MANOR The Spring Issue 2019

The Region’s Premium Publication

Spring 2019 Issue 32|£4.50

Prue Leith As I see it

What to wear Seasonal trends

MANOR’s four A retrospective

Jon White Resilience, motivation, leadership

CULTURE FOOD SPACE ESCAPE SCHOOL PROPERTY

MANOR | Spring 2019

1

2

MANOR | Spring 2019

MANOR | Spring 2019

3

WORLD-CLASS COASTAL RESIDENCE ENJOYING OUTSTANDING VIEWS

MAWGAN PORTH, NORTH CORNISH COAST

Mawgan Porth beach – 0.8; Watergate Bay – 3; Porthcothan Bay – 3; Cornwall Airport (Newquay) – 3; Padstow – 10; Wadebridge – 13; Truro – 14 (all distances are approximate and in miles)

Savills Cornwall

This superb coastal property enjoys a prominent position on the northern side of Mawgan Porth, one of Cornwall’s most desirable seaside locations. Designed by Lilly Lewarne architects and remodelled from the original 1960s building to maximise the view of the landscape whilst providing a contemporary lifestyle, Panorama’s open plan, reverse level accommodation is complemented perfectly by professional interior design to create a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere.

01872 243200

Guide £2,500,000 Freehold 4

MANOR | Spring 2019

Ben Davies bmdavies@savills.com

ARGUABLY THE FINEST VIEW OF THE DART ESTUARY

KINGSWEAR, DARTMOUTH

Dartmouth across the River Dart via ferry; Totnes – 12 (London Paddington under 3 hours); Exeter – 30 (all distances approximate and in miles)

Savills South Hams

Sarah-Jane Bingham Chick

Stunning contemporary home with superb living kitchen/breakfast, 2 sitting rooms, master bedroom with dressing room sjchick@savills.com and en suite, guest en suite bedroom, 2 further bedrooms, bathroom. 2 large balconies, workstore, gardens & driveway 01548 800462 for 2 vehicles. EPC: C Guide Price: £1,250,000

MANOR | Spring 2019

5

The Wolf Dual Fuel Range.

Wolf Dual Fuel ranges deliver the best of both worlds. Above - the fine control of Wolf’s patented dual stacked gas burners, with a choice of surface options such as a French top, charbroiler or griddle; all designed to provide perfect cooking. Below - the self cleaning, dual convection electric oven, with its two fans, four heating elements and ten cooking modes.

ELEVATE YOUR COOKING

F

or those who love to cook, there’s nothing like a range cooker to bring out the best in your culinary skills and add a delicious centre point to your kitchen. With larger ovens and a host of options and configurations, you can create a cooker that suits your needs perfectly.

At Hearth & Cook you can see and experience one of the finest collections of range cookers and kitchen appliances in the South West - from outstanding brands La Cornue, ESSE, Wolf and Sub Zero. Visit our showroom or website to see what’s in store.

Find us in Oaktree Place, 100 yards behind Carrs Ferrari - half a mile from The Devon Hotel.

Showroom: Oaktree Place, Manaton Close, Matford, Exeter EX2 8WA. Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Saturdays 10am to 4pm or by appointment.

14 Oaktree Place, Manaton Close, Matford, Exeter EX2 8WA 6 14 MANOR | Spring 2019

Call 01392 797679 www.hearthandcook.com

Contents 80

Spring 2019

54

14

Regulars 13 TOWN MOUSE, COUNTRY MOUSE Correspondence from across the divide

24

AS I SEE IT...

Restaurateur, television presenter and novelist Prue Leith

26

A MANOR RETROSPECTIVE As I see it 2015-19

Style & Beauty 14 TRENDS Key Spring Summer looks 2019, terracotta sunrise and print big

20

SPRING CLEAN

28 Features 28 SUPER HUMAN Leadership coach and inspirational speaker Jon White

32

Fine art on the hotel menu

36

MY FEEL GOOD REGIME Marketing professional Anna Elliot

80

THE STYLE SHOOT Photographed by Mike Smallcombe

92

A MANOR RETROSPECTIVE Style shoot 2015-19

A MANOR RETROSPECTIVE Features 2015-19

Freshen up for the new season

22

A LA CARTE ART

54

SOUNDING BOARD Experimental landscape painter Anthony Garratt

Photostory 38 A MANOR RETROSPECTIVE Photostory 2015-19

MANOR | Spring 2019

7

124

64 Culture 60 SURVEYING THE LANDSCAPE

98

Landscape photographer Jem Southam

64

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Artist James Lake

67

LOOK BACK IN WONDER Artist Jesse Leroy Smith

70

SOUTH WEST MUST SEES… What’s on around the region

74

114

THE EXHIBITION SPACE What’s showing at the region’s art galleries

76

WORTH MAKING THE TRIP FOR… Cultural highlights from the metropolis and beyond

79

WORTH STAYING IN FOR...

Quality time on your sofa

Food 96 WOMEN TURNING THE TABLES Young women in the South West food and drink industry

98

SETTING OUT THEIR STALL Touring London’s Borough Market

104 BITES Food news from across the peninsula

111 THE TABLE PROWLER …dines out at Canteen, St Agnes and St George & Dragon, Clyst St George

8

MANOR | Spring 2019

Space 114 FIELD OF DREAMS James Risebero, Field Studio

120 SHOPPING FOR SPACE Ahead of the curve

Escape 124 REAL MADRID Madrid, Spain

128 TRAVEL NOTES News, offers and more

132 ENCHANTMENT AWAITS Tanglewood, Cornwall

Spring 2019 MANOR school 137 NEWS IN BRIEF News from schools around the region

139 TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS GETS PERSONAL Sparx, Exeter

142 READING IN A DIGITAL AGE The value of reading

Property 147 PROPERTY OF NOTE

147

Bishops Quay, St Martin, Cornwall

151 THE RELOCATOR Focus on Tavistock, West Devon

156 SNAPSHOT COMPARATIVE A selection of properties in the South West and one in London with amazing outdoor spaces and gardens

Back Page 162 PRIZE DRAW Win a luxury break for two at the renowned Gidleigh Park, Devon

MANOR | Spring 2019

9

is brought to you by PUBLISHING EDITOR

Imogen Clements

imogen@manormagazine.co.uk

COMMISSIONING EDITOR

Jane Fitzgerald

jane@manormagazine.co.uk

FEATURES EDITOR

Fiona McGowan

features@manormagazine.co.uk

ARTS EDITOR

Belinda Dillon belinda@manormagazine.co.uk

FOOD EDITOR

Anna Turns

anna@manormagazine.co.uk

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Amy Tidy

amy@manormagazine.co.uk

ADVERTISING SALES

Jeni Smith

jeni@manormagazine.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

Elouise Abbott Gabrielle Hoad Mercedes Smith Claire Wheatcroft DESIGN

Eleanor Cashman Guy Cracknell

THE COVER Dress, DAKS, £370 Photographer: Mike Smallcombe Stylist: Mimi Stott Model: Teah Otomewo at Storm Management © MANOR Publishing Ltd, 2019.

MANOR Magazine is published by Manor Publishing Ltd. Registered office: MANOR Publishing Ltd, 12 Mannamead Road, Plymouth, Devon PL4 7AA. Registered in England No. 09264104 info@manormagazine.co.uk. Printed by Walstead UK.

10

MANOR | Spring 2019

Hello and welcome to MANOR’s Spring Issue.

It’s a time for fresh, new beginnings. We’re looking forward to the sunshine season with a spring in our step… not least because it’s also our birthday. The Spring Issue coincides with the date that this magazine came into being, which was 16 March. Four years ago! Time has flown.

I was once told, by someone wiser than me, to look to the future – with all its shiny new possibilities – with one eye on the past.

It’s good to remember where we’ve come from and comforting - faced with the future’s exciting unknowns - in a nostalgic kind of way. With that in mind, as it is our anniversary, we have included in this issue some MANOR Retrospectives. MANOR was conceived to champion the South West and showcase the great talent and groundbreaking work that comes out of our region. These retrospectives are therefore a reminder of some of what we’ve covered over the last four years, and a prompt to perhaps read them again? After all, every issue of MANOR can be read in full from our website.

Since launch, we have had the privilege of interviewing some quite phenomenal individuals for our As I See It section, not least Anthony Loyd, the multi award-winning Times war correspondent, whose latest scoop was to discover the ISIS bride, Shamima Begum, in a Syrian refugee camp. There’s also Robert Plant, who we interviewed from his hotel room in Australia; Britain’s favourite story teller, Michael Morpurgo; the doyenne of British literature, Fay Weldon, and then, in this issue, the phenomenally accomplished Prue Leith who revolutionised British cooking in the 20th century. Prue created a multimillion-pound cooking emporium with Leith’s School of Cookery, her Michelin-starred restaurant in Notting Hill and numerous best-selling cookery books. An accidental entrepreneur (‘I really just wanted to do something I enjoyed’), she sold her business 25 years ago and decided to focus on her other love of writing. Prue has now written seven romantic novels and a memoir, and remains a regular presence on our TVs, as a judge on Channel 4’s Bake Off. In 2010, Jon White was a 27-year-old captain in the Royal Marines, deployed to Afghanistan. Towards the end of his posting, he stepped on a bomb. He lost both legs above the knee and his right arm at the elbow. Jon’s story of how he dealt with this is one of incredible purpose and immense strength of mind. He has since built a house, competed in a 125-mile kayak race, embarked on a psychology degree and runs leadership programmes for corporate organisations. He also works closely with The Royal Foundation on their mission to improve mental health in the armed forces and wider afield. Far from compromised by his injuries, Jon has done more since that fateful day nine years ago than most of us do in a lifetime. Fiona McGowan meets him to find out more about this extraordinary individual.

Buying art is an intimidating process for the lay person. You enter a stark gallery, far removed from the domestic setting the work is destined for, only to find you’re often the only person viewing it under the watchful eye of a hopeful gallerist. Not generally an atmosphere conducive to selling. Which is why Fine Art @’s partnership with one of Devon’s most luxurious hotels, is such an ingenious one. The hotel is enhanced still further by displaying art of this standard; the work is seen in the most complementary of contexts, and by a relaxed, contented, captive audience who can afford it. Which hotel you ask? Go to page 32 to find out.

There is, as ever, much to indulge the senses in our Food, Culture and Escape sections, plus a wonderful gastronomic break to be won at Gidleigh Park on our Back Page. But with our Retrospectives, we hope that this issue will not just provide you with inspiration anew, but also remind you of the rich array of subjects we’ve covered since March 2015, all of which can be read at manormagazine.co.uk/issue-archive. For now, it’s back to the future. There are birthday celebrations to enjoy!

Imogen Clements FOUNDER & PUBLISHING EDITOR

@ManorMagazine

@manormagazine

Sign up to the MANOR newsletter to receive special offers and see what’s coming up at manormagazine.co.uk/newsletter Subscribe to MANOR for a year for just £30. Visit manormagazine.co.uk/subscribe

The views of the writers in MANOR Magazine are not necessarily those shared by the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts, artwork or transparencies are accepted on the understanding that the publishers incur no liability for their storage or return. The contents of MANOR Magazine are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without permission.

By submitting material to MANOR Magazine, MANOR Publishing Ltd is automatically granted the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use, reproduce, edit, distribute and display such material (in whole or part) and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed for the full term of any rights that may exist in such content. The contributor acknowledges that material submitted may

be published in any publication or website produced or published by MANOR Publishing Ltd. The contributor agrees not to submit material where they do not own the copyright and where they have not obtained all necessary licenses and/or approvals from the rightful owner.

With respect to any photographs submitted, the contributor confirms that all necessary model and property releases have been obtained from any clearly identifiable person appearing in any image, together with any other relevant consents required.

Prices and details of services and products are genuinely believed to be correct at the time of going to press, but may change. Although every effort is made to maintain accuracy we regret we are unable to honour any incorrect prices or other details that may be printed.

MANOR | Spring 2019

11

12

MANOR | Spring 2019

TOWN MOUSE, COUNTRY MOUSE Sweetness...

Darling...

Spring is here and I am positively brimming with joie de vivre. The sky is blue, the crocuses are blooming, and lambs are running out onto lanes with wild abandon. I love this time of year. It’s like I’m blossoming all over again. OK, all right, I know, less of the age gaffes but there is no better fever than Spring fever.

All this sunshine and buzz makes me want to be quite public with my displays of affection. Hugs. Wasn’t there a recent campaign for more hugs? I feel like as a nation, right now we need one big hug that squeezes the life out of us, like the Italians do. I once saw an Italian mother in the airport queue shower her teenage son with hugs and kisses that almost lifted him off his feet – her affection was so public, but neither was the least bit self-conscious about it. It was normal, to them. We Brits are so repressed. We’ve only recently graduated to air kisses. Any physical contact is viewed suspiciously. I, though, plan to counter that by taking more of a southern continental Europe approach to social interaction. I will throw my arms about more in conversation, open my mouth more to articulate and shout at my bemused British friends, ‘Call that a hug? This is a hug!’ If we all took that attitude and ‘embraced’ public displays of affection, the world would be a much happier place, don’t you reckon, sweetie? I should stand for parliament.

I love it, but, there are some among us who might like hugging a bit too much, if you know what I mean...

I do though agree we need to express more. There are many, it seems, in this part of West London who don’t like to smile for fear of laughter lines.

There’s also, of course, the fear of covert camera phones capturing you guffawing and then being broadcast via social media. Everyone is so controlled, I think many of us have forgotten how to laugh – you know… properly, involuntarily.

And we Brits are so funny (I would argue, the funniest), it’s a paradox. So, I accept that motion and I will extend your Public Display of Affection movement still further to Public Displays of Expression, just like, as you say, our southern European friends. It reminds me of the time when my Spanish friends came to visit me in London and were quite happy laughing, joking, gesticulating wildly in public, but stunned silent and quite perplexed at how the British, the professional well-todo amongst us, would have no qualms staggering onto the tube at night, plain drunk. Another paradox. Public Displays of Drunkenness have, it seems, never eluded us.

It’s interesting, I say, stroking my chin… that perhaps that comes from a natural human urge to publicly, emotionally express more, that’s been trained out of us by British stiff upper lip. We require alcohol lubrication to open us up and let it flow. Spring, and all its loveliness, is sufficient for me. Renewal, green shoots and sunny, carefree days ahead.

With plenty of laughter, and hugs.

WHAT’S COOL IN THE COUNTRY?

WHAT’S HOT IN THE SMOKE?

New performance initiative in Exeter, Scare the Horses is bringing exciting live events to unusual spaces in the city. scarethehorses.uk

Tate Britain is showing The EY Exhibition: Van Gogh and Britain where his work can be seen alongside British artists inspired by him including Francis Bacon, David Bomberg, and the Camden Town painters. From 27 March.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, adapted

by Jessica Swale will be performed at the Minack Theatre from 9-19 April. The cast includes a host of Cornish acting talent alongside members of the Minack Youth Theatre.

On 30 March, take part in Earth Hour. The World Wildlife Fund is encouraging people to switch off their lights from 8:30 - 9.30pm to raise climate change awareness. 7,000 cities and towns around the world will join London and some famous landmarks will also go dark.

TEDxExeter is back for another year of highly inspirational TED talks on 5 April. If you haven’t been able to secure a ticket, then the talks can still be livestreamed on the day.

Former head chef of Chiltern Firehouse, Patrick Powell, is opening Allegra in April - a seventh-floor restaurant with sky garden in the new Manhattan Loft Gardens development in Stratford.

Step into spring at the Cothele Daffodil Weekend and see the wonderful collection of daffodils grown on this impressive National Trust estate. Until 24 March.

The V&A’s Mary Quant exhibition, which shows how the 1960s fashion designer launched a fashion revolution on the British high street. From 6 April.

MANOR | Spring 2019

13

Key Spring Summer Looks 2019 Max Mara

With the start of a new season, we bring you a selection of themes trending for spring/summer 2019. Compiled by Amy Tidy.

UTILITY JOB

ARTS AND CRAFTS

Practical, sharp, stylish and versatile to do the job: utility never really goes away.

Cedric Charlier

DAKS

Max Mara

Tibi

Antonio Marras

Max Mara

Altuzarra

Self Portrait

Sophisticated, artisanal folk art, big on crochet trims and accessories.

TERRACOTTA SUNRISE

Self Portrait

Emilia Wickstead

Jasper Conran

Warm and vibrant terracotta often blended with camel and beige tones.

14

MANOR | Spring 2019

Roksanda

Roksanda

Pack a punch with highlighter shades of pink, yellow, green, blue and orange.

Altuzarra

Jasper Conran

NEON LIGHTS

Issey Miyake

Cedric Charlier

TROPICAL TAILORING

trends

BOW TIE Tied with a bow, the feminine embellishment that’s big, occasionally really big, this season.

Emilia Wickstead

DAKS

Erdem

DAKS

Tibi

PHOTO: FRÉDÉRIQUE DUMOULIN

Emilia Wickstead

Tutti-frutti shades in sharp suits, tailored blazers and cropped cigarette trousers.

PRINT BIG An eclectic pattern pick ‘n’ mix choose whatever you fancy.

FRINGE

Antonio Marras

Loewe

Self Portrait

Peter Pilotto

Erdem

Antonio Marras

Peter Pilotto

Altuzarra

Decorative trimmings of lace, feathers and fringing. Highend haberdashery.

MANOR | Spring 2019

15

Earrings, Next, £6

Terracotta sunrise

Altuzarra SS19

As the days lengthen, a colour palette inspired by hazy sunshine is majoring this spring. Hues of rust, brick and tangerine spice things up, while more neutral camels and beige tone it down. Compiled by Amy Tidy.

Jacket, Mango, £119.99

Dress, Hobbs, £169

Scarf, Mango, £12.99

Sunglasses Oliver Bonas, £45

Top, Topshop, £19

Dress, Wallis, £50

Top, Topshop, £32

Earrings, Oliver Bonas, £19.50

Bag, Topshop, £32 Shoes, Topshop, £56

16

MANOR | Spring 2019

Skirt, Next, £34 Top, Hobbs, £99 Shoes, Dune, £80

Bag, Whistles, £159

Loewe SS19

trends

Earrings, Oliver Bonas, £28 Jacket, Monsoon, £75

Bag, Next, £30

Top, Topshop, £8

Jumpsuit, Marks and Spencer, £69 Earrings, Oliver Bonas, £24

Dress, Whistles, £169

Top, Topshop, £35

Trousers, Marks and Spencer, £29.50

Jacket, Mango, £179.99

Shoes, Hobbs, £79

Trainers, Zara, £49.99 Trousers, Mango, £35.99

Bag, Next, £24

MANOR | Spring 2019

17

Earrings, Zara, £12.99

Print big

MaryKatrantzou SS19

The traditional silk scarf pattern steals the show and print goes big with baroque designs on shirts, skirts and dresses.

For a casual look, choose a shirt dress with sneakers or sandals and to dress it up, pair a lavish blouse with heels and gold accessories. Compiled by Amy Tidy.

Dress, Debenhams, £79

Skirt, Topshop Boutique, £85 Dress, Zara, £69.99

Bag, Zara, £29.99 Skirt, Next, £35 Shirt, Zara, £29.99

Shoes, Zara, £49.99

18

MANOR | Spring 2019

Necklace, Topshop, £14.50

Shoes, Zara, £79.99 Bag, Mango, £59.99

Necklace, Next, £14

Peter Pilotto SS19

trends Earrings, Next, £7

Top, Topshop Boutique,£69

Top, Marks and Spencer, £6.50

Top, Marks and Spencer, £39 Dress, Topshop, £49

Dress, Zara, £69.99 Shirt, Topshop, £49 Dress, Topshop, £39

Trousers, Mango, £19.99

Belt, Topshop, £30 Bag, Mango, £49.99

Shoes, Dune, £80

Trainers, Dune, £45 Bag, Topshop, £25

MANOR | Spring 2019

19

beauty

Spring clean It’s the season to freshen up, suggests make-up artist Elouise Abbott.

S

pring is here, with a distinct promise of sunshine and warmer days. As I emerge from winter hibernation mode, I like nothing more than a good spring clean and where better to start than the makeup bag. While my make-up kit is extensive, I keep my personal make-up bag minimal and use a lot of ‘multitaskers’ – after all, time is precious. A seasonal update ensures my make-up bag stays simple, current and (most importantly) safe. So now’s the time to check up on those ‘use by’ dates on your products. The packaging will show a ‘period after opening’ (PAO) symbol that resembles a little open pot. Inside a number is followed by the letter M, which represents its recommended shelf life after opening. Here’s what I’ll be replacing in my makeup bag this season.

Mascara is something I always remember to dispose of after the PAO (after just four to six months) as the wand is a breeding ground for bacteria and the likely culprit behind many an eye infection.

I have returned to an old favourite: L’Oréal Paris Double Extension Beauty Tubes Mascara. Its base coat and colour work together to form tubes around your eyelashes, making them look fabulous and up to 70 per cent longer, with no fall out and no smudging. Simply remove with warm water and the tubes slide off the eyelashes – great for sensitive eyes. To extend the mascara’s life and stop it from drying out, don’t pump it as this draws in air, making it dry out and go clumpy.

Eyeliner pencils are again a cream formula, so the PAO is usually around the six-month mark. I like a smudged-out brown Kohl for work, softly blended out on the top lid or lining the upper and lower waterline for a more feline effect: I love Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Dark Chocolate. Brown is incredibly versatile and slightly softer for spring – great for eyes of all ages. However, a super sharp graphic cat eye never dates so I wouldn’t be without Kat Von D Tattoo Liner for those razor-sharp wings. Mad Max Brown is a dark enough shade for some serious eye definition with a flattering modern vibe.

20

MANOR | Spring 2019

Foundation usually has a PAO of around 12 to 24 months so check your products individually.

Note that any separation or change of smell in a liquid or cream product usually indicates that it needs replacing. For spring-summer I like a lighter, dewier foundation for everyday. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser has enough coverage, hydration and SPF 20.

Powder products such as eyeshadows do not contain moisture and this, combined with their antibacterial properties, can mean a longer PAO of around 24 months. Avoid contaminating your eyeshadows with oil residue by using clean brushes and fingers. If you invest in something as beautiful as the Tom Ford Soleil Eye and Cheek Palette, you don’t want to ruin it! This little gem with its classic eyeshadow shades and perfect blush highlight combination might stay with me well beyond one season.

Lipsticks’ PAO range from around 12 months for a liquid format to 24 months for a cream, so check the packaging. Cream blushers can range from six to 12 months – definitely a seasonal buy. This time round I could not resist Milk Make-up Lip and Cheek in Perk – a beautiful coral shade with a light hint of shimmer.

All these fantastic products need to be applied to clean skin for best results. Try Evolve Organic Beauty Daily Detox Facial Wash. It’s a super fresh, super clean, superhero.

Make-up brushes should be cleaned at least once a week because they pick up oils, dead skin cells and moisture, becoming a breeding ground for bacteria and possibly leading to skin breakouts and infection. I clean my brushes with London Brush Company Pure Goat Milk Solid Brush Shampoo: English Lavender. It’s lovely to use and keeps brushes beautifully soft and fresh-smelling. elouise@manormagazine.co.uk

promotional feature

It’s spring 2019 and Saks Exeter have launched the new Saks styles to get you set for your best of times. Think date night. Think desk ‘til dawn. Think summer lovin’ and for when glam is ON.

S

aks salon owner Ellie Wilson says: “Just as bad hair days can bring you down, changing your hair can have a hugely positive effect on your mood. Whether it’s expertly applied colour that makes everyone want what you’ve got, taming the frizz that’s come from too much racing around on rainy days, or lifting a flat-do into a glamorous up-do for a night on the town, Saks Exeter can help. They have all the expertise and choice of styles to ensure you leave the salon with extra zing in your step to go out and make the very best of times!”

Saks has also pledged to raise £250,000 to aid The Eve Appeal’s essential research into gynaecological cancers. At time of print, they’ve raised over £140,000 towards this target.

Saks has been making women look and feel sassy for 45 years. Today the experts at Saks Exeter are all about your wow factor and wellbeing. Step in for a warm welcome, good chat and gorgeous hair that’ll help make a difference to your day.

Desk ‘Til Dawn

Just Chillin’

Date Night

Glam Is On

New to Saks Exeter? Have your first hair appointment for £25! Ask for T&Cs. To get set for your BEST OF TIMES with Saks, call 01392 256999, pop in or visit saks.co.uk/exeter 2 Bampfylde Lane, Princesshay, Exeter EX1 1GQ

MANOR | Spring 2019

21

Wistman’s Wood, Devon

My feel-good regime PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA ELLIOT

Anna Elliot lives on an organic farm in Bratton Clovelly with her husband Jon and Rusty their red Labrador, where they run a glamping safari tent business from spring until the autumn. She also works as sales and marketing director of the family vegetable and meat box business Eversfield Organic. Anna is preparing for her first Ironman – a long-distance triathlon consisting of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run, which all adds up to 70.3 miles.

I’m a very sporty person and I am currently training for my first Ironman 70.3. I swim regularly at Okehampton

Leisure Centre or on a slightly warmer day in Bude sea pool, which is a beautiful, part natural, part manmade swimming pool in the rocks at Summerleaze Beach. Dartmoor is my preferred choice for cycling, and the Devon hills or our farm lane for running. I have also kept my favourite school sport up – I play hockey for Bude with a great bunch of ladies. It is my way of escaping from the farm during the week to get my dose of sea air.

I thrive on being busy. To most my daily routine would

look quite absurd. I am following a training plan for my triathlons. During the week, when the evenings are dark, I fit in my training plan before work. This often involves a swim, run or cycle on the turbo trainer at 7am. Then a long day at work – with it being a family business, work never stops! As a family we also rotate the weekend farm duties, so Jon and I will often spend our weekends 22

MANOR | Spring 2019

mucking in, which I love – it keeps me in touch with farm practices and of course provides plenty of Instagram story content.

I try my best to factor in some quiet time. Any spare

time I get, I pick up a book. I am currently reading The Chimp Paradox by Professor Steve Peters. I absolutely love surfing, it is my chance to switch off and I am lucky to have a vast selection of North Devon and Cornwall beaches on my doorstep. My highlight surf last year was at Bude’s Widemouth Bay on New Year’s Eve with old school friends, followed by an essential Widdy hot chocolate from Widemouth Bay Café.

Jon and I love to take coastal and Dartmoor walks with our stud dog, Rusty. A favourite coastal walk involves the

Rectory Tearooms in Morwenstow. Not only do they have a fantastic brew, they also have the most incredible home-made cream teas. Another favourite is Hawker’s Hut National Trust walk, where Jon actually proposed

to me back in 2017, and we had visited the tearooms shortly before. On Dartmoor it has to be a walk in Wistman’s Wood, a beautiful ancient oak woodland full of intertwining trees locked in with impressive granite boulders and covered in mosses and lichens that festoon the trees.

I live and breathe the organic lifestyle on our farm, and I am all about wholesome food cooked from scratch.

I think eating whole foods is one of the best ways to ensure you are getting a well-balanced diet. As a selfconfessed flexitarian, I pack my meals full of fresh veg, energy-packed carbs and the best quality organic meat and sustainably caught fish. Snacks and treats tend to be made up of home-made fruit and nut bars, energy balls and the odd sweet treat here and there (it’s important to enjoy what you’re eating, too). It’s so good to have fresh produce readily available; living on the farm with a home delivery grocery business on my doorstep, I just collect my crate and decant it into my fridge. Many of my meals are plant-based so I eat meat in moderation.

Animal welfare, pasture-fed farming and traceability are all important factors to me when deciding what I eat.

LANGUISHING IN MY BAG Dr Hauschka Lip Care Stick. I suffer from dry lips especially with the amount of activities I do outdoors in all weathers. This cheeky little tube does exactly what it promises – softens, hydrates and protects.I have never been much of a make-up wearer, but I absolutely loved my wedding make-up, by Leanne at Beauty by Design, and have purchased all the below as a result. In my opinion, a natural look is best. MAC Honey Love matte lipstick: I only use for special occasions or going out for dinner.

My day-to-day choice would be MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash mascara. Bobbi Brown Medium bronzer with MAC Womaniser highlighter on cheeks is a must to hide my rosy red cheeks. I use MAC Brule eyeshadow all over the eyes, Deception blended in the corners and Dance in the Dark applied with an angled brush for the eyeliner on the upper eyelid. I get really dry skin from spending lots of time outside, so I always swear by Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream – it just does the trick. Finally, a spritz of Coco Mademoiselle, the classic. It was Jon’s first gift to me.

Follow Anna’s triathlon journey on @annaelliotUK

Stunning New Collections Now Available in Our Galleries and Online

beautiful fused glass interior pieces, handmade at our cornwall studio. bespoke design service available. galleries at st ives, padstow, fowey, tintagel and launceston in cornwall, ripley in surrey. or buy online at www.jodowns.com MANOR | Spring 2019

23

PHOTO: ALISON LAWRENCE

24

MANOR | Spring 2019

As I see it...

Prue Leith CBE is a British-South African cook, restaurateur, writer and business woman, who’s played a key role in the revolution of Britain’s eating habits since the 1960s. A judge on BBC Two’s Great British Menu for 11 years, she joined The Great British Bake Off in 2017 when it moved to Channel Four. As well as numerous cookery books, she is the author of seven romantic novels and a memoir, Relish. She lives in Oxfordshire with her husband. Interview: Imogen Clements.

All my life I’ve been mad about three things: cooking, writing and

business with art tagged on. At 50, I’d run the business for 25 years and thought if I don’t sell up and decide to never write another recipe as long as I live, I wouldn’t write that novel that I’d been thinking about all those years. So that’s what I did.

healthy food and then they all do a big clear-up. The only time the government has the opportunity for a huge intervention that will affect society as a whole is with children at school.

I can’t say no. I’ve always been keen to try things I’ve not

colleges take the money and wait for you to fail your exams after three years. I set out to be an actress as my mother was, and I liked the theatre, but I found I didn’t like acting. So I thought I’d do theatre design and went to art school. I stopped that because they said I had no talent and not to waste my money, which was quite correct.

done before. I nearly made the most appalling mistake because a few years ago I was asked to do Dancing on Ice and thought, ‘Fantastic!’ They can teach me to dance and I can learn to skate as well. I’ll get fit and lose a lot of weight, so yeah, why not? My secretary and her mate were in the room at the time and said in unison, “Nooo! You’ll break something!” I fall over a lot on level ground, so it was probably sensible to decline.

My parents were incredibly patient. After dropping out of art

I haven’t had many tragedies. When my first husband died, I

school I began architecture but couldn’t do the maths then, having switched to a BA in French and History of Art, I headed off to Paris halfway through my second year. After 18 months there I decided I wanted to be a cook. At which point my father died.

I think he probably thought I was pretty flaky so, whenever I’ve achieved anything, like Business Woman of the Year or a Michelin star, I always think, ‘There you are Dad, I wasn’t quite so flaky.’

was utterly miserable. Being widowed comes to many married women and I coped by working like crazy, getting through the first year in a mad blur of activity. I found the second year much harder, as I’d calmed down a bit by then.

Today you’d never be told you were no good. Universities and

Much to my surprise, what I loved doing grew into a serious business. I was living in London on my own and didn’t want

to go back to South Africa, so after I’d left the Cordon Bleu [cookery school] I had a bedsit and used to travel round doing people’s dinner parties. It started to grow – they would ask me to do their son’s 21st birthday party and then I started doing city directors’ lunches.

My great ambition, and so far I’m failing, is to see my trilogy adapted for TV. It was optioned originally but the company

who had it did not have time to work on it. They were keen on it and very complimentary but after a year and a half we’d not got anywhere. So, I took it away and forgot about it for a while but now I’m back on it.

There is an autobiographical element to my novels. It’s probably

One of the reasons I love business is that you feel you’re helping the economy go round. You pay your taxes, you do a good job, it

because I’m lazy, but nearly all my characters have something to do with food – they’re restaurateurs, publicans or farmers – and this last book, The Lost Son, is largely about the illegitimate baby from the first in a trilogy that’s set in the war. He comes back as an adult to find his family. A lot of that I got from John, my husband, because he was an illegitimate baby in the war. He didn’t look for his parents until his grown-up children said, “Aren’t you curious?” He’d said, “No, I’m fine,” but they rather insisted, and so he did it. And my daughter is adopted – my first husband and I decided we’d have one child and adopt a sibling for him.

grows, more people get employed and more children get sent to school. If you have a restaurant and you employ 30 people in it, that’s 30 families you’re helping. It’s just the most satisfying thing.

Accepting Bake Off, I remember thinking ‘Oh God, I’m going to be pilloried for promoting sugar.’ But, if you look at

I am from that generation when you’d save up for stuff and then buy it. You didn’t borrow all the time or buy on the ‘never

never’. The first time I went into debt was when I got the restaurant and that was £11,000 to my mother, who by then saw that I was serious, because I had a catering business.

I’m quite bossy but am usually prepared to believe there are other solutions to my own. When it comes to childhood obesity

though, I’m certain I know best, and that’s for the government to take school dinners seriously and make them a lesson. Lunch should be 40 minutes at least, so it’s down time – a change to the rhythm of the day that’s restorative for the students. They have to sit and eat a proper lunch. They learn table manners, the need to share and communicate with one another. Everyone takes turns in the kitchen learning about and preparing fresh,

how many people come into cooking, they nearly always – particularly as children – come through baking. Once you get into the kitchen and start to realise you can create stuff and it’s more delicious and cheaper if you’ve made it yourself, you graduate to other things. More people are cooking now because of Bake Off. The Lost Son, the final instalment of the trilogy ‘Angelotti Chronicles’

by Prue Leith is published on 11 April by Quercus. Prue will be at Chagword Literary Festival on the 23 March (see page 73).

MANOR | Spring 2019

25

As they see it...

Over the last four years, we’ve had some phenomenal individuals recline on the MANOR couch and open up about their life, career and the world as they see it. From top sportsmen and women to leading authors, explorers, award-winning journalists, TV, film and theatre stars, here are some quotes from just a few. All the interviews of every prominent individual we’ve featured can be read in full at the Read Online back issue archive on our website at manormagazine.co.uk/issue-archive.

I was a disaffected petty vandal in my youth. Like most teenagers

Simon Reeve ISSUE 1

PHOTO: LIZ MCCAULEY/WOMAN & HOME

I yearned for excitement, but I was uninspired and uninspiring.

I’d set fire to things, show up to school drunk, pay no attention. I saw the sole purpose of school as a means of chatting up girls. My educational record is poor.

Any woman who says she’s a post-feminist has kept her Wonderbra and burned her brains. We still have such a long

ISSUE 4

PHOTO: RICHARD CANNON

26

MANOR | Spring 2019

PHOTO:AMAYA HINTON MELLOR

PHOTO: PETER CLARK

Rachel Johnson

Kathy Lette ISSUE 2

I no longer go to war for the excitement and adrenalin factor as I did when I was 26 years old.

I blame the Big Bang and Richard Curtis for what’s happened to Notting Hill. We’ve

been here since 1978 when the neighbourhood was full of artists and middle-income professionals. Everything’s become absurd and ludicrously expensive. It’s all uber-gloss, which I can’t stand.

way to go. We’re runners-up in the human race. Women still don’t have equal pay – we’re getting 75 pence in the pound – and we get concussion hitting our heads on the glass ceiling.

I go to war now because I still think journalism is an important job and, after doing it for 22 years, I feel that I’m just about qualified to do it properly...

Every war story is just a story about people.

Anthony Loyd ISSUE 6

You don’t need to talk down to children. I could just look

I’ve been in this industry so long, I’m immune to fame. When

them in the eye and tell them the story I wanted to tell because I knew that they were as deep or as troubled or as interested and as sensitive as I was. There is an honesty, strangely enough, about telling fiction.

Tiswas went crazy it was like being a pop star, but we coped because we enjoyed it - it wasn’t a big deal. I haven’t signed an autograph for six months, but I’ve probably done 1,000 selfies in that time. I never say no.

There are so many pluses to what I do.

Michael Morpurgo

Chris Tarrant

ISSUE 7

ISSUE 15

retrospective

You’re only ever as good as your last novel. Writing is difficult,

There were always aspects of dressing up and pratting around for a living that I found embarrassing. I used to think

PHOTO: SEBASTIEN WILLNOW

but the career is not. And I was brought up before women had ‘careers’. Success is in the eye of the beholder, not the practitioner. I just found myself using fiction to explain people’s behaviour to themselves.

that just entertaining people wasn’t enough. I’ve always been plagued by a thing that I want to be doing something worthwhile.

Something that benefits others.

PHOTO: TWOFOUR / COLIN HUTTON

Fay Weldon

Martin Clunes

ISSUE 17

ISSUE 22

I’d hate to be another crusading twit. I try very hard not to

I’m like a reed at the side of the sea. The more I access the

pontificate about anything, because I think people, quite rightly, would say, “Why the hell should I listen to Alex Polizzi about anything?” – apart from the one thing that I really know about, which is the business that I’m in.

information highway, the more I think I’d like to be a crofter in the Outer Hebrides. It seems that there are so many shards of discontent and evidence of malpractice in politics that it just ends up as a huge pile of rancour, but nobody’s using it fortuitously to change regime.

Alex Polizzi

Robert Plant

ISSUE 24

ISSUE 25

I feel like there’s a mental health timebomb about to happen. If

I don’t read reviews. I’m

PHOTO:SUSANNE SCHLEYER

human. If you’re going to believe the good stuff they say about you, then you’re going to believe the bad. As long as the reviews are good for the play, that’s the most important thing – I don’t think we need to be chasing them for our own ego.

you look at the figures of eating disorders, self harm, all those kind of things – they’re still rising. We need to radically look at it as a health crisis. Politicians talk about mental health...but I don’t get the sense of urgency – lives and people’s quality of life is seriously threatened.

Matt Haig

Michelle Fairley

ISSUE 27

ISSUE 28

I love these big plays and felt that they needed to be relevant, because The Globe

Emma Rice ISSUE 30

PHOTO: NEIL COOPER

PHOTO:© GUARDIAN NEWS & MEDIA LTD, 2018

is such a popular venue. I see Shakespeare as the original populist, so I just thought we had to make the most exhilarating, exciting theatre.

It was emotional. There was no big plan; certainly no plan to upset people.

I’m the worst footballer known to man. At a top level it requires

incredible skill, but professional football and rugby are like chalk and cheese. If I’d played football to the same level as I have rugby, I’d have played for Chelsea, Real Madrid and I’d have earned an absolute fortune. But I chose rugby. When this ends, I’ve got to get another job.

James Haskell ISSUE 31

MANOR | Spring 2019

27

PHOTO: MATT AUSTIN

Leadership coach and inspirational speaker Jon White’s journey from commando to consultant has been marked by resilience and empathy. Words by Fiona McGowan.

28

MANOR | Spring 2019

feature

A

made him more determined to try again. A year later, he was accepted. Looking for challenge and a wider experience, he spent two years based in Scotland on a mountain training course that took him from the icy wastes of Norway to the granite cliffs of West Cornwall.

The Marines, particularly, would have helped to build a bedrock of resilience, but the training alone is no guarantee that someone wouldn’t experience the debilitating effects of trauma. Some of Jon’s colleagues who had been through the same training suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after their time in Afghanistan, he says. But, amazingly given the extent of his injuries, the psychologist who did Jon’s initial assessment found that he didn’t present with any need for psychological intervention.

Having always been interested in the workings of the mind, and with a few years of leadership training under his belt, Jon has spent quite some time analysing his own ability to overcome crises. He still doesn’t have all the answers, however: “I don’t know what that magic combination is,” he admits. “The author Carole Pemberton talks about resilience being a mix of genetic heritage, experiences, and support networks

PHOTO: MATT AUSTIN

fghanistan. 2010. A British soldier steps on a bomb and becomes one of 72 British service personnel to suffer amputations that year, making it one of the worst years for such injuries in the conflict.

That soldier was a young captain in the Royal Marines, and he lost both legs and his right arm instantaneously. His story of recovery – both mental and physical – is one of quite astonishing resilience.

Jon White, born and brought up in Devon, knew he was destined for the Marines from the tender age of 14. Now 35, his journey has taken him on a path he could never have imagined when he first wandered around a careers fair and became fixated on joining the military. Since losing his limbs, he has bought a plot of land near Tiverton and built an impressive house that featured on Grand Designs; he has two small children; he’s met dozens of heroes and public figures; and he now runs leadership programmes for organisations as diverse as private equity companies, Travis Perkins and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). He has competed in a marathon 125-mile non-stop kayak race from Devizes to Westminster (he’s now in training for the same race this year), and he’s currently studying for a Master’s in Psychology at Exeter University.

Resilience is a big theme in Jon’s leadership courses and has obviously been a vital part of who he is today.

Unpacking where resilience comes from is a tricky game. As any parent knows, resilience is a character trait. One child might be just more able to cope with the vagaries of life than another. Upbringing, of course, adds to that, and then there are the conscious efforts through adulthood – and certainly through military training – that hone those skills. Jon clearly has that innate resilience, although he would be hard-pushed to identify its source. He thinks back to his childhood: “My dad instilled some of the really important foundations.

That sense of perseverance, preparation, doing things properly,” he says. “Whether it be sitting out the full five hours of a fishing match in the most horrendous conditions, or whether it was going through the process of learning to rock climb as an 11-year-old, he taught me – not in an explicit way, in a very implicit way – how to assess risk and make good choices.”

The Marines is notoriously tough to join, and Jon’s father – a Royal Marine himself – initially tried to discourage him from joining up straight after school.

“Part of it was worry that it’s not a very easy thing to get into,” explains Jon. “It doesn’t take much – only a small injury or face not fitting at the right time…” And he was right to be concerned. At 17, when he took the assessment, Jon didn’t get in. He was gutted, to put it mildly. “It ripped me apart for a few months. I was 17 and I was turned away. For the previous three years, that had been my only focus, and they said, ‘No, we don’t want you’.” But, after an initial wobble, the rejection

MANOR | Spring 2019

29

feature and relationships. Can I work out what made mine the perfect combination? No. But I’ve had testing but not devastating experiences all through my life. I think my parents in their own ways have both got a level of resilience. And I was very lucky to have a good support network around me. I have a sister. I had a girlfriend at the time when I was injured, who eventually I married.”

His analytical mind led him to start to question his career in the Marines shortly before his tour in Afghanistan. In his mid-20s, he was beginning to get frustrated with some of the rigid structures in the military: “Sometimes, people get obsessed by the systems, and they don’t understand that outside of a mechanical system, bureaucratic process systems are just human inventions,” he says. “They absolutely can be changed, adjusted, broken. And it’s about knowing who is needed to make the right decisions to do that.” But, having considered his options – particularly leaving the Forces without a degree and having to start a civilian career from the ground up – he thought it was safer, career-wise, to stay in the Marines for another 10 years.

And then his unit was sent out on that fateful second tour in Afghanistan.

The story of the explosion is intense – and a fascinating insight into the body’s ability to keep going in spite of massive trauma. Back in the summer of 2010, Jon and his patrol were walking a ridgeline above the patrol base. On the other side of the ridge was a Taliban stronghold, and Jon’s troop carried out regular patrols to ensure that a neighbouring farm had not been compromised. The Marines were widely spaced out in single file, with the leader checking for mines with a metal detector. Jon’s last memory of walking was looking

up at the ridgeline, then: “Everything went into slow motion. I’m looking up at this grey dawn sky, flying through the air and I thought to myself: ‘Oh God, it’s me.’ Then I hit the floor.” He’d been blown some distance away, and shouted to his patrol that he’d been hit, then began to radio a report to base. He says he felt no pain but was vaguely aware that he had lost his feet.

Trying to reach his pack for his tourniquets, he realised his right arm was non-functioning. At some point, he passed out. The reports across the airwaves were not good – loss of limbs, major blood loss, sporadic loss of consciousness… Amazingly, though, he came to as the quad bike arrived to take him back to the base. “I was giving a running commentary on where we were and what was going on. Trying to make a few jokes... I was desperate to hold on to consciousness and I thought, ‘I’ve got to keep talking to let the guys know I’m OK and keep them calm.’ There’s also a little bit of bravado that takes over…”

It was 45 minutes from when the explosion occurred to the arrival of the helicopter. During that time, bar a few minutes, he was conscious and had been given no painkillers – they couldn’t administer morphine to a casualty who had previously lost consciousness. It was only when Jon overheard a radio conversation that implied the helicopter would be delayed that panic began to set in, and the pain hit him. “I don’t really know how to describe it.

I have this vague memory of a deep, burning throbbing in my legs. I remember that was the point when I started crying. I couldn’t bear the pain any more. I just needed to be put to sleep.” Once on the helicopter, he was given anaesthetic: “I have this memory of my head rolling onto my right shoulder and looking out of a porthole window

Pictured with David Cameron and Barack Obama at 10 Downing Street, 2011.

30

MANOR | Spring 2019

feature

PHOTO: RANDY RICHARDSON

We are trying to create an educational campaign to change the conversation around mental health. and seeing the ground move as the helicopter took off.

Then my eyes just shut.” He woke up in hospital in Birmingham three days later, already, somehow, having come to terms with the loss of his limbs.

Jon says he feels no regret about what happened to him. For anyone – particularly a physically active man in his 20s – the loss of limbs could have been devastating. His career in the military was effectively over. It would have been entirely forgivable if he lay in hospital wishing he hadn’t made some of the decisions that led to his situation, but he didn’t. “Early on,” he says, “I had to actively not think about negative stuff. Not let it creep in, and very soon that became habit and nature.” Staying focused on his goals was key. Within a handful of weeks, he had achieved the physical requirements to be discharged, and then his focus became on learning to walk, deciding to build a house, planning his marathon kayak race… not to mention having two children and starting a new career.

After a brief foray into construction work after the success of the Grand Designs-featured house (“There were parts of the house where I was literally in there building it, just because I knew what it was I wanted”), Jon began to do leadership talks and courses, using his experiences in military systems and more specifically his resilience, to help create projects for the corporate sector as well as the MoD and the NHS. Among many inspiring individuals Jon has met since leaving the Marines – from generals to CEOs – spending 45 minutes with Kofi Annan was one of the most insightful. Jon says that Kofi emphasised the importance of leadership in every layer of society. “The person that decides to take a summer break to teach Maths and English to underprivileged kids – that’s important leadership, right there. The person who’s running this café with however many employees, who have potentially got families and other relationships and all of those things – that’s important. You’re having an effect on people.”

Empathy is key to the way he helps his clients to appreciate that good leadership and good business is dependent on understanding the human impact of your

decisions and actions. “I talk about this a lot. Trying to get people to recognise the impact they’re having. We’re so often blind to it. It’s not just about the numbers.” Of course, there’s no guarantee that any of this will change the culture of the businesses he is sent to help. “Some of it will have an effect, and some of it won’t. And you know what, some of their decisions might still be the same, but it’s just creating that extra level of awareness that things are being thought through. Instead of just thinking about this in one dimension.”

Jon is fired up about his latest project with The Royal Foundation. The wide-ranging charity has been set up by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Kate) and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan) with a broad remit to change mindsets throughout society – from mental health in schools to supporting army veterans and from community projects to global conservation. As part of the Heads Together mental health campaign, The Royal Foundation is introducing a programme in the MoD. Jon has been asked to help design the course. “We are trying to create an educational campaign to change the conversation around mental health and get people to think about it as something they can engage with on a day-to-day basis proactively and improve and work on. Rather than just being about mental illness,” Jon explains, “it’s recognising that there is a spectrum and we all sit somewhere on the spectrum and move about on it, and that it’s not just binary (you’re OK or you’re not). It’s not something you should only be talking about when things go wrong. It’s about asking yourself: ‘How can I be a little bit better?’”

The impact of that bomb nine years ago could not have been further from its intended goal. Instead of devastation and destruction, its impact has been one of far-reaching positivity, thanks to Jon’s extraordinary determination to recover and his passionate drive to help others. royalfoundation.com thewhitehousefuture.co.uk

MANOR | Spring 2019

31

A luxurious stay and fine dining at Lympstone Manor now also comes with a menu of fine art and sculpture, as Imogen Clements discovers.

A

rt. The viewing and buying of it have, for centuries, been firmly established and quite rigid concepts. To buy an original work of art has invariably required going to a gallery to view a selection hung in a minimalist and rather austere environment where there are no distractions beyond the art and the watchful eye of the gallerist only too keen to help you in order to sell to you. You are usually the only person there and it can feel pressured and intimidating.

Just as this arrangement has been a restrictive process for any lay prospective buyer, so it is for all parties involved. An artist has to wait to be represented by a gallery. The gallery has only a limited period in which to market their work and, beyond the exhibition’s opening night, there can be low footfall (for reasons already mentioned) and then the prospective buyer has 32

MANOR | Spring 2019

to view the work in an environment far removed from that in which they’re likely to place it. All of which has a bearing on the art’s chances of selling.

Which is why the partnership between Lympstone Manor and Fine Art @ is such an ingenious one.

Lympstone Manor is one of Devon’s most luxurious hotels, opened in 2017 by Michael Caines MBE, the same Michael Caines who, in his 21 years as head chef at Gidleigh Park, gained two Michelin stars and drew people from all over the UK to dine at the elegant Dartmoor hotel. In 2016, he left Gidleigh to embark on his own hotel venture and in April 2017 opened Lympstone Manor, this time as both hotel proprietor and head chef.

It is located on the banks of the River Exe and offers sublime views over the estuary. The Grade II listed Georgian building was renovated and fitted out to the

feature highest standard to offer a luxury hotel that matched in all aspects of its hospitality the high standard of haute cuisine for which Michael is known.

Wendy Adams, who’d known Michael from his time at Gidleigh Park and seen the talent and drive he possessed, invested in his new venture and became a director of Lympstone Manor. Wendy had always had an interest in art, with her own personal collection of paintings and sculpture growing over the years. Living on the border of Devon and Cornwall, both rich in artistic talent, she has met and established friendships with many artists, watching them at work in their studios, learning from each their influences and creative process and following their progress. Getting to know the artists showed Wendy how hard it is for a lot of them to break into the commercial art world. It was this genuine regard for professional artists and her love of art that led Wendy to want to establish her own art company, but an art company with a difference.

On becoming a director and discovering that Michael shared her interest in the arts, so the concept of Fine Art @ was born. Instead of displaying art in the conventional setting of a gallery, to which interested buyers have to make an active decision to enter and view the work, she took a more passive approach. This refined hotel would display the art on its wall, or sculptures in its gardens, and guests would view them while staying at the hotel. The viewing would therefore be a natural, not intimidating, experience that could be done in the guest’s own time, as part of the overall hotel experience.

Should any guest be interested in a work, they can enquire discreetly about it without having to talk to anyone. Each individual piece is labelled clearly with title, artist, price, dimensions, medium and a QR code.

This code can be scanned with any smartphone, instantly

MANOR | Spring 2019

33

feature

linking the visitor to further information regarding the piece, along with imagery and the option to purchase the piece. An online catalogue features more information about each artist, their history and prominence within the art world. There is also, for each exhibition, an accompanying printed catalogue and booklet that is freely available around the hotel.

Displaying and selling art in this way is a clever idea that benefits all. Michael Caines, as a young, Michelin-starred chef embarking on his first premium hotel, had not built up an art collection. Partnering with Fine Art @ has given him the instant means by which to decorate his hotel with work in keeping with its refined environment, while for Fine Art @, Lympstone Manor provides a captive audience, relaxed and enjoying their stay, who, should they like the art they see, have the means with which to buy it. They are effectively precisely the right target audience. For the prospective art buyer, there is no pressure, just a relaxed environment that shows the work in situ – hung or placed to enhance a domestic setting more akin to their own home than a gallery would be. Doubtless, guests who come purely for a gastronomic weekend end up taking home something precious and tangible with which to mark their time at Lympstone Manor, making it particularly special.

To keep things fresh and varied, exhibitions run every three months seasonally and range from solo shows to mixed curations. The decision of what to exhibit is the responsibility of Laurence Hudson (curator of art) and Jan Laver (curator of sculpture) who put forward prospective work to Michael and the hotel team to check if they’re happy and consider it suitable for the hotel environment. Laurence and Jan visit studios across the country and exhibitions of both up-and-coming talent 34

MANOR | Spring 2019

alongside more established prominent artists. In doing so, they have ensured the same high quality throughout all of the exhibitions shown at the hotel from the first – an original exhibition with Kurt Jackson – to the most recent – a mixed show with Louise Fairchild, Mark Poprawski, John Brenton and Stewart Edmondson.

There is also a permanent exhibition on the upper floors of the hotel.

As Lympstone Manor approaches its second birthday, Michael Caines is clearly pleased with the arrangement, in that it has expanded beyond the hotel’s rooms into the grounds with sculpture from some of the South West’s most renowned sculptors. Recent installations include Dominic Welch’s monolithic Rising Form VI, Jilly Sutton’s The Sleeper and Pete Tatham’s Atlas:dust to dust.

Michael plans to make this sculpture garden a key feature of his hotel’s anniversary celebrations: “We’ve been working with Wendy, Jan and Laurence now for two and a half years. Our latest project is the sculpture park.

Our ‘Ladies Walk’ around the grounds currently features The Meadow, The Orchard, The Ponds, The Paddock, The Woodland and what I call ‘The Jurassic Hill’ where these incredible sculptures will be displayed. We plan to launch The Ponds and Sculpture Park to celebrate our second anniversary on 2-3 April 2019.”

Such has been the success of the partnership that Wendy and her team plan to extend the concept to other premium hotels and locations.

Fine Art @’s next exhibition 15 April – 29 July 2019 at Lympstone Manor will also show portraiture of Al Saralis, Katya Gridneva and Mark Demsteader. fineartat.com lympstonemanor.co.uk

MANOR | Spring 2019

35

Feature presentation MANOR goes far and wide, but our mission has always been to champion the South West and do so in such a way that would be fascinating, inspirational and aspirational to all – regardless of whether they’re Devon, London or New York-based. It’s not been hard – there are so many impressive individuals, organisations and initiatives in the region. Here we remind you of just a few that we’ve covered over the last four years. All the stories can be read in full at manormagazine.co.uk/issue-archive.

Henry Swanzy is a maker of handfinished furniture, operating out of Falmouth, whose award-winning work sells to clients across the country.

Tom Raffield designs out of a workshop in Helston and is now well known for his beautiful and unique steam-bent wooden furniture and accessories. He sells his sculptural and distinctive works throughout the UK via retailers like John Lewis, and worldwide.

Henry Swanzy

Tom Raffield

ISSUE 3

ISSUE 5

PHOTO: MIKE SMALLCOMBE

PHOTO: THE EDEN PROJECT

A passionate environmentalist with the drive of a risk-embracing entrepreneur, Sir Tim Smit, creator of The Eden Project, has taken the idea across the globe with the intention of building an Eden Project on every continent. Work has commenced in China.

Tom Kay founded multimillion-pound surf brand Finisterre in 2003 from a small flat above a shop in St Agnes, Cornwall where the HQ still resides.

Sir Tim Smit

Finisterre

ISSUE 7

ISSUE 5

36

MANOR | Spring 2019

retrospective

Formerly based in Bristol, multimedia artists Davy and Kristen McGuire create intimate theatre experiences and art installations combining video projection, papercraft and silent storytelling.

Shadow play

What started out as a grassroots movement against raw sewage in our seas has become a powerful environmental charity tackling the massive issue of plastic polluting our oceans.

ISSUE 15

Hugo Tagholm, Surfers Against Sewage ISSUE 9

Tree chic ISSUE 29

PHOTO: NICHOLAS LEACH

From a valley in Devon, Rupert McKelvie builds wood cabins that are as ergonomic and cosy, as they are stylish.

The RNLI is a charity powered almost entirely by volunteers from all walks of life, with a wide range of day jobs, who are willing to drop everything at the sound of their pager, to take to stormy seas and save lives.

RNLI ISSUE 30

PHOTO: E C WOODARD

Growing up in rural Cornwall amongst a menagerie of animals has had a major influence on illustrator Emily Carew Woodard’s work.

The appeal of her evocative illustration is such that it has caught the eye of Roald Dahl’s family, Alexander McQueen’s studio as well as The Times and Vogue. And MANOR!

By harnessing the power of nature and science, Bristol-based company Clear Water Revival create natural swimming pools that make for an altogether more pleasant and ecofriendly swim.

E C Woodard

Natural swimming pools

ISSUE 13

ISSUE19

MANOR | Spring 2019

37

At MANOR, we’ve never been afraid to give over pages to stunning photography. The South West boasts immensely talented photographers with quite breathtaking portfolios of work. This issue’s Photostory takes a look back at some of the photography we’ve shown on this section in previous issues. All the Photostories can be revisted at manormagazine.co.uk/issue-archive.

38

MANOR | Spring 2019

photostory retrospective

Dreamscapes by Neil Burnell, Issue 13 MANOR | Spring 2019

39

Portrait gallery by James Cheadle, Issue 15 40

MANOR | Spring 2019

photostory retrospective

All the world’s a stage by Matt Austin, Issue 6 MANOR | Spring 2019

41

42

MANOR | Spring 2019

photostory retrospective

Mud brothers by Juliette Mills, Issue 1 MANOR | Spring 2019

43

Rear view by Nik Strangelove, Issue 26 44

MANOR | Spring 2019

photostory retrospective

A different spin by Andrew Butler, Issue 8 MANOR | Spring 2019

45

46

MANOR | Spring 2019

photostory retrospective Bike frames by Ian Lean, Issue 31

MANOR | Spring 2019

47

Growing together by Matt Austin, Issue 12 48

MANOR | Spring 2019

photostory retrospective

In the dark of a black velvet box by Isabel Bannerman, Issue 23 MANOR | Spring 2019

49

“A three-metre long mako shark in the southern Red Sea, Egypt.”

At the sharp end by Charles Hood, Issue 21 50

MANOR | Spring 2019

photostory retrospective

Ocean splendour by Victoria Walker, Issue 27 MANOR | Spring 2019

51

52

MANOR | Spring 2019

photostory retrospective Higher perspective by Matthew Burtwell, Issue 28

MANOR | Spring 2019

53

Experimental landscape painter Anthony Garratt is making waves as well as the sound of music with his ground-breaking installation out at sea. Fiona McGowan uncovers the story.

SCAR - a piece from artist collaboration, Cawston Garratt

54

MANOR | Spring 2019

feature

L

PHOTO: JIMMY SWINDELLS

Anthony Garratt

PHOTO: RICHARD BROOMHALL

andscape paintings of the natural environment don’t often have much to say. It’s usually about the artist’s interpretation of what they see, how they want to represent it, and with what skill they play with the aesthetics. Rarely do we see a narrative. Totnes-based Anthony Garratt, though, is all about the story.

His work has taken a journey of its own. Once upon a time, his big canvases drew comparisons with those of Kurt Jackson. Great sweeps of ocean or furrowed land, looming skies, a hint of a storm or a glitter of weak moonlight. These days, though, he’s moved on from that, and his work is more in the category of ‘experimental landscape’ – the name of the course that he teaches at Newlyn School of Art. Having done a foundation course in Art and Design in Chelsea, and graduated from Falmouth University, Anthony headed to London for a job in design for a marketing agency. Drawn back to the West Country, he moved to Bristol in 2005, where he worked freelance as a marketing and branding designer – all the while painting in his spare time. There’s a highly practical side to this young artist – for all his creativity, he is grounded and attuned to the realities of making a living in a world where making a niche for yourself (and shouting about it on the internet) is absolutely vital.

Anthony’s paintings, he says, have been in a constant state of development. Perhaps one of the biggest shifts has been from depicting straightforward landscapes to incorporating a narrative. As someone who grew up on a smallholding and with parents who loved sailing (“I used to hate it,” he admits, “Before you understand it, it’s just horrible and wet”), Anthony’s engagement with the landscape is intrinsic to who he is. He now loves sailing and has crewed on racing boats, including in the notorious Fastnet: “It’s a dodgy bit of water, but there’s something really exciting about a storm and being in a team together.”

It’s this passion that drew him to study at Falmouth, where he also got into surfing. Seascapes have dominated his art in the past and inspired him to create his first series of canvases as installations on the island of Tresco in the Scillies. The four paintings were set up and left in the landscape for 18 months. “It was a gamble,” says Anthony, remembering the process. “The idea of exhibiting paintings long-term outside is not something that’s been done very much. I was basically putting all my money into this project and I didn’t know whether it would pay off.” He discovered that installing a big canvas on the edge of an island is more technical than you might think. “There’s something challenging about the fact that it’s basically a huge solid sail. There’s a lot of engineering that has to go behind it.” He asked Falmouth architect Michael Hormann to help him, and they worked with shipwrights Mark and Loz Cann from Falmouth to build them.

By good fortune, a visitor to Tresco and owner of a

Appletree Bay, Tresco Island - part of the Tresco Four installation, 2014.

MANOR | Spring 2019

55

feature

There’s something challenging about the fact that it’s basically a huge solid sail. There’s a lot of engineering that has to go behind it.

PHOTO: RICHARD BROOMHALL

Garratt creating the High and Low installation in Snowdonia

business on Anglesey, contacted Anthony to create a landscape installation on the four corners of Anglesey.

Bun Matthews has since become a patron of Anthony’s work, particularly encouraging him to continue with the eye-catching – and marketing-friendly – landscapes as installations.

Anthony was more determined to incorporate a message in his art. His next undertaking in North Wales was to give him this impetus. The installation, in 2016, called High and Low, was painted in situ in Snowdonia and was a treatise on the steady decline of the mining industry in contrast to the scenery above ground, whose only changes are in the wind and the weather. The canvases were huge, and Anthony decided to install one in a deserted slate mine, while the other, a double-sided landscape, was to float on a raft tethered to the middle of a lake at the foot of Snowdon. The engineering side of the project appealed to him, and he asked Mark and Loz to help. The result is a painting that spins and drifts with the wind and the movement of the water. The underground canvas has paints that are imbued with rust to symbolise and mimic the decline of the mines, and it sits in a slate mine as part of an educational exhibit.

Anthony’s latest outdoor project is back on Anglesey supported by Bun Matthews and her luxury holiday business. Now fully engaged in the idea of telling a story through his landscapes, he has incorporated another passion of his: music. An accomplished pianist, he wrote and performed a score for the High and Low video, and now he wants his five-metre wide painting to make music. Sitting in his freezing cold studio in an old bakery in Totnes, surrounded by static pieces of art that are clearly not about to start producing any melodies, I struggle to understand how this is even possible.

The Anglesey canvas, explains Anthony, will be like 56

MANOR | Spring 2019

a giant weather vane. It will catch the wind and move like a sail. And every time the wind moves it, the data from its movements will form a musical score. I can’t hide my confusion. Patiently, Anthony goes into more detail: “We’re working out the way of the wind at five to six each day – the time of the shipping forecast – and drawing an arc of direction change. So, it’s basically a line on a circle each day. The circle will be broken down into eight sections which forms an octave. That constitutes the length and nature of notes for that day.”

And if you understand that, you are a better person than I. The end result, apparently, is that there will be a theme – a sort of dong dong dong – caused by the prevailing wind. The rest of the notes will form a composition that will be performed by a Welsh male voice choir and a concert violinist, Philippa Mo. But that’s before we even get to the painting itself. For that we need to go back to 1859 when a terrible storm wrecked The Royal Charter, a steam clipper en route from Melbourne to Liverpool. It went down off the coast of Anglesey and over 450 people died. Many other ships were sunk in the storm that night. It led directly to the introduction of the gale warning service, which still exists today. Anthony’s painting will depict that storm and will be positioned off the coast – viewable, he says, through a telescope. There’s some social commentary implicit in this, too: “As a whole, people tend to be quite inward-looking these days,” Anthony says thoughtfully. “People are looking at their phones – I don’t think kids are engaging with heritage much anymore. So, these projects are a way of inspiring people to look up and out at a piece of history.”

While this five-metre wide installation will be launching in March, there are many other strings to Anthony’s bow. Not one to be pigeonholed, he continues to experiment – there are landscapes from his recent

feature

Puffing Billy, 90 x 60cm, mixed media on canvas

residency in South Africa, a place close to his heart: “I’ve got cousins and family there. My mum was born in Zambia. I love Africa. I’ve travelled a lot through Zimbabwe and Zambia. Uganda…” He accepted the residency, he says, partly because it was in an area that is being re-wilded after centuries of overgrazing.

“They ruined the land completely. Now, the locals are trying to make it an extension of the World Heritage Site and gradually allow freedom of movement for animals. Leopards, especially. It’s a lovely project.” He painted big, raw landscapes that touch on the abstract – emphasising the dry, desolate soil, some with a hint of lush green in the distance. He also developed a series of stylised architectural images of views across the veld from the sharp white lines of a veranda. They are strikingly different from his other landscapes.

“I’m quite an erratic painter. I paint in about four different styles at once. Which is a bit confusing for people,” says Anthony, casting his eye over the many paintings propped up around his studio. The style is evolving, the landscapes incorporating more abstract elements: graffiti-like Day-Glo streaks; raw materials from the site. There are collages made up of landscape paintings that have been torn up and hashed together to form semi-abstract, almost Cubist images. And there is a series of surreal collage-like works which will form the next London exhibition – a collaboration with

landscape photographer Barry Cawston. Cawston’s sweeping Ansel Adams-esque photographs are daubed over and tinkered with by Anthony’s distinctive brushwork to create dream-like vistas. It’s not for nothing they are calling the show ‘Disturbia’.

Anthony is very clear-sighted about his own artistic journey – he is starting to understand how his experimentation can take him in new directions. He is learning to find his own brand outside of his gallery shows (he is represented by Thackeray Gallery, London).

He is starting to make his voice heard – to spread his wings creatively. “Previously, I was just practising painting,” he says. “There wasn’t much intellectual content behind it, I suppose. Which is an important stage to go through. You never learn to paint, you just accumulate tools and ways of using marks.” With other major projects on the horizon (quite literally), it seems as though those tools and marks may well be coming together to bring Anthony Garratt onto a bigger platform. Watch. This. Space.

All at Sea installation on Anglesey – launch mid-May 2019. agarratt.com cawstongarratt.com toallatsea.co.uk artforgood.co.uk

MANOR | Spring 2019

57

58

MANOR | Spring 2019

Culture Jem Southam | James Lake | Jesse Leroy Smith South West must sees | The Exhibition Space | Worth making the trip for | Staying in

Painter Delfina Muñoz de Toro’s work is showing as part of ‘Gäa: Holistic Science and Wisdom Tradition’, until 18 May at The Exchange, Princes Street, Penzance TR18 2NL. newlynartgallery.co.uk

MANOR | Spring 2019

59

Jem Southam is a leading British landscape photographer with an international reputation, yet he’s happiest working within a few miles of his home in Exeter – as Gabrielle Hoad finds out when discussing his latest show at Plymouth’s Levinsky Gallery.

Roosting Wagtails, Exeter, 2015

60

MANOR | Spring 2019

culture

T

hink of a Victorian photographer – his camera mounted on a sturdy tripod, his head under a black cloth – and you have some idea of what it’s like to encounter Jem Southam on one of his outdoor photo shoots. He’s best known for working with a hefty 10 x 8 plate camera, which he has hauled around the British countryside, everywhere from Cornwall to Cumbria, for more than 20 years.

While this traditional film camera delivers pictures of outstanding subtlety and detail, each shot requires painstaking set-up and operation. But it’s not just the cumbersome nature of this equipment that keeps Jem close to home. It’s the way he allows his subjects to find him: “Almost everything I do comes from places I bump into in my daily life,” he tells me, adding that, having settled on a location for work, he is compelled to revisit it, time after time, often over many years.

“My pictures are about the investigation of a site and the complex set of histories that are manifest in any place,” he says. “When I begin, I have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen. I’m somehow interested in a location and so I take a picture. And sometimes I go

back and take another picture and, if I think something’s beginning to move, I go on accumulating until I build a piece of work.”

Although he’s now embraced more portable digital technology, there’s plenty of evidence of the same patient working practice in his current exhibition in Plymouth.

In contrast to earlier shows, which have often featured multiple images of a single site, ‘Birds, Rocks, Rivers, Islands’ at the Levinsky Gallery is a chance to sample a far wider range of Jem’s work. Cutting across different subjects and a variety of cameras and capture systems, it comprises around 50 colour photographs, made and presented in short series, from Roosting Wagtails in Exeter city centre to The long white cloud, made during an academic exchange in New Zealand. “They are little studies about natural history,” he explains.

He’s thinking of amateur scientists, such as Gilbert White, the 18th-century vicar of Selbourne, who accrued careful observations of a single place, often over many years. “This simple, quiet notation led to much of the knowledge we have today,” says Jem, who also refers to his own work as ‘photographic notating’. It’s easy to

The River - Winter, Bickleigh, 2011

MANOR | Spring 2019

61

culture

My pictures are about the investigation of a site and the complex set of histories that are manifest in any place.

Rain Cascades Mountains, Fiordland, New Zealand

Les Petites Dalles, Normandy, 2005

62

MANOR | Spring 2019

see his close and particular observations of landscape as part of the same tradition. To underline this connection, the Plymouth show includes historic taxidermy and geology specimens on loan from the City Museum, as well as a small library of natural history books.

But what led this self-confessed ‘digital dyslexic’ away from the slower processes of analogue photography? As Professor of Photography at Plymouth University, Jem had begun to experiment with digital in support of his students. But chance also played its part: he fell down a flight of stairs and seriously injured his left arm. “It’s bizarre how one’s life is shaped,” he says. “I couldn’t carry the big camera and, even with a small digital camera, I could only take pictures one-handed. And I still do it now, waving the camera around. One of my rules is that I don’t try to replicate the type of pictures I made with the plate camera.”

Working with digital began as an experiment, a desire to “push the medium around and indulge in the sheer pleasure of picture-making”, but it developed into a more profound body of work when his brother became seriously ill four years ago. Jem is visibly emotional as he relates the story of going to the river at Brampford Speke at dusk just hours after leaving his brother’s bedside.

“When you get that close to mortality, your senses are really heightened – but only for a very short period of time. While I was there, two mallards pushed away from the bank, and I took a digital snap of them. And I had the realisation that I’d been given this extraordinary gift.

I decided to come back to this spot as often as I could, wait for something to happen, and make a picture of it.”

Over the following years he returned to the river, not only at dusk but also before dawn, and became fascinated by a group of swans merging into and emerging from the darkness. “The series The Wintery Heavens is my third winter along this part of the river. The title came from a feeling that the birds and I were on this huge wheeling globe, with the moon and stars and planets passing overhead – and how extraordinary it is just to be alive and alert to the world.”

This is Jem Southam’s way: to celebrate the act of observing. Which is why, when I ask him what it means to photograph the landscape at a time of environmental crisis, he is dismissive – not of the issue itself, but of what his work might have to say about it. He may photograph crumbling cliffs at Sidmouth or the debris left behind as autumn floods recede on the River Exe, but he doesn’t set out to convey particular messages through the making of a picture.

For example, The River – Winter is five images of the same stretch of the River Exe made with his large-format camera between 2010-15. They range from an almost autumnal scene, where leaves still cling to the trees, to 2011-12 with their floods and snow. They might convey something about climate change, but only by being pictures of a particular place on particular winter days.

What’s more, these are compositions that resist the idea of a single point of interest. Instead, the eye wanders around them, following the criss-crossing of branches, the messy edge of a bank. It means they reveal themselves only slowly. As you look, you might start to reflect on the mental construct you have of ‘river’ or ‘tree’ or ‘winter’ and how it compares to this untidy tangle of branches and undergrowth, mud and water, where one thing merges into another.

You might also consider the concept of landscape, how this place came to look the way it did and why it differs from the kind of image of landscape you might think you should find in a frame on a gallery wall.

But ultimately what you make of it is up to you. Jem Southam is not a photographer on a mission to persuade his audience. He simply asks us to stand alongside him and pay attention – especially to those things we might take for granted. “It all goes back to my belief in the importance of notation,” he says. “You don’t have to do anything apart from look, see, record.”

Turning passion into a profession

‘Birds, Rocks, Rivers, Islands’ is at The Levinsky Gallery, University of Plymouth until 16 March. A second iteration of the exhibition, ‘Rocks, River, Rain’, shows at Kestle Barton, Manaccan, Helston, Cornwall 13 April – 2 June. kestlebarton.co.uk

Pewter Bowl by Anna Thomason-Kenyon BA Silversmithing and Jewellery, Truro College.

Truro and Penwith College specialises in Art and Design courses at all levels, designed to unleash your creativity using the latest techniques and tools.

JEM SOUTHAM Born in 1950 in Bristol, Jem studied at the London College of Printing and began teaching at the Exeter School of Art in 1985. As Professor of Photography at the University of Plymouth until 2018, he taught many of the region’s up-and-coming photographers. Now retired from academia, he continues his photography practice and will be teaching at the Dartmoor Summer School of Photography, which runs 10-17 August. Details at positivelightprojects.com

Contact us to find out more and start turning your passion into a profession. truro-penwith.ac.uk

01872 267000

MANOR | Spring 2019

63

As a sculptor working purely in cardboard, James Lake creates work that not only inspires with its artistry, but also poses questions around value and where we place it.

Words by Belinda Dillon.

Cardboard Self

t’s the coldest day of the year so far when I head across Exeter to meet sculptor James Lake, with the snowy roads only recently turned to slush, and the park next to his house a meadow of white. Inside his workspace, James is surrounded by piles of materials, works in progress, completed pieces boxed up for dispatch to or back from exhibitions. I ask him about a typical day in the studio, and he looks slightly nonplussed. “Well, it’s not really a studio,” he says, “and on a day like today, it does feel like a dusty, cold garage. Working here, it’s not necessarily an arts environment: I’m essentially in my garage on a housing estate in Exeter, but when it’s warm and the doors are open, people come by and see what I’m doing, dogs wander in occasionally…”

This humble response is typical of James, whose choice of material – cardboard – speaks volumes about who he is as a person and an artist. The work itself – mainly figurative, both grand and delicate in proportions – is always astonishing: the textures, warmth and curves evoke woodcarving of the most intricate kind, and it’s only on close inspection that you realise the composition.

Recent commissions include high-end hotels in London, Glasgow and Manchester who want life-size butlers and bellboys in their lobbies “people like taking selfies with them,” says James, an anatomy model for the redesign of the University of Exeter Medical School foyer; the Exeter Chiefs’ totem pole at Sandy Park; and to-scale (and surprising comfortable) furniture for the opening of Ikea’s Exeter store. And then there’s the work with schools, which takes James across the South West and beyond, sharing his skills and passion with students of all ages.

“I try to make my work accessible to all,” he says.

“To show that by using materials everyone can get hold of, that you don’t have to come from a high-income family, you don’t need to have white-walled studio space in order to make work. For me, the students that have the best ideas are the ones not living privileged lives; they’re experiencing life as it happens, and those are the ones who unfortunately feel they can’t become artists. So I come along and say, ‘Well, this is me. I use very simple, cheap materials – cardboard, masking tape and glue – and so can you.”’

I

64

MANOR | Spring 2019

culture Since the material is key to his artistic vision, James was delighted last year to receive an invitation to take part in the prestigious Lucca Biennale in Italy, which hosts a cardboard sculpture festival that attracts artists from across the globe. While everyone else arrived with notebooks filled with meticulous calculations, James had spent his time until he left for Italy working with 60 schoolkids to make cardboard giraffes, so he arrived with just a brief sketch and a remit to create something ‘monumental’. “So I lay down on a big piece of paper and asked someone to draw round me with a Sharpie,” he says, laughing. “I took those measurements, scaled them up three times, then built structure into that, and it became a self-portrait of how I work, which is who I am. When you move from the inside out, you work from big pieces of cardboard which then become smaller, and as they become smaller they become more refined, then they are the history, the journey of the work. I don’t remove any of the drawing marks I’ve made. Too often, the artistic process has a habit of maintaining the mystery, but for me it’s about having a process that you can teach and show other people. It’s not something that exists out there and belongs to an elite class of people, it’s for everyone, and that’s essentially what I try to do with my work.

“When you work in cardboard, it’s self-taught, and that means you’re not reliant on someone else telling you that this is the way you should make art; you’re learning your own language in the process. That makes it more democratic. It’s not someone else’s interpretation of what art should be, it comes from the individual. And I try to teach that as much as possible, by giving others the building blocks and then they can take it in any direction they want.”

But art wasn’t always the career James imagined for himself. Born in London, he moved to Exeter in his early teens, and was always an active, physical person – Ten Tors, football – who thought he might like to become a fireman. But at 17 he was diagnosed with bone cancer and lost his right leg. Suddenly, his world was vastly reduced, and his horizon became the walls of his bedroom in his parents’ house. Artistic expression became a necessity.

“I’d volunteered at Whipton Campus Family Centre when my mum managed it, and I worked in the after-school club making really quite sophisticated junk modelling items – animals and birds and the like – and realised that cardboard was a great material,” says James. “It’s the idea that you can quickly make largescale forms, and at that point I had an artificial leg that wasn’t working well, I couldn’t walk very far, so my environment was fairly small to begin with. Making things in three dimensions was about changing the physical space around me. Coming from a point of view of someone who liked to move around, having that taken away was very difficult. I didn’t want to have to ask people when they were available to help me move something, to cut something up or help me produce an idea that I had. All of this is about me being as

Sitting without Purpose

Anatomy model for the Exeter Medical School foyer

MANOR | Spring 2019

65

It’s all about retaining a sense of my own identity within the work, being independent in the activity, and spontaneous within that James in his studio

independent within my practice and process as possible.”

And it is a very organic process that shifts and changes in the moment, emerging from his values and interests, and it’s always about keeping it fresh and approachable. The cardboard is everything in a sculpture: it’s the armature, the body, the detail and the finish. “I love that,” says James, “because when I go into schools I can take my work in to show the students: here it is, pick it up, feel the weight of it. It breaks down barriers.

I wouldn’t say my work is about disability especially, but when you make work out of cardboard, which doesn’t have intrinsic value like a block of marble, say, and someone takes the time to look at it, they’re valuing the time and effort that’s gone into it.”

One of James’s pieces, Sitting without Purpose, is on permanent display in the Disability Arts Archive in Camden, London, despite the constant requests by galleries to sell it. “It’s important to have it there,” says James. “I wanted to explore the idea that we view certain people sitting as being of less value, which offers interesting parallels between the able-bodied and disabled world. All that feeds into what I do.”

For his materials, James is a regular visitor to Exeter’s Scrapstore, which he describes as “an invaluable resource, with its heart and soul in making art and taking it out into the community”. Having given up on the idea of prosthetics – “making the choice between looking an average way or actually being able to move around freely, I decided I could do more without a leg” – James rides a customised bike.

Personal autonomy is embedded in everything he does.

When I visit, James is exploring new techniques – paintings in relief – inspired by a comment from one of the other artists at Lucca who loved the energy of James’s work, comparing the contours, textures and movement with the brushstrokes of a Van Gogh painting. By peeling card to reveal corrugations, and working within a frame, 66

MANOR | Spring 2019

he’s creating cardboard sunflowers that seem to explode out of the canvas (which is also made of cardboard) as well as retreat back into it, as if in constant flux.

“I’m constantly trying to challenge what I’m doing,” says James. “To keep it fresh, but also to see if there are any ways of mark making within the cardboard process that I haven’t thought of yet. There are all these new technologies, such as laser cutting, but I would rather retain the skills that allow me to work in the moment, to reflect how I’m feeling. And it’s all about retaining a sense of my own identity within the work, being independent in the activity, and spontaneous within that.”

James likes the fact that when most people come to his work for the first time, they don’t realise it’s made entirely of cardboard. “It’s that shift in perspective when viewing a non-art material being used in this way,” he says. “I want the viewer to make the link between recycling, the environment, and onto how we perceive and value art, and that in turn moves through to how we value people, and everything on the planet. Those are all very big aims, and I might not hit them, but when you know a piece of art has been made out of card and you know it’s made in a garage, then you know you can have a go yourself. When I go into schools and the teachers tell me that students I worked with two or three years ago have gone on to study art at college, that makes me happy. I get emails from people who were going to give up on art but saw what I was doing and want to keep going as a result. That’s what gives me purpose, drives me to keep working. And hopefully amongst all of that there are a few paying jobs that help me pay the bills.”

James’s work is part of the Scrapstore exhibition, 15-21 April at the AWESome Art Space, 27 Paris St, Exeter EX1 2JB. jameslakesculpture.co.uk

culture

A new exhibition at West Cornwall’s Tremenheere Gallery explores ‘a decade of upheaval and mayhem’ for artist Jesse Leroy Smith. Words by Mercedes Smith. Photos by Steve Tanner.

“T

his show,” says Jesse Leroy Smith, referring to his forthcoming, first-in-a-decade solo exhibition, “is a form of apology. As a parent, a son, a friend, a lover, it’s impossible not, on some level, to fail. This exhibition is my attempt to make sense of failing to cope with being human.”

Failure isn’t something you would typically associate with Jesse. As the ideas man behind countless

collaborative exhibitions and public arts events, he is regarded by many as a veritable Pied Piper of contemporary art, a man of “energy, creativity and selflessness, making things happen where others fear to tread,” according to artist and film-maker Roger Thorp.

“A creative collaboration with Jesse is like opening a door onto a landscape that is forever changing in new and mysterious ways.”

MANOR | Spring 2019

67

Jesse at his Newlyn studio, 2019

Eden oil on board

68

MANOR | Spring 2019

Over the last 10 years, by bringing together large groups of artists, performers, educators, experts, arts organisations and the general public, Jesse has initiated numerous multimedia shows in disused and transitory spaces, that in turn have been reinvented as public art venues. As a curator and creative collaborator, he has been responsible for many of the South West’s most progressive art shows, including ‘Unstable Monuments’, a multi-artist exhibition held in a wharf-side factory in Truro, now the established Old Bakery Art Studios; ‘Suspended Sentences’, a showcase of experimental film, music and sound nights held in an abandoned Newlyn fish factory, now the much-loved Newlyn Filmhouse; ‘Darkrooms’, an immersive arts event that helped launch West Cornwall’s CAST Arts Centre in 2013; ‘ART 75’, which celebrated the 75th anniversary of Penzance’s iconic Art Deco lido, with the work of 90 different artists in 75 changing cubicles and in the water itself; ‘Revolver’, a six-week, 60-artist project that showcased a wealth of rising talent from Cornwall’s art scene; and ‘PRINT!’ at the Penzance Exchange, which brought together students, graduates and respected artists in a survey of international printmaking. “Jesse has been one of the most active and important artists in Cornwall,” says Rupert White, editor of online journal Art Cornwall.

“His generosity and vision as a mentor and curator have influenced countless others.” Artist and writer Paul

culture Becker, who collaborated with Jesse for the Newlyn Society of Artists’ exhibition ‘Double Vision’ in 2009, shares this sentiment, telling me: “Working with Jesse taught me a very great deal about myself as an artist, especially that making artworks can be both incredibly serious and deeply hilarious at the same time.”

However active, important and influential Jesse’s career may have been in recent years though, it has also been, in his own words, “a decade of upheaval and mayhem, personally speaking”.

He describes his new exhibition, ‘Force Majeure’, on show from late May at West Cornwall’s spectacular Tremenheere Gallery and Sculpture Gardens, as a “confessional portrait”, a new beginning that seeks to lay bare, and move on from, “personal preoccupations and regrets”. Loss, loneliness, alcohol addiction, and the resulting battle with anxiety are situations from which he is emerging in the spirit of self-awareness and creative enrichment. Though, true to form, he has pulled in numerous high-profile collaborations for the show’s opening and closing events, the exhibition is essentially a one-man show which looks back at his collaborative past and towards a new phase of future work. ‘Force Majeure’ (defined both as an “irresistible compulsion” and an “unforeseeable circumstance that prevents the fulfilment of a promise”) begins with the artist’s scrapbooks: filled with images of friends, family and heroes of film, music and literature, as well as religious iconography, ancient art, fashion photography, film stills and the mementos of Jesse’s extensive travels,

they reveal an artist thrilled by imagery from every place and time. The exhibition then unfolds into an arcade of paintings, collages, photographs, films and books, which form a processional journey to the gallery’s first floor, where a vast frieze draws together a decade of influences and experiences.

With collaborations from artists Caleb and Sethe Smith, Paul Becker, Roger Thorp, TAAP, Sam Bassett, Volker Stox, Bernard Irwin, Chris Priest, Richard Ballinger and more, the exhibition’s opening night will include live music and speeches, and the show will close a month later with what Jesse describes as “a rampant solstice celebration”, specifically a tour of Tremenheere’s gardens that will feature soundscapes, film, performances, site-specific artworks and, intriguingly, “a banquet of talks, poetry and the spoils from an earlier forage in the local woods”.

“Painting, for me, is a medium of doubt and speculation,” says Jesse, who describes his various projects to this point as “sometimes anarchic, sometimes rehabilitating. This show,” he says in conclusion, “has given me a place to question the balance between my collaborative and individual expression, and to resolve my past and embrace my future as a contemporary artist.”

See ‘Force Majeure’ from 25 May to 23 June at Tremenheere Gallery, Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Gulval, Penzance, Cornwall TR20 8YL. All are welcome at the opening event on Friday 24 May and at the Summer Solstice celebrations on Friday 21 June.

See tremenheere.co.uk for details.

MANOR | Spring 2019

69

South West must sees...

Life at the edge In 2017-18, Naomi Hart was the Leverhulme Trust artist in residence at Sheffield University, working with the ice scientists in the Geography Department and on fieldwork with them in Svalbard in the High Arctic. The resulting series of paintings, ‘Ice Report’, looks at the cryosphere, carbon, climate change, the work of scientists, and the multiple layers of history, commerce, art and science in our understanding of the earth and our place in it. Naomi’s work studies human interaction with the environment, especially issues around journey, elements, water and memory. Her practice is multidisciplinary, using drawing, writing, paint, photography, sculpture and installation to investigate the world. This exhibition coincides with British Science Week and launches with a talk on Thursday 14 March.

14 March – 16 April at Exeter Phoenix Café Gallery, Gandy Street, Exeter EX4 3LS. exeterphoenix.org.uk, naomi-hart.com

They grew to recognise the change in the sound of their footprints as they moved over crevasses, 60cm x 60cm mixed media on canvas, Naomi Hart 2018

PHOTO: JOHN MELVILLE

Florilegium: Honey Flow 1 Spring (February-April) 2013, Amy Shelton

Last chance to catch Featuring work by Kurt Jackson, Wolfgang Buttress and Amy Shelton, ‘Plan Bee’ combines science and contemporary art to present new views on bees and other native pollinators: their vital role, their extraordinary lives, their plight, and the story of our native dark honey bees (Apis mellifera mellifera) and the role they play.

Exeter-based artist Amy Shelton has been creating work reflecting her ongoing enquiry into the plight of pollinators since 2009. Her interest in the relationship between bee health, human health, the environment and the arts infuses her practice, which includes book works, ceramics, lightboxes, installations and public artworks.

Through working with scientists, ecologists and beekeepers, Shelton uses emerging scientific research to investigate the complex matrix of ecological challenges causing pollinator decline.

Until 17 March at the Core building, Eden Project, Bodelva, Cornwall PL24 2SG. Free with Eden admission. edenproject.com

70

MANOR | Spring 2019

culture

Roy Lichtenstein, Pyramid, 1968, lithograph (c) the Estate of Roy Lichtenstein/ DACS 2015.

Courtesy Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London

Paper round Looking beyond the mark-making of drawing to consider the material itself, ‘On Paper’ explores how artists have used paper as the focus of their work in creative and unusual ways. Demonstrating a range of approaches to collage, drawing and sculpture, the exhibition showcases the work of more than 40 leading artists, including Damien Hirst, Roy Lichtenstein, Eduardo Paolozzi, Cornelia Parker, Wolfgang Tillmans and Bridget Riley. Featured also are three-dimensional objects, such as Lesley Foxcroft’s two-tone corrugated bricks, Gareth Jones’s cape made from cloakroom tickets, and Art and Language’s jigsaw puzzle. For some artists, destruction is at the heart of the process: burning, tearing and other methods of transformation mark the work of Cornelia Parker, Tim Davies and Roger Ackling. For others, the type of paper used was intrinsic to the creative process: the precision of Riley’s and Kenneth Martin’s works is reflected in their preferences for graph paper; Jason Coburn creates a conflicting play between his scrawled words and the Ministry of Defence headed paper on which they are written; while Prunella Clough’s ink line winds its way over the troughs of corrugated card.

Until 18 May at Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Elmfield House, Dowell Street, Honiton EX14 1LX. thelmahulbert.com

MANOR | Spring 2019

71

Spinning around

PHOTO: MIRJAM DEVRIENDT

Belgian provocateurs Ontroerend Goed are known for their tricksy, challenging theatre performances; their work often puts the audience’s moral and ethical framework right at the heart of the narrative. This can make for an unsettling experience – but let’s face it, many of us could do with a bit more self-awareness about what makes us tick. Their latest piece, LOOPSTATION – their 11th coproduction with Theatre Royal Plymouth – is a large-scale performance with live music that explores some of our life-shaping daily routines. Nine performers build a world on a revolving stage, where today is always a bit like yesterday, but not necessarily like tomorrow. Expect to be enlightened.

27-29 March at The Lyric, Theatre Royal, Royal Parade, Plymouth PL1 2TR. Tickets from £12.50. theatreroyal.com

Into the unknown

PHOTO: DAVE GUTTRIDGE

Renowned space scientist Maggie Hill recently launched a mission to find habitable planets. It did not go well. Then her girlfriend stopped speaking to her. She’s also had her first-ever therapy session, in which she is at pains to stress that her bipolar disorder is not relevant to the conversation. And now she has to deliver a lecture about her career to inspire young women to work in science. As the show shifts between the lecture, the therapy session and a series of botched attempts to connect with her ex, Maggie’s private and professional lives start to overlap, and we begin to build a picture of her greatest achievements and biggest regrets. Written and directed by super-talented scriptwriter, poet and theatremaker Molly Naylor and performed by Karen Hill, Lights! Planets! People! juxtaposes the big questions about our place and significance in the universe with intimate, relatable truths about us and our place in our own world. With themes centred around legacy and loss, the environment and our very future on Earth, it looks at how we must be allowed to fail before we can advance and grow. The show also considers the ongoing problems of being a woman in a position of power and the disproportionate weight that this can carry.

20 March at Falmouth University AMATA, Treliever Road, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9LX. £12, £10. amata.org.uk 21 March at the Acorn Theatre, Parade Street, Penzance TR18 4BU. £11/£9. theacornpenzance.com

Screen capture Launching in 2018, the Newlyn International Film Festival sought to raise the profile of film-making within the South West and to support local film-makers through networks and recognition. A selection from 126 submitted films were screened across the course of the weekend and four awards were presented during the final evening’s ceremony. Due to the success of the first iteration, the Festival is back this year, and will feature screenings, workshops, talks, a Festival party with the Badlands Blues Band, and a closing awards ceremony.

On the roster is Evan: A Survivor’s Story, about the capture of news cameraman Evan Ameen, who was covering the Kurdish Peshmerga’s resistance to the Isis occupation in Kirkuk, Syria.

This is followed by a Q&A session with director Rafiqfuad Yarahmadi, himself expelled from Tehran University because he was Kurdish and a Sunni.

5-7 April at the Acorn Theatre, Parade Street, Penzance TR18 4BU. Tickets: festival pass £25; day pass £12; session pass £5. For more info about events and tickets, see newlynfilmfestival.com

72

MANOR | Spring 2019

Evan: A Survivor’s Story

culture

Chagword’s fourth festival Dartmoor’s very own literary festival – Chagword – is back for 2019, firmly establishing its Chagford base as a minihub of literary excellence by attracting renowned authors, poets, broadcasters and comedians. This festival’s lineup promises a highly engaging, humorous and fascinating weekend of literature and includes the award-winning comedian, writer, actor and television presenter Jo Brand discussing her book, Born Lippy; author Salley Vickers leading a discussion on The Librarian, which was a Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller; and Timothy Bentinck discussing his own memoir Being David Archer: and Other Unusual Ways of Earning a Living. Other speakers include the poet Christopher Reid; the novelist, Bake Off judge, businesswoman and cookery expert Prue Leith; the children’s author Michael Morpurgo; and the renowned cricket commentator Henry Blofeld.

22-24 March at Jubilee Hall, Chagford TQ13 8DP. Tickets are available from the Box Office, Three Crowns, Chagford or call 07518 469437. chagword.co.uk

PHOTO: PAL HANSEN

Jo Brand

Tim Bentinck

Salley Vickers

䄀 䰀 匀 䄀 刀 䄀 䰀 䤀 匀 䴀 䄀 刀 䬀 䐀 䔀 䴀 匀 吀 䔀 䄀 䐀 䔀 刀 䬀 䄀 吀 夀 䄀 䜀 刀 䤀 䐀 一 䔀 嘀 䄀 ㄀㔀琀栀 䄀瀀爀椀氀 ⴀ ㈀㤀琀栀 䨀甀氀礀 ㈀ ㄀㤀 䰀礀洀瀀猀琀漀渀攀 䴀愀渀漀爀 䌀漀甀爀琀氀愀渀搀猀 䰀愀渀攀 䔀砀洀漀甀琀栀 䔀堀㠀 ㌀一娀

吀漀 愀爀爀愀渀最攀 愀 瘀椀攀眀椀渀最㨀 è ⬀㐀㐀 ⠀ ⤀ ㄀㌀㤀㔀 ㈀ ㈀ 㐀  爀攀猀攀爀瘀愀琀椀漀渀猀䀀氀礀洀瀀猀琀漀渀攀洀愀渀漀爀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀

圀圀圀⸀䘀䤀一䔀䄀刀吀䄀吀⸀䌀伀䴀 MANOR | Spring 2019

73

The Exhibition Space VINCENT BASHAM STUDIO/GALLERY

THE BYRE GALLERY

Halgwelva, Trevanson Road, Wadebridge PL27 7HD 07836 244 983 | vincentbasham.co.uk

Hounster Hill, Millbrook, Cornwall PL10 1AJ 01752 822936/07711 873796 | thebyregallery.co.uk

Vincent is a seascape artist. He lived in Cornwall in his early twenties, where his love for painting seascapes first developed. He moved back in 2017 to Wadebridge where he has built a studio/gallery in his garden, overlooking the River Camel. It is open daily from 10am - 4pm. He can often be seen wandering along the beaches or cliff tops gathering inspiration for his works.

The Byre gallery on south east Cornwall’s Rame Peninsula exhibits stunning design-led craft and contemporary art by established and emerging artists and makers from throughout the UK. Join us this spring for an exquisite selection of work in glass, ceramics, textiles and wood, as well as paintings from Sophie Harding and Sara Bor.

EXHIBITION DATES FOR 2019 18 – 23 May, 4 – 9 June, 23 – 27 September Padstow Institute, Padstow PL28 8AB The Beach

Glass Vessels by Alice Heaton

MAYNE GALLERY 14 Fore Street, Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 1NY | 01548 853848 maynegallery.co.uk Battersea Affordable Art Fair. Stand F2.

March 7-10 will see an exceptional selection of the Mayne Gallery artists, including John Donaldson, Bryan Hanlon, James Bonstow, James Portsmouth, Peter Worswick and Toni Fairhead, at the Spring Affordable Art Fair in Battersea.

Tin mug and berries Bryan Hanlon

One of the most popular events on the UK art calendar and a fantastic opportunity to discover, and purchase, new art at highly reasonable prices.

And it’s a great day out too…

JACKSON FOUNDATION GALLERY North Row, St Just, Cornwall TR19 7LB 01736 787638 | JacksonFoundationGallery.com

Peter Jackson: A Retrospective.

March 30 – April 27 The first major retrospective of the paintings and sculptures of Peter Jackson (1930 - 2019).

Taught by a celebrated roll-call of Artist Tutors including Lanyon, Scott, and Frost - Jackson forged his own path. This exhibition represents his last 60 years of work.

Grey Wave, Peter Jackson, 1960

Gallery open Wed to Fri 10am – 5pm Sat 10am – 1pm

NEW CRAFTSMAN GALLERY

THE SUMMERHOUSE GALLERY

24 Fore Street , St. Ives TR26 1HE | 01736 795652 newcraftsmanstives.com

Market Place, Marazion, Cornwall TR17 0AR 01736 711 400 | summerhousegallery.co.uk

Opening thegallery’s 2019 exhibition season, a new collection of painting by much loved St Ives artist Emma Jeffryes, alongside a series of landscape inspired works by leading British ceramists Adam Buick.

Emma Jeffryes, Dahlias and Harbour

74

MANOR | Spring 2019

The Summerhouse Gallery is a beautiful, welcoming space showcasing the very best of Cornish art. Located only a stone’s throw away from the wonderful St Michael’s Mount, we aim to create the perfect place to discover paintings, jewellery, sculpture and glass in a relaxed manner.

To view our full range of artists, and all upcoming shows and exhibitions please visit our website, or give us a call to find out more.

Walking The Dog, Long Rock, oil on canvas Mike Hindle

culture

RAMM

Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Queen Street, Exeter EX4 3RX | 01392 265858 | exeter.gov.uk/RAMM

HOST GALLERIES 12 Whimple Street, Plymouth, PL1 2DH | 01752 241234 hostgalleries.co.uk ‘Fine Art of Metal’ an exhibition by Chris DeRubeis Public show dates: 23 March to 7 April 2019

Extreme Imagination: inside the mind’s eye 30 March to 2 June

Currently ranking very high in the art world, his artwork is collected around the globe. DeRubeis signature style is what makes him so well known to the art world.

Take a look inside the mind’s eye through the work of 22 artists. Learn about the new concepts of hyper- and aphantasia and explore how your own imagination works.

Dorothy

by Claire Strickland

THE CUSTOMS HOUSE GALLERY

FAR & WILD 1-2 St Piran’s Parade, Perranporth, Cornwall TR6 0BL 07702279011 | farandwildliving.co.uk

Spring Exhibition 1 March 24 April 2019 Featuring new and existing gallery artists: Ella Carty, Laurence Dingley, Adrian Holmes, Judith Kerr, Philip Lyons, Emma Williams.

Commercial Road, Porthleven TR13 9JD | 01326 569365 cornwall-art.co.uk

A collection of work by en plein air artist Andrew Barrowman will take place from Friday 12 until Thursday 18 April in the galley on Porthleven’s harbour side. Meet the Artist on the 16 and 17 April when Andrew will be painting in the gallery.

Clouds Drifting Past Porthleven Andrew Barrowman

First Flowers, Daffodils. Judith Kerr

FINE ART @ LYMPSTONE MANOR Lympstone Manor, Courtlands Lane, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 3NZ 01395 202040 | info@fineartat.com | fineartat.com

New works featuring the impactful contemporary portraiture of renowned British artists Al Saralis and Mark Demsteader, and delicate figurative pastels by Katya Gridneva.

In Blue. Al Saralis. 75 x 75 cm, £4,200.00 wall price

The dates for the next exhibition are the 15 April – 29 July 2019.

TREGONY GALLERY 58 Fore Street, Tregony, Truro TR2 5RW | 01872 530505 tregonygallery.co.uk “The artist run Tregony Gallery..... and turned it into what good contemporary gallerists with a bit of venture and commitment in their bones could hope to achieve in the promotion of what I sometimes like to term ‘proper painting’.”

Nicholas Usherwood Galleries Magazine Light Source until 5th March 2019 Bright Land opens 7th May 2019 Jason Bowyer PPNEAC PS RP, Gardeners Pathway II, oil on panel, 122 x 97 cm.

To advertise your gallery, exhibition, show or event here please email advertising@manormagazine.co.uk or call 07887 556447

MANOR | Spring 2019

75

Worth making the trip for...

PHOTO: DARIA MARTIN, COURTESY MAUREEN PALEY, LONDON

Daria Martin Tonight the World, 2019, anamorphic 16mm film transferred to HD 13.5 minutes

This digital realm Combining film and computer gaming technology, Daria Martin creates an atmospheric environment for Tonight the World, an installation in which visitors can explore the vivid memories of artist Susi Stiassni, Martin’s grandmother, who fled from the Holocaust. Martin draws on an extensive archive of her grandmother’s dream diaries amounting to over 10,000 pages. These forensically recorded accounts were created over a 35-year period, initially for the purposes of psychoanalysis. Martin envisages that the installation will become simultaneously a portrait of her ancestor, a self-portrait and an exploration of intergenerational trauma, migration, loss and resilience. Tonight the World is part of the Barbican’s 2019 season, ‘Life Rewired’, which explores what it means to be human when technology is changing everything.

Until 7 April at The Curve, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS. barbican.org.uk

Life through a lens

Until 6 May at Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG. £18. tate.org.uk

76

MANOR | Spring 2019

PHOTO: DON MCCULLIN

Tate Britain presents a comprehensive retrospective of the legendary British photographer Don McCullin, showcasing some of the most impactful photographs captured over the last 60 years. It includes many of his iconic war photographs – such as images from Vietnam, Northern Ireland and more recently Syria. But it also focuses on the work he did at home in England, recording scenes of poverty and working-class life in London’s East End and the industrial north, as well as meditative landscapes of his beloved Somerset, where he lives. With more than 250 photographs, all printed by McCullin in his own darkroom, this exhibition will be a unique opportunity to appreciate the scope and achievements of his entire career.

Londonderry 1971

culture

Haunting and poltergeist investigation toolkit, courtesy of Senate House Library, University of London

Now you see it…

‘Smoke and Mirrors: The psychology of magic’ is the first major exhibition to focus on the relationship between magic and psychology. It will seek to uncover the truth about deception, ask how bias and suggestion affect our senses and decisions, and consider what it is about the human condition that means many of us believe in magic and the supernatural, even in the face of logical explanations. Why are our senses so easily fooled? Why do we get a thrill from experiencing a simple trick? What has science and psychology learned from magic? The exhibition draws together magic props, photographs, films and large, colourful stage posters alongside original materials from extraordinary scientific experiments. Objects include a ghost detection kit, spirit photographs, the ‘Bell Box’ used

by Houdini to challenge the claims of 19th century medium Mina ‘Margery’ Crandon, Paul Daniels’ recreation of PT Selbit’s original sawing-in-half box, and a film by artist Daria Martin that explores illusion, transformation and sleight of hand.

11 April – 15 September at Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. wellcomecollection.org

MANOR | Spring 2019

77

PHOTO: SANDRO DI CARLO DARSA

Marina Tabassum, Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, 2012

Fresh visions Travel through a sculpture formed from security barriers. Peer into a model museum for the world’s most famous artwork.

Empathise with animals by entering structures built for them. Or consider how a machine could equip us for the future.

They’re all examples of the 10 experiential installations, environments and pavilions that comprise ‘Is This Tomorrow?’.

Conceived by more than 30 world-leading artists and architects working in collaboration, the projects explore universal topics including borders, migration, privacy, living space and our relationship with technology.

Until 12 May at Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX. whitechapelgallery.org

Divine inspiration Pop artist, social activist, nun. You don’t often get those three in a sentence, let alone in one person, but Corita Kent (1918-1986) was an extraordinary woman, whose joyful, subversive and – to some – controversial screen prints revolutionised typographic design, challenged the Roman Catholic Church and offered a bold new perspective on misogyny, racism and war. ‘Corita Kent: Power Up’ will feature 70 serigraphs showing the evolution of her work, from lesser-known pieces from the early 1950s to her iconic 1960s screen prints as well as later works created after she was released from her vows. A contemporary of Andy Warhol, admired by Charles and Ray Eames, John Cage and Saul Bass, Kent was a one-off, who brought innovative art, spiritual renewal and social critique to 1960s Hollywood.

Until 12 May at House of Illustration, 2 Granary Square, King’s Cross, London N1C 4BH. Open Tuesday-Sunday (closed Monday), one ticket (£8.25) gives admission to all three galleries. houseofillustration.org.uk

78

MANOR | Spring 2019

1968 - X give a damn, serigraph, image courtesy of the Corita Art Center Immaculate Heart Community Los Angeles

culture Worth staying in for...

Storming success In 2018, Penzance-based poet Katrina Naomi spent six weeks in Japan – funded by the Arts Council and the British Council – walking in the footsteps of haiku master Bashõ and immersing herself in Japanese poetry. The result is a beautiful chapbook titled Typhoon Etiquette, Katrina’s sixth collection, which documents her first sight of Mount Fuji (‘it was like seeing the Mona Lisa for the first time / only better / I felt I might cry’), advice on defending oneself from a bear attack, and navigating cultural discombobulation in language that is both precise and soul-stirring in its expansiveness. The haiku sequence ‘Greetings from Yamanashi’ offers lovely snapshots of experience: ‘umbrella held high / a woman walks by a stream / red-capped kingfisher’; ‘we lurch in first gear / once in a lifetime visit / but people live here’. Poetry is written as if ‘the script / drops from top to bottom like a waterfall’ (‘In the Room Specifically for Resting at the Tokyo National Museum’); sumo on TV competes with ‘a murmuration / grappling with dusk // each bird dropping like a grain / of salt tossed on the dohyõ’ (‘Five O’Clock Tanka’). All is new and strange, the spaces around the text serving also to convey the wideness of the poet’s eyes at all this novelty, and then, after all the excitement of exploration, there’s the sweetness of coming home to Penzance and partner: ‘then time and the longing will stop, / not just in this act but the moving towards / each other, in understanding each other’s lives / again’ (‘What Arrival Feels Like’). A beautiful journey.

Typhoon Etiquette is published on 18 April by Verve Poetry Press, available to pre-order for £7.50 (free p&p) from vervepoetrypress. com. There will be a launch event on 25 April, 7.30pm, at Edge of the World Bookshop, 25-26 Market Jew Street, Penzance TR18 2HR. katrinanaomi.co.uk

Bloody masterpiece

Velvet Buzzsaw is streaming now on Netflix.

PHOTO: CLAUDETTE BARIUS/NETFLIX

As far as satires on the contemporary art world go, writer/director Dan Gilroy’s (Nightcrawler, The Bourne Legacy) gleefully blood-soaked Velvet Buzzsaw is pulling no punches: everyone is absolutely ghastly. From influential critic Morf Vandewalt (Jake Gyllenhaal), whose words can launch or kill a career, to ruthless dealer Rhodora (Rene Russo) and ambitious gallerina Josephina (Zawe Ashton), all have their eyes on being the first to find the latest hot artist, artwork or concept, regardless of who suffers in the process. When Josephina’s upstairs neighbour, Vetril Dease, is found dead in her stairwell, she spots a chance to get ahead of the game with the discovery in his chaotic apartment of myriad darkly disturbing paintings. Snaffling the paintings, then acting as Dease’s dealer, she finds herself at the helm of the artworld’s newest sensation – but there’s something about those paintings… Fantastic, horrible fun.

Zawe Ashton and Jake Gyllenhaal

Artful dodger If you fancy your art satire on the subtler side – but no less steely-eyed in its illumination of shameless self-advancement – then turn your gaze to noir master Charles Willeford’s 1971 novel, The Burnt Orange Heresy. Adept at thievery, blackmail and much worse, amoral critic James Figueras will stop at nothing to further his career. Hired by a wealthy collector to inveigle his way into the isolated home of legendary reclusive painter Jacques Debierue – ostensibly to steal an artwork – Figueras sees the opportunity to also revive his flagging status with an exclusive interview. But what else he discovers there tips him further into the swamp than he ever thought possible. Willeford is a master of the surprise turn (check out 1955’s Pick-Up for the ultimate kiss-off ) with a keen ear for the subtext in everyday interactions and the lengths people go to in order to hide their true intentions. Happy reading.

The Burnt Orange Heresy is published in the UK by Orion.

MANOR | Spring 2019

79

80

MANOR | Spring 2019

With bright hues, flared sleeves, thigh-high boots and smock dresses, there’s a vibe of sassy seventies to our Style Shoot this issue.

Be transported right back to those King’s Road, sunny, Rolling Stones days of yore.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE SMALLCOMBE STYLED BY MIMI STOTT MODEL: TEAH OTOMEWO, FROM STORM MANAGEMENT

MANOR | Spring 2019

81

Top, Zara, £29.99; trousers, Zara, £39.99; earrings, stylists own

82

MANOR | Spring 2019

Dress, DAKS, £375; boots, DAKS, £175; earrings, Zara, £12.99; necklace, stylists own

MANOR | Spring 2019

83

Above: Top, Zara, £19.99; trousers, Zara, £25.99; sandals, Next, £34; earrings, Zara, £12.99 Right: Top, DAKS, £125; shorts, DAKS, £75; boots, DAKS, £175; earrings, Zara, £12.99

84

MANOR | Spring 2019

MANOR | Spring 2019

85

86

MANOR | Spring 2019

Dress, Zara, £79.99; boots, Zara, £119; earrings, stylists own

MANOR | Spring 2019

87

Dress, DAKS, £370; boots, Zara, £119; earrings, Zara, £12.99

88

MANOR | Spring 2019

MANOR | Spring 2019

89

Dress, Zara, £69.99; Havaianas flip flops, Next, £24; earrings, stylists own

90

MANOR | Spring 2019

MANOR | Spring 2019

91

The MANOR Style Shoot The MANOR Style Shoot sets us apart from other regional magazines. Striking and universally popular, style is the mainstay of any leading international glossy. We believe our own shoots and covers compete very favourably, and at a mere snip of those big publishing houses’ budgets…here’s a reminder of some gone by. All can be revisited at manormagazine.co.uk/issue-archive

Mike Smallcombe ISSUE 1

Matt Austin ISSUE 13

92

MANOR | Spring 2019

Edwin Ho ISSUE 16

Tom Hargreaves ISSUE 5

Matt Austin ISSUE 9

retrospective

Mike Smallcombe ISSUE 3

Remy Whiting ISSUE 29

Tom Hargreaves ISSUE 4

Remy Whiting ISSUE 28

Thomas Hole ISSUE 15

Tom Hargreaves ISSUE 10

MANOR | Spring 2019

93

ACHIEVE AN INTEGRATION OF BODY, MIND AND S P IRIT. Discover serene spa days in Cornwall with GAIA and ESPA therapies at Fistral Spa. CORNWALL

Fistral Spa, Fistral Beach Hotel, Newquay, TR7 1PT

01637 852221 | fistralbeachhotel.co.uk

#1 SPA IN CORNWALL 94

MANOR | Spring 2019

Food Hospitality Table Cornwall | Borough Market Bites, the latest news and events from across the region Food Pioneer | The Table Prowler

PHOTO: ISSY CROKER

Fish stall at Borough Market. See page 98

MANOR | Spring 2019

95

Anna Turns questions the gender balance in the South West’s food and drink industry and ‘grills’ the role models on a mission to empower more young women within it.

I

n an industry that has traditionally been maledominated, from TV celebrity cookery shows to Michelin-star kitchens, change is picking up pace here in the South West. While still only 17 per cent of chef positions in the UK are held by women (according to the Office of National Statistics), a new initiative in Cornwall aims to address this.

Top female role models are joining forces to empower more women from within this industry. The Hospitality Table Cornwall project, led by Truro and Penwith College and funded by the European Social Fund, is encouraging more young women into professional kitchens by showing the diversity of career paths and developing skillsets of those aspiring to join this industry.

Project coordinator Jayne Cornish explains: “Bringing more talented women into hospitality is one objective of this project. With inspiring role models – experts in their fields, natural leaders, creative individuals – there is a lot for young women to aspire to. We have brought these individuals together to highlight the diversity of career

We need to give women a voice and we have still got a hell of a way to go, but I will fly the flag!

Jill Stein OBE

96

MANOR | Spring 2019

paths available, including becoming a chef, sommelier, mixologist or barista, manager or small business owner.”

One of these role models is Emily Scott, who trained to become a chef in France and is now chef patron of the St Tudy Inn near Bodmin. She was recently included in ‘The 100 Most Influential Women in Hospitality’, a list compiled by industry publication CODE. Emily says: “The industry has changed a lot – for the better – since I trained. The presence of more women in leading roles has played a massive part in that. It’s fantastic to come together with this inspiring group of individuals and discuss how we can spread a positive message. If my daughter Evie was thinking about a career in hospitality, I would encourage that now – I don’t think, hand on heart, I would have said that 10 years ago!”

Another shining example of success is Elly Owen, who started working as a waitress at Fifteen Cornwall in 2009 where she is now head sommelier. Her role includes training new staff, writing the wine list and hosting events based around food and wine matching. “I love my job, especially the educational and travel aspects,” says Elly. “Yes, as a woman and a mother, working in this industry can be pretty full-on, and you have to work evenings and weekends, but if you find a good employer who will help you identify your strengths and invest in training, the sky is the limit.” She agrees that the gender split is such a hot topic at the moment here in Cornwall.

“Being female is even more noticeable in my very niche career as a sommelier,” she comments. “The stereotypical sommelier used to be a man who would always know more than you and be fairly pompous. At Fifteen, it’s a casual environment, so I can be myself and make talking about wine really fun and accessible so that everyone feels confident enough to ask me questions and learn something.

If by being a woman I make it easier to inspire others to take an interest in wine, I will absolutely embrace that.

Hospitality Table Cornwall is all about giving a voice to everyone in the industry, and as one of the leading women spearheading this new initiative, Elly enjoys discussing how she and her counterparts can make a difference together. “It gives us all a greater voice as a collective. When I first started out, I didn’t even know

food

With inspiring role models – experts in their fields, natural leaders, creative individuals – there is a lot for young women to aspire to

From left - Kate Attlee, Emily Scott, Elly Owen, Rachael Henley, Michelle Brown

there were specific career pathways as such – I just came in as a waitress and worked my way up – so we want to inspire all young people and demonstrate that you can do so many things within hospitality.”

Chef Steve Rudd leads the culinary arts course at Cornwall College’s St Austell campus. “We definitely have a lot more women joining our three-year course. I’d say we have a 50:50 male:female split between our 50 fulltime students. That’s changed because when I first started cooking professionally, women would only ever really do pastry in the kitchen.” One of his second-year students, Kirsty Symons, doesn’t feel at all held back by gender. She says: “Women should be able to do the same thing as men; we can all learn the skills.” Recently at Padstow Christmas Festival, Kirsty was busy prepping for chef Anneeka Ludhra and working on stage in the demo tent alongside Michelin-star chef Angela Hartnett MBE. “Cooking with these top chefs on stage is all about getting our students’ confidence up,” says Steve, who is championing the fact that there is a route into professional kitchens for everybody. “Kirsty is doing really well – she’s always the first one into the kitchen, and she’s telling the blokes what to do now!” He adds that, “classic kitchens were quite hostile and very male-dominated but working hours are getting better now too and a lot of places are opening just four days a week so chefs have a better chance to recharge.”

Jill Stein OBE has a different perspective. “Even if the male:female split in college is 50:50, it’s whether women stay in this industry,” says Jill, who co-founded Padstow’s legendary The Seafood Restaurant with Rick in 1975 and is the creative force behind the Stein business empire.

“Personally, I would love to see more women in high profile positions. It’s not all about the kitchen which can be a hot house in some places – front of house is key, and there are so many other creative roles. We need more women in hospitality in general, not just as chefs.” From

Elly Owen

experience, she knows how hard it is to balance split shifts with a young family. “It wasn’t easy working with three children and nowadays childcare is so expensive too.”

Of course, not everybody is cut out for academic careers, and Jill believes we need more apprenticeships and better food education engrained within the curriculum. “I think all schools should teach children to cook – it’s a life skill. They are missing a trick, they need to know how to shop, cook and budget. Food connects them to so many things and creates a better perspective. Here in the UK, many people see hospitality as a servile job whereas on the Continent it is a profession. There seems to be a different work ethos but it’s a great career to be in; it’s in my blood.

“There’s definitely a sea change of more women now doing roles they didn’t previously think they could do,” says Jill. “I would like to see more women taking the lead role in more aspects of our lives because I think women see the whole picture and they are incredibly capable, far more capable than they ever will know that they are. We need to give women a voice and we have still got a hell of a way to go but I will fly the flag!”

The hospitality industry is central to the Westcountry economy, and food tourism is thriving, but there is often a high turnover in staff so perhaps it’s time for a shift in mindset. By drawing all this expertise together and bridging the gap with education, more young people might well aspire to diverse, challenging and rewarding career paths in hospitality. As Elly concludes: “We have more work to do, but just having these conversations about how we can include more women and work together to make sure we aren’t ever undervalued is so important and the tables are definitely turning now.”

To find out more about the Hospitality Table Cornwall project and upcoming forums and events.

Email: hospitalitytablecornwall@truro-penwith.ac.uk

MANOR | Spring 2019

97

Anna Turns takes a tour of London’s Borough Market with cookbook author Ed Smith and finds a cornucopia of foodie delights.

A

fter a morning caffeine hit at Monmouth Coffee Co, Borough Market comes to life from 10am, and it’s the ideal time to browse before the hungry lunchtime crowds arrive.

Wandering amongst the railway arches at London Bridge as the trains rumble past overhead, there’s a maze of passageways, artisan stalls and street food vendors getting ready for hot food alley’s busy lunchtime.

Once a wholesale hub, vibrant Borough Market is now the capital’s flagship food market with 16 million visitors annually, and it’s at its most colourful in springtime.

Corporate lawyer-turned-food writer Ed Smith (author of The Borough Market Cookbook – recipes and stories from a year at the market) explains that Borough Market is quite a trailblazer: “First of all, it’s in central London in a place that has historically had a market for a thousand years.” In fact, this market was first documented in a Norse chronicle in 1014, Shakespeare shopped here, Chaucer ate here and the Act of Parliament from 1754 ordained it to be a market. Today, it’s run as a charitable trust with 140 food businesses representing a really interesting mix of produce and the largest number of Slow Food-accredited traders in one location.

“Twenty years ago, when Borough first turned to retail, farmers’ markets were a new phenomenon but now I don’t think there’s another consumer retail-based market like this – it’s a one-stop shop,” says Ed. Within just a few paces, there are British-cured meats and French saucisson, exotic spices and fruit powders, the best Turkish coffee and authentic Indian chai, Comté cheese and Westcountry farmhouse cheddars. Ultimately, Borough Market is a gateway to cooking from scratch with world-class produce where supply chains are kept to an absolute minimum.

Ed believes the soul of this market lies in the fact that consumers can speak directly to the producer, grower, farmer and fisherman, and it’s through these face-to-face conversations that you might glean cookery tips, find recipe 98

MANOR | Spring 2019

suggestions or discover new ingredients to experiment with.

Ed describes it as a ‘confluence of produce’ – both in terms of its multiple entrances and location by the River Thames, and the range of foods sourced from around the world, from within the M25 and from across the UK. “Devon and Cornwall have got some of the best producers in the country,” says Ed, “and the South West is well known for its progressive farmers and artisan cheesemakers, but not everybody has access to that.”

There’s delicious Caerphilly from Trethowan’s Dairy in North Somerset and two golden Devon honeys from Field and Flower – one being a light multifloral honey from Mid Devon and the other a pressed heather honey from Exmoor. At Shellseekers fish counter, much of the fish comes from Dorset where owner Darren Brown has two dayboats; he dives for scallops and catches mackerel and seabass on rod and line. Nadia and Nick Stokes at Gourmet Goat source rose veal from Neil Weston, owner of Westons Farm in Bampton near Tiverton: “For us, it’s great because they are using the forequarter meat, which is always a harder sell, and they’ve really helped raise awareness of what rose veal is,” explains Neil.

Shoppers are becoming more aware of the nose-to-tail ethos too, according to Lizzie Vines, owner of Chagfordbased Wild Beef alongside her husband Richard. Since 1998, they have sold their own rare breed meats raised on Dartmoor here at their Westcountry farm shop, and she’s seen Borough Market evolve with changing food trends over the past two decades. “While young people are eating less meat nowadays, those on paleo diets seek out our grass-reared meats and a lot of our customers prefer unusual beef cuts such as cheeks or heart, and wild meats such as venison, boar and rabbits, which are extremely popular. There are so many people farming beef in Devon, Borough Market gives us a different platform,” says Lizzie, who is also proud to sell Cornish sea salt and dried seaweeds; preserves from The Proper Marmalade

food

PHOTO: ISSY CROKER PHOTO: ISSY CROKER

Company in Ilfracombe; quail and duck eggs from her village; and Devon speckled hen eggs.

Just around the corner, the Cannon and Cannon stall specialises in sourcing exclusively British charcuterie from seven different producers including Cornish Charcuterie in Bude.

According to Cannon and Cannon’s market manager, Elise Collard, this market is definitely not just for food tourists. “We love having conversations about our products and people want to know what they’re eating is ethical. This market survives because of all the regulars we have coming here every day.”

As a French woman, Elise admits that French markets are a bit more ‘square’: “Borough is more funky, let’s say!

We don’t sell anything close to French saucisson: French charcuterie is so precise, regimented and serious, this is very different and our products are more experimental.”

Seaweed and cider salami and chilli chorizo are both a case in point. British charcuterie is a growing sector of the artisan food industry and Richard Harding, founder of Cornish Charcuterie, believes it’s starting to become more mainstream. “Borough Market has been a leader and a melting pot for new ideas and innovation, and selling here has had a really positive effect on our business. It’s great exposure to a marketplace we’d struggle to get into otherwise. That customer-trader interface is such an important part of the artisan food movement – people are interested in its provenance, animal welfare, and it’s a chance to tell the back story of every product.”

Of course, there’s more to this market than shopping and eating – at its core is a duty to educate and connect more people with seasonal ingredients and artisan specialities. Through chef demos and cookery classes, Young Marketeers workshops with local schoolchildren and a popular cookbook club, Borough Market serves as an engaging platform to promote alternatives to mass production and the generic processed foods that swamp our supermarket shelves. Sustainable production and provenance are both key, and waste is a major consideration too. The market installed public water fountains in 2017 to discourage single-use water bottles. Twice a week, volunteers from the food waste charity, Plan Zheroes, collect surplus produce and redistribute it across London.

“The biggest barrier to artisan food is cost,” adds Ed. “Hopefully, this place encourages people to cook from scratch and make the most of what they have bought – it’s about valuing produce in a different way. When people open themselves up to go and speak to a market trader, suddenly there’ll be more of a connection, without having to be really geeky.”

PHOTO: ISSY CROKER

Recipes from The Borough Market Cookbook

by Ed Smith (£25, Hodder & Stoughton) boroughmarket.com

MANOR | Spring 2019

99

Chilled asparagus soup Serves four as a starter British asparagus season officially begins on 23 April and lasts for eight weeks; asparagus is a genuinely seasonal ingredient, and so much better at this time than an out-of-season or imported alternative. Make the most of it from the first to the last moment it reaches your local market.

For much of that time just blanching the spears, rubbing them with butter and seasoning them liberally is enough. Perhaps the occasional grating of parmesan will be welcome too, but as a general rule it rarely pays to go too far beyond a simple approach. That said, if towards the end of the asparagus season you’re keen to mix things up a little, a chilled soup could well be the way to go.

INGREDIENTS

• • • • • • • • • •

30g butter 2 banana shallots, finely sliced 400–450g bunch of asparagus 2 garlic cloves, crushed 500ml hot vegetable stock 150g baby spinach 100g Greek yoghurt Juice of ½ lemon Extra virgin olive oil 12 king prawns, shelled (optional)

METHOD

Put a medium, heavy-based saucepan over a mediumhigh heat. Add the butter, then the shallots and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Sweat and soften without letting them brown for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cut the tips from the asparagus spears and set them to one side. Chop the remaining spears into 4cm batons, stopping once the spear becomes discouragingly woody (discard those ends).

PHOTO: ISSY CROKER

100

MANOR | Spring 2019

Add the garlic to the shallots and cook gently for 1 minute then add the asparagus batons (not the tips) and cook for 1 minute more, stirring frequently. Add the hot vegetable stock and simmer for 4 minutes until the asparagus is tender. Remove from the heat and put the spinach in the pan. Leave it to wilt and the soup to cool for 15 minutes, then transfer to a blender and blitz to a loose purée. Add 80g of the yoghurt (saving the remainder to add a dollop when you serve) and blitz again until silky smooth, then season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. You will need to taste it for seasoning again just before serving, as once chilled the flavours will be muted a little.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Garnish the soup with a dollop of yoghurt, the raw asparagus tips cut in half on the diagonal and dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and black pepper, and, if you wish, fresh prawns, seasoned with lots of salt and fried in a little oil. sprinkle over the Parmesan. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are cooked through.

food Lamb meatballs in yoghurt, pea and herb broth Serves four These minted lamb meatballs in a light broth, studded with sweet sugar snap and mangetout peas, feels exactly like the kind of thing we ought to be eating at this time of year.

It’s best to make these with the kind of lamb mince you find at a good butcher’s shop, with a decent streak of fat running through it, rather than the lean strands found in pre-sealed packets on the supermarket shelf.

Serve the meatball broth with something savoury and nutty like quinoa, or wholemeal grains such as pearl barley or bulgur wheat. Light pasta such as orzo or linguine work very well, too.

INGREDIENTS For the meatballs

• • • • • • •

500g lamb mince 100g ricotta 50g dry breadcrumbs 1 garlic clove, crushed Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 1 large egg Leaves picked from 30–40g mint, finely shredded • ½ tsp sea salt • ½ tsp black pepper For the broth

To serve

• Yoghurt • A cooked grain, seed or pasta of your choice METHOD

Mix together all the meatball ingredients in a bowl, keeping a quarter of the shredded mint to one side, then get your hands dirty and roll the mixture into balls about the size of a walnut: 20–25g each if you’re into measuring. Arrange the meatballs on a baking tray and, if you have time, refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

Around 30 minutes before you plan to serve, heat the

PHOTO: ISSY CROKER

• 600ml vegetable stock • 3 bay leaves • 1 garlic bulb, cut in two through the middle • 350g mixture of sugar snap peas, mangetout and freshly podded peas • Leaves stripped from 15g chervil, roughly chopped

oven to 150°C fan/170°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Once the oven’s hot, bake the meatballs for 10 minutes.

At the same time, bring the vegetable stock, bay leaves and garlic to the boil in a wide saucepan, then reduce the temperature and simmer for 5 minutes.

Transfer the baked meatballs to the stock and poach for 5 minutes before adding the sugar snaps, mangetout and fresh peas. Simmer for a further 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and leave the greens to warm through and the broth to cool a little.

Stir the chervil and remaining mint through the broth and meatballs, then serve with a grain, seed or pasta of your choice, and a dollop or two of yoghurt to stir through the broth.

MANOR | Spring 2019

101

PHOTO: ISSY CROKER

102

MANOR | Spring 2019

food Goat’s cheese, redcurrants and pistachio crumb Serves six Goat’s milk and goat’s cheese are well represented at Borough Market, with fresh and hard cheeses from all over Europe and Britain, goat’s milk via Ellie’s Dairy from Kent, and many flavours of ice cream courtesy of Greedy Goat.

This dessert is akin to a build-your-own cheesecake, where sharp and tangy fresh goat’s cheese is sweetened and rounded by floral honey, and joined by tart redcurrants and a calming, green pistachio crumb.

INGREDIENTS

• • • • • • • • • •

100g shelled unsalted pistachios 40g plain flour 25g caster sugar 50g salted butter, melted 30g icing sugar 200g soft, fresh goat’s cheese (chèvre) 230ml double cream 60g runny honey (something floral) Seeds from 1 vanilla pod 1 punnet of fresh redcurrants

METHOD

Start by making the pistachio crumb.

Preheat the oven to 120°C fan/140°C/275°F/gas mark 1. Put 80g of the pistachios, all the flour and caster sugar into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Combine with the

melted butter, then use a fork to spread the crumbs out in the baking tray – they should be about 50 per cent loose, 50 per cent packed into tight clusters. Bake for 45-60 minutes until dry and firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then mix the crumb with the remaining whole pistachios and store in an airtight container until required (these will keep well for a few days at least).

Put the icing sugar and goat’s cheese in a bowl and use a spatula to beat until smooth. Add half the cream and whip this into the mix, then the second half, together with 30g of the honey and the vanilla seeds.

Beat until well combined and thick. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Encourage everyone to build their own cheesecake, beginning with a heavy spoon or two of the cream cheese mix, then drizzling with honey and scattering with redcurrants and a few spoons each of pistachio crumb.

MANOR | Spring 2019

103

Torbay’s gin alternative Sea Arch is a new non-alcoholic gin-style drink made with natural botanicals and sea kelp by Torbay-based Sarah and Geoff Yates, who named their new venture after London Bridge Rock, a Torquay landmark. “In London, there are already no-alcohol bars popping up and we’re involved with a mindful drinking festival in Brick Lane alongside 60 other producers, so it’s a really growing sector,” says Sarah. “The process is incredibly time-consuming and complex, from individually extracting the flavours, to distillation stage and maceration. From start to finish, one bottle takes two months to make from scratch.”

The entrepreneurial couple previously ran Wellies Wine Bar in Torquay, where they always dressed up every drink to make it feel special: “Historically, soft drinks are not garnished, but how it looks is important – it can be a very sensory experience. Sea Arch works well with herbs and citrus, and throughout the seasons our non-alcoholic gin can be served with different tonics.”

For Sea Arch cocktail recipes and to buy online (£26.95 for 70cl), go to notginltd.com

Pleased as rum punch A new spirit from Devon combines a premium blend of four oak-aged Caribbean and Central American rums with pure Dartmoor water. Hattiers Rum has already scooped a gold Taste of the West award and silver outstanding award at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. Starting with a classic pot and column still-blended premium base rum, distilled by acclaimed Foursquare in Barbados, Hattiers Premium Reserve is further blended with carefully selected rums from Dominican Republic, Panama and Guatemala. The mix is combined with the softest Dartmoor water to create a smooth, completely unadulterated rum.

Founder and master blender Philip Everett-Lyons says: “We developed the blend to be an accessible premium sipping rum with an elegant combination of soft fruits, caramel and heat.” Its pop of woody heat is a trademark of the ex-bourbon casks.

Borne out of a passion of sailing and love of the ocean, Hattiers Rum is a family collaboration and named after Philip’s eldest daughter. “With a family love of life at sea, a boom in the premium spirit world and artisan food sector, and a West Country legacy for a sailor’s tipple, an artisanal rum seemed the ultimate drink to produce for spirit lovers.

Over the coming years we will be creating small batches of our own rum blends, with the aim of ageing our very own Hattiers vintage.”

Hattiers Rum Premium Reserve 40% (£42 for 70cl) hattiers.com

104

MANOR | Spring 2019

food

Eco-friendly coffee The first instant coffee brand in the UK to be completely plastic-free is Exeter-based Little’s. Brand new aluminium lids and glass jars were designed in-house by founders Will and Caroline Little. Will explains: “We’ve spent decades perfecting our flavoured coffee recipes to ensure they deliver on taste and so we wanted our branding to more effectively communicate the premium and innovative nature of our products.” wearelittles.com

Enticing eggs The Cornish confectioners, Buttermilk, have created honeycomb and caramelised cacao nib Easter eggs made with single origin Colombian chocolate. There’s also Hot Cross bun fudge, packed full of juicy raisins and fragrant fruit peel. buttermilk.co.uk

MANOR | Spring 2019

105

Taste of Cornwall The Tasting Menu is the ultimate experience at Fifteen Cornwall as guests are indulged in a guided tour of seasonal produce and sensational dishes from head chef Adam Banks and his team. Across six courses created by Adam, the Tasting Menu is inspired by the seasons and skilfully crafted by the chefs. Produce is sourced from across Cornwall and Italy, with chefs often working directly with suppliers. Adam worked with Meg Lobb from One Field Farm in order to be able to create a special polenta dish. He says: “We already buy produce from Meg, which she quite literally grows in her one field. We were really keen to source corn, so we could mill our own polenta, and Meg got some more space to be able to grow it for us. We dried the corn in the kitchen before milling it ourselves and featuring it on our Tasting Menu with our own aged beef lardo. It’s a stand-out dish for me because we’ve crafted it from scratch, so it’s something we’re really proud of.” There are vegetarian, meat and fish tasting menus available. fifteencornwall.co.uk

Save the date FORAGE, COOK AND FEAST

CULLOMPTON SPRING FEST

Learn how to forage and cook with wild food – like crispy seaweed and seashore risotto – with Caroline Davey.

The Culm Valley’s ultimate food, craft and music festival.

22 March, 29 March, 12 April. £125pp. 9.30am-4pm.

Gwenmenhir Boscawen-noon Farm, near Penzance. fathen.org

HOME BREW Learn more about the coffee-making process with an introduction to home coffee machines, home barista skills and basic knowledge of the coffee beans and quality.

30 March. 10am-12pm. £65pp. The Roastery, Ivybridge, Devon PL21 9JL. owenscoffee.com

KIDS CAN COOK The chance for children to learn how to make a classic Swiss roll with Chantilly cream and some cinnamon sugar doughnuts.

30 March. 2-4.30pm. £39 (children aged 12-14). exetercookeryschool.co.uk

WINE AND DINE

13 April. From 10am. Cullompton, Devon EX15 1AB. facebook.com/Cullompton.Springfest

TRUCKLE TOURS Find out how clothbound cheddars are made by Mary Quicke and her team of experts at Home Farm in Newton St Cyres. Tour the dairy, tuck into a tutored tasting and say hi to the herd.

26 April and 31 May. £35pp, includes lunch at The Beer Engine.

9.30am-1pm. quickes.co.uk

PORTHLEVEN FOOD FESTIVAL A feast of food, drink, music and family fun with a busy chef ’s theatre and after dark parties plus a family field.

Tickets required for some events.

26-28 April. Free. Porthleven Harbour, Cornwall. porthlevenfoodfestival.com

EXETER FESTIVAL OF FOOD AND DRINK

New head chef Jamie Coleman creates a five-course dinner menu with wines matched in collaboration with top wine specialist Enotria & Coe.

Explore the three marquees in Northernhay Gardens, enjoy street food stalls at Exeter Castle, be entertained in the festival chef demo tent and get hands-on in the Darts Farm ‘Food is Fun Teepees’. Tickets now on sale.

5 April. The Beach at Bude, Cornwall. £65pp. thebeachatbude.co.uk

4-6 May. Day tickets £9 adults/£2.50 children 5-15 years. exeterfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk

106

MANOR | Spring 2019

food

Exclusive invitation to the chef’s table Hearth and Cook, Exeter’s premium stove and range cooker centre will be hosting a creative culinary evening in early May to a limited number of guests.

At the Hearth & Cook Chef ’s Table, one of the South West’s top chefs will cook a three course dinner for a small group of assembled guests using a range of inspiring cooking appliances from Wolf. Wine will be paired with the meal and guests can ask the chef questions throughout the event. If you’re interested in being invited to the Hearth & Cook Chef ’s Table go to manormagazine.co.uk/ chefstable and enter your details. Names will be drawn at random at midday on 15th April 2019. Terms and conditions and privacy policy can be found at manormagazine.co.uk.

MANOR | Spring 2019

107

Spring feast Nancarrow, a working organic farm near Truro in Cornwall, celebrates the arrival of spring with a weekend of family fun and feasting at their annual Spring Gathering (5-7 April). From 10am-3pm on Saturday and Sunday, the farm transforms into a country fair, complete with craft stalls and demonstrations, wild walks and children’s trails, street food from the courtyard kitchen, live music and more. Farm Feasts are held on both Friday and Saturday evenings, when ticket holders can look forward to a welcome tipple with canapés in the courtyard before moving into the Oak Barn for a three-course dinner cooked over the woodfire by resident and guest chefs.

Partner at Nancarrow Farm, Steve Chamberlain, said: “Our Spring Gathering makes for a great family day out, with the opportunity to feed the lambs and get hands on with some traditional country crafts.”

Alongside the stalls and demonstrations, The Cornish Food Box Company will be taking over the Rusty Barn to run family activities.

Stuart Woodman of Woodman’s Wild Ales will be leading foraging walks. And guests can enjoy Cousin Jack’s Shallal-igans workshops, learning and performing ancient Cornish folk songs around the farm.

Meanwhile, Nancarrow will be opening the doors of its newly renovated butchery and larder, with taster sessions in butchery skills, and a pop-up farm shop with its own produce, including organic meat, wool, prints and jars of preserves.

Daytime tickets: £11.50 per adult and £5 per child, which includes a portion of food from the Courtyard Kitchen. Evening Feast tickets: £40pp, including a drink on arrival, canapés and a three-course dinner. nancarrowfarm.co.uk

Wild and sweet Dorset-based The Wild Beer Co have introduced their decadent dessert stout ‘Millionaire’ to their can range. Lactose, caramel and high quality Valrhona cacao nibs provide a chocolate and caramel sweet backbone alongside the roasty malts while Cornish Sea Salt gives a savoury salty kick. Ideally paired with red meats, roasts, tart fruit desserts or blue cheese, this black velvet stout has a caramel and toffee aroma with a big body and a rich finish. wildbeerco.com

Swan to remember The team behind the floating restaurant, the River Exe Café, have taken over the helm of The Swan Inn, a traditional pub in Lympstone near Exeter. Owners David Foa and Paul Craven are keen to retain the pub’s community ethos and renowned warm character, while stamping their own mark through their passion for locally sourced produce. Dishes include East Devon pork belly with potato terrine, heritage carrots, spiced apple confit and black treacle jus, plus Yellow Hammer beer-battered fish with all the trimmings. Foa comments: “The Swan is a community institution of which we have been regulars for years. We’re in the perfect location – a stone’s skim from Exeter, and Lympstone is an ideal location to stop off either by train or cycle trail.” theswaninn-lympstone.co.uk

108

MANOR | Spring 2019

food

New lease of life for Woolsery The Farmers Arms, a Grade II listed, thatched roof local pub dating back to the mid-17th century, has undergone a major renovation as part of a wider rejuvenation of the village of Woolsery in North Devon. The former blacksmith’s-turned-inn has been transformed into a pub and restaurant by new owners Michael and Xochi Birch, the co-founders of social networking site Bebo. Michael, who has family ties to the area and whose grandmother was born above Woolsery’s village shop, heard the derelict building was for sale and couldn’t turn down the opportunity to bring it back to life. Michael explains: “We really want to preserve the historical architecture of the village, bring back its energy and vitality and in turn create employment opportunities. We’re extremely excited to open The Farmer’s Arms, celebrating the best of British pub tradition with a few unexpected surprises.”

Executive chef Ian Webber, formerly head chef at Gidleigh Park Hotel, has created two new menus: a rustic, hearty traditional bar menu served in the pub, plus a more refined option for the restaurant, showcasing local ingredients such as heritage breeds of lamb, beef and poultry from Woolsery’s own 70-acre farm. woolsery.com

From paper to plate, our Tasting menus are created using the finest seasonal produce in dishes designed to bring out the incredible flavours and beauty of the ingredients.

On The Beach, WaTergaTe Bay, cOrnWall Tr8 4aa 01637 861000 • www.fifteencornwall.co.uk

MANOR | Spring 2019

109

Food Pioneer Jayne Oliphant-Thompson WINEMAKER AT KENTON PARK ESTATE, EXETER After 18 months of careful planning and preparation, we planted 15,000 new vines last year. We have a very rich,

fertile soil and the vines grew at a significant rate, which was incredible to watch. Our mission is to bring the vineyard back to life and celebrate the rejuvenation of the land. We hope to become a boutique producer of worldclass British sparkling wine.

Springtime is when the vineyard starts to come to life. The 15,000 vines have been fast asleep all through the winter.

We use a magic seaweed mix on the soil to stimulate the vines. We don’t use any chemical sprays at all. We are not organic or biodynamic, but we do like to make sure we don’t use any harmful pesticides or insecticides. We now have a very rare breed of sheep to help with the weeding and we’re expecting new lambs in April.

Because we are also very close to the sea and the Exe estuary, our grapes are enhanced by our coastal location.

So far, we have planted the traditional Champagne varieties including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for sparkling wine. We have seven different plantations across the wine estate growing different varieties including Bacchus, Solaris, Pinotin, Reichensteiner and another variety of Pinot Noir.

We also make cider from the apples grown here. Our

son Ben started collecting our apples and found a mobile apple pressing company to come here. Left to ferment for several months, the Hardcore is a golden sparkling cider.

This year we launch our ‘Wine in the Wild’ adventures.

You will be able to enjoy our wines at a few wild destinations in connection with the Global Adventure Challenges we participate in. We will be open for English Wine Week at the end of May and we have a wine academy plus we host South West Wine School courses.

We’re excited to be part of the new Exeter food and drink trail. We are lucky to be situated near the stunning

Powderham Castle Estate, and the Exe Estuary Cycle Trail connects us for miles around the circumference of the Exe Estuary. So cyclists can start here at the Vineyard and cycle to Powderham Castle.

wine labels have been designed by cartoonist Bryn Parry, famous for his caricatures of country sporting life and for setting up the Help for Heroes. He has captured the humorous antics of our pheasants who roam freely here on the estate and his individual pheasant characters have become our brand ambassadors.

We call ourselves the Motley Cru. We are a team thrown

together to look after these precious vines. Our quirky 110

MANOR | Spring 2019

Kenton Park Estate, Exeter, EX6 8NW. kentonparkestate.com

food

The Table Prowler Canteen, Wheal Kitty, St Agnes, Cornwall Perched on a bluff above the town of St Agnes on the north Cornish coast is Wheal Kitty. Home to the Surfers Against Sewage HQ, hip outdoor clothing brand Finisterre and a handful of other cool Cornish businesses, it was a smart choice to open an eatery among the collection of brick warehouses. Canteen is the kitchen home of chef Ben Quinn, from where he runs his outdoor, wood-fired catering business. In a cunning business move, he has also taken to offering lunches and weekend brunches served in a very casual dining style on one long refectory table literally in the middle of an industrial kitchen. There are two mains offered every day. When I visited with friends, the place was packed, with people having to squeeze up on the long benches. There was a hipster vibe and busy buzz that wouldn’t have been amiss in the streets of West London or Whitechapel. The food was excellent – I went for the blood orange beets with haydari, pickled carrot and harissa salsa. It was hearty but not as tasty

as my friend’s salt beef and beans with roast leek – a deliciously sloppy, salty pile of pink salt beef stew, with dollops of homemade mayo, slices of gherkin, cannellini beans and big slice of sourdough garlic bread. Each dish only cost a fiver, which is certainly the draw for locals and the Wheal Kitty workers alike.

The portions could have been bigger, but that’s partly because I’m gluten intolerant and couldn’t fill up on the mouthwatering crusty bread that came with the mains.

Sweets are a selection of pastries and cupcakes in the style of a Portuguese bakery, presented in no-nonsense fashion on the aluminium worktops. Exit the café and you are literally a minute’s stroll away from the coast path and views across the rugged cove of St Agnes and out to the Atlantic rollers beyond.

Food 8 | Service 7 | Ambience 9 | Location 9 | Value 9 canteencornwall.com

St George & Dragon, Clyst St George, Devon This large pub, situated near to the ever-popular Darts Farm, is fairly unprepossessing on the outside, and a big, open-plan sprawl of a space inside. While the atmosphere is nothing to write home about, this is obviously where the discerning retirees head for a slap-up lunch. The lunch menu is gastro-pub all the way, but that’s no bad thing. It can be slightly worrying when there is a very large menu, and the speed with which the dishes were served certainly implied that there was no on-the-spot prep going on. However, freshly prepared or not, the food was excellent. My chargrilled lamb kofta was four skewers of exceptionally tender meat, with chilli pickle and tzatziki, while my friend’s scallops and chorizo was roasted in a generous jus of herby garlic butter – the scallops were meltingly

soft and the chorizo provided the requisite kick. Mains of handmade lobster fishcakes with bouillabaisse sauce (garlic, tomato and fennel) and beef and red wine lasagne arrived speedily. They were satisfyingly large portions – the lasagne looked like a classic pub-grub staple, complete with chunky chips, but the red wine and good tang of oregano nudged it into ‘gastro’ territory. The two large lobster fish cakes were moist and tasty, albeit a bit on the bland side. All in all, great portions, efficient service and surprisingly flavoursome food given the extent of the menu.

Food 8 | Service 7 | Ambience 6 | Location 9 | Value 8 vintageinn.co.uk

MANOR | Spring 2019

111

BRING ON SPRING Our Spring 2019 Collection of inspirational interiors, from lighting and mirrors to British-made sofas and coffee tables, are all hand-selected with you in mind.

20% OFF ONLINE CODE:

MANOR0319

VISIT OUR STORES OR BUY ONLINE: MARSH BARTON EX2 8QX 01392 677030

TOPSHAM EX3 0QH 01392 877737

amoslighting.co.uk

MANOR| |MIRRORS Spring 2019 LIGHTING |112 SOFAS | RUGS | LIGHTING DESIGN

Space Field Studio, Devon | Shopping for space

Field Studio, Devon. See page 114 fieldstudio.co.uk

MANOR | Spring 2019

113

Fiona McGowan meets architect James Risebero from Field Studio to learn about the evolution of his eco home in rural South Devon and his aspirations for cultural and social builds in the future.

J

ames Risebero’s hero is Le Corbusier. He of the concrete-heavy Brutalist architecture that spawned thousands of copies around the world: not least West London’s iconic beast of a tower block, Trellick Tower. Le Corbusier, of course, was also renowned for his pared-back furniture – all spindly chrome legs and big, masculine leather seat pads: veritable style icons of mid-century modern design.

James’s house in Littlehempston, perched atop a gentle ridge and sitting in a wide open field, looks nothing like the buildings of his design maestro. Cedarclad, it is minimal in form – a simple, cabin-like, one-and-a-half storey building. The cedar, since its completion in 2017, has faded to a muted dark grey – with some sections artfully painted in black to give some depth of shading. There are no eaves and few protrusions of any sort, with carefully secluded guttering and a steep pitched roof. Talking to James, it is obvious that his intense focus in designing this house was on creating a building that is appropriate to the vernacular. Although, clearly this is not your average Devon vernacular – where the majority of houses are built of brick or stone and nestled in valleys, protected from the winds.

It is the wind and the landscape that created some of the greatest challenges for James Risebero. When I suggest that the house reminds me of the sort of traditional wood-clad buildings you might see in Norway, he says that it was contemporary Scottish buildings that particularly inspired him: “I was influenced by the architecture going on in the remote islands of Scotland. There’s a firm called Dualchas who do these very simple vernacular pitch-roof forms – based on crofters’ cottages, with no overhangs at all,” he 114

MANOR | Spring 2019

space

Architecture at its best fulfils a social need… Coming up with something innovative, with limited means. That’s always something that’s interested me.

MANOR | Spring 2019

115

explains. “Partly, that’s because of the extreme wind.

You don’t want eaves, because your roof can literally become detached from the walls.”

It was by no means the first style he fell upon – after finding the plot while on a cycle ride ( James is a passionate road-biker), he struggled with various concepts. “The form was always similar, but in terms of the design, I tried lots of different versions. I tried a flat-roof version, but because we’re on the top of a hill, it felt a bit uncomfortable.” It was the pitched-roof concept that eventually won out: “I kept coming back to something similar to what you see here,” he says, looking appreciatively at his comfortable family home. “At some point, I just had to down tools and run with it.” The design process took three years – not least because James was initially trying to do it in his spare time, while working at local Devon practice, Gillespie Yunnie. He eventually realised that he would have to work fulltime on his home, and so left the practice. “The design process took about two years, including the detail design. It being my own house, I did about 160 detailed drawings. There was no room for error in the building of it.” Those years of preparation paid off in the build time: “It was a very smooth building process. There were no arguments. No errors, really.”

Like many of today’s architects, the environmental impact of buildings is foremost in James’s mind when designing. Having cut his teeth working at the hitech Norman Foster practice – where one of his major projects was the Canary Wharf underground – he more recently worked at award-winning pioneers of environmental architecture, Feilden Clegg Bradley 116

MANOR | Spring 2019

space

Studios (FCB Studios). That experience, and his personal interest, led him to create an eco-house of his own. There is an array of solar PV panels in a hedgedoff corner of the 2.7-acre field, providing 4KW of energy – “and what we don’t use, we export to the national grid,” he says. There is an air-source heat pump, which extracts heat from the air to warm the water and underfloor heating in the house. It works on the same principles as ground-source heating, explains James. While it is slightly less efficient, due to the vagaries of air temperature as opposed to ground temperature, it is more cost effective than tunnelling underground to set up extensive piping systems. He briefly considered building his house on Passivhaus principles – creating a structure within a strict set of parameters to enable an airtight, self-heating, selfcooling building – but decided against it, mainly because he wanted to incorporate big patio windows overlooking the field and the view across the valley below. Passivhauses generally require a much higher wall-to-window ratio.

The interior of the house is Tardis-like. While the exterior is a simple, understated L-shape, with steep roof studded with an even line of skylights, the interior feels cavernous – all high ceilings and big, open angles.

The kitchen and living space is airy, with light pouring in from giant windows on the south and east sides.

A gallery overlooks the room, and the furniture is a careful collection of mid-century modern ( James’s yen for Corbusier making an appearance). Most impactful, though, is the prevalence of golden wood – the house actually has a natural scent of it. The walls and ceilings

are all made from thick panels of spruce, but this is not just arty cladding. The swathes of wood form the actual structure of the building. Think of a pre-fab building, where the panels of MDF are carted into place with a crane – and then think again. Field House has no timber frame – its walls are made of sheets of cross-laminated timber. Constructed from offcuts of sustainable spruce, the walls are a thick sandwich of three layers of wood, with the grain going one way on the outer layers and the other way in the inner layer. The roof panels are even thicker, says James, made of five laminations, so they’re 140mm of solid timber. The panels get shipped from Austria and erected in three weeks. A weatherproof scaffolding ‘hat’ is added, so that builders can get to work adding roofing, exterior cladding, insulation and all the other elements of the build.

This form of building structure appeals to James for a number of reasons. It is highly environmentally friendly.

Using offcuts of wood is key, as is using sustainable wood. Being so thick, it is a natural insulator, and having no cavities like your usual brick/plasterboard combo, it doesn’t have any ‘cold-bridging’ where heat travels through breaks in the insulation. And using masses of wood, adds James, means that his house is a carbon store: “While this is in existence, that carbon is removed from the atmosphere – it’s stored in the wood.” It is also architecturally pleasing: “I suppose because I’m steeped in the modernist tradition of truth to materials, this seemed like a very honest way of building,” says James.

“I love the feel of it and the solidity of it, and the fact that you can use it monolithically.”

Aesthetically, it feels very Scandinavian, especially MANOR | Spring 2019

117

space with the mild sauna-like scent. The two big living areas downstairs are clutter-free and lend themselves well to the modernist lines of the furniture. The utilities and services have been cunningly placed in the core of the house – so there is no intrusion on the flow of the living space. Upstairs, the gallery houses bookshelves that form the family’s library. There’s a long workbench used as a homework space, and table football. “It’s gone from a library to something like a hot-desking space in an advertising agency,” grins James, wryly. James’s wife, Kate, has a large office space from where she runs her community-based education CIC. It has been cleverly designed as a standalone space with separate entrance and shower room: “We’re trying to think about how we might use it in the future. We could rent this little portion out.”

The four bedrooms are in the steep eaves of the house, but such is the angle of the roof that there is no need to bend down in any of the rooms. The ceilings are high and the views from the long, low Veluxes are superb. James designed the proportions of the rooms around Ikea carcass sizes and added grey touch-release Ikea kitchen units as storage space.

Now that Field House is a fait accompli, James has more time to dedicate to his solo practice. He has taken on a few residential projects – one of which is a new build with similar aesthetic form to his own.

But he wants to take advantage of the freedom of having his own practice to focus more on his passions.

118

MANOR | Spring 2019

Architecturally, he is particularly keen to work more on the social aspect of building design. Having worked on public buildings with FCB Studios (he designed the RAF Museum in Hendon and the Cold War Museum in Wolverhampton), he realised that: “The things that really interest me are cultural projects. They tend to be very interesting buildings with an interesting set of requirements, often on interesting sites as well.” He is also keen on developing Field Studios to focus on “housing rather than houses”. James feels strongly that “architecture is a social profession. Architecture at its best fulfils a social need.” The idea that he might be able to take on projects for low cost or social housing definitely appeals: “I think there is satisfaction to be had for working within tight budgetary constraints. Coming up with something innovative, with limited means. That’s always something that’s interested me.”

Working from his purpose-built studio next to his home is ideal. He gets to spend time with Kate and the two children, and he can also indulge in his enthusiasm for working outdoors – planting trees and hedges and managing the land (“I used to have a summer job as a landscape gardener”) – as well as cycling and making music in his dedicated music studio. This seems to be a family that has got its work-life balance completely (if not annoyingly) sussed. fieldstudio.co.uk

Contemporary Italian Kitchens delivered with passion and expertise Experts in bespoke kitchens, Touch Design Group are now offering an Italian Kitchen range.

Please call Ella on 01392 249777 for further information.

touchcucina.com

Telephone: 01392 249777 | Exeter, Devon Images Š 2018 Cubo Design S.r.l.

MANOR | Spring 2019

119

Ahead of the curve

Muuto Ambit pendant lamp, Rume, £269

Organically stylish, a pale colour palette with calm wooden accents delivers a honed, gentle touch to spring interiors. Arced furniture, spherical lighting and rounded corners add to the softness. Compiled by Amy Tidy.

John Lewis and Partners

Pendant lamp, John Lewis and Partners, £175

Cushion, Marks and Spencer, £19.50

Cushion, Sweetpea and Willow, £95

Mirror, Marks and Spencer, £89

Floorlamp, Cuckooland, £119

Sofa, John Lewis and Partners, £1,199

Vase, Marks and Spencer, £29.50

Organic wool throw, Naturalmat, £200 120

MANOR | Spring 2019

Table, John Lewis and Partners £299

Cushion, Beaumonde, £53

Chair, Sweetpea and Willow, £480

space House Doctor pendant lamp, Amara, £126

Marks and Spencer

Pendant lamp, Debenhams, £40

Clock, Made.com, £29 Placemat, Tine K Home, £14

Floorlamp, Sweetpea and Willow, £110

Tray, Tine K Home, £25 Chairs (set of two), Marks and Spencer, £129

Sofa, Sweetpea and Willow, £560 Coffee table, Beaumonde, £239

Potted plant, Marks and Spencer, £29.50

Footstool, Cult Furniture, £199 Magazine Rack, John Lewis and Partners, £25 MANOR | Spring 2019

121

beach houses chic harbourside apartments and cottages by the sea hand-picked for people who like nice things Unique

122 MANOR | Spring 2019selected holiday homes to add to our collection.

Join us We’re looking for



 forevercornwall.co.uk 01326 567838

 forevercornwall.co.uk/owners

Escape Madrid, Spain |Tanglewood, Lerryn, Cornwall

Plaza Mayor, Madrid. See page 124

MANOR | Spring 2019

123

Imogen Clements has a capital time in Spain, revisiting old haunts and savouring the many delights – arts, culture, gastronomy – that this most welcoming of cities adeptly serves up.

I

’ll admit it, I’m biased. I consider Madrid to be my second home, having spent three formative years after university there. It was supposed to be one, but I was having too much fun. Because that’s the thing about Madrid, and about the Spanish in general – they know how to have a good time. And so it was natural that, several decades later, I’d want to take the family back to the place that is engraved on my heart, just as soon as the children were old enough to appreciate some of its charms.

We took an easyJet flight from Bristol and hired a car from there, wanting to see some of Madrid’s historic 124

MANOR | Spring 2019

outlying towns. It takes 20 minutes to drive to the city centre from Barajas Airport where our apartment at the Gran Vía Capital, with its very clever self-parking underground car park, was located. Luxury apartment complexes are popping up all over Madrid and are by far the most economical and convenient option for anyone travelling with children. Gran Vía Capital has apartments of varying sizes, all clean, tastefully minimalist, and extremely well kitted out. Ours had a sizeable double separated by sliding doors from the open-plan kitchen/ diner/sitting room. It was spacious, with a breakfast bar,

escape

Madrid is slap bang in the centre of the Spanish peninsular allowing you to go east, west, north and south to enjoy all that this country has to offer.

The Thyssen Museum

Plaza Mayor

dining table, decent flatscreen TV in the sitting room area which had a large, very comfortable sofa bed for the children. Door to ceiling windows could be slid open for ventilation. Some apartments have generous balconies.

Times are changing fast and the astute among the hotel and catering sector have realised that the traditional hotel format in a place like Madrid, where most people want to be out all the time, is not a practical option. Why provide the expense of a full-service restaurant when there are myriad places in the city guests would rather breakfast, lunch and dine. Gran Vía Capital provides the self-service fully fitted apartment but beyond the (very friendly) staff on reception, the cleaning staff and those manning the gym and pool, service costs are kept down.

The roof top pool I should add was a welcome addition and I would say a must in Madrid staying any time between June and September. When we were there, this small pool terrace with plunge pool and drench shower provided a refreshing end to a day roaming the city and the most fantastic panoramic views of the Spanish capital.

As to the day, where does a woman who feels like she knows Madrid like the back of her hand choose to take her children on their debut visit? Well, first of all, Madrid is well contained, unlike the massive sprawling London. Most of the key places are accessible on foot.

The Puerta del Sol, the city’s main square, similar to our

Gran Vía Capital

Trafalgar, is a mere five minutes away from our centrally located apartment. Somewhat touristy, but from there, every which way there are barrios (quarters) and mini plazas to explore and savour. First, the Plaza Mayor.

Surrounded by red brick and white-shuttered façades, it’s the most beautiful square to find yourself in. There are lots of little cafés around the periphery to sup café con leche, and from there we headed to the Mercado de San Miguel to meet Rosa, my friend from those halcyon days, with her family.

One of the reasons that Madrid/Spanish life is so amenable is that the day is punctuated with numerous occasions to meet and snack. There is never any need for a proper meal. Walk in to the Mercado de San Miguel and eyes go agog with the variety of delicacies to ‘picar’, as they say. Paired with cold cerveza, iced Vermouth or a chilled (in summer) Rioja, you can choose from waferthin slices of jamón Serrano, chunks of cured Manchego cheese, olives, sweet tomato and mozzarella salad, a healthy ración (quarter) of tortilla (Spanish omelette), pulpo (octopus), oysters and much more.

From there we proceeded to one gallery I knew would please all the family. The Thyssen on the Paseo del Prado houses one of the biggest art collections in the world. Once owned by the Thyssen-Bornemisza family, it was bought by the Spanish state in 1993. It MANOR | Spring 2019

125

escape

Gran Vía Capital

Spanish tapas

The Retiro park

126

MANOR | Spring 2019

stretches over three floors and has almost 1,000 different works covering every artistic movement from the 13th to 20th century. The collection is breathtaking in the sheer number of world-renowned original works that you encounter. There are masterpieces everywhere you look, including work by Renoir, Rubens, Dalí, Hopper, Rothko, Mondrian and Lichtenstein.

There is also, of course, The Prado, Madrid’s biggest and most established of galleries. Similar to our National Gallery, it too boasts quite phenomenal works of art, from Botticelli to Goya to Velázquez (Las Meninas) but is more for the serious, classical art aficionado than perhaps we are.

The Thyssen and the Prado are a mere 10-minute walk from one another, and having consumed art of every genre and era, you can reflect on it all by taking a stroll through the Retiro. This is the city’s central park with its tree-lined paths, rose gardens and boating lake.

We didn’t take a boat out on the lake. Only mad dogs and Englishmen – not mothers with children – would choose to take a boat out in the middle of the lake under a radiating Madrid summer sun. We chose instead to eat a late lunch, at the rather chi-chi Taberna Los Gallos, in Madrid’s designer quarter of Jorge Juan.

Lunch was a selection of raciones – which are technically large portions of tapas (a tapa should really be an appetiser, served in a little saucer with your beer or sherry) – and these were the most delectable. On the menu was a range of salads, fish, shellfish or meat, freshly cooked fries, perfect with the succulent lamb cutlets cooked with garlic a la plancha (griddle). Here there were couples, families and business people, all in

Come the evening, there are, it being Madrid, numerous al fresco eating and/or cocktail terraces. a similarly relaxed state, all enjoying the best, quickest, most professional service. That’s another thing that the Spanish treat seriously and do so well. Service is quick and snappy and of the best quality. Respectful but with no needless pleasantries (‘Hi, I’m Pedro and I’m your camarero’ nonsense). Time is the essence in order to enjoy the food fresh and hot, as the chef would want it.

No hanging around for the bill – customers leave happy and sated, tables are cleared and refreshed and on with the next.

Come the evening, there are, it being Madrid, numerous al fresco eating and/or cocktail terraces.

Indeed, every bar will more than double its floor space with an outdoor terrace when summer arrives, more often than not on the pavement or square adjacent, occasionally on the roof above. There are some notable rooftop terraces to frequent, without the kids in tow, including the Bellas Artes overlooking the Plaza de Cibeles, a famous landmark of Madrid sporting the goddess Cybele atop her chariot pulled by lions through illuminated fountains. (They like to go the whole hog, do the Spanish).

This is a mere snapshot of Madrid. There is, of course, far more to this city than a couple of pages can cover, not least those outlying historic cities I made reference to at the start: Toledo, Segovia, Aranjuez and a particular favourite of mine, Chinchón, with its rooftop houses and delicious bistrots set out on circular wooden balconies around the town’s main market square.

Madrid is my go-to home from home. ‘No hay playa’, as the song goes. Given: there is no beach, unlike its big rival Barcelona, but Madrid is slap bang in the centre of the Spanish peninsular allowing you to go east, west, north and south to enjoy all that this country has to offer – skiing, beaches, mountain ranges and any number of fantastic cities each with its own identity, rich history and unique charm.

Or you can just stay put and soak up the classic Spanish warmth, culture, cuisine and rich fiesta from its capital.

BLACK BOOK granviacapital.es mercadodesanmiguel.es museothyssen.org museodelprado.es tabernalosgallos.com azoteadelcirculo.com

MANOR | Spring 2019

127

MANOR travel notes

Easter escapes North Cornwall self-catering specialist John Bray Cornish Holidays has added several new properties to its portfolio for 2019, just in time for Easter. They have been specialising in exceptional coastal holiday homes in Rock, Daymer Bay, Polzeath and Port Isaac since 1971.

Embracing individualism, each of the private homes that they let is unique and many are located in a spectacular setting. With over 300 distinctive hideaways to choose from, they’ve got the perfect holiday home for individuals, couples, families or a group of friends: from characterful fishermen’s cottages with harbour views and luxurious family-friendly homes overlooking the sea, to countryside retreats and stylish beachside boltholes. Dogs are also welcome in 150 of their properties. johnbraycornishholidays.co.uk

Best of everything Enjoy a short break at the Budock Vean Hotel, a country house resort by the Helford River in Cornwall. There are newly refurbished Signature rooms overlooking the 65-acre estate and there is a nine-hole/18-tee golf course which is free to use for staying guests alongside tennis courts, kayaking and boat trips from the private quay. The restaurant is renowned for its amazing food and serves a daily changing dinner menu of modern British cuisine using the best locally sourced produce.

The Natural Health Spa offers a range of massages and treatments and has an indoor pool, sauna and outdoor hot tub. Budock Vean is a dog-friendly hotel and luxury holiday homes and cottages are also available. It is just minutes from the coastal footpath near Trebah and Glendurgan Gardens. budockvean.co.uk

128

MANOR | Spring 2019

Countryside bliss The Two Bridges Hotel is situated in the heart of Dartmoor National Park. Boasting 31 rooms – each with its own style and character, some with four-poster bed and spa bath – the hotel also has a fine dining restaurant (two AA Rosettes), characterful lounges and bar area, all set in historic surroundings. Enjoy a Dartmoor Leisure Break (running until June) including two nights in one of their luxurious rooms, a three-course dinner at the restaurant each evening and a tasty breakfast each morning. Prices start from £70pp/pn. twobridges.co.uk

Glas Mor, Mawgan Porth

Luxury Cornish retreats Cornish Gems provides self-catering holidays in Cornwall and they have recently welcomed a few new luxury homes to their extensive collection. Glas Mor in Mawgan Porth sleeps eight people and has been transformed into a fine holiday home, complete with sea views and a large outside space. In St Ives, Sapphire sleeps six people and offers an idyllic home for friends and family, boasting three bedrooms and three bathrooms plus an open-plan living area. Situated

by The Roseland Peninsula is Hummingbird, which sleeps three people. It has all the charm of a Cornish cottage and guests can enjoy the luxury of its location, exploring quiet coves, beaches and the Peninsula. cornishgems.com

MANOR | Spring 2019

129

130

MANOR | Spring 2019

escape

Spa and wide GAIA SPA at BORINGDON HALL

FISTRAL BEACH HOTEL

Gaia Spa, Boringdon Hall, Plymouth PL7 4DP | 01752 344455 gaiaboringdon.co.uk Gaia Spa is an award-winning spa set within the grounds of fivestar country house hotel Boringdon Hall, on the edge of Dartmoor.

This world-class facility is a special place that gives guests the time and the space they need to enhance their natural wellness.

Fistral Beach, Newquay TR7 1PT | 01637 852221 fistralbeachhotel.co.uk Discover a journey of true relaxation on the Cornish coast. Open the doors and immerse into complete integration of body, mind and spirit; slip into serenity with invigorating treatments, relaxing overnight stays and soothing spa days at Fistral Spa in Newquay, Cornwall, exclusively for adults.

ILSINGTON COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL AND SPA

THE NATURAL HEALTH SPA at BUDOCK VEAN HOTEL

Ilsington Village, Nr Newton Abbot TQ13 9RR | 01364 661452 ilsington.co.uk/Spa Awarded Gold in South West Tourism’s Spa and Wellbeing Experience, Ilsington is the perfect destination for a day of rest and relaxation. Located on Dartmoor, yet only 4 miles from the A38.

Nr Helford Passage, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5LG 01326 252101 budockvean.co.uk/spa Ideal for a spa break or a day visit, and part of the Budock Vean Hotel, the Natural Health Spa is surrounded by 65 acres of peaceful grounds leading to the Helford River. The Seasonal Spa Day menu changes every four months and offers a wide range of massage, facial and holistic treatments, plus a nail bar, swimming pool, sauna and outdoor hot tub.

ELAN at BOVEY CASTLE

THE VOYAGE SPA

Dartmoor National Park, North Bovey TQ13 8RE | 01647 445021 boveycastle.com/spa The Elan Spa at Bovey Castle is a sanctuary tucked away from the bustle of modern life. Our spa experiences using ESPA products have been created to relax, revive and restore body and spirit.

The Voyage Spa, Thurlestone Hotel, Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 3NN 01548 560382| reception@thurlestone.co.uk thurlestone.co.uk Voyage Spa is the luxury 4 star Thurlestone Hotel’s hidden gem.

Tranquil beauty therapy rooms offering a wide range of treatments, a selection of spa days and two night spa breaks.

Quote MANOR for 10% off treatments.

To advertise here please email advertising@manormagazine.co.uk or call 07887 556447

MANOR | Spring 2019

131

Katie Chown switches off on a blissful week at Tanglewood in the south Cornish creekside setting of Lerryn.

132

MANOR | Spring 2019

escape

A

Tired and road-weary, we felt immediately enveloped by this cottage’s sense of warmth and welcome.

rms stretched, legs too, the promise of sun glinting behind the blind, I open an eye before snuggling back down with a sleepy, contented sigh. This place is blissful tranquillity, far removed from the hubbub of everyday life.

The day before we’d done the rush-hour mad dash of scooping up luggage after sneaking off work early and bundling everything and everyone into the car to make the trip to Cornwall. Three hours of motorway, wondering if it was too late to turn back, transformed quickly into excited intrigue as we drove through the lanes of Lerryn, the prettiest of creekside villages on the south Cornish coast.

The name of our holiday cottage, Tanglewood, only further instilled a sense of fairy-tale curiosity. We arrived, now after dark, and took the winding garden path to the front door. Tired and road-weary, we felt immediately enveloped by this cottage’s sense of warmth and welcome. It sits in a wooded valley, on the banks of the creek, so its position and plot are snug, made all the more so by the tasteful interior devoid of dampness or draughts and instead giving a warm homeliness in a house steeped in character. More welcoming still were the contents of the welcome tray which we washed down with a very satisfying cup of tea.

The little ones had of course run up the stairs to bag their room. We had our own nose around, nervous by the sight of a bright blue Rayburn but determined to cook at least one meal on it.

Weekend lie-ins are the best when you know there’s no work on Monday but all the more possible in a location with zero traffic noise. We decided to make the most of every minute of this weeklong jaunt in this Cornish idyll, so took our spring morning coffee al fresco on the terrace looking over the river, as the children explored the forest. We hatched plans. There are numerous things we could do to fill the time while located at Tanglewood. Firstly, from the house itself, there are, the literature tells us, opportunities for local walks and creekside picnics. Then, should we want to get back in the car (it’s tempting in a place like this not to, for the entirety of your stay), there’s venturing further to towns such as the very fashionable Fowey and Lostwithiel or on to the magical Eden Project, to take in some tropical or Mediterranean biome should we feel the need to be transported to warmer climes. There’s also the Lost Gardens of Heligan, hidden for decades under a tangle of weeds and brambles, which seems a pertinent excursion from a place called Tanglewood.

The house itself is surrounded by its own mature south facing gardens. Inside, the rooms are spacious, newly refurbished and beautifully decorated throughout.

There are three bedrooms: a double, a twin and an additional small single room with sloping ceiling above the bed to lend additional cosiness (with caution not to have heads that go bump in the night). Adding to the charm, there are stepping stones across the creek to the MANOR | Spring 2019

133

escape

village of Lerryn which has a shop, tea room, traditional pub and a host of events throughout the year. When the tide is in you can access the pub by kayak, otherwise there’s a bridge on the lane and you can walk to the pub.

The kitchen has a modern country style to it complete with Butler sink and aforementioned Rayburn and a handy slate breakfast bar that looks out onto the garden.

The stove turned out to be pretty simple to use and the dining area is spacious with a beamed ceiling and French doors leading out to the garden.

The children were uncharacteristically well behaved (Tanglewood was working its spell on them), helping to clear the table and load the dishwasher so we could light the wood-burner and crack open the board games.

There is wifi but in a place like this it feels pertinent to unplug and get back to basics, such as bathing rather than showering. There is a good size family bathroom, well appointed, and it would be churlish not to enjoy it and 134

MANOR | Spring 2019

soak in the bath (me) for an hour or so. Bathing, these days, is so rare that it seems restricted to holidays only.

The week was over too quickly. Tanglewood was a magical location which every member of the family enjoyed and I’ve since been recommending it to all and sundry.

It ticks all the boxes: a cottage with fairy-tale setting and character, homely warmth and convenience, a thriving village community nearby, waterfront and woodland. Plus, bigger towns like Fowey to wander around and the amazing Eden Project for a blast of educational botanical exploration, and… it’s near the sea. Specifically, the harbour town of Charlestown: Poldark land. There’s much to like. And we’ll be back.

Tanglewood is available to stay in through Classic Cottages costing between £529 and £1,450 a week depending on the time of year. classic.co.uk

Beautiful gardens and homes start at Bernaville Nurseries.

ƒ

W

hether you’re looking for the finest plants, furniture, fresh foods, clothing or ideas for your home and garden, you’ll find them along with an inspirational range of outdoor furniture at Bernaville. Come and explore our nursery and welcome in the seasons with style!

Call 01392 851326 • www.bernaville.co.uk FIND US JUST OUTSIDE EXETER, ON THE A377 CREDITON ROAD.

Bernaville Nurseries FA M I LY R U MANOR N SIN C E 2019 1 9135 57 | Spring

136

MANOR | Spring 2019

For teachers and parents of children studying in the South West Schools news in brief

Exeter School’s fundraising success EACH YEAR EXETER SCHOOL’S committee of sixth form representatives select three charities for the school to support during the course of the academic year. For the autumn term, pupils chose Rowcroft Hospice, an independent charity providing specialist palliative care services for people and their families with progressive life-limiting illnesses in South Devon. The Senior School mufti day raised £1,325 for this charity.

Pupils and staff wore spots, took part in a lunchtime quiz, and brought in foreign currency to be converted into pounds, amassing £729. Meanwhile, Children in Need benefited from the Junior School’s mufti day and cake sales, raising almost £400.

In addition, many Houses made efforts to raise money for their chosen charities. Cake sales cooked up over £1,000. Buller House collected £229 for Movember, while Townsend House raised £356.48 in aid of the Exeter Baby Bank. The school’s library also held a book and cake sale for The Book Trust, collecting £243 to send festive book parcels to vulnerable and disadvantaged children for Christmas.

And then for this year’s Chaplain’s Charity of the Year, Revd Tom invited a speaker from St Petrock’s to talk to pupils during chapel services at Harvest time. Revd Tom was so inspired by the work of the charity that he offered to have his head shaved if the target of £5,000 was reached by the end of term. All of the money came in by the final Thursday and the great haircut took place in the chapel by

the school’s head of history, Giles Trelawny. This raised over £5,500 for St Petrock’s.

Over the Christmas season, both the Junior and Senior School enjoyed Christmas jumper days, raising funds for the Community Service Christmas Party, attended by over 100 local older people and two national children’s charities, Save the Children and the Children’s Society. The Christmas concert raised £271 for WaterAid by selling cups of water and squash in the two intervals. Daw and Dowrich House sold Christmas cards for Pete’s Dragons and Alzheimer’s UK, raising almost £300, and the staff common room raised £100 for Julian House, Grief Encounter and MIND through the annual staff Christmas card.

Millfield netball captain makes Team Bath 2019 squad UPPER SIXTH PUPIL and 1st team netball captain Hannah Passmore from Wells has been named in the Team Bath netball squad for the 2019 Vitality Superleague season. Hannah, who also attended Millfield Prep, is now studying for three A levels in Mathematics, French and History. She is the only squad member to be born in this millennium, having celebrated her 18th birthday in December. The sixth former, who plays as a goal shooter, has been with the Team Bath programme for four years and has progressed through the pathway into the Superleague Team. Hannah will also be vice-captain of Team Bath’s U21 squad in the 2019 Netball Performance League (NPL), having played a pivotal role when they won bronze in the league and silver in the NPL Tournament last season.

MANOR | Spring 2019

137

The Maynard School Youth STEMM Award THE MAYNARD SCHOOL in Exeter has become the first school in the South West to sign up to the new Youth STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine) Award. Although it was launched in 2015, the Award was only opened up last September to independent schools in the UK and The Maynard is proud to be the first to support the initiative.

“It is special because it is really new and innovative – there are no other awards on offer like it. It is also really important as we are so short of people in STEMM careers in this country, particularly girls,” said Ms York, a science teacher at the school and coordinator for the award.

Several girls in Years 10 and 11 are enrolled in the programme, which encourages participants to log STEMM-related activities across four strands: ‘Inspiring the next generation’, ‘Engaging the public’, ‘Developing skills and knowledge’ and ‘Shaping your future’.

They have already had a visit from Dr Karla-Luise Herpoldt, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Protein Design in Washington, USA, and an alumna of The Maynard. Karla designs vaccines and recently created one that prevents fatal intestinal disease amongst malnourished infants in developing countries. She was

Dr Karla-Luise Herpoldt with the Rocket Club

also crucial to the development of a more targeted form of chemotherapy that kills only cancerous cells and not the surrounding body tissue.

The Youth STEMM Award is similar in structure to the well-established Duke of Edinburgh Award. In the first instance, the Maynard students will be working towards their Bronze Award and will be required to complete a minimum of 10 hours per section whilst covering all STEMM areas. A Silver and a Gold variation, working towards more advanced skills, will follow.

Kingsley teacher shortlisted for the i25 THE NATIONAL I25 AWARDS celebrates 25 individuals who are making a remarkable contribution to independent schools and education. Shortlisted is Kingsley’s head of Mathematics, Mrs Chrissy Hamilton, who has been recognised for her work with the Royal Institution and bringing Maths masterclasses to students across North Devon. Over the last two years, Mrs Hamilton has invited over 60 talented North Devon mathematicians from six local secondary schools to complete a series of Saturday morning Royal Institution Maths masterclasses. Students have attended

them from Kingsley, Park School, Pilton School, Great Torrington School, Bideford College and Shebbear College. Attracting enthusiastic speakers from industry, academia and education, the enrichment workshops have offered students in-depth investigations in topics outside of the school curriculum, combining theory with interactive exploration. The aim? To open the student’s eyes to the world of Mathematics, allowing them to deeply explore a range of ideas and applications and hopefully to inspire them to continue their engagement in these areas.

New headmistress for Exeter Junior School EXETER SCHOOL is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs Saskia van Schalkwyk (right) as head of Exeter Junior School with effect from 1 September 2019. Currently deputy head of The Granville School in Sevenoaks, Kent, since September 2014, she has previously worked in co-educational schools in both the maintained and independent sectors. Her work as a designated safeguarding lead, her marketing experience and regular liaison with senior schools, will also prepare her admirably for her new role. She is also a trained independent schools’ inspector. Her interests include umpiring netball, running and cycling.

Mrs van Schalkwyk will take over a very successful school which continues to achieve high standards of pastoral care, academic progress and extracurricular activity. She will seek to build on the excellent achievements under current head Sue Marks’ leadership.

138

MANOR | Spring 2019

school

Maths is not easy to teach in schools where big classes often have wide-ranging abilities. As Exeter-based company Sparx is proving, technology can help teachers tailor their approach to an individual child, overriding obstacles such as class size and bureaucracy. Louise Mayor reports.

C

ast your mind back to a time, not so long ago, when ‘Alexa’ was just a slightly odd name in the BBC’s latest sci-fi offering and when acronyms like AI and VR belonged in a tech netherworld which had nothing to do with us.

Or those halcyon days when every waking minute wasn’t filled with worry about what the children were ‘consuming’ online or whether their smartphone was actually giving them RSI. Few of us could comprehend how the internet would transform our lives so fundamentally. Retina scanning,

tracking our location, 24/7. Today we have incorporated some unbelievable technologies into our everyday lives and would now find it hard (if not impossible) to do without them. Devices keep us fit, they monitor our hearts wirelessly, Google helps us with our DIY and we use technology to chat, laugh and cry with our friends.

So why, when we have accepted so much lifechanging technology into our daily lives, do we struggle with its adoption in our schools and education system?

We all want to ensure that children get the richest, most challenging and broadest education possible. Would MANOR | Spring 2019

139

The system carefully assesses what level a pupil is at and sets and marks bespoke homework for each student.

140

MANOR | Spring 2019

we really prefer that our children never use Google to research the world’s most remote Sentinelese Tribe in the Andaman Islands, or look on YouTube to see what Ittoqqortoormiit in Greenland actually looks like, because, let’s face it, we’re unlikely to ever go there.

Of course, discovering and collating this depth of information is of little use if we can’t then discuss, reason and debate it with others to develop and direct our learning. Which is why we need people, real people (in this case teachers), to show us the way.

It is also fair to say that technology in education has a chequered history – with ill-fitting and misguided solutions developed simply as tech products with no real foundation in pedagogy. Simply digitising learning and enriching it with appealing graphical content and attention-grabbing games does not lead to long-term adoption or significant gains in pupil progress.

So technology alone is not the answer. Technology that is balanced with traditional educational methods, that is clever enough to enhance the key skills of the teacher and help provide a personalised learning experience for students, on the other hand, has a real part to play.

It is this thought that has underpinned the work of Sparx, an Exeter-based learning technology company with over 100 employees. Exeter, with its abundance of successful and fast-growing tech companies, has for some time been considered the ‘California’ (Silicon Valley) of the UK. Over the last eight years, Sparx has been in three Devon partner schools on a daily basis, investigating how children learn and how technology can be used to actively enhance the teaching and learning experience.

school

You can see a real step change in improvement. The students love it and it helps us understand in detail how they are learning.

Supporting the fundamental belief that technology must augment the vital role that teachers play, Sparx has developed an approach to learning – initially for Maths.

Debut product, Sparx Maths Homework, is delivered through schools and gives each student one hour of completely personalised Maths homework every week, set at the right level to be both challenging but achievable.

Sparx’ Classroom product, available later this year, provides a complete solution for Maths in Senior Schools.

Sparx’ CEO Dan Sandhu explains: “We’ve developed a platform – initially for Maths homework – where the best of modern technology works with the essential skill of the teacher. The system carefully assesses what level a pupil is at and sets and marks bespoke homework for each student. It adapts to ensure they are being stretched and provides insights for the teachers which help them support each pupil.”

There are many benefits to this blended teacher+tech approach to education. Involving pupils completing both online tasks and bookwork, it is proving extremely popular with teachers and students alike. It is saving each teacher around two hours a week per class on admin, planning and marking, and students are more motivated and confident in the subject because it provides exactly the right level of challenge. Through a teacher portal, teachers benefit from powerful real-time insight information at a class or individual student level, while students directly benefit from the immediate focused intervention that their teachers are able to provide. One Sparx school, which had previously reported lower than 20 per cent homework completion rates, saw that figure jump to 98 per cent after introducing Sparx Maths Homework.1 All of Sparx’ development and fine-tuning of their product is, as you’d expect, borne of continual research

and testing. In Summer 2018, Sparx ran an end-ofyear exam for around 4,000 Year 7 and Year 8 students across 16 schools in Devon. The schools had different demographic and attainment profiles and three of them were using Sparx Maths Homework. The purpose of the research was to understand student progress in KS3 and factors that contribute to it.

Results confirmed the highly beneficial effect a teacher+tech approach to Maths was having. All three schools with the highest student progress were using Sparx Maths Homework showing 65 per cent more progress, and this personalised approach to learning is now having a significant impact on pupil progress in the 20 schools using Sparx across the region.

Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust, which has rolled out Sparx on a trust-wide basis, says: “You can see a real step change in improvement. The students love it and it helps us understand in detail how they are learning.

This personalised approach is really impressive and has undoubtedly given their attainment a huge boost.”

CEO Dan Sandhu is delighted by the positive contribution Sparx is having on Devon pupils’ learning and looks forward to taking the technology far and wide.

“As a socially focused company, we are looking forward to a future where we can help improve opportunities for millions of learners all around the world.”

To understand some of the issues facing the teaching and learning of Maths in the UK today, visit ed5m.com sparx.co.uk 1. Full details at sparx.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/SparxCase-Study-all_v2.pdf

MANOR | Spring 2019

141

Exeter School’s Head of English Andrew Dobson takes a look at the value of reading.

A

shenden, Somerset Maugham’s suave British spy, stands on the deck of a steamer on a cold, wintry night, returning from a mission to thwart the latest plot of the dastardly Central Powers, and concludes: ‘…the prospect of spending an evening by himself with…a book was so agreeable that it made the misery of that journey across the lake positively worthwhile.’

Ashenden is forever looking for an opportunity to read a book by the fire as a refuge from the cloak-anddagger life he leads. Like Ashenden, reading, for us, is often about escape – moments of quiet, moments of reflection, a cessation of hostilities in what can feel like a life that is too busy, too challenging, too full.

142

MANOR | Spring 2019

Yet, the true value of reading lies elsewhere. After all, books are not a form of bath salts. Is it, then, that books teach us important lessons about the world in which we live? For example, the way societies can be unfairly divided as in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. But this isn’t it either, because Hardy’s novel is so much more complex than the apparent ‘lesson’ I have imparted to it. In fact, the ultimate lesson we learn from such books is how to empathise with characters who are complex, contradictory and elusive. In this vein, nowadays we often hear how divided a country we are (although more worrying, surely, if we all agreed on everything).

Faced with people with views so diametrically opposed to our own, our only profitable recourse is to

promotional feature empathise. Thus, in the end, is it fair on Tess simply to tar her with the label of ‘victim’? Surely, she deserves better than that.

The anonymous narrator of Heart of Darkness may well aver that ‘the yarns of seamen have a direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lies within the shell of a cracked nut’. Yet, in contrast, a good book – and the characters who people it – are much more complex, like the people we encounter in our own lives. Thus, perhaps the real lesson is that good books may not teach us very much at all – apart from that life is complex and saying that ‘this person is like this’ and ‘that person is like that’ are seldom rational responses to the challenges life throws up. As Marlow comments of the story he is about to tell, again in Heart of Darkness, ‘it seemed somehow to throw a kind of light on everything about me’ but it wasn’t ‘very clear’. In this way, we might, reasonably, ask of Scott Fitzgerald’s hero, who is Gatsby? In fact, the only correct answer to this question is: Who really knows?

My Gatsby is not Nick Carraway’s Gatsby nor is it your Gatsby and my Gatsby changes a little every time I read Fitzgerald’s novel.

In the end, only through reading – widely, eclectically and often – can we develop and hone our ability to see the world through another’s eyes. After all, that was why the novel was invented.

Award winning author Tanya Landman leading a workshop with Senior Exeter School pupils

Working on craft activity in the library

Exeter School librarian Belinda Jackson shares her view on the benefits of reading for young people.

So, how to encourage a reading habit in today’s teenagers, attached as they are to their mobile phones or tablets? Social media and internet browsing could be seen as the antithesis of getting stuck into a good book, as they encourage short attention spans and non-linear reading. The stamina required to read longer books and absorb and reflect on complex plots is something that needs to be built up and cannot be assumed, even with the brightest young people.

To nurture readers, we need to encourage young people to read beyond the curriculum, to read for pleasure, as a way of escaping the many pressures that surround them, be they academic, social or personal. Through books we can explore vicariously other ways of thinking, other worlds, other experiences that help us to gain empathy and understanding.

Young Adult (YA) publishing has grown exponentially in the last decade, with many dynamic new authors and books to challenge, inspire and transport their readers. It is the role of a school library to keep track of developments in children’s and YA publishing and to ensure the library is stocked with appealing and up-to-the-minute books in good condition.

At Exeter School, in addition, we have a number of library clubs and reading groups.

Pupils are encouraged to read books in a variety of genres, sometimes out of their comfort zone, and to discuss the ideas and themes therein. Having an author visit can also inspire pupils, not just to read that author’s works but also to think of themselves as writers.

Reading broadens the mind, helps us to understand the world and challenges us to think in different ways. It is good for our mental well-being too, and provides entertainment, escapism and relaxation. As parents, educators or librarians, we need to be good role models as readers ourselves and to ensure that whatever pressures life throws at us, we too cultivate and perpetuate the reading habit.

The School House Library

MANOR | Spring 2019

143

Port Navas, nr Falmouth A waterside masterpiece fronting Port Navas creek with 5 bedrooms, 5 bath/shower rooms, 2 bedroom apartment, integral double garage/workshop, private stone quay, sunny south westerly aspect, terraced gardens and parking for 4 cars.

EPC - C Guide price ÂŁ1.75m

144

MANOR | Spring 2019

Property Property of note: Bishops Quay, St Martin | The Relocator: Tavistock, West Devon Snapshot comparative

Chyvogue House, Truro. Guide Price: ÂŁ1,550,000. See page 156 rohrsandrowe.co.uk

MANOR | Spring 2019

145

146

MANOR | Spring 2019

property of note

With its picturesque charm and fascinating backstory, it’s hard not to fall in love with the riverside idyll that is Bishops Quay. Words by Imogen Clements.

T

here are few stories more romantic than the history of Bishops Quay at St Martin in West Cornwall. This beautiful property (comprising two houses) in a jewel of a location on the banks of the River Helford, dates back to 1947 when, just after the war, a Commander Kirby was sailing up the estuary in an old Dutch barge with his wife looking for a place where they could settle and operate a yachting business from.

They misjudged the tide and got stuck in the mud at the mouth of Mawgan Creek, adjacent to an old threestorey barn and quay. “My parents-in-law saw this barn and immediately fell in love with it,” reveals Kate Kirby, the current owner. “They enquired and it turned out it was a storage barn where farmers would send fleeces or

product away down the river, or where deliveries would be received up the river destined for local farms. It was part of the Trelowarren estate. My father-in-law rented it initially from the estate, before acquiring it to turn into the family home. My husband was born and raised there.

He then met me and we acquired the old kiln adjacent to the barn and converted that to our family home.”

The kiln is around 400 years old and was used to extract lime from limestone brought up river. The second generation Kirbys built over the kiln and ran a commercial fishing business from the quay as they raised their own family. The first house – the three-storey barn – became a holiday home when the grandmother passed away. “There is an internal staircase that connects the two, which is really convenient when we need to do MANOR | Spring 2019

147

When you’re going down the lane, you feel like you’re entering a wonderland where everything stops. changeovers, but we also use that house for families and parties when it’s not being let out. The interconnecting staircase means that should anyone wish to, they could create one large home out of the two buildings.”

So, Bishops Quay has been in the family for 70 years, through two generations, and holds many happy memories. Roly Kirby, grandson to Commander Kirby, and now a commercial fisherman himself, tells of an idyllic childhood of messing about on the water. “It was a fantastic place to grow up. We used to have regattas every summer with other children who lived on the river.

They’d come and we’d have lots of boat races. It was very ‘swallows and amazons’, lots of camping out in the fields.

And it’s safe: calm, flat water to learn on. Both houses look straight out onto the river and our parents could keep an eye on us from the balconies. I remember my father would tie a long rope to my boat when I was little. We used to

148

MANOR | Spring 2019

get home from school on a sunny evening and when the tide was in we’d take the boat out. When it was out we’d lark around in the mud, slipping and sliding down the banks. As we got older we’d sail to the pub by boat. There are five pubs accessible from the house: a café and pub at Gweek, The Shipwrights Arms, The Ferry Boat, Port Navas Yacht Club and the Helford River Sailing Club.

You can do a lap and catch the tide back up to watch the phosphorescence in the water on your way home. Most of the holiday-makers who come use the boats and do just that. It’s quite a magical experience.”

It is a dream holiday home. A place such as this, on the waterfront, with four bedrooms on a wide strip of estuary that boasts beautiful views, stunning birdlife, boats, terraces and gardens down to the water, must be a draw for most. I’m told that Bishops Quay generates an annual income that would exceed many London salaries.

property of note

It was a fantastic place to grow up. We used to have regattas every summer with other children who lived on the river.

And there are other potential revenue-generating opportunities. The property comes with six acres of land backing onto the water. “We’ve all used the fields for our weddings,” reveals Roly. “You can park on the land and hold a sizeable event – we’ve 300 people at a time. Because the land backs onto the waterfront, guests would arrive by boat, catching the tide, as would the bride and groom.”

Accessing Bishops Quay by road is just as pleasant.

A private quarter of a mile-long drive leads down to the property: “When you’re going down the lane, you feel like you’re entering a wonderland where everything stops.”

Such a location may sound secluded but it’s far from it. There is a thriving community connected by the river, not least as a result of the various yacht clubs. The market town of Helston is just a 10-minute drive; Falmouth, the arty, university harbour town is half an hour away; and the city of Truro, where one of the Kirby children went to school each day, is under 40 minutes by car. That’s assuming you want to go by car; by boat to all three is, of course, doable.

A property such as this, that offers so much and has been in the family for so long must be a wrench to leave.

“It is,” agrees Roly. “My grandmother used to say how the view was constantly changing with the seasons and

the tide, bringing different birds at different times of the year. We’ve done every kind of boating from there – sailing dinghies, paddleboarding... I had a racing yacht and used to keep it there. There is a long boat shed where we would store all the boats in the winter and repair them.” There are various other store sheds with power beneath each of the houses.

Ask Kate what she will miss most, and she replies: “The tranquillity of the place.” That is the beauty and universal appeal of estuaries. They’re spellbinding because of the gentle ebb and flow of wide expanses of water, lapping the bank to invite you in. There’s no crashing, no constant back and forth of waves. I’m reminded of something I once read about feng shui – that ancient Chinese theory that connects energy forces to a home’s supposed harmony. It said that the best place for a home is in the shallow valley that has a river running by it. It moves the energy through calmly, never allowing it to stagnate but always renewing. There’s something in that, I reckon, and judging by the length of time this property has been in one family, and the number of people who come there to experience the very best time out, Bishops Quay is quite possibly the most idyllic and restorative of locations.

Bishops Quay comprises two homes, interconnected, of four and three bedrooms respectively. It is on the market at a guide price of £3,000,000 with Jonathan Cunliffe. jonathancunliffe.co.uk

MANOR | Spring 2019

149

Prime Waterfront & Country House

SO U TH H AMS’ L EAD I N G ESTATE AG EN T

Grade II farmhouse with approximately 40 acres - Near Totnes hotel 4 Bedrooms bathtub 3 Bathrooms furniture 4 Reception Rooms Web Ref: TOT160337

Prime Waterfront & Country House department: 01548 855590

KINGSBRIDGE 01548 857588

MODBURY 01548 831163

NEWTON FERRERS 01752 873311

Totnes office: 01803 847979

SALCOMBE 01548 844473

marchandpetit.co.uk 150

MANOR | Spring 2019

£1,500,000

Beautifully positioned in approximately 40 acres of grounds with woodland and river access with fishing rights. This property offers a unique blend of old and new, with the Grade II farmhouse packed with character leading to an amazing new extension with superb kitchen and media room. Detached annexe. Large 59’ x 51’ Dutch barn with gym and office. Planning permission for indoor pool. No EPC required.

Totnes 6 miles, Exeter 28 miles, Plymouth 15 miles

DARTMOUTH 01803 839190

Guide price

TOTNES 01803 847979

PRIME WATERFRONT & COUNTRY HOUSE 01548 855590

property

The Relocator tours the South West on your behalf to get an on-the-ground insight on hotspots in the region in order to assess their relocation potential. We do our research and talk to residents, businesses and estate agents to get the lowdown on…

TAVISTOCK, WEST DEVON Impressive Brentor is not far from the town

Situated on the western edge of Dartmoor, on the banks of the River Tavy, Tavistock is an ancient stannary and market town. In 2018, it was named one of The Sunday Times’s best places to live – ranking eighth in the South West and the top place to live in Devon. A pretty town with a sizeable population of 14,000, it has an attractive high street with M5 both independent shops and well-known brands such as Fat Face, White Stuff and Neal’s Yard, and a thriving Barnstaple SOMERSET cultural centre in the Tavistock Wharf offering live music, cinema and theatre.

Tavistock has a well-known and highly A361 A303 A377 respected independent school in Mount Kelly, Tiverton numerous good places to dine - Taylors, DEVON Church Lane and The Cornish Arms, for M5 A30 example – and the town boasts a rich heritage.

Crediton DORSET Okehampton Exeter Airport Sir Francis Drake was born there and went on to lead iconic sea voyages including A30 Exeter being second-in-command of the A386 English fleet in the battle against Sidmouth Dartmoor the Spanish Armada in A380 Exmouth A38 1588. So, what do those Padstow Dawlish Tavistock Teignmouth on the ground think about Tavistock Newquay Airport CORNWALL A386 for its relocation Torquay A385 potential?

Plymouth

Dartmouth St Austell Truro St Ives

Falmouth

Penzance Sennen

MANOR | Spring 2019

151

AN ESTATE AGENT’S OPINION… Ben Palmer of Stags Tavistock reveals how a high proportion of Stags clients moving to Tavistock are from the home counties, with the town’s main draws being its employment opportunities, Mount Kelly school and its proximity to Dartmoor – all three key pluses for young families. “With Derriford Hospital just over 11 miles away in Plymouth and plenty of schools in the area, employment opportunities are good.” Ben also points out that Tavistock benefits from being within easy reach of both Plymouth and Exeter. Those moving into the region seem to gravitate towards Tavistock over other towns such as Okehampton or (in Cornwall) Callington or Launceston, where opportunities are perceived to be fewer. “Tavistock is a fairly affluent town,” says Ben. “It has the independent school, an attractive high street with a popular pannier market and a multitude of engaging activities. There are various sports clubs, river pursuits and a nearby family-friendly leisure centre, complete with gym, tennis courts and swimming pool.” Tavistock is dominated by primary residences with little in the way of second homes, however there is a strong buy-to-let market within the town.

Down Lodge, Tavistock, sold with Stags for £847,500

WHAT THE SMALL BUSINESS OPERATOR SAYS… Linda Walker has been a florist for 47 years and in 2004 she had the chance to set up her own independent business, A Scent-Sation, located on Brook Street. “I love Tavistock,” she says. “It is a great place for independents and there is an interesting mix here.” Linda’s floristry business has flourished. Out of Tavistock she delivers locally and nationally and credits her long-term success on tailoring what they offer to each customer, which in turn has built a good customer loyalty within the town.

Linda uses local flower growers as often as she can, with many blooms being British-grown and sourced from Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Odds & Suds is a business offering a range of natural handmade soaps. Founder Jenny Elesmore started the business from the Tavistock Pannier Market in 1996: “The pannier market gave us the chance to establish ourselves, it provided a lot of footfall and so people could discover our brand.” They have from there operated out of retail premises, the most recent being on Duke Street, centrally located along the main high street. At the end of 2018, the Tavistock store was closed to focus on wholesale to shops and hotels specifically: “Tavistock has helped us build a highly successful brand that will be taken forward by my daughters. We have tried and tested products, so this provides us with new and exciting challenges.” There is still an Odds & Suds store in Ashburton and the physical presence in Tavistock for over 20 years has successfully contributed to the next stage in the business’s development.

152

MANOR | Spring 2019

National Trust building Buckland Abbey is close to Tavistock

WHAT THE RESIDENT SAYS… Mary Ayland has lived in Tavistock since she was a child, prior to that in neighbouring villages close to the town.

An opportunity arose whereby Mary’s parents moved to and began working on Kilworthy Farm (also a B&B), two miles away.

Growing up on a working farm, Mary has decided to stay within the Tavistock area to bring up her own family: “I am very family-orientated and I have never left Tavistock as my family and my husband’s family are based here. It is a brilliant place to bring up children.

There is so much to do, and we are able to all have an active lifestyle.”

Mary continues to work on the farm: “Tavistock has a strong farming community. It is hard work, but it’s in my blood. I absolutely love it and want to help ease the pressure from my parents, plus it’s a good way of life for my children to grow up around.”

property

It’s a brilliant place to bring up children.

There is so much to do, and we are able to all have an active lifestyle.

TRAVEL AND GETTING AROUND Access to Tavistock is not the best. The nearest train station is Gunnislake, around four and a half miles from the town with direct buses there. It is a Tamar Valley branch line from Plymouth. Plymouth station is a 40-minute drive and there are regular bus services to get there. There are direct trains from Plymouth to Bristol Temple Meads (two hours), Birmingham New Street and London Paddington (both three and a half hours).

By car, Tavistock is on the A386 from Plymouth to Okehampton, the B3357 from Princetown and the A390 into Cornwall.

Wheal Betsy, Dartmoor

PROPERTY Tavistock and the surrounding area has an extensive range of property to appeal to all budgets and life stages. Smaller properties and apartments can be found for between £150,000 - £200,000, and bigger, four-plus bedroom family homes from £350,000 £400,000. Popular areas with characterful properties include Bannawell Street and Fitzford Cottages and there are modern developments on the outskirts of the town. Sought-after areas include Down Road, which boasts an impressive choice of large 19th and 20th century houses, and Watts Road with its large Victorian villa properties – both within walking distance of the town. A detached family home here would cost somewhere between £500,000 - £1,000,000. Nearby are many desirable villages, boasting Georgian properties and cottages, such as Yelverton and Walkhampton – both with thriving communities and being less than 10 miles from the town.

Mount Kelly

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION There is a high number of ‘good’ Ofsted-rated primary schools in Tavistock and its surrounding villages, all varying in size. Mount Kelly and Plymouth College are both co-educational independent day and boarding schools for pupils aged three to 18. Mount Kelly sits right on the edge of Tavistock and Plymouth College is further away – around 40 minutes. Plymouth also has a good selection of grammar schools: Plymouth High School for Girls, Devonport High School for Girls and Devonport High School for Boys a noteworthy few.

The Relocator’s verdict…

Tavistock is a bustling town that thanks to its rich heritage, attractive location and good independent school in Mount Kelly is more affluent than a number of other Mid Devon towns of similar size. With decent employment opportunities, good community services and amenities, plus a range of property available, it’s an attractive proposition to people of all life stages, particularly families. The only drawback is perhaps its accessibility – the train station is some way from the centre and the drive to the town takes you off the main Devon thoroughfares of the A30 and A38. Being a 40-minute drive to Plymouth and around 50 minutes to Exeter with its airport and fast train service, it is really a location for those working in the South West rather than anyone required to travel to London on a regular basis.

MANOR | Spring 2019

153

Prime Waterfront & Country House

SO U TH H AMS’ L EAD I N G ESTATE AG EN T

Georgian Rectory within walking distance of amenities - Kingsbridge Totnes 13 miles, A38 Devon Expressway 10 miles, Salcombe 6 miles

hotel 5-7 Bedrooms bathtub 3-4 Bathrooms furniture 4-5 Reception Rooms

Guide price

£1,375,000

Fabulous Grade II listed house, standing in just over an acre of grounds. Recently refurbished, this former rectory creates a stunning home in the centre of Kingsbridge with a 2 bedroom cottage, garage and substantial garden. Within walking distance of local amenities.

No EPC required.

Web Ref: PWC180001

Prime Waterfront & Country House department: 01548 855590

DARTMOUTH 01803 839190

KINGSBRIDGE 01548 857588

MODBURY 01548 831163

NEWTON FERRERS 01752 873311

Kingsbridge office: 01548 857588

SALCOMBE 01548 844473

marchandpetit.co.uk 154

MANOR | Spring 2019

TOTNES 01803 847979

PRIME WATERFRONT & COUNTRY HOUSE 01548 855590

Prime Waterfront & Country House

SO U TH H AM S’ LEAD I NG ESTATE AG ENT

Guide price

Country residence with land - Dartmoor National Park

£1,000,000

A fabulous country house with a 1 bedroom wing and a 2 bedroom wing. Barns and outbuilding including stables. Delightful gardens and paddock, in all just over 2 acres, with river frontage and fishing rights.

Excellent access to the Moor and A38 Devon Expressway. EPC Rating F.

Totnes 8 miles, Exeter 26 miles, Plymouth 13 miles

hotel 4-7 Bedrooms bathtub 2-4 Bathrooms furniture 3-4 Reception Rooms Web Ref: TOT180094

Prime Waterfront & Country House department: 01548 855590

DARTMOUTH 01803 839190

KINGSBRIDGE 01548 857588

MODBURY 01548 831163

NEWTON FERRERS 01752 873311

Totnes office: 01803 847979

SALCOMBE 01548 844473

TOTNES 01803 847979

PRIME WATERFRONT & COUNTRY HOUSE 01548 855590

marchandpetit.co.uk MANOR | Spring 2019

155

property

Snapshot comparative Properties in the South West and one in London with amazing outdoor spaces and gardens.

Cornwall

The Lookout, Port Navas Guide Price: £1,175,000 A stylishly modernised five-bedroom detached Creekside residence located on the highly sought-after Helford River.

The front of the property is surrounded by a variety of lawned areas amongst beautifully stocked borders and flower beds, with mature hedging boundaries providing privacy to this generous plot. The Lookout has a private drive which meanders through the landscaped gardens to a spacious parking area and double garage. humberts.com

Devon

Innisfree, Newton Ferrers Guide Price: £1,600,000 A light and contemporary four-bedroom house plus two-bedroom annexe with panoramic estuary views.

The open-plan living area has a high specification kitchen and opens out onto a south-facing balcony.

Outside the property there is a generous landscaped garden with summerhouse and a timber decking area complete with sunken hot tub. There is a double garage and additional large storage room. marchandpetit.co.uk

Cornwall

Chyvogue House, Truro Guide Price: £1,550,000 Chyvogue House is situated within beautiful gardens and grounds, bordered by open countryside. A Georgian property with six bedrooms, there is also a two-bedroomed annexe. There is a recently renovated orangery which has doors leading out to the west-facing sun terrace. The gardens and grounds are over one and a half acres and there is ample parking space with an extensive outbuilding. rohrsandrowe.co.uk

Benbow Road, London Guide Price: £995,000

London

A well-designed garden flat on the lower ground floor of an attractive Victorian period building. The lateral layout creates an impressive living and entertaining space. There are two well-proportioned bedrooms and a family bathroom. The reception area opens out to a landscaped garden with a summerhouse which can be used as an office. This property is only minutes away from Hammersmith Station. savills.com

156

MANOR | Spring 2019

Prime Waterfront & Country House

SO U TH H AM S’ LEAD I NG ESTATE AG ENT

Guide price

Character house with land and stables - Chillington, Kingsbridge Kingsbridge 5 miles, Salcombe 10 miles, Dartmouth 11 miles

hotel 5-6 Bedrooms bathtub 6 Bathrooms furniture 3-4 Reception Rooms

£1,000,000

A beautiful Victorian detached house with wonderfully proportioned rooms located in the heart of this popular village with superb countryside views, large garden and approximately 6 acres of paddocks with stables. EPC Rating E.

Web Ref: KIN180333

Prime Waterfront & Country House department: 01548 855590

DARTMOUTH 01803 839190

KINGSBRIDGE 01548 857588

MODBURY 01548 831163

NEWTON FERRERS 01752 873311

Kingsbridge office: 01548 857588

SALCOMBE 01548 844473

TOTNES 01803 847979

PRIME WATERFRONT & COUNTRY HOUSE 01548 855590

marchandpetit.co.uk MANOR | Spring 2019

157

158

MANOR | Spring 2019

MANOR | Spring 2019

159

To advertise here please email advertising@manormagazine.co.uk or call 07887 556447 INTERIORS

FASHION OSKA 18 Fore Street St Ives TR26 1AB T 01736 797219 Mon to Sat 10 am – 5.30 pm Sunday 11 am – 4.30 pm stives.oska.com

160

MANOR | Spring 2019

The Jewellery Box RADMORE’S OF TRURO

ERIN COX JEWELLERY

Fine Antique and Modern Jewellers 1 Duke Street,Truro TR1 2QE | 01872 277217 | truro-jewellery.co.uk

14 Castle street, Exeter, Devon EX4 3PT 01392 660836 | erincox.co.uk

Fine antique and modern jewellers in the heart of Truro. Visit our exquisite shop and discover a reflection of our past heritage and beauty.

From the heart of the city of Exeter, Erin Cox creates bespoke jewellery imbued with a timeless quality, inspired by the natural landscape, and the organic and molten fluidity of manipulating metal. Using carefully curated stones, and recycled or fair trade metals, Erin’s jewellery become pieces that tell a family story. Come and talk to us about your story, and let Erin create something for you.

Gorgeous Modern Tiffany heart diamond pendant, set in platinum.

Est 2ct of Round brilliant cut diamonds. £3,700

THE SUMMERHOUSE GALLERY

SILVER ORIGINS

Market Place, Marazion, Cornwall TR17 0AR 01736 711 400 | summerhousegallery.co.uk

1 Fore Street, St Ives TR26 1AB Market Place, Marazion TR17 0AR silverorigins.com

The Summerhouse Gallery is a beautiful, welcoming space displaying the very best of Cornish art, located just a stone’s throw away from the wonderful St Michaels Mount. We showcase a variety of local jewellers, each of whom create something unique and truly special; a work of art in themselves.

Contemporary simplicity and stunning design, inspired by the natural beauty of Cornwall.

Handcrafted in sterling silver, finished with delicate textures and exquisite semi- precious stones to enhance the spirit of each piece.

Beautifully gift boxed and exclusively designed in Cornwall. A unique collection available in stores or online.

POLKADOT GALLERY

MIRRI DAMER

12 Martins Lane, Exeter EX1 1EY | 01392 276500 polkadotgallery.com

Contemporary Jewellery 8 High Street, Falmouth, TR11 2AB | 01326 619817 | mirridamer.com

Polkadot Gallery is passionate about contemporary jewellery and stocks the work of specially selected world-renowned and talented local makers from the West Country such as Emily Nixon, Justin Duance and Mirri Damer. From beautiful gold and platinum rings containing exquisite diamonds, to jewellery incorporating wood, titanium, porcelain and textiles, they have something to delight every taste.

Mirri’s jewellery is celebrated and coveted for its timeless style and low-key luxury look.

Visit her shop in Falmouth to see a full range of her unique, contemporary designs, including bespoke engagement rings; all hand crafted on site from precious metals and set with gorgeous gemstones.

To advertise here please email advertising@manormagazine.co.uk or call 07887 556447

MANOR | Spring 2019

161

back page prize draw

a luxury break for two at the renowned Gidleigh Park, Devon MANOR is delighted to have partnered up with Andrew Brownsword Hotels to offer one lucky reader plus one guest the chance to win a luxurious overnight stay at one of UK’s most iconic hotels, Gidleigh Park, including a gourmet dinner for two.

Gidleigh Park offers a luxury retreat whether visiting for lunch, afternoon tea, dinner or an overnight stay. Set majestically on the upper reaches of the River Teign, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, this Tudorstyle country house has individually styled bedrooms, bathrooms, wet rooms and spa suites. The hotel is set within 107 acres and has an 18-hole putting course and tennis court.

The prize of this issue’s very special prize draw includes:

• An overnight stay at Gidleigh Park, based on two sharing • An aperitif each before dinner (select from a glass of Champagne, house spirits or a cocktail)

• Three course á la carte menu and a shared bottle of wine with dinner, selected by a sommelier

• A morning newspaper delivered to the room with English and continental breakfast is also included

For further information on Gidleigh Park, and to take a look at its new video showcasing this beautiful five-star hotel, visit gidleigh.co.uk or call 01647 432367.

HOW TO ENTER To enter to win this luxury retreat, go to manormagazine.co.uk/backpageprizedraw.

This MANOR Prize Draw closes at midnight on the 30 April 2019 and the winner will be informed by email within 48 hours.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS : TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The stay is for a maximum of two adult guests. The prize cannot be exchanged for a cash alternative; nor will any negotiations be entered into regarding exchange of the prize. The prize is subject to availability, excludes Saturday night stays and is valid for stays until 30 November 2019. The prize must be booked at least two weeks in advance and dates cannot be amended once booked. The prize excludes anything in addition to that stipulated and any extras must be paid for on departure by the prize winner or guest. Full terms of this MANOR Prize Draw and Privacy Policy can be found at manormagazine.co.uk/backpageprizedraw

162

MANOR | Spring 2019

Land’s End, spring begins After

IF WINTER’S GETTING YOU DOWN, HERE’S A TIP: SPRING COMES EARLY ON THE ISLES OF SCILLY. It’s been a while since you’ve seen flowers in the hedgerows, or felt the sun on your skin. So here’s something worth knowing.

Just off the coast Cornwall, you’ll find the Isles of Scilly’s sea pinks and purple loosestrife in full bloom, while the mainland’s still under frost and fog.

There’s more sunshine, and the evenings stay lighter, longer – even before the clocks change.

It’s because the islands are perched right at the UK’s the western tip. The Gulf Stream keeps the weather milder, and the sun sets up to half an hour later than Eastern parts of the UK. There’s rarely a frost, so the flowers bloom all year round.

You can understand why it’s is the most popular time to visit Scilly (yes, even more than the summer).

People are fed up of winter, and going to meet the spring.

If you like, you can too. You can fly direct from Exeter, Newquay and Land’s End airports. There are easy connecting flights across the UK, so the spring really is minutes away.

Or, if you prefer a relaxed approach, there are direct trains to Penzance from London, Birmingham and the North. The passenger ship Scillonian III makes the round trip daily, and takes in some of Cornwall’s best coastline on the way.

When you arrive, you’ll be glad of that extra half hour of daylight. Life takes a slower pace, and there are so many deserted places to discover. Pack your walking boots – and more importantly, your shorts.

If you’d like more information on getting to the Isles of Scilly – and a taste of island life – visit www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk.

BY SHIP | HELICOPTER | PLANE

ISLESOFSCILLY-TRAVEL.CO.UK MANOR | Spring 2019

163

87 Queen Street, Exeter, EX4 3RP, Tel 01392 279994, Email websales@mortimersjewellers.co.uk 164

MANOR | Spring 2019