Exeter Living – Issue 240 by MediaClash

Food/Arts/Entertainment/Shopping/Property ISSUE 240 / FEBRUARY 2019 / £3

EXETER AND BEYOND

ISSUE 240 / FEBRUARY 2019 / ANGELS‘ DELIGHT

HIP HOP OPERA AND RAMBERT2 NORTHCOTT KEEPS IT FRESH THIS FEBRUARY

GAME ON LUNCH AT THE SEVEN STARS, KENNFORD

LITTLE WHITE BUYS

PLUS BRUCE FOXTON / GEOFF NORCOTT / LLOYD GRIFFITH

YOUR GUIDE TO ROMANCE IN EXETER WE

PLUS! SUPERSTAR STYLIST JAMES BEAUMONT / WESC FOUNDATION / ADAM STONE

ROMANTIC PLACES FOUND YOUR DREAM DARTMOOR HOME DATE IDEAS LOVEY-DOVEY PLUS! ALL THE LATEST, LOCAL PROPERTY NEWS GIFTS

EDITOR’S LETTER

ABOVE: Discover Exeter’s most

romantic bits on page 29; BELOW: Shopping for Valentine’s Day? See page 46

t’s all gone a little gooey this issue – mainly because of Valentine’s Day, obviously, but also because there’s so much happening in Exeter to get the heart pumping. Whether you’re a long-term married or in the first flush of dating, we’ve come up with the 10 best places to fall in love in and around Exeter (see page 23) – seriously, who needs Paris when you’ve got estuary sunsets, The Hour Glass and the ruins of Rougemont Castle? – as well as plenty of ideas for charming-not-cheesy dates and quirky gifts from your favourite indie makers and traders (see page 46). We can even suggest an impressive spot for dinner (page 48), and if that goes exceptionally well for you, we’ve only gone and found you the perfect, cosy, thatched love nest to settle down in (page 65). But passion comes in many forms, and shoots off in many directions – and our pulses are also racing frantically at the thought of all the fresh, exciting art events springing up across the city this month (from page 33). Lose your heart to all of it this February. See you back here in three weeks. Hopefully the love bites will have faded...

ANNA BRITTEN Follow us on Twitter @ExeterLiving

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Issue 240/February 2019 Cover Angels, carved on the west facade of the Exeter Cathedral by Getty Images

upfront

9 Spotlight A few newsy nibbles to get you started 13 julie Reid Here’s how she survived the long, dark

days of January

needs to show off a bit more

17 jP HEDGE Our brand new columnist on why Exeter 18 My desk Reverend Tom from Exeter School

FEATURES

23 CITY OF LOVE Where and how to find your one

true love in Exeter

the arts

23 38

33 intro Jacqui Hallum at Exeter Phoenix 34 What’s on All the best art, theatre, comedy, music

and more near you NOW

Rambert2 springs into town

Grahame at the Northcott

38 THE GREATEST DANCERS The edgy new 40 MR TOAD IN DA HOUSE Hip hop meets Kenneth

shopping

43 intro It’s time to get back into the garden 46 ed’s choice Valentine’s Day gifts with real heart

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Issue 240/February 2019

food & DRINK

48 restaurant It’s game on at The Seven Stars,

Kennford

HEALTH & BEAUTY

54 LET IT SHINE We review Richard Beaumont

Longbrook Hair & Beauty Salon

Business

57 business insider Exciting news stories from

round these parts, plus new column, The Way I See It

Property

65 showcase Fancy a thatched love nest in Netherexe

Regulars

51 society 74 Exeter lives Jane Bell of WESC Foundation

54 Editor Anna Britten anna.britten@mediaclash.co.uk Managing Editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior Art Editor Andrew Richmond Graphic Design Megan Allison Cover Design Trevor Gilham Editor’s Photo Emma Solley Contributors Julie Reid, JP Hedge, Kitty Kane Advertising Manager Paul Wiltshire paul. wiltshire@mediaclash.co.uk Account Manager Paula Miller paula.miller@mediaclash.co.uk Production/Distribution Manager Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash. co.uk Deputy Production Manager/Production Designer Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Chief Executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief Executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Exeter Living MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash. We’re a Bath-based publisher, creative agency and event organiser Magazines Our portfolio of regional magazines celebrates the best of local living: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter and Salisbury. We also publish foodie mag Crumbs (www.crumbsmag.com, @CrumbsMag). Agency From the design and build of websites to digital marketing and creating company magazines, we can help. Events We create, market, promote and operate a wide variety of events both for MediaClash and our clients Contact: info@mediaclash.co.uk

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spotlight Everybody’s talking about…

RAMM LATES

Film

BIG SHORT A short film produced by Exeter filmmakers and shot in Teignmouth will be screened before industry heavyweights at a prestigious Hollywood event this month. The Silent, from Lightning Oak Productions, has been chosen from thousands of short film submissions from across the world to be screened at The 48ISFF (Independent Short Film Festival) at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles. Written and directed by Karen Turner, The Silent, stars Oliver Ford Davies of Star Wars and Game Of Thrones fame, alongside young West Country actor Oli Meredith. It tackles the issue of male domestic abuse, which has been reported as being on the rise in Devon and Cornwall. “We are delighted and humbled,” says Karen. “Thousands of films are entered for this festival from all over the world but only 48 are chosen to be screened. Our little film from Devon has gone a long way!” The Silent has also been selected by over 13 other film festivals across the globe. For more: www.lightningoak.co.uk

Not massively into mindless banging house and having WKD spilled over you on a Friday night? Good news, thoughtful grown-ups of Exeter – RAMM has launched a series of new “alternative nights out” for 2019 called RAMM Lates. The first RAMM Lates event takes place on Fri 8 February, when for a mere £5 you’ll hear live music ranging from cinematic jazz band tunes to a set from Exeter DJ Dr John’s Tropical Medicine Show, intriguingly described for us as “a site-specific post-colonial soundscape which will range from the film soundtracks of South Asia through to 1970s American independent cinema, interwoven with West African percussion-based sounds with the theme of linking up the Atlantic trade triangle (Nigeria, New York, Rio), interspersed with dramatic euro-classical sounds as a way to connect the objects in the room.” You can also expect culture-clashing dance performances, storytelling, interactive art, a chance to take a curator-led tour of the Criminal Ornamentation exhibition and meet one of its featured artists, Caragh Thuring, and create your own

prints with Double Elephant. Bar and substantial food, too – “half a dozen dishes to choose from like couscous and pasta, including a vegan option,” they inform us. Says RAMM’s Stephanie Cherrett: “RAMM is a museum for everyone and we wanted to introduce Lates in order to appeal to people looking for a new and exciting addition to the Exeter nightlife; allowing them to engage with the museum and explore it in a different way than you would as a day time visitor.” So that’s at least six arty nights out rolled into one – and, thanks to an over-18s rule, not a tanked-up 17-year-old in sight. For more: www.rammuseum.org.uk

Community

WITHIN REACH

An Exeter-based social enterprise is helping young people aged 15-18 across Devon who have “slipped through the cracks” to bring about their own positive life changes in 2019. #Focus5, which is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund, provides tailored support, through experienced key workers, to young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or are at risk of becoming so. The project also supports those who are isolated due to being home-educated or are not in school on medical grounds. Support can range from a coffee and a chat, through to help in finding and holding down a job. “We are particularly keen to hear about females aged 15-18 who need support with education, employment or training, as girls often take longer to present with difficulties in education than boys,” say #Focus5. “Childcare funding is also available for young mums and dads who are prevented from exploring education or training opportunities because of the cost of care provision.” If you know of any young people who could benefit from #Focus5’s support, refer them today on 07876 758108 or at www.cswfocus5.co.uk

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spotlight

Tom gets in the zone...

Fitness

KEEP ON RUNNING…

MY EXETER MARATHON DIARY University of Exeter student Tom Lambert, 20, is training for the Exeter Live Better Marathon, sponsored by Tozers, on 19 May – each issue until then he’ll be updating us on how it’s going… My friends definitely think I’m mad. My season looks like this: the CITY Community Trust half marathon in February, the 20 mile Granite Way in March, a triple swimathon in April, the Exeter Live Better Marathon in May, a 70.3k Ironman in June and the Hamburg Ironman in July. One of my favourite places to train is along Exeter Quay with my girlfriend. This month on my playlist, I’m loving Blindeye – Ren and Sam Tomkins who are two buskers from Brighton that have exploded in recent months. I’ve always loved running, but from 16 to 18 I had a lot of growing injuries. Because of this, and the fact that running is incredibly impactful on your body, I am being really patient and careful with the distance I cover each week. I’ve run around 18-22km for the last few months to build some strength, but am now trying to gradually increase this by 10% each week until the marathon in May. Watch this space! For more: www.exetercitycommunitytrust.co.uk/courses/running-events/ exeter-marathon-2019

SEVEN DEADLY SINS In our regular mini Q&A with visiting and local performers, folk singer BEANS ON TOAST bares his wicked soul LUST: Who or what do you find yourself lusting after today?

My wife Lizzy. Probably a bit of a wholesome answer and not particularly sinful, but it’s true none the less. She drives me wild.

GREED: What should you be cutting down on (non-food and drink!)

Time spent staring at a screen. As much as I love computers and don’t want to put the genie back in the bottle or anything like that, I think a bit less time in front of them would do me good.

GLUTTONY: What one thing could you happily eat or drink until you burst? Beer. I’ve always been very fond of it and we get on very well. I’ve tried the whole drinking till you burst thing though – I keep pissing it out, so no bursting necessary.

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SLOTH: What should you be really putting your back into right now?

I’ve got a long list of things that need to get done before I set off on tour: counting merch, getting the van fixed up, restringing my guitar and whatnot. I’ve got plenty of time to get all this done, but no doubt it’ll be left till the last possible moment.

WRATH: What/who makes you angry? The British government. For reasons I believe are clear to everyone.

ENVY: Who are you jealous of ?

At the moment, of people that can come up with short witty answers to six questions, but I’m hoping this will pass shortly.

PRIDE: What’s your proudest achievement?

My daughter Wren. Does she count as an achievement? I’m not sure. But I’m proud as punch of her.

Beans On Toast performs at Exeter Phoenix on 20 February; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

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OPINION JULIE REID

Reasons to be cheerful Julie’s sailing through the grimmest month with ease

ebruary can be grim. After already enduring four months of cold weather, dark, early nights and centrally-heated rooms we are wondering if we’ll ever be able to wear shorts again, go swimming in the (now cementcoloured) blue sea, and spend nights barbecuing freshly-caught mackerel on the beach until darkness falls at 10pm. So to stop myself being too gloomy, I’ve decided to list the best things that have happened in 2019 so far, and what I’ve got to look forward to. Firstly, all my Christmas visitors left. Yes, it was great having so many people over, but as soon as they went I was able to get down to the serious business of returning all the Christmas presents they brought me. I mean, Fitbit smartwatch – do I really need a watch to tell me to walk? Makeup brush gift set? I’ll never use it, but may keep it for the kids’

“I think it’s about time Marvel made a movie about the powers of Menstrual Rage”

school tombola. Revlon perfume? I’m not that desperate. Secondly, I joined a gym and actually went once. The morning I went, three regulars told me how busy it was that day, but they were the only people there. I must have made it ‘busy’. Next up is finding the most amazing machine that has almost eliminated my back pain. The Mobiliser reaches and manipulates the parts that no practitioner has been able to. I can now feel my upper back, which was previously as flexible as a metal bar, move for the first time in many years. Last but not least, Cards Against Humanity. This is a game you should all own. It centres on a set of cards each printed with a sentence that has one or two words missing. Each player holds a hand of cards with words or phrases on. A sentence card is read out and players find word cards to fill the gaps. As the word cards are generally X-rated it really shouldn’t be played with anyone under 18. However, my 12-year-old joined us for a couple of games, and for a sentence missing the name of a new superhero, she inserted ‘Menstrual Rage’. I think it’s about time Marvel made a movie about the powers of Menstrual

Rage. I’d be perfect in the role, as long as I can audition at the start of next month. So, on to what is in store over the next few weeks. Well, as we all know, February gives us VD. Some people don’t like it but come on, you’ve got to admit it’s romantic. You can show your loved one just how much you care by giving them that special gift. It doesn’t appeal to me but I know a lot of people really enjoy it: it makes them feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Then after Valentine’s Day, it’s the best day of the year – Pancake Day, or as I like to call it, Fat Tuesday, when we can eat pancakes all day and feel guilt-free as the next day, Ash Wednesday, we are going to repent, and that means we don’t put on weight. With the oﬃcial most depressing day of the year (21 Jan) already behind us, things can only get better, right? I mean they wouldn’t lie to us, would they? And with all these things to keep my spirits up until the spring comes, the sun shines and the sea turns blue again, I’m positively ovulating. ■ Julie Reid is a photographer/writer and London exile who moved to Sidmouth with her two children and rock star husband. Instagram: @londondevongirl

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OPINION JP HEDGE

Better believe it In his first column for Exeter Living, JP urges readers to stand up and show off about the city they love

once read you can’t always change circumstance, but you can always change your response to it. If I’m honest, I think it came out of a fortune cookie on the weekly Wednesday date night with the wife. But for whatever reason, it has really stuck with me over the past few months as I’ve seen unprecedented levels change all around me. I talk about change having worked as a journalist for 15 years,

“Exeter is really rather good at a huge amount of things – other than, perhaps, shouting about it enough”

where transformation was akin to the jump from Blockbusters to Netflix. It’s pretty clear that most key organisations and institutions that Exeter has been brilliantly built upon over recent years are in a perpetual state of change. The finances of police, colleagues at Devon County Council, the NHS and ambulance service, shops in the high street, GPs in the city, the education sector… take your pick, they are all doing things differently out of choice or necessity. And that is before whatever is going on in the UK and the wider world occurs. So it is totally understandable why there is fear associated with what the future holds. I mention it because I was set a task a little over a year ago to try to start the ball rolling around a collective narrative for the city. This is something that Exeter City Council would launch, but with a view to the people and businesses of Exeter ultimately owning. You’ll see Exeter Live Better on the shirt of Exeter Chiefs, Exeter City Football Club’s warm up kit, festivals, billboards and community groups. Key businesses are adopting it to address the ‘why Exeter?’ question around recruitment, as are education institutions in the city. The premise was that Exeter is really rather good at a huge amount of things – other than

perhaps shouting about it enough. Time and again we punch above our weight in so many areas. We have genuine world-class assets, people and players. The Exeter Living Awards understand this in spades. There is so much here to be celebrated if time is taken and the surface is scratched. That absolutely doesn’t mean ignoring the many real and diﬃcult choices the city faces or ‘spinning’ news for a more positive glow. It also doesn’t mean ducking tough decisions that lie ahead. But we genuinely have brilliant things going on, and now, more than ever, I don’t think we should be ashamed of celebrating success. Exeter really is the brilliant alternative. ■

Jon-Paul Hedge is a director at Exeter City Council where he currently looks after tourism, communications and culture. He is a former newspaper editor and lives in the city with his wife and two young children. www.exeter.gov.uk

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PEOPLE

I support the teaching of mindfulness in both the Junior and Senior School. Each day staff and pupils can come to a 10-minute lunchtime meditation in the Chapel

My primary role is to look out for the wellbeing of all pupils, offering confidential listening and spiritual guidance. Staff and pupils often pop in for a cuppa and chat

I am the school’s first full-time chaplain and am here for everyone in the community, of all faiths and none

Before I was ordained as a priest, I taught religious studies in a secondary school in London

MY DESK

Thank you cards from our residential weekends. I run the weekends away on Dartmoor which every pupil in Year 7 attends in September

TOM CARSON

om Carson – known to pupils as Reverend Tom – has served as chaplain at Exeter School since September 2015. His office, which is attached to the back of the Chapel on the quad, right at the heart of the school, is all his. “I’ve got a sink and kettle etc to make tea and coffee, and a meeting area behind the desk for pastoral chats. The views from the door are of the school playing fields and the hills beyond…” What’s with the militarystyle buzzcut though, you’re wondering? Tom recently had his head shaved in front of a crowd of pupils and staff in aid of homeless charity St Petrock’s, raising well over £5,000. Now that’s a good and faithful servant. ■

It’s great fun to do craft activities in the Junior School

For more: www.exeterschool.org.uk Assembly rota – I lead assemblies and Chapel services in both our Junior and Senior Schools each week

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We raised over £10,000 in the autumn term for a number of excellent causes, including Rowcroft Hospice, St. Petrock’s, Children in Need, Movember, and The Book Trust

You can still donate to St Petrock’s in support of Reverend Tom’s head shave at www.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/ shaverevtom

advertising feature

2019 – the year of personal leadership Jack Russell

“If you don’t set goals you become part of someone else’s” says Jack Russell Coaching

o you remember lessons at school on personal leadership, confidence, self-belief, positive thinking, motivation, understanding personalities and communication? I have asked this question to almost 100,000 people over the past 33 years during my work in the field of personal leadership and the majority said no. I wish I had been taught these skills at an early age as I often struggled with life’s challenges. I have made it my life’s mission to develop my own personal leadership through positive experiences that in the early days I would have never thought possible. I have skied to the North Pole, ran an outdoor centre on Dartmoor for 10 years, competed 10 times in the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race and cycled thousands of miles in countries around the world. The thing that has given me the greatest fulfillment has been my on-going study of positive psychology and coaching and through this I have had the privilege to work with socially excluded young people, Olympic athletes, doctors, the military, Princes Harry and William and world-class organisations. I have observed that many of us have lost our way in life. Our ability to connect deeply with others, to be present when present, to treat people as they want to be treated rather than how we want to be treated and to support people both physically, mentally and emotionally. My wife is a GP and we constantly talk about the rise in mental health conditions and the need for better personal leadership. A sense of putting

JRC coach Rachel Symns

on your own oxygen mask before putting on others’, being selfish to be selfless. If you are in need of positive change and you want to recalibrate your life, then oneto-one coaching may be for you. It is a chance to understand where you are now, where you would like to be and help you discover strategies to achieve your goals. We have a choice of coaches here ready to work with you and hold you accountable. For the first time in 19 years of running our business, we have decided to put on some open courses and invite individuals to come and join us on some life-changing programmes.

Jack Russell Coaching Offer The first 10 people to contact us quoting ‘JRC Offer’ will be eligible for a complimentary Insights Discovery Profile worth £125.00, which includes an evaluation by one of our coaches

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ROMANTIC EXETER

CITY OF LOVE Forget Paris, here’s what makes Exeter a city to fall in love with – and in

Words by Anna Britten

Love locks on Exeter Quay – photo by Matt Round

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ost cities will lend themselves to romance if you think (and, in some cases, squint) hard enough. Yes, even Plymouth. However, when it comes to our own beloved Exeter, the location, landmarks, cuisine, creatives and all-round bonhomie perfectly combine for love stories worthy of a movie. Not a big budget Hollywood movie – one of those really cool, indie ones with a soundtrack by Air or Arctic Monkeys. Allow us to explain, as we wander from Rougemont Castle to Piazza Terracina and beyond, taking in the city’s swooniest places and activities.

TOP 10 PLACES TO FALL IN LOVE

“Love conquers all, even teenagers sprawling inelegantly on your chosen picnic spot”

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Rougemont Castle ruins and surrounding PARKLAND Romance depends a lot on vocabulary. “Exeter Castle” isn’t as romantic-sounding as “Rougemont Castle” – so call it the latter if planning to weaken someone’s knees. Built by William The Conqueror in about 1068, this striking crumbling pile is hewn from volcanic red rocks and is mentioned in Shakespeare’s Richard III. Today, what survives is the gatehouse and a few walls. They’re joined by the even older Athelstan’s Tower and, together, this atmospheric cluster of crumbling, mossy red stone and a 19th century walkway all make for a lovely wander, hand-in-hand, with many snog-enabling nooks. Resurface in the bucolic Rougemont Gardens, which themselves blend into Northernhay Gardens, the oldest public space in England. True, come high summer it can get busy round here but love conquers all, even teenagers sprawling inelegantly on your chosen picnic spot with their crisps and ciggies. Oh, and look out for the plaque to the executed 17th century Devon witches which will inevitably cause your date to gasp “How horrible” which you can follow up with “Do you need a hug?” And lo, something good springs from something bad.

ROMANTIC EXETER Snog central: Rougemont Castle ruins

Exeter Quay But not necessarily the actual water. See, while paddleboarding and kayaking are an absolute hoot for established couples, the potential for humiliating disaster is too huge for a hot date, in our view. Instead, we suggest you remain on dry land. Meet in the middle of Cricklepit Suspension Bridge, Exeter’s very own Golden Gate, stroll to the moustache-twirlingly suavesounding Piazza Terracina – named after Exeter’s Italian twin town – to pick up an artisanal coffee and pastry at the Boatyard Bakery and take a stroll into the sunset, through the flood plains and towards Topsham. As the sun sets over the River Exe, your squeeze will, like generations of Exeter squeezes, realise life doesn’t get any better. It’ll still be your favourite walk 20 years later.

RAMM Art galleries are sexy. Think of all those scenes in cinema history in which couples have swooned over/ sparked off each other surrounded by big paintings. Vertigo. Manhattan. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. James Bond and M in Skyfall. It’s not just the grandiose buildings (and RAMM is very grandiose, all cathedral-like proportions and Victorian drama). It’s the fact that beautiful, curious art and artifacts get you thinking, and talking, about things way bigger than yourselves – which is bloody romantic, no matter how hard Love Island may have tried to convince you otherwise. Don’t miss RAMM’s Victorian necklace whose multicoloured gems spell out the word ‘Dearest’ – ‘D’ for diamond, ‘E’ for emerald and so on.

“Let’s stick one of those on the wedding list!”

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architects ROMANTIC EXETER

Rendezvous Much as we adore Exeter’s buzzier eateries, special dates demand a little more seclusion and tranquillity than a mere tea light can confer. We’re thinking about those establishments with intimate corners, crannies, candlelight and a slightly clandestine vibe. Like The Rendezvous, a stone subterranean refuge from the outside world with a wine list you could drown in. It’s where Barack would take Michelle if they lived in Whipton rather than Washington DC.

The Hour Glass We don’t know how many Exeter marriages and long-term love affairs have been triggered, and sustained, in the 170 years or so since this snug, woodpanelled pub between Topsham Road and the river first opened its doors – but it must be hundreds. It’s by no means the only romantic boozer in the city centre – The Oddfellows and The Fat Pig also spring to mind as places in which to adorably dash for shelter from a rainstorm, then fall in love over pints of Otter – but it comes up in ‘how we met’ conversations so often it was a no-brainer for this list.

Stepcote Hill Makes The West Quarter feel like the Left Bank. Endlessly photographable. Two parallel flights of cobbled steps separated by a footpath, rising and bending in parallel from the timber-framed Book Cycle – itself very romantic, so pause for a rummage through the paperbacks – up to King Street. So rich in history it’s a wonder no-one has written an epic drama about it. William of Orange and his troops marched up here in

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clockwise from this page: Don’t leave them in the dark about your

feelings; hide away in The Rendezvous (both photos by Matt Round); an angel on Exeter Cathedral

1688 en route to taking the throne in London, and it’s also been an area of extreme poverty full of cholera and raw sewage. Don’t mention that last bit to your flame.

Orcombe Point Walk up the coastal path from Exmouth seafront towards this beacon point on the cliffs for staggering views of the setting sun across the water. Look out for wildflowers and rare orchids, but keep your hands to yourself (or your loved one). It’s the start of the Jurassic coastline, and the pointy Geoneedle monument, created by sculptor Michael Fairfax in 2002, is made up of rocks from the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic eras, so a particularly great call if you’re trying to woo a visiting geologist or Ross from Friends.

Haldon Forest Park Winding paths through towering trees; copses pierced by sunlight; misty, frosty landscapes. Sigh. No wonder so many lovelorn yarns, from Robin Hood to A Midsummer Night’s Dream to, erm, Bambi – are set in forests. You could write the first chapter of your own in the 3,500-acre Haldon Forest Park, a twig’s throw to the west of the city. You could choose one of the official walking or cycling trails, but getting lost will be more romantic. Don’t miss the beautiful Georgian folly The Haldon Belvedere where many happy Exeter couples have tied the knot. Hint, hint.

The Goat Walk Walk in the footsteps of actual Vivien Leigh – Scarlett O’Hara herself – who was a regular visitor to Topsham and doubtless also this pretty estuary walkway, which was opened in 1908. Ignore the unlovely name – allegedly the result of a local chap exclaiming “It’s nowt but a bloody goat walk” when more elaborate names were suggested. Beginning at the end of The Strand, it has a wall on one side and the estuary on the other. There are benches for a snuggle, and, yes, paddling opportunities if you’re feeling kooky. You’ll end up on a country lane and can then circle back to Topsham to get warm over the day’s freshly-caught catch and chips in the also-very-romance-inspiring The Galley or Salutation Inn.

‘Love locks’ Every city with sentient humans in it seems to have these. A cluster of padlocks all bearing names or initials, or significant dates, fixed to something and the key thrown away. Became a thing when Parisians started doing it on the Pont des Arts but some say they date back way further. Exeter’s can be found on The Quay (see also 2), on the little fences bordering some steps down to the river, just down from Cricklepit Bridge. Some call it vandalism and we’re not going to condone or condemn, merely say we think that, in an era when 90% of emotions are expressed through phone screens, the real-life time/effort and unshowiness of a love lock is rather nice. We see you, ‘Peter + Paul’, ‘Pops’, and “6.10.15 xxx’.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 27

Book today for that

Special Valentines Dinner with the one you love

ROMANTIC EXETER

“As the sun sets over the River Exe, your squeeze will, like generations of Exeter squeezes, realise life doesn’t get any better” NEW RULES

Make your Valentine’s Day in Exeter charming not cheesy Don’t buy petrol station flowers Instead, make your own unique and super-cool terrarium at pop-up plant shop Hutch on Paris Street. They’re running a workshop showing you how on 12 February, 6pm, with more on 20 March and 25 April (www.hutchdevon. co.uk/workshops). Or buy a bespoke floral creation from Trugs (www.trugs.co.uk) or one of Exeter’s other lovely indie florists, like St Leonards Flowers (www.stleonardsflowers.co.uk) – trendy bouquets right now include ranunculus and/ or hydrangeas, succulents, textured foliages and anything that looks freshly gathered from a nearby meadow. Don’t get a mushy card Paperchase, Clintons, WHSmith, they aren’t going to help you here. Instead, swing by those cheeky papercutting so-and-sos at Rhombus & Pineapple in Topsham (www. rhombusandpineapple.com) – they make slogan cards that absolutely nail contemporary parlance and will end up tucked into the

corner of your intended’s mirror forever. We also found some witty and endearing specimens in No Guts No Glory on Fore Street (www.ngngdesign.com) and Hyde & Seek on Paul Street/Queen Street (www.hydeseek. co.uk). See Ed’s Choice, page 46. Write your own poetry And if you can’t get inspired just like that, prepare for next year’s V-Day by signing up for an eight-week evening class in poetry and fiction at Exeter College (www.exe-coll.ac.uk) starting 1 May. Now, what rhymes with ‘ghosting’? Don’t buy boring jewellery When you’re 13, a silver-plated locket from Argos is cute*. When you’re 30 it’s trolling. Obviously, incredible bling doesn’t come cheap so you might need to take a financial run-up to this one. Then, please pay a visit to Exeter jewellery designer and craftswoman Erin Cox (www.erincox.co.uk) for stunning contemporary pieces. Or, for unique and historic investment pieces to be handed down the generations, and start conversations at every dinner party for evermore, let the gracious and knowledgeable staff of antique jewellery purveyors Mortimers (www. mortimersjewellers.co.uk) guide you towards

Cricklepit Suspension Bridge – meet them halfway

something perfect. *Thanks again, Kevin Merryweather Pause the Ed Sheeran And bring on the orchestra. Classical music is the most romantic sound on earth. Few perform it better than Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, who are at Exeter’s Great Hall on a regular basis (www.bsolive. com) – you’ve got a heartbeat-raising doublebill of Mozart and Tchaikovsky on 21 February, then, on 14 March, legendary film composers John Williams and Hans Zimmer go head to head with music from Gladiator, Stars Wars and other stirring movies. Or you could sing along to The Greatest Showman at Exeter Northcott on Valentine’s Day itself – see What’s On, page 34. Step away from the Cadbury’s Heroes Delivered fresh daily from their Dorset HQ to Gandy Street, regional chocolatier Chococo’s delicacies for Valentine’s Day range from boxes of things like prosecco caramel to personalised chocolate hearts. See also Ed’s Choice, page 46. For someone you really like. And if they really like you back, they might even give you one. A chocolate! We mean a chocolate!

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 29

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ROMANTIC EXETER

“Orcombe Point is a particularly great call if you’re trying to woo a visiting geologist or Ross from Friends”

Exmouth

ASK TWITTER

We asked Exeter’s Twitterati for their favourite romantic spots in the city… Tom McLaughlin @_TomMcLaughlin Hard to say, but we love going to @HarrysExeter for dinner. The food and staff are always great. It’s a home from home! Tom Staniford @tomstaniford The most romantic spot in #Exeter? There’s a grassy knoll at Colleton Crescent that offers panoramic views of the whole quayside. Great for picnics and sunsets. It’s also where I proposed to @Alice_Staniford. #insiderinfo #crafty

Dan B @danbullock Maybe @TheProspect1 with a pint in the summer? ;-p Steve Parrett @Steve_Parrett Sandy Park has its moments . . . Suzi @SuziLiquorice Anywhere out on the river with a boat/kayak/ wobbly raft and some good food and drink. I guess that mostly means the Quay. OR Exeter Central – because saying bye at any train station after a date is always cute and sexy (probs also have a drink in Tabac beforehand)

The Grocer On The Green @grocer_on_green EASY! The beautiful #wisteriatunnel in #PincesGardens I dare anyone to walk through it when in full bloom and not be overrun with romance Lauren Heath @Lauren_Heath_PA Anywhere along the estuary waters at sunset Emily Macauley @emilyjmacaulay I’ll go for the Quay. It is beautiful all year round - so a well timed stroll around there in early summer at sunrise/set. Lovely job Adam Moran @Adaminthehat In the summer pretty much anywhere on the quay at sunset.

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advertising feature

Meet the Recruiter

Got a vacancy to fill, or looking for a new job? These experts are in your corner Dani Osborne

Harvey Morris

Cathedral Appointments Ltd 01392 413577; www.cathedralappointments.co.uk dani@cathedralappointments.co.uk How long have you worked in recruitment? Over 20 years, originally in the South East before returning to Devon in 2004. What are the most rewarding aspects of your job? After all these years I still love what I do. The pleasure of helping a candidate to make the right move never fades, but in recent years it has become increasingly satisfying to deliver what my clients are looking for, as our market has become increasingly competitive and candidate-led. What advice would you give to an employer? The longer your wishlist, the longer it may to take to find ‘the one’. Ultimately, character and cultural fit is critical so be ready to move when you do find that person! How long have you been established for? We celebrated our 30th birthday in 2018. What areas of recruitment do you specialize in? My specialist sectors are marketing (from entry level or graduate roles, executive, manager through to head of/ director) and human resources (HR assistant, advisor through to HR manager/HRBP)

Tanya Loosemore

RGB Recruitment Ltd 01392 314052; www.rgbrec.com What sets you apart from other recruitment companies? RGB is the longest established, market-leading construction specialist in the South West. We are unique in the fact that we run independently but are supported by Pertemps Network, giving us great financial security and back office support. This allows us to offer our clients and candidates the very best levels in service including experienced and qualified consultants, great market coverage having long standing relationships with leading construction, engineering and property companies large and small, the ability to tailor our service to individuals, superior market knowledge and career advice. How big is your team? We have 18 staff in Exeter and always interested in motivated recruiters or sales people interested in joining the RGB success story. Staff enjoy quality training, generous benefits packages, a structured progression programme, excellent commission and incredible incentives. Tell us what your company does for charity? We are committed to making a positive impact in our marketplace and community. We support a charity each year, working to raise as much as possible – often in the thousands. We are involved in schemes encouraging people into the construction industry or back into work, equality programmes and are sponsors of both Exeter Chiefs and ECFC.

32 I EXEter living I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Setsquare Recruitment 01392 346218; www.setsquarerecruitment.com

Dani Osborne

Harvey Morris

What sets you apart from other recruitment companies? We specialise in construction and highways and invest in our consultants, candidates and clients every week. A great example would be the 120 local candidates across the South West who have been put through traffic marshall and banksman training. How long have you been established? Over 30 years. How long have you worked in recruitment? Seven years as of February. What are the most rewarding aspects of your job? Recruitment is accommodating for young professionals joining and starting a great career. Whether you have recently finished a degree or three years’ travelling, provided you work hard and listen, this industry can be extremely rewarding and, most importantly, fun. If you could give just one bit of advice to a candidate, what would it be? Less is more. Have short sharp points about your career and aspirations. This will give your interviewer a chance to ask more questions while letting you listen and return the questions.

Matthew Wicks

Tate Recruitment 01392 432861; www.tate.co.uk matthew.wicks@tate.co.uk

Tanya Loosemore

Matthew Wicks

How long have you worked in recruitment? I have worked in the industry for over 13 years now. My career has taken me across the UK, managing sales teams within a number of different disciplines and it still amazes me how no day is ever the same! Which individual project have you most enjoyed working on? I really enjoyed recruiting for the High Speed 2 rail project during my time working in London. The sheer scale of the programme and the variety of roles that I had to recruit, gave me an opportunity to develop a network with some very interesting and talented professionals. What areas of recruitment do you specialise in? I recruit for permanent positions across the South West for Tate’s Exeter branch, working with SME’s and some of Exeter’s leading employers. Tate are an award-winning recruitment consultancy, providing high-calibre candidates for office support and specialist roles on a temporary and permanent basis. We recruit for a wide range of positions – everyone from HR and Finance professionals, marketing specialists and executive PAs to administrators, call centre staff and receptionists.

the arts s n a p s h o t s o f e x e t e r ’ s c u lt u r a l l i f e

COTTONING ON

Behold King and Queen of Wands by Jacqui Hallum, a tarot card-inspired painting on three cotton sheets. Last year it beat 2,700 other entries to become the 30th winner of the highly prestigious, biennial John Moores Painting Prize. You can see it on show at Exeter Phoenix in an exhibition opening this month, alongside further pieces by the artist – and a collection of precious, North African Berber rugs with which they share intriguing similarities. Born in London, trained at The Slade and now Totnes-based, Hallum devotes herself to several loose cotton sheets at once, staining and dying them, and shifting them from her studio and garden and back again, before pinning them together to create mystical and highly personal work that seems to wrap itself around you. Jacqui Hallum: Berber Carpet is at Exeter Phoenix from 16 February –21 April; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

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What’s on 1 February – 1 March

Heavy night, love? Morning by Isabel Codrington is at RAMM until 19 May

EXHIBITIONS Until 17 March

CRIMINAL ORNAMENTATION Contemporary art focussed on patterns, selected by Yinka Shonibare, from the Arts Council Collection, one of the most important collections of British modern and contemporary art in the world. Look out for works by Alexander McQueen, Bridget Riley, Susan Derges, Bedwyr Williams and Timorous Beasties. RAMM, Queen Street, Exeter; www.exeter.gov.uk/ramm

Until 18 April

TONY HUSBAND: 35 YEARS OF PRIVATE EYE Exclusive exhibition of the multiaward-winning cartoonist’s work for the UK’s number one best-selling news and current affairs magazine, Private Eye. Exeter Library, Castle Street, Exeter; www.librariesunlimited.org.uk

Until 19 May

EXETER’S FINE ART COLLECTION: WOMEN ARTISTS Works from the 1770s to 2011 including some by Barbara Hepworth, Gillian Ayres, Exeter’s Olive Wharry, illustrator Kate Greenaway and leading horse painter Lucy Kemp-Welch, whose In Sight – Lord Dundonald’s Dash on Ladysmith is on public display for the first time in decades. RAMM, Queen Street, Exeter; www.exeter.gov.uk/ramm

16 February-21 April

JACQUI HALLUM: BERBER CARPET Paintings on cotton sheets by the Slade alumnus, which are inspired by medieval woodcuts, tarot cards and Art Nouveau children’s book illustrations among other things, and exhibited alongside antique Berber rugs. Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

34 I exeter living I www.mediaclash.co.uk

23 February–27 April

ON PAPER An Arts Council Collection touring exhibition, featuring paper constructions and works on paper by the likes of Damien Hirst, Roy Lichtenstein, Cornelia Parker and many others. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell Street, Honiton; www.thelmahulbert.com

Theatre, Comedy & Dance 6-9 February

MILES JUPP: THE LIFE I LEAD The comic actor shares the extrardinary life story of English actor David Tomlinson, best known as Mr Banks in Disney’s Mary Poppins. Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

8 February

COMEDY AT THE PARK The first Sandy Park comedy night of 2019, featuring Arnold Gutbucket, Jon Pearson, Sean Percival and headline act James Alderson. Sandy Park, Exeter; www.sandypark.co.uk

8 February

RAMM LATES First in a new programme of afterhours, over-18s, arty social events at the museum. See also Spotlight, page 9. RAMM, Queen Street, Exeter; www.exeter.gov.uk/ramm

10 February

WHITNEY – QUEEN OF THE NIGHT Barnstorming tribute to one of the greatest singers of all time – Shanice Smith and her lungs give great I Will Always Love You. Northcott Theatre,

what’s on Stocker Road, Exeter; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

12-13 February

RAMBERT 2 Rising young dancers from the Rambert stable perform E2 7SD by Rafael Bonachela and Killer Pig, by Sharon Eyal, as well as a new creation, Grey Matter, by Rambert’s guest artistic director Benoit Swan Pouffer. See also page 38. Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

14 February

15 February

THE DUCK Autact Theatre present the debut play by Rhi Lloyd Williams, which explores her own experiences as an autistic woman. Cygnet Theatre, Friars Gate, Exeter; www.cygnettheatre.co.uk

17 February

LUCA RUTHERFORD’S POLITICAL PARTY She’s invented a political party that’s an actual party... “There will be drinks, dancing and eggs!” Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

22 February-2 March

27-29 February

INTRONAUTS Green Ginger’s new show will propel audiences into a madcap, microscopic journey deep within the human body. Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

28 February

ARTHUR SMITH: LAUGHS, STORIES, A SONG AND A POEM An evening of laughter and off-thewall humour from the comedian, writer, broadcaster and all-round British institution. Exeter Library, Castle Street, Exeter; www.librariesunlimited.org.uk; bit.ly/2Clczzh

SING-A-LONG-A THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Fancy dress encouraged at this interactive screening – you’ll learn some dance moves too... Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

above: Luca Rutherford puts the party into politics; left: The angelic voice of Cara Dillon will fill the Phoenix; below: Exeter band Pattern Pusher head a locally-sourced bill on 22 February

the health service, from the great political agitator/comedian. Exeter Corn Exchange, Market St, Exeter; www.exetercornexchange.co.uk

1 March

OTHERS FROM THE OTHER SIDE Dubliner Clare Murphy romps through Irish folklore and fables in this darkly comic show. Cygnet Theatre, Friars Gate, Exeter; www.cygnettheatre.co.uk

music & opera 9 February

FERRIS AND SYLVESTER First UK headline tour for the hip, London-based folk and blues duo. Exeter Cavern, 83-84 Queen St, Exeter; www.exetercavern.com

IN THE WILLOWS A hip hop musical of Wind In The Willows by Metta Theatre and Exeter Northcott. See feature, page 40. Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

11 February

25 February

12 February

LEO HOULDING: THE SPECTRE EXPEDITION: TO THE END OF THE EARTH The story of the British climber’s daring dream to reach the summit of the most remote mountain on Earth: The Spectre, Antarctica. Exeter Corn Exchange, Market Street, Exeter; www.exetercornexchange.co.uk

27 February

MARK THOMAS: CHECK UP: OUR NHS AT 70 Witty and furious analysis of

RUTS DC Members of the seminal reggaepunk band The Ruts, of Babylon’s Burning, Staring At The Rude Boys and Jah War fame. Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk EXETER COLLEGE MUSIC ACADEMY SHOWCASE Students from EC’s music courses and enrichment ensembles entertain throughout the bar and auditorium, 6-10pm. Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

13 February

CARA DILLON The likeable, pure-voiced Irish singer performs tracks from her album Wanderer, “songs of departure and longing for home.”

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WHAT’S ON Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

15 February

THE BIG CHRIS BARBER JAZZ BAND The jazz legend marks his 70th anniversary as band-leader with his 10-piece band, and New Orleansstyle jazz from the likes of Ellington, Bechet et al. Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

15 February

FAIRPORT CONVENTION A journey through the folk-rock

legends’ back catalogue. Current line-up features Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Chris Leslie, Ric Sanders and Gerry Conway. Exeter Corn Exchange, Market Street, Exeter; www.exetercornexchange.co.uk

20 February

BEANS ON TOAST Cultish folk troubadour. See also Spotlight, page 10. Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

22 February

PATTERN PUSHER

LIBRARY LIFE

EMILY MACAULAY shares the latest from Exeter Library We are getting very excited in Exeter Library as on Thursday 28 February we will be hosting comedian Arthur Smith for Laughs, Stories, A Song and A Poem. Tickets are available from the library or our Eventbrite page. Don’t miss this! March is going to be a busy month in Exeter Library. 7 March is World Book Day and anyone coming in to the library dressed as a character from a book will get a free Arthur Smith

children’s DVD hire so do pop in and see what characters you can spot wandering around the library! Also, for our younger readers is a story time with the fabulous Claire Barker on Saturday 16 March. Keep an eye out in the library for details. These story times are always lots of fun and people always return for Claire’s events, so don’t miss out. For the more mature library user, we will be broadcasting a livestream direct from the British Library on Thursday 21 March. Timings are to be confirmed but they usually start at 7pm. This is a free event and you don’t have to book a place. This livestream will be ‘The Diaries of Tony Benn and Chris Mullin’. Tony Benn’s diary spanned 70 years and provides a personal record of a dramatic political world. Former MP Chris Mullin’s diaries are a recent classic of the genre. Chris is joined by editor Ruth Winstone, and Melissa Benn. www.librariesunlimited. org.uk

36 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

WANT MORE? Sign up now for the Exeter Living newsletter... If you fancy an extra helping of Exeter Living, why not start receiving our popular Friday email newsletter? It’s the best thing you’ll get in your inbox all week, promise. If you haven’t yet signed up, please do, so that I may gently foist upon you my personal choice of the weekend’s best happenings. You’ll also get some money-saving special offers, the week’s most amusing Exeterbased tweets and a dollop of snoop-able local property. . . And your data is safe: we won’t share it with third parties! So if you’d like a friendly distraction in your inbox as the weekend beckons, simply sign up here: mediaclash.co.uk/eln

Sweet indie pop vibes from Exeter’s PP, with locally sourced support in the form of Club Brothers, Milo Gore, Methods and Arthr. Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

22-23 February

ST STEPHEN’S WEEKEND A weekend of alternative live music in the 1,000-year-old church on Exeter High Street from The XX-inﬂuenced electro-rockers Another Sky (Fri), and software sound artists Solarference (Sat). Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www. exeterphoenix.org.uk

23 February

JIM CAUSLEY Spend an evening with local trad folk legend and BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards nominee Jim. Village Hall, Mamhead; www.jimcausley.co.uk

OTHER EVENTS 12 February

WESC FOUNDATION OPEN DAY Find out more about the school/ college for young people with visual impairment. See also page 74. WESC Foundation, Topsham Road, Exeter; www.wescfoundation.ac.uk

23 February

BEYOND FORTNITE AND FIFA Talk, discussion, ‘digital jousting’ and other fun stuﬀ for the whole family with local gaming expert Andy Robertson (aka @GeekDadGamer). 10am and 2pm. RAMM, Queen Street, Exeter; www.exeter.gov.uk/ramm

1 March

TATTOOS: A SECRET LANGUAGE An evening exploring the meaning of tatts, from tribal identity to rebel statements, with RAMM’s curator of ethnography Tony Eccles and tattoo expert Matt Lodder. Includes a live tattooing demo! Booking advised. RAMM, Queen Street, Exeter; www.exeter.gov.uk/ramm ■

The Devon Shutter Company Ltd British Made Shutters Since 2007 01395 578506 | www.devonshutters.co.uk

THE GREATEST DANCERS Edgy, ďŹ erce and compelling, the debut tour by Rambert2 is a celebration of youthful energy Words by Anna Britten

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DANCE Something in the way they move

sually, being “Britain’s oldest” somethingor-other means sagging beneath the burden of heritage, and endlessly repackaging ancient glories. Not so – as dance fans won’t need us to tell them – with the country’s longest-established dance company, Rambert. Established 92 years ago, pre-dating the Royal Ballet by ﬁve years, Rambert blows convention sky-high pretty much every time it switches on the rehearsal studio lights.

Road in London – is a raw, intimate and pacey duet inspired by dancers’ personal audio diaries. Choreographed by Sydney Dance Company artistic director and former Rambert dancer Rafael Bonachela (who has also choreographed two Kylie Minogue world tours), it’s set to a sound sculpture created by Oswaldo Macia. Killer Pig, by Israeli dance superstar Sharon Eyal, has been described by The Guardian as “somewhere on the spectrum between Egon Schiele and RuPaul” and combines primal, propulsive movement with a chilly, disaffected attitude reminiscent of supermodels on a catwalk. Completing the programme is a new creation by Rambert’s new guest artistic director, Benoit Swan Pouffer. The exhilarating yet unsettling Grey Matter combines all 13 dancers pulsating in translucent athleisure to the music of South London vocalist/ producer Gaika, once described by Dazed & Confused magazine as “electronic music’s answer to Basquiat”. Imagine the coolest flashmob ever bursting into a sweaty Berlin nightclub and you’re halfway there. You’re supposed to slow down the older you get. Somebody forgot to tell Rambert…

“Imagine the coolest ﬂashmob ever bursting into a sweaty Berlin nightclub and you’re halfway there” Then, last autumn, it went out on yet another perfectly-honed limb to launch a new, youthful sister company. Rambert2 consists of 13 recentlygraduated dancers aged between 19 and 25 from around the world, selected from 800 who auditioned to join. For the next six months, they will stride forth across the UK performing three works by distinguished contemporary choreographers. The prestigious Place Prize-winning E2 7SD – it’s the postcode for Hackney

Rambert2 perform at the Northcott from Tue 12 - Wed 13 February www.exeternorthcott.co.uk www.rambert.org.uk

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THEATRE

MR TOAD IN DA HOUSE Mole, Toad, Ratty and the gang get a hip hop makeover in In The Willows at Exeter’s Northcott Theatre this month. Less ‘Poop! Poop!’ more ‘Skkrt! Skkrt!’ Artistic director DANIEL BUCKROYD, do tell us more… A hip-hop musical at the Northcott! How exciting. Could you have foreseen doing something like this before blockbuster US musical Hamilton came along?

I don’t want to tempt fate but In the Willows has been described as a cross between Hamilton and Matilda. Artistic director Poppy Burton-Morgan has tried to bring a wow-factor to the Kenneth Grahame story, fusing the musical genre with street dance to create a real spectacle with ballads and rap sections. It has a strong message about friendship and finding your voice and there is also a strong political aspect about diversity, so there are definitely parallels with the way Hamilton has made such a joyful spectacle out of a serious political story. How has the Wind In The Willows story been adapted?

In the Willows is the third instalment of a trilogy of shows by Metta which put a modern spin on classic stories and follows the smash hit street-dance Jungle Book and circus-musical Little Mermaid. All the familiar characters are there but the much-loved tale of the riverbank has been transposed to a city comprehensive, called The Willows. Mole is a female pupil with a dark secret who finds her first day and her classmates a bit scary so turns to her teacher, Mr Badger, for help dealing

40 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

with the streetwise Rattie, rich kid Toad and cheeky Otter. Toad, as in the 1908 book, has motoring issues but in this version he gets locked up for joyriding.

Who is the show aimed at? It is suitable for children from the age of six, but it should appeal to young teenagers, so basically a family audience. What social issues are explored in the show?

Katherine Picar plays Bitchy Rabbit

The Willows is a struggling state school catering to a diverse and disadvantaged group so the play touches on the sort of issues that young people are likely to experience, around race, gender, social exclusion and mental health. The Weasels are a gang who turn to crime because they feel they have no other option, and Toad is also in and out of prison, so crime and rehabilitation are reflected. Diversity has been built in, with a gender non-conforming character and a deaf character. Choreographer Rhimes Lecointe has also integrated British Sign Language (BSL) into the choreography. Having said all this, the show works on different levels and is both playful and profound so those just looking for a great night out can enjoy it as a spectacular musical. There is a chorus line of gold-tap-shoe-wearing Toads and a comedy prison break inside a washing machine. In The Willows is at the Northcott from 22 February –2 March; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

“I don’t want to tempt fate but In the Willows has been described as a cross between Hamilton and Matilda”

Olivier Award-winning musical theatre veteran Clive Rowe (you might recognise him from CBBC’s The Story of Tracey Beaker) plays Mr Badger

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 41

Elizabeth Ann of Exeter

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Sizes 2 (35) to 8 (41) available and various fittings

3 Cathedral Close, Exeter EX1 1EZ Telephone: 01392 252876 www.elizabethannshoes.co.uk

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LIVE WELL, BUY BETTER

THROW IN THE TROWEL

Spring is on the horizon, and that wisteria won’t prune itself… Nobody likes gardening while everyone else is on the sofa watching Sunday Brunch so make it a little easier on yourself by brandishing a new, aesthetically-pleasing, wood-and-stainlesssteel dibber, lopper or trowel handmade on your patch by a small family business. “The range was inspired by the tools that my great-grandfather made,” explains Adam Greenman of Newton Abbot-based Greenman Tools. “They had already lasted one lifetime and I wanted to make tools that could also be passed down through generations.” From £9.99 at all good garden centres and www.greenmangardentools.com

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Beautiful, Bespoke, Blooms 1 8 S O U T H S T R E E T, E X E T E R E X 1 1 D Z TEL: 01392 422522 E N Q U I R I E S @ T RU G S . C O. U K W W W. T RU G S . C O. U K

Q UA L I T Y D E S I G N A N D S E RV I C E F O R 2 5 Y E A R S

advertising feature

straight

Talking Hair

with Aimee Goodwin, top stylist at Jeff goodwin hair

ast month’s January sales seem like a lifetime ago already, although I really don’t understand the idea of queuing at the crack of dawn for the chance to be persuaded into buying something you wouldn’t have given a second glance at the full price. I did, however, get lucky one day on my way to work and bagged the unexpected bargain of a beautiful lambswool jumper at half price! Now I’ve had it a few weeks and it needs a wash. Being a busy woman, I normally bung everything in on an express wash, so I’ve got something clean for work the next day, but I thought I’d better check the washing instructions so as not to shrink it to half its size or turn it into felt. They said: 'Hand wash only, cool rinse, do not wring, non bio, dry flat, cool iron.' Well, that’s interesting, I thought, it could have been washing instructions for your hair! You should wash it gently, don’t scrub, especially if your hair is long or it will

tangle excessively, you should use warm, not very hot water or your cuticle will be opened more than necessary. This is particularly relevant if your hair is coloured, as an open cuticle will speed up fading. You wouldn’t use a bio detergent on your hair, so why not change to a “sulphate-free” shampoo? These are gentler on your hair, great for maintaining colour and help tremendously if you suffer from an itchy or sensitive scalp. Don’t wring your hair out or rub like mad with a towel, just gently squeeze out the excess water and carefully comb out any tangles. When you dry your hair, keep the hairdryer on the move so you don’t overheat one spot, use a cool shot at the end of each section to set the style and try not use straighteners too frequently. As a material, hair is pretty tough, but it still benefits long term from careful handling. Anyway, your hair is the accessory you never take off and deserves to be treated at least as well as my new jumper! n

Aimee G

For appointments with Aimee call: 01392 219855 For further info visit: www.jeffgoodwinhair.co.uk For careers: e-mail salon@jeffgoodwinhair.co.uk

MUG, £11.99 For the one person you would never, ever mug oﬀ Toot Garook, 19 Queen Street, Exeter; www.tootgarook.co.uk

HEART’S DESIRE

JESSICA RUSSELL FLINT COTTON HANDKERCHIEF, £12, Possibly too beautiful to go near anybody’s actual nose The Shop at RAMM, Queen Street, Exeter; www.rammuseum.org.uk

Impress your crush this Valentine’s Day

CARD, £2.95 And we really, really like you back, cute little card Hyde & Seek, 1 Paul Street, Exeter; www.hydeseek.co.uk

‘BE MY BUMBLE-BAE’ CUSHION, £25 They can hug this when you’re not around Flossy & Jim; www. ﬂossyandjim.com

46 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

VALENTINE’S HEARTS, £12 (200G) OR £6 (75G) Try not to think about symbolism when they’re ripping these apart with their teeth Chococo, 22 Gandy St, Exeter; www.chococo.co.uk

ED’S CHOICE

SPARK ROMANCE MATCHES, £11.99 Each one bears a romantic suggestion. Come on baby, light my ﬁre... Insideout, 1 Bampfylde Lane, Princesshay, Exeter www.insideouthome.co.uk

‘TOP HUN’ WOMEN’S SWEATSHIRT, £35 A big hand to Exmouth designer Claire for this witty throw-on – get it for your best gal Claire Close; www.soclose.co.uk

CANDLES, £1.50 EACH Oh dear, there’s been a power cut, we’re going to have light ALL of them Toot Garook, 19 Queen Street, Exeter; www.tootgarook.co.uk

CHANTELLE ‘FESTIVITE’ BRA, £57 AND BRIEF, £27 Yes, it’s a cliché, but aren’t these divine? De Bora, 34 South St, Exeter; www.deboraofexeter.co.uk

LOVE IS BLIND BY WILLIAM BOYD (PENGUIN), £18.99 A rollicking historical romance to keep the winter chills at bay Crediton Community Bookshop, 100 High Street, Crediton; www.creditoncommunitybookshop.co.uk

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THE SEVEN STARS, KENNFORD Game’s on the menu at this rescued village tavern – just as well Anna Britten didn’t do Veganuary…

ome the apocalypse, we shall be trying to become best friends with Carlie Glew from The Seven Stars, Kennford. She can skin a rabbit in 30 seconds. We discover this in the course of a chat with sous chef Carlie and her head chef/ life partner, the smiley Charlie Dingley. The couple arrived in Kennford from cheffing stints in the French Alps and Surrey, with loads of game expertise and a lust to share it with the eaters of the Kenn Valley and beyond. With landlord Adam Milton – who four years ago rescued The Seven Stars, which dates back to 1808, from the limp, clammy hands of the UK’s largest pub co – they’ve helped create a gastropub everyone’s talking about. The pub’s set on the main street through the village – Adam’s family also owns the village post office/shop and café next door. Enter the unassuming façade, sweep back the curtain across the inner door, and you step into a narrow but deep sanctum, ending in Charlie and Carlie’s small kitchen, and a pretty garden, out back. There are dark green walls, a wooden floor, log burner, room for 45 covers and a winter menu carrying both fine

48 I exeter living I www.mediaclash.co.uk

dining-y fare and pub classics. “I’m not half-arsing them,” says Charlie of the latter, telling us just because it’s fish and chips/sausage and mash/steak and chips there is no excuse for phoning it in. But more on that later. Nestled in the window with winter sunlight spilling attractively across the table, we dig our fork into a tender grilled mackerel fillet, so fresh it could we’re sure we can hear it singing a sea shanty, served with nutty, caramelised baby shallots and crunchy, homemade piccalilli, a mosaic of tiddly, vivid yellow cauli florets and orange carrots. P’s duck carpaccio is ballerina-slipper pink, just chewy enough and bursting with juice, joined by pickled fennel, lightly charred chunks of orange and a scattering of pomegranate. And so, deliciously, on. Game features heavily on the mains, too. My local pheasant breast served in three fat pieces and pan-fried to a golden brown, is sublime – think a leaner, richer roast chicken – and greatly enhanced by its nest of shredded sprouts and bacon, parsnip game chips, and deeply flavoursome artichoke puree we’d happily have instead of mash forever if we thought we’d make it a fraction as well

RESTAURANT

“Left to our own devices, we would run a mile from anything calling itself ‘South African vinegar pudding’” as Charlie. It’s lick-the-plate lovely, and goes perfectly with the glass of aromatic Cape Marlin South African chenin blanc that Adam recommends. P hyperventilates over her cod and chips – the former brilliantly battered in the pub’s own Seven Best beer from Dartmoor Brewery, and the size of Ultima Thule; the latter triple-cooked – served with freshly pounded minted mushy peas and great homemade tartare sauce. “Delightful, to die for…” comes the verdict. Charlie chooses pudding for us. Which is just as well because, left to our own devices, we would run a mile from anything calling itself ‘South African vinegar pudding’. And that would be silly. Because the dish is pure gastronomical ecstasy. Imagine a light, milky, spicy spotted dick (the vinegar in the title goes into the base) that you drench in hot crème anglaise and heavily booze-drenched raisins. Landlord Adam originally bet Charlie a bottle of wine nobody would ever order it. The dish is now an established fave. Never bet against a man with a “just say yes chef ” tattoo. And never bet against an unassuming little village pub oﬀ the A38 becoming the next big thing.

DINING DETAILS The Seven Stars, Kennford, Exeter EX6 7TR; 01392 834887; www.sevenstarskennford.co.uk Opening times Mon 3-11pm, TuesThurs 12noon-11pm, Fri-Sat 12noon12midnight, Sun 12noon-10.30pm Prices Starters from £5; mains from £10; desserts from £5; bar snacks/light bites/sandwiches from £4 Vegetarian/vegan choice Small but inventive – hello, courgetti and sweet potato noodles with blue cheese, caramelised walnuts and rocket Disabled access Being a recent refurb of an old pub it has a DDA-compliant wider-than-normal door entrance; is on one level with separate disabled facilities; ramp leading to outside secret garden with handrail. Staff always willing to help, too Drinks 8 reds, 7 whites, 2 rosé, 3 fizzes, a port and a dessert wine, plus all the pub faves (good beer) Service/atmosphere Relaxed, friendly local

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SOCIETY

SEEN! ACROSS E XE TER, ONE S H I N D I G AT A T I M E

Ajay Furse

John Hart

The outstanding students John Laramy and Rob Baxter

David Carver, Keely White, John Brimicombe, Emily Piper, Eleanor Harvey and Harry Sewter

STAR STUDENTS

The Exeter College Student Awards celebrated the successes of 24 outstanding students at a glamorous gala dinner at Exeter’s Mercure Rougemont Hotel. Award winners were drawn from across the College’s programmes from A-levels to apprenticeships. The college was delighted to welcome Rob Baxter, Exeter Chiefs director of rugby and himself an Exeter College alumnus, as the guest speaker.

Lois Coram, Natalie Hardwidge, Meagan Green and Sophie West Ruth Coram, Lois Coram and David Coram

Oliver Daw, Matthew Pickett and John Brimicombe

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SOCIETY SOCIETY

Adrienne Corner, Veron Matthews, Claire Gulliver and Guy Cowley Ashton and Jane Rush

Jane Houghton, Mary Costello and Catherine Cummings

Ros Martin and Claire Bailey

Lara Goodband, Helen Hartstein and Elly Fitzpatrick

Ceri Johnson, Rachel Sutton and Greg Sheldon

CRIMINAL MASTERMINDS

Jill Constantine, director of the Arts Council Collection, joined the RAMM team – a sizeable number of them sporting William Morris prints – and the city’s art lovers for a packed private view for the hotly-anticipated new Criminal Ornamentation exhibition. Curated by leading British artist Yinka Shonibare, the touring show features Arts Council Collection works by some of art’s most famous names, from William Morris to Alexander McQueen, and explores the cultural and historical relevance of pattern in art. Catch it at RAMM until to 17 March. Tim Martin and Beth Hughes Terah Walkup, Matt Burrows and Kathy Norris

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Sophie Yarde-Buller, Camilla Hampshire and Sally Ayres

SOCIETY

Andrew Butler, Ian Garcia and Cameron Hodder

June Hutchings, John Harvey and Agne Seikyte Mandie Rose and Glen King

Rosie Bates and Victoria Hatfield

ACTION (WORK) STATIONS!

Hannah Timson and Connor Jones

A sophisticated soirée was held to launch new flexible workspace Offices at No 1 in the elegant Barnfield Crescent. Over 60 guests made up of professionals, members of the business community, local artists, as well as friends and family, were welcomed with a tour of the four-storey building, which dates back to 1840, and its private, serviced offices. Guests enjoyed bubbles, wine and canapés served by Posh Nosh, all to the accompaniment of music provided by the talented Exeter University Jazz Orchestra. Photos by Glen King

Peter Hoddinott, Izzy Gray and Stuart Hoddinott Richard Carpenter and Mike Evans

Stuart Bayley, Kirsty Curnow-Bayley and Jemimah Dean

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health & Beauty

Before

Your hair could be as shiny as that floor too... After

LET IT SHINE JULIE REID entrusts her hair to Exeter’s rising superstar coiffeur James Beaumont

y hair has been neglected for months. I’ve been putting off getting it cut as I am trying to grow it, but we are all aware of the hair paradox: the longer you want it, the more you need to have it trimmed. So, with Christmas out the way and Valentine’s Day approaching, I made it a new year’s resolution to spend more time making myself look presentable, and booked in to get highlights and a trim at Richard Beaumont’s Longbrook Salon in Exeter. The hair studio is a large, bright, open, space, with comfortable chairs in a friendly, relaxing, but vibrant atmosphere. Richard and his wife, Gill, started their first salon in Exeter in 1974, eventually expanding to Wiltshire, Taunton and Exmouth. In 2006, after 32 years in the business, they decided to sell up.

However, after a few years their love for the industry made them miss the client interaction, and the experience of working with a professional creative team and so, in 2009, they opened the Longbrook Salon with their son, James, who was my stylist. James has many awards under his belt including, in 2018, WHAL British Barber of the Year, NHF Photographic Stylist of the Year and an ABS Global Image Award. He was also flown to New York to create a stunning cover image for US hair industry magazine Modern Salon. James is essentially a mean hand at giving a top notch cut. I’ve seen videos of exceptionally hip young men swaggering their way through the badlands of Exeter in the most fashionable clothes with amazingly intricate and precise haircuts by James, so I was wondering how he would take a rather insipid request by a housewife for a trim. But he managed to even

“I was wondering how he would take a request from a housewife for a trim”

54 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

make that look like he was sculpting a piece of fine art with his super slick hand and scissor actions. And, miraculously, without making it noticeably any shorter, he cut off all the frizzy ends and gave my locks extra volume. James is also a product trainer at Keune International, whose products are used in the salon. I always want to find out a bit more about what’s being used on my hair beforehand, so I know I’m not being fobbed off with any old cheap product that is going to damage it. Keune’s (they are Dutch) Tinta Color is a coconut-derived cream that protects the scalp from staining, and shields the hair from UV damage and colour fading while also repairing and nourishing damaged hair – and I have to say my hair has never come out in better condition after having a tint before; it was immaculately smooth and shiny. The Longbrook Salon is just round the corner from John Lewis so super-easy to get to, with lots of parking nearby. So now there’s no excuse not to keep well groomed. And try to permanently avoid my default look: badgerpulled-through-a-hedge-backwards. n During February, a half-head of highlights, cut and blow dry at Richard Beaumont Longbrook Salon costs £84.99; a full-head of highlights, cut and blow dry costs £95.99. Promotional offer, applying to stylist and senior stylists. Richard Beaumont Longbrook Hair & Beauty Salon 58-64 Longbrook St, Exeter EX4 6AL 01392 272252; www.longbrooksalon.co.uk

businessinsider E XETER AND E A S T DE VON GET TO WORK

78 Flybe planes will soon look very different...

Quote of the issue

“It is our ambition to be world number one and drive growth at every level”

Who’s settling for nothing but world domination? See page 59…

The Big Number

500k

Burgers served by Exeter street food legends Hubbox since launch. More on page 58…

LIVING TO FLY ANOTHER DAY Flybe acquired by Virgin Atlantic-led consortium

xeter-based airline Flybe is set to be bought for £2.2m by a consortium of aviation industry bighitters comprising Virgin Atlantic, Southend airport-owner Stobart Group and investment firm Cyrus Capital Partners. The consortium, called Connect Airways, has also committed to making a £20m bridge loan facility available to support Flybe’s ongoing requirements, and to provide up to £80m to invest in its business. Flybe will be rebranded as Virgin Atlantic, with 78 Flybe aircraft to be repainted accordingly.

Christine Ourmières-Widener, chief executive of Flybe, says: “Flybe plays a vital role in the UK’s transport infrastructure with a UK regional network which uniquely positions it to benefit from growing demands from long haul carriers for passenger feeder traffic. The pursuit of operational excellence has reduced maintenance times and increased efficiencies and customer satisfaction. “However, the industry is suffering from higher fuel costs, currency fluctuations and significant uncertainties presented by Brexit. We have been affected

by all of these factors, which have put pressure on short-term financial performance. “By combining to form a larger, stronger, group, we will be better placed to withstand these pressures. We aim to provide an even better service to our customers and secure the future for our people.” However, a legal challenge to the sale has reportedly been threatened by a major Flybe shareholder, London-based asset manager Hosking Partners, which owns 19 per cent of the company. Founder Jeremy Hosking is said to have

written to Flybe’s board to complain the sale undervalued the company. Says Matt Roach, managing director of Exeter Airport: “Any deal which safeguards the future of the UK’s principal regional airline is important because regional connectivity is vital to our economy and regional airports need sustainable carriers. At Exeter we’re committed to supporting growth by providing the best possible service to people in the region and extending the choice of routes from their local airport. We have invested £15m in the airport in the last five years and will spend a further £1m on terminal enhancements to cater for an anticipated 100,000 extra passengers this year, taking us past the one million mark.” For more: www.flybe.com

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20 more jobs, over 100 more covers and a very happy Exeter population...

HUB-AH, HUB-AH! Much-loved Exeter street food purveyors Hubbox have moved from their modest-sized Sidwell Street home of ﬁve years to larger premises on Catherine Street in the heart of the city where they can serve up to 170 covers at any one time. Says CEO, Richard Boon: “To say we’re excited about our move is an understatement. We can’t wait to show you what we’ve done with the place. “We’re really excited by this new venue. We passionately believe that investing in our high street is important and Exeter has, so far, been an amazing part of our story. What we’re about to do in Catherine Street will set us up as a mainstay in Exeter’s food and drink scene for years to come. “It’s our belief that if you oﬀer a quality product, fairly priced, in cool surroundings,

people will seek you out. We all know that towns are having to work harder to attract and retain shoppers. We want to be part of the solution, but for us, it’s not all about stretching our budgets to place ourselves in highly priced, high street locations. Catherine Street is the perfect new move and we’re committed to our future there.” The move will also create 20 new jobs. Hubbox sprang from the Hub restaurant on St Ives harbourside. In 2012 the ﬁrst Hubbox served burgers from a shipping container in Truro, before Exeter provided a bricks and mortar site a year later. Last October saw the latest Hubbox open in Taunton. The company say they have served over half a million burgers since they began. For more: www.hubbox.co.uk

CRYO YOUR HEART OUT

A family business based in Willand Quantum Cryotherapy near Cullompton has launched the directors Adela first ‘indirect’ whole body cryotherapy Thornton-Wood and chamber to be entirely designed and David Thornton-Wood manufactured in Britain and installed by an in-house team. Whole body cryotherapy plunges the user into temperatures of around -130 degrees Celsius for up to three minutes. This is known to deliver a range of health and wellbeing benefits, and is reportedly popular among elite athletes such as Mo Farah and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Daniel Craig. Quantum Cryotherapy, located in Mid Thornton-Wood: “There is growing interest Devon Business Park in Willand, has for more than in whole body cryotherapy, but there has not 40 years been providing UK hospitals, universities previously been a British company providing what and businesses with leading-edge cryogenic control we feel is really needed. We have the expertise to and safety systems. It has now created CryoQube, ensure people can buy and run our cryotherapy which comes in various sizes and delivers what chambers safely and effectively. Importantly, we is known as ‘indirect’ cryotherapy. This involves aren’t supplying through third parties, so our pure, super-cooled air that has been pre-chilled customers will get the support they need, when using liquid nitrogen, and ducting away nitrogen they need it.” gas, to allow the whole body to be immersed in the The company will be marketing CryoCube chamber, unlike with ‘direct’ systems where the globally to sports clubs, health clubs and spas. user’s head must remain outside of the unit. Says Quantum Cryotherapy co-founder David For more: www.quantumcryotherapy.com

58 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

“Sorry, my hand’s reeeally sweaty”

RUN THIS TOWN Exeter Marathon organiser CITY Community Trust has announced two prestigious partnerships. Exeter Live Better and Tozers Solicitors have pledged their support and sponsorship to the race, the city’s only marathon, which takes place on May 19. The event will now be known as the Exeter Live Better Marathon, sponsored by Tozers. It is the fourth year it has been organised by CITY Community Trust, the area’s leading health and wellbeing charity. Says Jamie Vittles, head of community at CITY Community Trust: “We are delighted to welcome Exeter Live Better and Tozers on board as our marathon sponsors. Through this collaboration with Exeter Live Better we are celebrating everything that is great about the city and promoting the important work that is going on, particularly around health and wellbeing. “We are also very grateful to Tozers for their support and look forward to working with them to develop our partnership. “Every year we welcome hundreds of runners to this event. Participants know to expect a well-organised event along a beautiful course. A large part of the route is run along the river and canal basin and being a ﬂat course, it’s great for ﬁrst-timers or experienced runners looking to achieve a personal best.” Sign up now at: www.exetercitycommunitytrust. co.uk/courses/running-events

BUSINESS INSIDER

EXETER CHIEFS NEWS MARK STEVENS brings you the latest from inside Sandy Park

MOVERS AND SHAKERS ETC

England v Canada

Hawksmoor Investment Management has appointed James Brent to chairman of the board, replacing David Kempton who remains as a non-executive director…. Peter Brennan is the new CEO of Exeter charity Hospiscare… Charles Courtenay, aka the Earl of Devon, has left the London office of US firm Latham & Watkins to join locally-headquartered law firm Michelmores as partner in its commercial and regulatory disputes team… Property developer Redrow West Country in Exeter welcomes Sue Callard as quantity surveyor and Kevin Weeks and Gareth Kilby as site managers… South West law firm Stephens Scown LLP, which has its head office in Exeter, has appointed partner Bill Wilkins as its new chairman, taking over the role from Michael Beadel… David Williams joins chartered accountants Simpkins Edwards as a tax consultant… Family law executive Cate Jewell (pictured) has taken up a new role in the childcare team at The Family Law Company… James Laughlin is the new regional director for SDS Engineering Consultants in Exeter... Community radio station Phonic FM have a new business development manager in Marina O’Shea.

E XETER RUGBY CLUB/JMP

Cate Jewell, The Family Law Company

“We are at a tipping point for women’s rugby globally and it is our ambition to be world number one and drive growth at every level. As an organisation, from top to bottom, we are very much behind this and want to see the continued expansion and growth to realise the ambitious targets we have set ourselves.” Under its women and girls strategy, the RFU plans to double the number of participants by 2021, increase the number of women’s teams by more than 75% to 800, the number of active women’s clubs to more than 400 and get more women involved in the sport as referees, coaches and volunteers. As Sandy Park has proved in the past, it’s a venue fit for hosting international action. Over the years it’s staged not only Under-20s fixtures, but also A Internationals and, of course, three fixtures at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Exeter Rugby Club chief executive, Tony Rowe OBE, adds: “It’s fantastic that Sandy Park will again be playing host to yet more international rugby this season. Not only we will be welcoming England U20s back to Exeter once again in February, but we will also be staging for the first time the England Women’s side in March. “As everyone is aware, interest in the women’s game has never been as big as it is now – and here at Exeter we are making big strides in our support of the women’s game with the launch of a new club side at Exeter Athletic Rugby Club this season. “Over the years, Sandy Park has proven itself to be a fitting venue for international rugby – including that of the Rugby World Cup in 2015 – and I’ve no doubt the rugby-loving public of the region will once again turn out in force to see these England stars in action.” Tickets for either of the two international fixtures can be purchased through the Exeter Chiefs website with prices starting from just £10.

nternational rugby is heading back to Exeter as Sandy Park prepares to host two fixtures in this season’s Six Nations Championship. England Under-20s start the action on Saturday 9 February (12.05pm) when they welcome France to the home of the Exeter Chiefs. After that, England Women head to the West Country on Saturday 9 March (12.05pm) when Italy provide the opposition. It will be the first time the Red Roses have played in Devon and already there is great excitement around the area at the thought of seeing England’s elite women play right here on our doorstep. Interest in the women’s game is growing year-onyear and, with the Red Roses last month announcing that 28 of their 35-strong squad are now full-time professionals, England’s position has never looked stronger. “We are delighted to be able to offer full-time contracts to our 15s players,” says RFU chief executive Steve Brown. “This has long been our ambition and demonstrates the RFU’s commitment to growing the women’s game and the belief we have in the future of the sport.

Next up at Sandy Park: 9 Feb – England U20s v France U20s 23 Feb – Exeter Chiefs v Newcastle (Gallagher Premiership) 9 March – England Women v Italy Women For more: www.exeterchiefs.co.uk

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advertising feature

All that I have I share with you?

Pre-nuptial agreements and romance can go hand-in-hand. Zoe Porter of ASHFORDS SOLICITORS explains...

re you planning to marry in 2019? Then it's best to include a pre-nuptial agreement on your list of wedding plansâ&#x20AC;Ś Why? If you are entering into a marriage with an imbalance of assets on either side, it is the best way to try to protect those assets in the unlikely event that your marriage breaks down. The purpose of the agreement is to show what you intend to happen to your money and property in the event that your marriage or civil partnership were to end. Rest assured that entering into a pre-nuptial agreement does not mean that you are more likely to get divorced; such agreements can be particularly beneficial where one or other of you has substantially greater capital or income than the other, or when one or both of you wish to protect assets that you have owned prior to

your marriage, including inheritances. They are also beneficial if one or both of you have children from a previous marriage, and you wish to protect assets for the purpose of inheritance planning. So the big question is, are they binding? Currently, in England and Wales, pre-nuptial agreements are not strictly binding in the event of a later divorce, but the terms of a pre-nuptial agreement may be decisive in the event of a dispute dealt with by the court, unless the effect of the agreement would be unfair. To improve the prospect that the court will not consider the agreement to be unfair, there are some rather strict rules to be followed, one of these is that you both must have set out your full financial circumstances (called financial disclosure) and take independent legal advice on the agreement and its effects. Furthermore, neither of you must feel pressurised

into entering into the agreement and therefore good practice suggests that any pre-nuptials should be concluded within 21 days of the date of a marriage. Additionally, by entering into the agreement you must intend to create legal relations and execute the document as a deed. A pre-nuptial agreement is a bespoke document drawn up for your particular circumstances. You do need to take the advice of a solicitor as to the types of provision that are likely to be enforceable. n

For more information or advice please call us on: 01392 337000, or visit www.ashfords.co.uk/expertise/family

business insider

The Way I See It Does my business need its own app? Welcome to our brand new column in which Exeter business figures wax lyrical on a pet subject. Here, Adam Stone of Rokk Media helps you decide whether or not you should develop your own app

Adam’s early love for tech was fostered by Star Trek

ull confession: I am a Trekker (or Trekkie, depending on personal choice) and can easily spread my fingers in a Vulcan greeting. Sitting down with my Dad on a Thursday evening to enjoy the latest Star Trek episode still counts among my favourite childhood memories, and the ideas that sprang from the show have gone on to inspire many scientists and inventors to create things we all now see as just everyday. Having instant and unlimited information at your fingertips was always something I envied the crew of the Starship Enterprise for having access to, but, at some point, with miniaturisation and the relentless development of computing technology and mobile phones, this was always going to happen. The potential of modern mobile devices – whether

phone, watch, tablet or wearable, has gone way beyond what was even hinted at in those far-off days of Star Trek. As Steve Jobs once famously said, “there’s an app for that”, and with over five million across all platforms and more people now using mobile devices than any other device, it couldn’t be more appropriate today. So, what about a dedicated app for your business? Is there a business case? How could an app give you a competitive advantage? Do you have a business process that is time-consuming or difficult for staff who work off-site or are frequently mobile? Or customers who largely work off-site and find it difficult to purchase your products and services? Could the development of an app provide a unique way to promote your products or services, or perhaps you have an idea that could be developed as an app to provide new income for the business? Taking time out to consider any of these questions, and think outside of how things have always been done, can pay huge dividends. A recent example where we were able to create an app that brought significant value to the client, for example, was for a new restaurant looking for that competitive advantage in a market dripping in new restaurants. Our solution was to create an app that used augmented reality together with ‘gamification’ that enabled diners to see amazing animated threedimensional images when the app was held over a painting on the wall. Each animation also presents a question, and when all images are revealed and questions successfully answered the diner is entitled to a free drink. The app was a big success generating many conversations in social media and contributing to a launch that exceeded expectations. Just one example of how the use of mobile and emerging technologies – in this case AR – can bring substantial benefits to a company. The next time you’re thinking of boldly taking your own Enterprise where it’s not been before, create some space to think how you can harness the potential of mobile applications. You may not conquer the known universe, but entering new worlds could put your business light years ahead of the competition! For more: Adam Stone is CEO at bespoke software, mobile applications and web development company Rokk Media: www.rokk.co.uk

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property a pl ace to c all home

Heathfield Cottage Seven miles north of Exeter, Kitty Kane finds a cosy, thatched delight beckoning you home...

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A place to call home property

ome is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in,” said Robert Frost. If Heathfield Cottage was our family home, we suspect we’d “have to” go there rather often. And if they didn’t take us in, well, we’d be flaming well hammering the door down. This dream of a Grade II-listed, thatched hideaway is awash with covetable period charm without ever feeling poky or depriving itself of 21st century comforts. You won’t want for exposed wooden beams, or cosy nooks for lolling hounds. But neither will you feel you’re living in Les Misérables. Off a tranquil, narrow country lane on the edge of the small hamlet of Netherexe – the village of Stoke Canon is just a mile away when you need a few more amenities – you’ll find Heathfield Cottage at the end of a swooshing gravel driveway. It’s tucked away enough to provide a good degree of privacy while also enjoying stunning rural views. You’re further cushioned from the world by your own attractive gardens, comprising lawned areas, fruit trees and perimeter hedging, flower and shrub beds, a feature pond and a sun terrace. For Sunday afternoon yomps, the National Trust’s Killerton house and gardens are also close by, as is the the Exe Valley Way footpath. Enter through the original porch with stained glass windows, kick off those wellies in the handy boot room and we’ll take a further look . . .

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As you’d expect, the kitchen/breakfast room is perfectly in keeping with the style of the property – a farmhousestyle kitchen/breakfast room that’s been recently updated, with a white, Shaker-style kitchen including solid wood worktops and a range cooker. Best of all is the fact it’s got a double aspect, with loads of pretty, paned windows through which to gaze over the gorgeous gardens as you eat your Weetabix. For more formal dining, check out the characterful dining room with exposed wooden beams. The sitting room is a charming spot in which to flop, not least because of the rugged inglenook fireplace with bread oven and a wood-burning stove. Underfoot, you’ve handsome grey limestone tiles and above a huge exposed beam. A snug, utility and cloakroom complete the ground floor. When it’s time to retire for the evening, a split-level staircase leads you – via an open landing area with a wonderful feature window and further door out into the garden – to your double-aspect master bedroom with a picture window from which you can check whether the lawn needs mowing. Past the family bathroom and up a further flight of stairs and you’ll reach three more bedrooms, two of them doubles, all with lovely outlooks. Just when you thought it couldn’t get better, step back outside and you’ll discover a fabulous little separate studio/double bedroom with ensuite and attractive double wooden doors to the outside. Heavenly stuff. As Phil and Kirstie might say, shall we go to the pub and have a think about it? n

House numbers £625k

Studio

Bedrooms

Miles north of Exeter

Inglenook fireplace

For more: Wilkinson Grant & Co, Exeter The Old City Library, 1 Castle Street, Exeter EX4 3PT; 01392 427500; www.wilkinsongrant.co.uk

Guide price

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Topsham near exeter

Price £650,000

Believed to have once been a malt house which was subsequently divided into two houses, the property offers spacious, bright, beautifully presented accommodation, with high ceilings and a number of period features. Featuring a kitchen/dining room opening out to the garden, a sitting room and a useful WC/utility. 4 bedrooms, dressing room/bedroom 5, bathroom, shower room. There is off-road parking at the front and to the rear of the property is a pretty, South-facing garden, mainly lawned, with a patio. EER ‘D’ For further details telephone Joel Moore on 01392 875000 or email j.moore@wilkinsongrant.co.uk

01392 427500 www.wilkinsongrant.co.uk RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL LAND & DEVELOPMENT SALES ACQUISITIONS LETTINGS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AUCTIONS SURVEYS PROBATE & VALUATIONS

Exeter DEVON

Price ÂŁ700,000

An exceptional Grade II Listed period townhouse which has been renovated and enhanced to a very high standard and situated in a quiet, tucked away location on the edge of the city centre. The spacious accommodation offers much flexibility and features a stunning kitchen and elegant living space which offers a perfect blend of modern living and the character and charm of the period with many features. The property offers four bedrooms with two reception rooms and a garden room. There are three bathrooms or shower rooms, all finished to a very high standard and featuring underfloor heating. The cellar offers further potential and has original cobbled flooring. Landscaped garden and garden room along with fantastic far reaching views towards the River Exe and Haldon Hills. For further details telephone James Mold on 01392 427500 or email j.mold@wilkinsongrant.co.uk

01392 427500 www.wilkinsongrant.co.uk RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL LAND & DEVELOPMENT SALES ACQUISITIONS LETTINGS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AUCTIONS SURVEYS PROBATE & VALUATIONS

EXETER LIVING SERVICES GUIDE ROOFING

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EXETER LIVES

“My nickname? Calamity Jane – I am renowned for being quite accident-prone!” horticulture sites, five charity shops, plus outreach to young adults with visual impairment in the local community.

JANE BELL She loves The Greatest Dancer but won’t be doing the splits again herself any time soon… Jane Bell has just marked her first anniversary as CEO of WESC Foundation, Exeter’s specialist centre for young people and adults with visual impairment and complex needs. And she likes Exeter so much she’s leaving the seaside for it! Whereabouts do you live, and what makes it special?

I live in Teignmouth at the moment, so an early morning walk by the sea and the summer vibe on the Back Beach with a pint of something are all quite special. However, I am about to move to Exeter so am looking forward to a bit more city living and a lot less queuing in traffic in the morning!

How does teaching at WESC Foundation differ to conventional teaching?

We use our knowledge of visual impairment to help our young people develop specific strategies for learning and living – for example, teaching young people how to navigate around Exeter through specialist mobility training, and how to use new technology to help them learn in the classroom. What one thing do you wish more people knew about WESC Foundation?

People still think we are just a school, but as a charity we also run adult care services, day support, employment support, supported living, two

74 I exeter living I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Do you have a nickname/ nicknames?

Calamity Jane – I am renowned for being quite accident prone! What piece of music would you put on at the end of a trying day?

Something loud to dance round the kitchen to – Happy by Pharrell. Who’s your celebrity crush?

Right now, Jason Momoa…

What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?

So many to choose from! Accidentally doing the full splits in front of 100-plus people at a charity event and being wheeled off to hospital? What’s your earliest childhood memory?

Being in the garden with my big sister making mud pies. When did you last cry, and why?

At the weekend, watching

a young man with Down’s Syndrome dance his heart out on The Greatest Dancer – just so joyful. Favourite places to eat and drink in Exeter and the surrounding area?

I do like a little potter around Topsham! I have had interesting Middle Eastern food recently at Comptoir Libanais and at Al-Farid, both in Exeter. The Crab Shack and the Ship Inn on the Back Beach at Teignmouth on a summer’s evening are hard to beat. If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Making life easier for our young people with visual impairment, but for now I would settle for an ability to put an extra hour in a day and an extra day in the weekend! We’d better let you get on… What are you doing right after this?

I am off to get the stuff together for a party tomorrow night – I sing with the South Devon Rock Choir and we are seeing in 2019 in style. n www.wescfoundation.ac.uk