2022September SCOTTCAMERONWithFromeofMakers&Artists Y O U R G UI D E T O E V E R Y T H I N G F R O M E 38ISSUE1 OPEN!ISGATESIRONTHE FRENCH GENERAL TRADING FROME’S VERY OWN PIECE OF FRANCE
Rose Langley
Everyone who worked there seemed, naturally, to be a character: Doc, who was a man of few words and huge appetites, who knew absolutely everyone and had almost legendary status among us novices; Dave, a dry and often caustic man with a heart of pure gold;
Design: blackinkstudio.co.uk
ISSUE 138 SEPTEMBER
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The List Recommends
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y very first job in publishing was working for the ever so brilliant Venue Magazine in Bristol. It was almost exclusively events based, with a few pub and restaurant reviews thrown in for good measure, and was incredibly popular. Until I was given my job at Venue, I had worked in numerous pubs, cafés and shops, and even a natural health clinic (at which I took regular naps on the therapy beds) and had been rather lacking direction. But on my first day at Venue I was completely hooked by the bustling, energetic atmosphere and the passion that all the staff seemed to so genuinely have for Bristol and its exciting music and arts scene. Old hacks who had been there for years would take excessively long and boozy lunches with musicians they were interviewing (some of whom were incredibly famous at the time), and the days would often end with the whole team heading off to the pub and talking animatedly about what they were writing, who the focus of that week’s issue was and generally chew the fat until closing time, when we all rolled home.
Tom, who knew Bristol’s entire history (so much so that he wrote a book on it); Claire, my terrifyingly glamorous yet astonishingly warm and funny boss; and Donna, the receptionist, who was the hero of the team, a loud and utterly excellent Welsh woman who played rugby (this was twenty years ago) and spoke so fast that it made you dizzy.
*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 Fossil
Front cover: French General Trading
Published by Rose Langley, trading as Make a List Publishing, Sole Proprietor Editor Rose Langley 07957878717 rose@thelistfrome.co.uk . thelistfrome.co.uk
Cover Story
House & Home
Artists & Makers
So maybe, just maybe, the answer is…. to shove off to the pub on a daily basis. Who’s in?
As is the way of these things, a combination of being bought out by a blood-sucking media group, and the rise of the internet eventually finished off Venue Publishing. It was a sad day for Bristol. The magazine was an institution for the thirty or so years that it was in print (so long that my dad had also worked there, as a pub reviewer, twenty five years before I started). I often think about my time there, and wonder what I took from those wonderful, slightly beer-soaked years. One thing is for sure: I definitely miss being part of a big team, working as I do, alone and in between childcare and school hours. So maybe, just maybe, the answer is…. to shove off to the pub on a daily basis. Who’s in?
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‘I am not coming into the studio to make things. I am coming into the studio to be. To enter into a kind of state. My drawings and paintings are, in some sense, underpinned by my subconscious. I am bringing things in from other places, from really obscure places, and gathering them together in a way that my conscious mind couldn’t possibly have the intelligence or wherewithal to do.’ - RS
The Whittox Gallery, September 17th – November 6th
The biggest ever indie party comes to Frome with an all-star DJ line-up! The Cribs’ Ross Jarman, Babyshambles’ Adam Ficek and The Enemy’s Andy Hopkins combine forces to provide a night of non-stop indie classics and bangers guaranteed to make you look good on the dance floor.
Cheese & Grain, September 24th 7pm, £22/£25
Frome Food Network presents FROME FOOD HUB’S 20-MILE FEAST Cooked up by Hēt at Projects Cafe 14th-15th September, 7pm Tickets £35 via Eventbrite
Private view on Friday 16th September from 6.30pm until 9pm – All Welcome
Post punk rock band The Wedding Present commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of their pivotal long-player, Seamonsters. Recorded in just twelve days during 1991, the record reached No. 13 in the Official Album Chart, hailed by many as a true classic, and definitely one worth celebrating again thirty years on.
Robin Sewell: Light Water Rebellions
Cheese & Grain, 17th September, 7.30pm, £16.50
The Wedding Present
Big Indie Disco
Light Water Rebellions is a new solo show by painter Robin Sewell. Robin creates worlds within his abstract works – universes, even – that are rich with implied meanings and emotions. Making each painting is an act of exploration into the unknown, achieved with an array of singular machines and devices rather than traditional brushes. He invites the viewer to join him on his journeys of experimental discovery.
Robin Sewell was born in 1951 in Yorkshire and educated in Leeds, then Cardiff and the Slade School of Fine Art, London. He was a Senior Lecturer in BA Fine Art at Maidstone College and the University for the Creative Arts in Canterbury between 1980–2012,with studios in London and Umbria, Italy, until moving to Wiltshire in 2016, where he now lives and works. Since being in the West of England he has been part of the curation of, and created the discursive forums for, the Wells Art Contemporary at Wells Cathedral for the past three years. He has recently exhibited at Andelli Art and shown all over this country and abroad. His paintings are in collections internationally.
4 THE LIST FROME The List Recommends » the list recommends «
5THE LIST FROME The List Recommends SUNDAY 4 SEPT MAGPIE MARKET 9AM - 2PM FREE SATURDAYENTRY10 SEPT MOTORHEADACHE £16.50 ADV (+ SERVICE CHARGE) THURSDAY 15 SEPT MAGGIE BELL & DAVE KELLY £22 ADV (+ SERVICE CHARGE) SATURDAY 17 SEPT BIG INDIE DISCO £16.50 ADV (+ SERVICE CHARGE) THURSDAY 22 SEPT SETH LAKEMAN £28 ADV (+ SERVICE CHARGE) SATURDAY 24 SEPT THE WEDDING PRESENT £22 ADV (+ SERVICE CHARGE) FRIDAY 30 SEPT TOYAH £21.50 ADV (+ SERVICE CHARGE) BOX 01373OFFICE455420 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 17BLOOMFIELDCATHSep-23Oct2022
Sustainable SeptemberSecondhandand
Frome Lit Fest
» the list recommends « 6 THE LIST FROME The List Recommends
Tina Gaisford Waller, manager of Hunting Raven says: ‘There’s such a weird and wonderful mix of events, that it’s almost impossible to single out highlights, but I am particularly excited about our children’s workshop with The Phoenix Comics’ Neill Cameron for his Mega Robo Bros series, Frome’s own Amy Jeffs (author of Storyland) in conversation with one of my top favourite authors, Max Porter, about all things myth and lore, and it’s lovely to be welcoming formerpolitician Alan Johnson to town to talk about his brilliant new thriller ‘One of our Ministers is Missing.’ The majority of events are being held at the Merlin Theatre (who are kindly handling the box office), with the remaining events at Frome Town Hall and the Silk Mill. The full programme can be viewed at www.
JeffsAmy
Local groups ‘Everyone Needs Pockets’ and ‘Indigo’ will be at the Village Green showing market visitors how to extend the life of clothes, combat fast fashion and looking at how we can collectively change things in Frome for the future through re-use and repair.
The Frome Independent, Sun 4th Sept, 10am - 3pm
This September will see the launch of the first ever Frome Lit Fest. This brilliant new book festival is positively bubbling over with big ideas, big dreams, big journeys, and simply brilliant books. The festival is entirely volunteer run, and has been pulled together by festival directors John and Gill McLay (the duo who launched the Bath Children’s Literature Festival) and Frome’s award-winning independent bookshop, Winstone’s Hunting Raven Books.
16th – 23rd September
It’s been a whole year since The Frome Independent returned to the streets after its 18 month pandemicinduced break. To celebrate, they are shining a light on one of the organisation’s core values: embracing all things secondhand and sustainable.
fromelitfest.com and tickets can be booked there or directly by visiting the Merlin Theatre website (www. merlintheatre.co.uk) or calling the Box Office on 01373 465949 10am-12pm, Monday to Friday. Follow Frome Lit Fest on socials (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook) for news and updates: @fromelitfest
7THE LIST FROME The List Recommends An Alternative View of Frome Art Exhibition by Daniel Morley Preview and Art Social: 30th Sept from 6pm Exhibition: 1st and 2nd Oct 12-5pm The Crown Pub Keyford services.proofingeditingcopywriting,Bespokeand Supporting you to communicate in the most articulate way possible, in your own unique contact:tone.littleblackdot@gmail.com 16th BookingSeptember–openssoon at… www.fromelitfest.com 01373 Bathmerlintheatre.co.uk465949Rd.Frome.BA11 2HG MERLIN THEATRE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS TERRY PRATCHETT’S WYRD SISTERS FRI 2 SEPTEMBER - 7PM SAT 3 SEPTEMBER - 7PM LIVE THEATRE SCREENING NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE MUCH ADO ABOUT ABOUT NOTHING THUR 8 SEPTEMBER - 7PM SOFIE HAGEN: FAT JOKES TUE 20 SEPTEMBER - 7.30PM
This series of work titled Rooted in Nature explores different elements of the natural world and formations of the land.
The Crown Pub, 1st and 2nd October, 12 – 5pm
Crown Pub in Keyford. All are welcome to come along and see the work, have a few drinks and mingle. The exhibition will be open for the 1st and 2nd of October, 12-5pm, with Daniel hosting throughout to discuss his paintings and art practice.
8 THE LIST FROME The List Recommends » the list recommends «
Robbie RootedJones:InNature
The Why Gallery, September 17th - 22nd October
Sofie Hagen: Fat Jokes
20th September, The Merlin Theatre, 7.30pm, £17
Robbie Jones is a woodcut artist, illustrator and designer, based in Frome. Robbie’s inspiration comes from a mixture of nature, the bold imagery from traditional tattooing and folklore. Rather than printing from the woodblocks, they are left as the original carving to showcase the contrast between the black and natural wood tones.
Edinburgh comedy award winner Sofie Hagen presents Fat Jokes, a show bursting with big jokes and fat punchlines. Sofie returns to her craft of devastatingly brilliant joke writing and storytelling, and she has created this collection of fat jokes and unforgettable moments that you can laugh at without
Daniel Morley: An Alternative View of Frome
Daniel Morley will be holding an exhibition of his latest paintings of scenes from around Frome. Usually known for his smaller works, this will be a chance to see the larger works that follow the same theme from his exhibition Unseen, held at the WHY gallery earlier in the year, and showing Frome from a different perspective, taking inspiration from its alternative undercurrent and unnoticed spaces. The main event will be the preview and art social on Friday 30th September from 6pm in the Hub at the
feeling like sh*t. Come as you are and enjoy an actual fat person at the top of her game.
Exhibition opening Friday 16th September, 6-8pm
THE LIST FROME The List Recommends 9 www.rooklane.org.uk01373rooklane@nvbarchitects.co.uk468040BOOKROOKLANECHAPEL FOR YOUR WITHYOURLAUNCHCONCERTNAMINGEXHIBITION,WEDDING,PARTY,CEREMONY,ORRECORDORDISCUSSHIREREQUIREMENTSSARA For all your jewellery commissions, repairs, remodelling and valuations We stock a selection of beautiful hand-made jewellery, watches and cufflinks. We also offer hand-engraving, Antique Silver restoration and repair. Registered Fair Trade Goldsmith Member of National Association of Jewellers 6 Cheap Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1BN 01373 455332
FROME FILM CLUB
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Visit www.fromefilm.co.uk for full details of the first three films and to sign up as a member.
eason 11 of Frome Film Club will run from September 2022 to June 2023, and will screen nine films. The first three films of the season, from September to November, have been announced and can be explored at www.fromefilm.co.uk
Existing members will be familiar with the high standard of Frome Film Club’s programming, and any new members can look in the Archive section of the website for a taste of the type of film shown. Memberships have historically sold out fast, so be sure to sign up quickly to secure your seat.
In previous years Frome Film Club has selected films ahead of each season that were released in the previous year, giving audiences a chance to see recent films on a big screen. But times are changing and so Frome Film Club is adapting. To navigate new restrictions in screening rights, they will not be announcing all the films ahead of the season. Instead, they will add films with shorter notice, although the screening dates remain fixed. Some films might not be from the previous year’s releases. This will allow for flexibility to add in films that do become available, and will avoid any last-minute film changes or technical failures.
SEASON 11 STARTS THIS SEPTEMBER
The first film of the season is Happening, which tells the story of Anne, a talented literature student with a bright academic future who finds herself pregnant in 1963 provincial France, when even asking for an abortion risked a jail sentence. Anne’s mounting panic and private trauma play out as a harrowing and gripping drama, one that also offers a timely and urgent reminder of the constant threat to female reproductive rights.
Become part of our Autumn Exhibition 6x6. Over 100 pieces of artwork donated by artists, each measuring 6x6 inches will be avilable to buy for £40 each. The proceeds of all work sold will go to local cancer counselling charity We Hear You. The Silk Mill, Merchants Barton, Frome, BA11 1PT Fri 12 Nov 6-9pm | Sat 13 Nov 10-5pm | Sun 14 Nov 10-3pm Our new opening times are: Tuesday - Saturday 10-4 | Friday evenings 6-10 Keep on eye at our social media for news and check our online shop at lorapitencspanishfood.com We would like to thank all our customers for a busy summer SINGING TUTORSINGING TUTOR SINGING LESSONS FOR ALL AGES ...in an atmosphere of encouragement and creative energy I provide singing and / or piano lessons in your home, in my studio or by Zoom helping you or your child achieve personal goals. Areas covered: Frome, Bruton, Mells, Shepton, Warminster and surrounds. M 07886 www.freddievocalcoach.com394923DBS,ISM&BVAcertified FREDDIE MERCER THE LIST FROME 11
In a town full of artists and makers, Tom wants to be able to offer a service which helps them to show their work in the very best light. ‘Frome is widely recognised for having a very diverse and active creative community, so I’m hoping that we’ll be able to support people in realising their artworks as beautiful prints, or assist with large format fine art printing for exhibitions and print sales, as well as adorn the walls in many a home with customers’ own photographs; there’s something we can offer many people in town.’
B
ased at the Station, just off Station Approach, Otter Prints offers a range of professional photographic services for everyone from local artists and photographers to those wanting to retrieve a piece of photographic history. Run by local photographer Tom Hull, Otter Prints offers three main services: professional giclée printing from digital files for photographers, designers, artists, illustrators and the general public, high resolution photographic film scanning from various formats of negative and positive film, and online print sales from a growing, curated selection of local artists including painters, illustrators and photographers alike.
‘Working as a photographer, I have always printed my own portfolios and scanned my own negatives, so I learnt the dark art of colour management and careful control of paper and inks using high-end digital
- High-end photographic film scanning for public customers and established -photographersProfessionalgiclée printing on two incredible paper stocks - A curated selection of fine art prints for sale by a variety of talented artists @otterprintsdotcom otterprints.com
otter prints
For more information go to www.otterprints.com , call Tom on 07980310699 or follow Otter Prints on Instagram @otterprintsdotcom
printers and scanners as soon as I started assisting in 2004,’ Tom told us.
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PASSION FOR PRINTING
THE LIST FROME 13 14 king st TUE-satba11frome1bhseatinginsideandout 9-4@nooktheshopnooktheshop.co.uk 01373 independent471368aussie cafE superfood smoothies, cold press juices, specialty coffee, poke bowls, buddha bowls, acai smoothie bowls, sweetavailablecateringprivatetreats.Start your glassmaking adventure ...it’s just 15 minutes away! www.theglasshub.co.uk
‘I came to love Frome whilst supplying Antique furniture sourced for the Talbot at Mells. I opened on Catherine Hill in 2018 after trying to rent several shops in Frome. It was the smallest shop, but so busy right from the get go.’
rench General Trading had its first Frome incarnation on the famous cobbles of Catherine Hill, though owner Polly Markham has been selling stunning French antiques for over twenty years.
Working in the world of antiques was something which happened organically, when friends started to ask to buy the rare finds that Polly had acquired in France, which adorned her then Edinburgh home. It was also a huge deviation from her original career path. ‘I’m actually a qualified riding instructor but, due to an accident early in my career, I headed to London to work with Hermes on New Bond Street as Head of the Saddlery Division. My role involved liaising with our Olympic equestrians of the time, developing the Hermes saddles. Hermes were originally saddlers, and the handbags and luxury goods developed from these roots. Part of my job was travelling to Paris head office most fortnights.’
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FRENCHTRADINGGENERAL
Fast-forward to February 2020, and Polly saw an advert for her current premises on Church Street. ‘I knew it was the perfect space for my French decorative finds . . . finally somewhere to really showcase my business. I jumped at the chance . . . then Lockdown hit!’ Though her new bricks and mortar premises remained closed during the lockdowns, French General Trading continued to flourish. ‘Fortunately I have a very strong online presence, with my website and Instagram, and this carried me through those “dark years” while I worked on the extensive refurbishment of my new Frome store.’
14 THE LIST FROME Cover Story
Polly opened her first shop in 2006, with a mix of French antique furniture and decorative finds, together with new French lifestyle goods. She was featured in the Financial Times ’How to Spend It’ feature, and this catapulted her sourcing abilities to a national level. ‘I began finding statement pieces for national retail groups, hotels, cafés and other antique trade buyers, often travelling to France in my van monthly with my young family.’
Avignon as well as annual street markets, and dealers’ homes in France. Never a dull moment is had while in France on a treasure hunt . . .’
And while the café is popular, the antiques are still very much the core of the business and Polly’s main focus. ‘My main love is French antique furniture and quirky statement pieces. My home is full, very full, but is constantly changing. For me the main obsession is the ‘finding’ or treasure hunting, the road trips in my van. For over 20 years now I have trekked all over France, to the main trade sales at Le Mans and
This year Polly launched her ‘French Convoys’ where she takes other UK-based antique dealers on a buying trip to France, holding their hands and giving them the confidence to drive their vehicles, deal with the new paperwork and administration, and discover where to buy in France. ‘We go to a few special buying places en route to a huge street market, and there is always plenty for everyone to buy. I have learnt over my extensive time in this business that there is plenty for everyone. I could walk along the same street with another dealer and we would both see completely different things.’
FrenchGeneralTrading.co.uk@FrenchGeneralTrading
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Pop in to see the treasure trove of stunning French antiques, have a glass of wine, or a chat with Polly, at French General Trading, Church Street, Frome.
The new premises soon became something more than an antiques shop. ‘In my time on Catherine Hill I had enjoyed the coffee at Moo and Too every day and decided that I would offer my customers coffees in my new store in a very French setting and style. As the lockdowns continued in various forms I decided that a glass of French wine would add to the Francophile feel . . . we now offer a small curated range of wines from small French vineyards, mostly organic, mostly vegan.’ The licensed café definitely adds some je ne sais quoi to the whole ambience of the shop. Customers can enjoy coffee and croissants, or a cheeky glass of rosé with a croque monsieur. ‘The basic bar tabac food and drink offering creates a very ‘allo allo’ atmosphere, which enables me to have help day to day, rather than waiting for someone to wander in and buy an armoire.’
‘My main love is changing.’isveryhomepieces.statementandfurnitureantiqueFrenchquirkyMyisfull,full,butconstantly
THE IRON GATES
JewelleryAitchisonEmma
Housed in a beautifully refurbished Grade ll listed building just off King Street, previously the longstanding home of Frome’s independent pet shop, the building is steeped in nostalgic memories for many locals, and an extensive restoration by the family behind the Iron Gates has now brought it back to the former glory that it once saw in the 1700’s, when it was built, with many original features reinstated and restored.
@electradanielle @eyeofthewood
Josie Mitchell Jewellery
FROME’S NEW CREATIVE COMMUNITY
Electra Danielle /Eye Of The Wood
Emma Aitchison Jewellery
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he Iron Gates is the new home for a community of individual local artists, creators and makers. Its many stunning rooms are both workspaces and retail spaces, offering the residents a chance to show the public their working process while also selling face-to-face.
T
Silken Favours’ hand-drawn prints take the cutesy and the kitsch and warp them to compose modern pieces of silk artwork. Vicki Murdoch, Founder of Silken Favours finds her inspiration in the natural world, her illustrations evoke pretty yet trippy designs. Silken Favours’ products now include 100% silk scarves, cushions, notebooks, scrunchies, shirts, wallpaper and even fringed ponchos! Silken Favours is stocked at Liberty and Fortnum & Mason. www.silkenfavours.com @silkenfavours
Emma Aitchison makes bold and timeless jewellery to adorn the body. Her collections stem from her passion of nature and utilise the beauty that surrounds us all, aiming to capture its essence in a sculptural form that reminds us all to care for the planet. At the heart of the brand is Emma’s passion to protect the environment by using 100% recycled metals, small batch production, natural chemicals and mycelium packaging. You can find her work stocked at Toast and The Tate Gallery as well as online and in her shared Iron Gates shop. www.emmaaitchison.com@emmaaitchisonjewellery
Electra is a creative upholsterer whose passion for furniture has been nurtured by her work using traditional techniques like caning and seat weaving. She is AMUSF qualified, and her prize-winning piece “The Crystal Chair” was featured at Interiors UK and the May Design Series. Her workspace doubles up as an immaculately curated store (Eye of The Wood), selling candles, homewares and unique, locally grown plants.
Iron Gates Residents
Silken Favours
Josie is a jewellery designer who hand crafts all her jewellery using recycled metal, and sustainability is at the heart of all her work and an ethos she uses in every detail. Her pieces are mindfully designed to help soothe anxiety and stress through the use of tactile movement and grounding, organic textures. www.josiemitchelljewellery.com@josiemitchell.jewellery
The Healing Hub
Sally Whelan’s figurative oil paintings and portraits have a strong narrative and bold composition that provoke curiosity from the viewer. Her pieces possess a witty charm and a well observed sense of humour, uniquely blended with a hauntingly dark undercurrent. Her work ranges from smaller, more delicate pieces to the larger canvasses that convey a powerful sense of movement. www.paintersally.com @painter.sally
FlavoursSilken
@thehealinghubfrome
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Sally Whelan
Though The Iron Gates has been open for several months, an official opening was planned for September to give residents time to settle in. Owners Camilla and Alfie are inviting locals to The Iron Gates Launch Party on September 9th, 4 – 11pm. Food and drink will be provided by some of Fromes finest including: Lo Rapitenc, Still Life Gin, Chubby Vegan, Palmer St Brewery and Crafty Nectar.
@lauraholdenstudio
Laura Holden
www.theirongates.com @irongatesfrome
Louisa Worskett is a painter and artist printmaker whose work primarily focuses on exploring the intellectual properties of mark-making and the processes behind the mediums she works with. Her practice is fundamentally rooted in drawing, both observationally and in the exploration of the abstract. Currently Louisa is re-engaging with the intaglio printmaking process of etching, which formed the basis of her work in the 2008 Goldsmiths Fine Art degree show.
Louisa Worskett
The Healing Hub is the main stockist of an old Frome favourite ‘Herbs on the Hill’, which originally was a shop on Catherine Hill, selling herb-infused products ranging from bath salts and massage oils. Dotted around the shop, you can find a carefully curated range of crystals. Catherine Reeves, who runs the shop, has an extensive knowledge of their benefits and also offers one-to-one crystal healing.
@Louisaworskettart
Laura Holden is a textile artist and curator. She designs and hand makes joyful cushions and creatures inspired by folklore and vintage illustration. Laura’s background is in Fine Art textiles and prop making. Her current business has been gently growing since 2015 when she moved to Somerset with her young family. Laura’s aim is to make charming, meaningful objects that become part of a home’s landscape.
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frome’s great big green week
experience yoga in Rodden wardroberefreshMeadow,yourwiththeBigGreenClothesSwapandrackupsomelapswiththeLions’RideKidsRideevent.
Following on from the success of last year’s Great Big Green Week we will see the return of some of the most popular events including the Frome Heritage Tree Walk, Everyday Botany Walk and Bat Walk. There will also be another chance to experience yoga in Rodden Meadow, refresh your wardrobe with the Big Green Clothes Swap and rack up some laps with the Lions’ Ride Kids Ride event.
Also in the line-up later in the week, Mojo Moves will be hosting a silent disco in Rodden Meadow, you can try your hand at bat box building and enjoy a selection of foodie treats including meat-free Monday workshops, hyperlocal feasts at Projects and a Community Fridge Ready Steady Cook! For those looking for inspiration and debate, Frome Town Hall will play host to a Planet Friendly Living evening where we’ll hear from environmental educator and author Claire Vowell alongside a showcase of local businesses and organisations offering advice on planet friendly swaps. Mendip Councillor Shane Collins will present “The Climate Emergency: Five Things to Change and Four Ways to Do It” at the Silk Mill, and the third Climate Action Group meeting will focus on sustainable travel.
he Great Big Green Week returns this September with a host of events for all to enjoy. Part of the nationwide event, the week in Frome will run from the 11th to 18th September and will be celebrating the town’s green spaces and highlighting the action Frome is taking to tackle climate change and support local wildlife.
The week will launch on the 11th with Cycle Sunday which will include Frome’s 5th annual Bike Jumble as well as free Dr Bike safety check-ups, fun cycle skills and a pedal-powered disco. The event will coincide with the Pump Track’s 10th anniversary celebrations where you’ll get a chance to indulge in more bike related activities such as ‘bling your bike’ and marvel at amazing bike stunts from Fusion Extreme. In addition to the cycle events, children will be well catered for with an eco crafty morning at
Millie Moon, pop-up play sessions, pond dipping and a hedgehog storytime and craft session with local illustrator Jenna Herman.
The week will finish in collaboration with the Frome Lit Fest as author and broadcaster Philippa Forrester is joined in conversation with Wyl Menmiur, whose book ‘The Draw of the Sea’ explores the incredible power that water has in our lives. To find out more and to book tickets visit gov.uk/great-big-green-week/www.frometowncouncil.
s we plan a tasty menu with hyperlocal ingredients for the Frome Food Hub’s 20Mile Feast this month, we think about seasonality, local availability and how fortunate we are to live in fruitful Somerset.
BY OUR RESIDENT FOODIE KATIE FRASER
-cookeat
• Couple of spring onions
Follow on Instagram @het_frome or email hetfrome@gmail.com to order.
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 4 tbsp yoghurt, diary or non
• Feta cheese or similar
A
- Serve scattered with feta, spring onion and nuts, with warm naan, poppadom or crudités.
RECIPE
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 finger chillies, chopped
• Bunch of beetroot
• Olive oil
• 1 tbsp walnuts or hazelnuts, chopped
Katie runs hēt – a Frome-based takeaway serving up tasty food with heat.
This year we’ve eaten a lot of beetroot. Not only is this humble ‘root’ deliciously versatile and packed with good things, the season is long, so we can eat locally grown for months and months. Pair the rich, earthy beetroot with mint, salty cheese, roast pork, apples, nuts....even chocolate. Add it to coconut curries, grate it into rostis, pickle it with chillies, or roast and add to salads. Or whizz it up into this striking dip. It’s a great alternative to hummus and looks super as part of a mezze.
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- Roast beetroot in a small amount of oil for about an hour, or until very soft. Cool, peel and slice into quarters. Pop cold beets into a food processor along with chilli, garlic, yogurt and seasoning, and pulse until smooth.
E X P L O R E S T O N A R A T O U R O P E N D A Y S R E C E P T I O N - 1 6 S E P T E M B E R S E N I O R - 2 4 S E P T E M B E R S I X T H F O R M - 1 4 S E P T E M B E R W e l c o m i n g b o y s a n d g i r l s f r o m 2 t o 1 8 y e a r s S t o n a r h a s a h i s t o r y o f e x c e p t i o n a l p u p i l a c h i e v e m e n t s e n a b l e d b y a r e m a r k a b l e , s u p p o r t i v e e d u c a t i o n a l e n v i r o n m e n t t h a t e n g e n d e r s h a r d w o r k a n d t h e d e s i r e t o g e t i n v o l v e d . P u p i l s f e e l f r e e t o b e t h e m s e l v e s , w h i l e f l o u r i s h i n g a c a d e m i c a l l y , a n d a s i n d i v i d u a l s . N E W F R O M E B U S R O U T E F O R S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 COTTLES PARK, ATWORTH, SN12 8NT | TEL: 01225 701744 | WWW.STONARSCHOOL.COM
n exciting new venture is about to launch in Frome. The Frome Community Bike Project will recycle donated bicycles and teach bike maintenance skills. They will also offer a shared workshop and volunteering opportunities. The shared workshop will enable people to come and use FCBP tools to work on their own bikes, share skills with others in the workshop or pay one of the skilled mechanics on hand to do the work for them, so there is an option for everyone. There will also be reconditioned second hand bikes for sale and cycle confidence classes on offer. The project aims to equip people with the skills, confidence and community support to get out on a bike.
A
There are a range of short, medium and long term volunteering opportunities so if you are interested in volunteering with the new project, please contact the team on hello@fromebikeproject.org and find out more about the project here: www.fromebikeproject.org
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The project is a non-profit organisation set up by a team of volunteers and run for the benefit of the community. All profits from the project will support Frome’s Missing Links, the local charity working to link up traffic-free walking and cycling routes in and around Frome.
over 135 bikes donated. Emma Parker from Frome Community Bike Project says “The bike jumble has had no location to store bikes so we have had to store them in locations all over town, from Frome Town Hall, to the Silk Mill, to a volunteer’s garden! We also rely on volunteers so there has been very limited time to check over the donated bikes and many end up ‘sold as seen’, complete with the ten years of garage grime that they arrived with. Having a permanent base means we can offer so much more than just selling bikes once a year, and we’re really excited about sharing skills and building confidence and community through our project.”
Frome Community Bike Project has been founded by some of the team who have organised the very successful annual bike jumbles that have been running for the past four years. The bike jumbles have grown year on year and peaked in 2020 with
The Frome Community Bike Project will be running a Crowdfunder campaign throughout September to get set up with a container and tools. They have some fantastic offers from a range of local businesses who have shown support for the project. Anyone can donate to the project and claim one of the many rewards on offer. To donate go to the website (below) and follow the links.
Frome Community Bike Project needs your help!
23THE LIST FROME Health & Wellbeing Emotional Freedom Technique A short term, solution focused therapy for personal or professional change & growth Anxiety • Phobias • Procrastination Trauma • Limiting Beliefs • Weight Loss Addiction Discounted Block Therapy Sessions Frome • Bruton • Online Free AccreditedConsultationEFTPractitionerwww.eftcoach.co.uk Gentle, effective, non-invasive, therapy for aches, pains, restricted movement, injuries, stress & many other problems. Janie Godfrey Frome Bowen Clinic 01373 452 422 www.bowenclinicfrome.com
How did lockdown affect the way you work and create?
What made you follow that path
My relief carvings, which are lime wood, always starts with a drawing of my idea which probably will sit around for some time before perhaps being turned into a carving. With my collages they usually start with a theme, I will then by research the subject,
Where do you work from? Tell us about your studio?
What inspires your work?
What is your artistic background
My recent carvings are influenced by my move to the south west 7 years ago and seeing all the standing stones and chalk figures in this area. This made me remember all the Pictish standing stones in the North East of Scotland where I come from. So, I went back to the north east and toured the numerous sites and that has inspired me into producing a series of carvings round the theme of the Pictish Standing Stones. It is ironic, as a child, 20 yards from my home in the Aberdeenshire village I lived, there was a Pictish Stone in the village graveyard, but as a young child it meant nothing to me.
My parents had a village bakery and I had always presumed my older brother would take it over from them when they retired. So I realised I would have to do something else and art was what I was good at, so it seemed an obvious route. As it happened my brother decided not to take over running the bakery, so perhaps if he had made that decision prior to my going to art school, I might have finished up a baker.
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I did a degree in Textiles and Embroidery at Grays School of Art, Aberdeen, before winning, in 1966, the Cinzano National Scholarship which enabled me to work in fashion houses in Milan, Florence and Paris for 9 months.
With many galleries closed during lockdown I discovered on-line exhibitions, many of which seemed to originate in America, but attracting artists from all over the world. I was quite successful being selected for more exhibitions than I normally would. On line galleries have a great advantage over real galleriesyou don’t have to drive all over the country delivering and collecting your work, you just press a button!
such as the one I’m working on now “Celebrated Women of Frome”. In this latest series it has meant going round Frome photographing sites and trawling through the internet until I’ve gathered enough information/images to start.
When we moved to Frome, we specifically looked for a three-bedroom house so one room would be my studio. This means I can go into the studio at any time and not have to travel to a studio, which is a relief with the price of petrol at the moment. It is quite a small studio but as I my work is not too large and the processes I use are relatively clean, it works well.
ARTISTS & MAKERS OF FROME
With CAMERON SCOTT
You can also see my work at www.cameronscottart. co.uk. and on Instagram @crscarver – however I don’t usually show my work there just show photographs of things which attract me.
The first artist to inspire me was Masaccio (a 15th century Florentine artist who is regarded as the first great Italian painter of the Italian Renaissance) whose compositions broke away from the earlier traditions and this started me looking at things with a new eye. Then at art school I was influenced by Peter Blake and David Hockney, both artists for whom drawing is so important.
Inspiration happens at the oddest of times. I can be walking down the street and suddenly the juxtaposition of images might trigger a thought, which grows into my sketchbook. Some ideas progress, some don’t. When I am sitting in my studio wondering what to do next, it would be good if I had a favourite place to go to be inspired, but there isn’t.
How do you find the Frome area, in terms of creative and artistic community?
If you hadn’t become an artist what would you have done?
What is your favourite place to be for artistic inspiration?
Are there any processes/disciplinesartistic which you haven’t worked in/with but would like to?
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It annoys me that when I think about the range of creativity which seems to grow out of Frome - why didn’t I come to live here much sooner.
What artists inspired you and why?
When at art school I did a bit of etching, which I always wished I could have done more of. Also when I had a studio in Bradford (the northern Bradford) I used to do paper pulp constructions. That was a bit messy and needed a lot more space than I have in my studio in Frome.
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From 9 Sept to 14 October, I have a solo exhibition at the Town Hall Arts Centre, Trowbridge – 60 years of art – which will show work from my time in art school, through to a series of collages specifically about Trowbridge and its history.
How can people see and buy your work?
Also if you have to visit the RUH Bath I have a couple of carvings in an exhibition there.
My father thought I should be an accountant or a policeman! I was rather single minded and when I decided art was for me, that was all I concentrated on.
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30 THE LIST FROME Fossil on Frome
There was still no sign of the bride, so we went for a walk instead. Soon we were out of the village and heading up a long steep expanse of meadow. The sun scorched down with equal ferocity on us, the desiccated grass and the frazzled sheep droppings. At the summit, we plunged into the shade of an oak wood, found a tree stump and sat down again. The silence was complete, and so was the privacy. My head gradually stopped spinning. Then, from far below, the sound of bells crashed out to salute the jolly pair. It was time for a pint.
he other day we went to look at a nice old village church, prior to a nice old beer in a nice old village pub. Alas, we fell at the first hurdle. There was a wedding in the church, so we stood in the shade of a shaggy yew tree and gawped. Guests flittered and tittered among the gravestones –the women completely comfortable in floaty dresses and fascinators and high heels, the men completely uncomfortable in tight waistcoats and winkle pickers and buzzcut beards. Ushers shuffled orders of service. The groom exhaled smokily and ground out his last rollup on the gravel. Everyone was waiting for the bride, mobiles in hand.
A LOAD OF SNAP
T
Overcome by the dizzying implications of all this, I subsided onto a handy bench. It was very old and rotten, and it creaked ominously – along with my brain. Who else was staring through lenses at this wedding? Absent friends of the couple, logged onto a live stream? The church’s CCTV camera, sending blurry images to some yawning security guard far away? A satellite, relentlessly sweeping every inch of the Earth’s surface for the benefit of GCHQ? All remote, all detached, all absorbed in small pieces of hardware.
To one side, the official photographer rummaged feverishly in his mountain of equipment. At length he found what he was looking for – a spidery drone, which he unfolded and sent whining upwards above the churchyard. There it hovered, surveying the antlike scurryings below. One of the guests immediately raised her phone to snap the drone. So there we had it: someone taking a picture of a machine taking a picture of a crowd of people, most of them taking pictures of each other, plus a photographer who was himself taking a picture. And we were watching the whole scene from the side lines.
The Frome Fossil
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