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The Frome Festival Is Here!
Artists & Makers of Frome With Kate Talbot
SPANISH HEART, SOMERSET SOUL
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ISSUE 136 JULY
Rose Langley
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love birds. I know most of the regular feathered visitors to our garden (my neighbour has given the
nocturnal owl world he is a proper night owl, staying up way past dawn to 9.30am. I watch him swoop
blackbirds and robins names) and I keep a keen eye on the number of starlings who sit chattering on our roof and pull worms from our lawn. Birds have so much character, and such variety. From my office window at the top of the house I routinely see red kites and buzzards circling on an air thermal, and our local heron who perches picturesquely on roofs as if benevolently giving us a photo opp.
down and catch some unsuspecting rodent before finally deciding he’s had his fill and winging off to the trees for some shut-eye. About six years ago I rescued a fledgling kestrel after it had knocked itself out on a tree (young hooligan). As the field was a favourite with dog walkers, I wrapped the bird up in my scarf and took it home to recoup. It was extraordinary to be so up close to a bird of prey. He recovered after a few hours and I released him back in the same field, with some stern advice on being more careful next time.
As a child I often brought injured birds home to nurse back to health (with mixed results). I hand reared a cockerel after hatching him out in the airing cupboard. He was great. I called him Pip, and he came everywhere with me. He’d sleep in apron pockets when he was small, carried about by various family members, and when he was bigger (he became huge) he’d go around on my shoulder, or walk behind me. As with many a beloved chicken, he was dispatched by the dastardly local fox. RIP Pip. I’m sure that having an interest in something means you see it more often. I regularly spot a kingfisher when we are by a river, largely because I am hoping to see one, so I have one eye out for that blur of electric blue and orange shooting along above the water. I’ve started to see a barn owl in the mornings when I walk the dog. In the
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For this show, you don’t need a ticket. All you need to do is look up. In summer, if you head out to the fields, you’ll almost definitely hear the startlingly beautiful song of skylarks. They nest on the ground and fly very high above their nests, singing the theme tune for summer. And that’s the best thing about birds: they are everywhere, these winged entertainers, often performing spectacular shows right above the heads of the unsuspecting public. For this show, you don’t need a ticket. All you need to do is look up.
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» Recipe with Het » FMTC Spellbound » The Fossil
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Design: blackinkstudio.co.uk Front cover: Lo Rapitenc Cover photo: Sarah Gichie Copy deadline for the August issue: July 13th Published by Rose Langley, trading as Make a List Publishing, Sole Proprietor Editor Rose Langley 07957878717 rose@thelistfrome.co.uk . thelistfrome.co.uk *The publishers shall not be liable for any loss occasioned by the failure of an advertisement to appear, or any damage or inconvenience caused by errors, omissions or misprints.
» the list recommends « Black Swan Arts Open 2022 The Open exhibition is the highlight of Black Swan Arts’ annual programme. It runs from July 15th to September 11th and aims to attract thousands of visitors to Frome over the summer. This year’s show features cutting-edge work from established art practitioners through to avantgarde young graduates. 190 artworks are on display, covering a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles, photography, sculpture, ceramics and video. Every piece is for sale, with a top price set at £1,000 to encourage collectors and first-time buyers to snap up works they love and investments for the future. Curator Amanda Sheridan says, “We want visitors to feel they can take the art off our walls and put it up in their own home. Yes, some of the work is challenging, but there are pieces to suit every taste, and it is all original and created by incredibly talented artists.
And from just £100 to £1,000, hopefully it will make people want to own a work of art.” Visitors can also vote for their favourite artwork in the People’s Choice Award which is sponsored by Forward Space. The winner will be announced at the end of the exhibition.
Black Swan Arts, 2 Bridge Street, Frome www.blackswanarts.org.uk
Live Music this Summer at The Pump Venue Trowbridge, July 22nd – 24th Do you remember the old Village Pump Festival? Originally in Farleigh Hungerford, it switched to Westbury in its latter years before coming to an abrupt end in 2016. But in 2018 the next generation, including children of previous organisers, kick-started the festival again, back at the original site, which was a spectacular success. This year, the festival organisers are delighted to announce a real return to their roots, back where it all started in the barn at the back of the Lamb Inn, by hosting a weekend of live music. Five main concerts are taking place in The Village Pump on the weekend of July 22nd - 24th, plus other concerts, and open mic sessions in the pub skittle alley next door. This is all in preparation for 2023’s main event, when the festival will make its debut in luscious green fields just outside Trowbridge, on a brand new purpose built site. 4
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This year’s stop-gap weekend line-up includes a mixture of local acts and some of the most exciting national acts, including the consistently charting, The Lost Trades, the self-deprecating humour of The Model Folk, and supergroup, The Rob Lear Band. For more information go to thepumptrowbridge. co.uk and trowbridgefestival.co.uk
galleries | round tower | studios | shop | cafe 2 Bridge St . Frome . BA11 1BB | 01373 473980 Open 7 days a week | FREE ENTRY
www.blackswanarts.org.uk Registered Charity No.292463
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D ESTI4Vjuly N U F D GE F22 to 2 N
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THE MODEL FOLK • GREENMAN RISING • ROB LEAR BAND • THE LOST TRADES
HARP & A MONKEY • BEN WALKER AND KIRSTY MERRYN • SUTHERING • PHIL KING • EDWINA HAYES OPEN MICS…and MANY MORE artists!
FRIDAY 22nd - sunday 24th july THE PUMP, TROWBRIDGE, BA14 0NH, www.thepumptrowbridge.co.uk
TICKETS AND FULL PROGRAMME AT: www.trowbridgefestival.co.uk THE LIST FROME
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Wilko Johnson + Special Guest John Otway
Frome Comedy Club Merlin Theatre, July 22nd, 7.30pm, £16.50
Cheese & Grain, Saturday July 9th, 7pm, £30.50
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Following a remarkable recovery from diagnosis of terminal cancer, Wilko Johnson, the original Dr Feelgood guitarist, actor (Game of Thrones character Serilyn Payne) and all-round national treasure, has enjoyed a rousing return to the live arena, and will play at the Cheese & Grain as part of this year’s Frome Festival line-up.
When it comes to stand-up comedy, Chuckl. is synonymous with great nights out up and down the U.K. This July’s line-up includes Slim (Live at the Apollo, The Russell Howard Hour), Jarred Christmas (‘One of the funniest men to pick up a microphone’ Time Out), Eric Rushton (Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Winner) and Pam Ford (‘worth the ticket price alone’ Chortle).
Man in the Woods
The Orb
the WHY Gallery
Cheese & Grain, July 30th, 8pm, £25
Man in the Woods is an artist whose work explores folk tradition, rural life and the ancient landscape. His work focuses on a semi-fictionalised version of the English countryside, informed and inspired by his four-year long continuous weekly walk. The Why Gallery is currently exhibiting a small selection of work by Man in the Woods until September 2022.
In July 1992, seminal ambient house band The Orb hit the number one spot in the UK album charts with the genre-defining album UFOrb. This July, The Orb will perform the album live in its entirety for the first and last time, at the Cheese & Grain. They will also be adding on a small fluffy classic set at the end.
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S U N DAY 3 J U LY
M AG P I E M A R K E T 9A M - 3 P M S U N DAY 3 J U LY
A N DY FA I R W E AT H E R L O W £ 2 2 A DV (+ S E R V I C E C H A R G E ) M O N DAY 4 J U LY
DAV I D O L U S O G A - A HOUSE THROUGH TIME £ 18 A DV (+ S E R V I C E C H A R G E ) F R I DAY 8 J U LY
KRIS BARR AS BAND £ 21. 5 0 A DV (+ S E R V I C E C H A R G E ) S AT U R DAY 9 J U LY
W I L KO J O H N S O N £ 3 0. 5 0 A DV (+ S E R V I C E CHARGE) M O N DAY 11 J U LY
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS £ 2 8 A DV (+ S E R V I C E C H A R G E ) S AT U R DAY 3 0 J U LY
THE ORB £ 2 5 A DV (+ S E R V I C E C H A R G E ) 9A M - 3 P M
BOX OFFICE 01373 455420
welcomes new members THE HAUNTING OF RICHARD III THU 7, FRI 8, SAT 9 JULY 7.30PM AN EDINBURGH FRINGE DOUBLE BILL WEDNESDAY 20 JULY - 7.30PM FROME COMEDY CLUB FRIDAY 22 JULY - 7.30PM THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE SATURDAY 23 JULY - 7PM
WORKSHOPS, TALKS AND DEMONSTRATIONS, OUTDOOR PAINTING DAYS, EXHIBITIONS
Enthusiastic beginners to professional artists welcome
Membership fee £15 per year. For more details email: fromeartsociety@gmail.com Website: fromeartsociety.co.uk Instagram.com/fromeartsociety Facebook.com/fromeartsociety
01373 465949 merlintheatre.co.uk Bath Rd . Frome . BA11 2HG
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» the list recommends « Photo|Frome – Does Photography Mean Anything? Rook Lane, 12th July, 7.30pm In ‘Does Photography Still Mean Anything?’, Joss Barrett and Martin Wade will debate the meaning of photography, in an interactive discussion, moderated by Mick Yates, in which audience participation is not only welcome but needed! The hope is that as a group, and maybe more importantly, as individuals, we ask ourselves whether, in a world so awash with images taken by so-called professionals and amateurs alike, covering every aspect of life, it’s all become rather meaningless. Is there anything new to say? Or do we just say the same things over again with different technologies and effects? And does that matter? Is this not what every age has struggled with? Joss Barratt is a professional photographer primarily shooting stills for the film and television industry. Originally a photojournalist, his quick eye for storytelling pictures blends a personal approach with the particular demands of film sets and varied commercial assignments. He has worked with many different directors including Michael Winterbottom, Shane Meadows and has worked on over twenty films with Ken Loach.
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Merlin Theatre, 23rd July, 7pm, £8-£17 Frederick, apprenticed to the Pirates since a child, learns that he was born in a leap year on 29th February, and that he is contracted to the Pirate King until his 21st Birthday, not his 21st year. With only the inept Penzance constabulary to protect him, how will he resist being forced to endure a life of crime until he is 84 – and will his sweetheart, Mabel, wait for him that long? With hilarious melodrama, sharp satire and glittering wit, this Illyria production of The Pirates of Penzance is as fresh as if it had been written today. This is an outdoor performance in the ECOS amphitheatre. 8
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Martin Wade is a photographer who works principally in black and white using analog materials and old 5×4 or 10×8 inch film cameras necessitating tripods and some time to set up. He does not work commercially, photography being more of a meditation when not working. He does not specialise in any particular genre although some know him for his Vanitas and Nature Morte or Still-lifes utilising bones, found objects, etc. For more information, and to buy tickets, go to: rooklane.org.uk
Show your skin some love with Hibi Ultra Glow Facial Oil and Creamy Cleanser Bar
Full of powerful plant oils and extracts, Hibi produce natural products for your skin and hair which are high performance, low waste and made right here in Frome. You can buy Hibi bars from Oakville Naturals on Badcox | The Frome Independent Market (on the bridge) www.hibibotanics.com . @hibibotanics | Free delivery in Frome
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Hēt will be serving up delicious sharing feasts at Home in Market Place on Friday 22nd July from 6pm Indian Sharing Feasts for 2 for £35 Children’s Feasts for £8 Cocktails / Beers / Wines For more info and menus het_frome / home.in.frome Bookings now being taken: 01373 471748
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» the list recommends « Silk Mill Collective Artists Silk Mill, 2nd-3rd and 9th-10th July, 11am-5pm Frome’s beautiful Silk Mill is a prize-winning building restoration and boasts a broad variety of artists and creative businesses. For the Frome Open Art Trail, ten artists and makers are opening their studios and showing a broad variety of painting styles and media. Set over three floors, you never know what to expect behind each door, and Frome punches well above its weight in creative terms. From the tiny, intimate studies by Dan Morley to larger figurative work by Miguel Ornia-Blanco, Alexandra Brown’s large scale flora and fauna often with copper-leaf detail, and Lynn Keddie’s exuberant florals to abstracted works inspired by land and sense of space by Catherine Richardson and Tonia Gunstone. The shared studio of Jenny Raggett and Steven Jenkins will have prints, pottery, stained and kiln-painted glass, and there will be colourful, illustrative work from Robin Lane-Roberts in his workspace. Michael Gill has his abstract litho and screen prints plus paintings in Silk Mill West. This is a rare opportunity to see the artists and makers in their workspaces and to be able to purchase or commission works directly from them.
An Exhibition Of Modern Artworks The Frome Gallery, 2nd - 10th July The Frome Gallery will be hosting a special exhibition to coincide with the Frome Festival, from 2nd July to 10th July. With collections of the latest work from local artists, including Ray Jones, Alex Howell, David and Kate Wilkey. A beautiful display of throws, pashminas, table runners and handbags by local weaver, Helle Jones, will also form a large part of the exhibition.
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FROME GALLERY
Exciting new modern artworks by local artists 2ND - 10TH JULY 2022 10:00 - 16:00 22 Christchurch St West | Frome | BA11 1EE www.bathartsales.com
LAND OF THE SUMMER PEOPLE AN EXHIBITION BY JENNY GRAHAM
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and of the Summer People is a solo show by Somerset fine artist Jenny Graham, showcasing her latest landscapes which celebrate, and are inspired by, the beautiful Somerset countryside. Jenny studied at the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City and at the University of the West of England in Bristol where, in 1997, she received an MA in Multi-disciplinary Printmaking. After several years working as a graphic designer, both in the US and the UK, she moved to Somerset and began her life as a fine artist. Her creative practice ranges from painting and printmaking to video work and sculpture. In all these disciplines her focus is on the environment, most often of the Somerset countryside where she lives. Graham’s work is informed by both American and British painters, and she considers her practice to be part of the continuing tradition of British landscape painting. Initially working on-site, she makes quick sketches, photographs and notations. In her studio, she combines this information with her emotional and visual recollection of the place. Her latest paintings employ oil and cold wax to achieve textural variety, building up layer upon layer of colour, adding and subtracting paint until the final image emerges from repeated exploration of her subject. This slow and contemplative process results in paintings of subtlety and variation. In
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this exhibition, she has returned to her roots as a watercolourist and is showing a series of highly representational paintings of Somerset. “I work towards an image which goes beyond the obvious and into the realm of memory and transformation. The oil and cold wax process allows for constant development of the picture surface, which is both challenging and exciting. I want the viewer to experience my work as I experience the landscape, constantly changing with the effects of light and wind, not static but in flux. The paint itself hovers between the abstract and the figurative, first becoming one and then the other.” Jenny is also a member of the RWA Artists Network, Fingerprint and Somerset Printmakers and a founding member of Somerset Open Studios.
The exhibition runs from July 1st to September 4th, and the private view is on Thursday June 30th from 6.30pm until 9pm, and all are welcome.
The Whittox Gallery RISE, Whittox Lane Frome, BA11 3BY www.thewhittoxgallery.com
A Happy New Year from all at Hunting Raven!
Coming this Come and enjoy a New Year September browse (and buy all those
books you hinted about but didn’t receive for Christmas) The First Ever Still isolating? Call 01373 473111 or email winstonebooks3@gmail.com with your order and we will deliver We accept National Book Tokens Follow us on socials for news @fromelitfest
SILK MILL COLLECTIVE ARTISTS 10 artists open their workspaces at the Silk Mill for the Frome Festival weekends (11-5 Saturdays and Sundays) Large and small paintings, Prints, Stained glass, Pottery, Illustration Buy direct from the artists and makers
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THE FROME FESTIVAL IS HERE!
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uly is here, and with it comes the biggest event in Frome’s calendar, the Frome Festival, which begins on July 1st. Performers at this year’s festival include DJ Jo Whiley, poet Roger McGough, musical legend Wilko Johnson and the ever popular singing group Blake.
This year’s Frome Festival will also feature more free events than ever, whether in Victoria Park, around town, or in local pubs. As always, the festival hosts a wide variety of comedy, music, drama and literature, with events taking place everywhere, from larger venues like the Cheese & Grain and the Memorial Theatre, to tin churches and cosy pubs. Some events will be performed outdoors, such as “The Haunting of Richard the Third” a new musical, specially written and directed for the Frome Festival by outgoing Creative Director, Martin Dimery. This will take place over three nights, July 7th, 8th and 9th at the Ecos Amphitheatre. Audiences are advised to prepare for inclement weather, but in extreme conditions, the play will be moved to the Merlin. This year’s Frome Festival will also feature more free events than ever, whether in Victoria Park, around town, or in local pubs. There’s also the return of the Food Feast in and around the Cheese & Grain on the first Saturday, July 2nd.
David Olusoga Roger McGough Jo WHiley dance night Wilko Johnson // Blake Andy Fairweather-Low Kris Baras band The Food Feast, Hidden Gardens, Exhibitions, Concerts, Drama, Poetry, Small Publishers Fair, Theatre in the Park, Frome Tunnels, Open Art Trail, Literary events, Walks, Talks, Workshops and more.
Tickets are available through the Festival Box office at the Cheese and Grain 01373 455420 / www.cheeseandgrain.com. Tickets may also be available through theatres, venues, and event organisers, for shows that they are hosting. For information on all events and to book see : www.fromefestival.co.uk
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www.fromefestival.co.uk
in d e p e n d e n t a u s sie c a f E private catering available 14 king st frome ba11 1bh seating inside and out superfood smoothies, cold press juices, specialty coffee, poke bowls, buddha bowls, acai smoothie bowls, sweet treats. nooktheshop.co.uk
01373 471368
@nooktheshop
TUE-sat 9-4
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LO RAPITENC FROME’S FLAVOUR OF SPAIN
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hen Lo Rapitenc opened its doors on Cheap Street in 2021, it didn’t take long for this exceptional Spanish deli and café to win over the hearts and stomachs of local food enthusiasts. Owned by husband and wife team, Marc and Alice, Lo Rapitenc was born from a combination of nostalgia for the food of Marc’s Spanish homeland, and the time offered during the pandemic to turn their much discussed dream into a reality.
“The opening of a deli is something that has been brewing for years. I really enjoy cooking traditional Catalan/Spanish food and Alice always encouraged me to open something related to food, but we never stopped and talked seriously about the possibility of owning our own business. Things started getting serious during the pandemic, and we decided to go for it and find premises to open Lo Rapitenc. We spent nearly a year planning the name and what we would sell in our little shop.” As always in Frome, you’ll find the best information comes from discussions with other locals, and this was definitely the case when Marc was looking for premises. 16
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“It was thanks to Hannah from Ramshack Barbers that we found what is now Lo Rapitenc, when she told me that Sagebury Cheese was planning on selling the building. After initial contact, the owner got in touch to say that the new landlords really liked my business idea and they’d like to talk to me.” Growing up in Spain, food was a big part of Marc’s life, and the dishes of his childhood have stayed with him, and inspire him today.
“My passion for food started when I opened Lo Rapitenc, but before then it was pure love, memories and experiences. The dish that takes me to a very special memory is eel stew (we don’t do it at Lo Rapitenc). My granddad and I were the only ones in our big family who liked eel, and every Christmas I used to take him to buy fresh eel at a place he worked as a fisherman, then he would cook it and we both would eat together on Christmas Day. Sadly he passed away three years ago, at ninety-six, and I haven’t eaten any more eel since.
We also have classic dishes like broken eggs or escalivada, dishes that my granny used to cook for all our cousins every time we slept over. We also serve a selection of wines, sherries and beers, including Estrella Damm.”
Photography © Sarah Gichie
“My cousin Victor, a fisherman and onboard cook, does the most delicious fish stews that you can imagine (after the ones my granddad did!). Fish dishes really remind me of my home town. You grow up eating fish and seafood at home, and when you are older you go out for vermut (a tapas meal between brunch and lunch), still eating the same food but now with friends. We used to skip college to go for breakfast, which included dishes like cod in tomato sauce or fried eggs with chips and lamb chops, finished off with a carajillo (coffee with alcohol). “Some of my favourite foods that we sell in the shop include piquillo peppers, a special small red pepper from the Basque country that has been slow roasted and that has a really smoky flavour, the extra virgin olive oil, harvested and pressed 20km from home, and the five varieties of rice, some of them farmed by my good friend Carril on my homeland.
“We serve traditional Spanish/Catalan dishes - one of my favourites is the croquetas, made by our brilliant chefs Lucy and James. The flavour changes almost on a daily basis. We use all sorts of ingredients, but my favourite ones are Iberico ham or piquillo peppers. We also have classic dishes like broken eggs or escalivada, dishes that my granny used to cook for all our cousins every time we slept over. We also serve a selection of wines, sherries and beers, including Estrella Damm.” This July, Lo Rapitenc are hosting two events as part of Frome Festival, and will be open almost every night while the festival is on (excluding Sundays, Mondays and July 2nd). You can also find Marc at the Frome Independent (just opposite the Blue Boar) serving their famous BBQ chorizo brioche bun.
Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 4pm (tapas from midday until 3pm) Friday 6pm – 10pm (and soon to open Saturday 6pm – 10pm) THE LIST FROME
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LIVING PLANTFULLY EMBRACING A PLANT-RICH LIFE WITH LOCAL AUTHOR LINDSEY HARRAD
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verything that is naturally good for us is good for the planet too. This is the philosophy of Living Plantfully, a new book by local author Lindsey Harrad, inspired by the belief that we need a holistic, non-judgemental and label-free approach to embracing a plant-rich life; a journey that can be taken in a way that suits you, simply by making small changes at your own pace. And most importantly, it should be a joyful and life-enhancing experience too. “While meat isn’t entirely to blame for the current global health or climate crises, if people ate more beetroot than burgers the impact on both would be enormous,” Lindsey says. “But living a healthier, happier and more sustainable life nurtured by the powers of plants is about so much more than food. While change often starts in the kitchen, discovering
the health and wellbeing benefits of a plant-centred life quite naturally leads to an interest in less harmful ways to clean our homes, nature-based self-care, the pleasures of indoor and outdoor gardening, foraging for wild foods, and spending more time mindfully immersed in green spaces.” Living Plantfully offers brilliant tips and inspiration for living your best life, while giving the planet its best chance for the future too. Living Plantfully: your guide to growing, cooking and living a healthy, happy and sustainable plantbased life by Lindsey Harrad (£16.99, Welbeck Balance) is available now from Hunting Raven.
LOCAL AUTHOR
6 Cheap Street, Frome, BA11 1BN 01373 455332 www.marchbankjewellery.com
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AVAILABLE FROM WINSTONE'S HUNTING RAVEN BOOKSHOP
EMMA AITCHISON
Start your glassmaking adventure ...it’s just 15 minutes away!
MONTHLY JEWELLERY WORKSHOPS Discover the art of jewellery making short workshops for all abilities in Frome.
Friendly, relaxed workshops which encourage you to slow down and tap into your creativity. Run by Emma Aitchison Jewellery with a sustainable approach to jewellery making.
www.theglasshub.co.uk
For more information and booking please visit www.emmaaitchison.com or contact Emma 07825159649
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POMONA SUPPER CLUB FROME’S LATEST FOODIE EXPERIENCE
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n the last ten years, Frome’s Food scene has changed beyond recognition, with exciting new projects, from busy restaurants to specialist takeaways, springing up to rapturous applause, quickly becoming firm favourites in the hearts of the food-obsessed locals. Enter Pomona Supper Club, the culmination of years of passion and experience for head chef and supper club host Lucy Rollins. We met up with Lucy to find out more about her plans for an incredible culinary experience. Lucy started her professional cooking career in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. “After university, I ended up travelling, and then moving to the Caribbean and living on an Island called Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. After starting out working for a boat charter company that rented yachts to guests to sail around the islands, I ended up running a catering business with a friend on Tortola for ten years, catering for guests in private villas and on high end yachts as well as parties and weddings. I learnt how to host and create a dining experience; the setting, the styling, the service and the food are all important to enjoying the perfect event.” After a decade of catering all over the Caribbean, Lucy returned to the UK and settled on the coast in North Cornwall, continuing to cook privately in a high-end holiday rental called Mesmear Farm near Rock. “All the produce in North Cornwall is outstanding, fish is landed daily in the summer, and locally reared beef and lamb, strawberry and other pick your own fruit farms are everywhere! I really was spoilt for choice.” Eventually she was introduced to the chef Emily Scott, and worked at her restaurant ‘The Harbour’ in Port Isaac, for five years. “I learned a lot from Emily,” Lucy told us, “her training is classic French, and she strips back the food, concentrating on quality and elegance.”
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After five years in Cornwall, Lucy returned to Frome to be closer to family, and began working at the Garden Café. “Caroline Croudace was the force behind the menu - she is brilliant. I seem to be drawn to female chefs!” Lucy later began working at The High Pavement. “Loved working for Aimee out front and with Stuart in the kitchen. I was introduced to totally new dishes and ingredients: slow cooked meat, sweet herb salads, spice blends, grains and pulses. North Africa, Middle Eastern and Spanish tapas all made from scratch with fresh quality ingredients.” For Lucy, food provenance is incredibly important. “I love cooking what is available in the area, and partnering the surroundings with the food makes the meal special for me. The whole story is important to creating a great menu. I’m also partial to a good dessert. Puddings and desserts are a great way to add your own personality they can be fun and theatrical.” ‘Pomona’ means the goddess of fruit trees and orchards. With the name, Lucy wanted to celebrate each season in Somerset, holding the supper club every three months and combining the venue and the food to celebrate all that is in season throughout the year. “My aim is to provide seasonal dishes that are sophisticated yet familiar, elegant yet comforting and a friendly, comfortable atmosphere where everybody is welcome. These past few years have been isolating, and I want people to feel they are at a dinner party, where they feel relaxed, welcome and comfortable, maybe meet a few new people too.” “For the first supper club in July, it was important for me to be outside, enjoying the best of Somerset in the summer. The summer supper club is being held in a large country garden at Mill Cottage, Iron Mill Lane. It is quintessentially Somerset, and is the inspiration for my menu. Set on the banks of the river Frome, in the heart of Somerset, it has glorious countryside views and is a special place, which is not open to the public, but perfect to showcase the best of local produce.
“I am looking to create a relaxed and comfortable dining experience with a mid-summer theme: lanterns, fairy lights, woollen blankets, nosey cows in the fields next door and a back drop of birdsong and the running river, as well as lots of laughter. Tables will be set in a long refectory style, and guests will share the table space, passing dishes between them and hopefully making new friends. I want the feel to be easy and relaxed. The menu will be familiar yet elegant, and is based on the great British outdoors - picnic inspired canapés, simple Cornish seafood, fresh salads showcasing the garden, smoky flavours from the BBQ, a soft dessert full of summer berries and Somerset cheese and Pomona to finish. Parts of the dishes will be served in large bowls and platters for guests to pass and share between each other, opening up conversation and connection.” The tables will be set using vintage linens and flowers taken from the hedgerow and garden to decorate. Wine is available as well as Worley’s cider and local beers. At the end of every supper club, Lucy will serve different Somerset cheese alongside a glass of Pomona. Pomona, from the Somerset Cider Company, is made in Somerset and is a blend of cider brandy and apple juice, aged in casks. “It’s delicious and pairs well with cheese and chutney. A true taste of Somerset!”
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Mill Cottage, Iron Mill Lane, Oldford, Frome BA11 2NR 07500484845 Pomona.supper.club pomonasupperclub@yahoo.com
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G A RDEN
SOUFFLÉ
S TA RTER GRILLED CL A MS ,
CORNISH
BROWN
G A RLIC
RED
BUT TER ,
SM A SHED &
MULLE T
LEMON,
BROA D
SHELLED
TH Y ME,
BE A NS
PE A S
M A IN SMOK Y
Saturday July 23rd, 7pm
EGG
MERE
TO
RED
CIDER
BA RBECUE
WINDSOR WITH
CH A RRED
&
SUMMER
S WEE T COBB
AVOC A DO,
BEEF
HERB
OF
LIME
BA K ED
V EGE TA BLE
V INE
SL AW
TOM ATO,
CORI A NDER
CORN
RIBS
V IN A IGRE T TE
CORN, &
SHORT
S A L A D
BRE A D
Pomona Supper Club will host up to thirty-six guests (within a marquee if the English summer is chilly and wet). DES SERT H A ZELNUT, &
SUMMER
WITH
CH A NTILLY
BERRY
ELDERFLOWER
TO PITCHFORK CR ACK ER S SERV ED
&
A
Mill Cottage
RED
ROUL A DE
CURR A NT
SOMER SE T RUNNER
GL A SS
(BLEND CIDER
&
COULI
FINISH
SPICED
WITH
CRE A M
MERINGUE
OF
OF
CHEDDA R BE A N
SOMER SE T
A PPLE
JUICE
BR A NDY
AGED
£ 55
PER SON
PER
21
CHUTNE Y
IN
POMON A
&
C A SK )
THE LIST FROME
ARTISTS & MAKERS OF FROME with Kate Talbot of Hung, Drawn and Quoted
What is your artistic background? I started out in Graphic Design then progressed to a degree in Fine Art at Leeds. For my graduation show, I created images in textile which was a new medium for me, but I enjoyed it so much that I haven’t stopped. I then studied for a Masters degree at Central St. Martins in Illustration and again the graphics and textiles came with me. What made you follow this path? I always wanted to go to art college, but my family emigrated to Canada in the late 70’s and as I was only sixteen I wasn’t allowed to stay behind. I tried to settle in my new home, but my interests and friends were back here. I returned to the UK in 1987, and met my husband who was a graphic designer; it was he who encouraged me to apply as a mature student. I was delighted to get accepted and even better that I received a full grant. Those were the days! What is your physical creative process? What materials and techniques do you use? My work starts out as a deconstruction! If I am making a 2D image in textile or a 3D soft sculpture, then I have to break it down into its component parts first. It’s a bit like a jigsaw where I make the basic shapes and then put them together to form the whole. The images only really come to life when I stitch in all the detail. I work with wool, lightweight cotton fabric, wire and thread.
work has a narrative, and I have always loved a play on words, the double entendre or just sayings that we all relate to. It’s not unusual for me to come up with the title first and then make the work to suit. As many Fromies know, I am very political in some of my subject matter, and these days with our current incumbent, the work almost makes itself! I often get customers asking if my soft sculptures are voodoo dolls, which sadly they are not, otherwise for a small fee you could vent your feelings and I’d be loaded in no time. How did lockdown affect the way you work and create? I didn’t have to change the way I work during lockdown as my studio at that time was based at home, but I was certainly busier. A lot of my greetings cards are based on current issues in the public interest, so I did a lot of lockdown-related cards. People seemed to really appreciate a humorous approach to those dark times. Where do you work from? Tell us about your studio. These days my studio is part of my shop on Catherine Street. I’ve managed to cram all my bits and bobs into a selection of cupboards and drawers that are full to the brim, but at least it’s there when I need it. My textile work is portable so I can work on that in the shop or at home in front of the telly. My studio and shop will be moving into the bigger shop next door when renovations are complete and then this shop will become ‘Dunk’, a tea and biccies café.
What inspires your work? Anything can inspire me. Sometimes I just have to overhear a comment and it will give me an idea. All my 22
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A r t i s t s a n d Ma k e r s o f F r o m e
What is your favourite place to be for artistic inspiration? I don’t know about favourite place but certainly for my political work I’m sat in front of ‘The Guardian’ online newspaper most days. I have to keep up with the latest furore in Parliament. The rest of the time I can be in the queue for the till at the shops or wandering along Rodden Meadow on my way home when the spark hits, anywhere and everywhere really! What artists inspire you & why? Anyone who is able to capture a moment that makes me want to know more. I often say that I am more interested in the ordinary than the extraordinary so artists like John Bratby, of the kitchen sink school, or the American painter Grant Wood - ‘American Gothic’ is such a great image. I also love the rich tones and symbolism found in the work of the school of Hans Holbein. As a student at Central St. Martins, I used to go look at his work in the National Portrait Gallery all the time, you can never get bored of it. I use symbolism in my work all the time. I like the viewer to find the clues to get the full picture.
avenues, but I’m not complaining, I get to meet some really interesting and inspiring people every day. I’m having a great time! How can people see and buy your work? Visit Hung Drawn Quoted at 28 Catherine Street, Frome BA11 1DB and follow me on social media: @hung.drawn.quoted @hungdrawnquotedfrome @hungdrawnquoted @HDQ www.hungdrawnquotedfrome.co.uk
If you hadn’t become an artist, what would you have done? I’d have liked to be a writer. I fancied being a music journalist back in the day, but that might have been more to do with the lifestyle than the literature. I have always written short stories and letters as I am as much in love with the process of forming words as I am with images. To quote Pauline from the League of Gentlemen “some of my best friends are pens!” How do you find the Frome area, in terms of creativity and artistic community? Frome is definitely my ‘happy’ place! This town is the most genuinely creative environment I have ever lived in. Everyone is so supportive of the arts in all their forms. It’s also a very socially aware community and I love that. Ideas become reality here without the snobbery or exclusivity that you get in other places. Are there any artistic processes/disciplines which you haven’t worked in/with, but would like to? I dabble in different processes all the time but always come back to what I do best. Now that I have my shop there isn’t much spare time to indulge new creative
THE LIST FROME
A r t i s t s a n d Ma k e r s o f F r o m e
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cook - eat
H E t at H o m e
Hēt will be serving up a delicious sharing feast at Home in Market Place on Friday 22nd July Feasts for 2 from £35 Children’s Feasts from £8 Cocktails - Beers - Wines Bookings now being taken please call 01373 471748
BY O U R R ES I D E NT FO O D I E K ATI E FR A S E R
My good friend Al makes the best mango chutney. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, sour and chilli hot and it’s got good textural bite. Spread generously inside a cheese toasty, serve alongside a summer roast chicken, or add some soy sauce and mirin to make the perfect dipping sauce for tempura or summer rolls. Or do the purist’s thing, and eat with poppadoms, raita and your favourite curry. It’s quick to prep, lasts for several months in the fridge and makes the perfect gift for friends, if you make a good-sized batch.
RECIPE -
Add oil to a large saucepan (for which you have the lid) and sauté the garlic ginger paste and chilli over a medium heat for 1 minute.
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Now add all the dried spice mix and sauté for another minute.
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Add the diced mango, sugar and salt, and stir well. When all the mango is coated in the spice mix, add the vinegar and bring to a rapid boil.
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Once rolling, pop the lid on, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour keeping a close eye. If it starts to look dry, add a small amount of water to ensure it doesn’t burn.
Al kindly shared his recipe with me, so I can with you - thanks Al!
AL’S MANGO CHUTNEY TO M A K E A B O U T 1 L I T R E • • • • •
1 tbsp vegetable oil 15g garlic ginger paste (half & half) 3 red chilli, sliced 3 teaspoons nigella seeds Dried spice mix: 1/4 teaspoon each of turmeric, ground cardamom, ground cloves, ground cinnamon & salt, 1/2 tsp ground cumin & 1 tsp ground coriander • 5 mangoes (not too ripe), peeled and diced • 380g white sugar • 225g white vinegar 24
THE LIST FROME
Recipe
- Once perfectly sticky, remove from heat and allow to cool. You can then pour into sterilised jars and keep in the fridge for up to 8 weeks. Not that it will last that long.
Katie runs hēt – a Frome-based takeaway serving up tasty food with heat. Follow on Instagram @het_frome or email hetfrome@gmail.com to order.
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THE LIST FROME
H e a lt h & We l l b e i n g
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THE LITTLE MERMAID frome musical theatre company present
T
his summer, Frome Musical Theatre Company’s award-winning youth group Spellbound are excited to be bringing the wonderful watery world of Atlantica to the Memorial Theatre stage with their production of the Broadway adaptation of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Based on the 1989 animated film, the story revolves around rebellious mermaid Ariel, who is fascinated with the world above the ocean. Bored by her life under the sea with her friends Sebastian the Crab and Flounder the Fish, she spends her days visiting the water’s surface to explore with Scuttle the Seagull, a pastime forbidden by her father, King Triton. During a storm, she rescues the free-spirited human, Prince Eric, from drowning and falls hopelessly in love with him. Determined to win Eric’s heart, Ariel agrees to give her voice to the sea witch Ursula in exchange for three days on land as a human, with the deal that, if Prince Eric does not kiss her before the sun sets on the third day, she will belong to Ursula for ever. Will Ariel succeed? Swim over to the Frome Memorial Theatre Box Office to snap up your tickets and find out!
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Featuring songs from Alan Menken’s awardwinning score including ‘Part of Your World’, ‘Kiss the Girl’ and the Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe winning ‘Under the Sea’, this production is set to be a true spectacle for all the family, with stunning choreography, beautiful puppets, dazzling costumes and our extraordinarily talented cast of young performers! Performances at the Frome Memorial Theatre run from Thursday 4th - Saturday 6th August at 7pm plus a matinee on the Saturday at 2pm. Tickets: Adults £12 U16’s £10 over 60’s £11.
The box office is open Monday – Saturday 9.30-1.30pm, call 01373 462795 or book online at www.fromememorialtheatre.org.uk
sophia elouise w o o d w o r k studio 4
black swan arts frome
handmade homewares bespoke woodwork demonstrations tutorials workshops
w w w. s o p h i a e l o u i s e . c o m @sophia_elouise sophia.elouise.art@gmail.com
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We can make your next home happen. Call our Bruton Office if you would like further advice. Martina Hall Sales Advisor
bruton@lodestoneproperty.co.uk 01749 605099
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THE LIST FROME
shaftesbury@lodestoneproperty.co.uk 01747 442577
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“
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www.garstonvets.co.uk THE LIST FROME
29
GORE BLIMEY Th e Fr o m e Fo s s i l
T
he other day I was deep into the best magazine in the universe – to wit, the New Yorker. There I read a long and entrancing interview with a man called Robert Eggers. Who? you may ask. Eggers is the American film director best known for The Lighthouse and, more recently, the berserk Viking gorefest that is The Northman. A fellow of strong nerves and grisly dreams, one would imagine. Halfway through the piece, when we were knee deep in axe fights and severed limbs, one word leapt out at me. That word was “Frome”. It seems that last year the great man took a break from editing his slaughterous tale and brought his family for a holiday to the UK. And spent some days in Frome, Somerset. Was he impressed? Not half. “It was f***ing awesome,” he told the interviewer. “It’s, like, so cute it’s ridiculous. It looks like a back-lot set.” Pressed for more details, he explained: “It’s on a hill and it winds around and it’s, like, a bank next to a pub next to half-timbered bullshit.” He had returned to the States, he said, feeling “refreshed” by the experience. Well, how do we begin to absorb this handsome encomium? Perhaps the first step is to identify precisely what Eggers is talking about. Frome is on a hill: fine. It winds around: fine again. But can anyone tell me the exact location of the bank/ pub/ half-timbered bullshit grouping? There might be a very small (i.e. non-existent) prize for the first correct, or at least feasible, answer to this. In the meantime we’ll just have to stop being snooty and accept it all at face value – a positive and punchy response to the old place.
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Fo s s i l o n F r o m e
It certainly outclasses most other descriptions of Frome by less august visitors. On Tripadvisor, for example, limpness abounds. One reviewer calls it “a cute little market town”; another, “a nice small town” with “good architecture”. Further on down the enthusiasm scale, we get simply “small town”, while a cynic from Calgary, Canada, damns Frome as “the middle of nowhere”. And there are a few old blowhards who just hate it. One (picked up and relayed, naturally, by the Daily Mail) rages at “this vegan hell”, full of “feral children” and evil-smelling adults unable to park cars properly. Phooey. I think most of us would agree that Eggers got Frome right in two simple words: f***ing awesome.
ALL HALLOWS Preparatory School
Set in a stunning location, just 15 minutes from Frome, All Hallows is a day and boarding prep school for children aged 3 to 13. A creative and dynamic curriculum, with our pupils’ happiness and well-being at the heart of all decision-making, is producing outstanding results. An independent school where children move on to their chosen senior school confident in who they are and ready to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead.
www.allhallowsschool.co.uk
Now registering pupils for Nursery and Reception Class 2023 Please contact Jackie Truelove, All Hallows’ Registrar, to find out how you can secure your child’s place 01749 881609 admissions@allhallowsschool.co.uk
