THE BIRD HOTEL

With stunning views of Bath Abbey and round the corner from Bath Rugby. Colourful, with bold designs and statement artwork, creating a uniquely creative and lively atmosphere.

It's a 10-minute walk along Great Pulteney Street (Bath's grandest Georgian street) to the main shopping areas and key sights such as the Roman Baths. The Holburne Museum is a couple of minutes' stroll away, and the hotel is well placed for joining the National Trust's Bath Skyline walk. Added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987, Bath is certainly a city brimming with culture. Scattered with areas of significance from Roman remains to 18th Century architecture, the city has sights and attractions aplenty.

They have injected visual fun into the imposing, four-storey Victorian mansion. For example, the reception desk is decorated with crockery depicting birds, and the lounge area has a wall of stuffed birds set around a large tapestry of a cat. The bird theme continues throughout the hotel (on lampshades and cushions among other things). Nose around and you'll also find a collection of kaleidoscopes, a display of oyster shells, Winston Churchill memorabilia and Victorian silhouette portraits.

There are 29 bedrooms at The Bird, from compact, comfy doubles all the way up to the rather fabulous deluxe king. Each one tells its own story, through hand-crafted wallpaper, unique artwork, dramatic designs and knock out views over Bath and beyond.

Plate restaurant and bar is on the lower ground floor, with warm lighting and playful décor! The restaurant extends out onto a terrace area with three exclusive dining domes with stunning views over the Bath Recreation Ground towards the Abbey, Bath Rugby and Bath Recreation Ground. The ever-changing menus feature the finest ingredients from farmers and fishermen, hand-picked to create spectacular, playful dishes ideal for sharing and socialising over.

Indulge yourself outside Plate terrace overlooking the Bath Abbey or curl up in a cosy corner indoors. Afternoon Tea at The Bird is an unmissable treat. With a range of Afternoon Tea delights and there is always the option to add a touch of

A Luxurious Staycation in the Heart of Bath sparkle with a glass or two of fizz. For the warmer months, you can also The Bird is a dazzling boutique hotel with a totally fabulous enjoy Afternoon Tea on the Plate Terrace in one of the Dining Domes. The Bird is proud to boast family atmosphere in the centre of Bath. sized bedrooms with sofa beds, travel cots and large baths for splash time. They even provide a goodie bag which includes colouring pens and pencils for the younger guests as well as a pack of playing cards. They also have a stack of board games to borrow. The children’s breakfast and restaurant menu will keep even the pickiest eaters happy, while the concierge team can make some great suggestions about child-friendly activities and point you in the right direction of Bath’s plentiful parks, playgrounds, and fun activities, guaranteed to keep all ages entertained. They also love dogs, even keeping a jar of treats at reception for a welcome snack. Most of the rooms are dog friendly and charge £25 per pet per night which includes a bed, water bowl and even a selection of doggy treats. First Great Western trains run a direct service to Bath Spa station from London Paddington every half an hour; there is also a direct service from Cardiff to Bath Spa station every 30 minutes.

Prices start from £146 per night including breakfast. For more information visit thebirdbath.co.uk 18-19 Pulteney Road, Bath, BA2 4EZ Email: reservations@ thebirdbath.co.uk Phone: 01225 580438 @thebirdbath_

10% off stays when quoting 'Style of the city' over the phone

Succulent Summer Cuisine at Keyif Penarth

Indulge at the best award-winning Turkish restaurant, in the heart of Penarth

With summer finally here, what better way to indulge your tastebuds than visiting Keyif restaurant on Glebe Street Penarth. This traditional, family friendly eatery is a firm favourite here at Style of the city and there are plenty of reasons to book your table.

Founded by Mehmet Yildiz, who embodies the true heart of the restaurant with his warm friendly welcome, one which echoes Mediterranean culture at its best. With mouth-watering Turkish food favourites such as yoghurt lamb shish, Keyif’s very own mixed grill, vegan and vegetarian options along with their everpopular chicken kofte infused with all the incredible flavours that will have you wanting and waiting for more. Feel transported into your own Turkish heaven, against a backdrop of beautiful traditional décor.

Celebrating a birthday or special occasion? Keyif is the perfect place to come together with family and friends this summer.

To book your table and find out more, head to: www.keyif.co.uk

THE WICKED ELK

Handmade candles, but not as you know them

Bonvilston based candle company The Wicked Elk is situated in the historic & lively Royal Arcade in Cardiff city centre.

Nicky Thomas and Steve Elks

The Wicked Elk hand-make luxury scented candles with a difference. Liquid resin, hand poured into every lid, turns each one into a unique piece of art. These beautiful lids transform into jewellery trays or coasters, making them special keepsakes long after the candles burn. It all began back in 2018 when owner Steve Elks found himself needing an avenue to focus his mind while suffering with his mental health. It started with resin art initially and Steve found that creativity was a tonic for the mind. He began to combine the two medias, resin art and candle making, and so the business idea was born. Business partner Nicky Thomas soon joined Steve in the new venture as they had always shared a passion for candles during their time working together for one of the world‘s largest home furnishing retailers.

Nicky and Steve set up their online platform initially, before launching an incredibly successful first stall at the Cardiff Christmas market last December. The pair design everything themselves, from the packaging to the website, and recently also the layout and look of their newly opened shop in the Royal Arcade. The company offers 15 luxurious candle fragrances, which are also available as reed diffusers, room scents and wax melts. The candles are all vegan and cruelty free, and are created using a blend of soy, vegetable, and paraffin wax to give the strongest, richest scent throw. Steve and Nicky would like to expand the business further in the future, and plan to offer home hosting candle parties as well as candle-making workshops. They also have their sights set on the wedding market, from offering personalised wedding scents to favours, wedding party gifts and table centrepieces.

For a truly sensory experience, or for a unique gift for that hard to buy for person, head to the Royal Arcade to discover their shop, or visit www.thewickedelk.com

Interior design columnist Yvonne Jones has over 30 years of experience in interior design, having trained at the Royal College of Art and is founder of ‘Chameleon Interiors’ based in Cardiff. Yvonne regularly works for clients in London, Monaco, Italy and Spain. Her intricate eye for detail and design has seen her stay a consistent and trusted figure.

INTERIOR DESIGN

Enjoy outside entertaining

When planning your space ensure you include the right elements.

Eating and drinking arrangements are top of the list, followed by practicalities such as heating, lighting, shade and shelter. Then all you have to think about is styling up the different spaces you’ve created to add comfort.

ZONING Zoning and dividing garden spaces is a useful technique. The best entertaining gardens are enticing because they zone the available space to include a seating area with sofas for comfort, a covered dining space for alfresco eating and a focal point such as an outdoor fireplace or firepit to gather around for relaxing evenings. Even the smallest gardens can be zoned and divided into meaningful spaces. This can make your garden feel bigger and create space, allowing areas for your garden to explore. OUTDOOR ROOM The divisions between inside and outside have been blurring for years; amplified by the shift towards a more flexible approach to where we work, rest and play. These outside spaces are now seen as an integral part of our home. I frequently link in a look that works both inside and out when I design homes for clients. My advice – look for products that are comfortable and chic in equal measure. Use a large mirror; it will throw light around and make a small space look bigger as well as creating a party ambience with shimmering reflections at dusk.

LIGHTING To get as much use as possible of your outdoor area ensure you have adequate and sufficient lighting to be functional. So that you have flexibility consider using candles in lanterns and mix with hurricane lamps; grouped together they create a wonderful ambient glow and instant atmosphere. Battery operated lighting can avoid the fuss of lighting with matches and can be operated with timers to turn on as soon as your guests arrive.

TABLE DRESSING Table dressing has become the latest trend. Instagram ‘table scaping’ to find an abundance of ideas. When you entertain outside it doesn’t mean plastic plates anymore; the key thing is to live again. Enjoy the outdoors and your outside home space. You only get out of life what you put in.

Our vision is to deliver success

KEW Planning is an independent town planning practice, providing commercially valuable advice, in relation to acquisition of sites; advising on strategies; planning applications, appeals; and strategic land promotion. KEW stands for: Knowledgeable, Experienced and Wins!

Managing Director, Kathryn Williams, launched KEW Planning in July 2018, after working in multidisciplinary practices for 15 years, in both London and South Wales. KEW Planning has successfully delivered across a range of sectors, including residential; education; healthcare; commercial; hotels; sport & leisure; and heritage.

This Cardiff based practice has delivered major projects including the flagship Cardiff Council Fitzalan High School (£65 million); the brand-new Newport Leisure Centre (£18-20 million), Ysgol Bro Morgannwg (£21 million) new build and extensions; and the conversion of grade II listed offices in Cardiff to 12 luxury apartments. The practice has also acted for notable Welsh charities Cerebral Palsy Cymru, Orbis Education & Care and music entertainment business DEPOT!

During the pandemic, the property industry boomed, and KEW Planning grew with this. Employing two Graduates from Cardiff University and a part time Associate, and leasing offices at 11 Cathedral Road. More impressively, the practice was shortlisted for Consultancy of the Year 2021 by the Wales Property Insider.

This year has yielded more growth with the practice employing a part time Personal Assistant & Administrator, staff promotions and seeking to recruit again. The practice also ran the Cardiff Half Marathon for charities.

The practice is about to celebrate its fourth year in business, marking the occasion with a Summer Party! KEW Planning is moving from strength to strength, appointed to deliver more flagship schemes working with several housing associations, contractors (for education) and housebuilders focusing on providing for our future generations throughout South Wales.

KEW Planning isn’t only focused on South Wales and has developed fantastic relationships with the London Borough of Redbridge and Brentwood Borough Council, working on the Council’s affordable housing schemes and allocated strategic housing sites. The practice is also about to commence work for a new listed boutique hotel and spa in Gloucestershire.

KEW PLANNING

Newport Leisure centre

''There is a real lack of female entrepreneurs in the property & construction industry, and I felt compelled to address this imbalance.''

So, what makes this practice so unique?

KEW Planning provides quality advice, is extremely professional, technically knowledgeable, and will go that extra mile to deliver successful results. “There is a real lack of female entrepreneurs in the property & construction industry, and I felt compelled to address this imbalance. Launching my own consultancy was scary but reflecting on the practice achievements, I feel incredibly proud.

As a person and a practice, there is continual growth, developing new strategies and learning. I’m grateful to have a brilliant team behind me and for all the clients that took that leap of faith in me and the practice I’m growing.

The projects we delivered and are working on have been challenging, yet very rewarding and I’m just so excited about our future. All I can say is watch this space for amazing things to come!”

For more information contact: www.kewplanning.co.uk 029 21 690034 info@kewplanning.co.uk Suite 4 11 Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 9HA “KEW Planning worked very hard pulling all the application documents together in a very short time, under pressure and in a collaborative ethos with the Architects (LA Architects) and Newport Norse. Norse were impressed with the drive and professionalism of KEW Planning and the result speaks for itself, having the application approved at this prime regeneration site.” Mark McSweeney, Newport Norse

“KEW Planning provided accurate planning advice at all stages and met all of the tight deadlines. The project encountered unexpected challenges and these were all successfully dealt with.” Simon Cook, Pre-Construction Manager, Kier

Hillside Newport

What our clients say

Merthyr Vale