Exeter Living - Issue 271

ISSUE 271 / NOVEMBER 2020 / £3

PRESENT& CORRECT ISSUE 271 / NOVEMBER 2020 / CHRISTMAS GIFTS APLENTY

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FROM OUR FAVOURITE LOCAL INDIES

BEAUTY BUZZ

HAIR AND BEAUTY TREATMENTS TO MAKE YOU GLOW THIS WINTER

ROMANCING THE STONE OH-SO-PRETTY JEWELLERY

JOIN THE CLUB

SUMPTUOUS SUPPERS AT THE ODDFELLOWS

© ROGAN/JMP

EDITOR’S LETTER

ABOVE Exeter Chiefs celebrating their win,

see page 6

BELOW Frances Collett’s “Dream Big Kid”

print from Nest Living, see page 19

T

he first of our sparkly, allsinging all-dancing bumper Christmas gift guide is brought to you in this issue (page 19); and, as always, it features gorgeous items – all sourced from local independent shops in Exeter.

If we can’t physically get into their shops at the moment, we can buy their stuff online. And we should. We all know the drill, right? Use it or lose it, as the saying goes.

Elsewhere in this issue, we chat to local jewellery makers who are making the most dazzling pieces (page 35), and we ask the hair and beauty professionals to give us their top tips for looking and feeling our best this winter (page 48).

We are loudly and with much trumpetblowing, featuring other indies in this issue too, like The Oddfellows where I guzzled the most beautiful forest mushroom tea accompanied by a crumpet (page 44). A must-try in Exeter, believe me! Or the Amanda Marsden Salon, (page 52) where I emerged feeling like a new woman with the bounciest of waves!

We’ll be back in three weeks, as normal, continuing to bang the drum of all the local talent that bursts out of this city. #ExeterTogether

HARRIET NOBLE Follow us on Twitter @ExeterLiving

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Issue 271/November 2020 COVER Commission ‘Shake your pompoms’ Jumper

by Lauren Aston Designs, see page 19 for more

UPFRONT

6 SPOTLIGHT News to make you smile 11 JP HEDGE Big plans in store for Exeter

THE ARTS

12 WHAT’S ON Arts, culture a bit of Christmas magic 17 INTRO The prettiest

Christmas cards

SHOPPING

19 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Yup, it’s that time

35 JEWELLERY Exeter’s finest

dazzlers

52

FOOD & DRINK

43 FOOD & DRINK NEWS

Culinary updates from the pros 44 RESTAURANT We drop in on The Oddfellows

LIFESTYLE

46 WELLBEING The power of music unlocked 48 HAIR & BEAUTY Magic-wand treatments to help

you feel fantastic this winter

52 HAIR REVIEW Wondrous waves at Amanda

Marsden Salon

BUSINESS

55 EXETERWORKS Business movers and shakers

PROPERTY

61 PROPERTY NEWS All the latest from the

property experts

62 SHOWCASE Party house meets Harry Potter film set

35

REGULARS

15 EXETER TOGETHER A word from Greg Ingham 66 IN THE FRAME What Exeter pic has made it on

to next year’s calendar?

Editor Harriet Noble harriet.noble@mediaclash.co.uk Managing Editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior Art Editor Andrew Richmond Graphic Design Megan Allison Cover Design Trevor Gilham Contributors JP Hedge Advertising manager Paula Miller paula.miller@mediaclash.co.uk Production/Distribution Manager Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy Production Manager Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Production Designer Gemma Scrine gemma. scrine@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, and Exeter. Agency From the design and build of websites to digital marketing and creating company magazines, we can help. Events We create, market, promote and operate a wide variety of events both for MediaClash and our clients Contact: info@mediaclash.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 5

SPOTLIGHT

Expect Grylls and thrills

Festival

BEAR WITH US

Dare devil adventurer Bear Grylls is coming to Powderham Castle next year to host a brandnew festival.

The Gone Wild Festival, to be held on the August Bank Holiday 2021, is a familyfriendly festival for anyone who loves a bit of outdoor adventure. Festival go-ers can expect kayaking on the Exe Estuary, paddleboarding on Powderham Lake, a purpose built obstacle course, archery, yoga, abseiling and climbing and even knife and axe throwing.

Expert instructors from the Bear Grylls Survival Academy will also teach children and

adults essential survival skills such as shelter building, fire lighting and campfire cooking.

As the sun goes down over the castle, there will be food from top chefs and street food vendors followed by dancing and a night of live music and DJs – Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight and the Ministry of Sound Orchestra have been confirmed so far – plus household-name comedians and lots more campfire cosiness.

For more www.powderham.co.uk.

Tickets are on sale now

Film

AND THE AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM IS…

Tommy’s film is a winner

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

Devon filmmaker Tommy Gillard has just scooped the award for Best Short Film from the prestigious BFI London Film Festival for his sports comedy Shuttlecock.

The film centres on the macho Carl, who is forced to confront his idea of masculinity when an obsession with a mysterious new member of his badminton club spirals out of control.

Using a whole host of talent and crew from Devon, the film was shot across three days in Sidmouth College’s now demolished old-school sports hall.

It was commissioned and supported

by Exeter Phoenix, whose filmmaking bursary schemes offer vital support

and development opportunities for filmmakers in the region.

“I’m thrilled to have won the LFF Best Short Film Award for Shuttlecock,” says Tommy.

“Working with Exeter Phoenix to realise the film has been an amazing journey, and really shines a light on how important regional arts centres are, especially now. I’d urge every filmmaker to use and work with the arts venues close to them, as they can really push you to make your best work!”

For more: www.spinningpath.com and exeterphoenix.org.uk

Education

IN PLACE

Exeter School is providing means-tested bursaries for those in need of support, with eight free places on offer to children from the local community.

“We are an inclusive community that welcomes bright and committed young people who can give their talents and skills to better our community, and are willing to take up the challenges and opportunities that we offer,” says Louise Simpson, head at Exeter School.

The deadline for September 2021 entry registration is 1 December 2020 and the deadline for bursary applications is 5 January 2021.

For more: www.exeterschool.org.uk

Standing tall at Exeter School

Opportunities for young people

Arts

COMMUNITY AND CREATIVITY Exeter Northcott has unveiled a range of creative opportunities for artists, young people and communities to kick start a year of change and creative renewal.

With investment from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, the theatre can now announce ambitious plans to support and celebrate local talent through 2021.

“Everything we do is powered by the stories, ideas and creativity of the artists and communities we work with,” says Daniel Buckroyd, artistic director and chief executive at Exeter Northcott.

“But this year has been incredibly tough for so many people, with inequalities that have always been present brought into sharper focus

by Covid. We know that access to live performance and opportunities to be creative or pursue a career in the arts aren’t the same for everyone and that’s about to get harder.

Now is the time for the Northcott to tackle this with a series of meaningful interventions.”

Young People

The theatre is inviting young people to help shape its future programme.

Anyone aged between 14-21 can apply to become a Young Advisor and help the Northcott come up with ideas for new activities that can be tried out through 2021.

Creative Communities

For community groups thinking about the change they want to see or the inequalities they want to see righted, the Northcott will support them by matching them with a professional artist – which may be a writer, a musician, a dancer or a filmmaker – to help share stories, discover new skills and make some noise. With grants up to £5,000, projects can be ambitious.

Artists & Theatre-Makers

The Northcott charity is also extending its professional development programme for theatre-makers, offering more opportunities for people to gain hands-on experience and develop a career in the creative sector.

For more: www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

Arts

FINE PRINT

Earlier this year, RAMM (Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery) held their annual Local Art Show competition which gives art groups and societies from Exeter and the surrounding area the chance to exhibit their work in an exhibition. The theme for the 2020 competition was ‘Ramm and its collections.’

Double Elephant Print Workshop were announced as the winners and the exhibition showing their work is currently planned to run from 12 December – 17 January.

Four Horses by Chris Laver; Royal Albert Memorial Museum Linocut

by Penny Wolujewicz

Who are the Double Elephant Print Workshop?

For 22 years, they have been providing resources, tuition and support to complete beginners and experienced artists alike. The ethos of the group is one of continuous creative learning and development. Double Elephant’s artists work across the spectrum of printmaking methods, from relief printing to lithography and everything in between. From butterflies to totem poles, RAMM`s collections have been a source of inspiration for this vibrant and varied show.

For more: exeterramm.admit-one.eu

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SPOTLIGHT

Rugby

PLAY AND DISPLAY Fresh from their historic double victory – winning the European title on 17 October, then the Gallagher Premiership title just seven days later – The Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club is to display both its cups at Exeter Cathedral.

“We are all incredibly proud of the team’s achievements this year,” says Chiefs’ chairman and chief executive Tony Rowe OBE. “But we all know that we would not have reached this point without the ongoing support of the people of Exeter and faithful fans from further afield. So offering everyone the chance to see the trophies in the heart of the city, at the Cathedral, is one way of sharing this victory with them all.”

The Dean of Exeter, the Very Revd Jonathan Greener, adds “Exeter Cathedral is here for the people of Devon, through both difficult and joyful times. The incredible achievements of Exeter Chiefs is a much needed cause for celebration, and we are delighted to be able to host that celebration in the centre of Exeter.”

For more: www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk

from top: Exeter Chiefs celebrating their wins

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We look to forward to welcoming you soon!

A Family friendly Hotel set within 19 beautiful acres of woodlands with wonderful sea views From mid-week stays, Easter Breaks, school holiday getaways to weekend breaks, you’ll be sure to have a wonderful relaxing break.

Langstone Cliff Hotel, Mount Pleasant Road, Dawlish Warren, Dawlish, EX7 0NA 01626 242172 www.langstone-hotel.co.uk f @LangstoneCliffHotel î‚? @LangstoneCliff

OPINION JP HEDGE

Pretty dining domes down at the quay

What lies ahead

JP looks at what the immediate and long-term future holds for Exeter and finds hope, support – and a big plan

I

t’s 5am in the morning in California.

You wouldn’t know anything about the eight hour time zone difference as Lord Charles Courtenay, 19th Earl of Devon, warms a virtual room and sets about chairing a packed agenda around delivering much-needed support.

Without blinking, he’s presumably tip toed from his family at the crack of dawn, in the name of dedication, to help the people of Exeter face these unprecedented times.

This Zoom call is one of seven groups involving over 100 people working on all things important to the city.

People are bringing their time and expertise from all walks of life

together to create a plan like no other to help us recover.

What amazes me as I write this is that it isn’t somehow out of the ordinary that Charlie should get up all jet-lagged in the middle of the night to help.

Or in fact that any of our leaders of business, education, industries and communities, should break off from dealing with some of the tragic and difficult conditions they are currently personally facing, to work unflinchingly for the greater good of others.

But this is Exeter – the brilliant alternative.

I think we are now all too aware that the virus is not just attacking people’s health and their lives, but also their livelihoods, income and mental health.

“I’ve also never seen so many people step up without hesitation”

I can say without exaggeration that so far the council has done everything it reasonably can to assist. But clearly it has both limited scope, resources and ability. We are a dedicated district council, we aren’t magic.

Luckily this wider city, its people and its players, have your back.

They truly do.

In the most testing of days this winter I hope that provides some comfort to know.

After months of work we’ve now had to close the RAMM and other services we just managed to get back open. I took over the running of leisure this week, and had to close the doors of facilities less than 72 hours later. I’m in the running for worst first day ever.

We are already looking at what the immediate and long-term future holds. And the key to this is our ‘recovery plan’.

I’d be the first to admit that this kind of document doesn’t sound particularly sexy. At 76 pages long, normally I wouldn’t even mention it in the pages of a lifestyle magazine.

But it is unprecedented. Over 100 people have contributed.

I’ve not seen a city come together like this before.

There are a huge amount of asks outlined in it, ranging from millions of pounds for flagship projects through to simple good will and ideas that cost nothing but time.

Excitingly, it is also all backed

with the premise that when we do get rid of this virus, which we will, we are going to strengthen our city beyond what it was before.

That includes building in the likes of Net Zero, wellbeing, quality of life, active transport and culture into all the plans.

There are some quite practical easy wins in the document, many of which you will have already seen, such as Visit Exeter’s amazing domes on the high street and Quay.

There are some big hitters that we’ll need to thrive over the next 20 years – like electric buses and retrofitting homes.

The plan is packed with things to make life better for all.

I’ve also never seen so many people, with so many areas of expertise, genuinely step up without hesitation, to try to do something to help.

The issue comes out in the eye of the storm.

With some potentially dark days of winter ahead I wanted to share that there a lot of people, who you probably don’t know, are working hard for you.

We will get through this Exeter – together. ■ Jon-Paul Hedge is a director at Exeter City Council where he currently looks after leisure. 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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WHAT’S ON 13 November Onwards

Powderham Castle will be all lit up

EXHIBITIONS Until 20 November

AMANDA POPHAM ANNUAL SHOW (ONLINE) Steam Gallery is hosting works from Internationally acclaimed British earthenware sculptor Amanda Popham. Expect a vibrant collection of 60 pieces which are poignant, challenging, amusing, thought provoking and with a greater colour intensity.

Steam Gallery; www.marinehouseatbeer.co.uk

Until 11 December

REFLECTIONS 2020 (ONLINE) The arts charity is dedicated to advancing the creation and appreciation of art in the local area and, as such, always has exhibitions and events popping up in Devon.

Reflections 2020 is a huge online exhibition whereby artists have been invited to enter 2D and 3D work that reflects their own experience,

interpretation and observations of the impact of the pandemic. Guest judges include renowned artists Rosa Sepple PRI, Anthony Frost and Joseph Hillier.

Southwest Academy; www.southwestacademy.org.uk

everything from furniture to ceramics, jewellery and painting.

The Walronds, Fore Street, Cullompton; Instagram: @CADD_EVENTS

Until 24 December

TREASURE ISLAND This festive season join awardwinning funny men Le Navet Bete (The Three Musketeers: A Comedy Adventure, Dracula: The Bloody Truth) as they play out Robert Louis Stevenson’s legendary tale as you’ve never seen it before.

Exeter Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

PRESENT MAKERS 2020 (ONLINE) Celebrating the best of South West-based craft and design, this exhibition will see all manner of beautiful glass, wood, paper, textiles, prints, ceramics, furniture and jewellery. A great event to pick up your Christmas pressies.

Thelma Hulbert Gallery; www.thelmahulbert.com

11-13 December

WINTER DESIGN FAIR BY CADD EVENTS Local designers from Exeter and surrounding areas will be showcasing and selling their creations; expect

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PERFORMANCES 9 December-9 January

CHRISTMAS IN EXETER 3 – 31 December

CHRISTMAS AT PRINCESSHAY This year the shopping area will have a special Exeter Chiefs trading post where you can celebrate their recent

joyous successes. There will also be a Charity Christmas Tree festival on Roman Walk, a new Giving Hub and the twinkliest and magical of lights.

Princesshay, 9 Catherine Street, Exeter; www.princesshay.co.uk

Until 24 December

CHRISTMAS AT COTLEY FARM Down at the farm they’ve got a new Nativity barn, undercover area for takeaway teas, coffees, and cake, as well as a new baby reindeer that was born earlier in the year. As usual, there is plenty of festive family fun to be enjoying whilst also choosing your perfect Christmas tree.

They are also running late night openings on Thursdays and Fridays until 8pm, as well as some festive events on Saturday evenings, to ensure as many people can visit throughout the weeks. Cotley Farm also has an online shop selling their Christmas trees, locally produced turkeys, a selection of foodie

WHAT’S ON hampers and other essentials for your tree. There is an easy click and collect option from their site or delivery to local areas if you cannot get out to visit them this year.

Check website for opening times and to book your slot. Cotley Farm, Whimple, Exeter; www.cotleychristmas.co.uk

Until 31 December

CHRISTMAS AT POWDERHAM CASTLE Every Thursday to Sunday until 20 December the team will be hosting a pop up restaurant in their stunning music room and libraries.

They’ll also be carols, crafts and the chance to meet Father Christmas and his elves. For those who have made it on to the nice list this year there’s early gifts too! The Christmas Barn has been so filled with presents you’ll need to navigate through the maze to find the Christmas Tree and North Pole Post Box. Don’t miss the spectacular light trail and show too , running until New Year’s Eve (excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day), where you can explore the castle grounds.

Powderham Castle, Exeter: www.powderham.co.uk n

LIBRARY LIFE

EMILY MACAULAY shares the latest from Exeter Library

above: Guardian Angel by Jenni Watters MiroslavSuper will be at the Winter Design Fair left: Amanda Popham’s Waiting for the Fun to Start will be exhibiting at The Steam Gallery below: Treasure Island at The Northcott

There is a lot written about the role of art at times of crisis. There is a lot written about the role of activism too. In Exeter Library now we have a bit of both.

As you enter the main entrance you will be greeted by Omar, The Boy Giant. A sand sculpture inspired by author Michael Morpurgo’s book of the same name. It is huge. And well worth a photo. Not least because if you then tweet that photo, tag @exeterlibrary and use the hashtag #boygiantexeter you can win a signed (by the author) copy of the book or a £10 book voucher!

We also have an engaging display of some books from our Special Collections. These are rare and historical books that are not available for public use without an appointment. The theme of the current exhibition is Art Around The World and China, India, Mongolia, Australia, Ireland, Romania are all represented, and more. Pop up to our Quiet Area during opening hours (10am – 5pm Monday – Michael Morpurgo and The Boy Giant Saturday and 12noon – 4pm Sundays) to have a look.

If you didn’t get a chance to see the RAMM’s pop up exhibition of their ‘Lockdown Legends’ when we had it in October you haven’t missed out.

Our three pillars are going to St Thomas Library and Pinhoe Library for the whole of November so there’s still a chance to go and read about the inspiring stories from our great city during lockdown. Don’t forget to check opening hours on the Devon Libraries website (www.devonlibraries.org.uk) before visiting.

We are also pleased to be hosting a fringe display for the British Library in London’s “Unfinished Business: The Fight For Women’s Rights” exhibition. Comprising of information pillars you can browse these on the ground floor of the library and learn more about how feminist activism in the UK has its roots in the complex history of women’s rights.

For more: www.exeter.ac.uk

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#EXETER TOGETHER GREG INGHAM

Love in the time of corona MediaClash’s chief exec GREG INGHAM contemplates deep emotions, this brave old world and bequeathed beauty in These Times. Spoiler alert: love is all...

L

et’s be clear.

These are times of deep, unexpected emotions.

When the tectonic plates of domestic life shift, friction occurs. Mysterious ravines open up underfoot.

It’s the pressure of working from home, of being always on, of the partitions separating professional from personal slipping away. That odd tension of the duality of Zoom-aware upper body office smartness while wearing jimjams, with little opportunity for temporal or psychological shifts between modes.

That recurrent home schooling, mainly of kids but occasionally by them when it comes to recalcitrant computers, when the phrase “Why, a child could understand this!” is an inverted recognition of deft knowledge

rather than a dismissal.

Tearfully for some couples, these times have been forever Sundays – that day of the week when disproportionate numbers of rows (and much worse) erupt. Living together, always altogether, can suffocate. Family rows spike notably, if not quite like a certain pandemic.

Layer in sickness general, sickness seasonal and the sickness with the unspeakable C-word, and our emotions go forth and multiply like, well, a contagious virus.

Even more unwelcome grimness? The heightened, deepened sorrow of funerals in these times, sadly not conducted at a funereal pace (over-tight schedules to meet for coronacompliance making more explicit the soulless efficiency of crematoria). And sadly limited to the very nearest and dearest, denying those chance life-pivoting encounters years on with old friends or relatives. Or worse,

“This is a time of unexpected beauty, where we look anew at the city of Exeter”

funerals paraded deathlessly on some unmoving remote camera: not remotely similar to the real life, real death experience.

Put this away though. All is true and more; human beings can’t stand too much reality though. Happily our continuingly weird reality has also included heightened, sharpened positive emotions; extremes touched at both ends in a time when familiar reality has been outsourced.

Instead then, let’s talk about joy. This is a time of unexpected beauty, where we look anew at the city of Exeter, its variety and splendour disported elegantly awaiting our long-lingering gaze.

It’s too easy to become inured to the beauty of Exeter, that it becomes normative, familiar and paradoxically distant, just not on our aetheric horizon because it is there all the time. It takes a visiting friend to trigger first pride and then beaming pleasure: we see the world through their eyes as this city itself to us once more.

Perhaps at a deeper level, it has taken the visitation of the pandemic to open our eyes to this bequeathed beauty. We have wandered the city more widely, looked more closely, enjoyed more evidently, explored more thoroughly – perforce, perhaps, but we have experienced our

city more intimately on foot and on our own terms and in our limitless time.

Love of place is as a speck of dust compared with love of person. Whatever stresses and tensions, and they are surely legion for some, this time of existential maundering and contemplation yields a literally home truth: love is all.

Of this we know. When all is stripped back. When routine or dignity or status or travel or jobs or raison d’être or even other lives are lost – when we are pared back to just us, just this flesh and blood, what is at the core is our ability and desire to love.

Venerate love.

Every day, let’s not let this brush with mortality, metaphorical or real, keep from us an abiding truth. Just as the beauty of Exeter has always been there if we could but see it, so love is there. Take a moment to look around or reach out to give thanks for those who you love.

And who, if you are blessed, love you. x

#ExeterTogether – always…

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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

PRESS AHEAD

These pretty, delicate Christmas cards are made using pressed flowers that come straight from Devon-based artist Louise Cox’s garden.

“I started in lockdown for a friend’s birthday because I wanted to create something handmade and she loves nature and outdoors so I made her initials out of leaves,” says Louise.

“I also made a rabbit for a different friend’s

birthday the week after. They both loved them so I started making more for friends and since then it has snowballed into making cards and prints.”

Individual cards £2.50, pack of 10 Christmas cards £18; Louise’s prints are available on Etsy: @CapturedInBloom

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IN ASHBURTON WHEN THE DOORS REOPEN, COME AND VISIT ASHBURTON FOR A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EXPERIENCE!

Contemporary Art Gallery showcasing work from well renowned International artists.

2 Kingsbridge Lane, Ashburton, South Devon, TQ13 7DX f 01752 853294 / 07798893097 www.ashburngallery.co.uk

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

Ashburton Post Office Local post office serving Ashburton and surrounding area.

Cards and stationery emporium.

01364 652256 ▪ St Lawrence Lane, Ashburton, TQ13 7DD

Supporting local businesses in Ashburton

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

ON PRESENT FORM Lists at the ready? Welcome to Exeter Living’s all-local, all-indie festive gift guide

KNITTED CROWNS, £20 Lauren Aston Designs; www.laurenastondesigns.com

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CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES

BORDER DIAMOND EYE BELT IN YOUR COLOUR COMBO, £345 From The Belt Makers, 119 Fore Street, Exeter; www.thebeltmakers.com

ENGEL SATCHEL RUCKSACK, £50 From Jane Foster Designs; www.janefoster.co.uk

VINTAGE SATCHEL, £40 From Frocks in Swing Time, 151-152 Fore Street, Exeter; www.frocksinswingtime.com

PEAKY BLINDER WOOL CAP, £20 From The Real McCoy, McCoys Arcade, 21 Fore Street, Exeter; www.therealmccoy.co.uk

NAVY SUEDE FUR TRIM 3/4 LENGTH ANKLE BOOTS, £250 From Elizabeth Ann Shoes; 3 Cathedral Close, Exeter; www.elizabethannshoes.co.uk

BURGUNDY SWING COAT, £110 From Frocks in Swing Time, 151-152 Fore Street, Exeter; www.frocksinswingtime.com

ROSA PARKS BROOCH, £12 From Jane Foster Designs; www.janefoster.co.uk

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

SORUKA UPCYCLED LEATHER BAG, £79.99 From Insideout, 1 Bampfylde Street, Exeter; www.insideouthome.co.uk

PRINTED SCARVES, £23 From Boka, 3 High Street, Crediton; www.bokaonline.co.uk FREJA STRIPED DRESS, £109 From Sancho’s, 117 Fore Street, Exeter; sanchosshop.com

BUSBY & FOX HAIRBAND, £36 From Busby & Fox, 21 Cathedral Yard, Exeter; www.busbyandfox.com

BIRD SILEX VELVET POPPINS WEEKEND BAG, £120 From Toot Garouk, 19 Queen Street, Exeter; www.tootgarook.co.uk

HOME & GARDEN

FRIDA KAHLO MUG, £10 From Moko, 17 Gandy Street, Exeter; www.mokoexeter.co.uk

METAL STAGS HEAD CANDLEHOLDER, £80 From Toot Garouk, 19 Queen Street, Exeter; www.trouva.com

CHUNKY KNIT CHRISTMAS WREATH, £40-50 From Lauren Aston Designs; www.laurenastondesigns.com

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CUSTOM SIZE, STITCH & COLOUR BLANKET, £200-£620 From Lauren Aston Designs; www.laurenastondesigns.com

COSY NOOK WINTER AND SPICE CANDLES, £14 From Cosy Nook Candle Co; www.cosynookcandleco.co.uk

TELL ME WE ARE HAVING PUDDING SIDE PLATE, £25 From Insideout, 1 Bampfylde Street, Exeter; www.insideouthome.co.uk

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

FELT REINDEER, £5.50

By Gisela Graham, available at Cotley Farm, Cotley House Cotley Farm, Whimple, Exeter; www.cotleychristmas.co.uk

NIWAKI SECATEURS, £69 From Urban & Rural Plants, Powderham Castle, Powderham Country Store, Kenton; www.urbanandruralplants.co.uk

PINK HERRINGBONE BLANKET THROW, £19.95 From Hyde & Seek, Unit 1, Harlequins, 1 Paul Street, Exeter; www.hydeseek.co.uk ADER SMALL CHURCH LIGHT HOUSE, £18.95 From Leaf Street, 53 Magdalen Road, Exeter; www.leafstreet.co.uk

FRENCH FLORAL PRINT CANVAS WALL HANGING, £49 From Nest Living, 60 Fore Street, Topsham; www.nestliving.net

SEA SALT & WOOD SAGE ROOM SPRAY, £12 From Sancho’s, 117 Fore Street, Exeter; www.sanchosshop.com

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CHRISTMAS IN TIVERTON

GOLD STREET

THE INDEPENDENT QUARTER WHEN THE DOORS RE-OPEN, SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SHOPPING AND EATERIES.

Thoughtful local businesses offering a unique experience all on one street. 3 hours free parking in nearby superstore.

No.39 The Art House Local art, pottery & framing Unique Christmas Gifts 39 Gold St, Tiverton Tel: 01884 252661 www.no39thearthouse.com  No39TheArtHouse

FREE LOCAL DELIVERY on all orders over £20 Family-Run Business Serving Locally Expert-Roasted Coffee, Specialty Tea’s, Cakes and Pastries.

17 Gold Street, Tiverton, Devon Tel: 01884 798055

Buy online & still support the high street Honiton: 01404 43275 Tiverton: 01884 254856 creaturecomfortsdevon.com

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

BLACK SPHERE LIGHT 40CM, £62 From Insideout, 1 Bampfylde Street, Exeter; www.insideouthome.co.uk

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KIDS

POM POM HAIR CLIPS, £8 From Rose & Reign; www.roseandreign.co.uk

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

GIRAFFE BOOK MARKS, £8.50 From Moko, 17 Gandy Street, Exeter; www.mokoexeter.co.uk

TENNIS FELT BEAR HANGING, £7.99 From Insideout, 1 Bampfylde Street, Exeter; www.insideouthome.co.uk

ORGANIC QUILTED HOODIE JACKET, £26.90 From Kapbula, 17 Paris Street, Exeter; www.kapbula.co.uk

POWDER COSY KIDS PENGUIN HAT, £15.95 From Leaf Street, 53 Magdalen Road, Exeter; www.leafstreet.co.uk

HOT AIR BALLOON WALL HEIGHT CHART STICKERS, £19.95 From Rose & Reign; www.roseandreign.co.uk

HEATABLE REINDEER, £9.99 From Otter Garden Centre, Gosford Road, Ottery Saint Mary; www.ottergardencentres.com

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

ANIMAL PARK MINI BACKPACK, £12.95 From Hyde and Seek, Unit 1, Harlequins, 1 Paul Street, Exeter; www.hydeseek.co.uk

HORACE AND CO EMMY’S PERSONALISED BOOKS, £17.99 From Flossie and Jim; www.flossyandjim.com

DIVERSITY FRIENDS PUZZLE, £12 From Jane Foster Designs; www.janefoster.co.uk

FRANCES COLLETT “DREAM BIG KID” A3 PRINT, £35 From Nest Living, 60 Fore Street, Topsham; www.nestliving.net

RAPUNZEL KNITTING DOLL SET, £6.99 From House of Marbles; tradeuk.houseofmarbles.com

KIDS CUTLERY SET, £9

By Leave no Trace, available from Sancho’s, 117 Fore Street, Exeter, www.sanchosshop.com

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FOOD & DRINK CASHEW ‘MILC’ CHOCOLATE CASHEW BAUBLE WITH GEMS INSIDE (VEGAN-FRIENDLY), £14 All from Chococo, 22 Gandy Street, Exeter; www.chococo.co.uk

MILK CHOCOLATE BAUBLE WITH DORSET SEA SALT CARAMEL GEMS INSIDE, £12

MILK CHOCOLATE BAUBLE WITH HAZELNUT STUDDED GEMS INSIDE, £14

GOLD CHOCOLATE BAUBLE WITH GEMS INSIDE, £12

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THE EXE GIN, COURTNEY’S OF WHIMPLE, £32.50 From Cotley Farm Christmas, Christmas, Cotley House Cotley Farm, Whimple, Exeter; www.cotleychristmas.co.uk

DEVON ORCHARD HONEY, £2.20-£5.90 From Little Bowhay, Devon Orchard Ltd, Shillingford Abbot, Exeter; www.littlebowhay.com

BLUE GOOSE COFFEE’S ECO COFFEE POD COLLECTION GIFT PACK, £18 From www.bluegoose.coffee

BOTTLE OF ALBERT’S ALE, £2.75 From Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Queen Street, Exeter; www. rammuseum.org.uk

OTTER VALE DEVON CHUTNEY, £3.99 From Darts Farm, Topsham; www.shop.dartsfarm.co.uk

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

JAM AND MARMALADE ADVENT CALENDAR, £39 From The Tiny Marmalade; www.thetinymarmalade.com

LUSCOMBE GINGER BEER PRESENTATION, £7 From Luscombe; www.luscombe.co.uk

TWO DRIFTERS SPICED RUM, £40 From Two Drifters Rum; www.twodriftersrum.com

SHARPHAM SPARKLING PINK, £27 From Sharpham; www.sharpham.com LUXURY CHRISTMAS HAMPER, £85 From Darts Farm, Topsham; www.shop.dartsfarm.co.uk

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JEWELLERY

THE BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL If there’s a particularly good time to don beautiful and colourful jewellery it surely is Christmas. We chatted to a couple of local jewellery makers and trawled through Exeter’s boutiques to find the very best, most sparkly pieces to wear…

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

Contact Paula 07563 529772

JEWELLERY Jewellery maker Katherine Hoey

Leather off-cuts are transformed into beautiful jewellery

KATHERINE HOEY is a local jeweller who makes sustainable, and very colourful, jewellery pieces out of leather off-cuts. We caught up Katherine to find out more…

We have to start with the name of your company – Tula and the Whale. Where did it come from?

Tula is the name of my daughter and whale is my husband’s nickname (his favourite animal is a humpback whale). I tried to come up with lots of different business names, but somehow that one stuck!

How long have you been running the business?

Around eighteen months, but the idea was there for a few years before that. I started crafting more frequently after leaving Bristol six years ago with a wee baby, and needed a creative outlet for my sanity. This evolved into making jewellery for myself to begin with, but as my skills improved, the requests from other people came in. I realised how important working from home and having flexible hours would be with a young family so decided to take the plunge.

Jewellery that pops

Where did you learn your craft?

I’m pretty much all self-taught. When I was a young adult I had a fun job working in a haberdashery in St. Nicholas’ Market, Bristol. I learnt so much about materials and techniques there. Other than that it was a lot of trial and error!

Your pieces are made from leather offcuts, where did you get this idea?

It came to me in the haberdashery, which was opposite a cobblers. They were kind enough to donate me scraps and I started experimenting. Since then I have sourced my offcuts from various places. It means a lot to me that the pieces that were otherwise going to landfill have been repurposed and are being worn and making people smile!

It’s precise work

“There is so much unwanted material out there, it seems criminal not to use it” www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 37

“The patterns and colours of the natural world are so inspiring” I really want my business to be as sustainable as possible, so using leather offcuts helps my conscience by making a tiny dent in the tonnes of waste material created by the fashion industry. I have a small group of other makers who supply me with offcuts as and when, which is wonderful but I am always on the lookout for more. There is so much unwanted material out there, that it seems criminal to me to not utilise some of it.

Bright colours are aplenty in your jewellery. Are all aspects of your life this colourful?

No! I love colour, but I wear a lot of black, which is why I like my accessories to be bold. Saying that I’ve usually got about three bright patterned woollen cardigans on in the winter.

My house has accents of bold colour, but I feel like I have matured with my home decorating skills a little and I prefer less colour clashing than houses of my past.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Everywhere! The patterns and colours of the natural world are always inspiring, so having the River Dart and Dartmoor on my doorstep is such a luxury. I love geometric patterns and my favourite colour combinations are most likely inspired by a two-month trip to Mexico in my mid twenties.

What is the hardest thing about your job?

Time management. Working from home with a young family has its challenges, but it is so great to be able to be flexible. However I do get interrupted a lot and sometimes it is hard to switch off from work mode.

This is something I am figuring out.

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Katherine’s earrings are a big hit

LEFT TO RIGHT: Gold Leaf Leather Star Stud Earrings, £8.50;

Statement stud leather earrings £10.50

And the best?

Designing a new range and getting feedback from my lovely customers – it makes me smile so much. Another amazing thing about my job is meeting lots of other independents and being part of a very supportive community.

What’s been your greatest achievement – both with Tula and Whale and in your personal life?

Wow, this is a hard one to answer. In business, it’s just the fact that people like my work and enjoy wearing it.

In my personal life, child labour has to be up there! Along with climbing a mountain in the Andes and working with spider monkeys in Bolivia.

What plans have you got for Tula and the Whale?

Next year I’m hoping to move into a workshop in the garden, where I will have more space and be able to experiment with new up-cycled materials. I am also aiming to work at some markets and events in the not too distant future.

The big dream is to be content with the way my business is run and to be able to regularly contribute to worthwhile charities.

For more: Katherine’s Tula and the Whale jewellery is sold at The Maker Mart shop on Gandy Street, and online: www.folksy.com (Tula and the Whale)

JEWELLERY ALEXANDRA AURUM makes jewellery that is inspired by the landscape around her, using fusion, hand-forging and stone-setting techniques What made you want to become a jeweller?

When I was growing up I had a habit of looking/studying jewellery shop windows whenever I passed one. I just wanted to see how things were made, was fascinated how stones were set and how the metal was shaped. I mostly went down the art side of education and moved from sculpture to jewellery which I have been making now for over a decade.

What was your professional pathway to becoming a jeweller?

I was lucky to find out early in school that I was good at making most things using my hands. Building jewellery is relaxing for me, I can match the ideas in my head with a physical outcome. I am dyslexic and learning to be proud of this gift. I also knew that after university funding a business like this would take time, preparation and determination to get it started. I have worked for three local jewellers and in two jewellery shops in Exeter while waitressing on the side in the beginning. This was all an excellent foundation to understand how to run my jewellery business and how I want my customers to feel when I work on commissions for them. I am proud of what I do and I want them to feel that way also.

What skills or personality traits do you think make a great jeweller?

For me it’s how I build and finish my work with the devil being in the detail. If it’s not right cut it up and start again and you will be quicker the next time because of the extra practice.

TOP TO BOTTOM: St Mary’s ring, five diamonds, £1000;

One-off boulder edge ring with seven diamonds, POA; One-off aquamarine, sapphire and diamond ring, £1250; Tresco ring, gold with mint tourmaline and six diamonds, £1340

What inspires you?

The “landscapes” in my work reflect elements of my family history and where I grew up. I understand that when you buy my work you then make your own meaning with that particular piece. When I am selling my work the Popplestone collection reminds me of the Isles of Scilly where my parents met and the Devon Red collection reminds me of growing up by the seaside and observing red sandstone cliffs change shape throughout my life. These themes are the thread which has run through my work and life to inspire me to keep moving forward.

The encouragement from my family and sense of place drawn from landscapes motivates the style and visual signature which I hope makes my work unique and desirable.

Are there any gemstones that you are particularly drawn to?

I love a cornflower blue sapphire and a green tsavorite garnet.

What is the hardest thing about your job?

Paperwork; making is easy.

And the best?

When you get a day when everything comes together just the way you planned, can’t say everyday is like that, but when it happens it’s a little bit of magic.

What’s been your greatest achievement – both with your jewellery business and in your personal life?

Starting a business, honestly, it’s taken me years of hard work and I am so proud I did it all on my own. It truly is my own creation and I enjoy every development; it all means so much to me.

Alexandra’s pieces are sold at Polka dot Gallery in Exeter and Taunton.

For more: www.alexandraaurum.com/ www.polkadotgallery.com

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COLOUR ME HAPPY

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Brighten up your winter outfit with these colourful pieces

SHOPPING LIST

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1. Handmade acrylic cuffs by Sue Gregor, £49, Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Queen Street, Exeter; www.rammuseum.org.uk 2. Porcelain kissing giraffes necklace, £30, Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Queen Street, Exeter; www.rammuseum.org.uk 3. Mustard teardrop earrings by Claire Lowe, £65; Polka Dot Gallery; 12 Martins Lane, Exeter; www.polkadotgallery.com 4. Fiesta green cerenity necklace, £372; Polka Dot Gallery; 12 Martins Lane, Exeter; www.polkadotgallery.com 5. Poppy earrings, £21, Frocks in Swing Time, 151-152 Fore Street, Exeter; www.frocksinswingtime.com 6. Mini coral macrame leaf earrings, £10, from KikiTropical: available on Etsy 7. 18ct yellow gold diamond and pink sapphire ring, £8,750, Mortimers Jewellers; 87 Queen Street, Exeter; www.mortimersjewellers.co.uk 8. Platinum emerald and diamond ring, POA, Mortimers Jewellers; 87 Queen Street, Exeter; www.mortimersjewellers.co.uk 9. Long beaded drop earrings by My Doris, £20, Moko, 17 Gandy Street Exeter; www.mokoexeter.co.uk 10. Star hoop leather earrings, £12.50, Tula and the Whale, Makermart, 11a Gandy Street, Exeter; www.makermart-exeter.com and www.folksy.com 11. Moth brooch, £12, Moko, 17 Gandy Street Exeter; www.mokoexeter.co.uk 12. Polymer clay statement earrings, £14, from KikiTropical: available on Etsy

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GO CLASSIC

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You can’t go wrong with this lot: gold, silver, pearls, and, of course, diamonds

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1. Zero waste pendant, £25, Sancho’s, 117 Fore Street, Exeter; www.sanchosshop.com 2. Oak leaf and acorn branch earrings, £255, Polka Dot Gallery; 12 Martins Lane, Exeter; www.polkadotgallery.com 3. White baroque pearl tassel, £839, Erin Cox Jewellery, 14 Castle Street, Exeter; www.erincox.co.uk 4. Wide hoop earrings in brass, £16, Sancho’s, 117 Fore Street, Exeter; www.sanchosshop.com 5. Platinum diamond daisy cluster ring, £14,950, Michael Spires, 22 Cathedral Yard, Exeter; www.michaelspiers.co.uk 6. Silver antique bangle, £12.95, Hyde and Seek, Unit 1, Harlequins, 1 Paul Street, Exeter; www.hydeseek.co.uk 7. Shimmer cascade earrings in gold and silver, £20, Moko, 17 Gandy Street Exeter; www.mokoexeter.co.uk 8. Stack of rings, poa; Eric Cox Jewellery, 14 Castle Street, Exeter; www.erincox.co.uk 9. Pearl drop earrings, £150, Polka Dot Gallery; 12 Martins Lane, Exeter; www.polkadotgallery.com 10. Gold rounded triangle hoop earrings, £14.95, Hyde & Seek, Unit 1, Harlequins, 1 Paul Street, Exeter; www.hydeseek.co.uk 11. 22ct gold and diamond ring, £1,914, Eric Cox Jewellery, 14 Castle Street, Exeter; www.erincox.co.uk 12. Michael spiers jazz collection 18ct diamond earrings, £5,750; Michael Spiers, 22 Cathedral Yard, Exeter; www.michaelspiers.co.uk

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WINE HUB Café

Your local wine merchant and fusion cafe For more info visit www.wine-hub.co.uk 50 The Strand, Exmouth, EX8 1AL

Gourmet Coffee and Food A great time for the kids in the heart of Exeter Kids Hub Coffee, 11 Paris Street, EX1 2JB www.kidshubcoffee.co.uk

FOOD & DRINK NIBBLES FROM EXETER’S FOOD SCENE The team will also be delivering bread

GO WITH THE DOUGH

St Sidwell’s Community Centre will open a pop-up Sourdough Bakery on Sidwell Street.

The new space will allow St Sidwell’s to expand its current offer, following the success of Sidwell Street Bakehouse, run for the past 18 months from its long-standing community centre on Sidwell street.

The new bakery is due to open before Christmas and will be offering sourdough bread and treats, as well as doing bread deliveries by bike.

“Relocating The Sidwell Street Bakehouse will allow us to offer lots more volunteering and training placements, provide new employment opportunities, bake more nutritious bread and help attract more people to Sidwell Street,” says Iona Collins, project manager and baker from St Sidwell’s.

“At this difficult time for everyone, we are very pleased to be able to provide new opportunities and we are grateful for The Crown Estate’s support in achieving this.”

For more: www.stsidwells.org.uk

Shall we chalet?

LOUNGING ABOUT

Who doesn’t want their own private chalet? This festive season, Princesshay’s Lloyd’s Lounge is welcoming six Christmas chalets to its outside space. Each chalet will offer a unique and safe private dining and drinking experience in the heart of Exeter for up to six guests. Expect a warm and cosy festive setting, with blankets, twinkling lights and even the opportunity to play your own music. The chalets are available to be booked seven days a week, for both lunch and evening sittings.

For more: www.lloydslounge.co.uk

A welcome addition to Gandy street

COMING SOON….

Gandy Street will soon welcome a new bar called Mermaids. Exeter Phoenix director Patrick Cunningham tells us, “It will be a place like no other.”

We can’t wait. www.exeterphoenix.com

© @HEAVEN.IS.IN.DEVON

GET YOUR FIX Starting your day with a

Have you bean drinking their coffee?

fresh cup of really decent coffee is a must for some people. If you fall into this category, take note: Indy Coffee Box is a Devon-based company which delivers a box of top-notch, fresh as you like, speciality-grade beans to coffee fiends each month.

There’s an ever-changing monthly selection of coffees from independent coffee roasters and there will also be occasional treats in the form of artisan chocolate, traybakes and chai syrup.You can sign up to their monthly subscription boxes or, if you’re feeling generous, gift them to a coffee-loving loved one.

For more: www.indycoffeebox.co.uk

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SUPPER CLUB AT THE ODDFELLOWS

The Exeter bar and restaurant proves to be a home away from home for Harriet Noble

W

hen you look back at notes you’ve made from a restaurant review they can sometimes be, frankly, unintelligible. Dimly lit rooms where you can’t see what you’re writing and a couple of glasses of vino will have you writing nondescript phrases like “starter yummy, weird texture” or “fab loos” with a smiley face emoji. Such mutterings a good review does not make.

What you really want, apart from all the morsel-bymorsel detail, is to articulate the atmosphere for the place.

Because that’s what people really want to know isn’t it?

Yes, brilliant and exciting food is on the need-to-know list, but the heartbeat of a place is everything. My busy squiggles from The Oddfellows say, in capital letters, with biro sun-rays coming out at 360 degrees, FEELS LIKE HOME. Which is odd in a sense because my home isn’t half as nice as The Oddfellows gaff, but it’s something about the feel of the place. It’s got all the right kinds of ambience by the bucket load. And on the Friday that my pal and I head there for one of their supper clubs, it proves to be a great way to kick off the weekend.

The aesthetics help: the sage green walls, little alcove

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dining area, dainty tea lights, pretty wallpaper, chunky wooden furniture, wall hangings – paired with really friendly and relaxed service and the mellow voices of Cat Stevens, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan singing to us throughout our meal.

And then there’s the food. The six-course taster menu kicks off with a dazzler: tea and crumpet – a forest fungi mushroom tea course that is quite possibly the cutest, quaintest dish you’re ever likely to see. What arrives is a chintzy teacup and saucer, with spoon, hosting a beautiful Asian-influenced tea. It’s thin in consistency but ocean deep in flavour, with earthy flavours melting into layers of sweet cinnamon, and sharp pickled onion. We drink it out of our teacups, we slurp it from our spoons and we dip into it with our gorgeous holey crumpets: I absolutely love it. It’s delicious, almost medicinal (in a good, healing sort of way), looks a treat and scores full points for originality.

Next up is the salt baked beetroot, celery, pear and walnut. It’s light but creamy; the celery and pear contrasting nicely with the crunch of the walnut and astringent punchy beetroot.

Third course is fish for my companion, a Brixham lemon sole which comes with shrimp, capers and a herb butter which gets the thumbs up. Normally a man of few

RESTAURANT

“It’s light years ahead of your average gastropub offering’”

adjectives, he proudly claims it’s “lovely, clean and refreshing.”

I have the whipped Somerset ricotta radishes, with hazelnuts and dill. The magician of a chef has done wizard-like whipping here; the ricotta feels like fluffy marshmallow clouds in my mouth, with the thinnest slivers of al dente radishes. The lamb breast from Dartmoor comes with butternut squash and lamb jus and is tender, rich, and sweet with a delicious dark chocolatey background flavour.

Pudding sees us delve into the elderflower cider and blackberry sorbet, a classic cleanse the palate dessert, followed by Baileys and vanilla brûlée; a boozy, moreish pud with a rooftop of crumbly pebbles of chocolate and hazelnuts.

It’s all pretty fantastic, and light years ahead of your average gastropub offering – though it’s the tea and crumpets dish that has elbowed itself into my permanent food memory bank – and at £35 for this six-course taster menu, it is very good value.

We are last out of the restaurant (sorry Oddfellows) but, as I say, it’s because it feels a bit like home. You kind of feel like you just want to kick off your shoes and settle in for the night. n

DINING DETAILS The Oddfellows, 60 New North Road, Exeter; www.theoddfellowsbar.co.uk Opening times Supper clubs are every Friday and Saturday night, a six-course taster menu for £35 – with the menu changing weekly And Christmas? They’ll be hosting Christmas meals soon with three sittings of 12:30, 3:30 & 6:30 on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays Disabled access Mostly all on one level from the front door with no steps Dietary requirements There’s a vegetarian taster menu as well as the general one; they’ll ask you if you have any dietary requirements when you book Service/atmosphere Warm, friendly and relaxed

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© K ATE GR AHAM

It’s all about the music

WELLBEING

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LAURA LOFT

How can we help children develop their emotional wellbeing?

Through the healing powers of music, says professional music creator and educator Laura Loft 46 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

WELLBEING

Laura’s book helps children recognise their emotions

You’re a music creator and educator. What does this entail?

My background is music performance and early on I worked as a singer/ songwriter writing music solo and with bands. Alongside this I was running educational music and songwriting workshops for young people with various organisations such as Exeter Phoenix, Plymouth Music Zone, DAISI and South West Music School.

Currently I work as a music educator within school settings, my main one being Trinity Primary School delivering whole class ensemble teaching (ukuleles, boomwhackers, steel pans and more), choir and specialist music projects such as songwriting and music wellbeing workshops.

It mainly entails being a ‘joy giver’ and bringing the energy and enthusiasm for music in Primary schools to engage with music at an early age. With teens, the focus is more on developing their talent, crafting song writing and honing performance skills plus building self-confidence and purposeful music making.

Tell us about your latest project...

You tour local schools in Devon. What can people expect from these events?

In February 2020 on World Book Day, Trinity Primary School in Exeter were successful in a funding bid to support a pilot of a whole day of music and wellbeing. This focused around my book Big Emotions and I created music, movement and art activities alongside making a wellbeing tool kit.

It culminated in a fantastic performance bringing everyone together. This has now been developed into a schools activity pack and has just ran as a UK-wide pilot around schools.

The objectives of the project have always been simple: inspire children through music to develop their emotional wellbeing and mental health.

The take-home message is that ‘it’s OK to have big emotions’ and I hope to encourage this via music.

“The take home message is that it’s ok to have big emotions”

What advice would you give parents who want to do more to encourage good mental health for their kids?

Big Emotions: Mindful Music For Little People is a new music wellbeing resource I have created aimed at three to seven year olds.

After working with many teenagers in a reactive way using music for wellbeing I started to think ‘how can we be preventative, to not get to this point?’ So, I thought about creating a wellbeing toolkit for young children using the medium of story and music to engage.

I think being open and honest is a good place to start from. I try not to hide my own emotions now. It’s important to normalise emotions but using simple language. Of course, if the adult is struggling with deeper problems then it is really important to find the right support for you whether that is family, GP or other therapies.

Describe your book Big Emotions...

Witnessing moments where music brings joy and connection to the young people I deliver to. Or when it has really helped in a profound way. It can be very instant and tangible or it can be slow and steady. I had a student who was so shy and taught her for two years. After lockdown she can’t stop smiling every time music lessons start and is always engaging and taking part. Those are magic moments.

The characters are based upon my son Seb, our Cat Milly (who represents the comforter) and it follows a journey through our core emotions of excitement, surprise, fear, disgust, sadness, anger, trust and joy with little ideas and prompts of how to recognise these emotions in order to regulate them.

It started as a therapeutic project for myself as I became ill with CFS/M.E/Fibromyalgia. I would have little energy so we would sit and make up stories a lot.

It has been created as a preventative tool to nurture children’s emotional wellbeing supported with musical elements of audio book, soundtracks and interactive workshop songs including ‘I Am Calm’.

I then worked with artist/illustrator Nia Gould plus wrote and recorded all the music, audio book, soundtrack and interactive songs myself.

What is the best thing about your job?

Looking ahead?

Once we can do so safely again, I will be visiting libraries, book shops and arts venues for Big Emotions readings, workshops and performances.

Following on from this I’ve got an exciting live music project in the pipeline. This will be working with musicians to create a live soundtrack to the Big Emotions book and visit schools in Devon later on in 2021. ■ For more: www.lauraloftmusic.com

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READY, SET AND SPARKLE

We asked Exeter hair and beauty experts to recommend one treatment that would help us look and feel our best sparkly selves this winter. This is what they said…

Bubbles are a must, surely

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HAIR & BEAUTY

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Go bold with bright colours from Mirror Hair Design

ooking your very best in the middle of winter in the UK is not easy. Most of us are dealing with an assortment of dry skin, sniffly pink noses and a complexion that oozes radiators on, box-set binges, and wine and cheese overloads. While you may not be going out-out at the moment, providing a bit of shine or colour to hair or skin can really give you a lift, even if the world and his dog won’t see it. As any wise person will tell you, you take care of your appearance in any which way you want for yourself, not for others. I know people who did their nails every week of lockdown in a different colour, just because it made them feel good. It brought a little sparkle and joy to their lives. So, here is a taster of what treatments you can get locally to get you feeling fabulous this winter.

GO RED

Thinking of changing your hair colour? Requests for vibrant scarlet and cherry tones have rocketed recently, with winter being a particularly good time of year to display warming, fiery locks. To get those bright locks, Alice Whale, technician and stylist from Mirror Hair Design, recommends opting for a blended look.

“Some are much brighter and more vivid than the others but they all have one thing in common – that seamlessly blended root.”

Mirror Hair Design, 14 North Street, Exeter; www.mirrorhairdesign.co.uk

HAVE A PARTY PAMPER SESSION

Energy Hair are putting on a special package for you and a few of your mates. What’s involved? A hair wash, head massage, blow dry, hair treatment of your choice, plus a glass of prosecco and brunch, lunch or afternoon tea at the Darts Farm restaurant. You’ll also get your own

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HAIR & BEAUTY photoshoot with the magic mirror photo booth so you can have pics of your newly improved glossy locks. Go on, you deserve it.

Energy Hair, Darts Farm Village, Topsham, Exeter; www.energyhair.com

THE ULTIMATE FACIAL

Skin Southwest suggest the Image Skincare Signature Lift which aims to give your skin a much-need boost and promises to last for a good few weeks.

“This treatment combines results-driven layers including vitamin C, hydroxy acids and fruit enzymes to speed up cellular renewal,” says Dr Pradnya Apte from Skin Southwest.

“New technology involving stem cells works to support rosacea and skin prone to redness, with botanical detoxifying and energising complexes offering noticeable results in just one session.”

Skin Southwest, 30 Southernhay East, Exeter; www.skinsouthwest.co.uk

REPAIR YOUR HAIR

Botanical Repair treatment is a one-stop treatment that repairs, prevents and protects hair from the inside out. You’ll leave the salon with very shiny, swishy hair. See page 52 for the full review.

Amanda Marsdon Salon, AVEDA Lifestyle Salon & Spa, 75 Queen Street, Exeter; www.amandamarsden.co.uk

BEAUTIFUL BALAYAGE

“The frosty and cold autumn weather can cause hair to dry out and look dull,” says Nicky Mills, owner of The Hair Boutique.

“A balayage brings hair back to life by mimicking the tones of sun kissed hair. During a balayage, your stylist paints colour onto strands of hair freehand, and seamlessly blends lighter tones amongst darker tones to create the sun kissed effect that lasts all through winter.” n The Hair Boutique, Musgrave House, Musgrave Row, Exeter; www.hairboutique.co.uk

Pretty in pink at The Glam Bar

FESTIVE MAKEOVERS

The team at The Glam Bar are poised and ready to give you a party makeover for any night out (or in) you’ve got planned. They also offer lessons in how to do your makeup; perfect for anyone defeated by the prospect of doing smoky eyes

Top make-up tips from The Glam Bar owners Nadia Davey and Yjumye Hurley-Scott

• “When creating a flawless base, prepping the skin is key. The more you prep the skin the better the makeup will look and the longer it will stay. Be sure to prep the skin with a good serum, moisturiser, eye cream and primer.

• When it comes to applying foundation, don’t be afraid. We always recommend using a foundation brush to apply the fountain first, then using a damp beauty blender to really push the product into the skin. Take your time blending the foundation for a super flawless finish. Setting the skin with powder around the t-zone area and under the eyes will also help with creasing, longevity and keeping the oil away.

• For creating a festive, Christmas-y eye, glitter on the lid is a must have. Before applying glitter, ensure that you prep the lid with a glitter primer to avoid fallout. Most glitter products have the most impactful pay off when applied with your finger, so pat your finger lightly on the centre of your lid then blend it out towards the inner and outer of the eye.

Bounteous Bayalage at The Hair Boutique

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• Now it’s time to finish off the look with a festive red lip or glossy nude and your festive makeup look is ready to go!

The Glam Bar Exeter, 1 Upper Paul Street, Exeter; www.theglambarexeter.co.uk

Swing by The Glam Bar

“Finish off the look with a festive red lip”

OTHER SALONS IN EXETER

Head Hair & Beauty, 24A Gandy Street, Exeter; www.headhairandbeautyexeter.co.uk The LXS @ Centre stage, 83 South Street, Exeter; www.hairdressers-exeter.co.uk Longbrook Salon, 58-64 Longbrook Street, Exeter; www.longbrooksalon.co.uk Belulino, 4 Roberts Road, Exeter; www.belulino.co.uk Lefroy Beauty Therapy, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.lefroybeautytherapy.co.uk

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TENDER LOVING HAIR

First post-lockdown haircut sees Harriet Noble going for a big repair job and some big waves 52 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

HEALTH & BEAUTY

I

didn’t mind not going to the hairdressers during lockdown, I sort of enjoyed just letting my head of hair grow wild during those summer months and just, well, going with the flow of it all. But I was definitely heading for scarecrow territory when I visited the Amanda Marsden Salon recently. Dry, shapeless, very lacklustre and frankly unmanageable, my locks were in desperate need of some TLC, which is exactly what they got.

So as well as a chop and styling, I booked myself in for a Aveda Botanical Treatment.

It’s designed to strengthen and restore hair and is packed with natural plant ingredients.

The treatment is a three-level process, with shampoo and conditioner and a leave-in treatment which is kept on for about ten minutes. This is perfect relaxation time for me to appreciate the massaging chair and the gorgeous scents radiating from my head;

above: Walking in style ; inset: Wonderful waves

Hayley, the head stylist who looks after me on my visit, tells me it’s the avocado, green tea and oils in the treatment which all smell very summery and evocative.

Hayley cuts off a good few inches and adds in some much-needed layering and shaping; she also gives my hair some waves. My hair is naturally voluminous and prone to frizz. I’ve had experiences in some salons over the years where they poker-straighten my hair and then do waves and it just looks a bit artificial. Hayley is a master of styling though, creating big and romantic waves that make me feel like I’ve just stepped out of a Merchant Ivory film.

My hair feels super silky and smooth as promised but the botanic treatment also seems to have also made visible the natural different shades of my hair colour which were lost previously in dullness.

During my visit I also head down to their new spa spot downstairs where my eyebrows are given a good shaping. It’s a really calming little haven where you can have an assortment of treatments or massages.

And if you have worries about going out to a salon during these times, the team at Amanda Marsden are extremely ‘on it’ about precautions. As well as the normal regs, they’ve spaced out the chairs they use, and however many treatments you have done to your hair you’ll have one person that does it all, so as well as literally not crossing paths with anyone else you really feel like you’re getting a bespoke treatment.

It’s not a bad place to while away and hour or two either. The beautiful old building has classic huge proportions and high ceilings, yet also feels a thoroughly cool, calm and contemporary spot.

Dear hair, I’m so sorry I ignored you for so long. I promise I won’t do it again. n

For more: Amanda Marsden, AVEDA Lifestyle Salon & Spa, 75 Queen Street, Exeter; www.amandamarsden.co.uk

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Helping your family

O

Charlotte Corr of OLD MILL tells us more... ver recent months we’ve seen an increase in the number of people asking us about ways to help their family. Here are three ways in which you could provide financial help to your family:

1. BUYING PROPERTY Many people help younger family members by lending or gifting some, or all, of the deposit needed for their first property.

2. TAX EFFICIENT GIFTING Lifetime Individual Savings Account (LISA): These can be highly attractive to first time buyers. The gift would have to be made to the individual who can then open and pay into a LISA. A gift of £4,000, which is the maximum annual contribution, would have a bonus of 25% – £1,000 added. The capital can then be accessed without penalty to purchase a

property, otherwise it’s not possible to access the capital until 60 without incurring a penalty.

Pension contributions: It’s possible to make pension contributions to someone else’s pension and they will receive tax relief at their marginal rate. So, if your child is a higher rate taxpayer, a gift of £2,880 into their pension would result in tax relief of £720. They will then be able to claim a further £720 through their self-assessment tax return. Your gift of £2,880 will be worth £3,600 in their pension.

There are limits on the maximum amount that can be paid into pensions so you should take advice before making third party pension contributions.

3. GIFTS OF ASSETS AND MANAGING TAX With many investments having fallen in value, there may be an opportunity to gift your investments to family now at a depressed price.

Gains are likely to be lower compared to the

asset price at the beginning of the year. Given time, the value should recover and any recovery in value will be immediately free of Inheritance Tax. If you wait for values to increase the value will still be in your estate and what’s more if you decide to gift the investment, the potential gain for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) purposes will be higher.

Transferring assets is a chargeable event for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) so if there’s a gain you’ll be able to offset your annual allowance (currently £12,300 in 2020/21) and then pay 10% or 20% tax on gains depending on your marginal rate of tax. n

If you would like any help working out the best way to gift money to your family, please do get in touch. Contact Charlotte Corr on 07702 808858 or email charlotte.corr@om.uk

It’s the city’s business

EXETERWORKS Food for thought

Styling it out

ALL WORK AND PLAY

FareShare South West, a charity who redistribute good quality, in date surplus food to frontline organisations supporting the most vulnerable, has announced that it is launching its core service into Exeter.

FareShare South West is partnering with Exeter Food Action to launch and operate its service, with eight key local frontline projects now signed up and ready to receive weekly deliveries of food support.

“The partnership with Exeter Food Action has allowed us to make strategic partnerships with key frontline organisations, thanks to their local knowledge and contacts, which in turn means our impact will be greater,” says Shelley Wright, FareShare South West’s Devon and Cornwall Manager.

“I’m excited to see the impact this community of frontline organisations can have, linked by their food coming from FareShare South West.”

The launch has also been supported by South West pasty makers Ginsters, with the donation of two vans for transporting food, along with a donation of £15,000 from Exeter Chiefs, which has allowed for a chiller to be installed at Exeter Food Action’s base.

For more: www.fareshare.org.uk

Heads up parents, there’s a new local family attraction that’s just opened its doors. Bear Town, located between Exeter and Cullompton, features 12 different role play areas where children are free to explore a range of ‘grown up’ jobs, from vets and mechanics to firefighters and hairdressers.

“Bear Town offers a fun educational experience that supports the Early Years Foundation Stage, yet all the children know is that they are having an amazing time,” says Ben Jordan, owner of Bear Town.

“Whilst coronavirus has delayed our plans, it has meant we have been able to design Bear Town ensuring we are covid-secure, whilst taking nothing away from the amazing experience. This indoor all year-round attraction, is fun, unique and educational.”

For more: www.beartown.co.uk

ONE FOR THE DIARY!

Look out for our virtual Exeter Living Business Club, Charities and Christmas Special on 15 December at 10am.

For more: www.mediaclash.co.uk

FareShare South West Team

THE AWARDS WILL RETURN NEXT JULY!

Flower power

BUSINESS IS BLOOMIN’ The British Academy of Floral Art based in Dunchideock, near Exeter is doubling the size of their floristry training centre for beginners and professionals and taking on three new tutors.

The academy is run by Julie Collins and Tina Parkes and offers professional floristry training and flower-arranging courses suitable for beginners through to masters.

“We made the decision to expand the business prepandemic and it has turned out to be a blessing,” says Julie.

“It means with the extra space we can safely offer social distancing teaching and have the capacity to take the full quota of students we had before lockdown when we only had one classroom.”

For more: www.academyoffloralart.com

There’s been a change of The big do will return next year date; the Exeter Living Awards are happening on 22 July at the University of Exeter’s Great Hall.

It’ll be a stylish, much-needed event celebrating the very best of Exeter’s businesses and organisations. It’s a chance for companies to come together once more – all wrapped up gorgeously in true in the UK once again, such was the uberglam style. massive interest in congratulating Nominations for the Awards will the winners. open in the new year. They’re free to “Having moved the Awards back enter, and offer a great opportunity to July we are looking forward to to share what you’ve done over the celebrating the best of Exeter’s last year. There will be a special business scene with a grand return question about business response to for us all,” says MediaClash event the pandemic. organiser Claudia Butler.

Sponsorships are also now available “We understand that 2020 has been to boost your business with association tricky for many but we can’t wait to alongside Exeter’s most-prestigious come together and recognise all the Awards ceremony. The extra time for good work that this city has produced the Awards means yet more marketing this year.” benefits for all.

For sponsorship enquiries, please The Awards are backed by a contact Paula Miller paula.miller@ high profile, all-channels marketing mediaclash.co.uk or Harriette Dixon campaign, peaking in July. In 2020, Harriette.dixon@mediaclash.co.uk the Awards were trending on Twitter For more: wwww.mediaclash.co.uk

Donkeys in your living room?

Sounds good to us

© THE DONKEY SANCTUARY

Sarah Martin of Nourish

DONKEY WORK An event that brought donkeys ‘virtually’ into people’s homes during lockdown has scooped Best Audience Engagement Campaign at the 2020 UK Social Media Awards.

Due to the lockdown, the Donkey Sanctuary decided to launch ‘Sanctuary From Your Sofa’, an event which saw six 30-minute live broadcasts from its headquarters in Sidmouth, via Facebook.

The Donkey Sanctuary’s virtual event on Easter Sunday – their first ever virtual event – reached 1.1 million people; with 440,000 viewers, 41,000 total engagements and 8,300

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comments – from Hawaii to New Zealand. The event also helped The Donkey Sanctuary to achieve a +110 per cent year-on-year increase in online revenue on the event day.

“Bringing donkeys into people’s living rooms was a key objective of our digital strategy this year (before anyone ever uttered the word ‘lockdown’) and we’re all delighted with the success of our ‘Sanctuary From Your Sofa’,” says Cheryl Martin, director of brand and communications at The Donkey Sanctuary.

For more: www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk

MOVERS, SHAKERS ETC Sarah Martin, the founder of the first zero waste store in Exeter, Nourish, has been named a finalist in the prestigious MBA Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Sarah opened her first shop in Topsham in 2018 followed by Magdalen Road in 2019.

For more: www.nourishzerowaste.com

Exeter-based online advertising business Launch Online, has been crowned the top agency in its class at the European Agency Awards 2020 for its work through the pandemic to support South West and UK tourism businesses.

For more: launchonline.co.uk

EXETERWORKS

© MAT T ROUND

“IT WAS TRULY HUMBLING TO SEE HOW MUCH WE ARE LOVED

BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY” Heavitree. People just love it – and one local gentleman named it a little bit of heaven in Heavitree! We are also very dog friendly – Daisy was a dog after all. She was my Dalmatian who I had from eight weeks old until she went to the rainbow bridge at nearly 17 years old...

Faye and Matthew

EXETER LIVING AWARDS 2020

A secret garden, a belter of a breakfast, and a smiley team might just be some of the reasons why Faye and Matthew Rowbury of DAISY CAFÉ scooped the award for Exeter’s best café at this year’s awards ceremony Faye, how did it feel to win an Exeter Living award?

We were very honoured and excited to have won this award for the second time (we previously won in 2018). Myself and the whole team were, and still are, ecstatically happy about it!

How did you celebrate?

Matthew and I celebrated by going to the after party at Pink Moon – we planned a bigger celebration with the team but with the Covid lockdown problems looming we decided against it, so we are still waiting to properly celebrate.

Where do you keep your award?

Our award is proudly sitting in the window of the café for everyone to see.

Why do you think The Daisy Café won?

The Daisy Café caters for everyone – the team are all very talented with

CAFÉ WINNER fantastic customer service skills. We don’t just work together, we are like a little family and I think this shows.

As well as serving locally sourced, delicious food, we offer a smile, and a chat.

What do you think sets you apart from other cafés in Exeter?

The café has the passion of being owner driven and run. Fresh produce from a range of local suppliers, food cooked with love, and a friendly and passionate team results in an ambience and culture that can’t be easily replicated.

Have you had to change your business model because of Covid?

Initially on the lockdown in March we closed for four weeks. We then decided to keep on going and we

opened as a takeaway. We were completely blown away with the support we received – it was truly humbling to see how much we are loved by the local community.

We then opened properly on 8 July. It’s been hard, it’s been stressful, (Eat Out to Help Out took difficult to a new level), but the café is succeeding and we believe we have bought in Covid measures to protect our customers and ourselves without making the experience for people unsettling.

Anything exciting on the menu at the moment?

As well as our regular menu, we offer different ‘Daisy Specials’ every day. Recently we have had different homemade soups, homemade cottage pie, medium rare 28-day aged West Country beef ciabatta with horseradish and rocket, served with fresh salad, homemade coleslaw and hand cooked crisps, Brixham crab sandwiches, and pancakes with bacon and maple syrup. We always have gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options available.

We are extremely proud to say that our breakfasts are now renowned and people travel far and wide to enjoy one of them! We don’t know whether it’s the award-winning sausages, the free range Devon eggs, the passion whilst cooking, or the fresh bakery bread that does it, but it works and even if we say so ourselves, they are delicious!

For more: The Daisy Café, 98 Fore Street, Heavitree, Exeter; www.thedaisycafe.co.uk

What advice would you give someone looking to open a café in Exeter?

Be passionate, be individual and expect to work very hard!

If we were to come into your café, what would catch our eye?

As well as our lovely, relaxing café space we have a beautiful southfacing garden which we have always fondly called The Secret Garden of

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

There are 67 bedrooms, no less

Garden party ready

SPOTTED! An unusual, and vast, property has gone on the market. Brunel Manor, the neo-Gothic style house, is nestled amongst woodland with views over Babbacombe Bay, about 20 miles outside of Exeter, and was built for the renowned engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The property was actually intended to be his retirement home but he died, in 1859, before the property was completed.

While Brunel never saw the home or gardens finished he was able to plant numerous trees in the grounds of the site which still stand today.

The property was subsequently purchased and the building completed by James Crompton

UK SALES OF £M-PLUS HOMES JUMP

Market commentary from Sarah-Jane Bingham-Chick, head of residential for Savills Exeter

Sales of £1m-plus homes have surged since lockdown as affluent buyers look for more space and lifestyle change, with two-thirds more deals agreed in the past four months than in the same period last year.

An average of 868 £1m-plus sales have been agreed each week since the beginning of June, 66 per cent higher than the weekly average of 522 over the same period in 2019, new data from Savills and TwentyCi show.

Despite the key spring market weeks being

all but lost to the lockdown, when sales fell to just 69 in the week ending 19 April, a total of 23,000 sales were agreed in the first three quarters of 2020, 16 per cent higher than in 2019.

Lucian Cook, Savills head of residential research, who ran the analysis, says, “This points to a rebalancing of the market between London and the rest of the country.

Whereas sales in London rose by four per cent in the first nine months of the year, they are up 27 per cent across the rest of the UK, albeit London still accounts for over four in 10 sales with a £1m-plus price tag.”

The South West has seen the biggest surge in demand, with sales rising 38 per cent to 2022. “Lifestyle relocation has been a big theme in the market since lockdown began to ease, and this is very clearly reflected in the

in 1873. Most recently, it has been used as a conference facility and Christian meeting centre and retreat. The house claims 67 bedrooms, has over ten acres of land, and is available in the three separate lots.

“Brunel Manor is a unique collection of buildings in an exceptional setting,” says Rhiannon Charles, at Savills in Exeter.

"Retaining many of the period and characterful features of its original design, the main manor house is Grade II listed and would make a wonderful conversion into residential apartments or houses.”

For more: www.savills.co.uk

numbers,” says Sarah-Jane Bingham-Chick, head of residential for Savills Exeter.

“By the year end we now expect the number of £1m-plus sales agreed to exceed 2019 volumes – a performance nobody could have anticipated in the depths of lockdown,” Cook continues. “That said, recent evidence suggests fewer high-value homes are now coming to the market, suggesting we may be hitting a high plateau.

“For many, the challenge is now in getting deals through to completion by Christmas, after which point eyes will be on beating the 31 March stamp duty holiday deadline in order to benefit from the maximum £15,000 saving for those buying at this end of the market.”

For more: www.savills.co.uk

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SOUTHBROOK HOUSE Can a house have too much character?

Imogen Davidson-Smith thinks not

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PROPERTY

T

his spectacular house has many faces and, I dare say, has had a very colourful life.

Looking at the images, you might not realise it is all the same property but it is, I assure you. And it’s quite a lot to take in because there is so much detail everywhere.

Just look at that front, double-sided, heavy churchlike door, the Gothic-style leaded light windows and flint-like cobbled stone walls.

Are we in Harry Potter or Lord of The Rings? It’s also a proper party house with lavish interiors, pop star bathrooms and an outdoor pool. Like many things in life, it shouldn’t quite work but it does.

Life began for this house back in the mid-17th Century, then had a later extension during the Victorian era. The current owners also gave it a mammoth extension and renovation, so that it now sits at a perfectly plump 3,000 square foot.

Travel inside that impressive front door and the entrance hall will take you to the drawing room which comes with a raised fireplace and multi-fuel wood

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PROPERTY

burning stove. The open-plan kitchen / dining / living room provides the real focus of the property and is fitted with all the mod cons, plus stained-glass windows and a door you might expect Cadfael to walk through.

Elsewhere on the ground floor you’ve got the large rear hallway which leads into the dining room with glass atrium, utility room and a recently installed wet room, while upstairs there are five double bedrooms, the master bedroom offering an en suite bathroom.

The sweeping driveway and gardens are no shrinking violets either; a three-tiered fountain sits out in front and mushroom-shaped hedges line the path up to the house. The large gardens enjoy a parkland feel with lawns interspersed with plenty more trees and shrubbery, and a south-facing paved terrace across the width of the property. To the rear is a newly created courtyard with steps leading up to the heated swimming pool and sun terrace. Overall the property amounts to about 1.34 acres and enjoys absolute seclusion, essential for those weekend parties you’ll want to throw. Eccentric country pile with a big personality seeks eccentric human with an even bigger personality.

Interested parties apply within. n

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HOUSE NUMBERS Square footage

just under 3,000

Bedrooms

5

Bathrooms

3

Where Bovey Tracey, near Newton Abbot

Outside Garden and swimming pool Guide Price

£1,150,000

For more: Knight Frank Exeter Estate Agents, 19 Southernhay E, Exeter EX1 1QD; www.knightfrank.co.uk

© K ATE COLDRICK

PHOTOGRAPHY

QUAY TO LIFE A photo of Exeter Quay on Christmas morning has been chosen to be included in RGB Building Supplies’ ‘Love where you live’ 2021 calendar, which will be sold to raise funds for Devon Air Ambulance and Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust.

RGB had asked residents of the South West to send in photographs that celebrate the diverse scenery of the region, and the photo – taken by Kate Coldrick – is one of 12 entries the builders merchant picked for the calendar.

“Congratulations to Kate for having her photo chosen – it’s stunning,” says Paul West, branch manager at RGB Exeter.

“We hope those who buy our calendar and help us support two fantastic charities enjoy seeing a different piece of what makes our region so special every month of 2021.”

The calendar can be purchased from Devon Air Ambulance and Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust online shops, all RGB’s branches and RGB’s website: www.rgbltd.co.uk. All proceeds will be donated to the air ambulance charities.

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