lexicon of Love 14th February – Bath Philharmonia and Lara Melda 21st February – Puccini Madama Butterfly 22nd February – Country Roads 23rd February – Fairport Convention 24th February – Al Murray – Guv Island 26th February – Rob Brydon – A Night of Songs & Laughter 28th February – An Audience with Lucy Worsley on Agatha Christie 29th February – Matt Green – That Guy

Taylormania Taylor Swift Eras: The Ultimate Tribute 5th January

Tommy Emmanuel 11th January

Chaka – The Music of Chaka Khan 25th January

Kaleb Cooper The World According to Kaleb 5th February

The Gilmour Project All-Star Pink Floyd Tribute 9th February

Gareth Gates The Best of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 10th February

Puccini Madama Butterfly 21st February

An Audience with Lucy Worsley on Agatha Christie 28th February

www.bathforum.co.uk

Bath Box Office | 01225 463362

FLAT LINE DAVID FLATMAN

“I don’t want to spend my life bloody tidying up”

Clean break

Flats longs to restore order to his chaotic home, but draws the line at actually doing anything about it

hen she as about ve, my second daughter told us that she’d heard someone say the word ‘burrito’, knew it was food, and that she’d li e to have one please ever one to pass up the opportunity to order a eliveroo, agreed on the spot e set about speccing up her rst taste o e icana and the e citement began to build. t had every single thing she anted and she as literally vibrating ith anticipation hen the doorbell ent he too her rst bite, allowed her taste buds to make their minds up and send their decisions the short ourney to her brain, then burst into the most intense tears o her li e to date hen she as nally able to form an actual word through the tears and saliva and salsa and rice, she screamed “it’s disgusting!” t turns out she inherited this little minibo set o reactions rom me have an active

mind and it likes to form pictures – actual images – of what certain things will look like. This can indeed be a meal, it can be a column li e this, it can be an out t, a conversation or a party nd i reality, hen it arrives, doesn’t match what my mind told me would have been per ect or close to it, eel massive disappointment. The sort of disappointment that quickly – instantly, actually – manifests as simple, sharp irritation. Currently my problem is with my home. love it one day e ll live in the countryside again but e do really love it , but it eeps being messed up by my children. And also by me o matter ho many times m told that this is amily li e, mate by my i e, can t uite come to terms ith the act ven said onder ul i e said to me today be ore le t or ondon here s so much ant to do to make the place feel nice, but it feels like a constant battle that can t in t s carnage essy teens, a tyrannical orce of nature toddler, and a grippy little koala

baby combine to ma e every room they enter very uic ly resemble some sort o disaster o hat do is all out o love ith the place, hit ightmove, and start calculating the stamp duty on homes cannot afford ut at the time o searching, m deadly serious Like a right baby. “Nope, this place is wrong. The layout’s wrong. We need lateral and rural, not vertical and urban t s pathetic, and m paid no heed. The bit that separates my reactions to mess and chaos from the disappointment felt by my daughter on urrito ay is that she as essentially helpless to improve the situation She couldn’t exactly bin the porky wrap and knock herself up a frittata with Tuesday’s le tovers actually have the po er to tidy up and restore a level o order cept don t ant to s said, m a bit o a baby m happy to do my bit and at times can even en oy it not emptying the dish asher he passive aggressive situation around that appliance come the end of its cycle is so tense it could ma e your nose bleed , but don t want to spend my life bloody tidying up. he most o ten-suggested solution get over it, you la y pig y solution bin hal o our belongings – including kids’ toys as they won’t even no and don t even play ith them and get help eriously, give a ay an actual ton o stuff, and get a part-time house eeper hat about the money hear the cry , sell the kids’ toys and some of my old trainers and use that to pay for the housekeeper. e re not moving e re not binning hal o our stuff and living li e demi-mon s nd can t cope ith hat eep being told is normal nyone no o a lovely little old pensioner who fancies putting away building blocks and scraping up banana skins from the carpet or t o hours a day, onday to riday This cute little baby needs help. 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

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

SPONSORED CONTENT

PROJECT INSIGHTS

A beautiful kitchen renovation, perfected by Rob Cash and Ben Gregory of KUTCHENHAUS BRISTOL and interior designer Emilie Heinonen of People & Spaces.

he property, situated in Bishopston, North Bristol is a typical Victorian terrace house which is home to Sophia, Khuram and their son. For this project, the client was looking to extend their kitchen in order to create a modern room which was capable of hosting family gatherings. Khuram has a passion for cooking and from the outset it was evident what he and Sophia wanted from the new room. “Khuram and Sophia had explored options with People & Spaces and settled on an extension which would allow for a larger kitchen space,” explains Emilie. “It was clear from working with them that the kitchen needed to be the heart of the home and a place where guests could gather. “Because of Khuram’s passion for cooking, we knew we’d need to factor in the latest, forwardthinking appliances. The client also wanted to complete the project with speed, which is why they turned to Rob at Kutchenhaus to deliver on this after visiting the Bristol showroom and selecting a kitchen.” With Emilie on board, test fit layouts were produced to find the optimum positioning of

the kitchen and flow, and this resulted in six different options being created based on the brief. His and hers mood boards were produced by Khuram and Sophia and then Emilie worked through a five-point process to develop and run through layouts, resulting in a chosen layout. The kitchen required for the project was one that would both look great but also facilitate regular, intricate cooking. The client therefore opted for a German-engineered kitchen from Kutchenhaus. Kitchen experts, Rob Cash and Ben Gregory of Kutchenhaus Bristol, worked together with Emilie and the client to deliver a space which fit the layout dimensions. The kitchen selected was the Kutchenhaus Easytouch which featured a standout kitchen island and things such as large drawers to store the many pots and pans used in traditional Indian cooking. The new kitchen layout featured a new sink area alongside a dishwasher, with the spaces between different items in the kitchen meticulously planned. Rob says, “We were able to design and deliver a bespoke kitchen, made exactly to fit the client’s demands. The fact that we could do this in a short space of time was very appealing to them and meant the project could progress at pace. “This kitchen features Kutchenhaus Easytouch in mineral green and Havanah oak door fronts. The Easytouch range in particular offers antifingerprint technology which is good for kitchens that are designed to host. It’s also a bonus to counteract fingerprints on surfaces when children are growing up. “The kitchen also features white quartz worktops, an incredibly tough and durable option which is resistant to stains and cracks. Kutchenhaus was able to offer an array of colours and options overall which meant we could fit the taste of both Sophia and Khuram.” A full suite of new Bosch appliances was also

selected for the Bishopston project. Rob explains, “All the appliances chosen were black, which means they really contrast beautifully with the mineral green of the kitchen and the white surfaces too. The fridge in particular is a large, dark product which adds to the contemporary space and brings a modern feel to the entire room.” The biggest challenge for Emilie to overcome when planning the space was the lighting because there were different ceiling levels and skylights. This meant selecting lighting and making sure it was the right lighting was critical for the kitchen to work properly. Emilie says, “I think the big accomplishment with the property was that the finished project showcased perfect scale. The scale of the space is just right, which means using the kitchen is natural and there’s an ease of access to appliances and ingredients, clear views to the garden and the rest of the home. “This makes the entire room very pleasing to the eye and this is possible because the layout was worked on extensively so that we got the scale right. Rob adds, “I think the island is also a standout as it needed to function for a chef, almost. This meant we needed the highest quality product, and with this, very high-spec ovens too. This takes the kitchen to the next level as you know it has both style and substance.”

For more info visit www.uk.kutchenhaus.com and www.peopleandspaces.co.uk. Photography by: Leighton James – Thepropertyphotographer

BATH’S LEADING MARBLE AND GRANITE COMPANY FOR OVER 30 YEARS Specialists in quartz, granite and marble for kitchens and bathrooms Showroom open 8am–5pm Mon to Fri, Sat 9am–12.30pm Tel: 01761 412934 info@hobbsmarbleandgranite.co.uk www.hobbsmarbleandgranite.co.uk

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Our restaurant has opened its doors, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome everyone! After much anticipation, we are thrilled to invite you to experience our delicious cuisine, warm hospitality, and inviting ambiance. Discover the culinary treasures of the Mediterranean at Pomegranate Meze, nestled within the enchanting walls of a beautiful chapel on Walcot Street. Immerse yourself in the essence of Greek and Turkish cuisine, where every dish tells a story of tradition and taste. Our warm ambiance and attentive service promise an unforgettable dining experience. We can accommodate large parties and private celebrations in our private rooms. Why not book your Christmas meal with us, we still have availability. Please get in touch to book your table and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. Pomegranate Meze | 88 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD 01225 462992 | info@pomegranatebath.co.uk www.pomegranatebath.co.uk

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

FLYAWAY SUCCESS

Between 1940 and 1980, 646 small-format hardback titles were produced by a small Loughborough printer. These Ladybird books had clear text, distinctive pictures, and became the standards texts to help generations of British children learn to read. There were Peter and Jane with their stereotypical period lives, but also fairytales, historical stories, the people at work series, and nature books. Celebrating these evocatively nostalgic publications is a new Victoria Art Gallery exhibition curated by Ladybird expert and enthusiast Helen Day. In The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists, she takes a look at the artists and illustrators who helped create the Ladybird look. For more: The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists runs 19 January – 14 April at Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 55

WHAT’S ON 23 December – 20 January

See a magical illuminated interpretation of Mr Tumnus’s house from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Longleat’s Festival of Light

EXHIBITIONS Until 1 January

GRUPPENAUSSTELLUNG A multidisciplinary celebration of Hauser & Wirth’s Swiss heritage, with more than 20 artists, including Cindy Sherman, Richard Jackson, Mika Rottenberg, Camille Henrot, and Björn Roth. www.hauserwirth.com

Until 7 January

GAIL MASON: THE UNSEEN LANDSCAPE Artist Gail Mason plays with variation and harmony, resulting in the feeling of being in an environment in her imagined landscapes. www.victoriagal.org.uk

Until 13 January

BEST OF HIDDEN Exploring the very best of Hidden Gallery’s extraordinary collection, including signed and limited editions from Picasso, Warhol, Hockney, Chagall, Emin, Lowry, Matisse. www.hiddengallery.co.uk

LINDSEY BULL: INTO THE NIGHT A solo exhibition of paintings by British artist Lindsey Bull. Drawing inspiration from the avant-garde storytelling of fashion editorials, the androgynous and enigmatic emale gures e ude a timeless glamour. www.boleeworkman.com

Until 7 January

Until 14 January

Until 4 January

WHEN DREAMS CONFRONT REALITY: SURREALISM IN BRITAIN An extensive collection that encompasses the diversity of British surrealism and its European in uences, ith or s by artists such as Max Ernst, Julian Trevelyan, and Man Ray. www.victoriagal.org.uk

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

SARAH BIFFIN arah i n or iffen as born ith the condition phocomelia, described on her baptism record as “born without arms and legs”. She went on to train as an artist, using her mouth to draw, sew, write and paint atercolours in miniature n

she became a professional artist, taking commissions from nobility and royalty, including the young Queen Victoria. www.holburne.org

Until 17 January

BATH OPEN STUDIOS AT THE RUH This group of artists, who put together no fewer than seven local art trails, make up an eclectic collection of work in the corridors of the RUH. www.artatruh.org

Until 14 April

GWEN JOHN: ART AND LIFE IN LONDON AND PARIS A retrospective exploring the paintings of Welsh artist Gwen John no n or her sel portraits, quiet domestic interiors, and portraits of other women, this collection explores her remarkable career. www.holburne.org

Until 22 June

FROM HONG KONG TO BATH: A LIFE LONG JOURNEY OF COLLECTING Combining a series of rare

historical photographs ith treasures from the Museum of East Asian Art, the collection uncovers hidden stories of its late founder, Brian McElney. www.meaa.org.uk

9 January to 21 April

CATHERINE DUCKER Using the work of Catherine Ducker, who produces paintings that sing with colour and light, the Emotion in Colour exhibition at Victoria Art Gallery aims to create so t, calm spaces or people to nd solace. www.victoriagal.org.uk

19 January – 14 April

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE LADYBIRD BOOK ARTISTS A collection of books, original artwork, and artefacts from the distinctive Ladybird series curated by Helen Day goes on display at the Victoria Art Gallery. It reveals how the illustrators and artists played an enormous role in the extraordinary success of the company urn to page or more. www.victoriagal.org.uk

WHAT’S ON

5 & 6 January

SOPHIE BEVAN Sophie Bevan studied at the Royal College of Music, where she was awarded the Queen Mother Rosebowl for excellence in performance. She is now one of the great lyric sopranos of her generation, and comes to Bath to perform a selection of lieder in the nal recital o the eborah arner Season at the Ustinov. www.theatreroyal.org.uk

THEATRE / CINEMA Until 7 January

SLEEPING BEAUTY A panto-spectacular, once again written by and starring Bath’s own Jon Monie, along with Neil c ermott and aisie ell ood www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Until 13 January

WENDY: A PETER PAN STORY endy dreams o one last childhood adventure, when in y eter and his riend in , the mischievous pair who can’t or won’t grow up. At the Egg and suitable for ages 6+. www.theatreroyal.org.uk

10 – 20 January HRH PRINCESS MARY, DUCHESS OF GLOUCESTER (1776 -1857),1834. IMAGE SOUTH WEST HERITAGE TRUST AND SOMERSET COUNCIL

THE CIRCLE Jane Asher, Clive Francis, and Nicholas Le Prevost star in the Somerset Maugham’s humorous story of marital discord. Lady Kitty, ho gave up her stuffy li e ith her titled husband to run away with a young adventurer, despairs when her niece does the same thing some years later www.theatreroyal.org.uk

MUSIC 5 January

TAYLORMANIA Katy Ellis, a self confessed ‘Swiftie’, performs with a live band and dancers to deliver an authentic recreation of a Taylor Swift show, with hits including a e It , Blank Space, Look What You Made Me Do, and I Knew You Were Trouble. www.bathforum.co.uk TOP TO BOTTOM: The multidisciplinary celebration of Hauser & Wirth’s Swiss heritage, which includes the artist Mika Rottenberg, finishes on 1 January; the Victorian artist Sarah Biffin was born in 1784 without arms and legs, and went on to become a professional artist; after three years of closure, Bath Medical Museum has re-opened in new premises at 1 Hetling Court

16 January

BATH PHIL & NICOLA BENEDETTI Scottish superstar violinist takes us on a whirlwind tour of her home country, playing Max Bruch’s evocative and romantic Scottish Fantasy, based on traditional folk songs including Scots Wha Hae and Hey Tuttie Tattie. www.bathforum.co.uk

SEASONAL SPECIALS Until 31 December

CHRISTMAS AT THE CRESCENT No.1 Royal Crescent is celebrating Christmas Georgian style, with teetering sugar sculptures, a mouse trail, and highly-scented dried oranges hanging in the servant’s hall. www.no1royalcrescent.org.uk

Until 31 December

WINTER WONDERLAND A festive, hand-crafted Christmas experience awaits at the American Museum and Gardens, with hundreds of beautiful, artisan decorations, crafts, and activities. www.americanmuseum.org

Until 1 January

FAMILY CHRISTMAS ADVENT TRAIL AT PRIOR PARK Spread throughout the garden at rior ar this ecember are doors, and behind each one is a new set of festive themed riddles and pictures. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Until 2 January

BATH’S CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TRAIL See Bath’s streets and buildings, including Bath Abbey and The Corridor, brought to life with magical illuminations, thanks to , ath and ilsom Place. www.welcometobath.co.uk

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

WHAT’S ON Until 3 January

BATH ON ICE Get your skates on and head down to Victoria Park where, along with the real-ice ice rink, now back for an th year, you ll nd ogul s Alpine Bar and Glow Golf for that winter wonderland Scandi feel. www.bathonice.co.uk

Until 7 January

FESTIVAL OF LIGHT Along with those hardy perennial favourites, such as the 20-metre Enchanted Christmas Tree show and the Santa Train, new exhibits include scenes from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and The Wizard of Oz. www.longleat.co.uk

Until 7 January

CHRISTMAS AT DYRHAM PARK The house is dressed in the style o ve different eras, rom udor times right up until the 20th century. Outside on the 270 acre site, the Christmas trees are decorated with golden pears, plus there’s a Christmas quiz trail, and on selected dates local choirs are singing. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Until 7 January

CLARKS VILLAGE ICE RINK The 550-square-metre ice rink features real ice and is custom built and undercover for the Christmas season at Clarks Village. www.clarksvillage.co.uk

OTHER 12 January

MEGASLAM WRESTLING egaslam is a t o-hour interactive family entertainment spectacular with Team Nasty battling it out at Komedia with eam egaslam www.komedia.co.uk

Midnight Mole performed by Nikki Warwick is currently on at The Egg

Reopened

BATH MEDICAL MUSEUM After three years of closure, ath edical useum has re-opened in new premises 1 Hetling Court. Open for tea, talks and walks, the city’s smallest museum houses a permanent collection of artefacts, including a Cabinet of Curiosities that tells the story of Bath’s unique medical history. www.bathmedicalmuseum.org

CULTURE CLUB with Nikki Warwick Nikki Warwick, who works as a performer, circus aerialist, puppeteer, and deviser, is currently at The Egg performing in the early years show Midnight Mole at the Roper Room until 7 January. She then goes on to direct one of The Egg’s most popular shows, Snow Mouse, which is back for a ninth year and runs 11 January until 11 February.

in Australia (sweaty Brisbane) and feeling very homesick so I read this on repeat to hear descriptions of deciduous forests and colder climates. I ended up moving back to the UK, and I wouldn’t be with my partner and have my two cheeky children if I hadn’t. I realise I could have moved to New Zealand and had better politics and beaches, but you can’t have it all.

The last great film I saw Black Cat, White Cat. I re-watched this 1998 Serbian romantic black comedy recently. Man, this is an incredible movie. If you haven’t seen it then stop what you are doing and watch this bonkers film right now. It’s also up there with one of the best movie soundtracks ever.

Last live music gig Will and the People supported by Potts and Jammin at Moles in Bath. Awesome gig, incredible musicians, great venue.

A film I could watch over and over again Labyrinth. I’m not gonna lie, it’s mainly because David Bowie appears in Lycra but it’s also because I have watched it time and again with both my children and relived its simple brilliance through their enjoyment.

Walcot Steps by Ele Nash can be seen at part of Bath Open Studios exhibition at the RUH

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Favourite arts place in Bath I was most impressed when I saw Luke Jerram’s Gaia at Bath Abbey. Suspended underneath the tower in the centre of the Abbey, it was breath-taking. It’s great to see art in unusual places. My desert island disc Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down by Eric Bibb. Blues speaks to all the different feels. Eric Bibb, I mean, what a dude.

My binge watch I have binge watched ER over and over. If I wasn’t an actor I would definitely work in the world of medicine – as long as it is exactly like ER.

My karaoke go-to Eternal Flame by The Bangles. There’s nothing quite like the emotion that comes flooding out when singing this on a karaoke stage, hitting those big notes just slightly off pitch.

The book that changed my life The Lord of the Rings. Alright, I know it’s a classic, but I was living

For more: www.theatreroyal.org.uk

THE REEL THING ELLIE HENDRICKS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Timothée Chalamet is the new Willy

Wonka; The Boy and the Heron’s stellar cast includes Christian Bale, Gemma Chan, Mark Hamill and Robert Pattinson; Adam Driver’s stars in Michael Mann’s new release Ferrari; Next Goal Wins tells the story of the football team who lost 31-0 to Australia

White knuckle ride meets winter wonderland magic at The Little this season Wonka

Released 8 December

Willy Wonka’s here in this all singing, all dancing, e travagan a o a amily lm imoth e Chalamet shines as the eccentric inventive candy creator, chasing his dreams against the odds (and the chocolate cartel ans o this much loved Roald Dahl character are in for a treat as we see the origins o the orld s most amous chocolate shop and its mysterious o ner aul ing, director o amily avourites Paddington 1 & 2, is joined by a host of national treasures or this himsical adventure that includes livia olman, ally a ins, o an t inson, and a particularly memorable ugh rant dancing his ay through the lm as an ompa oompa hether you re a an o the original boo s and lms or you re ne to the chocolate actory universe, tic ets to Wonka should be at the top o your list o hristmas period lms to catch

The Boy and the Heron

Release date 26 December

Is there anything more magical than a Ghibli lm at hristmas ayao iya a i s bac ith his latest, and possibly last, adventure The Boy and the Heron he lm opens ith a bombing in o yo during the econd orld ar, and as the lm progresses e ollo a young boy named ahito as he moves a ay rom his home to the countryside ituated in his mother s childhood

home, ahito begins to e plore and discovers an abandoned and magical to er t isn t long be ore he s entangled in a antasy realm, ull of wonder, menacing parakeets, a talking grey heron, and mischievous monsters The Boy and the Heron is both grounded and antastical, ith beauti ul animation and a heart arming message at its core he stellar voice cast includes hristian ale, ar amill, emma han, and obert attinson

Next Goal Wins

Release date 29 December

hat do you get hen the orld s orst ootball team meets the orld s grumpiest coach laugh out loud underdog comedy, o course ai a aititi s latest lm, Next Goal Wins, is based on the almost unbelievable but most de nitely true story o merican amoa, a ootball team so terrible that they suffered the orst loss in history - to ustralia his is the unny and heart arming tale o the team trying to get themselves together afterwards, to scrape back some pride and show the orld hat they re capable o ollo ing in the ootsteps o sporting underdog stories li e Cool Runnings and The Mighty Ducks (1992), Next Goal Wins succeeds because o its antastic characters ichael assbender does an impressive ob as the grouchy coach ho s going to change the team s image, but it s the hopeless players that steal the sho and in our hearts

Ferrari

Release date 26 December

dam s in the river s seat in ichael ann s new release Ferrari, a tension lled, adrenaline high drama ollo ing the changing ortunes o the company s ounder dam river is n io errari, an ageing businessman ho has le t the thrill o the racetrac or the humdrum o the boardroom e s oined by enelope ru and hailene oodley, as errari s i e and lover respectively he business is sent off trac by nancial struggles and horri c accidents, and hile it had been the ultimate car choice, errari has allen out o avour to the ne ids at aserati n io is orced to rethin the business, adapt to a changing orld and get bac in the race ichael ann, best no n or Heat (1995) and Public Enemies (2009), is on form here as he depicts the dangers and joys of competitive racing and makes Ferrari, at times, a terrifying hite nuc le ride Ellie Hendricks is the Little Theatre Cinema’s marketing manager. The Little Theatre Cinema, 1–2 St Michael’s Place, Bath; www.picturehouses.co.uk

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POMEGRANATE The affordable Walcot Street restaurant ablaze with Mediterranean flavours By Rachel Ifans

RESTAURANT

t was totally magical. Just as I’m about to head weren’t even the best thing on the plate. We also had sucuk, a Turkish out, I catch the winter sun low in a clear blue sky just cured beef sausage which, when paired with the slices of halloumi, before it sets for the night. The whole sky is ablaze caused a pleasantly salty explosion in the mouth, and a pomegranate momentarily, blasting away damp sodden memories salad hich as crunchy and resh ut it as the bore the little lo of more than a month of West Country mud and parcels of feta and spinach – that blew us away. We’ll have 15 of those murk. It certainly puts me in the mood to go, please, Pomegranate. for a taste of the Mediterranean as I head to the The menu is relatively sparse and the portions are very generous. city centre to visit the new I chose lamb moussaka for my main course, DINING DETAILS Pomegranate restaurant. because I fancy myself as the only authentic Pomegranate, which moussaka maker in Bath (“It doesn’t have potato Pomegranate, 88 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD; specialises in Greek and tel: 01225 462992; www.pomegranatebath.co.uk in it, guys!”). It was mega-meaty and they got the Turkish food, has been open simple spices and avourings ust right, as ell as Opening hours Kitchen 12-2.30pm and 5.30since the end of July 2023 and 8.45pm. Bar 11.30am-11pm the puffy cheesy top t came ith a resh salad occupies the space in St Michael’s Church House Type of food served Greek and Turkish which provided a nice light contrasting crunch to on Walcot Street, the spot Aqua called home complement the smooth richness. Price Set menus (Monday to Thursday) are two for many years. You’ll still recognise the huge My friend loved her main too; a succulent courses £16.95, and three courses £18.95 vaulted ceiling and the long bar at the altar end chicken shish served with a smart dome of Drinks Make sure you sample some of the o the room, but the team o erdar, d r and fragrant rice, plus zingy tzatziki, with a sharp red excellent Turkish specialist beers and wines chef Nedim have revamped the room with a cosy cabbage salad. Building history The Grade II listed building with warmth I don’t remember it having before. Elsewhere on the midweek mains menu was high vaulted roof and stained glass windows was As I sat waiting for my friend to arrive, with a vegan moussaka, a lamb kofte, grilled halloumi St. Michael’s Church House and was built 1904 the restful Turkish music in the background and and lamb shish, and the pudding menu offered a Atmosphere A warm sunshine-y glow in a grand the anticipation of something new, I honestly choice of tiramisu, baklava or nedimos. and unique setting felt like I could have been in a local We shared the baklava which, rather like Mediterranean taverna out of season. When everything we ate that night, was presented the rush and fuss of peak season has passed, simply, rustically, and we suspect authentically, the deafening crowds have gone home and the meaning it as the avours that ere the stars remaining holidaymakers are treated like kings. of the show. The three-course menu on Mondays to Eavesdropping on fellow happy diners, Thursdays is incredibly good value, the likes I noted to order the tender lamb shish and the of which I’ve not seen in Bath for years. Three traditional nedimos for pudding next time – courses of authentic, tasty and well-cooked baked butternut squash in honey syrup – because Mediterranean food for £18.95. Do you get I know there will be a next time, and soon. that? Three courses. For £18.95. My friend High-quality authentic food, a great atmosphere and I chose the hot mezze platter as a starter and a pleasingly low bill in the centre of Bath and agreed that e d go bac in a heartbeat and order about ve o doesn’t come along very often. Pomegranate is sowing the seeds of them, along with two glasses of crisp Villa Doluca White Legend being a bright spot o affordable sunshine on the ath oodie scene, Turkish wine. The bite-size chickpea falafels were crispy, light and and looks set to become a lot of people’s regular; like loyal returning tasty, served on a bed of hummus and pomegranate seeds – and they tourists, we’ll be back.

“The borek, little o ar e s o eta and s ina ew s awa

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FOOD & DRINK S N A P S H O T S O F B AT H ’ S F O O D S C E N E Whatley Manor’s chef, Ricki Weston, has collaborated with The Craft Irish Whiskey Co

The renovation work is sympathetic to the building’s Tudor heritage

FEELING PUMPED

The George Inn in Norton St Philip has reopened after six weeks of closure for refurbishment and renovation work. The Grade I-listed 14th century Tudor inn, often cited as one of the oldest in England and with a history dating back to 1397, has been sympathetically updated, respecting and highlighting the building’s many original and unique features. Jayson Perfect, group managing director of Pubs & Inns, Liberation Group, says, “As custodians of this incredible building we’ve worked closely with preservation o cers to ensure all the improvements e ve made have been sympathetically carried out. In addition to cosmetic enhancements, we’ve also carried out some repairs and maintenance which will ensure The George Inn is here for many years to come.” For more: www.butcombe.com

PRETTY NEAT Whatley Manor’s Michelin-starred chef, Ricki Weston, has collaborated with Irish whiskey producers The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. to create a whiskey infused game dish to be served with whiskey pairings. The Donn x Wagyu dish features the highest quality Wagyu beef, alongside pickled cucumber, burnt leek puree, fermented lettuce relish, and pear ketchup, topped with a consommé built with The Donn Irish whiskey. As a further extension, a rich beef tea consommé, also infused with The Donn, is paired to complement the dish. Ricki says, “I’ve really enjoyed the creative process, developing the dish and the rich beef tea consommé, and balancing and ma imising the avours that each element o the dish offers The Donn x Wagyu dish is available as part of Chef Weston’s Chef ’s Menu, priced at £175 per person and is The Donn x Wagyu dish available at Whatley Manor until February. is made with the highest For more: www.whatleymanor.com quality Wagyu beef

YUMMY SCRUMMY! Bath Rugby star Tom Dunn surprised

The team at The George Inn in Norton St Philip

Bath Rugby’s Tom Dunn takes a crack at making his own Sally Lunn bun

guests recently at Sally Lunn’s bun shop by creating his own signature dish. Bath Rugby’s longest serving current player, who has reached 200 appearances for the club, whipped up a treat of cinnamon butter, bacon and whipped cream served on one of the legendary buns. Danielle George, general manager of Sally Lunn’s, says, “We loved meeting Tom, who brought all of his creativity and handling skills from the rugby pitch to create his own signature Sally Lunn bun.” For more: www.sallylunns.co.uk

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PHOTO BY JAKE EASTHAM

RECIPE

HUNSTRETE VENISON & BEETS BY THE PIG NEAR BATH Serves 4

“One of the things people enjoy most about The Pig Near Bath is watching the deer that roam freely in the 30-acre park surrounding the hotel,” says Robin Hutson, chairman of The Pig Hotels. “Of course, the herd requires management, so we have a regular supply of venison, which we love to showcase on our menu. We use every bit of the animal so nothing’s wasted – needless to say, there are a few pies and sausages in there. This is one of our favourite venison recipes: it’s super-simple, allo s the meat to spea or itsel and sho s off our garden herbs and beets Ingredients

10 sprigs thyme 10 sprigs rosemary 4 garlic cloves

1 bunch golden beetroot (around 500g) 1 bunch red beetroot (around 500g) 4 x 200g pieces venison loin

Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil 4 sprigs thyme 4 garlic cloves, crushed 50g butter

Method

1. Divide the herbs and garlic between two pans and boil the beetroots separately in salted water until tender (around 30 minutes). Allow to cool and remove the skin (easily done by hand, though you might want to wear disposable gloves for the red beet). Cut into wedges or halves, depending on the size. 2. Heat the oven to 200ºC, 180ºC fan (400ºF), Gas Mark 6. 3. Season the venison with salt and pepper and heat a heavy frying pan. Put the oil in the pan then add the venison – you’re looking for a nice bit of caramelisation on the meat, so keep rotating it until this is achieved. 4. Now add thyme, garlic and butter to the pan. Baste the meat with the juices and place in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oven, place on a plate, lightly cover in foil and allow to rest for 5-6 minutes before carving. 5. Meanwhile, add your beetroots to the pan then add the cooking juices from the resting venison eheat the beets so they ta e on the avour o the meat 6. Once the beets are hot, slice your venison and serve with the beetroots, greens of your choice and all the lovely cooking juices.

An excerpt from the Somerset chapter of The Pig: 500 Miles of Food, Friends and Local Legends: 2 by Robin Hutson, £30, published by Home Grown Hotels. Can be ordered via local indie bookshops and The Pig website; www.thepighotel.com

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

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I WALK THE LINE JOE MCSORLEY, lead ranger with the National Trust, takes us on a journey exploring the beauty and the benefits of Bath Skyline

here’s no doubt that wandering around the quaint streets and alleyways of Bath, with architectural splendour everywhere, is a wonderfully satisfying experience. But there’s another aspect of Bath worth exploring – the Bath Skyline, and repeatedly so, because each time the visit ill be different Combining views of the city with nature, history, and a healthy dose of well-being, this is exercise with added joy. The walk, which is easily accessible from the centre of Bath with the start and end point where Cleveland Walk joins Bathwick Hill, is just half a mile from Bath bbey as the peregrine ies t

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

Illustrations by Roam to Roam traverses the countryside around Bath and requires a modicum of tness to complete you don t cherish the warm embrace of a healthy walk on your quadriceps, then the elds at ath ic ill are a short stroll up from the Abbey and provide wonderful views back to the city without taking on the full 6.5 miles. During the winter it’s easy to see how the meadows here once served the city of Bath with drinking water. Numerous springs rise from the otolithic limestone that underlies the soil and abundant fresh water rises on the undulating slopes around Bath. These were often channelled into collection chambers and fed down into the city as a fresh water supply. There is plenty of evidence on the hillsides of the construction work

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

in the form of spring head markers and stone collection chambers, and sodden boots – all testament to the volume of water in some areas where unchanneled springs still turn the ground wet, muddy and impassable in places. At the top of the hill after a breathless climb on a bracing winter’s day, we are rewarded by the views across Bath from Sham Castle. Sham Castle itself, constructed in the mid 1700s by Ralph Allen, commanded the hillside above Bath to show the city just what is possible with a little local stone, in the same way the

“Take a moment to be still in the woodlands”

Hollywood sign once advertised new developments above the city of Los Angeles. Running alongside the golf club that has crested the hill since the late 1880s lies Bathampton Down, an open grassland with views across to some of the outlying hamlets, including Bathampton, Batheaston and Bathford, that lie to the east of the city. Here we can admire the River Avon as it meanders through the valley below Little Solsbury Hill, one of several Iron Age hillforts still visible in the landscape around Bath where locals would no doubt have valued the warm natural springs that ultimately give the city its name. Bathampton Down gives way to old woodlands that envelop the eastern side of the hill, with many ancient pathways leading to and from the river. The woodlands were once a hive of industry with

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HEALTH AND WELLBEING

quarry works taking up space, and the timber from the woodlands being harvested for tools, materials and re ood a e a moment to be still in the woodlands, knowing that winter is a good time to spot nature, such as great spotted woodpeckers, nuthatch, and tree creepers darting through the trees on these sheltered eastern slopes Coming out of the woodlands by the University of Bath we enter Bushey Norwood, an open expanse of pastureland with mature trees breaking up the vista he land here has been used as farmland since ancient times and in the low sunlight of winter one can make out the lines and undulations of ancient Iron Age eld systems that once provided food to the hillfort that borders the eld at the northern end a , ash and eld maple trees here date back decades, in some cases centuries, and support a wide range o ungi close to the trees

“Just half a mile from Bath Abbey as the ere rine flies For the adventurous walker, the route then takes us across the at e panses o laverton o n where the paths are generally stone lined and easy to navigate his armland as once the local racecourse for the city of Bath before it moved to the land above ansdo n in the late s ith views south towards the Mendips on a clear day, follow the route through attractive woodland sections, where local families of long tailed tits mirror the path through the children’s play area and into fairy wood, where doors hidden in the trees endlessly occupy in uisitive children

Eventually the route starts to descend do n to ards idcombe Hill, and the views back to the city start to open up as we enjoy a gentler walk downhill through open meado s and hidden valleys he meado s here are rich in ild o ers come mid-summer and distract from the vista, but in winter the views back to the golden stone of Bath steal our attention once again

Finally entering Bathwick Fields, close to where the walk started, and a nal visual spectacle on the descent back towards the city he bbey offers a central reference point to explore and pick out some of the architectural features of the Georgian city before we return to the centre of town, invigorated, refreshed and ready or tea and ca e For more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Illustrator Rosie Yates and photographer Alice Poole make up the creative team Roam to Roam. They combine their artistic practices, blending both analog and digital methods of image making, to try and expand on new ways of making work

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TAKE CHARGE Simple ways to go from seasonal sloth to long term wellness By John Mather

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HEALTH AND WELLBEING

ho ate all the pies? All of us, probably. And very nice they were too – especially with a blob of brandy butter. But we accept that it isn’t Christmas every day and it’s probably about time we put down the aileys, turned off the Strictly TV special, and considered sha ing off the uletide sloth However, not all of us are ready to commit to the signing up for the Bath Half or going great guns up Everest and jumping out of helicopter when we get there (unlike Iestyn Lewis, over on page 114). Instead we’re easing ourselves in gently with some top tips from Bath experts on combatting the post-festive slump at our own pace.

THIS TIME IT’S PERSONAL

Think the Team Bath sports village, based at the University of Bath, is just for students and Olympians? Nope, it’s for everyone. It has three spacious gyms and two studios and you can increase your chances of good health by getting expert guidance from one of the Team Bath personal trainers. Sam Holmes, health and tness manager, e plains more aving a is the best ay to start your ne health and tness ourney hey ill increase your motivation by designing sessions that are fun, bespoke, challenging and rewarding. he sessions are one-hour, , or small group sessions and can include weightlifting, cardio drills, and core strength through exercises based on ilates principles nd or a uic right no tart by ma ing small changes to your day al ing, minutes o yoga or ilates, a minute o s uats t ice daily, using the stairs rather than the lift, increasing your water intake and getting enough quality sleep. Fitness doesn’t have to be a chore, just pic an activity that you ill en oy Team Bath, Sports Training Village, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath; www.teambath.com

OPPOSITE: A Hybrid Massage can help ease out those Christmas stresses;

ABOVE: Increase your chances of fitness success with a Team Bath personal trainer

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FACE TIME

“Our skin is our largest organ and is visible to everyone,” says Dr Lucy Middlefell. “We all know that winter plays havoc with our skin – going from cold, dry weather outside into warm interiors dehydrates it, making it look dull and dry. Combine this with the excesses of alcohol and rich, sugary foods, and it can mean that come January we aren’t looking our best. y t o avourite uic treatments help to rehydrate and detoxify our skin after just one session – providing a beautiful boost in the coldest and greyest o months d de nitely recommend the Obagi Blue peel radiance. This is a light chemical peel revealing tighter, smoother, brighter-looking skin after just one use. Also the HydraFacial – a medical facial that deto i es, soothes and re reshes s in ith immediately visible results, creating a gorgeous glow.” Dr Lucy Facial Aesthetics, The Townhouse Clinic, 5 Old King Street, Bath; www.doctorlucy.co.uk

MAKE IT BETTER

“Christmas and New Year tends to be a time when people overindulge and take a break from physical activity,” says chartered physiotherapist Vicky LewisBaldy, owner of Hybrid Health Physiotherapy, which specialises in bespoke assessments and plans that will encompass treatments such as sports massage, dry cupping, and acupuncture. “Whilst it’s great to rest and recover, sometimes it can be hard getting back into physical activity in January, due to a lack of motivation and a reduction in tness “We can help kick-start people with our running analysis service; we evaluate and assess running and movement patterns in order to improve technique, enhance performance and assist in diagnosing pathologies and dysfunctions. We’ll also provide exercise plans, soft tissue work to help any tight muscles, and, to start off and help ease out any stresses over the estive period, our Hybrid Massage is perfect.” Hybrid Health Physiotherapy, 28 Milsom Street, Bath; www.hybridhealthphysio.com

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HEALTH AND WELLBEING THE GIFT OF GOLD

e may have started ecember as a resh as a sno a e, but chances are now, post-party season, everything is looking a little melty. Marc MacCloskey, general manager of The Gainsborough Bath Spa, has the answer. “The Gold Hydralifting Mineral Facial. This is a truly soothing remedy and an ideal prescription for dry or damaged skin. It harnesses the skin-strengthening power of colloidal gold, a potent anti-in ammatory, that or s to restore the s in s barrier or a rmer and more youthful appearance. old is a negative ion producer ith positive effects or our s in e see a measurable decrease in s in and tissue in ammation when exposed to this precious metal. Beyond being a powerful antiin ammatory and anti-microbial, gold has a cell stimulating effect, increasing cell metabolism and protecting our mitochondria, the powerhouse cell that converts energy and neutralises oxidative cellular stress, and combats ageing.” The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Beau Street, Bath; www.thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk

“Gold is a negative ion producer with ositive e e ts or our skin”

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: Dr Lucy suggests January is a good time to detoxify

and rehydrate our skin; hit reset at The Bath Priory; go for a gold at The Gainsborough Bath Spa; look for treatments and activities that you’ll enjoy, and will also be beneficial to your health

HIT RESET

By hitting reset we don’t mean hitting snooze on the alarm. This is a far more luxurious and restorative approach at the Garden Spa by ccitane in he ath riory his is the rst and only spa by L’Occitane in the UK, and as well as gorgeous, new year/new you treatments it has an indoor pool and pool-side sauna. Assistant spa manager Ellie Hammett suggests the, “Sleep and Reset massage, to unwind the mind and recover from the post-festive season fatigue. This massage honours the sleep cycle, using unique rituals to prepare the body for a well-deserved sleep. It incorporates guided breathing techniques using a special blend of essential oils designed to lull the client into relaxation, a full body massage, and an intense release back massage, while the face is cleansed with L’Occitane products before our Immortelle Reset serum is applied to take full advantage of its bene ts during the massage his treatment drains uids to help the body eel lighter and rejuvenated after the excesses of the Christmas season, and will help with improved quality of sleep. The end results are feeling reinvigorated and refreshed, and ready for the year ahead.” The Bath Priory, Weston Road, Bath; www.thebathpriory.co.uk

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ale S e k i B e 023/24

Luxury bespoke Physiotherapy & Massage Clinic at 28 Milsom St, Bath, that specialises in Sports & Musculoskeletal Injuries which can be acute or chronic. The Hybrid Approach means that clients receive bespoke assessment and treatments as part of their visit, this includes sports massage, dry cupping, acupuncture and much more! Unlike other places, all services are 100% tailored to you, no treatment or plan is the same to anyone else - this is the Hybrid Concept - committed to reach your goals! Book now or visit the website for more information: www.hybridhealthphysio.com

Party Makeup Workshops Get the Glow this Festive Season and New Year ARE YOU SHY OF MAKEUP? FEAR NOT! JOIN OUR MAKEUP WORKSHOPS DESIGNED FOR 2–8 PEOPLE AND DISCOVER THE FUN SIDE OF BEAUTY WITH FRIENDS. GROUPS £45 P/P 20 Broad Street, Bath 01225 310849 info@littlelab.co.uk www.littlelab.co.uk

AWARDS

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU! The Townhouse Clinic by Dr Lucy:

Bath’s premier Medical Aesthetics clinic Please contact us if you’d like to book in or be kept up to date with new treatments/offers. info@doctorlucy.co.uk www.doctorlucy.co.uk 07496 230618

f  Dr Lucy Facial Aesthetics

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

TOP: Get the year-round glow at LittleLAB; MIDDLE: Build

up your health with Metabolic Movement; BOTTOM: ReBalance Bath returns with its wide range of activities, including wellbeing walks

YOU GLOW, GIRL!

All those festive gins taken their toll on your skin? Then Kat Spreadbury of the LittleLAB Beauty Salon might have just the tonic: the glow makeup workshop for all ages. You can go solo or take a rag-tag, equally dehydrated group of pals with you and learn some simple con dence-boosting tips and tricks, using makeup and skin products, on how to get that all year round glow. “These are lessons for life, not just Christmas,” says Kat. “We aim to change old habits with our makeup specialists. It can be simple things that’ll refresh your look – even examining your make-up bag. We help streamline the number of products needed, experiment with new looks, and teach tricks that means you can be ready in minutes. “We’re also big on eyebrows at LittleLAB – a little grooming to achieve that natural look, and the results are an immediate beautiful boost.” LittleLAB Beauty Salon, 20 Broad Street, Bath; www.littlelab.co.uk

THE META VERSE

“Our existing clients, who’ve been working on having a good ratio of muscle mass, will have enjoyed the festive season without worrying too much,” says Simon Houston, personal trainer and co-owner of Metabolic Movement. “As muscle requires more calories to maintain, our clients who have built up a good foundation can indulge more over hristmas and not suffer ith the usual sloth of the excesses.” But it’s never too late to start a new approach to health and tness, as imon e plains ter we determine goals, we always go through a one-on-one tness assessment so e can understand mechanical and muscular strengths, weaknesses, and imbalances. We use our Tanita machine to do a full body composition analysis, including muscle mass and fat distribution. From there, we work on addressing any imbalances in gait, e ibility and muscle strength hile helping people reach their goals hether it be a tness goal, to help them get bac to a loved sport, to lose weight, or to increase muscle mass.” Metabolic Movement, Ashley Wood Farm, Lower Kingsdown Road, Box; www.metabolicmovement.co.uk

“Oodles of mindfulness, motivation, and movement”

WELL, WELL, WELL

After a hugely successful inaugural event in February of 2023, the wellbeing festival ReBalance Bath returns to the city, bringing with it oodles of mindfulness, motivation, and movement. It’s a three-week celebration, anuary ebruary , o tness activities, minitaster sessions, talks, and full-on spa days. Just a handful of the feel-good events available include healing evenings at The Pig Near Bath, laughter yoga at the Roman Baths, Bath Dance Fiestas at Komedia, Dream Odyssey VR meditation experiences at The Soul Spa, wellbeing walks around the city with Bathscape Landscape Partnership, and a spa package at No. 15 by Guesthouse. And if you like your wellbeing to come as a wine-bar type of experience, Green Park Brasserie are hosting live jazz, soul, funk, and swing evenings lit by candlelit. ReBalance Bath; www.welcometobath.co.uk

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

Escape and unwind at Aquarias Spa in 2024 Experience luxurious new spa treatments and spa days by Sothys and Gaia Wellness lives at Whatley A full day spa experience from £240, which includes full use of the spa facilities, a 30-minute Sothys Tailor-Made Body Treatment and one 90-minute facial chosen from a selection of Sothys facials. Flotation Pod Therapy available from £56 for 60 minutes.

Call Aquarias Spa on 01666 827 070 or email aquarias@whatleymanor.com to make a booking Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa, Easton Grey, Malmesbury, SN16 0RB whatleymanor.com

whatleymanor

GARDENS

BY ITS VERY NATURE The nourishing kitchen gardens of Combe Grove By Nick Woodhouse Pictures by Casper Farrell; www.casperfarrell.co.uk

et within 70 acres of woodland and rolling meadow on the upper slopes of the Limpley Stoke Valley, the Combe Grove estate re-opened its doors at the end of 2022 as a metabolic health retreat, the rst of its kind in the UK. Led by businesswoman turned philanthropist Helen Aylward-Smith, The Elmhurst Foundation became guardians of the estate in 2017. The social enterprise’s core aims are threefold: to greater understand and practice health and ellbeing to offer apprenticeships to those living locally and to share both facilities and expertise with the local community. A year-long metabolic health programme run by the foundation, which includes a six-

an excited buzz in the air, such is the passion and energy the team have for the grounds here. This land management practice not only improves e ciency and productivity but also works in harmony with the surrounding wildlife and nature. Plant varieties within the kitchen garden are chosen to not only naturally ithstand pests and diseases, but also to offer nectar-rich planting for pollinators. Once the site of the health club’s driving range, the space is now home not to golfers but to roaming rescue chickens. As well as providing eggs for the estate, the birds also offer a natural orm o pest control. Keen to create a working kitchen garden based on organic principals, the team has taken inspiration from traditional Chinese farming methods, where roaming ducks have for centuries provided control of weed, pest, and disease in rice elds A no-dig approach is also in place throughout the garden, minimising soil disturbance to protect its mycelium, a network of fungal threads that naturally breaks down organic matter. The resulting nutrient-rich produce is delivered directly to the kitchen, where head chef Marco Appell and sous chef Rachel Milsom will use the produce to create nourishing, seasonal dishes for those dining in the historic Map Room. mbracing a eld-to- or philosophy, the retreat aims to be as selfsu cient and sustainable as possible i speci c ingredients can’t be grown on the estate, the kitchen aims to source from local producers within a 10-mile radius. Any surplus produce from the gardens is sold in their regular veg sale for member of the health club, which has been part of the estate for four decades. To promote greater biodiversity throughout the estate, a mosaic o differing habitats has been created and maintained beyond the kitchen garden, from grassland to woodland, scrub to freshwater. For several years, large swathes of the grounds have been left to rewild, allowing wildlife to thrive. This extends not just to fauna – roe deer, rabbit, foxes, slow orms, and grass sna es but also to ora The calcareous soil that runs through the estate

“As well as providing eggs for the estate, the rescue i ens o er a nat ra orm of pest control” night retreat on the estate, has been developed through extensive consultation with leading nutritionists and medical professionals. The aim to rebalance the ve roots o metabolic health – nutrition, movement, sleep, mindset, and environment. Caring for the very soil that the estate’s produce is grown in is key to this approach. With ecologically sustainable practices at its heart, permaculture has been adopted throughout the estate, and nowhere more so than within the kitchen garden itself. t s the rst year o the ne itchen garden and already the beds are bursting with seasonal produce when I meet James Walker-Stirton, horticulture team leader on the estate. The latest addition to the garden had arrived earlier that morning – a new polytunnel – and there’s

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

allows a wonderful diversity of plant species to prosper like no other grassland in the UK, with drifts of rare pyramidal and bee orchids on show through the summer months. Mornings at the retreat start with a dawn walk thorough these habitats, resetting circadian rhythms and awakening mind and body. The meadows close to the kitchen garden are home to the heritage apple orchard, as well as rows of edible hedges that boast blackcurrants and gooseberries – food not only for guests, but also for the birds and badgers that live in the adjoining woodland. Here, former stone quarries are home to all but one of the country’s 18 native species of bat. Steve Hill, the estate’s animal conservation team leader, will often lead these walks, identifying each badge, deer, and fox by individual name. As team leaders, Steve and James are both passionate about the project’s apprenticeship scheme, a core part of the estate’s culture. The scheme aims to create 90 high quality, perpetual apprenticeships for those in the local community across a range of disciplines, rom horticulture to mar eting and nance The current intake spans all ages and all backgrounds from the local community, from students to established professionals. Providing a viable alternative to further education, they also offer the opportunity to develop a trade, learn more about wellbeing and to engage in community partnerships and charitable work. Custodians of the estate have an extensive vision for its future, one that is far-reaching, innovative, and enduring. This will take time to implement, not only in restoring the landscape but also in challenging our very own mindsets, but the results so far are already indicative of a bright future. or more om e rove www om e rove om

rass no er i

Nick Woodhouse is the co-director of interior and garden design om an ood o se aw at eor e s a e at wi i Bath; 01225 428072; www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The rescue chickens also offer a natural form of pest

control; it’s the first year of the new kitchen garden; Combe Grove estate re-opened its doors at the end of 2022; ecologically sustainable practices are at the estate’s heart; the health retreat is set in 70 acres of land

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MEET THE

FAMILY LAWYER Life isn’t always easy but thankfully there are Bath-based professionals who can help make things that bit easier... RICHARD SHARP

THOMAS BOYCE

SHARP FAMILY LAW 01225 448955; www.sharpfamilylaw.com

GOUGHS SOLICITORS 01249 450 071 thomasboyce@goughs.co.uk

What do you specialise in? Helping separating and divorcing clients to protect children, preserve financial assets, and limit the destruction and cost that too often occurs when relationships breakdown. What are the misconceptions around what you do? There can be a belief that divorce must be fought in court. After 35 years as a family solicitor, I truly believe every divorce is unique. No one process works for every family, including court litigation. Once I’ve listened to my clients’ concerns, I help them select the right course for their separation, divorce or family issue. The decisions of divorce profoundly affect the future.

What professional accomplishment has made you most proud? There are a few but on balance, I would say that being given the opportunity to lead the family law team at Goughs is hard to beat. The team are exceptionally devoted to achieving the best they can for their clients and the fact that they are regularly complemented by their clients, other professionals and legal directories is a testament to their efforts. The fact they are lovely to work with is a wonderful bonus!

Richard Sharp

What key bit of advice would you give to somebody considering a divorce? Seek advice and support early on in the process from a professional. Friends will often have an opinion but having an understanding of the law is crucial. Lawyers are here to help and guide people through what is often one of the most difficult times of a person’s life. Their expertise goes far beyond the paperwork and court proceedings that usually spring to mind.

What was your very first job? In the 1970s I worked as a caretaker’s assistant at the International Anglican School, Jerusalem, Israel. What is your favourite part of the job? Solving client problems – helping a client go from despair to hope, and from fear to security, so they can move forward with their lives. What professional accomplishment has made you proudest? Founding Sharp Family Law, a firm focused on minimising the financial and emotional cost of divorce and supporting clients to secure the best outcome for themselves and their families.

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

Thomas Boyce

Do you recommend clients reach a financial settlement before divorcing? Many people don’t realise that, in law, the process of divorce is separate to financial matters. The divorce process brings the marriage to an end and it is crucial that separating couples also have a financial agreement approved by a court.

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FRANCES NASH REBECCA EELS STONE KING LLP 01225 337599 www.stoneking.co.uk

What is your favourite part of the job? Having worked in family law for over 25 years now, my favourite part is still the feeling that I’m helping families through some of the toughest times in their lives. I’m an experienced child-inclusive mediator, so I can really create a full picture of what the best outcome is for everyone in a family. What do you think are the misconceptions about family law? Many think that family law centres around litigation. In reality, it encompasses a wide range of issues, from children arrangements, finances, separation and divorce, and often a resolution can be reached through mediation, without the need for proceedings to become litigious. What key bit of advice would you give to somebody considering a divorce? It’s incredibly important to know your rights, responsibilities, and the potential outcomes before committing to a divorce. Consequently, I would advise anyone considering a divorce to seek professional guidance from a qualified family lawyer early in the process.

AWDRY LAW 01249 478333 www.awdry.law

If there is talk of divorce, what should be the first step? Take early advice. The end of a relationship is often an emotional and uncertain time and having to navigate the legalities can be overwhelming. Sometimes people have incorrect and unrealistic expectations and it is important to receive legal advice at an early stage to ensure that decisions are made on an informed basis. Having time to reflect on your circumstances and gather further information, such as the value of the family home and your mortgage raising capacity is sensible and allows you to properly consider future options. Many lawyers, including myself and my family law colleagues at Awdry Law offer a free initial consultation to discuss issues, options and costs. What are the personal positives of your role? Family law is different to other areas of law, as it is much more personal. It’s about meeting with and supporting my clients on their journey. Helping clients achieve a fair settlement and guiding them to a place where they can move on with their lives is highly rewarding.

KATHRYN BEW

THRINGS SOLICITORS 0755 777 3751 www.thrings.com What are some of the misconceptions surrounding family law? People often think that once the dust settles after heated divorce proceedings, that someone always comes out on top – or at least that is what Hollywood will tell us happens – but it needn’t be the case. Whilst expectations can sometimes be hard to manage when it comes to financial or parental aspects of the settlement, there is a way of enabling a ‘good’ divorce. By engaging in a proactive manner on both sides, it can really help to avoid further emotional damage both by the couple at the centre of proceedings and their wider family and a good family lawyer should be on hand to support that perspective wherever they can. What’s the first piece of advice would you give to somebody considering a divorce? The earlier you take professional advice, the better the chance of getting a result that works for you – both emotionally and financially. By speaking to a lawyer early on, it can give the separating couple much

What are some of the recent developments in family law? I very much welcome the introduction of Resolution Together. I and other family lawyers at Awdry Law are members of Resolution, a community of family justice professionals who work to resolve issues in a conciliatory and constructive way. Following the recent changes in divorce law, which allows couples to make joint divorce applications; Resolution has launched a new model to help couples divorce amicably with just one lawyer. The ‘one lawyer, two clients’ approach allows us to work with and advise couples jointly. It is intended to help couples who wish to reduce unnecessary conflict and remain amicable. Whilst the Resolution Together model is not always suitable or appropriate and initial screening and ongoing review is necessary, I believe it is beneficial to consider it, as where successful it reduces conflict, cost and can offer a more speedy resolution.

more control and help them to understand what they really want – it could even save them the stress of being in court; you don’t want to take someone down this journey unless it’s absolutely necessary. What is it about your job and family law that you find rewarding? Without a doubt it is being in a position to help people at a time where they will need it most. As a family lawyer, I work with people at some of the most emotionally vulnerable and painful times in their lives, where relationships that they had hoped to be in for the rest of their lives comes to an end. Often, they don’t know what to do and will often either hide their head in the sand or lash out – neither of which will help the situation. It is important they have the right advice and the right advisor with them for the bumpy journey ahead as, despite having to go through with it, often they are not fully prepared. My role is to provide them with support both throughout and after the process and I very much enjoy being able to work with them and to see the stronger person they become as they move onto the next stage in their lives.

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

Nigel Dando WE BUY Gold, Silver & Platinum in any form or condition.

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SHOULD WE TIE THE KNOT? Local legal expert HELEN STARKIE on the value of marriage and the importance of wills

nly you can decide whether, emotionally, it is right for you and your partner to ‘make it official’ by marrying or entering into a civil partnership – but if you have yet to take the plunge you should be aware of how differently the law treats you if you do from if you don’t. Let us take the example of Mr and Mrs Smith, married with two children. The value of their combined assets including their home (jointly owned and valued at £750,000) is £900,000. They make wills without professional advice. In the first instance each leaves their entire estate to the other if they die before their spouse. On the latter of their deaths they leave their combined assets to their children. Mr Smith dies. Gifts between spouses are free of all types of tax, so when he dies there will be no inheritance tax payable. When Mrs Smith dies she will be entitled to offset her own personal inheritance tax allowance (£325,000) and Mr Smith’s (another £325,000) against the value of the estate. Furthermore, as she is leaving her estate to the children, and that includes Mr and Mrs Smith’s home, she will have her own residential nil rate band (£175,000) together with Mr Smith’s (another £175,000) to offset against the value of the estate before any liability to inheritance tax would arise. The result here is that no inheritance tax will be payable as the total of the allowances is £1,000,000 and exceeds the value of the assets. There would be exactly the same outcome for the Smith family had Mr and Mrs Smith entered into a civil partnership rather than marrying. The couple could have done better by making wills using the expertise of a professional. They could have provided against the depletion of Mrs Smith’s inheritance from her husband in payment of care fees for her – but that is a separate issue. Mr Brown and Ms Green have been common law partners for many years but have not married or entered into a civil partnership. They also have two children. They also make wills leaving their estate in the first instance to the survivor and at the end of the day to the children. They also have combined assets of £900,000 including their home (again jointly owned and valued at £750,000). Mr Brown dies. What he leaves to Ms Green is not inheritance tax free. Only his £325,000 allowance will be

“THE COUPLE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER BY MAKING WILLS USING THE EXPERTISE OF A PROFESSIONAL” available to offset against what he has left to her. The £175,000 allowance does not apply to gifts to anyone other than a member of the family further down the family tree, so Ms Green will have to find the money to pay inheritance tax on what Mr Brown has left her. If Mr Brown and Ms Green owned their combined assets equally between them then the £450,000 he has left her will create an inheritance tax bill of £50,000! (£450,000£325,000 = £125,000 x 40 per cent = £50,000). If Mr Brown’s assets were more substantial than Ms Green’s then the bill will be even higher. And when, later, Ms Green dies, her estate, including what she has inherited from Mr Brown, will be taxable after deduction of her own £325,000 allowance and her residential nil rate band of £175,000. Mr Brown’s residential nil rate band will not ne available to her. On

the figures above, if Ms Green owned £450,000 in her own right and inherited £400,000 after inheritance tax from Mr Brown, then her estate, now valued at £850,000 ,will give rise to another Inheritance Tax bill of £140,000 (£850,000 -£325,000 =£525,000 - £175,000 = £350,000 x 40 per cent = £140,000). Mr Brown and Ms Green could have arranged things so that, rather than leaving his estate to Ms Green in the first instance, his estate would pass straight to the children. This would use all the couple’s allowances and avoid an inheritance tax liability, but Ms Green may not be delighted to have inherited nothing from Mr Brown – especially if that involved sharing ownership of her home.

Helen Starkie Solicitor 38 Gay Street, Bath, BA1 2NT. tel: 01225 442353; www.helenstarkie.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 87

NETWORK

THE CITY’S HOTTEST BUSINESS NEWS

GREAT THRINGS!

GYM SCHOOL Exercise classes for little ones

The law company on why winning a Bath Life Award matters

WHOLE HOG

Success for Bath Spa student’s hedgehog design

HOUSE MOVE

L&C Mortgages and its new workspace

PLANET SPEAKING

A new approach to economic thinking

TIME GENTLEMEN PLEASE WHY LAST ORDERS FOR THE BATH PUB COMPANY IS A POSITIVE MOVE FOR CO-OWNER JOE CUSSENS

NETWORK CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Joe is taking a breather before starting on a new venture; the modern refreshed décor and the welcoming spaces of The Hare & Hounds

TIME AT THE BAR Joe Cussens shares the story of The Bath Pub Company, from first ideas through to its recent acquisition by St Austell Brewery

By John Mather

n early September, the Bath Pub Company, which has been responsible for delivering some of the best pubs in Bath (The Locksbrook Inn, The oor elds, he are & Hounds and The Marlborough Tavern), was sold to St Austell Brewery in a move that surprised many of us. Here e nd out more rom oe ussens about the origins of the Bath Pub Company he co-founded with Justin Sleath, the company’s journey, and what the sales process was like…

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

IN THE BEGINNING

The Marlborough Tavern, where Justin still has a presence, as he continues to operate the pub under a tenancy rom t ustell, as the rst pub that Joe, then living in London, and Justin founded. “It was a tired and slightly rundown boozer full of fruit machines and sticky carpets. We wanted to create the kind of pub that we used to frequent in London.” In 2006 the pair renovated and reinvented the pub, found at the edge of Victoria Park, and transformed it into a contemporary version of a traditional pub. “We weren’t trying to be a gastropub, we weren’t trying

to be trendy, we were just trying to create an environment that felt like the kind of place we, and the people we knew, would want to visit.” And their award-winning vision worked, with The Hare & Hounds (2012), The Locksbrook Inn (2016), and he oor elds ollo ing the similar design refresh of woodenoor, authentic yet modern d cor, and open welcoming spaces. “The challenge then was to make sure you didn’t stop being a pub and turn into a restaurant. I didn’t want people to walk in and feel like they’d walked into a restaurant, all laid up with linen napkins and wine glasses. You need to strike a balance between the needs of the people coming to the pub for a drink and those who want to reserve a table for food. You need both customer types.”

of a rollercoaster, and to be truthful we probably could have chosen easier industries to make money from! However, money was never really the main goal. Of course, like any business you ant to be nancially successful and commercially viable, but the main inspiration really was to create great places and a great company to provide them.” When the chance came up to sell the Bath Pub Company, deciding to start that new chapter was made easier by it being St Austell Brewery. “I was impressed by their professionalism and calibre of people working there. I’m really pleased we were able to do a deal with them, as I feel that the business that we built, and the people that helped us build it, are in good hands with them. We have similar culture and values.”

MOVING ON

Despite the pubs’ success and the loyalty garnered from Bath residents, Joe freely admits its not all been plain sailing. “It’s fair to say that the last few years have been pretty tough. It’s well documented that hospitality suffered perhaps more than many other industries during the pandemic. Frankly it’s all been a bit

“IT’S BEEN A JOURNEY OF TWISTS AND TURNS, HIGHS AND LOWS” JOE CUSSENS

SPONSORED BY: CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW: Joe, left, with Justin in their very first pub, The Marlborough Tavern, in 2006; The Bath Pub Company transformed The Locksbrook, formerly known as The Dolphin; creating the balance between pub and restaurant was vital to the Bath Pub Company’s success; The Moorfields in Oldfield Park was acquired during lockdown

SELLING UP

What was the actual process of passing on this company they’d worked so hard for, and achieved so much with? “The sale process was pretty intense,” admits Joe. “It involved a good deal of robust negotiations on both sides and a large amount of due diligence. It was hard work but I found it invigorating; I enjoyed the challenge of pulling together all the elements you needed to complete a deal like that. “Having never gone through a sale process like this, I relied on support and advice from a number of professional advisors. I have to pay tribute to the people at Stone King in both the corporate and property law departments, who were fantastic, and also the team at Milsted Langdon, our accountants, who were equally brilliant. God knows what I would have done without them.”

NEXT ROUND?

So what’s next for Joe, who lives in Bath with his wife and two children? “Like anything in business, you learn most by living through an experience. I’ve now gone through the journey of founding, building and then exiting The Bath Pub Company. It’s been a journey of twists and turns, highs and lows, and something I’ve come out of

having learned a huge amount. I’m currently taking some time out of the workplace, but am eager to get back in and do something again before too long.” Does he miss that atmosphere and the buzz of the pubs? “Since selling the pubs I haven’t really been back to them that much yet. They’ve been such a huge part of mine and my family’s life these last few years, but right now it feels a bit odd to go back. I feel I need to give a bit of time before I become a regular visitor again. But I’ve been delighted to hear positive reports since the sale from ex colleagues, who all seem to be very pleased with how things are going since they become a part of the St. Austell family. “I do miss the wonderful people we had working for us, but I must be honest and say that I don’t miss the responsibility that comes with managing a business comprising of pubs that are open seven days a week, 364 days of the year, from 8am until midnight. I went on holiday recently, and it was something of a novelty being away and not worrying about how things are going back in the pubs – whether a leak has sprung on the roof or a chef has walked out mid shift. It was great!” For more: www.staustellbrewery.co.uk

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

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UK IMMIGRATION ROUNDUP 2023 It has been more about fee increases in 2023 and wider political wranglings, says David Faulkner-Bryant senior immigration adviser of THE VISA OFFICE

David Faulkner-Bryant – Senior Corporate Immigration Adviser

Louisa Faulkner-Bryant – Consultant

Peter Shannon – Senior Personal Immigration adviser

t has been quite a year for the shifting sands of UK immigration. Whilst the wranglings of flying illegal migrants to Rwanda are tested in court, other changes to UK immigration policy show restrictions and fee rises. Suella Braverman’s departure and a quick cabinet reshuffle has influenced further changes expected in spring next year.

A REVIEW OF RULE CHANGES IN 2023 Student dependant visas One of the most significant changes was tightening the rules for student dependants. The autumn term saw the government introduce new restrictions to the student visa route to cut net migration by removing the right for many international students to bring their dependants. The Home Office have also limited the ability for international students to switch into work routes before completion of their studies. Autumn 2023 fee increase 4 October saw huge fee increases for visa applications across the board. Sponsorship, work and visit visa applications rose by 15 per cent and family visas, settlement and citizenship applications rose by 20 per cent. However, the largest hike in visa fees was the student visa route which rose by 35 per cent. It will be interesting to see whether this huge increase will deter applications taking place in the future. Introducing the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) In October ETA the UK’s electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme officially opened. This landmark opening demonstrates the UK government’s delivery in transforming and digitising the UK border, enabling an increasingly seamless customer experience in the future for the millions of visitors who come to the UK. The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has systematically opened this process by country so it will be interesting to see how streamlined this process really is.

“THE LARGEST HIKE IN VISA FEES WAS THE STUDENT VISA FEE WHICH ROSE BY 35 PER CENT”

Skilled worker news As of September 2023, the most recent summary of latest statistics found on the UKVI website confirms the UKVI has granted 335,447 skilled worker visas. The current Home Office statistics demonstrates a significant rise in granted skilled worker ‘health and care visas’ while ‘Skilled Worker’ visas granted increased by 9 per cent only. The government is committed to keep this popular visa route open however they will be raising the minimum salary requirement to above the average UK wage.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024… Stand by for a large increase in the Immigration Health Surcharge which affects most visa routes. On 16 January 2024, the Immigration Health Surcharge rates are expected to increase significantly. However, the proposal has yet to be ratified. The Home Secretary’s announcement on 4 December 2023 means more changes below: • Minimum salary requirement for a skilled worker visa to rise to £38,700. • Health and social care worker route will no longer be open to dependant applications. • Minimum financial requirement for families to rise from £18,600 to £38,700. • Scrapping the shortage occupation list Take a walk and talk with an immigration adviser If any of the above sounds ominous and you have any questions, try our new free of charge immigration drop-in sessions at Henrietta Park in Bath the next one will be on 25th January 2024. Or if you need assistance, please call or email us.

2nd and 3rd Floors, Northgate House, Upper Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1RG tel: 01225 256800; contact@visa-office.com; www.visa-office.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 95

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WINNING COMBINATIONS

Having worked in financial services for a combined 40 years, Rupert and Sarah of BARLOW & BARTLETT understand the importance of building long lasting, trusted and transparent working relationships with their clients

ecent geopolitical events and the effects on the economy, has meant that Barlow & Bartlett has spent even more time providing reassurance and valuable advice, helping clients navigate the financial challenges the current economic conditions present. Many of Rupert and Sarah's clients have been questioning whether cash savings accounts are now more favourable than longer term investments, with interest rates higher than they’ve been for some time*. Barlow & Bartlett take a bespoke approach when it comes to financial advice and acknowledge each client is different – each will have different needs and priorities. History shows receiving good advice and investing with a long term outlook is key to achieving financial goals. The New Year is the perfect time to start, and to help, Rupert and Sarah promote a three step plan.

1. GET FINANCIAL ADVICE Speak to a financial adviser and get some expert advice. They can help put your mind at ease about whether you’re doing the right thing. They can also help to take the emotion out of investing and provide and objective view.

2. HAVE A LONG TERM PLAN

emergency, but other investments offer greater growth potential and by spreading money across different investment types, it is possible to avoid exposing your portfolio to undue risk. The key message from Barlow & Bartlett is to speak to a professional you trust who can help you decide what is right for you.

Your money needs to be in the right place to recover in value and make a profit if markets go up, so it’s important not to sell an investment as a knee jerk reaction if its value goes down temporarily. It is vital to make a long-term investment plan, stick to it and don’t try to time the markets.

3. MAKE SURE YOUR INVESTMENTS ARE DIVERSIFIED It's best to invest in a range of different places where your money has the chance to grow. You should always hold funds in cash in case of

f o li e to isc ss o finances wit et an a a contact t em on: 01225 68 1 2 info@ a lowan a tlett.co. www. a lowan a tlettwealt mana ement.co. ove

as at

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ilte

inancial e vices t 0 12 202

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NEW YEAR

NEW FINANCES Get on top of your finances in 2024

BARLOW & BARTLETT WEALTH MANAGEMENT

SARAH BARTLETT 01225 683192 www.barlowandbartlettwealthmanagement.co.uk What are the key values and philosophy of your business? Our purpose is to help create prosperity for the generations of today and tomorrow. We do this by guiding our customers and their families through the complexity of planning for their future, responding to their rapidly evolving needs, and giving them peace of mind. We also aim to embed environmental, social and governance considerations right into the heart of our business. With all that’s happening in the world today, the role of a responsible financial adviser in society has never been more meaningful. What makes you different from others in your profession? Our USP is us! We consistently go above and beyond what most people would usually expect from their financial adviser. Our clients benefit from the services of a wealth manager (adviser) as well as a relationship manager, this means that we can spend extra time helping our clients

when they really need us. Nothing is too much trouble for us, meetings are never rushed, and no question is a stupid one. We’ve also been known to help struggling clients by doing things like cutting their grass, a lick of paint or collecting someone’s shopping! These are the things that help to make our roles even more rewarding and our clients are always incredibly grateful. What do you specialise in? We specialise in helping clients meet their life goals by putting financial strategies in place to achieve this. One of the things we do really well is noticing where our clients have opportunities to become more tax efficient or maximise additional financial benefits available. For example; it may be advantageous for some clients to make additional pension contributions to reduce the tax they pay or to consider trust planning to benefit future generations. This can help save clients and their families, hundreds, sometimes thousands of pounds.

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HAWKSMOOR INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

EDWARD SMITH, WEALTH MANAGER 01225 984710 www.hawksmoorim.co.uk What do Hawksmoor specialise in? Our office in Bath specialises in providing discretionary portfolio management services for private clients and clients of professional advisers, whether they are individuals, families, investment companies, or Trusts. Our ethos is to provide a bespoke service, tailored to the needs of our clients by a dedicated team of investment managers. What makes you different from others in your profession? Our service is personal – it has to start with the client. We are seeing a swathe of consolidation in our industry, so there is a risk that larger firms start offering increasingly vanilla services. We believe that there is still a very important role for

MOGERS DREWETT FINANCIAL PLANNING

STUART DOUGHTY 01225 308333 www.mogersdrewett.com/financial What’s the one biggest bit of advice you would give at the start of the calendar year? Stress test your budget planner as we all need to plan for increased costs in 2024, and if you need help with this talk to a financial planner. Be tough on your assumed expenditure increases so that you plan for another tough year and then if the situation improves you will have positive surprises. What is key to successful budget planning? Make sure you have a plan that has flexibility and make sure that your financial and personal goals remain accurate for today and not five years ago. What makes you different from others in your profession? Since we first launched our business we have always deployed a transparent charging structure where we recoup our costs on a time spent basis and not on an arbitrary % charge basis linked to the monetary value of an investment. We are delighted for all clients that the FCA launched consumer duty this year which requires firms to evidence how they are ‘putting the customer

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

first’ and taking steps to ensure the best outcomes possible for clients. Tell us something about yourself I believe that we should all have a focus away from work to decompress and mine is pushing my limits in the outdoors. Next May I am part of a 12-person disabled and able-bodied team that will head out to Alaska and climb Mt Denali (highest point in North America). This will present numerous challenges where we too will need a plan that has flexibility and that can adapt, in our situation to temperatures dropping to -40c, no darkness, some team members with prosthetics and all of us coping with altitude.

bespoke investment management. Most people focus on money first, but we think it’s more important to focus on you – your family, your hopes and fears, what factors contribute to the decisions you make. People often talk about ‘financial freedom’, but that means something different to everyone. Perhaps for you it’s really about leaving a legacy? Or having geographic freedom? Or more time? Once we understand you better, we move on to where everyone else normally starts – the money bits. What is your favourite part of the job? The fascinating people that we get to meet. Our clients range from successful entrepreneurs to trusts set up for individuals that have suffered life-changing injuries, or even multiple generations of the same family. All unique. All with different needs. There is perhaps a stereotype of a typical client that might use investment management services, which is a real shame, because the truth is people from all walks of life trust us to manage their money for them.

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RATHBONES INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT ANDY THEBAN 011 7930 1401 www.rathbones.com

UNIVIDUAL CHARTERED FINANCIAL PLANNERS

CHERIE-ANNE BAXTER-BLYTH 01225 427 474; www.unividual.co.uk

What’s the one bit of advice you give at the start of the calendar year? Get your financial house in order. We often meet prospective clients keen to get started on the big financial topics rather than looking at their existing financial structure and how they can build on the plans they already have in place. When you start working with a financial adviser it is important to know you don’t have to start again. What’s happening with your mortgage? Do you have an up-to-date will?

Any recent awards? IFAs in the Southwest voted us ‘Best Discretionary Fund Manager’ at the Citywire Adviser Choice awards.

What about an emergency fund? These are all the sorts of things clients outsource us to look at as well as the fun stuff like where to invest your money. If you own a business are you taking income out tax efficiently and making use of tax thresholds and government grants? Have you insured yourself against risks to your income? Once a person or business has their foundations in order, they can then start to build their plan around short and medium/long-term objectives. What about those worried about finances? Know that you are not alone, the cost of living crisis has had an impact on everyone. When it comes to managing your money I have one key tip – go back to basics. Get a spreadsheet out, look at your incomings and outgoings, see what areas you can cut back on which don’t impact on enjoyment too much. By doing this you won’t have to cancel monthly savings contributions for example. Instead assess family entertainment subscriptions and renegotiate memberships, subscriptions and insurances. Also write down big expenditures like a car service so that during that month you can cut back on other areas to be able to afford it. Utilise sales to buy gifts and explore becoming more sustainable as a household or business and cutting down things like

What key bit of advice would you give a client in the current climate? It is unlikely interest rates will return to preCovid lows anytime soon. Low rates were the ‘rising tide that floats all boats’, whereas now conditions are tougher. A defter hand will be required to achieve above average returns, and paying attention to tax is now more important than ever. Investment managers and IFAs work together to manage this so I would advise running your situation past a professional. Most don’t charge for initial consultations. What is your favourite part of the job? Working with people from all backgrounds, learning about their lives and listening to their views. Tell us a little of your own background, and your hobbies. I live in Bathampton, with my wife, son, and dog. If you fancy a chat, I can often be found out of bounds on a golf course, looking for my balls.

food waste. These new habits that you put in place now could set you up to be even more financially efficient when the economy does recover. What advice would you give to somebody considering retirement? Your circumstances – pre and post retirement – are always evolving and change impacts on retirement income so a plan needs to be proactively reviewed all the time. The very first question we start with when advising clients is: “What are you retiring to?” What do you want life to look like, what do you want to do and with who? Then we take a look at what your finances look like for retirement, how you are protected and what money you have in which pots. On establishing your objectives for retirement we can work out when you can afford to retire and how best to structure it.

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Credit: Adam Clutterbuck Photography.

First up, how do I know if a financial advisor is right for me? If you decide to work with an adviser you can search for companies like Unividual on Money Helper. Check out Google reviews and look for advisers who are chartered and hold the Pensions Transfer Gold Standard. Not all firms suit every client, but for a person or business looking to work with a firm that really knows its stuff, has been established for decades yet is modern, with advisers who are personable, transparent and caring, we could be right for you

What makes Rathbones different from others firms? We have a transparent investment process which fosters accountability. In turn, clients have confidence their investment objectives are being met. Our research is independent. This separation of duties between investment managers and analysts means that analyst decisions are unbiased. Clients therefore receive objective advice. We are a large, independent, and long-standing wealth manager. We invest in the best research, systems and of course, people. This enables us to provide clients with cost-effective, bespoke portfolios that meet their personal objectives.

Aerial view of the proposed Roman stadium for Bath Rugby Club, by Appolodorus Architecture, 2023

THE WAY WE WEREN’T Julian Orbach, co-author of the new book Unbuilt Bath, explores the city’s plans that never came to pass

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ince the days of the two John Woods, Bath has been a canvas on which to draw grand projects. What actually was built – the Woods’ Queen Square, King’s Circus, Royal Crescent, and their successors’ crescents and terraces – make Bath the World Heritage Site that it is. But what would we have if Robert Adam’s 1777 project for the other side of Pulteney Bridge had been built? A headache or tra c, ith its diagonal streets intersecting at circles and octagons, but an urban experience like none other. And what of Earl Manvers’ giant schemes of 1799 for The Ham, the area between South Parade and the present railway station? Humphry Repton proposed a giant colonnade like that in front of St Peter’s in Rome, but here in front of a three-storey crescent of houses looking out to the hills over a sunken circular green twinned with a circular basin dug out from the river. St Petersburg-on-Avon perhaps, and again an impossibility or modern tra c nd the elder ood s o n oyal orum design of the 1742, a colossal square bisected by the Avon, spectacularly widened into an octagonal basin, would today evoke Naples or Lisbon or neo-classical Washington. There are good stories behind the designs, of course – the intense rivalry between Catholics and Protestants in 1830s schemes for colleges at Prior Park and under the Sham Castle; the shady doings of Major Davis, the city surveyor, seeking his own advantage in supposedly open competitions from the 1860s to the 1890s; the radical politics behind a proposal for a giant column in Laura Place to commemorate the Great Reform Bill of 1832. ro ects can be ashes o imagination, or they can be use ul hen the motor car rst arrived, ath continued to plan on a grand classical

PROPERTY

INSET, LEFT: Sir Patrick Abercrombie’s

proposed scheme for the bus station in SouthGate, 1945 TOP TO BOTTOM: Column in Laura Place by Henry Goodridge that never was; a 1799 crescent for Earl Manvers next to South Parade; the plans for the Dyson School of Design Innovation

scale. The world was at war in 1916 when Robert Atkinson envisioned Bath from the Abbey to the railway in a series of neo-classical set pieces, and at war again when Sir Patrick Abercrombie replanned it in a series of neo-Georgian set pieces in 1943. y this time tra c as coming to the ore, and bercrombie scooped a canyon under Lansdown to take the cars from London Road to a dual carriageway behind the Royal Crescent. Sir Colin Buchanan abandoned prescribing architecture at all in his road-dominated tunnel scheme of 1966-73, leaving the Podium site and the Beaufort (later Hilton) Hotel as the period’s woeful architectural vision for the future. e ound that imagination still ashes sporadically, as in illiam Bertram’s projects to put a concert hall in Green Park Station of 1972, or his Romeo and Juliet courtyard behind the north side of Bath Street of 1983. Modernist proposals by eminent architects proved the di culty o harmonising ith the old city. Sir Basil Spence, architect of Coventry Cathedral, was big and Brutalist in his 1963 plan for Southgate shopping centre; Robert Matthew, architect of Bath University, was lumpish in 1966 or his proposed o ce bloc on bbey hurchyard and illiam hit eld as more solid than inspiring in his 1976 Library for the Podium. Leonard Manasseh’s 1974 Law Courts Podium design was much attacked in Bath, just as was WilkinsonEyre’s for Sir James Dyson’s 2006 School of Design Innovation on the Lower Bristol Road. The last entry of our unbuilt projects, that for a neo-Roman amphitheatre for Bath Rugby Club, is making national headlines. It had been drawn up by Apollodorus Architecture in response to the seeming impossibility of nding a popular design or so prominent a site Like Wood’s Royal Forum and Repton’s giant colonnade, it takes Bath back to ancient Rome, and ancient Rome is in Bath to the core, both in its Bladud foundation myth and actually in the Roman Baths. The amphitheatre design for the stadium came from the imagination of the creators, not from any commission, and quite possibly would seem to have little chance of being adopted, let alone built. But Bath is a strange place, and stranger things have happened here.

“Projects can e flas es o imagination, or they can be se

For more: Unbuilt Bath: The City as it Might Have Been by Timothy Mowl & Julian Orbach. Available to order through local booksellers or directly via unbuiltbath@gmail.com

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

Originally named Castle Lodge, Bath Lodge Castle can be traced back to 987AD; INSET: There are 11 bedrooms, 10 of which have en suites

Grade II lodge for sale

HOLD THE FORT

Live like royalty in a Bath castle loaded with history Want to be king of the castle? This Grade II listed former gate house in the village of Norton St Philip, near Bath, comes pretty darn close to making that possible. Originally named Castle Lodge, its history can be traced back as far as 987AD, when the land that it sits on, Fernleah, was mentioned in the charter of King Elthelred. At the time of the Domesday Book, Fernleah was known as Ferlege, and by the 12th century it had become Farleigh and was owned by the Montfort family, who then sold it in 1337. Over the centuries it has had various owners, and in 1806 it became the home of

Lt. Colonel John Houlton, who was a devotee of the Gothic Revival. He designed a building to imitate the main estate buildings of Farleigh Manor and Farleigh Castle, and was given permission rom the ro n or orti cation o four circular towers at each corner. For much of the past 25 years, Bath Lodge Castle, which boasts 11 bedrooms, a number of outbuilding and extensive grounds, has been run as a small, privately-owned boutique hotel, but has been vacant for the last four years. It is on the market at a guide price in excess of £1.8 million, either as a commercial entity or to reinstate as a private residence.

“With its wonderful castellations, circular towers and heavy timber door, Bath Lodge Castle is every inch the English castle, but on a scale that is entirely practical to run as a small business, as it was before, or a one-ofa-kind family home,” says Luke Brady from Savills Bath, which is marketing the property. “It requires some work to bring back to life, but with consent for an extension and various improvements, plus further potential in the various outbuildings, its sale is an exciting opportunity for someone to guide the future of this special piece of Somerset’s history.” For more: www.savills.co.uk

New offices

ON THE MOVE roperty consultancy avills has moved into a ne home in ath he ne o ce e tends to over , s t and occupies a prominent location on ilsom treet et ithin a eorgian building, the space has been renovated and recon gured to provide a spacious, e ible and contemporary home or the team o residential and rural property e perts and their clients listair eather, head o avills ath, says, avills en oyed an incredible years in our ormer o ce on eorge treet, but had outgro n the space e sa an opportunity, not only to move onto one o the city s most amous shopping streets, but also to create a ne agship o ce that is per ectly aligned to our clients, business and brand For more: www.savills.co.uk Interaction’s team celebrating their new workspace

Savills Bath has a new Milsom Street home

Workspace

STRONG BREW nteraction, the a ard- inning ath-based or place design and build company, has trans ormed a rade listed ormer distillery building in dgar e s into its ne or space esigned sympathetically to re ect the building s heritage, the ne head uarters, called he uarter, spans our oors and merges indoor and outdoor spaces ith an atrium, roo terrace, huge indo s, and plenty o o ce greenery and natural light nteraction s managing director, ieter ood, says, e re hugely e cited to be moving into our historic ne ath home, hich has been empty or so many years e have a proud tradition o ta ing neglected historic spaces and turning them into mar et-leading or places For more: www.interaction.uk.com

Housing records

HISTORY IN THE MAKING More than 100 years of Bath’s housing history has been preserved and made accessible ollo ing a t o-year pro ect carried out by staff at ath ecord ce he pro ect, called uilding a ealthier ity , as unded by ellcome, hich a arded ath ecord ce , to catalogue, conserve and ma e available the records relating to slum clearance, council housing and renovation o un t properties in the city bet een and ouncillor att c abe, cabinet member or uilt nvironment and ustainable evelopment, said s e rite a ne chapter in ath s housing history, ith our plan or ne council house building, this is a fascinating and interesting reminder of our housing history and the great attempts that have been made to improve people’s lives in the past urn to page or our eature on the unbuilt ath o the past For more: www.batharchives.co.uk

More than 100 years of Bath’s housing history has been made accessible

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PROPERTY NEWS Home buying

NEW SEEKERS

The secluded Gloster Villas

Chartered surveyors Abbie Long and Francesca Watson have recently launched Otters Home Search, a new home buying service. It acts for property purchasers sourcing homes or investments, undertaking the search, negotiation and project management o the conveyancing process rom rst vie ing to completion of the purchase. “Being represented by a buying agent leads to better outcomes,” says Abbie. “We possess the contacts and local knowledge to assess properties on the open mar et and discover off-mar et opportunities, bene ting ne comers, upsi ers, and do nsi ers Francesca adds, “Whether it’s logistical support, local insights, or understanding the right price to pay, we also connect clients ith pro essionals li e solicitors, nancial advisors, architects, and interior designers.” For more: www.ottershomesearch.com

Residential

HIDDEN GEM A rare opportunity to own a city centre home nestled in a secluded spot has come up. Gloster Villas, which has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a balcony and courtyard, is located on the edge of Walcot Street and adjacent to Upper Hedgemead Park. The home, which has been immaculately restored and is priced at £795,000, also comes with another city centre rarity – two on street parking permits. For more: www.knightfrank.co.uk

Samantha Cook with Sean McDonough, managing partner at Mogers Drewett

Abbie Long and Francesca Watson have launched Otters Home Search

Property team

BUILDING THE TEAM outh est legal and nancial planning rm ogers re ett has strengthened its residential property team with new appointments and a promotion he rm, hich has o ces in ath, ells, Sherborne and Frome, has appointed experienced residential property lawyer Samantha Cook as a partner. Samantha joins the rm rom orset-based arn elds olicitors, here she as a partner Samantha specialises in residential property sales and purchases, remortgages, unregistered land and shared property ownership. Her appointment follows the arrival of fellow residential property partner obin hillips, ho recently oined ogers re ett s conveyancing team in Bath. Robin has more than 30 years’ experience working as a solicitor in the region. he rm has also promoted essica regory, ho becomes residential business development manager essica is based in the herborne o ce but also ill cover ath, ells and rome he oined ogers re ett in as residential client coordinator ean c onough, managing partner at ogers re ett, says, hese appointments represent a signi cant investment in our residential property team.” For more: www.mogersdrewett.com

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SPONSORED CONTENT

THE IMPACT OF HOME STAGING

PETER GREATOREX looks at how home staging can elevate sales and maximise value…

ome staging emerges as a pivotal strategy in the realm of real estate, offering a multitude of advantages for sellers seeking to optimise their property's presentation. Beyond the evident enhancement of visual appeal through thoughtful furniture arrangements and tasteful decor, staging plays a crucial role in expediting the selling process. One of the primary benefits lies in the accelerated pace of sales. Well-staged homes capture attention in online listings and marketing materials, attracting more potential buyers

“WELL-STAGED HOMES CAPTURE ATTENTION IN ONLINE LISTINGS”

and increasing the likelihood of viewings. This heightened interest often translates into quicker sales, a valuable asset in the dynamic landscape of real estate. Moreover, studies highlight a significant financial dimension to home staging. It's not merely about making a property look good; it's about influencing the bottom line. Staged homes, on average, fetch 3 – 8 per cent more in final sale prices compared to their non-staged counterparts. This substantial difference underscores the value of investing in the presentation of a property to maximise its market value. The financial benefits extend beyond the sale price, addressing potential objections from buyers and facilitating smoother negotiations. By minimising distractions and highlighting a home's

strengths, staging helps create a positive impression, allowing buyers to envision themselves in the space more readily. As you consider a sale in 2024, exploring the transformative benefits of home staging becomes a strategic move.

If you're looking to make a lasting impression and potentially increase your property's market value, reach out to Peter Greatorex Unique Homes at 01225 904999. Discover how strategic staging can elevate your property's appeal, contributing to a successful and lucrative sale. www.petergreatorex.co.uk

Property expertise with a personal service, tailored to you

ROSIE MARLOW Wishing all my customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! FINALIST

01225 941008 | rosiemarlow.co.uk

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BATH PROPERTY AWARDS CIVIC DEVELOPMENT & EMPLOYER CATEGORY WINNERS 2023 Meet Western Building Consultants, winners at this year’s prestigious Awards

How did it feel to win not one but two Bath Property Awards?

Having won the Bath Property Award for consultancy of the year 2021, it was an amazing feeling all over again, except this time it was even more special winning two awards in one night. We always dreamt of how amazing it would be to win the Employer o the ear a ard e invest heavily in staff training and development and to be recognised by the judges for this in their comments was a real honour. Where do you keep the Awards?

Our three Bath stone awards sit pride of place in our reception area or all staff, clients and contacts to see in our HQ in Bath. What’s the best part about working with the property sector?

The variety of work is great, every day is different and it s a lovely mi ture bet een site and o ce based or , but undamentally changing peoples day to day lives with design is an amazing feeling. What do you feel are your USPs?

Our main USP is that we are truly a multidisciplinary company being able to assist homeowners with the initial purchase

“HIGHLY THOUGHTFUL COMPANY, INVESTING WELL IN TRAINING, TEAM WORK AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS” - BATH PROPERTY AWARD JUDGES of a property with a building survey to designing, engineering and project managing their alterations for the property. It also means we get to work alongside some of the great other professionals in the city like other architecture and engineering practices, helping with their projects by providing specialist services like party wall surveying and CDM principal designer roles.

Tell us about your team at Western Building Consultants?

We have a team of 25+ architects, technologists, surveyors, and engineers.

They all come from varying backgrounds but work together to produce a multidisciplinary offering to our clients not ound in and around the Bath area. In what ways can people work and collaborate with you?

We always encourage potential colleagues to send in speculative CVs and we are always open to working with partners in the industry. So if you are a company interested in working with us professionally we encourage you to reach out for a 121, or a free consultation if it s pro ect speci c

Western Building Consultants Western House, 2 Rush Hill, Bath, BA2 2QH 01225 789307 hello@wbc.group www.westernbuildingconsultants.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 109

PROPERTY

BECKFORD LODGE

A Victorian home with its own sense of character By Elsie Chadwick

e here at Bath Life are always drawn to the unique, the individual, the home with its own sense of self – which is why this Lansdown beauty caught our eye. Beckford Lodge is a stand alone, stand-out, early Victorian detached six-bedroom property. The front façade, set behind a natural stone wall and an ed by structured, stri ing, easy to maintain borders, has been thoughtfully remodelled with a paved drive ay accommodating up to ve cars nside, every detail o ec ord odge re ects a commitment to craftsmanship and creatively marries the classic with the contemporary. The interior has been refurbished, and includes a new kitchen adorned with Trefurn handcrafted elegance, polished stone worktops, and a four-oven Aga. The lower ground

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

“Beckford Lodge’s charm extends beyond its walls into enchanting gardens”

oor unveils a spacious itchen dining area, seamlessly connecting to the front garden through folding glazed doors, perfect for al fresco dining. he rst- oor hal -landing reveals a substantial study with handcrafted built-in bookcases, overlooking the serene bac garden scend to the rst oor, here the master bedroom en suite, a bedroom with a private balcony, and a family bathroom (complete with a Fired Earth roll-top bath) await. All the bathrooms have the added lu e o under oor heating, a delight on the tootsies at this time of year. And all of the bedrooms, except the guest room, have ever-practical and seamlessly stylish built-in wardrobes – a delight at any time of year. Despite the renovation work and the modern conveniences such as a comprehensive security system, originality is preserved and the home retains period features such as cornicing and picture rails in every room oo out, too, or a marbled replace, ood burner, feature cupboards in the alcoves and full-

HOUSE NUMBERS Main house sq ft

3,716

Outbuilding

Guide price

£2.495m

Bedrooms

Enclosed gardens

For more: Winkworth Bath, 13 Argyle Street, Bathwick; www.winkworth.co.uk

length reconditioned sash windows that overlook the front, south-facing garden. Beckford Lodge’s charm extends beyond its walls into enchanting gardens. There are two enclosed gardens, one on either side of the driveway and house. To the right, the main landscaped garden features mature planting, pleached trees, a water feature and patio ro o cypress trees an ed by ro s o sculpted box balls leads to the summerhouse at the end of the garden. One of the truly unique and enchanting aspects to this beautiful home is the mature, luscious wisteria that trails across the back of the house and winds its ay up and across the rst and second oor balconies A second garden on the left features an all-weather arti cial la n, a sun en trampoline, and a stone-built outbuilding currently being used as a gym. This may be a home with a strong identity, but it has the space, capacity and potential to evolve even further with its lucky new owners.

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

HOMESTAY HOSTS IN BATH to host both short-term and long-term students. We teach adults and teenagers, and need both single and twin-room accommodation. For further details, including rates of payment, please contact our Accommodation Manager: Sarah Wringer, Kaplan International Languages Bath, 5 Trim Street, Bath, BA1 1HB Direct Line (01225) 473502, Email: sarah.wringer@kaplan.com

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

TR HAYES

TR Hayes has been selling furniture in Bath for over 100 years now and has a reputation for good quality and excellent service, and the handy customer car par ma es bro sing stress ree ou ill nd furniture of all sorts, with many major brands featured. There are also well respected curtain and carpet departments. 15-18 London Street, Walcot, Bath BA1 5BX; Tel: 01225 465757; www.trhayes.co.uk

CHEVERELL

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

ath s leading replace, ood burner, gas re, chimney and ue specialist rom classic to contemporary, concept to completion, their team of experts can work with you to achieve your perfect interior. Brands include Chesney’s, arbas el res, am, tuv and etmaster et in touch or visit the showroom. Mendip Fireplaces, Monkton Combe, at in o@mendi re a es at o Tel: 01225 722706; www.mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk

BROADLEAF

CLAIR STRONG INTERIOR DESIGN

Cheverell is set in the heart of Wiltshire with a stunning sho room and or shop, offering a ull bespoke design, manufacturing and installation service in kitchens, bedrooms, and interiors. Established in 1989 it has over 30 years of experience to guide you through the whole process. Cheverell, Waller Road, Hopton Park, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 2GH; Tel: 01380 722722; www.cheverell.co.uk

Broadleaf are the UK’s leading manufacturer and retailer o beauti ul ood ooring, ith a uni ue and unrivalled range of solid and engineered plank and parquet. Open since 2022 their extensive Bath showroom showcases the complete collection. Visit their e pert, riendly team to nd inspiration, discuss your project and pick up samples. 134 – 136 Walcot St; 01225 463464; www.broadleaftimber.com

NEXUS OF BATH is a Bath based family

PERFECT ROOMS

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

MENDIP FIREPLACES BATH

riginally rom erth in cotland, er ect ooms o ner, ue, is a creative interior designer by heart ith an enviable eye for detail. Passionate about creating new schemes that are designed to impress, she has a portfolio of clients up and down the country that cannot speak highly enough of her incredible work. To arrange a consultation for interior design services, do not hesitate to get in touch. Tel: 01249 716445; www.perfectrooms.co.uk

lair trong nterior esign is a bouti ue, 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 ell as hotels, sports clubs, o ces and other commercial venues. Contact Clair on 07855 797311 or 01225 690019; www.clairstrong.co.uk

PLUSHH:

uarantee outstanding build uality, top class project management and truly amazing customer care pecialising in the domestic mar et, rom concept to completion. Their expertise covers all aspects of building refurbishment, renovation and outstanding property maintenance packages. Tel: 01225 767148; www.plushhrestoration.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 113

BATH LIVES

“We were travelling at 190mph ” jump. I’ve never experienced stress on that level. The first jump was a bit of a blur. The air is so thin that

it takes a while to stabilise so it as di cult to get my bearing he overriding sensation as the air against my goggles and o ygen mas as e ere travelling at mph, so there as a lot o buffeting

The freefall part of the jump took around 35 seconds,

at which point the chute was deployed at , t and then goes into a glide be ore landing

IESTYN LEWIS

The property developer and former Bath Rugby player who took fundraising to new heights Iestyn Lewis, a former Bath Rugby centre and now a property professional and developer, recently launched himself from a helicopter 24,000ft above Mount Everest Base Camp, clutching a Bath Rugby ball, to help raise money for the Bath Rugby Foundation. Not once, but twice. Iestyn grew up in a mining town in the valleys of South Wales, in a family of rugby fanatics. He says, “After seeing Bath play from a young age and loving their running brand of rugby, I set my mind on playing for the club.” He moved to Bath in 1990 when he was awarded a sports scholarship to play for Bath Rugby club and study structural engineering at Bath University. He then studied computer science at Cambridge, and in 2007 he founded the property company Rengen Developments.

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

The idea of skydiving at Everest came from Lee Winter, a former SAS solider ho specialises in high

altitude umping and no runs parabellum tactical training ee oated the idea past me a ter d s ydived ith him in ano earlier in

The idea of carrying a Bath Rugby ball came about through

a brainstorm ith ormer playing colleague avid ric rom ath ugby oundation, ho anted to raise money or t as to be the astest bath rugby ball ever ric y said it as be the only time d ever travel aster than eremy uscott carrying a rugby ball

I’m definitely not what you would call an adrenaline junkie. m actually scared o

heights and a terrible yer also got very badly in ured playing or ath, hich ultimately resulted in a double shoulder replacement hich has prevented me doing dangerous sports

When I did the second jump We flew into Kathmandu on the 31 October and from there to Lukla airfield. The

jump team then trekked to the designated drop one in the mountains, hich too eight days he ump party comprised people in total to include ump masters, umpers, support team and sherpas re ing in epal is e tremely challenging and it too a lot of teamwork as we climbed to altitude.

The temperature drops rapidly with altitude and

e climbed uic ly, so nights became e tremely cold he temperatures were between - and - , hich as hard to deal ith nce e got into the mountains, the ood as uite basic o ever, the local people at the overnight stays really did pull out the stops to provide for us.

For the jump we climbed into the A350 chopper which took

us to , t ying in to ards verest, climbing or minutes to the target altitude When the helicopter door opened and the wind rushed in, my adrenaline levels spi ed

and then went even further when e sat on the side rail ready to

it de nitely involved the same stress as the rst m not sure you could ever get used to that ump

I was able to take more in this time, though, and as e

tumbled I was more aware of the ground and the underside o the helicopter repeatedly The landings were hard.

he airstrip asn t in very good condition ith roc s every here, so there as very e places to set do n ithout hitting them It’s hard to comprehend the whole experience, really, and

it will take some time to sink in. m a property developer not a high altitude special orces s ydiver, and the intensity o the trip is completely ne to me I think it will take a few months to digest it all ut hat a trip

To sponsor, search for Iestyn Lewis at GoFundMe; www.gofundme.com

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