DRESS UP THE RISE AND RISE OF BATH THEATRICAL COSTUME HIRE
TOP OF THE CLASS HOW TO ACE THE COLLEGE FASHION LOOK
PASTURES NEW BOD GRIFFTHS AND HIS SETTING UP OF VALE HOUSE KITCHEN CALL OF THE WILD REVEALING BATH’S SECRET (AND FREE) ADVENTURE SPOTS
SCHOOL’S OUT AND IN COME THE FUN TIMES!
There was an earthshattering shriek as I dropped everything and ran into the garden where I’d optimistically and naively left my children, aged 4 and 3 years old, to ‘play nicely’ for ten minutes while I tried to answer a few work emails. The eldest was wailing and pointing an accusatory finger at the youngest who was happily strutting around the lawn. “He’s eaten the holiday money!!,” the eldest spluttered. Turns out the gung-ho younger child had secreted a €1 coin in his pocket, waved it at his brother, and declared he was going to eat it. Which he did. Staying calm on the outside but panicking like hell on the inside, I asked: “Open your mouth. Okaaaaay. Now tell me, where is the coin, please?” He lifted his t-shirt and proudly pointed to his rounded little tummy. So on to 111. “Is he having difficulty breathing or talking?” “Er, no – he’s actually chortling away and thinks it’s all a hoot. The eldest, on the other hand, is still quite distressed. But I think that could be less to do his brother’s health and more about there being less holiday spends.” All fine, they reassured me – just keep an eye.
It was compiling this issue with the focus on things to do with younger ones during summer holidays (page 24 and over on page 38) that brought back this particular summer holiday escapade. The children are now 19 and 18 (to be honest, though, I still wouldn’t put it past the youngest to do it all again) and my holiday time could now be spent relaxing and binge watching the wonderful Bridgerton (page 69 onwards) instead of having to watch them like a hawk. But it made me realise two things: one – how hard it can be to keep kids occupied, happy and incident-free during school holidays; and two – how much I miss those days!
So if you have younger ones, we have a whole load of fabulous, free-range, and far ranging activities to keep them content this issue. All here on our doorstep, without a Euro in sight.
Which, by the way, we never did see again.
COVER Queen Charlotte is pleased to learn how much support Bridgerton has lent Bath. Find out for yourself, gentle reader, over on page . hoto by et i www.net i .com
24 NATURE FILLED DAY TRIPS Exploring the best beauty spots on our doorstep – and all for free
31 ARTS INTRO Celebrate Bath Carnival styleeeee!
32 WHAT’S ON People to see, places to go
CULTURE CLUB Sara Crowe on her arty picks
38 SUMMER DAYS OUT Ideas for things to do with the little ones 43 BOOKS Mr B on David Nicholls and Amor Towles
48 RESTAURANT REVIEW The fab Iford Manor Supper Club 50 FOOD & DRINK NEWS Nuggets from the foodie scene, and Verity Genco on seasonal wet garlic
52 VALE HOUSE KITCHEN eet the remar able od riffiths
56 FASHION Go to the top of the class with the preppy look
59 SHOP LEAD Lightness of touch by Tine K Home
60 EDITOR’S CHOICE All things white and beautiful...
63 NUMBER CRUNCH The importance of practical maths
69 NETWORK LEAD A Bridgerton special, looking at the postive e ects o the et i drama
74 NETWORK INTERVIEW Behind the scenes with Rusette Auton of Bath Theatrical Costume Hire
78 CREATIVE BATH AWARDS The winners in full, and all the party action too
84 WORKING SPACES he productive hubs o ering so much more than just desk space
93 PROPERTY LEAD A Grade II townhouse in Lansdown
PROPERTY NEWS Latest from the market
SHOWCASE Exploring the exceptional 7 Sion Hill Place
SPOTLIGHT The Royal connection
Our gorgeous neighbours
SCENE Hello, party people!
FLATLINE Flats on knowing your food
BATH LIVES Maddie Difazio-Wright
Editor Sarah Moolla sarah.moolla@mediaclash.co.uk Managing editor Deri Robinsderi.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Cover design Trevor Gilham
Contributors Victoria Bond, Nic Bottomley, Marianne Cantelo, Elsie Chadwick, David Flatman, Grace Goodall, Rachel Ifans, Paul Marland, John Mather, and Jasmine Thomas
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 Business development manager Dan Nichols Business development manager Ruby Coburn 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 Production designer Gemma Bourne 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
Her Majesty The Queen has announced her patronage of the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum. The charity, based at Westonbirt Arboretum, works in partnership with Forestry England to protect and conserve the 600 acres and 15,000 trees for people to enjoy.
pon receiving the letter o confirmation rom uc ingham alace, mma riffiths, o he Friends, expressed her gratitude, stating: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have Her Majesty’s continued support as our patron. Her endorsement will undoubtedly ampli y our e orts to raise awareness about our vital conservation work and secure future funding for the Arboretum.”
For more: www.forestryengland.uk
His Majesty King Charles is retaining his Royal Patronage of Bath Preservation Trust. The announcement, made on 3 May, comes one year after His Majesty’s Coronation and following a detailed review of all the patronages held by the Royal Household. In 1973, Bath reservation rust became the first Royal Patronage of the then Prince of Wales. This support helped to pave the way for the City of Bath to be inscribed on the World Heritage list, recognising the unique importance of one of the finest and most coherent assemblages o architecture in the world.
Bath Rugby star Will Muir paid a surprise visit to a remarkable mixed ability rugby player’s training session. Morgan Lidster, who has Down’s Syndrome and plays for Walcot Warriors, was thrilled when the winger turned up to play with Morgan and his teammates.
Speaking after meeting his Bath Rugby hero, Morgan said: “That was the best rugby training session ever. I was happy and excited at the same time. Will is a great guy and one of my favourite players. He showed me how to score a try just like him.”
Walcot Warriors in Bath launched in 2017 and the team now consists of over 45 players and provides a competitive and supportive rugby environment where new, returning, underrepresented and experienced players hold equal value.
The club is organised though the Bath Rugby Foundation, which helps to support five mi ed ability clubs and young people in the region, as well as helping 65 new players start playing mixed ability rugby last season.
For more: www.bathrugbyfoundation.com
Alex Sherman, CEO of Bath Preservation Trust, says, “His Majesty’s great and ongoing interest in conservation, craftsman-led quality architecture and the natural environment are very well-documented.
“These interests are also fundamental to Bath Preservation Trust’s core objective: to promote the conservation, sustainable enhancement and celebration of the unique historic built environment and amenity, green setting and global contributions of the City of Bath.” For more: www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk | www.royal.uk
@bassmanphotography - Salisbury
@sherlockandpages - Frome
Exploring a few magical places just a (Bath’s) stone throw from the city
The start of the animated projections
wo very di erent e hibitions were recently launched at the same time at the olburne useum Henry Moore in Miniature and Mr Doodle! Museum Mayhem ore than guests were in attendance or joint celebrations, including three generations o enry oore s amily – his daughter ary, her son, and baby grand daughter. emorable moments included r oodle s riends and amily turning up in his trademar doodle suits, complete with ginger wigs, and the evening finishing o with animated doodles being projected onto the museum s a ade.
Photos by Betty Bhandari; www.bettybhandaribrandphotography.com www.holburne.org
Bath Spa University has welcomed a new Chancellor, Bath-based former BBC News anchor Sharanjit Leyl. Sharanjit was officially appointed at a celebration event on 8 May in the grounds of the University’s beautiful Newton Park Campus in Bath. he first emale hancellor o ath Spa University, and only the second Chancellor in the institution’s near 20-year history, Sharanjit will act as an ambassador for the university on the local, national, and global stage.
Photos by www.bathspa.ac.uk
Shindig estival held its final arewell a ter ten gloriously se uinned years at the illington state near Ilminster on –ay. ore than 1 , estival goers gathered or our days o music, cabaret and arts, including sets rom roove Armada, comedy rom eginald unter, and spea ers such as ale ince. ut there is a little light spar ling in the distance or those in Shindig mourning –creative director and estival organiser ojo ell says, “ ollowing the overwhelming response rom the Shindig amily, we strongly eel this is not the last hurrah – watch this space ” www.shindigfestival.co.uk
The annual RUHX Walk of Life event took place on 11 May with 300 walkers taking part in support of their local hospital and raising over £38,000 to date. Ellie Wilkinson, RUHX events and community officer, says, “It was the hottest day of the year so far, which made the 26.2 or 10 miles even more challenging, but our walkers took it in their stride and brought so much positivity!”
www.ruhx.org.uk
Hobson’s Choice and Larkhall Butchers recently held a Sausage Night at Hobson’s Choice London Road showroom, inviting property professionals to both network and take part in the Larkhall Butchers sausage-making class. Guests got into teams to make their own sausages, with the final winners being awarded the coveted Golden Sausage Trophy.
www.hobsonschoice.co.uk | www.larkhallbutchers.co.uk
Being able to prepare your MTD returns, accounts and tax returns is a given for a professional rm.
But can your accountant help you make more money?
Does your accountant have experience working in your specialist eld?
Does your accountant give you answers or just more questions?
We are more than just your accountants; we are your complete business partners.
Seven Reasons why hundreds return to PG Owen Ltd each year.
Clear xed and guaranteed fees. When we say xed we mean it
Free advice sheets and newsle ers to help your business grow
Advice from experienced quali ed professionals
We speak to you in plain English
In house mortgages, life, pensions and investment advice.
Full range of legal and probate services through our sister company
A unique one stop advice service for all businesses and individuals from cradle to grave and beyond!
Contact us now:
7 Northumberland Buildings, Wood Street, Bath BA1 2JB T: 01225 422183 E: bath@pgtax.co.uk www.pgtax.co.uk
Know your food source, and make it a good one
You may already have read the feature in this magazine about my friend Bod at Vale House Kitchen (page 52). The short version is that he’s a mate with whom, a few times a year, I share the most outrageously tasty bacon sarnies over a posh co ee. Said sarnies are consumed either in his kitchen or mine, but it is always the bacon from Bod’s own pigs that we gobble down, ooohing and aaahing all the way. It is truly amazing gear.
In lots of ways, Bod is living a life that would qualify as dreamy to most. Lovely semi rural setup, a bit o fishing, some foraging, loads of cooking, and two or three happily snorting piggies o over in the side garden. Were it not for the fact that he does actually work hard at VHK, it would tick all of my boxes!
A while back I took my two older girls up to see the pigs and to give them a feed. I took
them because it would be fun – and it was –but I also took them so that, a month or two later, as we sat down to some delicious toad in the hole at home, I could tell them where the sausages came from. Because they were kids, they received this information with about as much interest as they show when I ask them to put their phones down and actually converse with their family. But it went in, and they got it.
My oldest daughter informed me a few months ago that she was going to turn vegetarian. I asked why and, after visibly struggling to think of a reason, she told me that meat is bad for the planet. Again, having told her that going veggie was totally fine –we love vegetables in this house and, between us, my wife and I enjoy making those bits as tasty as the steaks and the chickens – I asked her why again. And she didn’t know. You guessed it: she’d heard it ‘online somewhere’. Again, all good.
“By 6pm she wasn’t vegetarian any more”
She told me this at about 5.30pm. By 6pm she wasn’t vegetarian any more. Not because I said a word to discourage her, but because I thought I’d test her conviction by frying up some of Bod’s bacon. It worked. The smell was crazy good, and she asked if the pig in question was from Bod’s place. Yes it was. Well then, this meat is good to eat.
This is when I could have gone turbo and bored her to sleep by babbling on and on about how in the UK there are a huge number of farms doing amazing work around producing the most incredible meat and nurturing ‘the planet’. I could have told her how the silly documentary aired by the that e ectively told us that cows were killing the planet was horribly misleading and unhelpful. I could have talked about how the vast, hugely unappealing ‘super farms’ found mainly on the other side of the Atlantic s ewed global figures and that we don t have those here.
But I didn’t. I told her to do it her way: to get on YouTube and actually research the real benefits and environmental impact o high quality, locally farmed meat. She came back with some new information, telling me that great meat is more expensive than crap meat, and that’s both a problem and a shame for those not in a position of choice. She’s right. How to solve this is a conundrum, but one thing that will not help is people lazily telling the world that meat itself is the problem. She didn’t research for long, but it didn’t take her long to find some perspective.
And anyway, we didn’t have to worry about the price of our meat because I stole it from od s house. ne thing I can confirm to be true is that free bacon is the tastiest bacon of all.
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
These local nature spots, all free to visit, will make your hearts sing
By Daniel Start
Want to unleash your wild side this summer, but without travelling to the wilds of beyond? Discover secret coves and hidden pools, or swim through river meadows at dawn and find lost ruins clad in ivy and reclaimed by nature? Or do you fancy climbing an ancient tree, exploring a Roman hillfort, and finding the best tors or scrambling And all o this on your doorstep, and without costing a penny? Then we have just the ticket for you.
Here Daniel Start, co-author of Wild Guide South West: Devon, Cornwall Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, shares ten of his favourite wild places in and around Bath – all perfect for an easy day out and whatever your age.
Farleigh Hungerford, Frome
Sunbathe and picnic on the lawns below the changing hut, then climb down into the deep pool above the weir to cool o . Above is a tree lined avenue of still waters, perfect for more energetic swimmers. This is England’s last river-swimming club. Upstream, the footpath leads to Stowford Manor camping and tearooms. Downstream, a ruined castle sits atop the hill.
Roddenbury Hillfort, Longleat
Many know Longleat for its jungle animals, but it also has the largest expanse of forest in Somerset. East Woodlands church is a good place to startexploring, or park by the gamekeeper’s cottage on the way into the estate. here s a trac into the woods where you can find the ramparts of a little-known ancient hillfort – it can still be seen clearly, completely covered in ancient beech forest.
Burledge Hill, Sutton Wick
This meadow plateau was once a hillfort and has superb, far-reaching views west over Chew Valley Lake. If you’re lucky you might see hot air balloons glide by at dusk. Most of the area is a Sites of Special Scientific Interest SSSI nature reserve, cherished or its butter ies and wild owers.
Warleigh Weir, Claverton
This legendary long curving weir has cascades and pools with the historic ferryman steps below. There’s a long deep section of river upstream with trees tojump out of. There’s a beautiful meadow island area, and the old laverton umping Station open inside two days a month . his has always been an immensely popular swimming place and is now owned by the Warleigh Weir Project.
Bradford-on-Avon Tithe Barn
Discover one of the largest medieval barns in England, built in the mid-14th century for Shaftesbury Abbey in Dorset, the richest
“This legendary long curving weir has cascades and pools”
nunnery in medieval England. Explore inside for free and enjoy the beach and paddling area for children, a pretty stone bridge and plenty of deeper sections downstream for a long swim, canoe or paddle board.
Savernake Forest oaks
This was one of the greatest medieval hunting forests, which now has the largest concentration of veteran trees in Europe and swathes of bilberries in late summer. Best explored by bike,with endless tracks and places for picnics. Cathedral Oak is reputedly the second oldest oak in the UK, at 1,100 years old with a circumference of over ten metres it s also one o the easiest to find in this huge orest, at the edge o the lawns. n the east side o the orest, o rand Avenue, see out the millennium-old King of Limbs, which inspired Radiohead; lying on its side, it is home to rich ora, auna and ungi. he huge, spoo y remains of Duke’s Vaunt Oak are also near here, and you could also seek out the ruined brick D-Day ammunition store in the south of the orest o harcoal urners trac .
Aveline’s Hole, Rock of Ages
The earliest human cemetery in Britain, at around 8,400 years old, is in this small cavern by the road, which contains one of the few known e amples o cave art in the . he oc o Ages opposite is where lagdon curate Augustus oplady wrote the amous hymn while sheltering in a storm. For the more adventurous, continue up the vale to find oatchurch, urrington ombe. his immense, deep, dry cavern has many chambers. Once a Victorian show cave with old railings and steps, its still very popular with beginner cavers.
Charterhouse Mines, Ubley Warren
This craggy lead-mining landscape dates from the Roman occupation, and possibly earlier. Deep pits and ridges are everywhere – the undulating gru y ground le t by open cast mining. Amongst them are the more recent ruins o ictorian smelting ues and tunnels. So important was the area that in the fields nearby are the remains of an amphitheatre. The earthworks of a Roman fort can also be seen, plus crags and tors galore, popular for bouldering and more general exploring.
Combe Hay Lock Flight
The beautiful overgrown remains of 22 stone locks on the Somerset Coal Canal, opened in 1805 after a failed experiment with a ydrostatic aisson oc , which li ted boats through a water filled chamber in a sealed box, and an inclined plane that hauled them up rails. Descend from South Stoke on a beautiful Limestone Link path through some of the best meadows near Bath.
Rainbow Woods and Sham Castle
Relax with a picnic and wonderful views over Prior Park and the dreaming spires of Bath from beechwoods on the Bath skyline walk. rom laverton own oad, oombe own find gates opposite Sha t oad. or best views, bear le t o the path, across playing fields, and continue along the escarpment, eventually arriving at the purple shepherd s caravan. ontinue on a mile to the university and gol course to find the Sham astle, a rather ama ing olly visible rom across Bath, and perfect for sunsets. n
Wild Guide South West: Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire by Tania Pascoe and Daniel Start (£18.99, Wild Things Publishing). From Cornwall to the Cotswolds, Dorset to Devon, and everywhere in between, this travel compendium reveals the South West’s least known and most adventurous places. Featuring dazzling photography, detailed maps and engaging travel writing, this is the perfect guide for adventurers, family explorers and armchair travellers alike. For more: www.wildthingspublishing.com
ENGAGEMENT AND WEDDING RINGS
BESPOKE JEWELLERY | DESIGNER COLLECTIONS REPAIRS AND REMODELLING
Whistles, feathers, capes, maracas and, if you have one, Vegas showgirl outfits at the ready, please, as Bath Carnival prepares to samba, boogie, and shimmy-parade into town on 13 July. The pre-procession action starts at 10am in Sydney Gardens with a Super Pirates play area, circus skills workshops, local food stalls, and a whole raft of bands including The Bob Marley Revival, Matuki, and the SuedeJazz Collective. At 3pm the party people convoy starts filing through the streets, bringing with it a two hour blast of colour, music, arts, dancing, drumming and the occasional stilt walker. If you’re still feeling up for it, the celebrations continue with an after party at Komedia with DJ Poly-Ritmo and guests. So, bring your best booty shake and let loose – carnival styleeeee! And while you’re at it, shake out some loose change for the donation points – just £5 can help keep Bath Carnival alive for 2025. For more: www.bathcarnival.co.uk
29 June –26 July
There’s a wonderful world of music and dance happening just outside Bath 25 – 28 July
BY
Until 26 July
A HEALING ENVIRONMENT: EARTH, SEA AND SKY
Three local landscape artists, Lucy Hawkins, Georgina King and Jill Davies, draw inspiration from the Jurassic coastline, south west landmarks, moorland and ancient woodland for this Art at the Heart of the RUH, which can also be seen online. www.artatruh.org
Until 29 September
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC AND THE MASTERS OF MONTMARTRE
The latest Victoria Art Gallery exhibition celebrates the bohemian side of Paris, with more than 100 artworks, including ToulouseLautrec’s poster work for the Moulin Rouge. www.victoriagal.org.uk
Until 1 September MR DOODLE! MUSEUM MAYHEM
he first ever museum exhibition by internationally renowned artist and internet sensation Mr Doodle continues. Aka Sam Cox, the former UWE student has been let loose to doodle all over the walls, halls and oors
There are also standalone pieces to be found in the permanent collection. Plus, look out for his work all over the city – including Milsom Street. www.holburne.org
Until 8 September
HENRY MOORE IN MINIATURE
Features more than 60 of Henry oore s wor s that can fit in the hand. The collection has pieces from every decade of his career, and includes stone and wood carving, Plasticine models, clay and plaster, lead and bronze. It is the first e hibition o its ind, and includes works from every decade of Moore’s career, from the 1920s to the 1980s. www.holburne.org
5 July – 14 December
KIMONO: THE MAKING OF A CULTURAL ICON
There are two sections to this Museum of East Asian Art exhibition. One is a collection of 25 Japanese woodblock prints that follow the changing styles of the kimono. The second half celebrates the accessories associated with kimono wearing, which are hung from the belt: small, exquisitely detailed carvings called netsuke, and lavishly decorated boxes called inro. www.meaa.org.ukg
8 – 14 July
JOANNE COPE: ART AT THE CHAPEL
This week long exhibition at Walcot Chapel Arts Space features the artist’s fascinating oil paintings of bovine and equine subjects explored as the traditional art form of portraiture. www.joannecope.com
14 July / 11 August
BATH CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS FAIR
Since 2020, the BCAF has showcased more than 600 artists, many of them local, bringing the best of contemporary art to Green Park Station once a month, running April until December. This month also sees the launch of BCAF Online. www.bcaf.co.uk
6 July
ECHO AND NARCISSUS
As part of the 2024 Deborah Warner Season at the Ustinov, and choreographed by Kim Brandstrup, Echo and Narcissus features an ensemble of dancers including Laurel Dalley Smith from the Martha Graham Dance Company in ew or , Seirian riffiths, Jacob Wye, Jonathan Goddard and Archie White. www.theatreroyal.org.uk
Now in the gorgeously glam setting of the Everyman Cinema (formerly the Tivoli), Film Bath’s programme continues. Crossing is a compassionate movie about generational change and identities, in which a teacher and her young neighbour travel to ur ey to find her niece. www m at or
2 – 6 July
Ayden Callaghan, Honeysuckle Weeks and Sara Crowe star in this 1950s play at the Theatre Royal about a celebrated writer whose dark desires and web of deception start to unravel, exposing his carefully constructed life to be a lie. Turn to page 34 for Sara’s Culture Club picks. www.theatreroyal.org.uk
Bath’s only open-air theatre festival returns for a fourth year at the Holburne Museum Gardens. The programme includes Improve Shakespeare, Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Railway Children, Jeeves and Wooster, Sherlock & Watson, and Peter Pan. There’s also a pop up performance of As You Like It on 21 August. Bring a picnic, blankets, cushions and camping chairs or hire a deck chair to ensure comfortable seating. www.gardentheatrefest.co.uk
The magical setting of Westonbirt Arboretum is the backdrop for evening performances by Gregory Porter, Anne-Marie, The Corrs, Van Morrison and Nile Rodgers & CHIC, with funds raised for the Forestry England’s conservation work. www.forestryengland.uk
5 – 14 July
FROME FESTIVAL
Willard White and Jenny Éclair are just two of the big names coming together for the community arts festival, with 250 events happening across 50 venues in the town over ten days. The festival’s ood east, um , is on the Saturday, along with many outdoor food and drink stalls. www.fromefestival.co.uk
25 – 28 July
WOMAD
Founded by Peter Gabriel in 1982, WOMAD, held in Charlton Park just 20 minutes from Bath, is renowned for curating the best music from around the world, with this year being no exception. Look out for progressive hip hop trio Young Fathers, bluesy duo Amadou & Mariam, electronic trailblazer Alison Goldfrapp and Palestinian hip hop crew DAM. www.womad.co.uk
6 July
BRENDA MCDERMOTT
The renowned pianist will grace the stage one last time in a special arewell concert at St u e s hurch with Bath Concertina, marking the culmination of a distinguished international career spanning over six decades. www.stlukesbath.
18 July
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?
Expect a night of high energy feelgood rock ’n’ roll paying homage to Tina Turner’s greatest hits, including Private Dancer, What’s Love
Got To Do With It?, River Deep, Nutbush City Limits, and Simply The Best www.bathforum.co.uk
7 – 30 July
EDINBURGH PREVIEWS
Comedy Double Bills: All of the laughs, none of the travel, as they’re coming to Komedia. Ones to watch: Fatiha El-Ghorri, Dane Buckley, Katie Norris and Louise Leigh. www.komediabath.co.uk
14 – 25 July
BATH COMEDY EDINBURGH PREVIEWS FESTIVAL
A mini-Edinburgh Fringe meets Bath, with a packed programme that includes Dr Phil Hammond, i Stevenson, Abi lar e, Marjolein Robertson and Arthur Smith. enues are owhere on Lower Bristol Road and Upstairs @ Bath Pizza Co, above Green Park Brasserie. www.bathcomedy.com
25 July
DRAG QUEEN BINGO
Expect an extra celebratory night for the third year anniversary of this monthly event at The Cork, hosted by legends Span and Cynthia Road. www.thecork.co.uk
29 – 30 June
BRLSI‘S BRILLIANT DISCOVERY WEEKEND
For their 200th birthday, celebrations are taking over Queen S uare or a ree amily riendly weekend with fun science shows, music workshops and the Orchestra
of Everything, craft activities and a whole host of fun things to do. The event also marks the launch of BRLSI’s new summer exhibition, The World Revealed. www.brlsi.org
A free, one-day community event o ering around di erent activities including forest school, storytelling, arts and crafts, creative activities, music, the chance to record in a professional music studio, sports, adaptable sports, magic, fun science, theatre, dance, performance, sensory tent, storytelling area, and zip-wires over the river. www.purpleelephant.org.uk
Turn to page 38 for a load more school’sout-for-summer day out suggestions
1 July / 30 July FREE HEALTH WEBINARS
As part of its commitment as a charitable trust to helping provide the tools for free health guidance, both mentally and physically, ombe rove are o ering two webinars this month: Navigating
Menopause on 1 July at 7pm and Metabolic Health: Fixing Wellbeing rom the Inside ut on uly at 7pm. www.combegrove.com
6 – 7 July
NEPTUNE SUMMER MARKET
An eclectic range of local talented businesses, makers and producers are setting up their wares in the One Tram Yard Neptune showroom. www.neptune.com
10 July
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
Rengen House on Walcot Street is hosting a chat with members of the GB Olympic Swim Team, based at the University of Bath, in the run up to the Paris Olympics, including Tom Dean and Leah Crisp. www.rengenhouse.com
26 – 27 July
BATH BOOK FAIR
Organised by The Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association, this is a chance for bibliophiles, collectors and enthusiasts to peruse books rom di erent pro essional booksellers, bringing books from all over the country to Bath Pavilion. Entry £2. For more info, contact Bath Old Books tel: 01225 420683
Olivier Award-winner Sara Crowe is to star in Emlyn Williams’ intriguing drama Accolade, coming to Bath 2 – 6 July. This will be the 19th time Sara has appeared in a production at the Theatre Royal Bath, the first one being Noël Coward’s Private Lives alongside Joan Collins in 1990. Sara’s screen credits include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Born and Bred, EastEnders and the children’s series Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom.
A film I could watch over and over again Misery with Kathy Bates and James Caan. Such an atmospheric suspense thriller!
A piece of art that means something special to me
My mum and dad gave me a painting of a mountain stream with the Sannox Bridge over it. They bought it on their honeymoon and apparently paid for it with whisky.
Best TV show ever Call My Agent! The French one.
My binge watch I have four favourites – Fawlty Towers, Columbo, Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, and The (American) Office
The book that changed my life The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. Because of that book, I now sleep with the light on.
Last live music gig I went to The Proclaimers at Scarborough Spa. They are a big favourite of mine – there are so many references in their songs to where I grew up.
My first single It Must Be Love by Madness – my sister bought it for me.
Social media go-to I love Niall Harbison. He’s on a mission to save 10,000 dogs a month in Thailand. This is a subject close to my heart – I have my own stray dog.
For more: www.theatreroyal.org.uk
From the 8 July, local artist JOANNE COPE will be commandeering Walcot Chapel for a week-long exhibition
Slightly off the beaten track, in the more bohemian part of Bath, you will find the idyllic little Walcot Chapel.
From the 8 July, local artist Joanne Cope will be commandeering the space for a week-long exhibition which will include a menagerie of striking cattle and equine paintings.
Joanne is a New Zealand born modern realist painter, best known for her paintings of cattle and more recently her equine subjects.
Cope’s choice of subject matter is rooted in an upbringing in rural New Zealand. Her extended family included an aunt with a dry stock farm and an uncle working for the Department of Conservation. She grew up surrounded by livestock and would spend most of her summer holidays working on the farm: milking cows, feeding pigs, helping in the sheep-shearing shed and riding horses.
In her practice she experiments with the art form of traditional portraiture, which is typically used to capture the essence of a
person. Joanne, however, substitutes cattle and horses for the ‘sitter’.
Using oil paint on canvas, she endeavours to idealise her subjects’ physical appearance, so as to make them more visually compelling. Her cattle and horses are placed in traditional portrait-like poses, some looking directly at the observer. “My hope is to draw the viewers’ attention to the extraordinary physical attributes and inherent beauty of these animals, so that they have more appreciation for them.”
Cope has been painting cattle and other animals for nearly two decades. Well established as a cattle painter, Joanne received her first equestrian commission more than ten years ago. In the last two years her equine commissions have steadily increased, and as a result has joined the Society of Equestrian Artists. Last year she also had work accepted by the Royal Society of Oil Painters and became a member of the Royal West of England Academy’s artist network.
Using depth of field and dramatic lighting, she aims to create striking paintings which draw the viewer in and evoke an emotional response. Working in oils with a muted palette, she carefully renders texture, form, detail and light. She had a ready eye for the distinct character of each of her subjects. There is a sense of stillness and quietude in her work.
Joanne has established herself as an international artist. Her paintings are in collections in America, Asia, Australasia, Switzerland, Jersey, Germany and Canada.
Walcot Chapel, sometimes referred to as Walcot Village Hall, is off Walcot Street. The exhibition will be open 10am – 6pm daily. If you would like preview images of the work, please contact Joanne directly. n
8 – 14 July. Open from 10 – 6pm Walcot Chapel, Walcot Chapel Street, Walcot Gate, Bath BA1 5UG; tel: 07958 703 438; studio@joannecope.com; www.joannecope.com
From Gruffalo trails to fabulous dress up, and from green grass playgrounds to the magic of science, here are a whole heap of summer fun activities to keep them happy
THE UNIVERSAL BATTLE CRY of ‘I’m bored!’ can have parents and carers quaking in their boots during the seemingly endless days of the summer holidays. Here we’re equipping them – and perhaps you –with a whole programme o local and nearby events to fight bac with. Disarm ’em with the Dyrham Decathlon challenge and charm ’em with the chance to dress like a Georgian at No.1 Royal Crescent. Do one activity, do them all – but whatever you do, you’ll be making memories with, and not enemies of, the children this summer.
Go exploring at The Newt in Somerset; www.thenewtinsomerset.com
The whole of the Newt in Somerset’s grounds make the perfect playground this summer holiday. From shaded lookouts to grassy alcoves, colour and scent are singing from every bed and border, with the Four Seasons Garden over by the farmyard bursting into bloom or the first time. isitors o all ages can spot eter an and oo s crocodile nemesis, Tick-Tock); explore the marsh garden with its vast ewt shaped pond and outdoor fish tan and caper across lawned areas to play and picnic.
he popular summer programme, created to o er respite or parents and a world of fun for children of all ages, is back with bespoke tours, workshops and family-friendly activities to providing ‘Newtlings’ with new and exciting experiences for the holidays. Children aged 6+ can get hands on with practical outdoor skills at Forest School Holiday lub and young ones and their grown ups can learn about precious pond life and enjoy printmaking sessions. There’s also a new three-day Gather & Grow festival at the end of August to look forward to.
Days out at Dyrham Park; www.nationaltrust.org.uk
As well as guided walks around the garden and 270-acre deer park, visitors can wander round the baroque house that’s brimming with 17th-century stories, paintings and ceramics. Up at Old Lodge in the parkland there’s a play area for youngsters to explore as well as an icecream kiosk and a café. Down by the house and garden is the shop and main tea-room, or pick a spot in the orchard for a picnic in the shade or rest on one of the many benches dotted through the garden.
Summer of Play runs from 20 July to 3 September and includes the Dyrham Decathlon, which is ten physical challenges around the site such as throwing, running, jumping, target practice, balance beams, and wobble boards.
Happy history lessons with the Bath Preservation Trust; www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk
more about the night sky, with a special summer star embroidery trail hidden around the museum.
At Beckford’s Tower the summer weekend drop-in activities in the paddocks include bug hunting, Georgian games, ‘make a pebble mini beast’, make a bat, and a scavenger hunt around the landscape.
Over at the Museum of Bath Architecture, between 24 July – 1 September, budding builders and designers can try their hand at straw model making or accept the building challenges and get creative crafting their own wild and wonderful structures.
“The summerplaygroundperfectthisholiday”
There’s a range of summer holiday events at the Bath Preservation Trust’s museums, many of them dedicated to sharing the history o ath and its many di erent acets in an informative and entertaining way.
At Bonnets and Bicorns, at No.1 Royal Crescent on 31 July, make some historical headwear and try on some fabulous Georgian costumes. Secret Pocket sessions are happening on 28 August at the same venue, where a Georgian-style secret pocket can be crafted to store those most treasured possessions.
The Starry Skies Constellation Trail at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy runs from 24 July – 1 September and invites visitors to learn
Butterfly and Nature Day on 7 July at Iford Manor; www.ifordmanor.co.uk he utter y and ature ay is the annual, free day of nature-related fun at Iford Manor. There are beautiful walks through two of Iford’s conservation meadows, specially opened to the public or the day. ise volunteers rom utter y Conservation will be on hand to help identify and find butter ies in amongst the wild owers, orchids and other wildlife.
Free craft activities inspired by nature will be run by Noeline Beesley, and various conservation charities, including utter y onservation, the Wildlife Trusts, Bradford on Avon Swift & Housemartin Group, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, have stalls with information and activity suggestions. Picnics are welcome in the old orchard next to the river, sturdy footwear is strongly recommended, and please note that some of the inclines and bumpy terrain in certain areas can make it unsuitable for buggies or wheelchairs.
Curiouser and curiouser with We The Curious; www.wethecurious.org
Bristol’s We The Curious reopens on 2 July, bringing with it a world of magic, discovery and science. Where else can you turn invisible, climb inside a giant bubble, and y through space, all on the same a ternoon ith two oors filled with interactive e hibits and the s only 3D planetarium, the science centre on Bristol’s harbourside is the perfect destination for families of all ages, school groups, or grown-ups with a curious mind.
Visitors can make animations, solve giant puzzles, discover how our brains and bodies work together, and e plore time, space, and happiness in the intriguing Project What If e hibition. here s also the opportunity to ta e part in e periments and creative activities themed around solving seemingly impossible problems. These include: can you make milk without a cow, or grow plants without water lus, there s the chance or visitors to work as one big group and make a giant chain reaction machine.
three times a day, action pac ed with adrenaline filled stunts and daredevil tricks. There’s also a huge indoor soft play centre and outdoor activities, pirate-themed crazy golf, and thrilling encounters with prehistoric giants in inosaur rove, plus the cinema e perience is screening Chaos in Wonderland, where an ancient artefact brings a whole amusement park to life.
ake a troll t rou t e dee dark wood wit t e ru alo Party Trail at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum; www.forestryengland.uk
“ Explore time, space and happiness”
Going underground (and overground) at Wookey Hole; www.wookey.co.uk
The home of legends, adventures and incredible caves, Wookey Hole gets even more enchanting when visitors can find the moon hidden within the caverns this summer. The legendary Witch of Wookey Hole will also be roaming the attraction and Wookey Hole Circus is performing the newly launched Wild West-themed circus show
he ru alo is celebrating his th birthday and, to celebrate, everyone is invited to take part in a brand-new forest adventure. Head out on the ru alo arty rail to find missing party items, find hidden ru alo character signs, pic a present or the ru alo, and enjoy some e tra challenges along the way.
Cuteness overload at Longleat; www.longleat.co.uk
Yes, there are the lions, tours of the Elizabethan stately home, the boat sa ari, the railway, the colossal animatronic dinosaur e hibition uly – 1 September), and more animals and wildlife you can shake a stick at, but we re singling out these adorable ennec o its or a special mention. orn bac in April, they weighed just g and have been hand reared since they were just hours old. his summer the two females, not yet named, can be seen with their mum Zuri and dad Enzi living as a family unit, after a long reintroduction process. n
Nic on the allure of two very different authors he’s recently interviewed
“He brings every soft-lit corner and every glass of bubbles to life”
The last month has been bookended by the chance to interview two brilliant but very di erent writers that I’ve never previously had the chance to talk with in depth – David Nicholls and Amor Towles. And, of course, interviewing them or our events meant I first got to read their hot-of-the-press books.
Table for Two by Amor Towles (Cornerstone, £18.99) consists of six short stories and then a novella that’s easily long enough that a greedier publisher might have decided to release it on its own. The six stories are based mainly around the year 2000 and set mainly in New York and show what we probably already knew given how quickly he can connect a reader to his characters – that Towles is just as suited to the short form as the novel.
But the true jewel is the novella, Eve in Hollywood, which begins with a half-page ashbac to a scene in owles first novel, Rules of Civility (Hodder, £9.99), in which characters discuss the fact that Eve never made it to Chicago when she left them behind in Manhattan, mysteriously staying on the train all the way to L.A.
The fringes of Hollywood in 1938 seem a ar better fit or the e ervescent ve, and over 200 pages and through seven rotating viewpoints of people she encounters and draws in, we watch her take on tinsel-town.
Towles is the master of capturing the indoor space. Whether it’s the labyrinth of corridors, bedrooms and restaurants of Moscow’s Hotel Metropole from his novel Gentleman in Moscow or the heady atmosphere of 1930s Manhattan cocktail bars in Rules of Civility, he brings every soft-lit corner and every glass of bubbles to life.
That’s never more the case than in Table for Two, where Eve disarms strangers and befriends starlets in an endless mix of richly drawn scenes gradually crescendoing into a dramatic plot built around the filming o Gone
with the Wind. She raises eyebrows in dining cars, clashes with paparazzi in side-alleys of clubs and charms “oncewas” actors in a hotel lobby criss crossed by “misguided financiers” and where “young Turks on their way to the bar would pass the late-lunching titan they aspired to supplant”.
You don’t need to have read Rules of Civility in order to enjoy this big slice of Table for Two The story stands up for itself and the reader gets enough background to understand the complex Eve’s motivations and past dramas.
But there’s no good reason not to read the brilliant earlier book if you haven’t already, and with that under your belt you certainly get even more rom this superb spin o .
In contrast to these seedy or glamorous foreign interiors, David Nicholls’ new and already bestselling modern romance You Are Here (Sceptre, £20) brings its protagonists together in the great (and often very wet) British outdoors.
Six variously sceptical individuals are mustered by the pushy but well-meaning Cleo for a long weekend of walking a portion of northern England’s Coast to Coast walking trail. But one doesn’t show, and three bail out early, leaving thinly disguised blind dates in tatters and only Michael and Marnie as reluctant and unlikely walking companions. Across windy hilltops, through sheets of driving rain and across restorative pub tables, Michael and Marnie begin to form a connection despite themselves.
You Are Here is written with Nicholls’ trademark humour to the fore but marries that comedy perfectly with an exploration o the di erence between solitude and loneliness, the healing power of the outdoors and what it takes to embrace change.
Just like Towles, once again David Nicholls has conjured up characters that we root for despite all their aws and oibles.
Nic Bottomley is the general manager of Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, 14/15 John Street, Bath; www.mrbsemporium.com
It’s never been easier to fly abroad from your local airport thanks to the network of flights offered by KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES from Bristol
Start your trip the convenient way this summer: fly right from your doorstep with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines from Bristol Airport.
Enjoy the benefits of departing from your nearby airport; say farewell to lengthy congested commutes to distant airports, and instead use the extra time to relax before your flight. Not to mention the added bonus of keeping a bit more of your dirhams, dollars, reals, or rands in your pocket thanks to the money saved from the shorter journey.
With convenient flight schedules from Bristol Airport, and offering connections to the world via Amsterdam, you can easily reach the beach and explore the
shore in far-flung sunny destinations. Dubai, anyone? The city that has it all, right in the middle of the desert, and easily reached from Bristol. Or perhaps St Martin, for all the sailing, swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving and sun you can possibly soak up in one Caribbean holiday. How about Rio? A cheeky trip to Cape Town maybe? Unmissable destinations are waiting to be discovered, conveniently from your local airport.
With KLM Royal Dutch Airlines all destinations can be easily reached via a simple transfer connection at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Offering a single airport terminal concept with a wide array of shopping options, restaurants and quirky attractions: a Rijksmuseum, the world’s first airport library, a
kids playground where they can clamber on a real plane, and an airport park, keeping all ages entertained, helping towards a smooth and enjoyable transfer on the way. Via Amsterdam, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines connects to 155 worldwide destinations from Bristol Airport.
Irrespective of where you fly to, you’ll always receive complimentary snacks and drinks on the way during your short connecting flights from/to the UK, while on the longhaul part of your journey in Economy Class you can also enjoy a meal, bar and snack service all included in the price of your ticket. Recharge your phone, connect to WiFi¹ or watch a movie; enjoy the flight!
You can choose from a range of cabins to suit your budget, comfort level and needs: Economy,
“ALL DESTINATIONS (AND THEN SOME) WAITING AND WANTING TO BE DISCOVERED, CONVENIENTLY FROM YOUR LOCAL AIRPORT.”
Premium Comfort or World Business Class.
Travel in the newly introduced Premium Comfort Cabin², and you can elevate your comfort to enjoy more space and privacy. Sit back and relax in your seat with extra legroom and recline: a wide selection of meals and drinks, together with a large inflight entertainment screen tops off a memorable holiday nicely. Or travel in style and take to the skies in luxurious World Business Class, with fullflat seats on intercontinental flights. You’ll enjoy extra privacy and comfort alongside meals created by top Dutch chefs, prepared with the freshest ingredients. A great way to mark an extra-special celebratory trip.
If you are travelling more for business purposes than leisure, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines range of flight departures allow you to comfortably fit a business trip into a busy schedule. You can build international relationships and networks that will directly benefit trade and your company as well as helping the local economy prosper.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines makes it possible to take off closer to home, see and experience the world, and return with memories and opportunities when you fly back home. n
¹You can purchase WiFi during check-in or once you’ve boarded your flight ²Offered to select long-haul destinations
Information correct at time of print.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To nd out more about KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and their full range of exciting destinations, visit klm.co.uk
Vale House Kitchen is a bespoke country skills and cookery school situated in the village of Timsbury 8 miles southwest of Bath. We offer all the traditional courses you would expect from a cookery school but have the added dimension of teaching skills such as fishing, shooting, foraging and butchery.
Bath Life Discount 10% - use code BL10
7th September - Beginners Fly Fishing
8th September - Fish Cookery
21st September - Smoking and Curing Masterclass
Rachel Ifans finds light jazz, a little sunshine and Michelin-star worthy dining on the menu
As luck would have it, we manage to call in to the Iford Manor Supper Club on the only day of summer. It’s a glorious evening and we have our welcome glass o fi outside on the terrace.
Surrounded by comforting Bath stone buildings, and the leafy green foliage of the gardens, the scent of the owers, the bu o second wind insects and the happy voices of other diners, we’re whisked through the menu by talented chef Matthew Briddon. It feels for all the world as if, in just some 20 minutes from Bath, we’ve left behind grey s ies, office hours and winter woollies, and wa ted into a warm Tuscan haven.
e t is a wonder ul concoction o poached por , tuna velout and resh tuna confit in olive oil, which we re told is based on an old Italian dish that features the unusual combo of veal and tuna sauce. It’s swimming in a creamy rich sauce, and comes with a garden resh cucumber and pea salad and a large wild garlic leaf from the estate.
Iford Manor Kitchen, Iford Manor, Iford, near Bath, BA15 2BA. tel: 01225 863146; www.ifordmanor.co.uk
Opening hours Wednesday – Sunday & Bank Holiday Mondays 11.45am – 2.30pm
Selected Friday evenings Fortnightly supper clubs and monthly pizza nights
Type of food Modern British Covers 40 inside; 40 on the beautiful south-facing terrace
Specialities While the menus change regularly, a firm fixture is the Iford charcuterie board, as Matt is a Master Charcutier and was a judge at the World Charcuterie Championships, held in London last year
We move inside for the meal and the distant hum o the ja y live piano music fills the wooden ra ters o the barn li e dining room. rom the o , we can see why Matthew was awarded a Michelin Star whilst head chef at Heathcotes at the tender age of just 21, making him the youngest Michelin starred che in urope. irst up on the si course menu is an amuse bouche o por filled taco the tortilla is ec ed with resh herbs rom I ord s garden and then crisped up into a handy palm si ed shell that s stu ed with sweet por chee that s been cured, then slow cooked and barbecued for an intense, layered symphony o avours. atthew e plains more “ e shredded it li e pulled por , added sultana gel to cut through the fatty richness, and topped it with a healthy carrot and cumin slaw, just to make everybody feel a bit better!”
Next supper clubs 5 July and 19 July –check website for more upcoming dates
“It’s hard not to believe this isn’t Michelin-starred dining”
The inventiveness continues to delight through to the third course, which is a crispy sa ron risotto made into a patty accompanied by rocket peas and a spring onion chimichurri. This is followed by a hefty wedge of brioche with a centre hole stu ed with smo ed salmon served alongside a smo ed salmon velout .
Then comes the rich and indulgent barbecued pheasant. “It was shot and then cured in our charcuterie shed,” says atthew, “and then wrapped in a arci o por fillet, por nec , por shoulder, pork cheek, and smoked bacon before being poached and then barbecued.” That sounds like a lot of pork talk – but the results, which are accompanied by crushed jersey royals, asparagus and a parsley and pea broth, are utterly divine.
Along comes pudding, which is almost as spectacular as the view rolling out across the Iford Manor estate, with the same need to be savoured and enjoyed. It’s a lime sponge base with a sharp pineapple and nutty coconut set mousse coated in a buttery white chocolate and cocoa butter, and a slice of fresh pineapple drowned in cognac and topped with caramelised brown sugar.
We reluctantly bundle into our cab at the end of what has been an absolutely perfect evening –gorgeous setting, beautiful service, lovely ambience and, best o all, the finest o dining. It s hard to believe this isn t ichelin starred, so high is the level o detail and mastery o techni ue, and so e uisite tasting is each dish. It’s only the price tag of £65 per head that reminds us it isn t. A ordable, adorable and delectable. n
TRADITIONAL GARLIC IS planted on the shortest day and harvested on the longest day. Hence, June to July marks the start of the garlic harvest season, making now the ideal time to find the early maturing type at local greengrocers, farmers’ markets, and in seasonal vegetable box programmes.
Wet, green or fresh garlic is garlic harvested and enjoyed before reaching full maturity and undergoing the drying process for preservation. Wet garlic boasts a fresh and lively avour that complements its uni ue appearance – a bulb that is tender to the touch, showcasing a mix of white, green and purple tones.
For those who are not garlic-shy, I recommend using a garlic crusher tool, as garlic behaves in strange yet wonderful ways based on how you prepare it. When you crush or slice it, a compound called allicin is produced, creating that unmistakable garlicky aroma. So, if you’re craving an extra kick o avour, give that clove a good smash This versatile ingredient can be used whole, including its stem.
Spaghetti aglio e olio shines the spotlight on garlic in this classic dish. Our household’s favourite recipe calls for 8 to 12 chopped or crushed garlic cloves. For those who want the avour o garlic at the time o eating, but not
for several hours after, cook your wet garlic with the clove skins on, resulting in a milder, so ter and sweeter avour ideal or avouring roasts or summer roasted tomato dishes. Some culinary enthusiasts and restaurateurs believe it can also work well with sweet dishes, praising creations like garlic ice cream or garlic-infused chocolate chip cookies. Personally, I’ll admit I’m not entirely convinced, but I am considering a few summertime pungent pudding experiments to see if I’m wrong.
For more garlic inspiration and recipes, visit Verity’s Instagram page @ForThe Flavour
A sherry tasting evening is being held at the Glove Factory Studios in Holt on 18 July. The event, billed Vespertine Talks: Challenging the wine world status quo, is hosted by the Diatomists who are “a new team exploring every corner of the southernmost point of Andalucia in search of winemakers committed to excellence” and creating “a wine brand challenging the status uo in ere .”
Chefs at Wild Herb at The Field Kitchen will provide nibbles prepared in-line with the Diatomists’ tasting notes and you can contact Diatomists directly to pre-order wines for collection at the event, which is free to attend but does need to be booked in advance.
For more: www.diatomists.co.uk | www.glovefactorystudios.com
on
Iford Cider Taphouseis taking it outside with its ‘Smokeshow’ summer menu of pizzas, cider and scenic views. Woodfired sourdough pizzas will be available alongside wild fermented fresh juice cider, along with rolling countryside views of the Iford Valley below – this last one entirely free to drink in, of course.
The taphouse showcases the full range of Iford Ciders and seasonal specials, plus a range of local craft beers, including a guest beer on tap, and wines from Bath-based Wolf Wine. For more: www.ifordcider.com
Learn how to make gyozas the
Bath based health and wellness coach and Instagram influencer Emma Doherty has collaborated with the Aussie influenced café, Nook on Old Bond Street, to create three dishes for its spring/ summer menu.
Emma, who has founded a health and wellness coaching app called Empower Online Coaching, says: “I wanted to create dishes that I genuinely enjoy all the time and love. These recipes are a testament to the fact that healthy food can taste and look amazing.
“We’ve moved on from the days of thinking that being healthy means restricting your favourite foods or living on a bland diet. My personal approach to health and wellness has always been about nourishing your body from within and I hope people will take that away with them when they try these recipes.”
Budō Bath, the Japanese bar that serves drinks and small bites on Pulteney Bridge, has just launched the Dumpling Dojo, a regular class to teach the secrets of gyoza-making, starting 17 July. It is also hosting sake tasting workshops, and monthly cinema clubs. For more: www.budobath.co.uk
One of the Nook dishes (pictured below) is the Hi Barbie: a thick and creamy smoothie bowl made with frozen banana, frozen cauliflower, dragon fruit, raspberries, a scoop of protein powder and oat milk, topped with kiwi, coconut flakes, pistachios, blueberries and almonds.
For more: www.nooktheshop.co.uk | empoweronlinecoaching.com
How a shock accident led BOD GRIFFITHS to a whole new beautiful way of life at Vale House Kitchen
By Elsie Chadwick
There can be lots of things that prompt a huge lifestyle change – retirement, children, or a wind all. or od riffiths it was a all – but the type of fall that involves tumbling down a ravine and is life threatening. “I was in the US, visiting a friend who had a house out in the middle of nowhere,” he explains. “We were out for a drive in his old school army jeep when the vehicle clipped a rock. his caused it to veer o and, suddenly, jeep and all, we were heading down a steep ravine.
“We weren’t wearing seatbelts, which sounds bad, it was actually a good thing as we were both thrown out of the vehicle as it rolled over several times. I was injured on the ground whilst the driver was stuck under it. Fortunately, a friend came and ound us and was able to go get help.” od was own bac to the on the Monday to start ongoing treatment, and on the Wednesday he found out that the financial firm where he had wor ed or 1 years had “gone belly up. And just like that, I was injured and unemployed.”
However, Bod took it all as a sign. “As my wife Annie said, the universe was trying to tell me something.” It marked the beginning of a new chapter. In 1 , not long a ter the near atal crash, od and Annie, who was then working in advertising and marketing in London, set up home, and ale ouse itchen, in the picture per ect setting o Timsbury, with the dream of creating a self sustaining space, plus a cookery school to share skills, such as foraging, butchery, bread making and y fishing. Some ten years on, and their dream has ta en very real shape. The garden of their Cotswolds stone home is a labyrinth of orchards, pigsties, vegetable plots, greenhouses, wild owers and even a swimming pool. The vibe is serene, green, and totally the good life. Here the ever cheerful, upbeat and informative Bod tells us a little more about his ale ouse itchen adventure.
“Just like that I was injured and unemployed”
Can we start by explaining the aims of Vale House Kitchen?
The aim, really, is to get people a little more connected with their food and teach them new kitchen and cooking related skills. Food always tastes a great deal better if you have some sort of connection with it, be it a trout you’ve caught from a nearby lake or some wild garlic that you’ve foraged from the local wood.
Was there anybody who inspired you in this field?
I was very lucky to spend lots of time with my Grandma Molly, growing up. She would make marmalade in January, chutney in the autumn, all her own bread and cakes. I still have her small wooden spoon we used to use from when I was a child.
Have you always had cooking as a passion?
Yes, even while I lived in London I was always lucky to be able to head out at the weekends and get back to the countryside, whether it be fishing or trout or oraging or wild garlic and sloes to ma e sloe gin.
So when you made that professional transition from the world of finance to the world of fields, how did you find it?
Starting out in a completely new industry and getting to grips with websites, marketing and accounts certainly proved an interesting challenge to start with. It was very much jumping into the deep end, but, being a glass half full type of person, I really enjoyed it.
Any particular highs?
The highs were definitely establishing a new unique business, something I wouldn’t have been able to do without the support of my wife, Annie. We got amazing feedback from our guests pretty much from the beginning. I think that because we offer some very unique food experiences, people absolutely love their days with us.
And any lows?
Worrying whether people would come to something so different, mainly. We also undertook a big building project, and opening whilst being new parents and rather tired. Our son, Michael, was just six months old and not the best sleeper when we opened!
Talk us through some of the courses you offer We cover everything from baking bread to fly fishing, foraging to smoking and curing masterclasses. I think these days people are much more interested in their food, and want fresh ingredients where they can. Also, people care about sustainability issues much more – for example, venison is something we all should be eating much more of. The deer population in the UK is the highest it’s been for 1,000 years, and jumped again substantially post Covid. We are its only real predator, so we should be considering this delicious wild meat more often as part of our diet.
Which are the most popular courses?
“These days people are much more interested in their food”
fields. We are really lucky to have Steve Lamb, ex-River Cottage, heading up our butchery and smoking and curing courses; Adrian Boots is a local landscape ecologist who leads our foraging courses; Kieran Lenihan has been with us from the very beginning, is the executive chef at Wellington school, and teaches the majority of our cookery courses; Neil Keep is an incredible Bath-based fly fishing instructor and hosts our fly fishing events; and Andy Tyrrell is an expert baker who also runs the amazing WeareSoulshine in Bridport and teaches all of our baking courses.
Our butchery courses always seem to be very popular. Whether it be butchering one of our own Oxford Sandy Black pigs or a local roe buck, people seem to really enjoy learning where all the specific cuts come from.
How do you select the VHK teachers?
Our tutors are all hugely passionate foodies that are experts in their
What’s the scale of the classes?
We always wanted to keep the school small – max course size is ten – so that our guests can get the most out of a day with us. This way, as well, they can be taught hands on and are able to put the skills to use immediately.
Any plans in the pipeline for VHK?
We do have a few new courses coming up. One of the first things we got when we moved to Vale House was beehives in the orchard. We sadly lost our bees a few years ago to hornets, but we are re-hiving this summer and will have Martin Knight of Knights Beekeeping hosting ‘introduction to bee keeping’ courses, starting this month. We also have a new tutor about to join who is going to be hosting new preserves courses, starting this autumn. n
For more: Vale House Kitchen, Vale House, Loves Hill, Timsbury, Bath; www.valehousekitchen.co.uk
“THE COUNTRYSIDE IS overflowing with delicious wild ingredients at various times of the year, so it seems foolish not to take advantage of this. Wild plants are often full of vitamins and nutrients that their farmed cousins don’t have – nettles, for instance, are full of vitamin C and calcium and are also packed full of antihistamines. Nettle tea with local honey is a brilliant cure for hayfever.
“FORAGING IS VERY much a spring and autumn thing to do. In spring the fields and verges are full of new greens, such as nettles and wild garlic. Autumn is very much more a hedgerow affair; think sloes, blackberries and hawthorn berries (all go very well in different types of alcohol to make wonderful winter tipples).
“YOU WILL FIND wild edible plants almost anywhere. Ivy leaved toadflax,for instance,
is a plant you’ll often find growing out of old walls. People say that it was bought here by the Romans, as they liked to bring a big living larder wherever they travelled. It is edible, but rather bitter to the taste. You do, however, need to be careful foraging in urban environments due to the fumes produced by traffic.
“TO GET STARTED, I’d say buy a decent foraging guide (Adrian, our tutor, has just published a brilliant one,Wild Food & Mushroom Foraging: An Essential Guide for the UK), and it’s always a good idea to book onto a foraging walk with someone who knows their wild plants. You’ll find lots of walks; we have some coming up this autumn.”
By Marianne Cantelo
It’s easy to romanticise those uni days, rose tinting our naivety, spots and anxieties by dwelling longingly on our past optimism, arrogance and the wonder of being carefree. It’s no surprise, then, that the stylish of all ages fall in love over and over with the disarming chic of ‘preppy’ style. Bridging the gap between the freshness of an ingénue, newly hatched and wide-eyed, and pseudo sophisticated, jaded academia, this is fashion with brains.
Isn’t preppy a playful, more ‘tongue in cheek’ manifestation of classic style, with a dash of athletic insouciance and, if you like, a dollop of geekery? You may veer towards more masculine manifestations with dressed down tailoring, or choose to balance your pseudo studiousness with more eminine ourishes. ither way, it s a loo that’s within everyone’s reach, while being pure
Ivy League.
If you prefer studied simplicity in your
wardrobe, consider investing in a button down
shirt in s y blue and a pair o high waisted bu or white chinos, providing a base for a plethora of looks. Layer with a paler knitted tank on cooler days, or a cable knit tossed over the shoulders and you can elevate or subdue with heeled pumps or white sneaks. Horizontally striped long sleeve t shirts add a raffishness when swapped for the shirt, or a vertically striped linen blazer adds sporty sophistication resting lightly on your shoulders, unlike your real-life responsibilities. If you long for warmer breezes to caress your legs, chinos can be exchanged for pleated skirts, nodding more to Wimbledon than St Trinian’s. Tailored shorts are due for a comeback, or crisp culottes if you prefer more coverage. A more practical alternative to the skirt-shorts in classic colours – navy, beige and even pale blue chambray – provide versatility in the wardrobe, working year after year.
eep shorts loo ing office appropriate while you labour in offices without air conditioning. For a more interesting silhouette, colour block with very wide-legged trousers in a contrasting colour, paired with boat shoes and channelling sailing vibes.
“This is fashion with brains”
It’s important to avoid the ‘I go to Hogwarts’ e ect and imbue more grown up magic with your accessories. Choose a lady-like bag with a top handle, instead of a satchel or backpack, and avoid risking ruining the lines of your look. Understated gold jewellery and a slim tan leather belt add subtle finishes. hile the weather holds, why not commute to work on a ‘sit up and beg’ bicycle and fill the bas et with the latest tomes, or more brainy discussions at the water cooler?
1. Chunky cotton knitted tank, £145, from TOAST Bath, 7 Bartlett Street, Bath; www.toa.st
2. Linen twill shorts, £65, from Albaray, 24 New Bond Street, Bath; www.albaray.co.uk
3. Izar suede-jeans lace up sneakers in blue by Andia Fora, £215, from Blue Women & Home at The Loft, 1-2 Bartlett Street, Bath; www.bluewomensclothing.co.uk
For those of you more into maximalism, it’s an opportunity to embrace the too-oft forgotten neck tie. Out of fashion in the corporate world, the tie can be reclaimed as a scholarly symbol, an opportunity to pull colour and texture through your look. Avoid looking like an erstwhile school boy and layer under your knitted tank to keep it controlled and chic. Alternatively soften your ‘blue stocking’ uniform with a scarf tied into a bow and tucked under your collar or an artsy e ect, e tending the so tness with blouses in owing cuts. Alice bands hark back to the peppy preppyness of the Sloane Ranger in a good way, a solution for taming tresses after a hard night ‘hitting the books’.
However you choose to do it, dressing ‘preppy’ permits you to extend your relatively eeting dip into education ar into your wor ing life. Any failures in actual intellect and learning, can be compensated for with sartorial success and, if necessary, prescription free spectacles. njoy the eeling o graduating with honours, every time you step out the door.
Marianne Cantelo is the business development project manager for Dorothy House Hospice Care. The charity has 25 high street shops across the region selling fantastic pre-loved items, which provide a large part of its income, plus it also has an online shop.
We’re dreaming of a hot summer and living our best lives outside, even if it’s just for a little while. Surely not even Mr Sunshine could resist putting in a appearance to enhance this Tine K Home-styled outdoor space?
Favourites of Bath-based designers Woodhouse & Law, Tine K was founded in 1999 by Tine Kjeldsen and her husband Jacob Fossum from Denmark. The distinctive Tine K style is a mixture of bohemian living, elegant simplicity and the botanical, producing collections that are classically timeless and e ortlessly beauti ul.
For more: www.tinekhome.com | www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk
MOSMAN TIERED CHANDELIER BY PURE WHITE LINES, £3,800
Crafted with precision, the chandelier boasts four tiers of delicately hung alabaster pieces, each suspended rom a slee bron e finished rame. The result is a mesmerising interplay of light and shadow, casting a warm, ambient glow, and will make a statement of style in whichever room you choose to install it.
From Holloways of Ludlow, 37 Milsom Street, at www o owa sofl d ow om
Complement colourful, vibrant salads with a pair of minimalist salad servers made from stainless steel and complete with a black border that gives the appearance of vintage-inspired enamelware.
Fully upholstered in a teddy bear soft rich cream abric, the chairs, which are sold as a pair, o er comfortable curves, cocooning arms and contrasting blac metal legs. From Cox & Cox; www o and o o
From Always Sunday Store, 9 Broad Street, Bath; www.alwayssunday.store
SET OF 4 WHITE ESA MARBLE COASTERS, £30
Cool, smooth and tactile, u u s sa coasters are cut from solid marble with the natural variegated deposits lending its own unique look to each piece. From Homefront Interiors, 10 Margarets Building, Bath; www ome rontinteriors o
FAUX PEONY, £19
This lifelike stem shows the ower s signature cloud li e petals in ull bloom. In pure white with subtle hints of pink, use several to create a statement bouquet or just one or two in a slender vase. From Neptune, One Tram Yard, a ot treet at www ne t ne om
CABBAGE JUG, WAS £65, NOW £22
An unusual and stri ing stoneware jug, ideal or iced water, that will inject a little botanical energy into a table setting.
From OKA, 26-27 Milsom Street, Bath; www.oka.com
he simple, circular design o this cellar per ectly suits the o white chal colourway stoneware, and comes complete with a small birch wood spoon.
From Salcombe Trading; www.salcombetrading.co.uk
With a diameter of 60cm and a crisp, white lac uer finish, this little wavy wonder would wor well used in any part of the house.
From Cream of Cornwall, 29 Milsom Street, Bath; www.creamcornwall.co.uk
Inspired by 1 th and 1 th century uropean ceramics, the ve collection o 1 pieces is e pertly made in ortugal rom stoneware. he hand finishing process means each item is uni ue, which adds to the collection’s charm.
From Graham and Green, 92 Walcot Street, Bath; www.grahamandgreen.co.uk
pertly cra ted, and ideally si ed to sit at the end o a single bed so it can double as both toy box and bench, the white painted frame here contrasts beauti ully with the chun y oa top lid. as strong slow close hinges, to ensure little fingers don t get trapped.
From The Cotswold Company Bath, 12 Northgate Street, Bath; www.cotswoldco.com
Successful, well-established year-round language school in the centre of Bath requires
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
It’s
time to future-proof maths and push for better financial education in schools
Money, money, money; it’s not funny that many of our children leave school without a basic grasp of how to handle their future finances. Si teen year olds who sat their maths GCSE earlier this month were expected to grasp circle theorems and geometry, but most will not have had a single lesson on understanding interest rates, taking out a mortgage, or how to manage a household budget using a basic spreadsheet. Ask any adult what they wish they had been taught more of
at school and ‘money skills’ usually comes top. So why, in an education era where iPads have replaced ink pots, is Generation Alpha still not getting proper financial education
Martin Lewis, founder of the Money Saving Expert website, has been asking this question for at least a decade. In fact, in 2014 a hard fought TV and press campaign resulted in financial topics being added to the national curriculum. Lewis called it a “pyrrhic victory” as it coincided with a large number of schools converting to academies, which meant they could self manage
Money Saving Expert (age 11 to 18)
Free textbook Your Money Matters created by MSE founder and campaigner Martin Lewis helps secondary school age children answer questions such as: what does PAYE stand for?; what’s the difference between a standing order and a direct debit?; and what is phishing?
www.moneysavingexpert.com
MyBnk (age 7 to 25)
Online platform offering e-learning modules, guides including university money tips and financial education
sessions for 7 – 25 year olds. www.mybnk.org
Money heroes (age 3 to 11)
Resources include a podcast for parents, plus videos, downloadable activity sheets and online stories for children. There are also resources in the Welsh language, and for children with special educational needs. www.moneyheroes.org.uk
Plus, most high street banks, including Barclays, HSBC, Santander and Lloyds, now offer free financial skills guides for customers.
and opt out of the national curriculum. Fast forward to 2024 and there is very little to show for Lewis’s work. Money know-how among young people is as rare as a cheque book.
There is more than a tinkle of hope if we shake the nation’s piggy bank, however. Following a six-month independent investigation into the lack of ‘money lessons’ in UK schools, a cross-party report was published in May by the House of Commons Education Committee that called or financial education to be urgently bolstered. It included a study that estimates it would take just three hours o financial education per month to trans orm financial literacy levels. Recommendations included the need for schools to appoint financial education coordinators and take a cross-curricular approach to ensure pupils understand the relevance of money in di erent conte ts.
“Most 16 year olds will not have had a single lesson on understanding interest rates”
adults are already at crisis point, advocates say an understanding of how to handle money goes hand-in-hand with self care. Our children need to be able to decipher bank statements and understand that the ping of contactless payments on their phone has IRL consequences. While we wait to see how the government adds financial literacy to its education balance sheet after the general election, parents can start building the foundations now. Normalise conversations around money as a family by showing them your payslip or mortgage statement. Venture into credit cards and APRs, which, yes, most of us had to learn about the hard way. There are plenty of free resources available to go through basics such as the di erences between savings, borrowing and investments, and more structured financial education programmes that would add value to any young person’s CV or university personal statement.
“ oney isn t just a financial issue,” says Martin Lewis. “ roblems can a ect every area of life – your happiness, mental health, work and relationships.”
In an age when mental health problems for children and young
Victoria Bond is the founder and CEO of School Guide, an easy-to-use website that helps parents explore the best schools in the area, including catchment maps and parent reviews. For more: www.schoolguide.co.uk
Unique social business lunch with live interview: Laurence Beere of the Olive Tree/The Queensberry
JOIN US Tuesday 10 September at Walcot House from 12pm
Begin your therapy journey with Bath psychotherapist and counsellor
Life can be wonderful with excitement, joy and contentment. It also brings disappointment, loss, rejection, endings and beginnings we don’t choose or wish for, powerlessness, lack of success, grief and trauma. Navigating such experiences can be at best confusing and bewildering and worse can lead to hopelessness and despair.
Whatever your story holds, my practice offers a respectful, confidential, kind, non judgemental space for your therapeutic journey.
Suffering can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression, stress, issues with relationships, health, and lack of general ability to function. It can be a lonely and desperate place to be but there is a way through and a way forward.
I have faith in the individual’s ability to transcend adversity. It is within us to rebuild, stabilise the mind and soothe the heart. Often it is too difficult to navigate and manage doing so on our own.
Therapy facilitates the journey to find our unique sense of what that means for each of us. No matter what you have experienced and suffered, I am here to support you.
I am an experienced integrative psychotherapist and counsellor. I have a practice in Bath and Bristol. I offer both face-to-face and remote psychotherapy and counselling for either open-ended or time-limited practice, welcoming clients of every gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race, religion, disability and background.
The saying ‘life is short’ can be reeled off as a platitude, but it is true that we don’t have forever to make the most of this life. That being the case it has to be worth finding how to live the best life we can.
“ I HAVE FAITH IN THE INDIVIDUAL’S ABILITY TO TRANSCEND ADVERSITY. IT IS WITHIN US TO REBUILD, STABILISE THE MIND AND SOOTHE THE HEART ”
As a therapist I have the privilege to witness my clients navigate their journey to what is their unique authentic life; authenticity enables us to recognise and nurture the requirements for that ‘best’ life. I work as an integrative therapist. Integrative Therapy draws upon the schools of evidence based psychotherapeutic approaches. It allows me the opportunity to be creative and offer my clients what will support them.
My practice in Bath offers a calm and refreshing therapy room set in a delightful
garden close to the city centre. In Bristol I am fortunate to share delightful designated therapy rooms in the heart of Clifton. I am an accredited member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, the Prince’s Trust in Therapeutic Counselling Services. Beginning therapy can feel frightening and daunting but it should also feel hopeful. Finding the right therapist can enable you to start the journey. I would be very happy to hear from you by email or phone. n
Lucie Collins tel: 07519 709835 lucie.collins@psychotherapybath.me www.psychotherapybath.me
AB Brand and Marketing Agency
Adopstar
Amanda Spicer, Your Eco
Apex City of Bath
Dr Asel Sartbaeva, Ensilitech
Aspire To Move
Beautynet
Blake Morgan
Brav Endurance
Bright Evolve
Bristol O ce Co. & Bath O ce Co.
Cameron Mills Group
Cameron Mills, Cameron Mills Group
Catering Services International
Cavefish
Checks Direct
Chelsea PinchesBurrowes, WCS Agency
City Science Clean Break Group
Correct Careers
Coaching
Danny Moar, Theatre Royal Bath
David Kelly, Storm Consultancy
Design for Digital
DeskLodge
Dialect
Digital Wonderlab
dubbii
Eat PR & Marketing
Ebonstone
Electra Savvidou, Action PAs
Ellena Norman, Studio 74 Contemporary Art
Energised Performance
Englebert
EnsiliTech Epowar
Erin-Jane Roodt, Epowar
First Table
Fourth Floor
Fueld AI
Fueld Media
Good With Graphic Mill
H2R Selection
Hannah Egerton, Edgie Eats
Helen Liang, LabCycle
Hoop Recruitment
Huboo
Humanity Centred Designs
iO Academy
James Courtney, LUX Rewards
Jitty
Jo Polson, Vindico
LabCycle
Laurent van Bekkum, MONUSKIN
Ludo Sports Bar & Kitchen
LUX Rewards
Marlin Communications
Dr Matt Slade, Ensilitech
Mayden
Mercedes Osborne, Pointers Financial
Mode Consult MONUSKIN
Nathan Baranowski, Digital Wonderlab
Nick Spicer, Your Eco
Nick Sturge, Omnigenix
Olivia Coy, Remedy Omnigenix
PANDEK Group
Paul Benson, Adopstar
Paul Dodd, Huboo
Philippa Roberts, Binit
Pointers Financial
Remedy Rocketmakers
Second Mountain Comms
SEIKK Share
Sian Howarth, Norah Rose Staging
Sora Aviation
Storm Consultancy
Studio 74 Contemporary Art Sustainable Construction Services That Media Thing
The Salocin Group
The Social Shepherd Thrings
Truespeed
UK-HyRES
Vindico
Vishal Tolambia, Humanity Centred Designs
Wake The Tiger
Wales Interactive WAVESIX
WCS Agency
Yang Ding, New Silk Route Digital
Zoë Stephenson, The Social Shepherd
TICKETS
It’s generated some heavy sighs, caused many a swoon, and earned itself some serious fandom, but Bridgerton is also creating a postive impact on Bath’s economy.
Now having ended its third series with an estimated 200 million viewers on et i with the two previous series featuring in et i s top ten most viewed shows of all time), the series, which utilises many distinctive Bath landmarks as part of its faux-Regency world, is proving
a big draw to visitors to the area, and bringing with them big spending power.
New stats from Visit West, commissioned by West of England Mayor Dan Norris, reveal Bridgerton has contributed more than £5 million to the local economy, with UK and international visitors drawn to the city to see our local ‘Ton’ locations, such the Holburne and No 1 Royal Crescent, and expects that figure to increase ollowing the latest ‘Polin’ saga – the love story of Penelope and Colin.
The mayor has hailed the “Bridgerton e ect” as “a huge
boost or ath s economy” and the wider region – which he called “quite simply: the ollywood o the .”
He says, “Some people say Bath is one of the stars of Bridgerton. I would say that actually the reverse is true –
“SOME PEOPLE SAY BATH IS ‘ONE OF THE STARS OF BRIDGERTON’”
Bridgerton is one of the stars of this incredible city, and our amazing West of England region.
The series showcases the brilliant sites and attractions that make Bath what it is, and all at their most romantic. It’s no wonder it put people in the mood for some West of England romance.
“The ‘Bridgerton e ect is huge for our region – generating millions for the West, and sparking a whole new tourist industry as thousands from every part o the world oc here.”
For more: www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk | www netfli om
The local businesses who seen a ‘ton’ of work come their way thanks to the Ton…
The Abbey Deli on Abbey Street is the distinctive front for Madame Delacroix’s dress shop, Modiste. “People recognise the shop both externally and internally as the dress shop, and this means that we are able to o er them the e perience o actually dining in the shop that was in the series also, tourist tours will point us out,” says director Nicky Ison.
“ e have registered the name odiste, so we are able to produce certain merchandise in line with our business and supporting the series. e o er a ull range o character teas eaturing di erent avours to match the di erent characters within the series, as well as t shirts, tea towels, and tote bags, all with illustrations o the gorgeous shop ront that we are luc y enough to careta e. he Bridgerton impact or our business has been huge and very welcome.”
For more: wwwjjbeanos.com
“ ou could say Bridgerton is the gift that eeps on giving to ath,” says red awers, owner o red awer ours. “As Bridgerton is a TV series with seasons released over a period of years, it is one of the shows generally the most beneficial to places in terms o sustained screen tourism, or set jetting’, as it’s sometimes now called.
“I created a dedicated Bridgerton walking tour o ath or season one, and I ve updated the tour ollowing the releases o season two and three, as well as for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
“Bath’s Assembly Room’s Tea Room has been used as one o ady anbury s ballrooms and some promenading has been filmed outside it,” says Helen Roberts, senior marketing and communications officer or the ational rust, who have the Assembly ooms, Dyrham Park and Prior Park in its Bath portfolio. “Also, the Palladian Bridge at Prior Park is very similar in style to the park bridge seen regularly in the series
“Bath has become the face of Bridgerton, and it has certainly put the city on the map or weddings and proposals,” says enni er oung, registration officer and registrar or ath and North East Somerset Registration Service. “ eople are coming rom ar and wide to live out their own Bridgerton love stories. Fans can choose to get married in licenced venues that eature in the show, such the uildhall an ueting oom, which was the setting or a magnificent ballroom scene in season one, and o course they can use the distinctive architecture o ath as the bac drop or their wedding photos.”
For more: www.bathnes.gov.uk
“ he tour covers not only the filming locations but also o ers behind the scenes insights about the filming, and a loo at what life was really like in Regency times compared with its portrayal in Bridgerton “ ompared to normal historical tours o Bath, the Bridgerton tour attracts a somewhat di erent audience – typically younger, or, or e ample, mums with teenage daughters. It has all been very good or my business – I rec on I must have done the tour more than 1 times now ”
For more: www.fredmawertours.co.uk
“ ur welcome des s have noted plenty o uestions around Bridgerton and filming at our places in general, and we ve noticed an increase in related Bridgerton mentions on all our social channels, but particularly on Instagram.
“We also get people visiting dressed in period costume, both or un and or pictures, which is always lovely to see and is very much welcomed.”
For more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
“The impact of Bridgerton has given us the opportunity to revisit some of our older, more classic designs, giving them another moment in the spotlight,” says Divine Savages co-founder Jamie Watkins. “Our Portobello Parade wallpaper, for example, which we created back in 2018, is a beautifully illustrated design, rich with detail. You’ll discover something new each time you look – lions, leopards and lemurs stroll casually through Regency inspired streets and parklands, crossing paths with other bewildered pets for a playful, pictorial print. Perfectly, surreally Bridgerton!” For more: www.divinesavages.com
The Holburne Museum probably has one of the biggest starring roles in the costume romp, as the home of Lady Danbury, who’s famed for her extravagant balls. “We have seen a large number of visitors drawn to the museum for photo opportunities in front of ‘Lady Danbury’s house’, and in 1 we had a mar uee on the terrace dec ed out with owers called ‘Lady Danbury’s tearoom’, which proved incredibly popular,” says Sophie Woodward, head of marketing and communications.
“We have also introduced a range of Bridgerton-inspired merchandise in our shop, including a canvas tote bag and wash bag printed with illustrations inspired by Lady Danbury; a range of ceramic plates, mugs and tea towels featuring our iconic façade; as well as the Bridgerton novels and colouring books.”
For more: www.holburne.org
o.1 oyal rescent is better nown to the show s ans as the home o the ighty, socially ambitious eatheringtons, and each time a new series drops there s a urry of interest as Mary Stringer, marketing and communications manager, explains: “ here s always an increase in en uires rom the press, tourists, and in uencers – it s really wonderful to feel the excitement. Bridgerton fans tend to immediately recognise the exterior of No.1 Royal Crescent as the home of the Featherington family; of course, only the first house on the most iconic rescent in the country would have been good enough or the social climbing, amboyant eatheringtons
“On the date the new series launched this year, we held a special Bridgertonthemed dressing up day, where visitors could dress up in Regency costumes as part o their museum visit, and we also o er specialised private Bridgerton tours.”
For more: www.no1royalcrescent.org.uk
No.1 Royal Crescent is the home
RUSETTE AUTON of Bath Theatrical Costume Hire on helping channel inner-Featheringtons for more than 55 years
For more than 55 years, Bath Theatrical Costume Hire has been helping the nation channel that Bridgerton vibe before Bridgerton was even a thing. Rusette Auton and her team, which includes her 86 year old mother Dinah, have been dressing hundreds of theatre productions, films, photography shoots, private parties, wedding parties and major events from their vast warehouse in Frome, which is home to some 30,000 costumes, along with props. There are the expected Regency and period costumes, of course, but also a staggering range of fancy dress from Harry Potter to Game of Thrones and from Disney characters to a myriad pop stars.
The costume hire empire began life in 1968 on Bath’s London Road, when Mollie Lea, Rusette’s
grandmother, sewed costumes for a theatre group called Unity Players, for which she also produced and directed. Such was Mollie’s creative success that they moved to bigger premises, also on London Road, and, on Molly’s retirement, Rusette’s mother Dinah took over in 1990. Now Rusette is at the helm and the business has expanded to such a degree not only does it need a warehouse to house the outfits, it includes two studios for hire.
Also helping business boom is Bridgerton-fever, which has taken over the world since its et i launch in 2020. They’ve seen the demand for Regency costumes soar, so now also o er he egency perience, where people can dress up go out and about or promenades and selfies.
Would you say the success of Bridgerton has changed things dramatically for Bath Theatrical?
Before the pandemic, the majority of the visitors to Bath who we dressed came from all around the globe –America, Australia, apan, urope, Scandinavia. When the pandemic hit, Bath came to a grinding halt, as did the rest of the world. However, also during this period Bridgerton series one launched, and it took the world by storm. When we were able to open up the following year, we noticed our clients had changed slightly.
Because of the lockdown, there were very few international visitors still, but we were getting so many enquiries from the UK, thanks to the series. The setting, the glamour, the romance, the drama, the costumes –it’s like a fairytale fantasy, and it’s all here right on our doorstep! Not only did the show bring the beauty of Bath into view, it also gave a platform to the charm of the Regency period.
You were already used to catering to various flavours of Jane Austen fan. In what ways are the Bridgerton-itesdifferent? What is interesting is that the Janeites (the serious Jane Austen advocates and followers) are quite precise about the historical correctness of appearance, etiquette and language. With Bridgerton, it’s no secret that the costumes, as gorgeous as they are, are not all historically correct. The style is much more raw and brash.
“WE HAVE ALREADY DOUBLED OUR STOCK OF COSTUMES AND CONTINUE TO MAKE MORE”
So now we have a range of costumes to satisfy both the appetites of the li abeth ennet wannabes and the Featherington fans!
Is it mainly women who are fans?
e used to see mainly women come in for Georgian costumes, but since Bridgerton there s a big increase in male participation, which is such un. Gentlemen look absolutely gorgeous in Regency style clothes!
How is most of your costume hire work conducted?
uch o our business is done online. ur catalogue o egency costumes is available there, so people can have a look as to what options are available to fit them. e then courier the costumes to wherever they are. e dress the
casts of productions all the time without seeing them, so, as long as we have accurate measurements, we can find the right outfit. course, when people can find the time, the un part is coming into the wardrobe to try on the costumes.
Has interest been the same for all three series of Bridgerton? or the very first show, interest in our business boomed; the second one was a little quieter, but for this third one it seems to have gone a bit mad again! I think it was the long wait between series two and three that meant everyone was ready to throw themselves into the Regency world again – there are now so many Bridgerton themed parties and tea parties. e were also involved in the online et i launch this year, dressing in uencers in costumes which was a lot o un.
What’s it like watching the show given your costume knowledge? I love the e travagance o it all, the detail of the sets, the costumes – the show is absolutely gorgeous. I m probably much more rela ed watching Bridgerton, because when it s other historical dramas, I can t help but thin what s with that ip and those buttons aren t right
Can you see the all-things-Regency trend continuing?
The Jane Austen fan base seems to be a forever growing one and now there s the never ending Bridgerton boom It s all ar bigger than I had ever imagined, and we have already doubled our stock of costumes and continue to ma e more. egency will be with us or decades to come. For more: www.baththeatrical.com
Matthew Rutter from Bath-based chartered
accountants and tax advisers PEARSON MAY outlines the capital allowances scheme for businesses…
n recent years, the capital allowances regime has become much more generous, particularly for limited companies and expenditure on brand new items of plant and equipment. It is therefore more important than ever to make sure you make the most of the allowances available to your business, in order to mitigate the company’s corporation tax liability.
In the broadest sense, capital allowances are a form of tax-approved depreciation. Depreciation, as calculated under accounting standards, is not an allowable deduction in computing the profits of a trade chargeable to corporation tax (or income tax) because it is an item of a capital nature. Instead, tax relief is given by treating the capital allowances as an expense to be deducted when arriving at the taxable trading profits.
The most common form of capital allowance given to qualifying items of plant and equipment is the annual investment allowance (AIA). The AIA has been in place for over 16 years and has been fixed at £1million since 1 January 2019. This amount is proportionately reduced for accounting periods of less than 12 months and effectively increased for accounting periods longer than 12 months.
The AIA is very flexible and can be claimed on most items of plant and equipment, other than cars (and a few other exceptions). For most companies with capital expenditure of a relatively modest sum, the AIA will be sufficient to obtain complete tax relief on all items of qualifying plant and equipment.
In his spring 2023 Budget speech, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the introduction of ‘full expensing’ for qualifying capital expenditure, in addition to the AIA. But what is ‘full expensing’ and how does it work?
Under full expensing, limited companies can claim 100 per cent first-year relief on qualifying new main-rate plant and machinery investments acquired on or after 1 April 2023. The policy replaces the 130 per cent ‘superdeduction’ that was introduced in March 2021 and which ended on 31 March 2023.
Full expensing does not have a ‘cap’ like the £1m AIA, so it is a very generous allowance and one which a company could benefit from significantly, particularly if its capital expenditure exceeds the AIA of £1m. Full expensing is however only available in specific circumstances. In addition to only being available to limited companies subject to corporation tax (sole traders and partnerships are excluded), the plant and equipment must also be bought brand new and unused to qualify for full expensing. It also cannot be a car, given to the company as a gift, or purchased to lease to someone else. The expenditure must also be within the ‘main rate pool’ of plant and machinery. The types of asset which are included within the main rate pool are numerous but some examples of these include (but are not limited to):
• Machines such as computers, printers, lathes and planers.
• Office equipment such as desks and chairs.
• Commercial vehicles such as vans, lorries and tractors (but not cars).
• Warehousing equipment such as forklift trucks, pallet trucks, shelving and stackers.
• Tools such as ladders and drills.
• Certain fixtures, such as kitchen and bathroom fittings and fire alarm systems, as long as in a non-residential property.
The other most common type of plant and machinery – those items in the ‘special rate pool’ (broadly integral features such as hot and cold water systems, electrical systems and air conditioning systems etc.) – do not qualify for full expensing, but they do for a 50 per cent first-year allowance, subject to the same conditions that apply to full expensing. However, such items should also qualify for the AIA, so it is usually more beneficial to claim that instead. It is also worth noting that for fully expensed assets, the company will have to bring in an immediate balancing charge equal to 100 per cent of the disposal value. This means that if the company sold an asset for £10,000 on which they had claimed full expensing, they would be required to increase their taxable profits by £10,000 in the year of disposal, rather than deducting the proceeds from the capital allowances pool.
If you have capital purchases below £1m in your accounting period, you may well choose to just claim under the AIA scheme and as mentioned above, you will also benefit more by using the AIA if you are purchasing special-rate or second-hand assets. In addition to the AIA and full expensing, there is also the annual writing-down allowance. Businesses usually use this if their expenditure on qualifying plant and machinery exceeds the AIA limit (or the expenditure doesn’t qualify for AIA but is still entitled to capital allowances), in order to deduct a percentage of an item from their annual profits. Under current rates, 18 per cent of the value of main rate items can be claimed with writing-down allowances each year and it’s 6 per cent for special rate expenditure. Finally, it is also worth noting that there is a special 100 per cent first-year allowance for very specific items of expenditure which don’t necessarily qualify for full expensing or AIA. You can use this first-year allowance to claim the full cost of eligible assets incurred in your accounting period. The specific types of expenditure include:
• Wholly electric cars and cars with zero CO2 emissions (cars must be acquired new).
• Plant and machinery for gas refuelling stations, such as storage tanks, pumps etc.
• Gas, biogas and hydrogen refuelling equipment.
Expenditure claimed with this first-year allowance does not count towards your AIA, so businesses should make sure to make full use of each scheme available to them.
The above is for general guidance only and no action should be taken without obtaining specific advice.
Matthew Rutter BSc(Hons) FCA CTA
Pearson May Chartered Accountants & Chartered Tax Advisers
Bath, Chippenham and Trowbridge
37 Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4DA 01225 460491; mail@pearsonmay.co.uk www.pearsonmay.co.uk
t was a creative, celebratory, emotional and congratulatory Creative Bath Awards at Komedia on 22 May. More than 200 guests cheered, whooped and clapped as the 22 awards were handed out throughout the evening, as well as on receipt of their Little Theatre popcorn and Taste of Bath goodie bags!
Highlights of the night, which was hosted by MediaClash’s Steph Dodd and Greg Ingham, included an opening stage performance from Bath Dance College and the especially emotional acceptance speech from Stu Matson, on winning Inspirational Person.
Creative Bath Award winners photos by Viridis Marketing; www.viridismarketing.co.uk
Party images overleaf by Grace Level; Instagram @gracelevphoto
INSPIRATIONAL PERSONSTU MATSON
PERFORMING ARTS & MUSICKOMEDIA
PERFORMING ARTS & MUSICMUSIC WORKSHOP
PUBLISHER & WRITERNORTH PARADE PUBLISHING
YOUNG CREATIVEJASMINE BARKER
MARKETING CAMPAIGNCLEARLY PR
NEW CREATIVE BUSINESSTHE WRITING SET
SPATIAL DESIGNGRAPHIC MILL
PRODUCT DESIGN & CREATIONMATTER
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTTIM BLACKSHAW, ATTINGER JACK
Louise Aubrey, who graduates from her furniture and product design course at Bath Spa University this summer, was the creative force behind the new look Creative Bath Awards. Here she tells us more: “I have been working with and researching the eco-friendly and versatile composite Jesmonite for my final project, which is a coffee table. To design the Creative Bath Awards I used this material to shape my interpretation of Bath architecture. Each one took 4-6 hours to set once cast, and then I filled each logo with blue pigmented Jesmonite.
“Knowing that I made each award and then watching the winners hold them on stage made it such an exciting event for me.”
Instagram @louise.aubrey.designs
By Rebecca Silcock, head of family law at Mogers Drewett
Amid the UK’s wedding season there is a noticeable surge in enquiries from couples seeking advice on pre-nuptial agreements.
Alongside preparing for their big day there’s now an increasing desire to establish clarity and certainty over individual financial futures.
Understanding pre-nuptial agreements
A pre-nuptial agreement, often referred to as a prenup, is a legal contract entered into by a couple before marriage or a civil partnership. This agreement outlines how assets should be divided in the event of a divorce or dissolution of the partnership. While the concept might sound modern, prenups date back over 2,000 years to ancient Egypt, where couples established the property, each would bring into the marriage.
Rising popularity of prenups
In recent years, the establishment of pre-nuptial agreements has seen a significant increase highlighted by the number doubling in 2023 compared to 2022. Despite this rise, an estimated 80 per cent of married couples in England and Wales have yet to consider such measures. That’s around 18 million individuals who are potentially unprotected when it comes to their assets.
The legal standing of prenups In England and Wales, pre-nuptial agreements are not automatically legally binding. Historically, prenups were seen as contrary to public policy. However, a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2010 changed this perspective. The court decided that prenups should be upheld if they are freely entered into by both parties with a full understanding of their implications unless it would be unfair to do so under the circumstances. Each agreement’s fairness is assessed on a case-by-case basis by the courts. Whilst technically not enforceable, a prenup can and often will significantly influence court decisions.
Why consider a prenup?
Discussing and formalising financial arrangements through a pre-nuptial agreement can prevent potential disputes and misunderstandings. It helps couples set clear expectations about their financial future, which can be particularly important for those entering a marriage or civil partnership with significant assets, business interests, or children from previous relationships. Proactive financial planning can only be beneficial. Addressing these matters early on can lead to a more stable and harmonious relationship, reducing the risk of conflict if the relationship ends.
Experts in this field would note that financial arrangements are a primary concern for couples contemplating divorce. But by then it’s often too late to arrive at a consensus when considering financial matters and a battle over assets can prove both stressful and damaging to any future relationship. Going back to when all things seem rosy, it’s essential to grasp an appropriate moment to have that sensible conversation. The high emotions and stress associated with wedding planning can make last-minute financial discussions counterproductive. I would advise couples to discuss and arrange their financial matters well in advance of their wedding day. A calm, reasoned conversation about finances can provide a positive foundation for their future together. This can take place around a table in an open and collaborative manner.
What do to next
Pre-nuptial agreements offer couples a way to protect their assets and set clear financial expectations before entering marriage or a civil partnership. With the increasing trend of couples seeking prenups, it’s clear that more people recognise the importance of these agreements. Although not automatically binding, they are persuasive and can be decisive in court, provided they are fair and entered into freely.
For anyone considering a prenup, consulting with a qualified solicitor is crucial by providing the necessary guidance to ensure that the agreement is fair, comprehensive, and tailored to your unique circumstances.
Mogers Drewett LLP; tel: 01225 750071 Rebecca.Silcock@mogersdrewett.com www.mogersdrewett.com
Bath Rugby Foundation (BRF) recently collaborated with Sam Daniels from Knight Frank, who showed our students around Pitt House in Bath. This inspiring opportunity motivated one of our students to apply for three courses at Bath College. Here, we discuss the impact of such partnerships with local businesses
Who are Bath Rugby Foundation, and how do you help disadvantaged young people in B&NES?
Joe Aygul, operations manager at Bath Rugby Foundation: We’re a charity dedicated to supporting young people who need social, emotional, practical, and physical support but
don’t receive it. We help challenged young people stop feeling judged and underestimated and instead feel confident and hopeful. We reignite confidence and self-worth, providing them with life skills and opportunities to thrive. Bath Rugby Foundation exists to bridge the gap between the poorest and most affluent areas, fostering a positive, supportive community.
How can professionals and businesses help BRF change young people’s lives?
Joe Aygul: Community is more than a place or a group of people; it’s a feeling of belonging and being part of something bigger. It’s where we find support, friendship, and empowerment. When businesses or individuals support a local
charity like BRF, they embody community spirit. This generosity creates a ripple effect, inspiring others and helping more people live happier, healthier lives.
Why did you and Knight Frank want to get involved with BRF?
Sam Daniels, Knight Frank: We wanted to get involved with BRF because we love Bath and admire the Foundation. Personally, I was once under confident and want to show vulnerable young people that they too can succeed with a mindset change. Seeing how the Foundation changes lives is inspiring, and I am passionate about giving back to help these students gain confidence and opportunities.
What did you enjoy about your visit and your ongoing partnership with BRF?
Sam Daniels: I loved seeing the students react and engage during our visit; watching their eyes open was incredible. It reminded me to stay humble and appreciate my journey. Our ongoing partnership with BRF continues to be deeply fulfilling, reinforcing my passion for helping others and seeing the tangible impact on these young lives.
How would you like to build upon your partnership with BRF in the future?
Sam Daniels: I envision working closely with BRF to become a permanent supporter. By deepening our involvement, we can provide ongoing mentorship, resources, and opportunities to help more vulnerable young people gain confidence and succeed. Building a lasting partnership with BRF will enable us to make a sustained, positive impact on these young lives.
Encouraging more businesses and professionals to get involved with Bath Rugby Foundation, like Sam Daniels from Knight Frank, can transform young lives. Inspired by Sam’s tour of Pitt House, one student applied for three courses at Bath College, highlighting the powerful impact of such initiatives. Join us to make a difference and change young lives. n
@bathrugbyfoundation f Bath Rugby Foundation : BR_Foundation www.bathrugbyfoundation.com
Sick of working at the kitchen table in your jimjams? Us too! But not sure what sort of office space might suit you best? We hear you! Time to get our investigation on…
By Paul Marland
Once upon a time, it seemed like we all worked in offices – all o the time. ut a combination of technology and pandemic put paid to all that, and with bigger companies wanting fewer desks, ones that workers only swing by occasionally, and with freelancers going loopy at the lack of stimulation sitting cross-legged on the so a at home, serviced offices and co-working hubs boomed, then contracted a bit, and now seem to be booming again. ath currently o ers endless variations on the basic theme of a quiet (but not too quiet) desk and chair in a warm and pleasant room, but which might suit you best? Read on…
5 Argyle Street, Bath, BA2 4BA; 01225 632777; www.bathoffice.co.uk
ot so much a co wor ing space, more a e ible office o er, ath ffice o has numerous sites at many di erent si es. “ ur buildings are listed, and have beautiful features,” says managing director Jamie Williams. “ e eep communal areas light and airy, filling them with plants as a nod to our own emerald green branding, and to aid wellbeing. Each office is handed over to its occupants with a resh lic o white paint, uality des s and office chairs, then they can fill it with what they li e.”
we’re building relationships with a raft of local aligned partners to give discounts on food, drink and gym memberships.”
How’s your offer changed over the years? “The launch of Bristol ffice o. helps us bridge the gap between the two cities, and gives our customers the opportunity to have a ‘foot in each boot’.”
And further plans? “Having spent months renovating two large new spaces in ristol, this is a year o fine tuning our o er in the slightly longer term, we aim to develop one our Bath locations to provide better meeting and communal space for all of our Bath customers.”
“They’re like- minded, having a laugh together”
14A Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN; www.gather-round.co
Who comes here? “In Bath we have 200 desks across around 50 private offices and five locations, and more in ristol. All have access to free meeting rooms, plus break out and communal spaces equipped with the relevant tech. We currently provide space for counsellors, solicitors, architects, software developers, screenwriters, engineers, creative agencies, wealth planners, hair stylists and more.”
Any freebies? “ e o er communal itchens with ree tea and co ee and access some buildings include ree meeting room access, and
Gather Round already has 220 members across two Bristol locations, and are about to launch in ath with a new base at rinity hurch on ueen S uare this will provide space or 120 co-workers across studios, resident desks and e i memberships . “ ur buildings are spaces where communities of the past once gathered,” says marketing director Danie Stinchcombe. “We’ve respectfully restored them and brought them bac to li e with standout interior design local artwor and designer furniture sits alongside original features to create an inspiring aesthetic. At the centre will be a large event space designed for presentations, workshops and creative gatherings, while the ‘vestry’ will become a smaller dedicated event space for hire.” Who comes here? “ reated by creatives or creatives, ather ound is a growing network of like-minded professionals who go to work every day to write, design, consult and hang out, while soaking up energy, passion and positivity rom the ideas and e pertise o others. ecause our members all come from the creative sector, they’re like minded, collaborating, chatting and genuinely having a laugh together. At the
same time, there are many nooks and crannies for space to focus.”
Any freebies? “We’ve created a packed schedule of free events, including many socials and parties, creative collaboration workshops, monthly ree brea asts, fitness clubs and yoga lunch times.”
How’s your offer changed over the years? “Co-founders Jason and en launched ather ound five years ago at the igar actory in ristol s Southville, and their first members remain riends to this day. rom designers to illustrators, copywriters to mar eters, photographers to video producers, the spectrum of skills is diverse. Even during Covid, when we weren’t physically together, there was such a feeling of solidarity at a lonely time. It was partly being surrounded by this positivity that persuaded us to launch Brunswick Square, our second location in central Bristol; we have an unerring belief in the need for human interaction.”
Any plans in the pipeline? “With the new Gather Round at Trinity Church in Bath, we couldn t be more e cited. o be the first to hear about how to get your name on the guest list, sign up to our newsletter and to our dedicated Trinity Church mailing list.”
Studios here would suit between one and 15, while the Club Room has a des area, plus open plan seating or more, with so as and a bar. There are four bookable meeting rooms, and Wild Herb at the ield itchen, an onsite ca . “ verall, we ve got our acres o buildings and acres o par land,” ollie says. “ he whole decision to invest in a rural work-hub after setting up urban complexes was to mix the best of what works in the city with an easy commute, hassle free par ing, and views o green fields and shimmering water.”
Who comes here? “ e ve around businesses, ranging rom designers and engineers to architects, copywriters and software and tech start-ups, but there’s also a fashion house, greetings card creators, a premium competition tyre supplier, a tattoo artist (with guest artist residencies), creative marketing agencies, and a literary magazine. We want variety!”
“There’s a fashion house and a magazine”literary
Brook Lane, Holt, Wiltshire, BA14 6RL; 01225 784080; www.glovefactorystudios.com ust nine miles rom ath, love actory Studios o ers over uni ue workspace studios, Club Room co-working desks, acoustic call booths and meeting rooms, plus a health and wellness angle that includes Glove Dippers cold-water swimming club (brrr!). “We’re surrounded by rolling countryside, but your first impression would be o ath stone warehouses,” says Hollie Markham, commercial operations manager. “ etween the buildings you ll find details hinting at their heritage, with garden courtyard planting and seating with views o ponds and fields.”
Any freebies? “We hold monthly Studio Member socials, with drinks and nibbles provided by ild erb at he ield itchen, on the house. here are seasonal ire east supper clubs and artisan markets too, plus classes on everything from calligraphy to wreath making, and even an Easter Egg Hunt event; on August Bank holiday there’s a BBQ to celebrate the annual village scarecrow trail. There are monthly free Rooster Talks, for business ideas and networking, and an evening series of talks too.”
How’s your offer changed over the years? “We were originally the finishing department o an 1 th century tannery and glove ma ing warehouse, and began as just one historic industrial building, before adding an extension to allow business members growing-on space. eally, it s been constant change. ur onsite ca has moved our times, and we ve renovated a previous ca space into a lub oom, with bespoke vintage suede acoustic panelling, banquettes and chairs.”
And further plans? “We’re now turning our attention to converting five urther historic warehouses into more o the same.”
Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 0RP; 01249 700 000; www.harthamparkestate.co.uk
ow here s something di erent. artham ar is acre estate with a large eorgian house in the centre o it, just north o orsham. It now serves as home to assorted businesses and organisations through a mi o private offices and communal spaces. “ pansive windows provide stunning views o the iltshire countryside and plenty o light,” says mar eting manager Sarah a er, “while lient ember spaces are filled with care ully curated interior pieces, modern urniture and colours to wow. ur outdoor areas, including the beauti ully landscaped gardens, o er a serene escape or rela ation or inspiration.”
Who comes here? “Space is e ible, and e tends across several buildings, including the main ansion ouse, while the co wor ing area consists o many small, medium or large meeting rooms, complete with all the latest joined up tech. he biggest office, meanwhile, is ready or up to people. e have a diverse range here, across industries such as tech, finance and creative services, including plenty o startups.”
Any freebies? “ e ve a ully e uipped itchen, regular social events and a ca , plus we o er wellness sessions, including regular ree yoga classes, to help members maintain a healthy wor li e balance.”
How’s your offer changed over the years? “Since our ownership began this year, we ve e panded to include more meeting rooms.”
And further plans? “ e re hosting a ree amily estival on Saturday 1 uly, with helicopter rides, music, treasure hunts, and a barbecue.”
1 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HA; 01225 486486; www.hosj.co.uk
ne o the anciest co wor ing hubs is ouse o St ohn s, in a rade I listed five oor eorgian townhouse on ueen S uare. here s a
room solely or dedicated des clients here, plus si private offices, our co wor ing lounges, and assorted meeting rooms and an event space. “ ur building beauti ully blends unctionality and sophistication,” says head o house Amy ayne rant. “It s been meticulously restored large windows fill the space with natural light, while wor areas e ude lu ury – and each room is uni ue, catering to di erent wor ing styles. he ground oor bu es with activity while the basement o ers a uiet, cosy retreat the airy top oors, meanwhile, are di erent again. he Saloon has long des s e uipped with monitors, per ect or ocused wor , and we provide a soundproo pod – ideal or ta ing calls – as well as various secluded spots where you can tuc yoursel away to concentrate.”
Who comes here? “ veryone rom reproductive health organisations to financial service firms, and rom start ups to well established enterprises. his includes both companies and individuals, creating a blend o e perience and resh perspectives. ur 1 or so members re uently tell us that the sense o community is their top priority casual conversations by the co ee machine o ten evolve into substantial connections that can enhance members businesses.”
Any freebies? “ n the first oor, there s a revolving gallery in our open plan events space, showcasing the wor o local artists and creators. e o er ergonomic urniture, natural light, and amenities li e standing des s to promote good posture. e understand the importance o wor li e balance, so our clients brea asts provide opportunities or networ ing, collaboration and mutual support. or those who cycle, we provide bi e rac s or secure storage and lu ury showers with high end toiletries to reshen up, and there s a private bar where members can bring clients or connect with others, a monthly client brea ast to oster networ ing and community, and a sunny terrace that o ers wor ers a re reshing change o scenery. ur ust Across the S uare scheme o ers members e clusive discounts with local suppliers and businesses, including ca s, restaurants and gyms.” How’s your offer changed over the years? “Since opening our yellow door in , we ve evolved by listening to clients needs.
Recognising the demand for luxury high-end meeting rooms in Bath, we changed the layout to accommodate more meeting spaces; we also o er a 1 per cent discount to those who join our ouse Associate Programme. We’ve responded to members’ requests by providing monitors throughout the ouse or their use too, and a virtual office service for those who want to register their business at one of the most prestigious addresses in ath 1 ueen S uare.”
And further plans? “ e re in the process o creating a new o ering –so eel ree to en uire.”
4 Argyle Street, Bath, BA2 4BA; 01225 562692; www.rengenhouse.com or three years, engen ouse, a restored eorgian townhouse just o ulteney ridge, has o ered a “bouti ue community or co wor ing and hosting meetings and events.” here are three oors o co wor ing space here, including both private and shared spaces, so you can enjoy as much social interaction as you li e. “ e can com ortably accommodate up to co wor ers at any one time,” says o loyd, their property associate. “Our ‘home-from-home’ environment feels comfortable rather than corporate, and allows interaction with others with no pressure. With comfortable seating, plush velvet furnishings, and a warm colour palette of greens and golds, the space is designed to create a relaxed yet professional feel. We also have a large outside terrace, per ect or both outdoor wor ing and sunny lunch brea s.” Who comes here? “ e ve members rom all bac grounds, rom some of the largest corporations in the world to exciting start-ups and sole traders. It ma es or an inspiring community. any join through recommendations from existing members, but we also get people passing who just pop in or a loo . Separation o wor and personal space allows members to embrace wor mode as they enter our door, and helps them truly switch o at the end o the day. Some o us are more productive in a casual environment, with the company of others
and some bac ground music others pre er a uieter space.”
Any freebies? “ e have a ully e uipped itchen, and all members receive unlimited hot drin s, so t drin s, snac s and pastries. e host a number of events, which members receive free or discounted access to – and have regular yoga sessions with our in house instructor.”
How’s your offer changed over the years? “ he wor ing landscape eeps changing, so we ve adjusted our membership pac ages to suit. ne big step was the renovation o the sub basement in ay this allowed us to provide a ull co wor ing o er, with the addition o des s, ergonomic seating, more meeting spaces, and call pods, which in turn has created a more diverse membership. e strongly believe we o er the most e ible range o pac ages in the mar etplace.”
And further plans? “We’ll be ramping up our programme of events throughout the year our monthly women s networ ing event, erSphere, has grown particularly strongly, and we ve some antastic spea ers lined up. And we re now an official sponsor o ath ugby, so there ll be lots o sporting themed events to come.”
16-18 Queen Square, Bath; 01225 690222; www.viooffices.com
“ io ffices redefine the way you wor by providing e ible serviced office spaces that oster creativity, collaboration, and productivity,” says boss olino iolante. “ e believe in building enduring relationships.” Who comes here? “ e ve an eclectic client base that re ects our commitment to inclusivity and innovation, and pride in a wor space. e li e to thin it s an environment where wor meets lu ury. And we understand that one si e doesn t fit all, so our commitment to e ibility ensures you ll find the ideal wor space tailored to your re uirements. We have solopreneurs, growing startups and well-established businesses in a range o serviced offices to accommodate teams o all si es.”
And further plans? “Our commitment to your success includes a comprehensive range of support services to ensure your operations run smoothly. ocus on what you do best – we ll handle the rest.” n
BY
It’s not often a Grade II Georgian townhouse comes onto the market, let alone one structurally sound and slap bang in the centre of town, but 11 Belmont, at the bottom of Lansdown oad, is just that. he five si bedroom, two bathroom, four reception room home is being sold through Knight Frank with a guide price of £2.485million. It is arranged over five storeys and has
that taste ully decorated ready to move in and ma e your own vibe. ne o the many stand out features of the house, as well as its immaculate condition, character ul vaults, and s metre o oor space, is the rear garden with its raised terrace and manicured lawn which commands gorgeous views across the city towards Bath Golf Club.
For more: www.knightfrank.co.uk
Museum
Architects have been appointed for Bath’s Fashion Museum’s move into the Grade II listed ld ost ffice on New Bond Street, which is anticipated to open in 2030.
Award-winning London-based studio 6a architects have been selected to realise the landmark project, turning the space into a state-of-the-art 21st-century cultural institution, which will be the UK’s only museum dedicated to the history and heritage of British fashion
A thrilled Sophie McKinlay, project lead for Fashion Museum Bath, says, “6a has an exceptional creative vision, matched with an outstanding track record for reimagining historic cultural spaces.”
For more: www.fashionmuseum.co.uk | www.6a.co.uk
Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) are on the hunt for local people to showcase the measures they’ve taken in their homes to reduce energy bills as part of the Green Open Homes event, happening this October.
Last year’s event saw more than 750 people visit 22 homes across Bath and Chew Valley, and this year the organisers want to appeal to even more of us. They are looking to feature a diverse range of properties anyone who has modified their home is encouraged to get in touch – from people who have installed energy efficiency measures in older listed buildings, to those with inexpensive tips for small, modern rental ats.
Pete Capener, managing director at BWCE, says, “Energy costs continue to soar higher than when the energy crisis began. These Green Open Homes events are more relevant than ever, as they o er practical solutions for residents. We are glad to run the ath event or another year and hope to benefit even more people across B&NES and beyond.”
For more: www.greenopenhomesbanes.org
As has been the case so often in the past, the market slowed down when the upcoming general election was called, according to the May RICS Residential Market survey.
The survey records that there has been a decline in new buyer enquiries, most notably in the South East and South West, and ‘a general softening in momentum across the sales market’. By contrast, the rate of new properties coming to the market has continued its upward path and there seems to be broad agreement that sales volumes will get back on track in the second half of the year.
As Bath agents know well, the local market can spring surprises. It frequently follows its own path, remaining robust when other regions experience slow growth, partly due to frequent lack of supply in certain property types in key areas of the popular Bath region.
“WHERE HAVE THESE VISIONARY INNOVATORS WHO PROPOSE MUCH NEEDED CHANGE BEEN IN THE YEARS PRIOR TO THIS ELECTION?”
Independent
So, where will the needle rest with the electoral barometer on 5 July?
Plenty of transformational promises are being made all round. With regard to proposed planning reform, increased emphasis is being placed on development of brownfield land to limit the rate at which greenbelt is being consumed.
Whilst the impact of the consequences of the pandemic continue to diminish, notably the rate of growth in the numbers of people working from home, overall demand for commercial office space in certain areas remains limited and this obviously presents more opportunity for potential residential redevelopment. Community need, business strategy and individual consumer demands are fluid and frequently change whilst development plans work their way through the system. So, promised assurances of greater speed and simplicity are critical so that when construction starts it remains harmonised with original need, and moreover if the cross-party commitments about new home numbers are to be achieved.
Will the acknowledgement of the plight of first-time buyers deliver meaningful new opportunity? We know that lending criteria is under review, stamp duty abolition for first time buyers is one headline grabber and there is an idea being thrown into the mix to put first time buyers at the front of the queue in certain
circumstances. According to the CEO of The National Housing Federation, Shared Ownership should be a ‘key option’ when looking to solve the housing crisis.
To what extent would one of the political party’s proposals to increase tax on overseas investors widen the door for domestic buyers? When the Renters Reform Bill baton is picked up again, can a magic formula be found which creates greater fairness and security for tenants whilst ensuring that landlords remain incentivised to ‘stay in the arena’? Hand me a crystal ball somebody… Anyhow, where have these visionary innovators who propose much needed change been in the years prior to this election? We certainly need some continuity and consistency, for 16 housing ministers since 2010 hasn’t helped the sector, to say the least.
Regardless of which flag will be raised at No 10 on 5 July, let’s hope we see evidence and feel the benefits of any changes soon – not just ‘by the end of the next Parliament’. n
• Bene t from a multiple channel marketing campaign, reaching thousands
• Stand out amongst your peers at this prestigious, unique event For details: bathlife@mediaclash.co.uk
GOOD ENERGY
share three reasons why you should swap your oil boiler for a heat pump
Over 850,000 homes across the UK have oil central heating. But with 78 per cent of oil-heated households* having been let down by their heating in the past five years, people are looking into alternatives that are greener, more cost effective and more reliable. In fact, the majority of people in oil-heated households would consider switching to a heat pump. Here are 3 reasons why you should swap your oil boiler for a heat pump.
1. Heat pumps are greener than oil boilers
Heating an average home using oil results in carbon emissions of 5,200kg a year. That’s more than two return flights from London to New York. On top of the carbon emissions from the boiler itself, heating oil comes with the added environmental impact of being delivered by truck. In comparison, if you replaced your oil boiler with a heat pump running on grid electricity, it would generate just 850kg of carbon emissions a year –
a huge 83 per cent reduction. This goes down further if you power your heat pump with solar panels or a 100 per cent renewable electricity tariff.
2. Heat pumps are cheaper to run than ageing oil boilers
Oil prices are volatile, influenced by external factors including weather, supply and demand and conflict. In 2023 prices ranged from £0.57/ litre in June to £0.82/litre in December, leaving households with large bills if they ran out while the price was high. Heat pumps are powered by electricity. The heat pumps Good Energy install have an average efficiency of 340 per cent, meaning that for every one unit of electricity they use, they provide 3.4 units of heat for your home. This means that they are much cheaper to run than aging oil boilers (£275 a year cheaper for an average 3 bed home, based on oil costing 70p/litre**). With Government grants of £7,500 available to help with the upfront cost, heat pumps are cheaper to install than many people think too.
3. Heat pumps are more reliable than oil boilers
In a survey commissioned by Good Energy, 58 per cent of people polled had been let down by their heating in the past five years. This figure rose to 78 per cent for households with oil-fired heating*. Heat pumps are highly reliable and require little maintenance outside of the annual service. Good Energy’s come with a ten-year manufacturer warranty and a two-year workmanship warranty, giving you peace of mind for many years to come. With a typical lifespan of 15-20 years, heat pumps last longer than oil boilers too. n
*Research conducted online by Opinium Research. Fieldwork was undertaken between 17-20th October 2023 amongst 2,000 UK adults and results have been weighted to be nationally representative.
**View our workings at: www.goodenergy.co.uk/blog/how-muchdo-oil-boilers-cost-to-run
Call 0345 034 0755 to speak to our expert team or visit www.goodenergy.co.uk/heat
uc ed away yet very much part o the city, Paul Marland may just have ound his dream home
There’s something magical about a great townhouse, particularly a Georgian one: all those elegant rooms with their tall ceilings, confident and bold cubes that can ta e the most outrageously modern or classically conventional o decors and roc them with equal ease. Then there’s the way light comes in at both sides through tall windows, ooding your space and how these houses feel an intrinsic part of the city – hey, it s right there just step outside your door – but also aloo and rela ingly separate rom it.
And in ath, especially, there s the riendly parade of ghosts each townhouse contains too, echoes of intriguing and o ten important lives – just chec out the preponderance o blue pla ues or proo – that once cavorted through the very spaces you re now occupying. amous boo s may have been written within these walls great pictures painted ama ing e periments conducted to change the world. A riend owned one where anada had apparently been created in the drawing room – act. ow, we can t ma e any o these specific claims or the home we re perusing today but, ran ly, who cares ust loo at the thing. And then chec out the location – surely one o the most pleasing in ath
hat we have here is Sion ill lace, a fine rade I listed eorgian townhouse by ohn inch the lder the architect behind abington ouse, leveland ools, the ainsborough otel and others on one o
“The graceful rooms have been meticulously renovated and restored”
our most coveted terraces, spread elegantly out over five oors and enjoying wonder ul southerly views across the city. Sion Hill, of course, is proper fancy ath, on the northern slopes just o ansdown oad, and this spot has to be one o the most glorious in the entire city, within a mile of the centre yet entirely bucolic and peace ul, surely the best o all possible worlds Inside, the grace ul, well proportional rooms – ideal or entertaining, but per ect or amily li e too – have been meticulously renovated and restored, finished in an entirely modern colour palette yes, there’s lots o calming dove grey and modernised respectfully, not least through a wealth of stylish bespo e cabinetry and ancy light fittings. hat it retains a plethora o original decorative detailing – thin stri ing fireplaces, ceiling rosettes, ornate banisters – is just the icing on the ca e. he ground oor welcomes you immediately, rom the ront door with its attractive anlight through a vestibule to the light drenched hallway with its stone agged oor. ere, an elegantly cantilevered staircase leads up to the main reception rooms on the first oor and the bedrooms beyond, while original stone steps ta e us down to the lower ground oor. ut don t hurry away – up or down – just yet first enjoy the large dining room to the ront with lovely views across a uiet no through traffic road to the residents private garden , and the itchen behind it, fitted with bespo e units, a central island and uart wor tops. he
ooring here is all restored ussian pine, creating an e tremely good ow between rooms.
Above, the first oor drawing room with its towering sash windows aces south, with views o ath across the treetops, while wedding doors lead to the withdrawing room at the rear, here fitted out as a library with bespo e shelving and a splendid bow window overloo ing the garden. pstairs again, and you ll find the principal bedroom and a large amily bathroom, while there are two urther bedrooms on the top oor, plus a dressing room and another bathroom.
h, and don t orget the lower ground oor, which has its own entrance, accessed down steps rom the pavement and via a sunny courtyard this could be sel contained i re uired, or part o the house, or something in between, but currently comprises a large sitting room once the itchen or the whole house, o course, so eaturing the original dresser and a stone fireplace used as a gym and activity room, plus a bedroom, bathroom, itchenette, laundry room, cold store and numerous vaults.
ut bac is a cute little walled garden, with a dining terrace o pennant agstones o the house, the ideal space or an outdoor itchen and al resco dining there s a little raised roo terrace here too, per ect or co ee or two. Sloping gently upwards, the garden is mainly lawned and delight ully planted by a landscape gardener, while mature trees in the neighbouring par land provide a lovely lea y bac drop to the upper terrace at the very rear.
We get the inside story from Bath’s leading home and property design specialists
VERITY WOOLF
E A E E DE www.woolfinterior.com
Tell us about your expertise?
is a multidisciplinary practice with over years of experience. ased in the ath rewery, our studio combines interior design and interior architecture services. e take care of the entire process from cost planning to concept, design and pro ect management.
What makes WOOLF different?
ur ethos is to create houses and hotels with unique personalities . e create intriguing and integrated spaces with timeless character as opposed to rolling out a fixed house style . he collaboration with our clients is key to creating successful design pro ects, we work together to create spaces that are not only aesthetically original, but also functional and practical.
What areas do you specialise in?
As specialists in historic interior design, we know that for exceptional design to remain relevant and future proofed, wherever possible, we must continually look for ways to remain sympathetic to a listing, whilst also incorporating sustainable practices into our design.
e also have specialist skill in interior art curation and bespoke furniture design.
How do your projects achieve their ‘green credentials’ for renewables and sustainability?
e choose materials that are renewable, recycled, or have a low carbon footprint in tandem with opting for energy efficient lighting, heat and cooling technologies, to reach that goal. KELLY MARIE HAWKER HICKS
elly arie awker icks
Showroom: 8 Pulteney Terrace, Bath BA2 4HJ
Have you always been creative?
y first ob was making props for the , this awoke my sense of creativity ve also got a degree in special effects and have qualifications in dance and arts.
What do you specialise in?
have had a beautiful kitchen showroom in idcombe, ath for years and m best known for luxury cker erman kitchens. ve also recently started working with Davonport who craft exquisite, bespoke painted in frame kitchens of the highest quality. his product is incredibly high spec and can be crafted to suit all needs.
Do you only do kitchens? ver the last couple of years ve expanded from kitchens to other rooms in the home. y current pro ects include a kitchen, diner, bespoke snug, utility room and all the furniture.
What is it that you love about working in interiors? love meeting great people and getting to realise their dreams. really believe m able to achieve real empathy, understanding of and a design eye for my clients. look to get to know them really well and learn about their lifestyle and what they are looking for. People trust me to choose their designs for them which is a real privilege.
Where do you get your style inspiration from? ather than following a particular trend or style of kitchen look for inspiration from personality s and individual interests.
SARA HORSFALL
SARA HORSFALL
07309838183; www.sarahorsfall.com
What inspires your approach to design and décor?
I’m hugely inspired by the world and travel, and I love a sense of that in the home. The European furniture of the 1940s, Italian murano lighting, and art in itself. The combination of these bring me joy.
How would you describe your signature style and your favourite spaces?
My signature style is interesting, comfortable, timeless, organic and unique. My favourite spaces are made of modern lines and vintage grandeur, are playful and elegant, and are harmonious in their texture, materiality and form.
What is it that you love about working in interiors?
I love that an interior can inspire, comfort, excite and bring a sense of belonging for someone. It’s a delight to be able to create spaces that can hold good design that can last through many lifetimes, and allow memories to be made in them. I think fondly of the art deco dressing table my mother had, and the yellow lino floor of my childhood kitchen – good or bad, Interiors are a part of our daily life, and I love to explore what that looks like for clients, helping to create beautiful spaces for daily en oyment.
Any advice to people looking to restyle their home?
Take your time when working on a space, and live in it for a while to really understand how it works. Create your home as a space that is open to future changes, choosing flexible schemes that can be built upon. This can mean allowing rooms to breathe, avoid strict themes, and rather combine pieces from a variety of eras for a more whole feel. Don’t overthink the process, as your home should be organic and enjoyable, and most importantly, liveable.
SARAH BATES
MAY BLAKE DESIGN
Instagram: @mayblakedesign
Talk us through your approach to home design
Homes are for living, they should not be shrines to design fashions. y interiors see real life and gain patina. They age gracefully. It’s all about life, colour, texture and warmth.
How do you balance style with functionality?
Quality materials. Reclaim some Georgian oak, repurpose some Victorian glass. Useful everyday design can still feel extraordinary.
Are you a believer in trends?
Nobody will care what was on trend for 2024 when it’s 2025. You don’t have to be on trend, in a city like Bath it can be almost damaging. We have hundreds of years of luxury to draw on, trends are limiting.
What’s the biggest mistake property owners can make with interior design?
Not doing any. You’ll get out of a space what you put into it. Effort and thought multiplied by experience. Don’t rush it, and don’t do it all at once. Let spaces breath, tinker and improve incrementally. t doesn t need to be finished
MARY BARBER
MARY BARBER FRAY INTERIOR DESIGN 01225 337655; www.marybarberfray.co.uk
What do you enjoy about working in interior design?
We specialise in period and listed properties, and I love working with the variety of clients, properties, suppliers, contractors, architects and specialist trades this brings. aving worked in financial management and consultancy, then retrained, I am able to juggle with all aspects of a project, which I think is critical to a successful outcome. We work closely with our clients and offer them options throughout, which they may not have considered or have access to, but work with their budgets.
Where do you start with your designs?
With the architecture of a property in mind, and by discussing what my clients are hoping to achieve from their homes. We focus on ensuring we have the right balance of comfort and practicality, including lighting, and colours which both enhance the space and provide an overall flow. .
What’s the best bit of advice you could give to home owners?
Don’t rush in without thinking through how you really want to use your space, and use a professional interior designer to help you plan first before you start a build, then decide on furnishings and decor. Boring things like where switches, sockets, heating are needed, as well as storage, are critical once your desired furniture layout is planned.
SUSIE WATSON DESIGNS
0344 9808185; www.susiewatsondesigns.co.uk
What is it that you do that makes you different from your competitors?
The difference is that we design all our own products in-house. All the products we sell are unique to us and made by highly skilled teams of craftsmen, who we have worked closely with for many years. e are very much a working family
How does your design service work?
We have ten beautiful showrooms where our designers offer expert and friendly advice. ithin our showrooms we have an extensive collection of handmade furniture, fabrics, wallpapers and paints to make it easy and enjoyable to put a scheme together. e can also arrange home visits so our designers can bring out suitable samples, to give you the best idea of what will work in your home.
What is it that you love about working in interiors?
I love buildings and planning changes. A home is such an important part of people’s lives and should make them feel happy when they walk inside.
Stores:
Broadway:Yew Tree House, 44 High Street WR12 7DT
Marlborough:114 High Street, SN8 1LT Sherborne; 28 Cheap Street, DT9 3PX
CLAIR STRONG INTERIOR DESIGN
07855 797311 / 01225 426905
www.clairstrong.co.uk
What’s your background?
It is in art and publishing, and I’ve always believed inspiration can be found anywhere if you have an eye for detail and design. I use my sense of style to create interior designs that are aesthetically pleasing but also come in on budget.
Tell us a little about your expertise in interiors I have nearly 20 years of experience working as an interior designer in Bath. I specialise in mixing contemporary and traditional design to create functional beautiful spaces that work for modern life. From city centre bars to Grade I listed Georgian houses, I work collaboratively with my clients to make the process an interesting and enjoyable experience, providing a truly personal service. I work with a network of tried-and-tested professionals and tradesmen with a broad range of skills, from architects and garden designers to cabinet and soft furnishing makers.
How do you keep your work contemporary?
I don’t believe in slavishly following trends but love discovering exciting new interiors brands to ensure my designs remain contemporary. From choosing ecofriendly paint to buying flooring and furniture made from ethical wood sources, sustainability is always front of mind. I want to create timeless designs that spark joy!
MARIA MORENO
CREATIVE DIRECTOR,BALULA: 3D VISUALISATION & INTERIOR DESIGN 07949 116310; www.balula.co.uk
Talk us through your company Balula Balula is an Interior Design and 3D Visualization Studio born from a deep love for architecture, furniture, and interior design. Our unique approach combines years of experience in property renovations and interior design with the cutting-edge power of 3D visualization. The result? Endless possibilities. Working with estate agents, property developers, architects, and private clients, our 3D studio is a game-changer – reducing risks and maximising design potential before breaking ground.
CLAIRE
CLAIRE RENDALL DESIGN 07778 240 223 www.clairerendall.com
How would you describe your signature style? With 34 years’ experience in the design industry, I don’t sell a single style. My job is to make my clients’ dreams become reality. With a talented and reliable team, we aim to deliver projects that are the best they can be. They’ve ranged from Longleat House, to Sydney Harbourside, manor houses to cosy cottages to city chic, and even the BBC. We work with historically important properties to new builds. I love the variety.
Why hire an interior designer?
A designer can make sure you don’t make expensive mistakes. We’ve seen them! Our experience alongside access to trade deals and tried and trusted professionals takes a lot of heartache out of renovations and refurbishments.
And how does your design process work? We ask questions, listen and learn about our clients lifestyle, likes, dislikes and budget. Initially we like to offer clients options and throughout the process we’ll show products or finishes they may never have encountered alongside what they expect. It’s a journey that we like to make enjoyable and informative.
VICTORIA SMEE
INTERIOR FASCINATION
01225 471380; www.interiorfascination.co.uk
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Inspiration can come from anywhere. When I see something I like it makes an impression on me and all those impressions just melt in to my idea of style. I think my inspiration is something that has grown over time from experiences. A collection of images and thoughts from years of following interiors. A recent burst of inspiration came from a walk on the beach and seeing the light reflection creating different colours on the rocks the water was splashing over. There and then I saw the colour that I wanted to paint a wall.
What materials are popular in design at the moment?
‘Laid back luxury’ is an expression that has been fed back to us by our clients. High-end but laid back. Our love of interior architecture drives our style to enhance architectural spaces rather than overpower them. We lean towards minimalism and empathy with the space, but still with the ambition to create a cosy, tactile, and inviting ‘laid-back’ feel that you can truly relax in. We aim for a look that lasts rather than following a ‘fashion’ for the sake of it.
Natural materials are still at the height of popularity, rattan, bamboo and woven fibres along with marble and natural stone. They just go with everything. A rattan lampshade for example will soften harsher minimalist and industrial schemes but also sit comfortably in more traditional homes. Blush pinks, muted oranges, and greens will always be a perfect pairing with natural colours and are still popular. For new colour we are seeing bolder brighter tones coming to the catwalk of interiors and chrome is having a renaissance.
Home is our sanctuary so it must be enjoyable. It is a unique and personal space, so our home is a reflection of who we are. y advice is first and foremost trust your own style. Take a good look at what you have. If you don’t love it, don’t keep it. Every time you walk into your home you should think ‘I love this space!’.
THE MARMALADE HOUSE
07733 263844; www.themarmaladehouse.co.uk
Tell us a little about your business…
The Marmalade House began after a life-long love and study of interior design, home styling, textiles, and paint finishes. e specialise in rench and ustavian style furniture painting and have worked on many fascinating projects at home and abroad for both domestic and commercial clients. e also create pieces for film and photoshoots, and have been fortunate enough to work with many clients again and again over the years.
Talk us through The Marmalade House style?
ur house style is rustic with a strong European influence, and we love to work with aged patina paint finishes, and texture within the home. Each day in our studios is different, and we work with seasons and trends as they unfold.
How important is sustainability in interior design?
Our ethos has always been to work sustainably, and we have transformed hundreds of pieces of old furniture to give them a new lease of life, with soft eco-friendly paints.
Any advice for someone starting out in interior design?
Our advice is to trust your own style and instinct. hether it is a room, a piece of furniture or an idea, it will speak to you if you listen.
How can you help people get started?
e can train people to find their own creativity and offer both furniture painting to professional standards, and interior design day courses.
A
EA E D E , D E A D A 01225 428 072; www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk
How did you get involved in homes and interiors?
y partner, ick oodhouse, is a garden designer and we wanted to create a design company that would work alongside clients to create schemes with a strong cohesion between indoor and outdoor spaces.
What is it that you love about your job?
e have a very talented team and love to work with them and our clients to produce unique, personal schemes. hether that involves sourcing new and exciting products or designing a scheme around an unusual collection of art, it’s lovely to see people so excited and pleased to spend time in a space that you’ve designed.
Do you have a signature style?
o, we don t we have worked on everything from contemporary Scandinavian schemes to offbeat English country houses.
How do you approach each project?
e approach every brief differently and with fresh eyes this ensures that our designs reflect the style and individuality of our clients, as well as measuring up to their lifestyle. This makes our role and our work much more varied and exciting.
Kirsty Lake
KIRSTY LAKE
CREATIVE
DIRECTOR,
THE CURATOR’S HOUSE 01225 696996; www.thecuratorshouse.co.uk
What do The Curator’s House specialise in?
e specialise in technical elements of interior design, with an emphasis on quality and trustworthy build installations to compliment our creative schemes. hether re uvenating a classically inspired historic home or creating contemporary spaces, we enhance what makes a property unique, whilst transforming it for our clients’ personal tastes and ambitions.
Where do the team get your inspiration from?
Local Artisans and craftsmen often provide a great wealth of inspiration, as do other designers we greatly admire. Interiors are so personal, and we take subtle clues from our clients to make each project a perfect fit unique to them.
What would you say is the importance of hiring an interior designer?
hen undertaking an update to a property there is a lot more to consider than just paint colours and decorative accessories. Professionals like The Curator’s House can help clients discover their vision for the property and take away the headache of undertaking technical detailing and planning applications, through to implementation and on-site management of trades.
A E E DE 01225 430109; www.walterruggiero.com
Tell us a bit more about Walter Ruggiero Design... e are an interior architectural studio which combines interior design and Interior architectural service, offering a full design service, from planning to concept, interior design, furniture selection and pro ect management. e are known for creating bold, contemporary, 21st century interiors. Our style is loved for its capacity to bring together details, finishes and architectural elements, often thought to belong to different genres, and combine them to create something new, innovative, and beautifully crafted. e are highly regarded for space planning skills, our bespoke joinery and our furniture.
How would you describe your signature style?
At the heart of every project my team and I embrace the location, heritage and unique character of each building to create elegant and timeless design, using our signature style of understated luxury with an industrial twist. hether it is a hotel lounge, a rade listed building, or a contemporary penthouse, we pride ourselves on imprinting our unique aesthetics’ with our fully comprehensive architectural and design service.
How does your design process work?
e get to know our clients by asking questions about their likes and dislikes, lifestyle and main requirements for their new home. e then prepare an initial concept document containing layout options, furniture and mood boards. e love delivering options to our clients that they may never have considered before for their home. At this stage favourite concepts are selected. e then proceed to the design details before getting started with the nitty and gritty.
Our local businesses are poised and ready to help with all your home needs for Summer
BONITI Situated on the outskirts of Bath, Boniti presents an extensive array of top-notch interior and exterior products. Offerings include natural stone and timber flooring, verhot Range Cookers, as well as porcelain and decorative tiles. roviding exceptional installation and restoration services, Boniti pride themselves on delivering a friendly and personalised experience, with customer satisfaction at the heart of it all. Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton,Wiltshire SN14 8JA; Tel: 01225 892 200; www.boniti.com
TILE & FLOOR or over 0 years, Tile loor has been synonymous with the supply of a range of top-tier design-led materials and professional installation services. Our commitment to quality has forged enduring relationships with discerning homeowners overseeing their personal projects, as well as with design and construction professionals serving the property industry. xciting news! We are now also conveniently located at Chippenham M . Tel: 01225 310561; www.tileandfloor.co.uk
Clair Strong Interior esign is a boutique, creative company based in Bath, providing a wide range of services for both residential and commercial clients. Her portfolio of projects includes the design, project coordination and sourcing for some of Bath’s most beautiful residences, as well as hotels, sports clubs, o ces and other commercial venues. Contact Clair on 07855 797311 or 01225 426905; www.clairstrong.co.uk
Based in the heart of Bath and specialising in bespoke, handmade kitchens, Bath Kitchen Company become personally invested in every kitchen they design and build. It’s about attention to detail at every stage – creating a beautiful space that enhances the way you live. 7-9 North Parade Buildings, Bath BA1 1NS; Tel: 01225 312003 www.bathkitchencompany.co.uk
DESIGN create unique, client-focused contemporary and traditional interiors, valued for their individual, beautifully tailored characterful design. With years of expertise delivering space planning, detailed design, procurement, art curation and project management. An award-winning practice with studios in Bath London, WOOL are accredited designers of historic, period, listed houses and hotels. Tel 01225 445670; woolfinterior.com
NEXUS OF BATH is a Bath based family business specialising in painting and decorating, plastering, tiling, sash window restoration and other property restoration. Nexus have built a reputation for the highest standards of workmanship with experience across a range of projects from listed buildings through to new builds, with a complete commitment to customer service and health and safety Tel: 01225 300414; www.nexusofbath.co.uk
Bath’s leading fireplace, wood burner, gas fire, chimney and flue 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, Barbas Belfires, Hwam, Stuv and etmaster. et in touch or visit the showroom. Mendip Fireplaces, Monkton Combe, Bath BA2 7HD; info@mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk, Tel: 01225 722706; www.mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk
Broadleaf are the UK’s leading manufacturer and retailer of beautiful wood flooring, with a unique and unrivalled range of solid and engineered plank and parquet. Open since 0 their extensive Bath showroom showcases the complete collection. Visit their expert, friendly team to find inspiration, discuss your project and pick up samples. 134 – 136 Walcot St; 01225 463464; www.broadleaftimber.com
Originally from erth in Scotland, erfect Rooms owner, Sue, is a creative interior designer by heart with an enviable eye for detail. assionate 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
Tinned peaches, Harry Potter, and fighting fish – find out what it was like completing the World’s Toughest Row
Maddie is part of the Vibe the Wave team, which completed the World’s Toughest Row in February this year, rowing 3,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua. Along with G Pybus and Grace Gilbert, she rowed for 8 days, 13 hours and 53 seconds, raising £3,000 (so far) and counting for Bristol’s Empire Fighting Chance, the neuro intensive unit of John Radcliffe Hospital, and the Kidney Wales Foundation. Naturally, we asked Maddie, who works for local high end construction company MAKE Homes, to tell us a little more about this remarkable feat…
To start with, Maddie, how did you train for this?
raining o the boat was made easier by having athan, a coach who wrote and monitored my training plan. He also coached my teammate, Grace, a GB and uali ying triathlete, and than ully significantly tweaked her training plan before giving it to me!
Sounds tough!
I did about 10 – 12 hours a week, not all of it rowing. We wanted to try and keep some kind of resemblance of a social life during the lead up to the row, but this became almost impossible, as we set out for 50 hour continuous rows as part of our prep.
And what was the experience like once you set off?
On the Atlantic, we rowed a minimum of 15 hours a day. The last two or three days we rowed 18 hours a day. We generally rowed two hours on the oars and had an hour rest. You’d need that time to clean the salt o you, eat, drink, and sort out any injuries before getting some shut eye.
And chores between rowing?
During daylight hours we were charging our solar batteries, as well as making water to drink, cook with or wash with, washing clothes, cleaning the salt o the boat, cooking food, checking our navigation, checking in with our safety team back on land and catching up with friends and family on the sat phone.
“I’m afraid of deep water”
accident prone. About ten days from the end, I slipped over and landed on my coccyx. Grace was the medical lead on the boat, and before I knew it, I had some of the biggest pain killers I’ve ever seen shoved in my mouth! They did the job!
Where there any terrifying moments?
Talk us through your row highlights…
The Guinness World Records are currently deciding whether ‘The World’s Most Remote Cocktail Party’ is a title we can award ourselves, because mid-Atlantic we donned strappy dresses, made cocktails, and ate snack canapes. hat hour o was filled with belly laughs until we cried, and is one of our favourite moments on the boat.
And the low times…
There were many moments during the crossing when we were worried other larger vessels hadn’t seen us in our 8 metre boat because of the size of the waves. In one instance, after radioing and hearing nothing, we had to stand on deck waving a white are. A ter no response, we thought our fate might be sealed when we finally heard a crac le on the radio and the cheery greeting of ‘Hellllooooooooo ladiesssss!!!!’
What foods did you crave?
For me, fruit – I’d managed to snea five mini tins o peaches on board, which were just incredible! Grace craved sweets and G wanted anything but rehydrated food!
Any injuries?
My nickname was Sergeant Slippery, because I’m quite
I’m afraid of deep water. When a marlin hit us, I had to jump into the water to try and fi the hole in the hull from under the boat. My heart was racing and all I could think of was: ‘They can sense fear – calm down!’
Er, a marlin attack?! A little more info, please…
The Atlantic blue marlin can grow up to five metres, with one metre bills. One attacked the boat and created three holes in the hull, which immediately started taking in water. We managed to plug one hole and isolate the largest hole whilst staying on course. It was a momentous e ort and a great examples of teamwork. The marlin finally wriggled ree. o wonder they’re endangered!
Tell us about coming home… During the crossing we listened to the Harry Potter audio books, narrated by Stephen Fry. I distinctly remember the line arry stomped the snow o his shoes and sank into the armchair with his bottle of butter bear and stared into the fire. rom that moment, whilst rowing on a 40+ degree, windless and cloudless Atlantic ocean, all I could think about was coming home after a brisk and chilly walk to Kelston Roundhill, slinking into a soft chair at home with a decent cup of tea and the log burner on. And when I got home, I did exactly that.
To e addie s ndraisin e orts search for MaddiesCharity at www.justgiving.com
Experience the power of sustainability and innovation with S&J Solar Energy, your gateway to a brighter, eco-conscious future in central Bath.
Embrace the sun’s energy with our state-of-the-art solar solutions, designed to harness renewable power while enhancing your lifestyle. From sleek solar panels to cutting edge energy storage systems, our offerings redefine efficiency and environmental consciousness.
Our showroom situated on Walcot Street in the vibrant heart of Bath, serves as the epitome of sophistication and expertise.
Schedule an appointment with our friendly team to delve into a discussion regarding your solar needs, all while enjoying a bespoke consultation over a cup of coffee.
Office: 130 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BG | 01225 951223 enquiries@sandjbathsolarenergy.co.uk | www.sandjbathsolarenergy.co.uk
