InBathMA18

Mar/Apr

inbath

free

www.inbath.net

MANS NOT OLD

Jon Richardson brings his 'Old Man' tour to this years Bath Comedy Festival

+

What's On | Bath Comedy Festival Preview Bath Half Runners' Stories | Lewis Moody Bath Racecourse Preview Afternoon Tea Focus | ItaliAN Cuisine | Mother's Day Music | Kim Wilde | Easter Days OUt Property | Focus on Lettings | NEw HOmes | and More

InBath

Home time. Time at home together isn’t something owned, it’s something shared. Time together with family and friends smiling, singing, making food – making plans. Talking, laughing over a dream, over a coffee in the heart of your home.

With an Elmore kitchen, you’re already in good company.

ELMORE KITCHENS. 5 Saracen Street, Bath 01225 335 600 // info@elmorekitchens.com // elmorekitchens.com

contents

March April

EST. 1980

the experience

inbath

Mar/Apr

free

from design to completion www.inbath.net

We have a comprehensive range of products services designed NOT OLD MAN&Sbrings his 'Old Man' tour to suit Jon alltoRichardson individual home years Bath Comedy Festival this improvement requirements.

Call in to our fully stocked Oldfield Park showroom and enjoy a relaxed, pressure-free experience while considering what's on issue is jam-packed with the best events, the huge choice of options This exhibitions, festivals and shows the city has to Preview offer.

On | Bath Comedy Festival What'savailable to you.

Moody

+

Bath Half Runners' Stories | Lewis Bath Racecourse Preview Afternoon Tea Focus | ItaliAN Cuisine | Mother's Day Music | Kim Wilde | Easter Days OUt Property | Focus on Lettings | NEw HOmes | and More

We are with you every step of the way.

InBath

We speak to some of the runners at this years Bath Half, as well as chat to former England and Bath Rugby flanker, Lewis Moody on his charity.

There is also a preview of the Bath Comedy Festival, and interview with Jon Richardson as well as competitions for you to win.

food and drink In our 24 page food and drink section, we focus on Afternoon Teas, the best places to take it and some recipe ideas from some of Bath's best Head Chefs for you to try. We celebrate Italian Cuisine and the rich diversity of ingredients and dishes the country offers. We also speak to Bath Racecourse Head Chef, Jonathan Willliams on catering for hungry race goers as well as focus our attentions on Mother's Day, its origins and some outstanding eateries that can spoil mum.

Flush-fit casement windows, an approved

www.clearglazewindows.co.uk

solution for Heritage & Conservation use

music

family days out

property

Our new music feature will include local listings of some of the great names coming to the city, new album releases as well as an interview with Kim Wilde, who will bring her 'Here Come the Aliens' tour to The Forum, Bath on April 4th.

The first chance for a few days off is here and it couldn't come soon enough. Having braved the horrendously cold weather at the beginning of the year, Easter offers up an opportunity to pack the car up and get out and about in some, slightly more, clement weather.

Our extended property section will investigate the local lettings market as well as get expert opinion on how it may perform in 2018.

Finally, we take a look at this years Bath Festival, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary and will culminate with an outstanding 'finale weekend' featuring Tears for Fears, Midge Ure and others.

inbath

We will also ask local experts to give their thoughts on the residential market as well as our regualr focus on new homes. As always, there will be great advice and roof replacements fortips on all things property.

Our 12 page days out guide will highlight some Solid great Easter events and well as focus on the cities outstanding museums and galleries.warm winters You can obtain our competition rules and regulations by e-mailing us at the address above.

32 Shaftesbury Rd

The publisher shall not be held responsible Oldfield for any loss occasioned by failurePark of an InBath is published by CVM Publishing Ltd advertisement to appear, or any damages or Bath, M: 07966 041054 inconvenience caused by errors, omissions BA2 3LJ We are the South West’s largest installer twitter: @InBath google +: In Bath and misprints. All information correct at the Editors: Craig & Victoria Maplesden time of going to press.

of solid core composite doors by Solidor

01225 425211

and cool summers

Competition e-mails may be retained for marketing purposes.

Copyright CVM Publishing Ltd 2018.

Showroom opening times: All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written Monday - Saturday permission of the publisher.

9AM - 5PM

inbath 3

Pressure

Simon Day, In Character

what's on 3 Mar Bath Half Marathon www.bathhalf.co.uk The Bath Half Marathon – or the 'BATHALF' as it is affectionately known, is one of the longest established and most popular city centre road events in the UK. It is also the largest single day charity fundraising event in the South West region, raising over £2.25 million for charity in 2017 alone.

5 – 10 Mar The Winslow Boy Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk Direct from seasons at Chichester Festival Theatre and Birmingham Repertory Theatre, a major new revival of Rattigan’s classic family drama comes to Bath.Based on a real-life event, The Winslow Boy is a courageous and often delicately humorous window into the class and political hypocrisy of the time.

Times and Prices vary, see website for details

8 Mar An Evening with Ant Middleton Bath Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Adventurer, survival expert and TV presenter, Ant Midleton, shares his experiences and exploits as a modern day explorer.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: £ 22.50 (plus booking fee) 9 Mar Simon Day, In Character Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Simon Day (The Fast Show, The Life of Rock with Brian Pern) presents a host of his best known characters including pub bore Billy Bleach and prog Rocker/humanitarian Brian Pern.

Time: 8pm Prices vary, please see website for details.

7 Mar Reginald D Hunter Komedia www.komedia.co.uk During the 15 years in which he has lived in the UK, Reginald’s searingly honest material has garnered him a popular fanbase that spans the generations. In the past twelve months he has appeared in a critically acclaimed tour of Ireland as well as performing across Europe.

11 and 25 Mar Raising The Barre Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk Bath's acclaimed dance school celebrates the talent of all its students aged 3- 18 years.

This spectacular showcase of dance features numbers from Broadway, La La Land, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Shrek, 42nd Street and Annie in which students have performed professionally.

Times: 3pm and 5pm Prices vary, please see website for details

His appearances on television have included 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and the hugely popular three-part BBC2 series Reginald D Hunter’s Songs Of The South which documented Reginald’s epic road trip from North Carolina to New Orleans through 150 years of American popular song.

Time: 8pm Prices vary, please see website for details.

11 Mar Craig Cambell: Easy Tiger Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Craig Campbell, the majestic mountain moose in a tiger striped onesie, brings his thrilling new show ‘Easy Tiger’ out of the Fringe jungle and onto the world stage for his 3rd solo tour.

Time: 8pm Prices: £ 15.00

4 inbath

Jess Robinson 12 – 17 Mar Pressure Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk Set in June 1944 at a time when one man’s decision is about to change the course of history, Pressure is an intense real-life thriller centred on the most important weather forecast in the history of warfare.

Times and Prices vary, see website for details.

16 Mar SUGGS - A Life in the Realm of Madness Bath Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Due to huge popular demand, after his first tour-de-force, smash hit, one man show, ‘My Life Story’, Suggs is treading the boards again.

If the first show was about how on Earth he got there, Suggs: A Life in the Realm of Madness is about the surprises that awaited him when he did. Vertigo on the roof of Buckingham Palace.

Nearly blowing the closing ceremony of the Olympics. Watching his underpants fall to earth on Bowie’s driveway.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: £ 28.50 (plus booking fee) 16 Mar Jess Robinson: Here Comes The Girls Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Join multi award-winner and Britain’s Got Talent 2017 semi-finalist Jess Robinson for an evening of spot-on celebrity impressions, musical comedy and stunning vocal gymnastics. Like a wonderfully malfunctioning jukebox, Jess and her incredible vocals will take you on a dizzying journey through hilarious musical mash-ups, serving a feast of styles and genres from Billie Holiday and Judy Garland to Amy Winehouse and Beyoncé.

Time: 8pm Prices vary, please see website for details.

18 Mar Fickle Friends Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Blessed with the same dedication to writing quirky anthems on their own terms as The 1975,

Illustrations © Tony Ross 2011.

Jon Richardson

Gangsta Granny

Mary Stuart

the brittle icy synth flourishes of Chvrches and a new era indie pop IT girl in singer Natti Shiner, Fickle Friends have established themselves as the essential new British indie-pop band of 2018.

Time: 7.30pm Prices vary, please see website for details.

solutions. Since his last show he has become a husband and father, seen the UK vote to leave the EU and watched the rise of Donald Trump, all of which leaves him asking one question, why does it seem that no one else alive can correctly load a dishwasher?

19 – 24 Mar This House Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk This House is one of the National Theatre's biggest hits of recent years. The show premiered at the Cottesloe Theatre, but demand for tickets was so huge, it quickly transferred to the much larger Olivier stage, before a sell-out run in the West End. With one of the biggest casts ever seen at the Theatre Royal, this extraordinarily prescient play takes on a new importance almost daily in the current political climate.

Times and Prices vary, see website for details

Come and see what Jon Richardson can do with words when he has more than thirty seconds to work with. Or should that be “with which to work”?

Time: 8pm Prices: £ 20.50 (plus booking fee)

27 Mar – 1 Apr Gangsta Granny Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk It’s Friday night and Ben knows that means only one thing – staying with Granny! There will be cabbage soup, cabbage pie and cabbage cake and Ben knows one thing for sure – it’s going to be sooooooooo boring! But what Ben doesn’t know is that Granny has a secret – and Friday nights are about to get more exciting than he could ever imagine, as he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime with his very own Gangsta Granny!

From the acclaimed producers of Horrible Histories comes the award-winning West End production of this amazing story by David Walliams, the UK’s best-selling author for children.

Times and Prices vary, see website for details 27 Mar Jon Richardson Bath Forum www.bathforum.co.uk The British Comedy Award nominee and star of Live At The Apollo and 8 Out Of 10 Cats is embarking on a nationwide tour to complain about the state of the world and offer no

27 Mar – 15 Apr Bath Comedy Festival www.bathcomedy.com Bath Comedy Festival features both famous household names and the stars of tomorrow in a fantastic mix of comedy including stand-up, sketch comedy, cabaret, kids’ shows, music, magic & mystery tours.

See website for more details.

30 Mar Tony Law: Absurdity for Common People Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Tony Law is back to spearhead the UK’s alternative comedy scene with his brand new show. After another sell out run at this years fringe he’s ready to take his unique brand of stand up across the UK in a landmark tour.

Having made appearances on the likes of Nevermind The Buzzcocks, Have I Got News For You and Russell Howard’s Good News, Tony is here for one night only just for you.

Time: 8pm Prices vary, please see website for details.

4 Apr Kim Wilde: Here Come The Aliens Bath Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Platinum Selling Female Rock ’n’ Roll Star, Kim Wilde is back with her “Here Come The Aliens” Tour 2018! The Kid’s In America Super-Star will tour the UK with her band, this Spring. Expect a show packed full of brand new music and all of her Hits, too!

Time: 8pm Prices: £ 29.50 (plus booking fee)

4 – 14 Apr Mary Stuart Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk Friedrich Schiller's political tragedy takes us behind the scenes of some of British history's most crucial days. Two of the UK’s leading actors will reprise their acclaimed performances, playing both Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart. Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply) and Lia Williams (Oresteia) trade the play's central roles, decided at each performance by the toss of a coin.

Times and Prices vary, see website for details 5 Apr An Evening with Sarah Munro Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Sarah Munro is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter with a voice reminiscent of Eva Cassidy and Katie Melua. Her songs have a strong emphasis on lyrics and storytelling. Her debut album Say Hello To You features 10 original songs and a stunning interpretation of the classic Autumn Leaves. Sarah’s debut single For Eternity has been championed on BBC Radio 2 by Jamie Cullum and Michael Ball.

Time: 7:30pm Prices: £15.00 6 Apr The Fabulous La Voix Komedia www.komedia.co.uk La Voix is the larger than life star from Absolutely Fabulous The Movie, Britain’s Got Talent semi finalist and the UK’s most dazzling performer.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: £ 18.50 7 Apr The Carpenters Story Bath Forum www.bathforum.co.uk This highly acclaimed concert-style production continues to captivate audiences across the UK with its spectacular re-creation of The Carpenters’ timeless repertoire of music.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: £ 25.00 (plus booking fee)

inbath 5

what's on

9 Apr Lower Than Atlantis Komedia www.komedia.co.uk LOWER THAN ATLANTIS have announced a huge 22 date tour across the UK, visiting every corner possible and heading to towns they have never performed in previously, including Komedia Bath!

Time: 7.00pm Prices: £ 16.50 16 – 21 Apr Quartet Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk A quartet of illustrious actors stars in this funny, touching and poignant play which explores the eccentricities of age, art and the human spirit before reaching a triumphant finale. On a summer's day in a home for retired musicians, three old friends are joking and reminiscing.

Cecily, Wilfred and Reginald were once the brightest stars of the opera world and now they are looking forward to performing the quartet from Rigoletto to celebrate Verdi's birthday.

But their tranquillity is about to be shattered by a surprise new arrival. Not only is Jean still something of a diva – she used to be married to Reggie!

Times and Prices vary, see website for details 18 Apr John Robins: The Darkness of Robins Komedia www.komedia.co.uk John Robins – one of the most exciting and distinctive voices in comedy – returns reflecting on love, loss and lamenting the fact he can’t break up with himself.

Time: 7.30pm Prices vary, see website for details 25 Apr – 5 May Sherlock Holmes: The Final Curtain Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk Could this be the final curtain for the world’s greatest detective?

Sherlock Holmes lives in retirement on the South Coast. He keeps bees, occasionally casts his fly fishing rod, even plays his Stradivarius when the rheumatism allows.

All too aware that he’s older and slower, he’s concerned that he might have lost his touch, paranoid that he is an easy target for his enemies: there have been so many over the years. He never truly believed Moriarty - his arch nemesis - died at the Reichenbach Falls.

Times and Prices vary, see website for details

6 inbath

25 – 26 Apr BANFF Mountain Film Festival Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Experience an extraordinary collection of short films from the world’s most prestigious mountain film festival.

Time: 7.30pm Prices vary, see website for details 27 Apr The Ministry of Burlesque: Cabaret Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Fusing the wild, weird and witty traditions of circus, cabaret and burlesque Ministry of Burlesque Cabaret unfolds as a bold and daring, ever evolving new-variety experience.

Time: 8pm Prices vary, see website for details 4 May Buzzcocks Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto formed Buzzcocks in Bolton in February 1976. The band, completed by the addition of Steve Diggle and John Maher, opened for the Sex Pistols in Manchester on July 20th.

Time: 7pm Prices vary, see website for details 6 May The Life And Rhymes Of Benjamin Zephaniah.

Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk He befriended Nelson Mandela, fought in the 1980s race riots and recorded radical and relevant reggae music with Bob Marley’s former band. Benjamin Zephaniah was unable to read and write at school but became one of Britain’s most remarkable poets. And now he’s back with his first tour in eight years, to coincide with his remarkable autobiography, The Life And Rhymes Of Benjamin Zephaniah.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: £22 (£20 concessions) 7 – 12 May Art Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk Art is nothing short of a phenomenon and one of the most successful plays ever. Having opened in 1996, it took both the West End and Broadway by storm, won Olivier, Tony, Moliere and every other major theatre award, and has been packing in audiences worldwide for more than twenty years.

Times and Prices vary, see website for details

Time Together at Thermae Bath Spa

Thermae Bath Spa is an ideal place to spend time together. Whether it be bathing in the natural thermal waters, enjoying a Twilight Package for Two or relaxing with a spa treatment together.

The Thermae Together package is a real spa experience and combines a 4-hour spa session with a choice of treatments plus a 2-course meal and a non-alcoholic drink in the Springs Restaurant.

The spa treatments include either a Couples Traditional Full Body Massage, a Couples TailorMade Facial or a Watsu for Two. Watsu or water massage is performed in the natural thermal waters of the historic Hot Bath, where specially trained therapists gently support, stretch and guide your body through a series of flowing movements.

Watsu for Two is performed in graceful harmony and is one of the most relaxing spa treatments!

Thermae Together is available Monday – Friday and costs £199 per couple.

A Twilight for Two package offers an evening session at the Spa when you can experience the gradual change in light and atmosphere.

The 3-hour spa session includes full use of the indoor Minerva Bath, the Wellness Suite and the wonderful open-air rooftop pool. Along with the towel, robe and slippers, the package provides a choice of one dish and glass of wine from the menu in the Springs Restaurant. Twilight for Two is available Monday - Friday from 4pm with last serving at 20.00 and costs £90 for two people.

All the spa packages should be booked in advance by calling the Reservations team on 01225 33 1234. There may be availability on the day.

For full information, please visit the website: www.thermaebathspa.com

C Sp ho a ice M Pac of on ka g da ge rea y sa tv – Fr vai alu id la e ay bl e

WHY WAIT FOR THE WEEKEND?

Relax in the warm, mineral-rich waters of Bath’s natural thermal Spa. Bathe in the open-air rooftop pool and indoor Minerva Bath, refresh your senses in the new Wellness Suite and choose from over 40 spa treatments and packages.

01225 33 1234 www.ThermaeBathSpa.com

Open daily from 09.00 – 21.30 (pools & Wellness Suite close at 21.00)

Tamara and Sophie

what's on

4 March 2018

It's the reason they run

Inspirational stories behind some of this years runners The award-winning Bath Half Marathon returns to the streets of Bath on Sunday 4th March, celebrating the 37th edition of one of the best organised, longest established and most iconic city centre road races in the UK. and what it must be like to be trapped in her body - I bet that tiny soul would love to run!”

Some 40,000 spectators are expected to gather to cheer on the runners and to soak up the inspirational atmosphere.

The two lap traffic-free course, which is well known for being flat and fast, starts and finishes in Great Pulteney Street and straddles both sides of the River Avon, taking runners through the beautiful World Heritage city of Bath.

The Runners Village is located behind the Bath Sport Centre on North Parade Road.

Key Race Day Timings for the 2018 Bath Half: 08.00 Help Desk opens in Runners Village (Bath Sports Centre) 09.00 Church service in Runners Village 10.00 Runners called to start 11.00 Half Marathon start 11.20 Family Fun Run start 12.02 Winner crossing the finish line 13.00 Half Marathon prize giving at finish gantry 16.00 Help Desk closes Full details regarding road closures, with important information for residents, businesses and churches, are available on the race’s website at www.bathhalf.co.uk/race-day/ information-for-residents-businesses.

8 inbath

Tamara Fraser Children's Hospice SW Tamara Fraser from Canada is 49 years old and lives approximately 2,700 miles away from the beautiful city of Bath and the little girl she is running Bath Half Marathon 2018 for, Sophie.

Tamara ‘buddied up’ with 14-year old Sophie through a group called I Run 4 which aims to provide athletes of all levels with a motivation, purpose, and power for their workouts. After being on the waiting list for 6 months, Tamara was matched with Sophie and her mum, Faith; a match she says was ‘made in heaven’.

Sophie lives in Bristol and has Rett Syndrome; a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder. Tamara says, “Faith and family are amazing. They take everything Rett can throw at them in their stride. When I run I think of the things Sophie doesn't get to experience: running in the dark or the snow. She inspires me to get out the door some mornings when it’s wet or cold. During long runs when the going gets tough and I'm thinking this is awful, I think of Sophie

Tamara travelled over from Nova Scotia in Canada to Bristol in September 2016 to take part in the Bristol Half Marathon after she’d been sent a calendar of Bristol by Sophie for Christmas. “While flipping through I saw the Clifton Suspension Bridge so I Googled the bridge and the Bristol run description popped up.

I just thought, I have to go!”

Signing up for Bath Half means Tamara can once again meet with Sophie and her family but this time she’ll be running for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW). Sophie and her family are supported by CHSW and are staying at CHSW’s Charlton Farm over the same weekend as the race; Tamara is staying too. She said, “Faith raves about Charlton Farm; they love their home away from home as it’s so relaxing. Faith sends me videos of Sophie enjoying music therapy and swimming at Charlton Farm. It’s lovely to see them all taking a break and enjoying time as a family.”

Charlton Farm currently supports over 200 families from Bath, Bristol and surrounding areas whose children have been diagnosed with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. The hospice offers the whole family short breaks, respite, palliative care and, when needed, end of life care and bereavement support.

Virginie and her Emilie

Alex Brown

Dorothy House provided Richard with a Nurse Specialist who expertly advised him on his care at home and then arranged for him to be looked after in the hospice for the last ten days of his life. The hospice staff were just amazing and they allowed Richard to die in privacy and dignity as he wished.

My son is severely disabled and attends Three Ways school in Bath. Dorothy House were there for all of us and their support was just fantastic and still continues to be now a year after Richard died.

Virginie Mein

Dorothy House Hospice Care My name is Virginie Mein and I am running the Bath Half Marathon in memory of my husband, Richard Mein and in aid of Dorothy House. This is my first half marathon as I only started running in early 2017 and so far I’ve raised £1,500 excluding gift aid.

Richard, died on the 16th January 2016 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 52. He was diagnosed at the end of August 2015 and died in just over four months. He had three months of chemotherapy at the Bath clinic but when he was diagnosed he had a secondary cancer in his liver.

Dorothy House provided Richard with a Nurse Specialist who expertly advised him on his care at home and then arranged for him to be looked after in the hospice for the last ten days of his life. The hospice staff were just amazing and they allowed Richard to die in privacy and dignity as he wished. My daughter was only three and a half years old and my son just over five years old when Richard passed away.

Alex Brown Bath Rugby Foundation I am running for Bath Rugby Foundation, which works with vulnerable children and young people in Bath and surrounding areas to succeed through programmes which focus on four areas: health, education, employability and inclusion.

For most of our time together, Richard and I lived in Bathampton village but now the family has moved to Lansdown in Bath to a property which Richard and I planned and designed together to fit the needs of our children.

The foundation works in Bath and the surrounding area - travelling to areas of deprivation or rural areas with poor access to sport as needed. All interventions are based on the needs of our area – many people forget that here in Bath a shocking one in five children are living in poverty.

My husband was an entrepreneur and a truly exceptional man who leaves behind him a gap that’s impossible to describe in words for his family, friends and staff. Richard’s latest business was a highly innovative, financial platform for financial advisors called ‘Parmenion.’ He grew his team from 4-80 people in ten years and then successfully sold it to Aberdeen Asset Management before he was diagnosed in 2015.

This year will be my second year running the Bath Half. Running now is something that I get an enjoyment from and not just because of the sense of achievement I feel when I get home after a run, whether it is a 5 or 10km for fitness or a Sunday morning going-to-retrieve-my-car run, I instantly feel better. Not being a natural runner – I’m tall and heavy – every single run makes me feel that sense of achievement.

If you’d like to support me and raise money for the hospice please donate at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/virginiemein

There is also the desire to try and stay healthy.

It’s is not as easy as it was 20 years ago. I have a real desire not to get too out of shape. Getting outside once or twice a week really helps and the carrot (or stick, depending on your perspective) of the Bath Half looming on the horizon helps with the motivation to get moving, which helps keep that waistline in check.

Virginie Mein commenting on running the Bath Half marathon in memory of her husband said: “Dorothy House were amazing at helping Richard and all of us around him through the few last days of his life, he died in dignity and privacy which mattered so much to him. I can never thank Dorothy House enough for the care and support they have given us and still do and I aim to raise over £2,000 to support the quality care the hospice provides for the local community.

And if, like me, you played a sport in younger years, running can help replace that competitive spirit. I may not be quicker that many people on May 4, but I’ll beat everyone who is at home on the sofa.

inbath 9

what's on

Becky Ware

Emma King-Jones (second left)

Emma King-Jones

Dorothy House Hospice Care Emma King-Jones is running the Bath Half Marathon in aid of Dorothy House Hospice Care as they cared for her wife, Claire, who sadly died in 2016 after a short battle with cancer at the age of 32. Emma who lives in Bath is running the half marathon this year with Claire’s sister, Charlotte Jones, aged 24 and Claire’s brother, Daniel Ball-Jones, aged 27.

Running was never Emma's passion, in fact, it was only when she met Claire while teaching in London that she first laced up a pair of trainers and trained for a 10K run. "In the past. I always made excuses for not running because I am asthmatic, but Claire encouraged me to give it a go." she says. "When I first started running with her. I was such a whinger, whereas she was always fit and happy. But I soon began to love it and now I find it a great way to de-stress.

After running a few 10Ks, Claire encouraged me to train for the Bath Half: she had run it before and told me it was the best course because it's flat and the support is amazing and she was not wrong." Emma and Claire originally signed up to the 2016 Bath Half together, but unfortunately Claire became too ill to run. Emma intends to do it again on both their behalfs this year, and hopes to raise as much as she can for the hospice that cared for Claire so well.

"People think of a hospice as somewhere for old people to go to die and originally we did not want to go there." says Emma. "Claire wanted

10 inbath

Dorothy House Hospice

It is such an amazing place: we can't thank them enough for everything they have done for Claire and our family to remain at home, but in the end to manage her pain, we decided it was best to be at the hospice.

"The staff at Dorothy House were amazing; not only did they care for Claire but they also looked after me and our families when they visited. They even let our puppy visit Claire in the hospice which was a big comfort to us both.”

What is different about hospice staff is they fully understand that they can't patch you up and make you better, so they are entirely focused on looking after you. They seem to instinctively know what to do and when to do it. They are compassionate and kind and will do even the smallest thing if it makes your life easier. "The hospice is a charity and relies on donations and fundraising to be able to continue its work." she continues. "It is such an amazing place: we can't thank them enough for everything they have done for Claire and our family."

Emma is a busy-bee at the moment as she is working as a trainer of secondary school teachers, renovating a house in Bath and planning to write a practical guide to living with a terminal diagnosis to pass on all the learnings she acquired while caring for Claire. Last year Emma raised £1,455 for the hospice by running the Bath Half marathon and she continues to fundraise this year so please donate to her fund at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/emma-king-jones

Becky Ware Alzheimer's Society “I started my local 5km Park Run in November in my home town of Shepton Mallet. I had also joined the gym, all in a bid for a healthier lifestyle.

Every week I was getting faster and I was really enjoying the running.

A couple of people had mentioned about doing the Bath Half but I dismissed the idea. I continued to run at my local Park Run, with my Mum, Dad and my six-year-old daughter, Ruby.

“My Mum spoke to me and said ‘you could do the Bath Half Becky’. After some thought, and encouragement from my close family, I decided that I would accept this challenge and I would raise money and awareness for Alzheimer’s Society.

“This charity is very close to my heart as my Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at 54 years of age. Now at 57 I have witnessed a slow decline in my Dad. I think that more awareness is needed about this disease to show people that it’s not just the elderly that can be affected.

Younger people should be aware of the signs and symptoms to look out for. I also feel that there needs to be more support available for people with dementia under the age of 65 and possibly those that are still employed.”

Michelle Smith

First Steps Bath

Phoebe Milham years). The support and kindness that they received from First Steps in the first few months of moving into a house and setting in was invaluable.

Michelle said “I've been running for many years now, but haven't steeled myself for an official half marathon. So when I saw that First Steps had a team I thought that it was the ideal opportunity to say thanks for their hard work.

Steve Hiscox and Michelle Smith First Steps Bath

First Steps provide amazing support for disadvantaged families and children and the money raised this year will help them to enhance the outdoor learning area at the Twerton nursery in Bath with new areas for water play, a new mound, plants and trees, an area for bugs and new outdoor music play equipment.”

First Steps are amazingly lucky to have a wonderful team taking part in this years Bath Half Marathon, raising money to enable families in Bath West to thrive.

Steve was first persuaded to run in 1987 by some friends, and has taken part every year since. He said: "The Bath Half is a wonderful event, great fun for everyone taking part and the crowd are very supportive."

At his first race 3,500 people took part, a number that has grown to 15,000 now.

Michelle and her family moved off the inland waterways (after living on boats for over twenty

“I am not a natural runner, but I have signed up and there is no going back now. My little sister is helping me with my running so I am gradually getting there, bit by bit.” says Phoebe “I watched all the runners taking part this year and started thinking maybe I could do it, but it was when I saw the main charity was Alzheimer’s Society I knew I had to run it. My grandad passed away last year at the age of 86, he was a very intelligent and funny man.

Steve Hiscox and Michelle Smith have stories to tell that demonstrate the motivation of runners who train in wind and rain and raise many hundreds of pounds for good causes. After thirty years, Steve Hiscox is very familiar with the Bath Half race route.

The sixty-year-old is preparing to run it for the 31st time in aid of First Steps (Bath), and plans to carry on taking part until he is physically unable to continue.

Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease and I don’t think enough people are aware of the effect of Alzheimer’s so hopefully I can raise awareness and some money for the charity

Phoebe Milham Alzheimer's Society Essex girl Phoebe Milham, is swapping her beloved high heels for trainers to run the Bath Half Marathon and raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society in memory of her Grandad.

Phoebe is in her final year at Bath Spa University where she studies Drama and Media. She was inspired to run having spectated at this year’s event and also as the lead charity is close to her heart, since her grandad passed away having suffered from Alzheimer’s for about 10 years.

“Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease and I don’t think enough people are aware of the effect of Alzheimer’s so hopefully I can raise awareness and some money for the charity.”

If you would like to support Phoebe you can donate here www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ phoebe-milham1

4 M A RC H 2 0 1 8 inbath 11

bath half interview

England's most capped flanker

Mad Dogs inspiration behind tackling brain cancer Former England Rugby Captain Lewis Moody MBE will go down in history as one of England’s finest and most charismatic players. With two World Cup finals, two 6 Nations Championship winners medals, two Heineken Cup winners medals and seven Premiership winners medals, the ex-England and Bath stalwart is a true rugby legend.

Since retiring, England's most capped Flanker, has spent his time raising money for one of the UK's brain cancer charities. Here, Lewis talks to InBath's Craig Maplesden about the inspiration behind his Foundation, running the Bath Half as well as giving Bear Grylls a run for his money!

Many thanks for taking time out to talk to us. So you're getting your running shoes out for this year’s Bath Half Marathon, supporting ’The Brain Tumour Charity'. Can you tell us a little about The Charity itself and why you have chosen to raise money for them?

I am indeed, this will be my 5th year.

So, I have my own foundation, The Lewis Moody Foundation, which raises money for The Brain Tumour Charity. Last year we had 30 runners in the Bath Half, and raised £ 24,000.

Like any foundation, it started with a sad story.

The year I retired, I met a young man called Joss Rowley-Stark, a talented young rugby player who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

I spent the next 18 months helping out with various bits and getting to know the family.

In order to give them a break from dealing with doctors and the illness, I took them to Twickenham to watch England, do the hospitality thing as well as meet the team in the changing rooms – we had an awesome time. I then received a phone call two weeks later, from Joss' Dad, to say that he had passed away.

12 inbath

bar a couple, and to come together and get across Costa Rica, especially when the guide said it would be impossible to get 20 across was amazing.

Everyone self-funds their trip and the money raised then goes to The Charity, so it's not a case of help fund my trip and whatever's left goes to The Charity – they are fully immersed in it. So yes, we raised £ 110,000 which was remarkable.

As far as what the money goes towards, each year, we look at different aspects of The Charity.

So this year it's HeadSmart which is aimed at raising awareness to the public and professionals such as Doctors, GP's and Opticians who have the greatest ability to see the symptoms first. In essence, it is down to reducing diagnosis time for childhood brain tumours. It used to be 14 weeks on average, now we are down to 6.5 weeks, but our target is 4.

It was down to the impact that Joss had made on our lives that we decided to focus our attention on helping raise money for one charity and make a real difference. My wife, Annie, and I wanted it to be a cancer charity that affected young families, whether it was the adult or child. It was four years ago that we spoke to The Brain Tumour Charity. Brain tumours are the least funded of all cancers in the UK and the biggest cancer killer for under 40's and children. So for me, it was a no brainer. Since then, we have raised nearly £ 1 million which we are very proud of and should break through that later this year.

And can that make a huge difference to survival rates?

A friend of mine recently came back from Costa Rica with you, having battled rapids, mountains, jungles, spiders, snakes amongst others, to help raise £ 100,000 for The Charity.

What will the money raised from challenges like this be put towards?

Oh, I could do one every month but the planning, and the fact that we have busy lives, ristricts things slightly. To see the difference it makes to those doing the challenge is something. The group that went coast to coast in Costa Rica must have thought it was easy as it is only 400 km, but the mileage and distance doesn't do service to the turrain.

Well, we aimed to raise £ 75,000, but because of the incredible efforts of those that were involved we are now over the £ 100,000 mark. We had 20 normal people, from all walks of life, accept the challenge, everything from housewives to wealthy businessmen, Pharmaceutical Sales Reps to a Beef Farmer. No one knew each other,

Sadly, a friend of ours was diagnosed and the speed of growth is ridiculous. It can go from nothing to the size of a melon in days and weeks, so the quicker it can be diagnosed is so important.

When you see what you and those guys put themselves through to raise money for The Charity, and how that helps others, does that inspire you to do more challenges?

For example, It took 10 hours to do 14k because of going through the jungle avoiding snakes.

Everyone starts off jokey and having a great laugh but by day three or four everyone just goes through it.

Lewis running at last years Bath Half

Taking on rapids, mountains and spiders in Costa Rica

In essence, (the money raised goes towards) reducing diagnosis time in childhood brain tumours. It used to be 14 weeks on average, now we are down to 6.5 weeks, but our target is 4.

With that in mind, what challenges do you have planned for 2018 and how can readers keep in touch, donate or even participate in everything The Foundation does?

So genereally, they are quite small challenges we do. But the big challenge I organise each year is usually people I know – friends and colleagues. Later this year, we are going to the South Pole. There are other ways of getting involved though, especially in challenges across the UK like the Bath Half, race to the Stones, Lands End to John O'Groats bike ride that don't take a week or 10 days to complete.

They can find it all on the website www.thelewismoodyfoundation.org You're no stranger to training, and after a challenge like that one, I suppose a 13 miles run around the Bath area can’t be that terrifying. How much training have you been able to put in for the event?

No its not, but you want everything to be a challenge, so I set myself a target of under 1 hour 40 which will be a big ask – and then training, two weeks ago, I pulled my calf.

You’ve always taken your health and fitness very seriously, how important do you feel keeping an active lifestyle is for all of us?

Its hugely important. You see the studies on childhood obesity and mental health, and I'm not talking about setting ridiculous challenges like I do, but an active life can improve wellbeing and makes me feel happy, it makes my day start better.. It's enourmously important in this day and age where technology is so accessible and important - now i'm not saying technology isn't very important, it is, but it is also important to put it down and get some fresh air.

I've recenlty started a programme that put Sixth Form Rugby into State Schools and a huge part of that is wellbeing. Making sure they get through school having enjoyed the experience, that they are looked after – coming out with qualifications but also talking about anxiety, depression etc trying to equipe them and open their eyes through rugby.

It’s great to see more and more people taking part in marathons, half-marathons and local park runs to keep fit as well as raise money for charities. If you had a chance to sit down with the PM or Sports Minister, what would you be asking them to change or put into place to get everyone active?

Lewis and wife Annie So, we have the South Pole trip in November and December which will be a 2 week trip. I am also an Ambassador for the RFU's Great War Commemorative Programme. In April, we will be going to the Menin Gate to lay a wreath to commemorate those that died. It is also the anniversary of Arthur Harrisons death, he was an England rugby player and the only former rugby player to be awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery.

Strictly? Jungle?

No, No! I would do the Bear Grylls one though.

Thanks for taking the time out to talk to me. Best of luck for the Half Marathon and all the fantastic work you do for The Brain Tumour Charity. Is there a website that people can go to that gives more information about supporting The Charity?

Absolutely, if you go to my Foundation website it will have all the details of everyhting we are doing, plus how readers can get involved.

Good question. I think sport can play a major role in schools, helping children develop and grow but physically and their mental health. I witnessed something yesterday where a couple of our schools had a day with Russell Earnshaw, the England Under 18 coach. Firstly for the kids to work with an elite level coach and also for coaches to pick up on some ideas. What came out of it from me was that it, is generally coaches come up with the questions and offer thoughts on the coaching but a lot of the comments were from the kids, saying that how important being part of a team was for them, how they could lean on team mates for advice.Finally, I think we need to have the right coaches in schools.

Some children are forced to do sports they don't really enjoy. We need coaches that understand that kids just want to play. For me its about the environment and culture – let them enjoy it and they will continue to enjoy sport and it will then be passed on.

Other than keeping May 19th clear (I’m sure you will be attending the wedding of the year), what does 2018 hold for you?

www.thelewismoodyfoundation.org

inbath 13

what's on

The Iford Arts Festival 2018 Miss it, Miss out!

The dreamlike atmosphere and over-whelming charm of the grade 1 listed Peto Garden at Iford is reason enough for a visit Iford Manor, 6 miles from Bath. And people do visit – from all over the world. Add to that exquisite classical opera and concerts, as well as a programme of stunning jazz events, to be enjoyed with a picnic and a party of friends makes it an unforgettable evening out.

Three opera productions – all sung in English, for an intimate audience of just 84 - form the backbone of the festival with informal picnic proms and classical concerts in the enchanting miniature Italianate cloister punctuating the season.

Shows

NEW ARTISTS GALA CONCERT Popular operatic arias and ensembles Sunday 3rd June 2018 Tickets £22

CANDIDE*

May 26 I 29 I 30 I June 1 I 2 I 5

PARTENOPE

June 23 I 26 I 28 I 30 July 3 I 4

The festival entices some of the best musicians and singers to the South West and this year is no exception.

MADAME BUTTERFLY

THE PETO PROM

Tickets for all operas: £126 (Mon – Fri) £130 (Sat)

July 21 I 24 I 26 I 28 I 31 I Aug 2 I 4

Saturday 9th June 2018

HEIDI VOGEL JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET Tickets £35

MIDSUMMER PROM Friday 6th July 2018

MICHELLE JOHN THE GIN TRAP HOUSE BAND Tickets £35

FINAL FLING

Saturday 7th July 2018

MARCO MARCONI TRIO MISS KIDDY AND THE CADS Tickets £35

14 inbath

Be quick! Tickets are selling like hot cakes. www.ifordarts.org.uk Box office: 01225 448844

*fromMusic

by LEONARD BERNSTEIN. Book adapted Voltaire by HUGH WHEELER. Lyrics by RICHARD

WILBUR. New version by JOHN CAIRD (The 1999 Royal National Theatre version). With additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, John Latouche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker and Leonard Bernstein. Performed by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe) Limited.

9 - 11 March 2018 Now owned by Cooper Events, The Bath Decorative Antiques Fair was previously run by Robin Coleman, the Bath-based dealer, who founded the fair in 1989 and organised it for 23 years.

On acquiring the event in 2011, Sue Ede of Cooper Events was keen to retain the atmosphere of this cherished event and the exhibitors, many of whom have been with the fair since it started, have stayed on and enjoy working with the new owners.

After 29 years, the Bath Decorative Antiques Fair is still the leading regional event to beat, where rustic to refined ultra-relevant stylish English Country House style, Mid Century design, industrial chic, Swedish period painted furniture, period portraits and perennially fashionable crusty iron garden furniture will rub shoulders with decorative staples of the 80s and 90s now back in demand by a new and younger audience – French marble top chocolatiers’ tables, elaborate brass and steel bakers’ racks, buffets and armoires in fruitwood, huge pine refectory tables and Windsor chairs, rows of yellow confit pots, pub signs, marine and advertising ephemera, homely Staffordshire dogs, samplers and quilts and yes, large scale oak, mahogany and walnut brown furniture re-imagined by a new generation of decorators and collectors.

The event has remained at the same wonky Bath Pavilion since the launch back in 1989 and quickly fills up with eager exhibitors each year, keen to secure a place at what is reliably expected to be a busy event teeming with buyers from the UK, EU and USA happy to queue up for hours in all weathers before the doors open at 12 midday.

For more details on this years event and traders, visit: www.bathdecorativeantiquesfair.co.uk

BATHʼS BEST SATURDAY NIGHT OUT The very best in live stand-up EVERY SATURDAY of Fame lub Hall C y d e om Krater C kenziphotographer.com

Bath Decorative Antiques Fair The Pavilion, Bath BA2 4EU

9 – 11 March 2018 Trade preview 8 March

Complimentary tickets via website

bathdecorativeantiquesfair.co.uk

Includes FREE entry to Bathʼs biggest and best club night, MOTORCITY Student, VIP and Meal Deal packages available!

www.komedia.co.uk/bath/krater BOX OFFICE: 01225 489070

CANDIDE*

IFORD ARTS 2018 OPERA | PROMS CONCERTS PICNICS

MAY 26 I 29 I 30 I JUNE 1 I 2 I 5

PARTENOPE

JUNE 23 I 26 I 28 I 30 | JULY 3 I 4

MADAME BUTTERFLY JULY 21 I 24 I 26 I 28 I 31| AUG 2 I 4

THE PETO PROM

SATURDAY 9TH JUNE HEIDI VOGEL, JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET

MIDSUMMER PROM

FRIDAY 6TH JULY MICHELLE JOHN, THE GIN TRAP HOUSE BAND

FINAL FLING PROM

SATURDAY 7TH JULY MARCO MARCONI TRIO, MISS KIDDY AND THE CADS

YOUNG SINGERS GALA CONCERT POPULAR OPERATIC ARIAS AND ENSEMBLES

SUNDAY 3RD JUNE

2 5 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y F E S T I VA L S E A S O N 26 May – 4 August 2018 www.ifordarts.org.uk Box Office (Theatre Royal Bath) 01225 44 88 44

* Music by LEONARD BERNSTEIN. Book adapted from Voltaire

by HUGH WHEELER. Lyrics by RICHARD WILBUR. New version by JOHN CAIRD (The 1999 Royal National Theatre version). With additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, John Latouche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker and Leonard Bernstein.

Performed by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe) Limited.

inbath 15

Win a Family Ticket for 4 people to watch

Illustrations © Tony Ross 2011. Cover lettering of author’s name © Quentin Blake, 2010

at The Theatre Royal Bath

“Kids adore David Walliams’ books and they loved this show. Every comic opportunity is grasped!”

Daily Telegraph

he could ever imagine, as he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime with his very own Gangsta Granny!

“This is a cracker of a show! Totally grantastic!

Mail on Sunday

From the acclaimed producers of Horrible Histories comes the award-winning West End production of this amazing story by David Walliams, the UK’s best-selling author for children. Recommended for ages 5+

The hit West End production of David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny is visiting Bath during the Easter Holidays appearing at the Theatre Royal from Tuesday 27th March to Sunday 1st April.

It’s Friday night and Ben knows that means only one thing – staying with Granny! There will be cabbage soup, cabbage pie and cabbage cake and Ben knows one thing for sure – it’s going to be sooooooooo boring! But what Ben doesn’t know is that Granny has a secret – and Friday nights are about to get more exciting than

16 inbath

Tickets for David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny are available from the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online via www.theatreroyal.org.uk

win

A Family Ticket for 4 people to watch Gangsta Granny at the Theatre Royal Bath on Tuesday 27th March, 7pm show For a chance to win, simply send us your name and contact details, on e-mail, to: competitions@inbath.net Subject: Gangsta Closing Date: Thurs 22 March Usual T's and C's apply

Win tickets to watch

Quartet

Image credit: Mark Douet

at the Theatre Royal Bath

Ronald Harwood’s charming story of four ageing opera singers, Quartet tours to the Theatre Royal Bath with a stellar cast from Monday 16th to Saturday 21st April.

Once the brightest stars of the opera world, Cecily, Wilfred and Reginald now reside in a magnificent retirement home in Kent and are looking forward to performing the quartet from Rigoletto to celebrate Verdi’s birthday. But their tranquillity is about to be shattered by a surprise new arrival. Word is, it’s a star.

When Jean arrives, old rivalries surface, secrets are revealed and chaos unfolds but in true theatrical tradition – the show must go on!

The quartet of illustrious actors starring in this funny, touching and poignant play are Paul Nicholas (The Real Marigold Hotel, Just Good Friends, EastEnders); Wendi Peters (Coronation Street, Oh! What A Lovely War); Sue Holderness (Only Fools and Horses, The Green Green Grass of Home, Calendar Girls); and Jeff Rawle (Harry Potter, Drop the Dead Donkey).

Directed by Peter Rowe, Quartet is produced by the team behind the hugely successful stage productions of Jeeves & Wooster, The Miser, The Dresser and hit musical The Bodyguard.

Tickets for Quartet are available from the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online via www.theatreroyal.org.uk

win

2 tickets to watch Quartet at the Theatre Royal Bath on Monday 16th April, 7.30pm show.

For a chance to win, simply send us your name and contact details, on e-mail, to: competitions@inbath.net Subject: Quartet Closing Date: Wed 11th April Usual T's and C's apply

inbath 17

what's on favourite Viv Groskop and acclaimed Australian comedian Sarah Bennetto, not to mention the Finals of the New Act Competition.

The Ring O Bells hosts a concentrated programme of seriously top quality acts performing in the wonderful intimate space which has been a firm favourite for Bath Comedy shows for many years. This year's line-up includes some fantastic talent including Rachel Parris, Ashley Storrie, Janey Godley, Archie Maddocks, Markus Birdman, Diane Spencer, Matt Green and Sally-Anne Hayward.

Ab Fab star to host Wine Trail

Perennial flagship hit immersive show The Wine Arts Trail makes its bonkers boozy way around Bath's secret corners in the big red Routemaster bus on Sunday 8th April and rumours abound as to the wondrous delights in store this year – organisers promise a very special experience hosted by guest clippie Helen Lederer (subject to availability).

Festival on tour!

Residents of Bradford on Avon and those up for a ten minute train ride won't miss out as Radio 4 favourite Mark Steel is appearing at St Margaret's Hall on Friday 13th April, and Frome people can look forward to a walking tour with a difference – Rare Species will be presenting "Frome – The Fecund Coming".

Jon Richardson

Affordable fun!

Meanwhile, there's plenty of stuff for those of us with thin wallets, as the Affordable "Pay What You Feel" Festival returns to Bath Brew House with a plethora of free entry shows. You can guarantee a seat by purchasing a £5 ticket in advance instead – a wise choice given the way this venue fills up!

Principal Sponsor

27 March - 15 April Festival Director Nick Steel says "This year sees Bath Comedy Festival enter its tenth year, and what a line-up we've got to celebrate!

Wonderful Widcombe, comedy centre of the universe

Opening night is 27th March and we're back at Bath's fabulous art deco Forum venue, this time with Jon Richardson giving us his first Bath gig in many years - I booked his last Bath outing many years ago at the old Widcombe Social Club and I'm over the moon to welcome him back at last!

Nick goes on to report: "The 10th Anniversary has warranted an expansion of the Festival to a scale hitherto not seen. Widcombe remains the spiritual home of the Festival, with the programme at Widcombe Social Club boasting some very special shows! The Club is all set to become a social hub of the Festival, with its unique venue space and newly refurbished Waterside Arts Bar - truly the place to be seen!"

Manuel, Basil and she who must be obeyed back by popular demand!

Other shows destined to sell out include a second visit of the fantastic Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience (Allium Brasserie at the Abbey Hotel, 3rd and 4th April) where the audience become the guests at possibly the worst hotel in the world, whilst, we might add, devouring a delicious three course meal.

Rachel Parris' show also sold out very quickly, the latest show to prove that this year you really need to secure your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment! But fear not - we've added an extra show at Widcombe Social Club - get in quick to secure a seat!

18 inbath

The Club will be host to some wide-appeal evening shows to tickle everyone's fancy, including a six-day run of the fantastic five star cabaret Mother's Ruin, tickets for which include a free gin and tonic. The World Famous Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre will be there too, celebrating their status as the only act to have performed at every Bath Comedy Festival since its inception.

Other highlights include celebrated impressionist Julian Dutton with his show about the Life & Times of John Le Mesurier, Simon Evans, Arthur Smith & The Smithereens, German Comedy Ambassador Henning Wehn, as well as Bath

Brand new Apex Hotel hosts the closing Comedy Gala Arthur Smith will also be at the Festival's glittering Closing Gala Show at the brand spanking new Apex Hotel Conference Suite – surely the best new venue Bath has seen in many years. Lucky ticket holders will enjoy characters by The Fast Show's Simon Day, a visit from Donald Trump & Melania aka ace TV and Radio impressionists Lewis MacLeod and Ronni Ancona (TBC) and a famous headliner yet to be revealed! The inaugural Lovehoney Award will be presented on the night to reward the most innuendo-laden joke writer of the Festival.

You saw it here First, folks!

The New Act Competition is now so popular that the heats have been extended to a total of twelve, to be held in the Igloo underneath the Abbey Hotel, The Westgate pub and The Bath Brew House.

Our previous winners have all gone on to great things so it's all to play for, and the final should see another line-up of brand new stars in the making. The Winner will make off with the first ever Lovehoney Newcomer Award, akin to Edinburgh's famous "Perrier".

In a venue near you!

There is a whole host of other shows all over town in venues such as The Bell, The Assembly Inn, The Mission Theatre, St James Wine Vaults, Komedia and The Rondo Theatre boasts a full programme featuring such luminaries as Elf Lyons, David Mills, Tom Stade and John Otway.

Julian Dutton

Festival Highlights Jon Richardson - The Old Man

Date: Tuesday 27th March, 2018 Venue: Bath Forum Doors: 7.00pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 2hrs incl interval Price: £20.50-£25.50 Bath Comedy Festival in association with Off The Kerb Productions The British Comedy Award nominee and star of Live At The Apollo and 8 Out Of 10 Cats is embarking on a nationwide tour to complain about the state of the world and offer no solutions. Since his last show he has become a husband and father, seen the UK vote to leave the EU and watched the rise of Donald Trump, all of which leaves him asking one question, why does it seem that no one else alive can correctly load a dishwasher?

Come and see what Jon Richardson can do with words when he has more than thirty seconds to work with. Or should that be "with which to work"?

Best known as team captain on '8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown', Jon has been massively in demand for television and radio appearances including; 'Have I Got News For You' (BBC ONE), 'Live At The Apollo' (BBC ONE), 'Channel 4's Comedy Gala Live At The 02' and most recently 'Taskmaster' (DAVE).

"Jon Richardson is developing into a quietly sophisticated comedian who is at turns hilarious and disturbing and under no circumstances should you miss" **** - The Mirror "one of our most individual and interesting standups" **** - The Times

Viv Groskop - Vivalicious

Date: Wednesday 28th March, 2018 Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: 7.30pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £10 A brand new show from Viv Groskop, star of BBC1's 'This Week' and BBC Radio 4's 'It's Just a Joke, Comrade'.

In this age of therapy and reinvention, Viv's latest work-in-progress is about being the very best version of yourself. And, really, when is it time to accept you're just never going to be that person?

"Fresh and original" - Sara Pascoe "Viv is brilliant" - Jo Brand "Completely compelling" - Chortle.

Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3328382

Sarah Bennetto - All My Life's Mistakes, Catalogued (Volume One) Date: Wednesday 28th March, 2018 Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: 9.15pm for 9.30pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £10 One dimwit comedian's every dumb decision.

Presented in list form. 50 great mistakes guaranteed.

"A generous serving of sterling gags and astutely witty observations." - Steve Bennett, Chortle UK

"Sublimely brilliant, stunning..." - Time Out

"Superb. Devastating. Edges towards perfection." **** ThreeWeeks, UK

Online booking: bathforum.ticketline.co.uk/order/tickets/13330677

Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3337604

Viv Groskop

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre - Superheroes Date: Thursday 29th March, 2018 Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: 7.30pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 2hrs incl interval Price: £12 / £10 concs Sock! Pow! Wham! Earth's funniest footwear are back with their 10th new show of songs, sketches, socks & violence.

This time they're real live Superheroes! You think you've seen heroes in tights before? This pair will run and run.

Age 12+ Space age comedy to knock your socks off" **** Daily Record Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3341279

Julian Dutton Do You Think That's Wise?

The Life & Times of John Le Mesurier Date: Saturday 31st March, 2018 Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: 6.30pm for 7.00pm show Duration: 55min Price: £10 / £7.50 concs Leading impressionist Julian Dutton brings to life one of Britain's best-loved comedy stars, revealing the man behind the wry smile and urbane English repartee that charmed millions and turned John Le Mesurier into a household name as Sergeant Wilson in Dad's Army.

Le Mesurier's life was not without tragedy - his broken marriage to Hattie Jacques, his betrayal by his best friend Tony Hancock - all these setbacks shook him, but his reputation as the quintessential English Gentleman never wavered.

"An impressionist tour de force" - Independent.

Online booking www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3338541

inbath 19

what's on

Henning Wehn

Simon Evans - Genius

Date: Saturday 31st March, 2018 Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: 8.30pm for 9.00pm show Duration: 1hr50min incl interval Price: £14 / £12 concs Ever since he was a small boy, all Evans really wanted was to be recognised by the world as a man of genius. He has, until now, remained thwarted.

The world seems increasingly indifferent to true genius of any kind, let alone Evans'.

Endlessly distracted by the trivial, we allow the classical tools of grammar, logic and rhetoric to lie unregarded in the shed of consciousness, rusting to a picturesque hue that would actually look really great on Instagram. But which filter?

Hmm...

"Please clap" Jeb Bush

Rachel Parris

Rachel Parris - Keynote

Date: Friday 6th April, 2018 Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: 7.00pm for 7.30pm show Duration: 1hr15mins Price: £10 Extra show due to phenomenal demand!

Rachel has been invited to be a guest speaker at her old school, but what kind of a role model is she really? Through stand-up, character and musical comedy, she explores what messed up message she can possibly offer to impressionable young minds.

Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3320825

Henning Wehn Das Neuen Materialen Nachten

"A masterclass in socio-political comedy...the show is called Genius. It comes very close" ***** The Scotsman

Date: Monday 9th April, 2018 & Tues 10th Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: 7.30pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 2hrs approx incl interval Price: SOLD OUT

Mother's Ruin A Cabaret About Gin

Join the German Comedy Ambassador for Teutonic jolliness at its best. Expect some old favourites and plenty of new ideas.

Date: Sunday 1st April, 2018 – Fri 6th April Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: Various times Duration: 1hr30 incl interval Price: £14 / £10 concs Equal parts historical and hysterical, lose yourself in the company of sailors, barmaids and bootleggers in this darkly comic cabaret.

"Not only vocally sublime but a stroke of comedy genius" (TheatrePress), its critically acclaimed stars Maeve Marsden and Libby Wood return to the U.K. after playing to sold out crowds in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh and across Australia.

Mother's Ruin is a raucous journey through 18th Century London, a few New York speakeasies, the Australian bush and the jungles of Peru.

Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3341343

20 inbath

"Forget the Euro, Henning hits the Mark" Nottingham Post

Arthur Smith & The Smithereens PC Syd

Date: Thursday 12th April, 2018 Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: 7.30pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 2hrs incl interval Price: TBC Arthur Smith, with the ineffable Smithereens, tells the story of his father, with help from Ray Davies, Leonard Cohen, the London Metropolitan police and Nat King Cole.

The life of a copper in South London in the 50s, A POW before then. And eventually one of the progenitors of Arthur Smith.

Warning: this show contains 'work in progress'.

New Act Competition - Semi-Final Date: Friday 13th April, 2018 Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: 5.30pm for 6.00pm show 1st Semi Doors: 8.30pm for 9.00pm show 2nd Semi Duration: 2hrs incl interval Price: £6.50 each or both for £10

New Act Competition - Grand Final Date: Sunday 15th April, 2018 Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: 6.45pm for 7.30pm show Price: £10

Ashley Storrie - Adulting

Date: Tuesday 3rd April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 7.45pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £9 / £7 concs Scotland’s favourite funny girl and viral internet sensation Ashley Storrie returns to Bath with a brand-new show about not growing up.

"A total revelation" - Dawn French Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3337614

Janey Godley - Godley's Cream 20 Years And Counting

Date: Tuesday 3rd April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 9.15pm for 9.30pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £10 20 years of fringe shows, 20 years of touring and so many stories. From LA to New York to Newcastle and Glasgow. The Godmother of Scottish Comedy, chief Trump annoyer and all round Glasgow mouth piece brings her show to Bath. Lots of old stories and plenty of new material to keep the punters gripped in their seats.

"The queen of Scottish comedy" - Edinburgh Evening News Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3337634

Archie Maddocks

Sally-Anne Hayward

Joey Page - Perhaps Under Stars That Would Stretch Forever

Date: Wednesday 4th April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 6.15pm for 6.30pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £8 An idiot trys to make sense of the universe in under an hour. What is the point of all this? (Life) Are there parallel universes and if so what are they like? Want to learn everything you ever need to know about the universe through the medium of an idiot? (Yes) Is the world ending?

(Probably) Is Jupiter a bell-end? (Definitely!)

"Spaced out magical humour" ***** Three Weeks "A head like a fantasy Hand grenade" - Noel Fielding Stop press: Nominated for Best Comedy at Perth Fringe 2018 Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3345001

Sally-Anne Hayward - Um...I Was Talking About You Not To You

Date: Wednesday 4th April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 7.30pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £9 / £7 concs Sally's had a gut full of fabricated food allergies.

Her irritated bowel's not down to wheat intolerance - it turns out she's just intolerant.

A liberating diagnosis, as she can now legitimately embrace her bitchier side; so watch out fussy eaters, over-sharers, and definitely that busy-body of a neighbour who's not returned a single one of her home produced surveys on local off street parking.

Warm and very funny" - Sarah Millican "Extremely funny" - The Independent Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3335637

Christopher Macarthur-Boyd

Christopher Macarthur-Boyd Home Sweet Home

Date: Wednesday 4th April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 9.15pm for 9.30pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £8 The debut hour from the next big thing in Scottish comedy. As heard on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 4extra.

"Following in the footsteps of Kevin Bridges" ITV Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3344974

Rachel Parris - Keynote

Date: Friday 5th April, 2018 Venue: Widcombe Social Club Doors: 6.15pm for 6.30pm show Duration: 1hr Price: SOLD OUT Extra show due to phenomenal demand!

Rachel has been invited to be a guest speaker at her old school, but what kind of a role model is she really? Through stand-up, character and musical comedy, she explores what messed up message she can possibly offer to impressionable young minds.

Rachel is an award-winning musical comic whose songs have been played on BBC Radio 4, BBC 6 Music and who was listed in the BBC's Hot Talent List 2017. She has appeared in Murder in Successville, Plebs, The IT Crowd and most recently, satirical BBC show The Mash Report. She's also a founder member of smash hit improv show Austentatious

Markus Birdman - Grimm Realities

Date: Thursday 5th April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 7.45pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £10 Growing up, my preacherman father made me draw Bible stories. I don't remember the stories, but I draw great.

The 5 Star Edinburgh Fringe sell-out show, nominated for Amused Moose Best Show Award, from the NZ Comedy Guild Best international Comedian Award Nominee.

A modern day comedic and visual take on those Grimm's classics, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. A reality tale for the 21st century. A children's fable for adults.

My previous shows had short jokes, and tall stories. I thought it was high time to combine these with my drawings. Especially since Rolf Harris left a gap in the market.

"Meditative but not mournful, he makes us feel part of his story. Hugely enjoyable and lots of ruddy good gags." **** Scotsman Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3336454

Diane Spencer - 2018 Collection

Date: Thursday 5th April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 9.15pm for 9.30pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £10 Brand new stand-up comedy hour from delightfully engaging stand-up comedian Diane Spencer.

With her charming onstage persona and refreshingly honest confessional style, Diane delivers heart-warming autobiographical wit and laugh-out-loud humour.

Her other 7 hit shows are all available on YouTube.

"Not for the faint-hearted but also not to be missed" 5 stars ThreeWeeks Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3337648

Archie Maddocks - Matchstick Date: Wednesday 11th April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 6.15pm for 6.30pm show

inbath 21

what's on

Sam Fraser

Colin Hoult Duration: 1hr Price: £5 Award winning comedian Archie Maddocks presents an hour of biting, provocative, unflinchingly funny comedy where he explores his deepest and darkest thoughts, exposes his flaws and interrogates his personal connection to the Grenfell Tower fire.

Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3338986

Matt Green - These People

Date: Wednesday 11th April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 7.45pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £7.50 Matt has been doing stand up for 15 years and he's got pretty good at it. Come and hear his latest thoughts about the current state of the world. Spoiler alert: he's not keen.

Featuring applying for an Irish passport, going viral with JK Rowling and trying not to argue about Brexit.

"Why someone as funny as this isn't doing the Apollo, or having a Radio Four series of his own, is a bit of a mystery. Maybe one day. Let's hope so." **** Theatre Bath Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3338993

Sam Carrington - All Grown Up

Sam Carrington

Sam Fraser Stand Up, Weather Girl!

Date: Thursday 12th April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 6.15pm for 6.30pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £5 Sam Fraser has been a stand-by BBC local weather presenter since 2012. It's been a steep learning curve.

Having been distracted by online comments about her bottom, she wonders can you be a full time feminist and a part time weather girl?

Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3344964

Colin Hoult - Anna Mann in How We Stop The Fascists

Date: Thursday 12th April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 7.45pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £9 / £7 concs Having effectively cured all depression in last year's smash-hit hour, actress Anna Mann (Colin Hoult's "master class in character comedy" Time Out) returns to take on the terrifying rise of fascism. Fear not, gentle liberals, Mother Mann is here. Star of her very own Sky Arts Short, 'Anna Mann's Valentine'. As seen in Murder in Successville, Porridge, Derek, Nurse, Life's Too Short, and Being Human.

Festival Closing Gala Show

Date: Saturday 14th April, 2018 Venue: Apex Hotel Conference Centre Doors: 7.00pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 2.5hrs incl intervals Price: £22 / £18 concs A glittering array of fantastic comedic talent in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Festival, in the fabulous new venue at the Apex Hotel.

Starring:

Zoe Lyons

“Probably the most impressive British female comic on the circuit.” - The Skinny

Simon Day

(The Fast Show)

Arthur Smith

(Legendary Comedian, Broadcaster and Grumpy Old Man)

Lewis MacLeod as Donald Trump (Steve Wright, Dead Ringers)

Ronni Ancona as Melania Trump (The Big Impression)

Kirsty Newton

(enormously talented musical entertainer)

Alan Francis

Award winning comedian and writer (The Big Impression, Ronni Ancona & Co and many more)

Date: Wednesday 11th April, 2018 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 9.15pm for 9.30pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £5 Sam Carrington turned 40 last year, join as he contemplates this milestone by working out where he's been, where he's going, and if his cheese-based drink will ever take off.

Directed by Phoebe Bourke for Berk's Nest.

Master class in character comedy." **** Time Out

For full information and booking details for all the 130+ shows at this year’s Bath Comedy Festival, visit: www.bathcomedy.com

Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3345489

Online booking: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3178410

Brown Paper Tickets booking line: 0800 411 8881

22 inbath

"Funnier than almost all other shows at this year's Fringe." **** Telegraph "A hugely enjoyable, slyly satirical hour." **** Times

Featuring a presentation of the inaugural Lovehoney Award for best (innuendo-laden?) joke of the Festival. Rumour has it the Queen herself will be in attendance...

MOTHER’S RUIN A CABARET ABOUT GIN

Now booking: 1st - 6th April, Widcombe Social Club, Bath International sell-out show. “Blisteringly entertaining” (Daily Review)

★★★★★ One4review

★★★★★ TheatrePass

★★★★★ Daily Review ★★★★ Scotsman

★★★★ Edinburgh Guide Tickets

£14

/ £10 concs from

www.bathcomedy.com Tickets include a free gin and tonic!

0800 411 8881

bath comedy festival interview

win a pair of tickets to see Jon Richardson 'Old Man' tour at The Forum, Bath, as part of The Bath Comedy Festival.

Tuesday 27th March, 8pm.

For a chance to win, simply send us your name and contact details, on e-mail, to: competitions@inbath.net Subject: Jon Richardson Closing date: Mon 19 March Usual T's and C's apply

24 inbath

Bad Mood Rising Jon Richardson has become a familiar face on our TV screens. He is a regular Have I Got News For You panellist, star of Live At The Apollo, team member of Channel 4’s Stand Up For The Week, team captain of Channel 4’s long-running series 8 Out Of 10 Cats and team Captain on the words and numbers game, 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. His first solo Edinburgh show about his obsessive compulsive personality disorder was nominated for the Best Newcomer award at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival and he has rarely been off our screens for the ensuing decade. Here, Jon talks about his 'Old Man' tour and how being a new father has really given him something to stress about. You can see Jon's show at this years Bath Comedy Festival.

The stand-up Jon Richardson is chatting to me from a rather unusual location. He reveals that, “I’m currently in the Aldi car park in Clevedon.” Who said that the life of a comedian isn’t non-stop glamour?

The Times, meanwhile, calls him, “One of our most individual and interesting stand-ups”. For its part, Time Out goes for a more succinct summary of Jon’s talent, describing him as, “Sublimely brilliant, stunning.”

Still, Jon admits that being on a nationwide tour in places such as Clevedon with his brilliant new show, “Old Man”, is a blessed relief from his full-on domestic life. He is a very proud father – but things have been understandably frantic at home.

Jon, who is as warm and witty in person as he is on stage, is still appealingly humble about his role as a stand-up. “I can’t believe I get to do this job! As I get older, I’ve got more and more to talk about and I have more and more confidence.

Jon, one of the finest stand-ups in the land, laughs that, “Gigs have become very cathartic for me, as things are so hectic at home. Gigs are now the equivalent of going to the pub or the cinema!

“I love the privilege of looking back on my life every three years, turning it into a comedy show and sharing it with an audience. It’s incredibly cathartic. It’s a way of converting the difficult elements of life into comedy. None of us know what’s going on at the moment, so to be able to laugh at it in unity for two hours is absolutely great.”

“Our baby is only just over a year old, so it’s obviously the perfect time for me to be leaving home for several weeks! It has to be said, I’m not terribly popular at home. But I’m assuming that by the time I get back home, my daughter will be toilet-trained, capable of dressing herself and able to drive!”

The new show is packed with such terrific reflections on the trials and tribulations of fatherhood. Jon discloses some of the more bizarre incidents that have occurred since he has become a father.

For instance, he recalls that, “At one point, we were driving along the motorway when my wife needed to breastfeed.

“So we got off the motorway and drove down to the end of what we thought was a deserted lane. But as we reached the end, I began to think that there were more cars than there should be at 9 o’clock on a Tuesday evening. It turned out it was a local dogging site. We got a fair bit of attention…”

In the show, Jon will also be explaining that the arrival of his baby daughter has affected him in many unexpected ways. “Suddenly, global events take on more significance.

“When you’re single, you’re not beholden to anyone and you can shut down more easily. In the past, I had the idea that I’d live in a caravan with a dog near a pub with no responsibilities. But now when bad things happen in the world, I feel responsible for them because they’re going to impact on my daughter. The caravan, the dog and the pub have gone now!”

One of Jon’s main worries is that his daughter will grow up resembling him. “What I’m dreading is raising her to be like me. If I hear her saying, ‘I can’t eat that chip because it’s touched those baked beans’, I’ll know she got too much of me in her!”

Despite such tremendous anecdotes, though, Jon doesn’t want his observations about the impact his new baby daughter has had on his life to put people off. The comic, who has put out two live successful stand-up DVDs, Funny Magnet in 2012 and Nidiot in 2014, both of which are released through Universal Pictures (UK), says that, “I’m determined not to talk about my baby in a way that’s alienating”.

“But it’s been such a big change in my life that I can’t not talk about it.

It’s also nice to have something new to stress about. I can really get my teeth into this stress!”

The comedian, who has starred on such TV shows as 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4) and Have I Got News For You (BBC One), Live At The Apollo (BBC One), Channel 4’s Comedy Gala Live At The 02 and more recently Taskmaster (Dave), has been attracting shed loads of critical plaudits. The Mirror, for instance, declares that, “For 10 years he has been among the funniest men in Britain”.

Since last touring the country, Jon has watched on as the UK voted to leave the EU and witnessed the inexorable rise of Donald Trump to the US Presidency. All of this prompts one key question: Why does it seem that no one else alive can correctly load a dishwasher?

As well as this pressing matter, Jon will be ranging over an array of other hilarious comic topics, including stress, a constant theme in his dazzling act. “I got shingles on the day of the EU referendum. It’s good to see that my stress has got worse as I’ve got older and that now there is a physical element to it!”

Another very amusing element of “Old Man” is that Jon uses Twitter to interact with his audience. The comic, whose bestselling book It’s Not Me, It’s You, was published by HarperCollins in 2012, recollects that, “Recently, I talked to a man in the audience, and he was shocked because I knew where he had been that morning, what football team he supported, and what his wife’s name was. It’s a good about-turn. That’s the joy of Twitter.”

Jon, who is a British Comedy Award nominee and runner-up in Heat Magazine’s ‘Weird Crush’ poll (not once, not twice, but three times!), adds, “That man had messaged me earlier, but people don’t always realise that when you Tweet, you’re building a public record of yourself.

It’s nice to have all that free material. It means I can spend more time with my daughter and just take the mickey out of someone in the audience!”

The stand-up, who has also starred in Live At The Apollo (BBC ONE), Channel 4’s Comedy Gala Live At The 02 and most recently Taskmaster (DAVE), proceeds to reflect on how much he adores the experience of live comedy. “It’s such a buzz. The instant reaction you get from the audience is such a privilege.

"Each show is a very honest portrayal of how I’m feeling that night. It can go off in any direction. The show is different every night, and that makes it much more exciting. Every evening is unique.”

But, much as he loves touring, Jon reveals, “I’ll have a break over the summer. People would rather be out in the sun than inside listening to a whingeing moron!”

And when “Old Man” tour finally comes to an end, Jon discloses what he will do next. “I’ll be back at home, concentrating once again on being a dad and a pernickety husband!”

Bath Comedy Festival presents Jon Richardson 'Old Man' tour.

Tuesday 27th March, The Forum. www.bathforum.co.uk Show time 8:00pm. Tickets: From £20.50 (+ booking fee per ticket) Age Restriction: 14+

inbath 25

what's on

26 inbath

food and drink

28 inbath

The birth of

Afternoon Tea How a Duchess turned a 'sinking feeling' into a national obsession

Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Woburn There is nothing more quintessentially English than taking afternoon tea. While the custom of drinking tea itself dates back to the third millennium BC in China, this fashionable social event is somewhat of a recent addition.

During the mid-nineteenth century it was usual for people to take only two main meals a day, breakfast and dinner. Dinner was a more formal affair and would typically occur around 8 o'clock in the evening, thus leaving a long period of time between meals.

tea became extremely popular with the upperclass and society women would change into long gowns, gloves and hats.

Traditionally, the upper classes would serve a 'low' or 'afternoon' tea around four o'clock. The middle and lower classes would have a more substantial 'high' tea later in the day, at five or six o'clock, in place of a late dinner. The names derive from the height of the tables on which the meals are served, high tea being served at the dinner table.

Image courtesy of The Royal Crescent, Bath

Before long, all of fashionable society was sipping tea and nibbling cakes in the middle of the afternoon.

In order to suppress 'that sinking feeling' during the late afternoon, Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Woburn asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter and cake be brought to her room during around 4 in the afternoon.

Later Anna Maria would invite friends to join her in her rooms at Woburn Abbey during the summer and continued the practice when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for "tea and a walk in the fields".

Other social hostesses quickly picked up on the idea and the practice became respectable enough to move it into the drawing room. Before long, all of fashionable society was sipping tea and nibbling cakes in the middle of the afternoon.

During the late nineteenth century, afternoon

A traditional afternoon tea consists of a selection of dainty sandwiches, scones served with clotted cream and preserves. Cakes and pastries are also served. Tea grown in India or Ceylon is poured from silver tea pots into delicate bone china cups. In recent years, the addition to the menu of a glass of Champagne or Prosecco has increased its popularity.

To experience the best of the afternoon tea tradition, indulge yourself with a trip to one of our finest hotels and restaurants who will be more than happy to offer you a special 'afternoon tea' experience.

We have selected a few of Bath's best to whet you appitite as well as ask their Head Chefs to come up with a couple of their most popular Afternoon Tea 'treats' for you to try at home.

inbath 29

The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa launches new 2018 Afternoon Tea Menu at The Dower House Restaurant & Afternoon Tea Garden ‘Taking tea’ has been a timeless tradition in Bath since the mid-18th century when it was very much in vogue for the aristocrats and socialites of the Georgian Era to indulge in afternoon tea.

Celebrating this English ritual as a symbol of grace and sophistication, as popular today as it was then, The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa is pleased to announce the launch of its innovative new 2018 afternoon tea menu, epitomising the hotel’s ethos of combining old world heritage with new world luxury.

Today, the Royal Crescents’ sweeping arc of Georgian architecture remains seemingly unchanged, and at its very heart, we at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa are extremely proud to pay homage to the timeless tradition of taking tea. The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa provides a fitting setting for indulging in the finest world teas,

prestigious champagnes, exquisite sandwiches and delicate pastries.

Masterfully created by Executive Head Chef David Campbell and is team, the new 2018 menu will feature three carefully crafted teas, inspired by the hotels diverse heritage. Shaking up the traditions of ‘tea time’ and elegantly reinventing the English classic, David and his team have cleverly created menus to tempt every pallet.

Executive Head Chef, David Campbell comments, ‘Taking Afternoon tea at The Royal Crescent is a quintessential part of life in Bath, whether you live here or are visitor to this great city. We invite you to come and enjoy The RCH Afternoon Tea experience as much as we enjoy preparing it.

The new Afternoon Tea menu at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa is served between 1.30pm & 6pm daily (with last sitting at 4.30pm).

Enjoy Afternoon Tea for £37.50 per person, (Children’s Tea £19.50), £50 to include a Glass of Champagne or £62.50 to include a Flight – Taittinger, Sipsmith Gin, Plantation Rum or Grey Goose Vodka.

Relax and indulge at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa.

David Campbell's Bath Buns 2000g Shipton Mill no4 60g Yeast 240g Unsalted Butter 160g Caster Sugar 40g Salt 400g Whole Egg 1000g Milk 400g Raisins 400g Currants 20g Mixed Spice

Method: Mix flour, yeast, butter, sugar, salt, egg and milk together and mix with dough hook until smooth and shiny, and the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl Add fruit and spice and mix in Cover with cling film and prove until double in size Scale and shape. Prove on trays until double in size Bake 180°c for 15-20 minutes Glaze with bun wash and sprinkle with nibbed sugar and currants

30 inbath

Image courtesy of www.salskitchenblog.com

Ingredients:

New 2018 Afternoon Tea Menu Choose from one of four delicious Afternoon Teas The Royal Crescent Tea • The Authentic Tea The Vegetarian Tea • The Children’s Tea £37.50 per person

(£19.50 children’s tea)

With a glass of Taittinger Champagne

£50 per person

With a Flight – Taittinger, Grey Goose, Plantation, Sipsmith

£62.50 per person

To book your table please contact reservations on 01225 823333 or email info@royalcrescent.co.uk The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, 16 Royal Crescent, Bath BA1 2LS 01225 823333 info@royalcrescent.co.uk royalcrescent.co.uk I #RCHBath

Spring into the new season with Searcys Searcys is synonymous with amazing restaurant experiences in iconic venues across the UK. Founded in 1847 by John Searcy, the pastry chef to the Duke of Northumberland, John led the way with his passion, innovation and quality.

These attributes remain at the heart of what we do today.

For a luxurious start to the day try the Mother’s Day Brunch, with raspberry French toast, crème fraîche and maple syrup, complete with a glass of Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne for £17.50.

At lunchtime indulge in two courses for £33.50 or three courses for £39.50, including a Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne Cocktail and a pot of hand roasted coffee or loose leaf tea with mini macaroons.

In the afternoon why not relax with a special Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne Cream Tea for £30, the tea includes Scottish smoked salmon and cucumber pikelet with shallot crème fraîche Homemade scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Book online: pumproombath.co.uk

Easter Extravagance at The Pump Room

MUMM FOR MUMS BRUNCH R A S P B E R R Y F R E N C H T O A S T, CRÈME FRAICHE, MAPLE SYRUP WITH GLASS OF MUMM CORDON ROUGE

It’s all about getting those taste buds tingling this Easter, from delectable cakes and afternoon tea’s with an Easter twist including a special Taittinger Champagne Tea, with homemade Victoria Sponge Cake to the traditional Easter Sunday Set Lunch Menu; two courses £22.50 or three courses for £27.50. Not forgetting the little ones who can enjoy a mini Afternoon Tea with Easter Treat for £7.50.

For more information and menus please visit the website: pumproombath.co.uk

£17.50

To book a table please call 01225 444477.

32 inbath

Ingredients: 1 cooking apple 150ml dry cider 75g raisins 225g self-raising flour 1 level teaspoon baking powder 1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ level teaspoon ginger ¼ whole nutmeg, freshly grated 150g butter 2 large eggs, beaten 150g light brown soft sugar For the topping:

At the Pump Room in Bath, the aim is to delight guests with delicious dishes in this beautiful venue. Using seasonal, local produce, sourced from the South West to create elegant British cuisine with a current twist.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner on Sunday 11th March, make sure to treat your Mum to one of these special dining offers:-

Pump Room's Spiced apple and cider cake

25g spreadable butter 25g self-raising flour 50g light brown soft sugar 1 level teaspoon ground ginger ¼ level teaspoon ground cloves 25g flaked almonds 2 smallish cooking apples a dusting of golden icing sugar

Method Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.

Peel and chop the apple, add cider and raisins.

Sift the flour, baking powder and spices, add the butter, eggs and sugar.

Combine them for about one minute until you have a smooth creamy consistency.

Add the apple, raisins and cider.Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, and level the top with the back of the spoon.

Use the flaked almonds and slice two small cooking apples to use as decoration.

Bake the cake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour 20 and another 10 minutes, if required.

Mother’s Day GIFT VOUCHERS

TRADITIONAL PUMP ROOM TEA £26.00 per person CHAMPAGNE PUMP ROOM TEA £35.00 per person PUMP ROOM CELEBRATION TEA WITH BUBBLES £43.00 per person Purchase gift vouchers online: pumproombath.co.uk The Pump Room is managed by Bath & North East Somerset Council and catering is provided by Searcys

food and drink

Drama meets Delicacy: Four Themed Afternoon Teas at The Gainsborough * Exquisite Cakes and Pastries * Freshly Baked Scones * Dainty Finger Sandwiches

As you would expect from the city that invented the Bath Bun, Bath isn’t short of Afternoon Tea purveyors. So, to stand out from the crowd, award-winning Head Chef Dan Moon has created four themed afternoon teas to run throughout the year – and they’ll certainly turn a few heads.

In addition to the classic staples like freshly baked scones and finger sandwiches, guests can expect to see a little drama at their table, with eye-catching cakes and other sweet treats vying for your attention. The themed afternoon teas will cost £30 per person (or £46 with a glass of Champagne).

Easter Afternoon Tea

This light-hearted afternoon tea is full of the joys of Spring. Amongst other delights, nibble a Bunny Macaroon and tuck into an Edible Garden Pot. Served 26th March to 1st April 2018

Wimbledon Afternoon Tea

Love all! That is, you’ll “love all” the cakes on the plate at this tennis themed afternoon tea, from the Pistachio Eclairs to the Pimms Jelly.

Mr Murray to serve!

Georgian Afternoon Tea. Wash down traditional lavender biscuits with a ‘shot’ of spiced hot chocolate – just as the Georgians used to make it.

Served 14th to 23rd September 2018

Festive Afternoon Tea

As Christmas approaches, we give our classic afternoon teas a Christmassy twist to keep you feeling festive. The perfect treat, whether you need a break from gift shopping or just want to catch up with friends and family.

Served 23rd November to 23rd December 2018

Afternoon Teas Have Never Been So Fine…

Book your classic or themed afternoon tea today on 01225 358 888 or visit the website: thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk for more.

Served 2nd to 15th July 2018

Georgian Afternoon Tea

Celebrate all things Regency during the Jane Austen festival, by tucking into our opulent

DAN Moon's Carrot and walnut cake Ingredients: 125g self-raising flour 125g plain flour 2tsp mixed spice 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2tsp ground nutmeg 1.5tsp bicarbonate of soda 175ml oil 150g dark or light soft brown sugar 150g golden syrup 4 eggs, whisked 300g grated carrots 50g walnuts

34 inbath

Method Mix together the self-raising flour, plain flour, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl In a separate bowl, use a hand-blender to blitz the oil, sugar, eggs and syrup together Fold the dry and wet mixtures together using a metal spoon Fold in the grated carrots and walnuts Pour mixture into greased tin Bake at 150°C, check after 45 minutes. Check with a knife – if the knife comes out clean, leave to cool in tin for 30 minutes then carefully take out and place on cooling rack. If the mixture is still raw continue to cook for 15 minute intervals until knife comes out clean.

Serving suggestion: Smother cake with a thick layer of cream cheese icing and a smattering of toasted walnuts

AFTERNOON TEA at

ENJOY AN EXQUISITE AFTERNOON TEA IN BATH’S MOST FASHIONABLE HOTEL

The elegant Canvas Room offers the most perfect place to unwind in style and enjoy a sumptuous traditional afternoon tea. Feast on finger sandwiches, fruit and plain scones with clotted cream, seasonal preserves, and a selection of delicious cakes and pastries.

Only at The Gainsborough...

Served every day, 3:00pm - 5:30pm £30 per person (£46 Including a glass of Champagne)

Book now

www.thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk 01225 35 88 88

www.thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Beau Street, Bath, BA1 1QY

food and drink

Race day

Head Chef, Jonathan Williams

First class hospitality

Ispiration is close to home for Somerset born Head Chef Bath Racecourse may be situated on the outskirts of the city, but when it comes to food and hospitality, its heart is at the centre of the community.

With locally-sourced food and traditional West Country cuisine forming the backbone of a wide-ranging and comprehensive menu, dining at Bath Racecourse is far from your generic race day experience.

“I was born and bred in Somerset, so having Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire foods is hugely important to me,” said Head Chef, Jonathan Williams, now into his third year at the racecourse.

“I think we’re lucky to live in one of the best areas in the country for food and drink – we’ve got our cheese, our cider, good ales, and a lot of good meats around.

“We work with so many local suppliers; my fruit and veg comes from just outside Swindon, my dairy comes from just outside Bristol, our butchers are based in Bristol - even the dried food that we bring in is from a supplier that is only ten miles away.

“We try to make as much as we can here ourselves. We buy in certain elements of the menu, but if we can make it and we’ve got the time and equipment, we will make it ourselves.

“The things we do have to buy in - our ice creams and our breads - are locally sourced as well. The ice cream is made by Marshfields, which is about two miles away, and our bread

We’ve designed the menus to fit with our suppliers which allow us to source locally and are therefore able to put a spin and modernise the food we are providing.

36 inbath

is from Hobbs House Bakery, which again, is only ten or fifteen minutes away. So, even the produce that is bought, is from our doorstep.

“You get a better relationship with your suppliers – you can be just an account number with somebody based in London, which I don’t really want to be. I want to be able to speak to my supplier, find out what they’ve got in season and what’s available.

“We’ve designed the menus to fit with our suppliers which allow us to source locally and are therefore able to put a spin and modernise the food we are providing.”

It’s not just the indigenous ingredients that are a great source of pride for Chef Jon, the comprehensive offering, across the board, ensures there is something on the menu for everyone at Bath Racecourse. A busy race day sees a diverse array of people flood through the gates on Lansdown Hill, but the venue’s wideranging spread is there to cater to all needs and guarantee that no one goes hungry.

“Hospitality packages range from an all-you-caneat buffet-style experience, enabling guests to sample a local twist on foods from around the world, right through to the Royal Crescent, our fine-dining restaurant on a race day, catering for 200 guests” says Jon. “In the roof garden on a nice sunny day, you’ve got Piri-Piri burgers, jerk-seasoned burgers, chicken, pulled pork - so lots of different options to suit different budgets and tastes.

“It’s important, because we get such a range of guests. People come here for a family day out – bring partners, their kids – so they want to be able to eat a range of foods. But there are also people here who are sponsoring a race or attending a wedding, party, or family get together – they can come and have a fine dining meal in the Royal Crescent.

Outstanding local produce

Sumptuous dishes “Our options need to cater for taste, occasion and budget, and I think we do that very well. We get a range of guests attending a variety of events here, so we have as many different options as possible.

“We’re not just a racecourse; we have as much variety as you can possibly get, from a burger and sandwich, right through to a gourmet five-course tasting menu in our Executive Suites.”

A lot has changed during Jon’s reign as Head Chef, both in the kitchen and around the stunning greenery of the racecourse. A multi-million-pound redevelopment in 2016 transformed the venue – and with the arrival of modern facilities, Jon was keen to make changes of his own to the restaurant and hospitality.

“We had the old grandstand removed and the new grandstand built. We’ve also had the coffee shop redesigned and we now do our own cakes and sandwiches, all made fresh on a race day. The new party package in the Paddock Pavilion has a street food inspired options, offering a variety of different cuisines – Thai food, Moroccan, pies, a New York cheesecake – so it all adds further to the options available for people.

“We’re always trying to do things differently, creating a bespoke feel – whether that’s signature dishes, curing our own meats, or smoking our own meats. We’re trying to do as much as we can to make our offering unique and original.”

With attendance of up to 10,000, the biggest days in Bath’s racing calendar are obviously the busiest for Jon and his team. But the 33-year-old insists the planning and preparation prior to the day ensures the operation runs as smoothly as possible, allowing him to relish the opportunity to enhance the experience of thousands of racegoers.

“On a busy race day, it’s my job to make sure everything is planned two or three days beforehand. The atmosphere in the kitchen is great; there are lots of personalities in there and lots of chefs to deal with. It’s always pumped, it’s always busy and there are people everywhere.

“There’s a lot to do, a lot to get on with and it’s a challenge. But at the end of the day, it’s a nice feeling knowing you’ve fed that amount of people and that they are, hopefully, going home happy.”

A day at Bath Racecourse can’t guarantee that you’ll pick any winners on the track, but what you can be sure of is that the food on offer - whatever your budget, taste or preference - is locally sourced, of the highest quality and catered to your needs.

FIRST CLASS HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCES WITH AWARD WINNING FOOD bath-racecourse.co.uk

inbath 37

food and drink

The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you’re hungry again.

George Miller, Director

Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti Sophia Loren

38 inbath

Talking Italian: Taste La Dolce Vita

Unified into twenty regions in 1861, Italy is a relatively young coutry.

Bordering France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia to the north and hugging the Adriatic, Tyrrhenian, Ionian and Mediterranean Seas, each region has its own indentity when it comes to its cuisine.

Regional cooking preferences and styles are shaped by their geographic, historical, and climactic differences: some regions are landlocked and mountainous, others are hilly or located by the sea.

Over the centuries, regions have absorbed Arab or Greek influences, others have been shaped by the French or Austrians: creating dishes, sometimes with tastes as different as you'd find between countries. We take a look at each region to identify some of the amazing ingredients that help make up some of the countries many spectacular dishes.

Northern Italy:

Influenced by recipes from many European countries, such as France, Austria or Switzerland, the eight regions: Liguria, Val D'Aosta, Piemonte, Lombardia, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Emilia-Romagna make up the North.

With the Alps as its northern and western boundary and the Apennine Mountains to the south, the climate can be quite cold and wet. The milder weather comes between the two mountain ranges, where large plains such as the Venetian Plain and the valley of the Po (the largest river in Italy) lie.

There is an extraordinary variety of seafood and fish; Comacchio, south of the Po Delta, is renowned for its eels, while the Veneto's coastal lowlands provide mussels and clams, and the inland lakes and waterways yield a tremendous variety of freshwater fish.

Compared to the North, the climate is much warmer and summers are longer,so expect to see more tomato based dishes. Despite the regions famous cities such Rome, Siena or Florence attracting millions of visitors each year, Central Italy cuisine is probably one of the most unknown around the world.

If you were to holiday in Central Italy, expect to see lots of braised meats and stews. Throughout Tuscany, the renowned Chianina cattle graze the fields, whle in Lazio, spring lamb is cooked in a pan with oil or lard and garlic, sage and rosemary, then seasoned with salt-cured anchovies.

It would be remiss of me not to highlight the star dish of the Lazian cuisine, 'Spaghetti alla carbonara'. A recipe imitated around the world. The original ingredients for a great Carbonara are eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, guanciale (similar to bacon) and black pepper.

Close to the Adriatic Sea, the Marche region sees fish as its most frequent ingredient. Fish soups that contain different kind of fishes, garlic, onion and tomato or saffron are found on the coast, whereas Inland, dishes are more meat based.

Rustic and traditional, the Umbrian region takes its inspiration from the woods. Game such as wild boar and the black truffle that grows just below ground level in deciduous forests work their way into most main dishes. The regions most prized ingredient is the tartufo bianco (white truffle), expect to find this in soups and pasta recipes.

Over the centuries, regions have absorbed Arab or Greek influences, others have been shaped by the French or Austrians: creating dishes, sometimes with tastes as different as you'd find between countries.

Certain regions in the North (Piemonte and EmiliaRomagna for example) have excellent cattle breeds, suited to meat and milk production, as well as hogs that help create such ingredients as (prosciutto), sausage (cotechino), different sorts of salami. Due to the abundence of these ingredients, cooking styles such as boiling and frying through slow braising and stewing is more prevelant.

You will find that cooks in the North also use less tomato, using wine or broth as the liquid and chopped herbs for flavour.

If you thoughts all Italian cooks use pasta, think again.

Most traditional North Italian recipes the flat and extruded forms of pasta that are so important further south are less prevalent, taking a backseat to polenta and risotto, and, in the winter, to rich, hearty soups.

Central Italy:

Central Italy comprises four regions: Tuscany, Umbria, Le Marche, and Lazio.

Southern Italy:

Consisting of 6 regions; Ambruzzo, Molise, Puglia, Campania, Calabria and Basilicata, Southern Italy cuisine could be the most exported in the world.

Tomatoes – fresh or cooked into tomato sauce – peppers, olives and olive oil, garlic, artichokes, oranges, ricotta cheese, eggplants, fish; such as anchovies, sardines and tuna and basil are always indispensable in the recipes of Southern Italy.

As far as meat dishes are concerned, the South is best known for its shepherding, with Lamb and Goat playing a major role. In coastal areas, don't be surprised to see seafood on the menu.

Campania, home to the city of Naples, cooking is all about carbs, the white flour of a pizza base in particular. The region is known the world over for its pizza. The Pizza Napoletana is a thick-rimmed pizza. topped with cow's milk mozzarella, tomato sauce and another some additonal toppings of choice. The Margherita on the other hand is

alfresco dining food and drink

A taste for the Dolce Vita at Rustico Bistro Italiano

Independent and authentic Italian Food Shop & Deli

The Italian Food Hall was the idea of Laura Doria, who moved to Bath 3 years ago, and Luca De Gregorio and Luca Galletti. They have sought out the lesser known artisan producers in areas such as the Cinque Terre so that people can have the opportunity to try the wonderful foods these areas specialise in and bring a little bit of their Italian passion to Bath!

As well as a huge array of great Italian foods they also offer a drop-in Italian Language Supper Club every Tuesday and Wednesday where you can ‘Chat, Eat, Drink & Learn – just book a place a week in advance! made with mozzarella cheese, basil and tomato. Some people think that the name derives from the colour of this ingredients (green, white and red) – those of the Italian flag, but actually it is in honour of the Italian queen Margherita of Savoy.

The Italian Food Hall 8 Edgar Buildings, George Street Bath BA1 2EE Tel: 01225 334127 www.theitalianfoodhall.com email:info@theitalianfoodhall.com theitalianfoodhall @ItalianFoodHall

In Calabria, pasta, pork meat and vegetables are very important for its cuisine, as are fish such as sword fish with tomatoes, olives, onion, parsley and Dining out under the stars capers. Pasta also has its place on Campania, with many recipes containing Spaghetti pasta ofItaly choice.

Bergamo,as in its Northern lies a stones throw Located between The Circus and The Royal from Lake Iseo, in the foothills of The Alps, just Crescent lies the charming Margarets Buildings.

The Italiannorth islands have aFamed very different cuisine from theHome rest oftoItaly, due toofitsindependent retailers, a 25 miles of Milan. for its Taleggio a cluster position and infl uences. cheese and Pellegrino water, the city's narrow clutch of galleries and of course Franco and cobbled streets, medieval architecture, worldDarix's 'Rustico Bistro Italiano'. Celebrating famous art galleries and traditional restaurants its 5th anniversary in June, the Bergamasco that serve fresh, rustic, country food have wowed brothers ethos is to honour the simplicity of Despite being surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, you may be surprised to while championing locally locals and visitors for centuries. classic Italian cooking know that Sardinia's cuisine is shaped by what 'di terra' sourced (the land)produce offers. The to create a unique dining Porceddu, Pork roasted and fl avoured with myrtle and rosemary, roasted on Having spent their childhood growing up in the experience. the spit or boiled in stews of beans and vegetables, country side village, it is easy to understand why thickened with bread, is one of the main examples of thishad kind cuisine.

Franco and Darix Cinesi have a of lifelong love An ideal location for the Summer, the rustic affair with simple, traditional, Italian cooking. charm of the bistro offers a chance to cool off Speaking of bread, the traditional 'carasau' bread is a highly bread, The bountiful produce on offer in the region such after decorative a hard days retail therapy or Al fresco dining made with fl our and water only, originally meant for herders, butyou often as casonsei, polenta, porcini mushrooms and where canserved dine out under the stars while at home with tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic and a strong cheese. gorgonzola demands simplicity and freshness – watching the world go by. classically Italian.

It would be folly for Sardinians not to sample the rich bounties of the sea, hence Rock lobster, scampi, squid, tuna and sardines being amongst the most prevelent seafoods eaten on the island.

Sardinia:

What are your earliest memories of food and when did your passion for cooking first begin?

I grew up in a kitchen, my father is a great old school chef as my grand mother used to be. My uncle as well had a restaurant which involved other family members. I started to cook and help in the kitchen when i was 4 years old.

Who has been the biggest influence in your career?

Definitely my father, the way he cooks traditional food is amazing and his special skill is to work the meat (any kind from roasts to steaks , braised , boiled) : he has a gift.

How would you sum up your style of Celebrating its 5th anniversary in June, cooking? the Bergamasco brothers ethos isThe to perfect to This is not anvenue easy question. Let's say that i was Sicily: formed in a traditional way and cannot tolerate honour the simplicity of classic Italian Over the past 3,000 years or more, Sicily has seen invasions from the Greeks, to change something from an original recipe but Romans, French and Spanish – to name but a few. It is therefore no surprise at the same time in my own creations i love to spoil Mama! cooking, while championing locally to see so many influences in their cuisine.

Natural, fresh and spicy the Arab combine surprising ingredients so i'd say i am and Greek influences are there to see. Breaded rice balls filled with meat, Rustico Bistro Italiano is located in one of Bath's most beautiful streets. sourced produce to create afilled unique dining eclectic. cheese, peas and saffron, and the Cannoli siciliani (sweet cylinders with Situated within walking distance of two of the cities most famous attractions, ricotta cheese cream) are very popular throughout Italy.

The Royal Crescent and The What Circus, Rustico offers a haven of career great has beenBistro the highlight of your experience. food for locals and visitors alike. so far?

IWith thinkaitthirst is fitting to finish their with probably one the most important contributions to develop knowledge of of food, Here we speak to new Head Chef Gianluca to Italian cuisine the whole world. goesabout that ice With freshly prepared, Italian in a initmate friendly the brothers left -and Bergamo, honing theirGelatos. culinaryThe story Zattini hiscream career, passion for food and traditional When I leftfood Bermuda in 2002and to open my own fiskills rst came to Sicilyacross by waythe of world the ancient Greek or Roman footthe runners atmosphere, Rustico Bistro will give you in a taste Italyatodream remember in kitchens in places what bistro who has in store this summer. restaurant Italy. Itofwas comeand truea brought snow from Etna to Taormina and Catania, fl avoured with nuts, berries perfect venue for Mother's Day orwas any fantastic, other celebration. such as Bermuda, France, Cayman Islands and people travelled a long way and honey.

As any good Sicilian will tell you, the best way to start the day is and England. Having visited Bath on a number For anyone who has yet to dine at Rustico to come and eat there. I was very close to get a with an ice cream for breakfast – then and one Darix for lunch andBistro, a final one forcan dinner!

We took a step back in time to rediscover some the classic recipes of Italian of occasions, to visit friends, Franco what they expect? star but a series of of events lead to the closing of Cuisine.

Using organic and locally farmed produce as much as possible, our decided to bring a piece of Bergamo to a city the restaurant.

Bath has an embarrasement of riches, when it comes toThey outstanding Italian aim is to make you feel at home, in Italy at every bite! with rich history, world famous architecture, can expect traditional and genuine Italian restaurants.

We take a look at some of the fi–nest and getfood a flavour of their recipes , some revisited ones cobbled streets and outstanding galleries from ancient What would be your idea of 'food heaven'? infl uences and regional dishes. Buon Appetito!

Buon Appetito, Your Hosts Franco and Darix sound familiar. and some improvised ones.

40 inbath

THE BEST OF ITALY!

Italian speciality food hall and deli · Authentic Italian store selling the very best products from regional artisan producers

· Takeaway panini, salad, soups and coffee or try one of our tasting plates

· Delicious cheeses and cured meats, fresh pastas & homemade meals

· Lots of gluten-free and vegan choices

· Huge array of traditional Italian delicacies, regional wine and family favourites Head Chef Gianluca Zattini I come from a food heaven - Emilia romagna!

(I am from Forli') region which was awarded by Forbes as the top place for food in the world.

We are lucky to have the sea with all his goods, the hills, the mountains so we can grow nearly everything and produce excellent wine , world famous ravioli and tortellini.Wild mushrooms and truffle are also found in Emilia Romagna.

We border region with Tuscany and Umbria as well .....

The different seasons offer up many different ingredients, tastes and flavours. What are you looking forward to cooking with this The Italian Food Summer?

· Create your own hamper or select a gift voucher – the perfect gift!

Effortlessly traditional

What does Rustico have in store for us this Summer?

We are about to start with the new menu' which includes a nice bond of fresh summer recipes as well as what we do best: simple ,tasty , beautiful, light, real italian cuisine. We also have one of the best alfresco dining spots in town. Margaret's Buildings is a very beautiful pedestrian street and having dinner under the stars in such a location is awesome.

Do you create and test out new recipes at home and if so, do they make it onto the menu at Rustico?

No i do not. I am very creative and improvise .

That's my gift and do so here at Rustico as well with some recipes.

Finally, If you could hold a dinner party for five people (dead or alive), who would they be and why?

Have you made any recent food discoveries that you like cooking with?

Uhmm, I would say Laurel and Hardy because they were " gourmand " people and incredibly

flavours , but here we cook Italian!

would be an interesting table!

Hall, 8 Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath, 2EE as is a dream i had since i funny BA1 , Jim Morrison was a kid, Freddy Mercury because i am a big Well i first left Italy www.theitalianfoodhall.com when i was 24 and i have Tel: 01225 334127 fan of Queen , Pellegrino Artusi to show him if A lot of fresh organic vegetables and seafood been in many places so i enriched my food Open Monday – Saturday 10 – 7pm knowledge a lot .I love Asian and Caribbean i got his teachings in the right way. let's say it as in the@ItalianFoodHall summer i try to work with lighter and theitalianfoodhall fresher recipes .

'The perfect Alfresco venue' Rustico Bistro Italiano is located in one of Bath's most beautiful streets.

Situated within walking distance of two of the Cities most famous attractions, The Royal Crescent and The Circus, Rustico Bistro offers ahaven of great food for locals and visitors alike.

With freshly prepared, traditional Italian food in a initmate and friendly atmosphere, Rustico Bistro will give you a taste of Italy to remember.

With additional seating outside, Rustico comes alive in the Summer giving your Alfresco dining experience a real Mediterrainean feel.

BAT0711/019

inbath 41

food and drink Monica Galletti's

Mediterranean Puff Tart

I always have ready-rolled puff pastry in the freezer or fridge for convenient quick dishes. This one is great, not only as a midwek supper but also as a starter when you’re entertaining. If I have some to hand, I brush the pastry with umami paste before applying the topping.

For a special finishing touch, grind some basil leaves in a mortar with a pinch of sea salt and 2 tbsp olive oil and drizzle over the tart before serving.

Serves 4

Imagine the sun-kissed islands of the Mediterranean, where the bounties of the sea are complimented by white meats, fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, cereals and cereal products. It is a long-held belief that the combination of these elements are essential to a healthy diet.

One of the key aspects is the inclusion of healthy fats. Olive oil, which is a monounsaturated fat, is most commonly associated with the Mediterranean diet but polyunsaturated fats are also present in nuts, seeds and oily fish.

We have all heard of 'superfoods', such as salmon, spinach and Broccoli which, individually, have their health benefits. But it is the combination of these foods, found in a Mediterranean diet, that combined make this such a healthy way to eat.

When you look at the diet we eat in the UK; processed foods such as bacon, hams and pies may be high in sugar, salts and fat, tinned vegetables, cakes, biscuits, fizzy drinks and microwaved meals for ease - there should be no surprise that we may be doing ourselves more harm than good.

As traceability has become more and more important in our supply chain over the past decade, where the production, processing and distribution of food can be tracked, then the opportunity for us all to follow a Mediterranean diet has become more accessible. Local farmers

42 inbath

The Mediterranean diet can protect against the development of heart disease, metabolic complications, depression, cancer, type-2 diabetes, obesity, dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s markets where the produce on offer will have been grown within a 100 mile radius and where the retailer will be able to tell you the process behind their production means the food on your table is fresh and may have only been picked a few days earlier.

Based on research, the Mediterranean diet can protect against the development of heart disease, metabolic complications, depression, cancer, type-2 diabetes, obesity, dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Researchers have also found that people who closely follow a Mediterranean diet may live a longer life and be less likely to put on weight.

If that's not enough, then the plant-based foods of the Meditteranean diet, balanced with an abundance of healthy fats mean that they are also non-inflammatory, eradicating the bloated feeling you get eating a typical UK diet and allowing you to eat, drink and be merry to your hearts content.

1 ready-rolled puff pastry sheet, about 35 x 25cm 10 cooked baby artichokes in oil, drained and quartered 10 sun-dried tomatoes, halved 2 tsp small capers 1 large ball of mozzarella, about 150g 8 anchovy llets in oil, drained 1 medium egg yolk, lightly beaten Freshly ground black pepper Handful of basil leaves, to finish

Method

Heat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Lay the puff pastry sheet on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.

Using the blunt edge of a knife, mark a 2cm border around the edge without cutting right through the pastry.

Scatter the artichoke wedges, sun-dried tomatoes and capers randomly over the pastry, leaving the border clear.

Tear the mozzarella into piecesand distribute evenly over the tart.

Tear each anchovy llet in half or into thirds (as they can be quite strong) and sprinkle over the tart. Grind over some pepper.

Brush the pastry border with the beaten egg yolk.

Bake in the oven for 15–17 minutes until the pastry rim is risen and golden brown and the base is crisp.

Roughly tear the basil leaves and scatter over the tart. Serve hot, with a rocket salad.

'Monica's Kitchen' by Monica Galetti published by Quadrille

Benefits of a Mediterranean diet

The late Antonio Carluccio's

Brasato di Manzo in Vino Rosso This is a typically robust Piedmontese dish which is normally cooked with Barolo wine from the area. Marinating the beef with the vegetables, herbs and wine gives the best avour, but if you are pressed for time, you can omit this stage. Traditionally served with steaming polenta, this hearty winter dish is equally good with mashed potato.

Serves 4 1kg topside of beef 1 garlic clove 2 bay leaves 2 sprigs of rosemary 8 black peppercorns 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 carrots, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 1 bottle of red wine 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil salt

Method

Pat the meat all over gently with kitchen paper to dry. Place in a large bowl together with all the other ingredients except for the oil and salt. Cover with cling lm and marinate in the fridge overnight, or for at least 12 hours.

Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the meat and seal well all over. Remove and set aside.

In the same saucepan, add the vegetables and herbs from the marinade and sweat for a couple of minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add some salt and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the wine from the marinade, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for about 2 hours, until the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced, checking from time to time and gently turning over during cooking. Check for seasoning. Remove the meat, slice and place on a serving dish together with the vegetables and sauce.

The late Antonio Carluccio's

Torta Di Nocciole

Photos ©David Loftus Recipes taken from Two Greedy Italians Eat Italy by Antonio Carluccio & Gennaro Contaldo, published by Quadrille

Hazelnuts, nocciole or avellane, are grown all over Italy – in the mountains, near the sea, on the plains and often near cities. One such city, Avellino in Campania, actually takes its name from the product for which it is most celebrated. Apart from the hazelnuts of Avellino, I would only use the variety known as delle Langhe, which grows in Piedmont. When toasted these nuts exude an unbeatable avour, and they make delicious cakes, biscuits and sweets.

Serves 6–8 100g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing, 150g hazelnuts, 125g caster sugar, 4 large eggs, separated, 30g plain flour, 2 tbsp grated orange rind 50g mascarpone, 75g ricotta, 6–7 tbsp raspberry jelly or fine jam, 30g dark chocolate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4. Butter and flour a loose-bottomed 25cm cake tin.

Put the hazelnuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven for about 15 minutes until the flaky skins are loose and the nuts have turned a golden brown. When cool enough, remove as much of the skin as you can. Finely chop the nuts.

In a bowl, beat the butter with 70g of the sugar until smooth. Stir in the egg yolks, the flour and orange rind. In another bowl mix the mascarpone and ricotta and beat until smooth. Mix these two together.

Beat the egg whites in a third bowl with the remaining sugar until stiff. Using a large metal spoon, fold the egg white and the chopped hazelnuts into the butter and cheese mixture. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out dry.

Leave to cool before finishing. Cut the cake in two horizontally. Spread the bottom half with jam, and put the other half of the cake on top. Melt the chocolate, and drizzle it over the top. Leave to set before serving. This cake is good for morning coffee or afternoon tea, or for dessert, and makes for a very nourishing snack for when the children come home starving from school.

inbath 43

food and drink

Cross Keys outstanding beer garden is the perfect place to unwind

Origins of Mother's Day and how other countries celebrate it.

So where did it all begin?

The earliest accounts that relate to a 'Mothers Day' date back to the ancient annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to maternal goddesses. The Greeks used the occasion to honor Rhea, wife of Cronus and the mother of many deities of Greek mythology.

Similar spring festivals were also prevalent in Ancient Roman, where the festival of Hilaria dedicated to Cybele, a mother goddess were celebrated some 250 years before Christ was born. The celebration made on the Ides of March by making offerings in the temple of Cybele lasted for three days and included parades, games and masquerades. The celebrations were notorious enough that followers of Cybele were banished from Rome.

Connections to the church

As Christianity spread throughout Europe churchgoers would regularly use their nearest parish or 'daughter' church to worship albeit when the spring celebrations arrived, usually around the fourth Sunday of Lent (the 40 days leading up to Easter), worshipers were asked to return to their home or 'Mother' church for spiritual protection that would give life and keep family members from harm. Over time the church festival became an opportunity for people to celebrate both the church and the work of mothers in general.

A day of celebration

Mother's Day or Mothering Sunday has since become a regular celebration of mothers and an opportunity for the family to show their appreciation. During Victorian times many of the poor worked as servants for the wealthy.

As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday, the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers.

A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.

44 inbath

Modern Day

Today, Mothers Day is celebrated all over the World and although the celebration itself can take on a variety of guises there is one constant, the celebration of the Mother and motherhood.

So even if you sometimes feel that life doesn't offer you a moments rest, take time to consider treating that special person this Mothers Day. Here are just a few examples of how other countries celebrate.

U.S.A.

The U.S celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May. Julia Ward Howe first issued her Mother's Day Proclamation in 1870 as a call for women to join in support of disarmament. In the 1880s and 1890s there were several further attempts to establish an American Mother's Day, but these didn't catch on.

The current holiday was created by Anna Jarvis in Grafton, West Virginia, in 1908 as a day to honour 'one's mother'. Mother's Day took off so well in the U.S that Jarvis became a discenter due to the increased commercialization of her day. In the United States, Mother's Day remains one of the biggest days for sales of owers and greeting cards.

Italy

Mother's Day in Italy was celebrated for the first time on 12 May 1957, in the city of Assisi, thanks to the initiative of Rev. Otello Migliosi, parish priest of the Tordibetto church. This celebration was so successful that the following year it was adopted throughout Italy, where since then it is usually celebrated on the second Sunday in May.

Germany

Although the Germans celebrate Mother's Day in a similar fashion to us now, back in the 1920's 'Muttertag' was introduced as a way to increase the countries low birthrate. The 'Mutterkreuz' or Mother's Cross was awarded to Mothers of 4 or more with the Gold award going to mothers with at least 8 children.

With Summer just around the corner, The Cross Keys in Midford have been working hard to make sure that the whole family is catered for.

You won’t just find a warm welcome at the pub and restaurant in Bath, but you’ll find a great selection of home made pub food, freshly prepared in house with lots of fine wine, real ale and cider.

Outstanding garden

In their outstanding garden, you will find gazeebos, all weather surfaces, and an extended play area for the children which means that the younger ones are entertained whilst you can relax in the sun with a drink and some home made food.

Traditional home made pub

With a range of daily specials and great Sunday roasts, you’ll definitely be spoilt for choice when you sit down to dine at the Cross Keys. All the food is freshly prepared and cooked on site, so you can be sure you’ll be getting some of the freshest and tastiest pub food in the South West.

Open from 12.00 noon everyday

The pub is open from 12:00 noon every day with fresh coffee available and lunch food being served till 2:15pm Monday to Friday. Then from 6pm evening meals are served ,perfect for all the family. Food served all day Saturday and Sunday.

Special Offers - Daily 'specials board'.

- 2 & 3 course special deals for Sunday roasts Ask about our reduced portion sizes and children's meals.

- Buy two meals from the specials board and get the cheapest at half price!! between 6pm and 7pm, 7 days a week.

More than just a pub

With FREE wi-fi, BT Sports channel, a regular charity quiz night on Sundays, an annual beer festival and, in the garden, regualr BBQ's and live music (please see the website for details), you'll find plenty of fun, laughter and conversation at The Cross Keys, the home from home.

For more details: www.crosskeysbath.co.uk or call 01225 849180

Cross Keys CROSS KEYS 'Y our Inn.....our Inn.....our Home' Your home

Visit our family run 18th century alehouse and restaurant.

Over 300 years old and undergoing a major a fabulous of traditional and contemporary.

Visit our family runrefurbishment 18th century -alehouse andblend restaurant.

With a new chef undergoing and new menu, large family garden regular quiz of nights look out forcontemporary. our Over 300 years old and a major refurbishment - aand fabulous blend traditional and events thesoon, summer ourregular annualquiz beernights festival.

With a newspecial chef and new throughout menu coming realsuch firesasand look out for our special events through spring and summer such as our annual beer festival.

Come and enjoy our newly refurbished Beer Garden.

What's on thisforsummer!

The perfect spot this Summer all the family.

July 9th Country night!!

Jonny Cash tribute.....BBQ....outside bar August 5th 6th 7th Cross Keys annual beer festival!!

Live music.... BBQ.... great selection of real ales

September 3rd Jamaican night!!

Live music... authentic Jamaican food.... outside bar June to September 4th BBQ Every Saturday and Sunday (Weather permiting!!)

Midford Road | Combe Down | Bath | BA2 5RZ Midford RoadTel: | Combe | Bath | BA2 5RZ 01225Down 849180 Tel: 01225 849180 www.crosskeysbath.co.uk www.crosskeysbath.co.uk

www.facebook.com/cross.keys www.facebook.com/cross.keys

@TheCrossKeysUK @TheCrossKeysUK

Something for everyone at The Cork The Cork is situated in the heart of Bath, just around the corner from the famous Thermae Spa and within walking distance of all the major tourist attractions. The décor incorporates the gorgeous limestone with a cool Retro feel. Comprised of two bars, two-vaulted party pods, a conservatory and what is arguably one of the best beer gardens in Bath, The Cork has something to offer everyone.

Mother's Day

at The Roman Baths Kitchen If you’re looking for somewhere cosy and relaxed for breakfast, then bring your Mum along to The Roman Baths Kitchen to savour a delicious Pancakes and Bucks Fizz Brunch, for just £10.00.

Sunday Roast is Back at RBK! The Roman Baths Kitchen is proud to announce that their Sunday roast is back by popular demand, just in time to be enjoyed this Mother’s Day by the whole family. Enjoy a special Mothering Sunday Roast, two courses for £20.00 or three courses for £25.00 including a complimentary cocktail for Mum.

Eggciting Easter offers at The Roman Baths Kitchen Escape the busy school holidays with friends and chill with a coffee and a hot cross bun for £5.00. If you’re out and about with the Children there is a fantastic Kids in The Kitchen Menu - Main and Pud with an Easter Twist for £8.95!

If you would rather not be the one cooking on Easter Sunday, then swing by and tuck into a moreish RBK roast dinner complete with Yorkshire pudding , duck fat roasties, cauliflower cheese, honey roast carrots & parsnips, seasonal greens, red wine jus -£15.95. If you still have room try one of their highly recommended desserts including Caramelised Apple Pancake Stack with Whipped Cream & toffee sauce - £6.95 or the Vanilla Crème brûlée with cinnamon shortbread - £6.50.

This season is certainly not one not to be missed for all those foodies out there!

Book your table online: Romanbathkitchen.co.uk

Searcys Events for the Diary The Fashion Museum

International Women's Day – Thursday 8th March 2018

The Cork offers a fantastic range of Whiskies, Wines, Rums, Craft Beers, Real Ales, Ciders, Cocktails and much, much more! The food offering suits their style, created to emphasise laidback, relaxed dining. Inspired by street food from around the world, the menu is packed full of flavours to get stuck in to, such as bao buns, king prawn gumbo and dirty fries.

Bath’s huge student population can take advantage of The Cork’s student offers, available all day, every day. Not reserved just for students, all customers can receive the same discounted rates by downloading the free City Club app.

They are one of the only venues in Bath with private ‘Party Pods’, which act as private karaoke rooms! Also, with 3 widescreen HD TVs on both floors, a projector on the upper floor and an outdoor TV, they are able to show a huge range of sport including regular football and rugby fixtures.

With all these screens, it’s a great place to catch this summer’s World Cup! Every Sunday The Cork holds it’s infamous pub quiz hosted alternately by Quiz Masters Joe and Aled, an event that always promises to banish those return to work/university blues.

Keen to help celebrate the end of the working week, The Cork presents ‘The Cork Rewind’ every Friday night, with DJs playing the very best throwback tunes from across the decades.

Live Music with Vince Freeman

This year’s Easter promises to be jam-packed with entertainment. Thursday sees the return of ‘Hooray for House’ with some of Bath and Bristol’s best DJs playing classic house anthems until late. Hosted by The Cork Rewind’s regular DJ Remy Melee, Friday will include some of the cheesiest guilty pleasures to ensure a great start to the weekend. Following a huge night of boxing on Saturday, they’ll finish off the weekend some upbeat classics and electro-swing on Sunday. It’s going to be a weekend you shouldn’t miss.

7.30pm Vince Returns for Party in The City Free Entry

For more details on these and other events and offers at The Cork, visit: www.thecork.co.uk or call: 01225 333582

Time: 6-8pm Searcys and Bath’s Historic Venues present a networking event as part of IWD 2018. The evening includes fizz & canapés, an exclusive viewing of the Royal Women exhibition a fantastic, networking opportunity, a thought provoking talk by June Hannam, ‘Constructing a New Political Woman’ – Campaigning for Women’s Suffrage in Bath 1906-1924.

Tickets: £20 per person Book Now: 01225 444477 | events.bath@searcys.co.uk

Friday 18th May 2018

46 inbath

Sunday 11th March 2018

Mother’s Day Lunch 2 Courses | £20.00 per person 3 Courses | £25.00 per person

Complimentary cocktail for

mum!

Book online: romanbathkitchen.co.uk | 01225 477877 The Roman Baths Kitchen is managed by Bath & North East Somerset Council and catering is provided by Searcys

food and drink

food and drink book releases

Nadia and Kaye Disaster Chef: Simple Recipes for Cooks Who Can't

by Nadia Sawalah and Kaye Adams Publisher: DK RRP: £ 12.00 (Hardcover)

A foolproof cookbook for people who dread cooking. Find out how to cook 80+ quick and easy recipes with this hilarious new cookbook from TV presenters and "middle-aged YouTube sensations" Nadia Sawalha and Kaye Adams.

Nadia & Kaye Disaster Chef is a recipe book for the culinary-challenged who want to be able to dish up delicious grub fast and with no hassle.

Wave goodbye to winter and spring into a season of celebrations at The Bath Brew House March is lining up to be an exciting and event filled month with lots of celebrations happening at the bustling Bath Brew House! Located on James St West, this welcoming pub with onsite micro-brewery is a hub for local, national and world-wide events, and March is not a month to miss out on here!

On the 8th of March they’ll be celebrating all things female for International Women’s Day, from beer sourced and brewed by women to female musicians, poets and speakers performing all day throughout the venue. Pop by from 12pm to get a pamper session, enjoy some food and drinks, and celebrate a great cause.

The Food Medic for Life:

by Dr Hazel Wallace Publisher: Yellow Kite RRP: £ 12.00 (Hardcover)

As someone who juggles many jobs between being a doctor, a personal trainer and an author, I understand how difficult it can be to prioritise food and eating well.

I wanted to create a collection of beautiful recipes that are not only nutritious and great tasting, but super quick and simple to make, using only a handful of ingredients. The Fuel Up section is designed for just that - it is where you will find my recipes for grab-and-go breakfasts, lunches on the run and dinners that take less than 30 minutes to satisfy you after a long day at work!

48 inbath

March is lining up to be an exciting and event filled month with lots of celebrations happening at the bustling Bath Brew House!

Carrying on with the celebration of women, an amply timed Mother’s Day follows on the 11th March where ‘mums eat free’ and special prizes will be given out all day, contact the venue for bookings.

The 17th is going to be big one, especially for any rugby fans as England and Ireland go head to head in the Six Nations on St. Patrick’s Day! The game will be shown on the big screen in their large marquee with a bar, BBQ and plenty of beer!

Finishing the month in style, they’ll be throwing a huge Easter weekend with comedy, boxing and live music, all leading into bank holiday where they’ll say goodbye to their Winter marquee and hello to their always popular beer garden.

Get ready to soak up the sun through the Summer months kicking things off with a bank holiday party, plenty of outdoor games and a new Spring menu! It’s not just at the Bath Brew House you can enjoy one of their pints as they’ll also have a pop-up bar in the Abbey for Bath Comedy Festival at the start of April so make sure to keep an eye out for Bath Brew House if you’re in town!

food and drink Award Winning, Family Run Farm Shop Established for over 30 years Selling Quality Local Produce Open Daily 9am – 6pm (10am – 5pm on Sundays) HOME & LOCALLY REARED FRESH MEAT, POULTRY & GAME HOMEMADE SAUSAGES, BURGERS & FAGGOTS EASTER ORDERS NOW BEING TAKEN

LOCAL CHEESES & HOME COOKED MEATS LOCALLY GROWN VEGETABLES, FRUIT & SALADS HOMEMADE CAKES & PIES LOCALLY MADE CHOCOLATES & FUDGE FINE WINE, LOCAL ALE & CIDER PRESERVES & CHUTNEYS GIFT HAMPERS

Family run and providing quality food and service since 1985

"The food was exceptional, probably the best Chinese food I had in all the UK" Alexandra Grozea, UK

Peking Restaurant Bath @PekingBath

50 inbath

1-2 New Street Kingsmead Square Bath BA1 2AF Tel: 01225 466 377 www.pekingrestaurantbath.co.uk

Type to enter text

LIVE SPORT | WORLD STREET FOOD | GARDEN TERRACE PRIVATE KARAOKE PODS | OPEN LATE | DJS | COCKTAILS WIFI | CRAFT BEER | PARTY HIRE | BOARD GAMES RETRO VIDEO GAMES | STUDENT RATE DRINKS SUNDAY PUB QUIZ WWW.THECORK.CO.UK 11-12 WESTGATE BUILDINGS, BATH BA1 1EB | 01225 333582

52 inbath

Improving on perfection

Spring/Summer Collection 2018

British luxury eyewear brand Cutler and Gross combines the finest Italian craftsmanship with irrefutably cool style. InBath takes a look at the independent heritage brands Spring/Summer Collection 2018 and how its diverse styles and innovative designs ensure there is a pair of glasses for everyone.

Since its establishment in fashion's halcyon days, Cutler and Gross have been at the forefront of optical eyewear design. Synonymous with quintessential British style, the luxury brand has collaborated with some of the industries biggest design houses such as Erdem, Comme Des Garcons and Maison Martin Margiela.

Considered the bastions of iconic eyeware, the brand's bold, individual style has been worn by some of the worlds most recognisable faces, including; David Hockney, Tinie Tempah, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Sir Elton John and Kate Moss.

different colours and has a unique hexagonal shape, complete with base 2 flat lenses to enhance the sculptured effect. The smart metal and acetate combination makes the frame incredibly lightweight for the wearer, whilst the colour mixes give maximum style impact. Joining the 1277, it has been created with a specially laminated acetate rim that is inserted into an etched rimwire.

The most exclusive frame in the collection is the 1311. With a kitten shaped frame (milled from high-grade titanium) and made notably luxurious by it’s 24 carat gold plating, the titanium base structure allows this frame to feel light for the wearer. With 24-carat gold and platinum mirror lenses and hypo-allergenic nose pads, this modern day classic is a real show stopper.

Due to the brands investment in their factory in developing new technologies, they have been able to create these high-grade titanium frames for that are prevalent in this new collection.

Handmade at their own factory in Cadore, Northern Italy, this Spring/Summer collection draws inspiration from vintage designs and updates them technically to create timeless, modern day classics. It is this attention to detail and 42 step manufacturing process, that takes 3 months to perfect and gives each frame its unique character.

Each new design is developed and innovated within their own factory, so that the highest quality is always guaranteed and that an efficient supply chain can be created. This can only come from years of expertise and experience that has been passed down by eyewear dynasties.

Finally, there are two precious metal sunglasses, both super-fine stainless steel plated in gold or palladium. The 1307 cat-eye shape features a unique, mini-butterfly construction with a parallel sweeping brow bar, whilst the 1308 is 90’s inspired, taking a small, rectangular slice form and destined to be a hit amongst the style set.

This seasons stand-out pieces, and future classics, include the 1301. This new addition to the hooded series, the 1301 is available in 7

Find out more about Cutler and Gross' Spring/ Summer collection 2018 online or by visiting their Bath showroom.

9 Bridge St, Bath BA2 4AS

Tel: 01225 428427

www.culterandgross.com

Discover our range of full-time courses starting this September www.bathcollege.ac.uk Visit our open events: • Sat 10 Mar, 10am–1pm - City Centre Campus • Sat 21st Apr, 10am–1pm - Somer Valley Campus th

Part-time courses available from March 2018

Apprenticeship and Jobs Fair will see over 60 companies showcase opportunities for your future.

• Business (Accounting, Marketing CIM) • IT (Word processing, Spreadsheets, Publishing) • Plumbing • Professional training for tree surgeons • Chainsaw Maintenance • Beauty • Teacher Training • English Language School

@bathcollege /BathCollege

Tel: 01225 328 720 Email: enquiries@bathcollege.ac.uk

On Wednesday 7th March, Bath College is hosting an Apprenticeship and Jobs Fair at the Assembly Rooms in Bath. Local schools and colleges have been invited to attend between 12pm – 3.30pm but the event is open to parents, students and the general public from 4pm-6pm on the same evening.

Over 60 companies from the local and regional area will be attending the event, representing a wide range of sectors, including, (but not limited to) Construction, Engineering, Health and Social Care, Business, Defence, Finance and Hospitality.

Throughout the event experts will be available from the College, including careers advisors, apprenticeship coordinators and employability specialists, to answer any questions, help create a C.V. and search and even apply online for apprenticeships.

In addition to this event, the College is available to offer careers advice on an ongoing basis. This enables students to explore career pathways and plan for the future. If this is of interest, please contact our Futures team at FuturesTeam@BathCollege.ac.uk, call on 01225 312191.

Bath College is the largest apprenticeship provider in Bath and North East Somerset which has strong and well established relationships with local, regional and national employers. Graded ‘good’ by Ofsted in January 2018, Bath College’s apprenticeship provision continues to grow in strength and value, offering increasingly high quality opportunities to the young people and businesses in its local demographic.

LEISURE COURSES AVAILABLE FROM MARCH 2018 Art and Design Ceramics Cookery Counselling Childcare Creative Writing Design Software

Drawing Fashion Floristry Glass Horticulture Interior Design Jewellery

Journalism Languages Music Painting Papermaking Pet Care Plumbing

Photography Printmaking Property Maintenance Psychology Running Sculpture

For more details, a full list of courses and to enrol online visit:

www.bathcollege.ac.uk

If you would like to visit Bath College and find out more about any of our courses we have an open event on Saturday 10th March, 10am-1pm at our City Centre Campus and one on Saturday 21st April at our Somer Valley Campus. Meanwhile visit our website www.bathcollege.ac.uk for more information.

54 inbath

@bathcollege

/BathCollege

01225 312 191 • enquiries@bathcollege.ac.uk • Bath College, Avon Street, Bath, BA1 1UP

Sponsored by: Sponsored by: Sponsored by:

APPRENTICESHIPS APPRENTICESHIPS ANDAND JOBSJOBS FAIR FAIR perfect start planning yourJOBS exciting career The The perfect placeplace to starttoplanning your exciting career FAIR APPRENTICESHIPS AND The perfect place to start planning your exciting career

Wednesday 7th March 2018 at the Assembly Rooms Rooms Wednesday 7th March 2018 at the Assembly

12:00 12:00 –18:00–18:00 • Open•to Schools, young people, the public Open youngparents people,and parents and the public th to Schools,

Wednesday 7 March 2018 at the Assembly Rooms

18:00 • Open tooffering Schools,jobs young people, parents and the public Meet12:00 over–70 employers and apprenticeships Meet over 70 employers offering jobs and apprenticeships Free bounce or bowl at Better Leisure for every visitor

Free bounce or bowl at Better Leisure for every visitor

Meet over 70 employers offering jobs and apprenticeships

For more details please contact us via: Freemore bounce or bowl at Better For details please contactLeisure us via:for every visitor Tel: 01225 328 687 • email: futures@bathcollege.ac.uk

Tel: 01225details 328 687 • email: futures@bathcollege.ac.uk For more please contact us via: Tel: 01225 328 687 • email: futures@bathcollege.ac.uk

Free Entry

Free Entry www.bathcollege.ac.uk Free Entry www.bathcollege.ac.uk /bathcollfutures

www.bathcollege.ac.uk

@BathCollFutures

/bathcollfutures

@BathCollFutures

/bathcollfutures

@BathCollFutures

Suggs

Jacqui Dankworth

music

Bath has a long established reputation for showcasing some of the brightest talent music has to offer. The likes of the Eurythmics, Radiohead, The Cure, Blur, The Smiths, Oasis and the legendary Led Zepplin, to name a few, have all taken to stages across the city.

Our new music section will showcase live gigs, new releases, interviews with some of the stars coming to the city and much more.

Jo Carley And The Old Dry Skulls

The Bell Inn www.thebellinnbath.co.uk Tues 6th March Time: 9.00pm A three piece band that sound more like a stompin’ six piece orchestra with Double Bass, Fiddle, Mandolin, Washboard, Guitar and Foot Percussion. Imagine a British Ska punk band playing a sleazy 1930’s New Orleans nightclub, armed only with acoustic instruments from 1890’s Tennessee and you are half way there!

Prices: FREE

Cantaloop

The Bell Inn www.thebellinnbath.co.uk Wed 7th March Time: 9.00pm A six-piece outfit worthy of the title 'Pioneers of the nu-funk Groove' producing funk from the edge of insanity and hip-hop from a higher plane.

Prices: FREE

An Intimate Evening with Mark Stanway (ex-Magnum) Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Fri 9th March Doors: 7.30pm Time: 8.00pm Ends: 10:30pm

56 inbath

An intimate evening with the former long-time MAGNUM keyboard player.

This highly entertaining ‘up close and personal’ one-man show is a definite ‘must see’ not only for Magnum fans.

Prices: Advance £12. Door £14.

Jacqui Dankworth: Butterfly's Wing Quartet

Mark Stanway Doors: 7.30pm Time: 8.00pm Ends: 10:30pm Masterful compositions and unparalleled technical virtuosity, have made him one of the world’s premier acoustic guitar players.

Prices: Advance £10. Door £12.

Sweet Tooth and GETRZ

Too Sweet Tour St James Wine Vaults www.stjameswinevaults.co.uk Tue 13th March Sweet Tooth and GETRZ are going on tour around the UK! Come along and join the party for a great night of music!

Time: 8:00pm til 12:00am Price: Advanced £ 3.00

Smerin's Anti-Social Club

The Bell Inn www.thebellinnbath.co.uk Wed 14th March Time: 9.00pm Smerin's Anti-Social Club have been tearing up the South Coast with their brass-heavy blend of funk, dub, latin and ska music since 2001.

Wiltshire Music Centre www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk Fri 9th March Time: 7.30pm Critically-acclaimed jazz singer Jacqui Dankworth leads ensemble Butterfly’s Wing in a programme of songs from across South America and Europe.

Starting out playing at their own ever popular events at the Talking Heads in Southampton, they have progressed to regular club gigs in Cardiff and London, and toured round Cornwall and the South West gaining a large following along the way.

Prices: FREE

Alongside Jacqui, the Quartet is formed with composer and pianist David Gordon, double bassist Oli Hayhurst and jazz violinist and WMC favourite Christian Garrick (of the Budapest Café Orchestra). These four fantastic musicians entice with seductive rhythms and cutting-edge improvisation.

Prices: £22.00 / £11 U18s + students

The Forum, Bath www.bathforum.co.uk Fri 16th March Time: 7:30pm Due to huge popular demand, after his first tour-de-force, smash hit, one man show, ‘My Life Story’, Suggs is treading the boards again.

Clive Carroll A 1000 Years of Music Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Sun 11th March

Suggs

If the first show was about how on Earth he got there, Suggs: A Life in the Realm of Madness is about the surprises that awaited him when he did. Vertigo on the roof of Buckingham Palace.

Nearly blowing the closing ceremony of the Olympics. Watching his underpants fall to earth on Bowie’s driveway.

Fickle Friends

release new album and play Komedia, 16th March www.komedia.co.uk/bath Fickle Friends anticipated debut album. ‘You Are Someone Else’ will be released on March 16th, alongside a massive 18-date headline UK tour.

Kim Wilde Fame is a tightrope and Suggs has fallen off many times. But for all the near death experiences he takes great solace in the words of the Greek philosopher, Blondie: 'the tide is high, but I’m holding on…’

Price: £28.50 (incl booking fee)

Oye Santana

The music of Carlos Santana

Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Sat 17th March Doors: 7.30pm Time: 8.00pm Ends: 10:30pm Welcome to Oye Santana – four decades’ worth of hits from Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va via Carnaval, Dance Sister Dance and She’s Not There to Smooth, Maria Maria and Corazón Espinado – played with power, passion and perfection.

Price: Advanced £17.00, £20.00 On The Door

Trowbridge Symphony Orchestra Wiltshire Music Centre www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk Sat 17th March Time: 7:30pm

SHOSTAKOVICH Jazz Suite No 2 GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade Phil Draisey conductor, Jacob Byrne piano Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite No 2 sets the scene for Gershwin’s fusion of jazz and the classical piano concerto in Rhapsody in Blue. The programme concludes with Rimsky-Korsakov’s oriental adventure Scheherazade.

Prices: £17.50 / £8 U18s + students

Phil King

The Bell Inn www.thebellinnbath.co.uk Tues 20th March Time: 9.00pm The vocalist from the Forster-King Band, and a very fine soul and blues singer who has performed all over the UK, at festivals and fayres, in pubs, clubs and bars, on bandstands

and boats, and once in a beautiful treehouse.

Prices: FREE

Tommaso Starace

Sax with the JazzHouse Trio + DJ Tony Clark St James Wine Vaults www.stjameswinevaults.co.uk Thurs 22 March Time: 8.00pm Would have been with us in 2017 had he not been knocked off his bike in London by a 4X4 estate on the very morning of his scheduled appearance at the Vaults Luckily he is fully recovered from that accident which means we get a chance to hear this marvellous Italian musician play.

Prices: £8.00 /£7.00 concessions

O’Hooley and Tidow

Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Thurs 22nd March Doors: 7.30pm Time: 8.00pm Ends: 10:30pm This songwriting, voice and piano partnership is regarded as ‘One of British folk music’s mightiest combinations’ (MOJO).

Price: Advance £13. Door £15.

Blessed with the same dedication to writing quirky anthems on their own terms as The 1975, the brittle icy synth flourishes of Chvrches and a new era indie pop IT girl in singer Natti Shiner, Fickle Friends have established themselves as the essential new British indie-pop band of 2018. They’ve played over 350 live shows together, been playlisted regularly on Radio 1 with an incredible string of singles including ‘Brooklyn’, ‘Glue’ and ‘Hello Hello’, headlined a soldout London Forum – and all before announcing their debut album. Until now…

‘You Are Someone Else’ is an irresistible debut record, effortlessly capturing both the joy and uncertainty of growing up a 2017 millennial. Songs addressing social awkwardness, self-doubt, anxiety and the qualms of growing into young adulthood all through a prism of perfect timeless pop.

Current single ‘Hard To Be Myself’ is an undeniably brilliant pop anthem for a pre-loading generation of wasted youth that flips lyrically from gloriously hedonistic abandon to naked self-analysis, while tracks such as ‘Wake Me Up’ addresses angsty obsession and the art of over-thinking. The album as a whole pivots around relationships and their tireless effects on the young mind, exploring the highs and lows of dating, falling in love and of course, breaking up.

London Sinfonietta

Fickle Friends are ultimately a great band with killer tunes who have worked hard at their trade and built a devoted fanbase the old fashioned way – playing as many shows as they could for as little cost, booking their own shows and writing songs on the road. Now, after huge festival shows at Reading and Leeds and a sold out Forum in London, things are slightly easier, but the dedication to writing undeniable songs and playing great gigs remains the same and they look set to dominate festival bills next year and play their debut album to the masses.

Lady Maisery

On writing their debut album, Natti says, " this album mostly talks about the feeling that you don’t fit in your own life, forever craving something else.

I felt like I was stuck in a perpetual nightmare of bad relationships and worry for so long and this collection of songs kinda pulled me out of that. We wrote and produced the bulk of everything between Jack’s bedroom, the tour van and LA so it’s been mostly DIY with an array of producers allowing us to get that extra 20%. We always wanted to make a record that made people dance and think at the same time. If any of these songs help anyone feel cool, or strong or even just less alone then we’ll have achieved what we wanted."

Wiltshire Music Centre www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk Fri 23rd March Time: 7:30pm In this compelling lecture-recital, Professor Jonathan Cross and musicians from the renowned London Sinfonietta explore the radical rethinking of musical possibilities that took place in the 1960s in the context of extraordinary social and political upheavals.

Prices: £16 / £8 U18s + students

Wiltshire Music Centre www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk Sat 24th March Time: 7:30pm In an English folk scene bursting with bold and innovative music, Lady Maisery shine brightly.

>>>>>>>>>>

inbath 57

music

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Wilko Johnson Over the last five years, the trio have toured with sell-out shows across the UK and Europe, and have released three critically acclaimed albums.'Some of the most exquisite, thrilling vocal harmony in the English folk scene' The Guardian Price: £15.00 / £7.50 U18s + students

Garance And The Mitochondrie

The Bell Inn www.thebellinnbath.co.uk Mon 26th March Garance is a song writer and accordionist from rural southern France. Her band 'The Mitochondrie' are a rag tag ensemble of gifted rogues she acquired from the street corners of London.

Prices: FREE

Neon Dance: Mahajanka

Wiltshire Music Centre www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk Mon 2nd April Time: 7:30pm Neon Dance Artistic Director Adrienne Hart and composer Sebastian Reynolds collaborate with musicians and dance artists from Thailand and the UK to retell the story of Mahajanaka Jataka, a shipwrecked prince who survives alone at sea until the goddess of the ocean comes to his rescue.

Bringing together east and western musical traditions, this beautiful show fuses ancient and modern.

Prices; £14 / £7 U18s + students / Kid-a-Quid

Kim Wilde: Here Come the Aliens

The Forum, Bath www.bathforum.co.uk Wed 4th April Time: 8.00pm Platinum Selling Female Rock ’n’ Roll Star, Kim Wilde is back with her “Here Come The Aliens” Tour 2018! The Kid’s In America Super-Star will tour the UK with her band, this Spring. Expect a show packed full of brand new music and all of her Hits, too!

See our interview with Kim on page 60 Price: £29.50 (incl booking fee)

58 inbath

The Jerry Lewis Story

Celine Dommart and Quartet

Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Sat 7th April Doors: 7.30pm Time: 8.00pm Ends: 10:30pm Jazz, French Cafe, and Latin rhythms from this Parisian singer and her sumpremely talented quartet.

Prices: Advance £15. Door £17.

The Carpenters Story

The Forum, Bath www.bathforum.co.uk Sat 7th April Time: 7:30pm This highly acclaimed concert-style production continues to captivate audiences across the UK with its spectacular re-creation of The Carpenters’ timeless repertoire of music.

Price: £25.00 (incl booking fee)

The Undercover Hippy

St James Wine Vaults www.stjameswinevaults.co.uk Sun 8th April Time: 7:00pm til 10:00pm Drum and Bass MC turned singer songwriter Billy Rowan, aka The Undercover Hippy, is definitely not your average singer songwriter. His music brings together soulful vocals, infectious reggae rhythms, and the lyrical delivery of a skilled mc.

Think Natty meets Eminem…on a protest march…at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Price: £11.25 (incl booking fee)

Geoff Achison and The UK Souldiggers Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Wed 11th April Doors: 7.30pm Time: 8.00pm Ends: 10:30pm From the deep south of Australia, his blend of raw blues and funky grooves has created devoted fans around the world.

Prices: Advance £12. Door £14.

Calan

Wiltshire Music Centre www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk Wed 11th april

Time: 7:30pm This award-winning band from Wales are back on the road with infectious rhythms and highenergy routines to celebrate the release of their latest album, Solomon.

Prices: £16 / £8 U18s + students / Kid-a-Quid

Fred’s House plus support The Portraits

Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Fri 13th April Doors: 7.30pm Time: 8.00pm Ends: 10:30pm 70’s West Coast inspired folk/rock with a fresh sound. Gorgeous harmonies, infectious melodies and uplifting grooves.

Prices: Advance £10. Door £12

The Doric String Quartet

Wiltshire Music Centre www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk Fri 13th April Time: 7:30pm The Doric String Quartet are renowned for their willingness to explore and they bring clarity even to the most complex of scores. They present an inventive programme including Haydn’s uplifting Op 33 No 5 and Thomas Ades’ Four Quarters, premiered in New York in 2011.

Prices: £20 / Free Under-25s

Around The World Presented by Phil Cooke

Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Mon 16th April Doors: 7.15pm Time: 7.30pm Ends: 9:30pm In this tasting you will be able to compare and contrast wines from the New World and the Old World At least eight wines plus quality breads and cheeses.

Prices: Advance only £20.

Tcha Limberger / Mozes Rosenberg

Wiltshire Music Centre www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk Fri 20th April Time: 7.30pm Mixing traditional music from Central Europe with the swinging, hip-twitching jazz of Django

Firmly established as Bath’s alternative arts venue, Chapel Arts Centre presents an eclectic array of events for all the performing and visual arts in the heart of Bath.

With a superb, solid and smooth oak oor, state-of-the-art lighting system and truss,fantastic natural acoustic of the room (best in Bath!), the venue can accomodate 200 people standing, 150 seated theatre style and 105 seated at cabaret style tables.

There is now a permanent and well stocked bar with many local and organic drinks and a choice of excellent wines, and the ever-popular Chapel Arts Cafe area downstairs has been fully refurbished and serves tasty and wholesome vegan designer atbreads, a range of platters, plus excellent & mouth-watering home-made cakes and desserts, many of which are gluten free!

inbath 59

music

listings Reinhardt, Tcha Limberger has emerged as a phenomenal musician admired for his unique, versatile style of gypsy jazz.

Price: £18.00 (£9 U18s or students)

The Jerry Lee Lewis Story Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Fri 27th April Doors: 7.30pm Time: 8.00pm Ends: 10:30pm Starring the sensationally talented Peter Gill.

This is the story of rock’n’roll’s most exciting performer.

Prices: Advance £15. Door £17.

Mark.J.Lee

The Bell Inn www.thebellinnbath.co.uk Sun 29th March Time: 12pm Mark J. Lee is a Country singer, guitar player and producer from South Devon UK. Inspired by classic country sounds from Nashville to Bakersfield with a style that is both original and in step with the golden era of country songwriting.

Prices: FREE

WIlko Johnson with Hugh Cornwell & Band The Forum, Bath www.bathforum.co.uk Thurs 3rd May Time: 7:30pm

60 inbath

The original Dr Feelgood guitarist is known for his incredible distinctive chopping guitar style. Wilko has gone on to find further success recently after teaming up with Roger Daltrey on 2014’s Going Back Home.

As the original guitarist, singer and main songwriter in the British rock band The Stranglers, he's enjoyed massive success with 10 hit albums and 21 Top Forty singles, etching himself into Europe and the USA's musical psyche with classic songs, including Peaches, No More Heroes, Golden Brown, Nice N’ Sleazy, Always the Sun and Duchess.

Price: £25.00 (incl booking fee)

Maddy Prior with Hannah James and Giles Lewin Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Thurs 3rd May Doors: 7.30pm Time: 8.00pm Ends: 10:30pm A remarkable trio exploring the music of England, the British Isles and Eastern Europe.

Prices: Advance £16.50. Door £18.

Andrew McCormack

Wiltshire Music Centre www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk Sat 5 May Time: 7.30pm Jazz pianist and composer Andrew McCormack has become on the most talked about artists

on the worldwide stage. Whether appearing with Kyle Eastwood or Jamie Cullum, with a symphony orchestra or as a solo pianist, at outdoor festivals or an intimate club, you can always expect the highest level of performance.

Here he joins forces with an A-List of the most sought-after musicians in the modern jazz world to present his new album, Graviton.

Price: £16 (£8 U18s or students)

Ladysmith Black Mambazo The Forum, Bath www.bathforum.co.uk Sat 12th May Time: 8pm Hailed as “South Africa’s cultural ambassadors”

by Nelson Mandela and gaining global acclaim for collaborating with Paul Simon on his awardwinning album Graceland, Ladysmith Black Mambazo have been singing powerful, uplifting songs that emote the struggles and passion of South Africa for fifty years. The group sing a cappella in a joyously energetic performance combining traditional South African music with gospel and tightly-choreographed dance moves.

Prices: from £ 15.00

Ben Folds and a Piano

The Forum, Bath www.bathforum.co.uk Thurs 24th May Time: 7:30pm The Bath Festival are pleased to present multiplatinum selling singersongwriterproducer Ben Folds in The Forum. Ben continues his “Ben Folds & A Piano” solo tour in 2018, delivering a unique power rock performance that showcases his recently released songs and classic hits using the intimacy of just a piano.

Prices: £38.00 / £32.00 / £24.00 / £18.00 (+ booking fee per ticket)

new releases Bath Racecourse introduce Lansdown Live

Get your dancing shoes on, there will be live music aplenty at this year’s races.

New for 2018, we are presenting an opportunity for up and coming music artists from the South West to perform live, showcasing their talent to thousands of racegoers live at Bath Races.

Only Human Calum Scott RRP CD: £ 9.99 Vinyl: £ 24.99 Calum Scott releases his debut album Only Human, featuring the double platinum single Dancing On My Own. This album includes the brand new single ‘You Are The Reason’ along with the special duet with Leona Lewis.

Staying at Tamara’s George Ezra RRP CD: £ 9.99 Vinyl: £ 16.99 Bristol-based singer/songwriter George Ezra releases his second album on March 23rd.

The album contains the sinlges "Don't Matter Now" and "Paradise" and is the follow-up to the number one album 'Wanted on Voyage'.

We’re interested to hear from all artists of all experience levels and genres.

Lansdown Live has already confirmed headline acts including James Blunt, Definitely Oasis and Bristol’s The Carny Villains and is now looking for a lineup of artists to perform live at racedays across our summer racing season.

Tom Bettles, Marketing & PR Manager, commented: "By creating a platform for live music performances from up and coming musicians, the racecourse aims to show support to local emerging talent in the Bath and Bristol area, whilst providing racegoers with a fun and exciting experience at the races".

Golden (Deluxe Edition) Kylie Minogue RRP CD: £ 12.99 Golden, Kylie's fourteenth studio album, is the result of an intensive working trip to the home of Country music, a city whose influence lingered on long after the pop legend and her team returned to London to finish the record.

A Real Labour of Love UB40 featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey RRP CD: £ 9.99 A Real Labour Of Love’ is the new album from UB40 Featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey, to be released March 2nd on UMC. Lead single ‘She Loves Me Now’ received its exclusive first play on BBC Radio 2.

Tom continued: "From getting people up and dancing on the lawn to jazz on the Roof Garden, or acoustic in the restaurant, we are interested to hear from musicians who can put on a crowdpleasing performance!"

The racecourse are interested to hear from all artists of all experience levels and genres. If you think you can provide top quality entertainment to racegoers and would like to showcase your talent, please get in touch.

For more details on Lansdown Live as well as forthcoming race fixtures, call 01225 424609 or visit: Bath-racecourse.co.uk/lansdownlive

Year of the Tiger Myles Kennedy

NOW That's What I Call Music! 99

RRP CD: £ 9.99 Vinyl: £ 20 Myles Kennedy, one of rock music's most distinct voices. He releases his debut album worldwide on 9th March which is a 12-song concept record inspired by the loss of his father when he was a child.

RRP CD: £12 NOW That’s What I Call Music! 99 will be packed with the bestselling hits from the past few months – making it the ultimate soundtrack to the year so far.

inbath 61

music interview

Born to be Wilde

Kim Wilde burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the worldwide hit ‘Kids In America’. Kim followed this with some of the most memorable hits of the 80s including, ‘Chequered Love’, ‘Cambodia’, ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ (number one in the USA), ‘You Came’, ‘Never Trust A Stranger’ and ‘Four Letter Word’.

After a break from music Kim is back with a spring tour and new album ‘Here Come The Aliens’ (released on March 16th). Here, Kim talks to us about touring for the first time in 30 years, the new album and how the industry has changed since her debut in 1981.

This is your first headline tour in over 30 years – what can people expect at your new shows? Why has it been so long since you toured?

I have toured more in the past 20 years than I ever did in the first 20 years of my career!

My band and I have headlined on several tours abroad but this is the first one in the UK, mostly due to the fact that I have not released a new album here (my Christmas album Wilde Winter Songbook apart). My fantastic experience of touring with Rewind and Let’s Rock (80’s retro shows) gave me the confidence to announce this tour, the U.K audiences have a very special place in my heart and I can’t wait to see them all up close and personal!

There are 7 of us rocking out on stage tearing through my greatest hits and introducing several of the new tracks from the new ‘Here Come The Aliens’ album. I have a 12 strong entourage making sure we look as good as we sound.

Your new album is out in March, titled ‘Here Come The Aliens’. What’s the story behind that title? ‘80’s Pop Star has Close Encounter in Back Garden!’

Yes, it’s true, something very unusual happened in my garden in 2009, and has in many ways inspired the new album, not least of course with the amazing artwork by my niece Scarlett Wilde. The album is a celebration of pop music from throughout the years, with nods to artists like Blondie, Billy Idol and Gary Numan, and more recent ones such as Goldfrapp and Chvrches.

Pop music had always been at the heart of our family life, always playing in the house with new albums arriving weekly for Ricky and I to absorb. Some love affairs never die, and our love affair with Pop Music continues to this day, stronger than ever in fact! This album happened subconsciously, before we knew it all our influences came together in a perfect storm and ‘Here Come The Aliens’ is the result.

You’ve worked with your brother Ricky again on the new album, a working relationship that has lasted 36 years. How has that relationship changed over the years? And are you able to leave work behind when you see each other on family occasions?

Ricky and I share the same passion and excitement for Pop music, we grew up together with the same influences, we speak the same language when it comes to all things musical.

Initially Ricky started writing on his own, and then with my Dad Marty Wilde with hits such as Kids in America, Cambodia and Chequered Love. Soon after I began song writing with Ricky, which continues to this day. Family occasions often end up with someone grabbing a guitar or playing piano; it’s hard to leave work behind when you love music so much!

What song(s) on the new album are you most excited for people to hear?

There are 12 songs which were chosen from many written for this album, and each have their place and reason for making it to the last 12. Of course I am excited to hear how it is to be received and hope the singles inspire people to buy the album, it was made with a lot of love and supernatural energy!

How is the music industry different now compared to when you released Kids In America?

Of course the music industry is transformed from the Kids in America days of only vinyl, no mobiles, no Internet in ways I could never have imagined. Music however, still has passion at the heart of the very best examples, and that will never change.

What current music are you enjoying at the moment?

Frida Sundemo, Slaves, Daft Punk and Lawnmower Deth

62 inbath

You can catch Kim Wilde at The Forum, Bath on April 4th, 8pm. Tickets are priced at £29.50 (+ booking fee per ticket). Visit www.bathforum.co.uk for more details.

music

Roddy Doyle

THE BATH FESTIVAL

Professor Green

70th ANNIVERSARY Preview

The full programme of events for The Bath Festival has now been announced. Bath’s flagship multi-arts festival will take place from 11th to 27th May and will offer more than 180 events over an extended period of 17 days, bringing some of the world’s leading writers, musicians and cultural figures into the iconic buildings and onto the streets of Bath.

Well known rock and pop bands as well as classical, jazz and folk music will be heard alongside contemporary fiction, intelligent debate, science, history, politics and poetry, with concerts, discussions and collaborations and many free events across the city.

Artistic directors Alex Clark, David Jones and James Waters have created a programme to provoke and delight, inviting audiences to enjoy performances, exchange ideas, enable discussions and stop the world for a moment to listen to one another.

The full programme can be viewed online at www.thebathfestival.org.uk and highlights include: Literature: David Olusoga; Professor Green; Maggie O’ Farrell; Chris Bonington; Andrew Adonis; Margaret Drabble; Kate Mosse; Ruby Tandoh; Robert Webb; Afua Hirsch and Nikesh Shukla Music: Amanda Palmer; Ben Folds; Kathryn Tickell; Ladysmith Black Mambazo; Mary Chapin Carpenter; Stephen Hough; Roderick Williams; Lars Vogt and the Royal Northern Sinfonia; Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Catriona Morrison.

Words and Music: Claire Tomalin; Richard Stokes, James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook; Living LiteratureFrankenstein; Roddy Doyle and Hugh Buckley; Rose Tremain.

64 inbath

2018 marks the 70th anniversary of Bath Festivals. To celebrate this important milestone, the festival finale weekend (26th and 27th May) will see the likes of Tears for Fears, Robert Plant, Imelda May, Alison Moyet, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Midge Ure and Seth Lakeman play on Bath Recreation Ground, along with a whole host of other festival entertainers including poets, roaming performers, children’s activities and more.

Twerton Park, the home of Bath City FC, for a day of football fun for all the family; FilmBath to celebrate the centenary of women’s suffrage with film, literature, politics, music and comedy; and the School of Advanced Study at the University of London who created the concept of a dazzling multisensory evening of Living Literature which now comes to Bath and promises to immerse the audience in the world of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Bath’s biggest night of free music, Party in the City, will break from tradition by taking place on the festival’s second weekend on Friday 18 May. This year sees the launch of SparkFest, a partnership with Bath Spa University, an innovative programme of theatre, music and dance, curated and created by the stars of tomorrow. The festival has also teamed up with

The festival will also showcase creative work done by young people as part of Bath Festivals’ Creative Learning programme and their ongoing partnership with Paper Nations, with the display of stories and poems by children across the city. Every year, Party in the City is launched with a school commission in the Abbey and this year is no exception. ‘Festival Spirits’ will

To celebrate this important milestone, the festival finale weekend (26th and 27th May) will see the likes of Tears for Fears, Robert Plant, Imelda May, Alison Moyet, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Midge Ure and Seth Lakeman play on Bath Recreation Ground, along with a whole host of other festival entertainers including poets, roaming performers, children’s activities and more.

Claire Tomalin

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Robert Webb

The diverse range of events on offer will stimulate, uplift, delight and most importantly entertain the people of Bath and beyond.

Five-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, Mary Chapin Carpenter, will perform favourite music from her acclaimed 30 year career. Mary, who had big hits with ‘Passionate Kisses’ and ‘He Thinks He’ll Keep Her’, has sold 14 million records worldwide and was recently inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

John Cullum DL, Chair of Bath Festivals

commence with a song recital by soprano Elizabeth Karani, who will then be disrupted by some mischievous children performing their own song and representing characters from past and future festivals. Composer, Richard Barnard and artist Edwina Bridgeman will guide them through the project, helping to create a brand-new performance and installation piece celebrating 70 years of the festival. Working in partnership with Wiltshire Music Centre, a remarkable set of forces has been assembled for a concert performance of one of the greatest of all musicals, West Side Story, in Leonard Bernstein’s anniversary year. The performance builds on a visionary large scale schools’ project designed around the timeless themes of the musical. The Family Arts Day will, once again, take place on the last day of the festival in Parade Gardens (Sunday 20th May) for all to enjoy.

John Cullum DL, Chair of Bath Festivals, said: “We are thrilled to bring you our largest programme of events to-date in our 70th anniversary year. The diverse range of events on offer will stimulate, uplift, delight and most importantly entertain the people of Bath and beyond. This year’s festival includes critically acclaimed authors and musicians, international artists and emerging talent from the world stage, as well as performances by local bands, community groups and schools. Our finale weekend on the Rec will create a festival buzz like never before, demonstrating our commitment to creating a festival for all.

Our aim is to bring the city alive through the arts, reinforcing Bath’s rich history and reputation as a cultural destination. This is a festival for everyone, regardless of personal interests and age. It’s a chance to dip your toe into something new as well as seeing your favourites on your doorstep.”

Highlights of the 2018 programme (full programme at thebathfestival.org.uk) include: Born and raised on a Hackney estate, Professor Green’s music career began with his album Alive Till I’m Dead in 2010 and saw him collaborate with Lily Allen and Example, among others. Having battled anxiety and depression from an early age, he has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of mental health issues, becoming a patron of the charity CALM and making a series of thought-provoking documentaries, including Suicide & Me, in which he addresses his father’s suicide. In this exclusive interview, he explores his youth in East London, his stellar career as a musician and his most recent Channel 4 documentary, Working Class White Men. Andrew Adonis hit the headlines at the beginning of 2017 over his furious criticism of Brexit and the inadequacy of the government’s response to it. His views on transport policy and university pay have also made waves. In a keynote address, Lord Adonis talks about why he spoke out and his hopes for Britain’s future.

For comedian and writer Robert Webb, the ‘rules’ of being a man (drink beer, love sport, don't talk about feelings) aren’t that straightforward. Hilarious and heartbreaking, his runaway bestseller How Not To Be a Boy explores the relationships that made Robert the man he is, and the lessons we learn as sons and fathers.

Multi platinum-selling singer, songwriter and producer Ben Folds goes back to basics in this intimate performance of new tracks and old favourites. With just a piano and his own distinctive voice, Ben will dip into his enormous body of genre-bending music for this uniquely personal performance.

Lars Vogt plays the Beethoven Piano Concertos, taking us on an amazing musical journey in two days. Ranging from restrained classicism to the unashamed grandeur of the ‘Emperor’ concerto these work contain some of Beethoven’s very finest music.

Hailed as ‘South Africa’s cultural ambassadors’

by Nelson Mandela and gaining global acclaim for their collaboration with Paul Simon on his award-winning album Graceland, Ladysmith Black Mambazo have been singing powerful, uplifting songs that give voice to the struggles and passion of South Africa for fifty years. The five time Grammy award-winning group give joyously energetic performances, combining traditional South African music with gospel and tightly-choreographed dance moves.

Acclaimed novelist Roddy Doyle reads from his new book, Smile is a searing portrayal of a man’s lifelong struggle with boyhood events. Doyle’s readings from the novel will be accompanied by jazz guitarist Hugh Buckley, the author’s friend and former schoolmate.

Claire Tomalin is more used to telling other people’s stories - famously those of Charles Dickens, Samuel Pepys and Jane Austen. But now the award-winning biographer describes the highs and lows of her own extraordinary life. This event includes performances by tenor James Gilchrist and pianist Anna Tilbrook, of some of Tomalin’s favourite music, including pieces composed by her mother, Muriel Herbert.

Booking dates

Silver and Gold Members: 1st March General Booking: 7th March

How to book

In person at Bath Box Office from 9.30am to 5.30pm on the release dates By telephone on 01225 463362.

Online at www.thebathfestival.org.uk

inbath 65

66 inbath

Easter Days Out 12 pages of activities, exhibitions and events

The first chance for a few days off is here and it couldn't come soon enough.

Having braved the horrendously cold weather at the beginning of the year, Easter offers up an opportunity to pack the car up and get out and about in some, slightly more, clement weather.

There is much for Bath to be proud of; a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, its independent, creative and unique stlye, the breathtaking views - not to mention its rugby team.

As the winter jumpers and scarfs are beginning to find there way to the back of the wardrobe, and with the last couple of years proving that some of the better weather comes this way at the start of spring, there is no better time for the family to get out for the day.

Bath's outstanding museums and galleries

Bath has more museums in just one square mile than most other much larger cities can boast altogether.

If you have a penchant for science, fashion, breathtaking art, industry or architecture, there will be a location somewhere in the city and its surrounds that will cater for your every whim.

Many of the cities museums and galleries are set in, and around, beautiful historic buildings where visitors can observe fascinating collections free of charge.

Throughout the holiday period you will also find that many sites will hold workshops, talks and activities targeted at children and families.

With this in mind, we have highlighted the best museums and galleries and asked them what is on offer this Easter (see pages 66 - 75).

Get your sporting fill

for 2018, with other highlights during the season including James Blunt performing as part of his The After Love Tour, Bristol’s The Carny Villains taking the stage for an energetic and theatrical performance alongside circus performers at the Cider Carnival in August and the most talked about Oasis tribute band, Definitely Oasis.

See more about this seasons events at the Bath Racecourse on pages 22 – 23.

Every year the Bath Rugby Community Team host a variety of camps across Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset for boys and girls of all abilities aged U7s - U16s with campos running over Easter and into the first couple of weeks of April.

The camps encompass both technical and tactical aspects of the game. All activities are fun based, but with a focus on the development of all camp goers, whatever their level.

Celebrate Easter at Bath Abbey Bath Abbey is one of the city’s finest historic sites and is where the first King of England was crowned in 973.

Join the congregation this Easter Sunday where the atmosphere is relaxed and children are welcome. There are children's groups during term-time and a creche all year round. The service lasts for one hour and features a mix of classic hymns and worship songs. Stay on after the service to chat over a cup of fresh coffee.

The racing season starts with a bang in Bath this Easter with a day at the races with a different on Good Friday. The ‘Feel Good Friday’ event will not only be a superb social day out for groups to enjoy a flutter on the races whilst sipping on a drink and enjoy excellent food, but there will be a huge designated family fun picnic area that will get the kids beaming from ear to ear.

Further afield

Feel good live music will be provided by Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, plus more yet to be confirmed, whilst the family fun day will feature a 200 foot inflatable obstacle course, pony rides, laser quest, a Nerf combat arena, bungy trampolines, fun fair rides and lots more. All included within the entrance ticket price, which is completely free for all young racegoers under the age of 18.

Opened in 1869 by the Midland Railway as a through-route between Birmingham and the South Coast the line was later linked to the iconic Somerset & Dorset Railway.

If this sounds like a family outing for you but you can’t make it on Good Friday, the racecourse are running another family fun day for the Bank Holiday on May 7. Entertainment will be plentiful

Between Good Friday and Easter Monday, you can take their Easter-themed trail and see how many eggs you can spot!

Gough's Cave is getting some egg-celent and unusual additions this Easter! Can you help explore the mysterious chambers and find all the magical, glowing eggs that the Easter Bunny has left behind? Get along to the caves Glow In The Dark Egg Hunt (24th March - 8th April 2018).

Today, 40 years on, three miles of track has been re-laid, locomotives and carriages restored, and the sound of steam can once again be heard along the Avon Valley.

inbath 67

easter days out Side by Side: America and World War I 17 March – 28 October 2018 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of America’s first major military engagement in the Great War 1914 – 1918, Side by Side: America and World War I, will uncover the relationship between the US, and Europe, as well as reflecting on those who went into battle, and those who stayed at home.

See history brought to life at the Roman Baths this Easter

This immersive exhibition will explore life back home, recruitment, training, a Red Cross hospital, and a reconstructed Renault tank used by the Americans on the Western Front.

Help yourself to one of our free children’s audioguides and find out more about the Romans. Narrated by Michael Rosen it features Belator and Apulia, who talk about their lives in Bath – or Aquae Sulis as it was known.

We also have a couple of child-friendly trails to follow on your visit: design a mosaic or try measuring the Great Bath as you walk.

There’s the chance to meet with, and talk to, ‘real life’ Roman characters who work and play around the Great Bath, including Candidina who is visiting the Temple of Sulis Minerva to pray for a cure for her eyesight.

We’ve also partnered with the Children’s University which encourages out-of-school learning for children aged five to 14.Young visitors can bring their Passport to Learning to record their visit.

For more information childrensuniversity.co.uk or childrensuniversitywest.co.uk.

This Easter’s family event will be all about ‘Glorious Gardens’ taking place on Monday 26 March. There is no extra price and no need to book for this drop-in event.

The fun doesn’t stop when you get home. We have some great interactive games on the children’s page at www.romanbaths.co.uk. Here you can design your own Roman coin, learn Roman Numerals or draw yourself as a Roman.

The Roman Baths is also celebrating after winning Gold Awards in the South West Tourism Awards for Access and Inclusivity and International Visitor Experience.

68 inbath

For anyone living in Bath & North East Somerset, entry is free to the Roman Baths with a Residents Discovery Card. The card also gives free entry to the Fashion Museum and Victoria Art Gallery as well as discounted admission to many other local attractions, activities and special eating out offers.

See bathnes.gov.uk/discoverycard for further information.

The Roman Baths is open daily.

Jan-Feb: 09:30-17:00, exit 18:00; Mar- 15 Jun: 09:00-17:00, exit 18:00; 16 Jun-31 Aug: 09:00-21:00, exit 22:00; Sept-Oct: 09:00-17:00, exit 18:00; Nov-Dec: 09:30-17:00, exit 18:00.

Closed 25-26 Dec. Facebook: TheRomanBaths Twitter: @RomanBathsBath Instagram: theromanbaths

Your journey will introduce you to some of those who served on the home front, and to those who saw active service, including Ernest Hemingway, President Woodrow Wilson, journalist Alice Rohe Gertrude, Red Cross worker Charlotte Bannon and one of the 16 million animals who served.

Modern photographs, taken by Brett Killington, of the graffiti made by US soldiers in their training caves in France, will also compliment items from the Museum’s collection, as well as loans from other museums, and private lenders.

www.americanmuseum.org

Phoebe (aged 6)

Discover the shocking side of the Romans at the Roman Baths. Open every day.

Book online at romanbaths.co.uk

days outFairies, d the last Bath Society of Artists 113th Annual Exhibition Saturday 24 March to Saturday 12 May 2018

The prestigious Bath Society of Artists annual exhibition will open at Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Victoria Art Gallery on Saturday 24 March.

The Inner Sp Kinzett at La Now in its 113th year, this popular exhibition showcases the best of the region’s artistic talent. Any artist aged 18 or over can submit work for possible selection. All of the artworks are for sale. Last year, there were 800 entries, from which 399 were selected for an exciting exhibition that attracted more than 16,000 visitors.

9 February - 10 M What’s on at Lacock Abbey this spring…

Derek Kinzett ret favourites old favourites to tran to magical into a magical and ethe an Discover fairies, woodland in the abbey's garden wo Councillor Paul Myers, Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration, said: “The Bath Society of Artists exhibition is a wonderful showcase for talented local artists. A wide variety of works will be on show, from paintings and drawings to sculptures, by established and up-and-coming artists. Local residents can see the exhibition for free with a Discovery Card, and visitors will have a chance to vote for their favourite artwork in the Public Choice Prize.”

At this time of year, the abbey grounds are springing back to life after the sleepy winter season, with lots of colourful flowers beginning to grow.

Susanna Lisle, Chair of Bath Society of Artists, said: “The show is a fantastic mix of artworks in the widest variety of styles. It is a selling exhibition with prices to suit all buyers, showcasing work that is both an investment as well as a pleasure to look at.”

Working in the grounds and gardens at Lacock, Head Gardener Sue Carter explains that it’s not about garden makeovers, or instant gardening; it’s about treading a fine line between renewal and preservation.

The Society was founded in 1904 with 26 members. It has grown over the years to a membership of about 120 diverse, talented artists. Many distinguished 20th-century painters have exhibited with the Society including Walter Sickert, John Singer Sargent, Philip Wilson Steer, Gilbert Spencer, Patrick Heron, Mary Fedden, William Scott and Howard Hodgkin.

Spring is a favourite time of year for our gardeners, everything is changing every minute and you can hardly keep up with it all! Seeing and hearing all the birds and watching buds open and new shoots appear is a real treat here at Lacock. Discover it for yourself, with the wooded grounds, botanic garden, greenhouse and orchard waiting to show you their secrets.

Conservation in Action at Lacock Abbey

Weekdays from Monday 12 February – Friday 13 April It takes a lot of work to take care of the abbey and its collection; this spring, we've brought this work out from behind-the-scenes for you to see. Find out about which pests the abbey team fought off last year and the different types of brushes used to clean the collection.

‘TRIBE’ A photographic exhibition This new exhibition, co-curated by artist Lori Vrba, is by a collective of eight American female artists, drawn to the romantic notion of storytelling, memory, nostalgia, the natural world and family.

The prizes on offer total more than £3,000, and include the Bath Society of Artists Prize of £1,000, the Pegasus Art prize of £350 for materials, the Bath Society of Artists 3D Prize of £250, and the Harry Walker RWA Young Artist Prize of £250, awarded to artists aged 18 to 25. There are also smaller prizes for prints, watercolours, small paintings and drawings.

This year, our conservation team will be updating you on their progress through a takeover on our Twitter and Instagram feeds. Join in the conversations @LacockNT

During the exhibition, members of the public will be invited to vote for their favourite artwork, with the winner of the Bath Society of Artists Public Choice Prize receiving £500. To enter, artists must submit their work at the Victoria Art Gallery on Saturday 17 March between 10.30am and 4pm. Exhibits may be paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints or mixed media. Digital prints and collaborative artworks can be submitted.

No photography or Giclée reproductions will be accepted.

Lacock is near Chippenham, SN15 2LG. National Trust members and under 5s go free.

Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lacock or call 01249 730459 for more information.

For more details and an application form, visit www.bsartists.co.uk. Application forms are also available from the Gallery. www.victoriagal.org.uk

70 inbath

‘TRIBE’ is on display at the Fox Talbot Museum in Lacock from Saturday 3 February to Sunday 20 May and is free with normal admission to the property. Follow the Fox Talbot Museum on Twitter @foxtalbotmuseum

Image: Call Michelangelo David Wilkey

Images: Spring flowers at Lacock Abbey © National Trust Images and Tribe 3 © National Trust Images / Lori Vrba

Spring flowers at Lacock Abbey

dragons and unicorn

pirit Collection by Derek Lacock Abbey

March, 10.30am - 5.30pm eturns with new wire sculptures and s ansform o transform the the garden garden at Lacock at Lacock Abbey Abb Seek out new blooms at nd ereal ethereal world. world. this spring dragons Lacock and the Abbey last unicorn in the a Spring is a favourite time of year forcloiste us at en oodland and medieval garden cloisters. and medieval

Lacock. Seeing buds open and new shoots appear is a real treat. Discover it for yourself,Normal with the wooded grounds,charges botanic admission garden, greenhouse and orchard waiting to NT members and under 5s show you their secrets.

Lacock, nr Chippenham. S

Call 01249 730459 for details nationaltrust.org.uk/lacock Call 01249 730459 for more in #nationaltrust

www.nationaltrust.org.u

When you visit, donate, volunteer or join the National Trust, your support helps us to look after special places in the south west such at Lacock and The Courts Garden for ever, for everyone.

Š National Trust 2017. The National Trust is an independent registered charity, number 205846. Photography Š National Trust Images\Kristine Heuser.

easter days out

Spring into a new season of events and exhibitions at The Holburne Museum

Rupert Peploe

Family Workshop

Anthony Fry

Anthony Fry: A Retrospective

Until 7 May 2018 £10 | £9 concs | £5 Art Fund | Free to all Museum Members Under 18s go FREE (Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult).

The Holburne is delighted to be showing the first museum retrospective of the painter Anthony Fry (1927-2016), who enjoyed huge commercial success in Britain and America during his lifetime but has not previously been recognised by a major exhibition. Comprising works lent from prestigious private collections, the show reveals the considerable extent of his talent.

Easter Eggstravaganza

Inspired by India: Block printed bags

Sunday 15 April, 10.30-12.30pm FAMILY WORKSHOP £10 Adults/£5 children Suitable for children over 5 years; all children must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Maximum 2 children per adult. (maximum 16 places) Be inspired by the jewel-like colours in Anthony Fry’s paintings and learn how to make your own printing stamp. We’ll be using these to decorate beautiful, patterned draw-string bags to take home and treasure. You can book online, call 01225 388568 or email learning@holburne.org

Lighting Up the Stage: Stars of the Georgian Theatre Until 3 June 2018

Easter Eggstravaganza

Sunday 25 March, 12-4pm FREE Family Drop-In No booking required.

Whatever the weather, be transported to sunnier climes with fun and creative activities inspired

by Anthony Fry’s vibrant, colourful paintings.

Decorate an eggstraordinary Easter egg inspired by traditional Indian patterns.

72 inbath

Oil Painting Masterclass: Experiment with Colour Rupert Peploe Saturday 21 April, 10.30am-4.30pm Adult Workshop £50

Be inspired by the vibrant use of colour in our exhibition Anthony Fry: A Retrospective. Enjoy a tour of the exhibition before returning to the studio to work from a still-life working from initial sketches through to oil, experimenting with colour techniques and form.

Operaletta: Shakespeare’s Birthday

Sunday 22 April, 7.30-9.30pm Evening Concert £15 (Garden Café open for drinks and, Anthony Fry: A Retrospective, open 6 to 7.30pm)

Somerset Maugham’s collection of theatrical portraits was acquired by the Holburne in 2010.

The works immortalise stars of the 18th and 19th century stage in character, often in moments of high drama.

Be entertained by the vocal talents of Operaletta, many of whom enjoy successful solo careers, in their annual visit to the Holburne. They will present a tuneful, interesting and sometimes surprising mixture of solos, duets, trios and ensembles, inspired by Shakespeare.

Art Education for the Many

HOLIDAY ART CAMPS

Hester R. Westley, British Library Thursday 29 March, 7-8pm EVENING LECTURE £10 (includes entry to Anthony Fry: A Retrospective between 6-7pm) Garden Café open for drinks 6-7pm

Bath Academy of Art at Corsham Court attracted many of the leading artists of the 1950s and 60s, including Anthony Fry. Drawing upon archival images, as well as the audio testimony, this lecture argues for Corsham’s progressive status and belief that a reformed art educational system had the potential to transform society.

for 5-11 year olds

Monday 26 - Thursday 29 March Tuesday 3 - Friday 6 April Tuesday 29 May – Friday 1 June 9am-4pm £38 per day. £15 discount for booking 4 consecutive days (March/April); £20 discount for booking 5 consecutive days (May/June) Days packed full of fun; creative activities inspired by the Museum’s collection and exhibitions, led by an experienced team of artists.

easter days out

Image: Famous residents of Bath Railway poster, Sydney Gardens bandstand.

Entertainment in Bath at the Victoria Art Gallery 13 January – 14 March 2018

A new exhibition at the Bath & North East Somerset Council-run Victoria Art Gallery will tell the story of the star actors, musicians and artists of Georgian Bath and the venues where they performed, covering everything from the sleazy to the sophisticated.

Entertainment in Bath will also look at entertainment in the city since its Georgian heyday – from the events, activities and performances that Victorian residents enjoyed to more recent happenings such as the Festival and infamous pop concerts .

In the 18th century, Bath was second only to London for the remarkable quality and variety of music, art and theatre on offer. Performers would come to the city to entertain the wealthy spa visitors. Here they would develop their skills and attract a following and a good reputation before moving on to further fame and fortune in London.

Wonderful portraits by Gainsborough, Bath’s best painter at the time, and works by the Georgian comic artist Thomas Rowlandson will feature in the exhibition. Highlights from the Victoria Art Gallery’s own collection of paintings, drawings and prints will be on show alongside important loans from the National Portrait Gallery and Royal Collection Trust.

The quirkier exhibits will include gambling paraphernalia and instruments similar to those played by musicians such as William Herschel (who lived and worked in Bath).

The exhibition will touch upon some of the less obvious ‘entertainments’ in the city, covering the full spectrum of morality, from gambling and prostitution to attendance at fashionable chapels.Councillor Paul Myers (Conservative Midsomer Norton Redfield), Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration, said: “Entertainment in Bath will give a fascinating insight into Bath’s social history, while showcasing highlights from the Victoria Art Gallery’s outstanding collection.

“Some of the creative stars depicted in the exhibition are still well-known today, while others have largely been forgotten. However they are all intrinsically linked to Bath’s history as a centre for entertainment and creativity, and all have interesting stories to tell.”

Spring into a new season of exhibitions to the exhibition for local and events at the Admission Victoria Artis free Gallery residents with a Discovery Card

Bath Society of Artists Annual Open Exhibition 24 March – 12 May 2018

This highly popular exhibition showcases the best of the region’s artistic talent and is a must for art lovers and collectors alike. The Society JanFeb18.indd 24-25in 1904 with 26 members. It has was founded grown over the years to a membership of around 120 diverse, talented artists.

Image: Stormy Sky, Jennifer Davidson, 2017

Many distinguished 20th-century painters have exhibited with the Society including Walter Sickert, Patrick Heron, Mary Fedden and Howard Hodgkin.

(www.bathnes.gov.uk/discoverycard).

Portraits by Gainsborough, Bath’s society www.victoriagal.org.uk painter at the time, and works by the Georgian comic artist, Thomas Rowlandson, feature in the exhibition. Gambling paraphernalia and instruments similar to those played by musicians such as William Herschel also appear.

On Saturday 3rd March, from 12pm-2pm, Entertainment in Bath will be brought to life by drama students from Bath Spa University in the exhibition space.

Mo Lancaster: Linocuts Until 14 March 2018

The annual exhibition, which is open to nonmembers, attracts up to 1,000 entries, with sales doubling in the last few years. The prizes on offer total more than £3,000. During the exhibition members of the public can vote for their favourite artwork; the winner receiving the Public Choice Prize.

Mo has always been fascinated by printmaking and has specialised in reduction lino cut for several years, producing small hand-printed limited editions. She draws and observes women together and is amused by the camaraderie and the way interact and form groups, are determined to have a laugh and good time or just be quietly introspective together.

For more information and how to enter artwork visit bsartists.co.uk

Art Store Tours

We have lots more images for this upcoming exhibition. Just ask.

Entertainment in Bath Until 14 March 2018

In the 18th century, Bath was second only to London for the quality and variety of music, art and theatre on offer. Musicians, artists and actors would come to the city to entertain the wealthy spa visitors. Here they would develop their skills and attract a following and a good reputation before moving on to further fame and fortune in London.

Entertainment in Bath is based on works in the Victoria Art Gallery’s collection, as well as loans from the National Portrait Gallery and Royal Collection Trust.

74 inbath

Wednesday 14 March, 12pm-12.45pm

Join a curator and explore the permanent collection housed in our art stores. Free, booking essential. Phone 01225 477232 to book.

Collection Highlight Tours

Wednesday 7 March, 1 pm- 1.45pm.

Discover the stories behind our principal treasures with Dr. Chris Davies.

Sessions are free, no need to book

Fashion Museum: Royal women A new exhibition exploring the fashions worn by successive generations of women in the Royal Family is now on view at the Fashion Museum Bath.

Royal Women is a ‘family tree’ exhibition looking at the clothes worn by Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret.

Wives and daughters, sisters and mothers; none of them reigned, yet they all played a key role in the British monarchy. The exhibition looks at each woman’s unique style, the role they played within the monarchy and how that was reflected in their choice of dress.

The exhibition features exquisite items of dress from the Fashion Museum collection, as well as a major loan from the Royal Collection, generously lent by Her Majesty The Queen.

The ensemble worn by HRH The Countess of Wessex to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in April 2011 will also go on display.

The exhibition curator, Elly Summers, said: “The Fashion Museum is one of the world’s great museum collections of historical fashionable dress and we are immensely fortunate that amongst its treasures it includes dress belonging to members of the Royal Family; we are equally fortunate in the loan of key pieces from the Royal Collection and HRH The Countess of Wessex.”

Royal Women complements the Fashion Museum’s major exhibition, A History of Fashion in 100 Objects, which runs until 1 January 2019.

Admission to both exhibitions is included in the Fashion Museum ticket.

For younger visitors there is a themed trail and a dressing-up area where they can see what it was like to wear coats and hats, dresses and bonnets from the past. Adults can join in the fun too and try on replica Georgian and Victorian clothing, and wigs. This Easter’s family event, ‘1980s Geometric’ takes place on 27 March and is free with admission.

Easter Eggstravaganza

See www.fashionmuseum.co.uk for details Facebook: fashionmuseum Twitter: @Fashion_Museum Pinterest: fashion_museum

Create eggy crafts and cards Ages 3-11 years, free family drop-in event

Opening times: Jan-Feb 10:30-16:00, exit 17:00; March-Oct 10:30am-17:00, exit 18:00; Nov & Dec 10:30-16:00, exit 17:00

Wednesday 28 March, 10.30-12.30 and 1.30-3.30pm

13 January – 14 March Victoria Art Gallery

By Pulteney Bridge Bath BA2 4AT Tel 01225 477233 www.victoriagal.org.uk Open Daily 10.30-5.00

EXHIBITION

BATH SOCIETY

OF ARTISTS 23 March – 12 May 2018 Victoria Art Gallery

by Pulteney Bridge Bath BA2 4AT 01225 477233 victoriagal.org.uk Open daily 10:30 – 5:00

Danny Markey, Yellow Field and Aeroplane, oil on board (detail)

and fun

ANNUAL OPEN

Lady in Red, Linocut (detail), 20 x 15cm

IN BATH music, theatre

Thomas Gainsborough, Johann Christian Fischer, 1774-80. Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017.

ENTERTAINMENT

Mo Lancaster Ladies at Leisure 13 January – 14 March 2018 Victoria Art Gallery

By Pulteney Bridge Bath BA2 4AT Tel 01225 477233 www.victoriagal.org.uk Open Daily 10.30-5.00 Works for sale

20/11/2017 16:20

A LE X A N DR A • M A RY ELIZ A BETH • M A RGA R ET PU BLIC LIFE , PER SONA L ST Y LE

Margaret Beautiful Princess Sister An exhibition exploring the fashions worn by successive generations of women in the Royal Family

Open until 28 April 2019 fashionmuseum.co.uk

HRH Princess Margaret

inbath 75

easter days out

Celebrating Freedom and Fight

The Bath Preservation Trust museums are leading Bath’s celebrations with a programme of over 40 events including discussions, exhibitions, walks, performance, recorded oral histories and family activities, all focused on the significance of the suffragette movement and effect of the First World War in enabling women to gain political freedom over time.

How did suffragettes impact the City of Bath? Who were these local women? How did their campaigning differ to that of earlier pioneering ladies in Bath’s history? Many died as a result of their struggles – from hunger strikes, forced-feeding or injuries – and we look at the architectural language of death and memory in Bath, visiting landmarks of commemoration, reflection and empowerment. We reveal the first women to fight for political equality, and we shine a spotlight on those who fought to save and protect Bath’s historic buildings and those working with the Trust who do the same today.

The exhibitions at No. 1 Royal Crescent and the Museum of Bath Architecture highlight the fight for women’s suffrage, the journey taken to achieve it and aspects of how the fight continues today. The influence of Bath as a centre for campaigning during the First World War will be better explained.

At the Herschel Museum of Astronomy we explore the role of women in science and at Beckford’s Tower we look at the influence that women in William Beckford’s family had upon his life and work. www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk Inhalation, Ink and colour on analgesic plasters, 2012 – 2013 (Courtesy of Zhang Yanzi and Galerie Ora-Ora)

counterpoints from a Chinese perspective. Works on display include: Excess, a silk robe covered in capsules which questions the consumption of medicine by modern society today; Inhalation, Chinese painting on analgesic plasters, explores the ability of beautiful objects to provide psychological comfort to human beings; Pure Land, an ink painting of a Buddha’s portrait in ancient Chinese Buddhism mural style alludes to the concept of well-being from a spiritual angle.

The exhibition invites visitors to be open to different facets of wellness and explore the true meaning of wellbeing.

Talk: Adventures in Ink Contemporary Chinese Painting (Thursday 3 May 19:00-20:00 @BRLSI) In this talk, Zhang Yanzi’s art is placed in the context of other masters of the genre. Henrietta Tsui-Leung, CEO of Hong Kong-based Galerie Ora-Ora and Asia Ink Research, presents a perspective on the evolution of Chinese ink painting: how an ancient art form has come to embody the dynamism and innovative spirit of the region. In the presence of the artist, Zhang Yanzi. This event is supported by Galerie OraOra. Until 22 April 2018

25 years of East Asian Art in Bath: Anniversary Special Exhibition A Quest for Wellness Contemporary Chinese Art

by Zhang Yanzi 5 May to 12 November 2018 For 25 years the Museum of East Asian Art has been sharing more than 7,000 years of exquisite artistry and craftsmanship from East Asia with local residents, students, tourists and scholars.

To commemorate the 25th Anniversary, the museum is hosting a series of special exhibitions focusing on the theme of wellbeing through art and creativity.

76 inbath

Internationally renowned, Beijing-based Chinese artist Zhang Yanzi brings a range of her artworks, encompassing contemporary ink paintings and installations, to the museum in the exhibition ‘A Quest for Wellness’. Zhang Yanzi’s art is collected by the National Art Museum of China, Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts and the M+ Museum in Hong Kong among others.

For Zhang Yanzi, wellness is a quest for mental and physical reassurance. In this exhibition, the artist explores our common frailties and shared humanity, investigating the nature and meaning of wellness in China: its history, and its modern

Dressed to Impress: Netsuke and Japanese Men’s Fashion This is a British Museum Partnership Exhibition featuring a selection of delightfully detailed netsuke and other traditional Japanese male dress accessories from the Edo period (16151868).

Netsuke are a form of Japanese miniature sculpture that were primarily functional, but evolved into an important art form in Japan.

Museum of East Asian Art offer free entry to Discovery Card and Season Ticket Holders.

Tel: 01225 464640 www.meaa.org.uk

A Quest for Wellness

Contemporary Chinese Art by Zhang Yanzi 5 May - 12 November 2018 25 years of East Asian Art in Bath Anniversary Special Exhibition

As ia

RESEARCH

www.meaa.org.uk | 12 Bennett Street | Bath BA1 2QJ

D isc Fr ove ee ry En C try ard

亞太水墨研究會

inbath 77

legal advice

Will You Do It This Year?

Many of us put off making a Will, even when we hit life’s milestones such as buying a house, getting married or having children. Without a Will, you cannot control what will happen to your estate in the event of your death.

Most importantly, family and friends whom you may have wished to benefit from your estate could end up with nothing.

Why use a solicitor?

It can be tempting to opt for an online ‘do-ityourself’ Will. However, in our many years of experience, we know that lots of ‘homemade’ Wills fail and lead to drawn out, expensive family disputes.

By taking legal advice from specialist solicitors and having a professional Will made, you can be sure that your estate will be passed on as you intended.

What could you save by writing a Will?

Inheritance Tax

A Will can help you reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax that might be payable on the value of property or financial assets you leave behind. If your home makes up a high proportion of the value of your estate, your surviving spouse or partner might be forced to sell the property to pay tax or fulfil your bequests to family members.

We can ensure you make full use of the Transferable Nil Rate Band and Residential Nil Rate Band which could save your estate (for a couple) up to £270,000.

If you have previously made a tax saving/ discretionary trust Will then these need to be reviewed as a result of the governments’ new tax allowances as it may mean you need to make changes to qualify for the Residential Nil Rate Band.

Business Owners

If you have a business then you need to have a Will that allows you to benefit from special allowances of Inheritance Tax.

Divorced?

Children from a previous relationship?

If you have remarried, you can make provisions in your Will for any children you have from previous relationships to ensure they receive a share of your estate whilst still providing for your spouse.

If you are living with a partner but you’re not married, dying without a Will means your surviving partner won’t necessarily inherit a shared home or your possessions.

There is a danger that if you are estranged from your husband or wife, they will inherit the whole receive a share of your estate if you die without a Will, irrespective of your wishes.

Without a Will, you cannot control what will happen to your estate in the event of your death. Most importantly, family and friends whom you may have wished to benefit from your estate could end up with nothing.

78 inbath

Your children

If you have vulnerable children or relatives who are dependent on you, a Will can give you peace of mind that they will be financially secure and protected.

If you have adult children who are likely to inherit the family wealth, you can use a Will to protect that wealth from any future relationship breakdown or divorce they may experience.

What happens if I die without making a Will?

The fact is, if you die without a Will your final wishes will be in the hands of the Government’s ‘intestacy rules’. These rules determine how your bank accounts, securities, house and other assets are distributed, and the people you would want to inherit your estate, might not get anything.

The absence of a Will can lead to serious family disputes and significant stress and upset for loved ones. Get peace of mind that you’ll be protecting your loved ones financially and emotionally with a professional Will, knowing that your final wishes will be respected.

Do it today At Mowbray Woodwards we have been helping people write their Wills since 1946. Our friendly team provide expert advice with a personal service tailored to your individual needs.

To make an appointment please call 01225 485700 or email hello@mowbraywoodwards.co.uk.

Further information can also be found at www.mowbraywoodwards.co.uk

What could you save with a Will?

WILLS TRUSTS & TAX PLANNING

Life can be complicated, but writing your Will doesn’t have to be.

Our team of experienced solicitors are specialists in setting up Wills for people with complex family or financial situations.

From ensuring you make full use of available tax reliefs to providing for children from a previous relationship, we can help you understand how to best arrange your estate in order to future-proof your family wealth and avoid unnecessary costs.

Get your FREE Guide to Making a Will and find out how you could save by visiting www.mowbraywoodwards.co.uk/wills-guide HOW CAN WE HELP YOU TODAY? If you would like to make an appointment with one of our specialist Wills solicitors, please contact us on

01225 485700 hello@mowbraywoodwards.co.uk

THE LEGAL EXPERTS IN BATH

LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY PROBATE INHERITANCE DISPUTES

property property

GREEN SHOOTS for those looking to sell

London market holds the key to in current bath market continued growth for Bath properties.

Francine Watson of Knight Frank

The Bath property market, on the whole, is faring that you get more than two opinions, that you well compared to othernearer, areas of largely visit their office and see With spring drawing wethe areUK, very much looking forward to seeing whattheir the shop greenwindow shoots and of the down to the ability to draw interested frominfar theThe team to seeofwhat impression you listed get season and of course theinhousing market Bath willmeet bring. number properties currently and being are the cosmopolitan that it is.

– as this will the one time that buyers get and is onwide, the market down from thiscity time last year which makes it anbeexcellent to put your property With Brexit uncertainty stillthinking in the air, Duty therefore very important. lot ofsellers peopleissay on the market if you are of Stamp doing so; certainly whilst competition fromAother low.they burdens, the largest amount of new homes to do not have time to do this, but believe me, it beBath builthas in the city for time and wavering canalong coastthe youriver £100,000’s if you your choice in front of some it an exciting future.

The landscape is changing in get anticipation of the property reports, we continue to achieve good new developments at Bath Quays, which promise towrong. bring office and employment space, conveniently levels of interest. situated near Bath Spa train station. Leisure and retail facilities are also on the cards, looking to

The reason you pick a certain agent to act for you over another, should of course be your ability to trust that the advice they are giving you is right, correct and ultimately timely.

enhance our already excellent offerings of superb eateries, high-end restaurants and increasing the The main worry for Bathalong is thewith slowdown in the variety. With all of this investment in Bath city centre, is shopping experience, its increased housing market in time London. buyers have, now not a good to beLondon living here? in the past, accounted for as much as 30-40% of For our many buyer of source for thetheir city, experience wanting to move our buyers, of searching the market can result in finding fewer properties west the multiple benefits thatand ticktake all ofadvantage their ‘mustofhave’ boxes, and consequential for them viewing & purchasing properties that weordinarily take for granted every day.

This, added may have been over-looked. to the lack of investment and high end property impact from of stamp duty,perhaps will of course have an For those you that are experiencing similar, you may be interested to know that we are effect and it is prudent than everYard to on Walcot Street, where the area is known by the launching ournow newmore development, Walcot listen to the advice given to you by your informal title of Bath's Artisan Quarter.chosen Walcot Street represents the essence of alternative life in the estate agent. together a vibrant, eclectic collection of characterful independent shops and cafes. city, bringing

David MacKenzie Carter Jonas

The reason you pickata Walcot certain Yard, agentdue to act for completed Weatare large amount return Our development to be theseeing end ofathe year, offersof 8 buyers newly built three you over another, shouldthat of course beexterior your ability from oversees, expatstofrom theinfar and bedroom townhouses from the are sympathetically designed blend with themiddle heritage to of trust that the advice they are giving you is east in the main and this will plug the gap of the area and sit around a landscaped courtyard. All come with contemporary Italian-designed right, correctunderfloor and ultimately timely keeping you access the automated smaller amount buyers fromtothe city, so kitchens, heating, high– specification, audioofentry system houses, one step ahead of crowd.

Your agent entry is on to the underground making sureparking. that viewings are able to beyou done and unusually forthe Bath, secure remote Of course though, may hand to answer questions, youras fears and Bath can at short is key, asonthey to drop in at choose to leave your car allay at home, all that offer isnotice conveniently yourtend doorstep. keep you in the know. It is therefore paramount short notice! If you would welcome some advice that you get this right the first time around. Make on your property move for the New Year, please Tel: 01225 325999 sure, when you are deciding who to choose, get in touch and we would be delighted to help. www.knightfrank.com

Correct pricing andpudding broad marketing The proof of the is in the eating remain the keys to your success as a seller.

Carey Gilliland of Madison Oakley

The second half of 2017 in the Bath property market saw a continued price growth The phrase above wasgradual first used in this form in 1605 but possibly dating back as far as the 14th across the Given board the but age alsoof a the longproverb, awaitedthe risepudding in century. in question was a savoury one. in supply levels of available properties from a low mid year point up Mayintoestate Nov ).agency is an agent that actually sells, not one that just markets your The proof of (14% the pudding

Despite recent building in the city, there remains an unfortunate gap in supply home. Lots of agents will fire out regular marketing material using data to show they are 1st in the area Average became marginally for thisselling or that times but these results can be carefully filtered and are often showcased in isolation. for of affordable houses slower up to November, as is often typical for theFrom approach to winter.

The average number of an agents point of view, it is no doubt gratifying to be able to say buyers “we’re the top and at…..” but is this first time also price reductions increased (in November, really useful toalso an owner looking to identify the best agent for them? If one agent is taking on more new Rightmove suggested on property available appropriate homes property than anyone37% elseoforproperties has the most on their books, does that meanfor they are itsthe sitebest hadchoice been reduced for you?at least once) and the Bath apartment market showed the least upsizing local families

Lots of agents will fire out regular marketing material and Victorian terraces. Despite recent building in the city, there remains an unfortunate gap in using data tosurvey show are 1st in ofthe areahouses forforthis orbuyers that supply affordable first time The 2017 autumn RICS data they anticipates and also appropriate homes for upsizing local most regions displaying a flat to negative trend these can be carefully filtered and families. Villages and towns to theare southoften will overbut the next three toresults twelve months but there therefore continue to attract a great deal of will of course be significant variations even relocators. showcased in isolation. within regions and the Bath market has often movement in sale terms with an 8% increase in available properties vs other property types.

outperformed due in part to In February,regional the City averages, consultancy Jefferies published a report tracking the selling performance of over As to advice foraverage selling inestate 2018,agent correct pricing its7000 relative vs desirability but also the strong UKsize agents over a 10 month period, with a conclusion that the only appears and marketing the keys toinyour rental market and commuting links to London. to sell about 50% of the properties they are instructed on.broad Similar researchremain from Rightmove January success asused. a seller. on achieving the best suggested 70% of properties sell with the second estate agent ThisFocus is of course even worse from the best buyer its not not good always the all From a hyperlocal viewpoint, our 2017 news for those owners choosing to pay up front withprice certain online agents but –still scores first person or even sometimes the highest offer. experience round. was that correctly priced properties in the low to mid range Bath market sold strongly Take time toIf do yourgot research on sale values, and often with multiple interested Soquickly how do– you minimise your risk and choose the right agent? you’ve your finger on the property agent and also set sell. up a However, frameworkdon’t parties welocal would expect this already to continue pulse–inand your area, you will have a feeling for capabilities the agents who actually of boards, professional mortgage into NewinYear.

The average to or offer bethe taken by adverts extollingviewing success number of keep advisers watch on(solicitor, which agents reduce the surveyor etc) before putting your ratio remained around thecourse expected 10 – 1the and most properties and of examine evidencebroker, given for their valuations. property on the market. If you’re realistic and early seller entrants to the 2018 market should prepared, you’ll always see the rewards in receive a great deal of activity. Particularly active Tel: 01225 466525 speed of sale and the success rate of the markets for us right the way through to Christmas www.madisonoakley.co.uk transaction. included HMO investments, BA2 family homes

80 inbath

Carey Gilliland Madison Oakley

A Brave New World Dick Jenkins, Chief Executive, Bath Building Society

Just every so often, you come across something that expands the mind and, they say that a mind, once stretched, never returns to the same dimensions. I had such an experience with a couple of great presentations at The Bath Investment Conference, which I have had the pleasure and honour to chair for the last three years. There were, of course, very interesting presentations on property and how best to invest in the current challenging market conditions, but the presentations which blew my mind were on geopolitical risk and the likely impacts of the rise of artificial intelligence, which appears to be leaping out of the science fiction pages and landing firmly in our back yard.

Maybe I’m just getting old, but both of these presentations gave me a real sense that the world is on the brink of changing in previously unimaginable ways. The geopolitics piece told a story of a fragmenting world where the certainties of the old post-war and post-cold war order are breaking down, a world in which cities have power and status in the way that nation states have had in the past and where technologies are creating new politics. Power and inequality are ever present, but who and what is powerful is changing. There were some jaw dropping facts: we are probably past “peak democracy” with the number of states deemed democratic now in decline. The world will have 30 cities of 30 million people by 2030. 50% of the world’s population will be middle class by then! Wow! It is a world where threats and opportunities can come from a myriad of unforeseen directions and where old methods won’t solve new problems.

None of this will happen by Thursday teatime, of course. But things are changing at such a pace that by Thursday teatime, there will be another piece of the jigsaw. Look how quickly the aversion to plastic in packaging has taken off in recent months. In case I am sounding a little dystopian, the presenters were keen to point out

It is a world where threats and opportunities can come from a myriad of unforeseen directions and where old methods won’t solve new problems. None of this will happen by Thursday teatime, of course. But things are changing at such a pace that by Thursday teatime, there will be another piece of the jigsaw.

that the world we are creating is as exhilarating as it is scary. But I have a sense it’s time to buckle up for the next little chapter of history; it could be a turbulent one.

With my sensitivities heightened I then learned about where we are on the journey towards artificial intelligence and the answer is; depending on your point of view, “not very far” or “you ain’t seen nothing yet!” I was immediately struck by the fact that in a world where we are trying to make rational decisions, computers can, and will, do this better and faster than we can.

Computers can start to then learn about how we make our irrational decisions and copy that, if that’s what we want. All that is needed is data. I can now see profound implications for the world of work, but again it's not all gloomy. There are upsides as well as downsides to all of this, and remember the Luddites got it all wrong a couple of hundred years ago. And for all our clever abilities with technology, businesses that can connect with people’s humanity are likely to have a good future.

In some way it’s a fitting place to end my career as I come to retirement. After 40 years of work, its rather nice to think that there are plenty of problems for the next generation to get their teeth stuck into and that we will continue the fight to make the world a better place. I am an optimist and will always remain so; it’s the only way I know how to be!

inbath 81

lettings Despite government changes in 2017, Romans’ landlords in Bath have experienced increased rents and growth in profits.

“We know that one in four of all new buyers that register are looking to purchase for buy-to-let, yet only 1 in 8 properties sold by Romans in 2017 were sold to an investor - demonstrating a clear appetite but also uncertainty from some landlords over tax implications with the increased Stamp Duty levy on second homes and the continued phasing of the removal of mortgage interest tax relief.

“My predictions for this year are; whilst there will be some uncertainty, not least caused by the continuing Brexit negotiations, we are certain that tenant demand will remain strong both in Bath city centre as well as surrounding villages, including Bradford-on-Avon. Bath is an exceptionally desirable place to live, with many happy to live in the area to enjoy the lifestyle offered, and commute to work via the excellent transport links.

Michael Cook MD of Romans Lettings From the phasing out of mortgage tax relief, to tougher buy-to-let lending criteria and the second home stamp duty surcharge, landlords have faced a difficult few years. Yet, according to our own internal data, one in four buyers who registered in 2017, was a buy-to-let investor suggesting that appetite for buy-to-let property has not been dampened by the government changes.

Michael Cook, Managing Director of Lettings at Romans explains: “The rental market in Bath remained strong with increased rents in 2017, showing steady demand from tenants. This is fuelled by the city’s close proximity to the M4 providing quick access to the Thames Valley and London as well as Bristol and Cardiff; and direct links to London on the train take only 1 hour 20 minutes. Couple this demand with the slightly reduced capital values in some locations, those who purchased at the right time, in the right area are likely to have benefitted from increased yields.

82 inbath

“We believe that with a steadying of house price inflation continuing this year, and no obvious signs of a sharp downturn in prices almost 18 months after the referendum result, investors that were sitting on the fence last year, will now commit to a purchase.

“Whilst the political landscape is unclear, and will no doubt cause inhibitions for some to make the move, we believe the Bath rental market will continue to provide consistent returns for landlords, with no real signs of tenant demand abating. Tenants will benefit from an improved financial position with a slower rate of rent inflation and the introduction of legislation to regulate the industry, which we have been campaigning for as members of ARLA for some time.”

If you are a landlord and would like to speak to a lettings expert to ensure you are maximising your profits or for an up-to-date rental valuation, contact Romans on 01225 314 055.

What is the outlook for those renting in 2018?

With the age of first-time buyers in the UK on the rise, due to rising property prices, lack of affordable housing and an uncertain political future, more people are not only renting, but renting for longer. In fact, the average millennial is now expected to spend upwards of £100,000 on rent before purchasing their first home, according to Landbay.

Those renting for the duration of their adult life could pay up to £1 million in rent.

It's therefore, no surprising that almost half of young people are concerned they will never be able to take their first steps on the property ladder and could end up being lifetime renters.

If this was to be the case, those renting for the duration of their adult life could pay up to £1 million in rent.

What is the outlook for 2018?

Tenants:

Due to the prospect of a ban on upfront letting agent fees and with rental property demand outstripping supply, both tenants and landlords belive that rental costs may increase in 2018.

Landlords:

Due to recent controversial tax changes introduced by the Government, many landlords feel that they will either need to sell off, or reduce, their portfolio or increase rents.

Letting agents:

With more tenants now renting for longer, expectations of both renters and landlords have increased. Therefore, customer service is going to be a key criteria to a letting agencys success and potential future growth as they aim to attract new clients.

Fo r ca a fr ee ll 0 v 12 25 alua ti 68 5 6 on 52

g n i t Let Bath? in If you want a job done well there is only one stop... Romans.

Christina Lally

Romans’ customer

Clemmie Cornwell, 3 years’ experience

David Marquiss, 30 years’ experience

Nathalie Thompson, 10 years’ experience

property

Creating new homes A strong rental market means more people renting than ever and plenty of choice says Marcus Arundell of HomeLets.

Just as it was in the 18th century, Bath is the place to be for fashionable Londoners. The exodus west out of the capital appears to be continuing, and it’s kept Bath house prices rising in 2017 and into 2018. Many of those people have young children, and that’s kept demand strong for family houses, especially on the northern and southern slopes. The city centre is a different story – and here prices may even have dipped.

It’s not the crazy growth we saw earlier in the decade but it’s steady. By the end of last year annual house price growth in Bath had settled to around 4% and I’d expect it to say around the same this year.

So what’s the impact on the rental market?

Landlords have been hit by increasingly tight regulation and fewer tax breaks in recent years, and things are still getting tighter. We wondered if we’d see a really striking loss of buy to let landlords, and as a result a real reduction of available homes to rent. But it hasn’t happened.

There’s a lot of caution among BTL landlords, it’s true, but property is still seen as a reliable long term investment – and if you’re investing in property in Bath, two and a half centuries of demand (give or take the odd period of decline) should fill you with confidence.

At the same time we’re starting to see large scale new developments come onto the property market. For a long time, there’s been almost no large scale building of new homes in Bath. Now there are several schemes where the homes are rapidly taking shape – the most obvious are Western Riverside, Ensleigh, Holburne Park and Mulberry Park – although most of those homes are large family houses. The place where we’re expecting to see most rental accommodation emerge is in the massive Western Riverside development, where there will eventually be around 2,000 homes.

So… If you’re planning to rent in Bath, you’ll discover a strong rental market, plenty of homes available, from apartments to houses, and prices growing only gently.

84 inbath

If you’re looking to rent, do your due diligence early.

Know how much you can afford.

Our advice to finding that perfect home? If you’re looking to rent, do your due diligence early. Know how much you can afford. Be completely clear on the kind of home that you need, depending on whether you’ll be commuting from the station, looking for a school, pushing a pram out of the door, wanting a five minute walk to city centre restaurants – or conversely woodlands and open spaces. Then start looking, and stick to your budget.

If you’re looking to let out a home, I have to say your choice of letting agency is a big deal.

Find one with a proper plan for the future and an understanding of the many changes coming through – and clarity on the many regulations landlords have to comply with these days. To be honest, it’s a bit of a minefield. You need to go into renting with your eyes open.

Having said that, the Bath property market remains a delightful and fascinating one to be involved with. People simply love living here, so it’s always a pleasure helping them find that home they've been dreaming of. homeletsbath.co.uk

Hayley Stockham Curo Lettings

At Curo, one of our priorities is to provide great properties and places and, as a not-for-profit housing provider, we want to use our properties in the most effective way.

As a housing association and housebuilder, and the biggest Landlord in Bath owning around 550 Georgian properties in our World Heritage City, we are looking to realise the full potential of empty basements in our Georgian houses, creating new homes through sympathetic, modern and tasteful restoration.

19 Bennett Street is a prime example. In the 1960’s this majestic townhouse was converted into apartments whilst under local authority ownership. This was not unusual. Post-war many grand town houses were split into flats.

The basement floors which would have been hives of activity and the heart of the house in their heyday, with bustling kitchens and polished silver, were simply made redundant and used for storage. No more Upstairs Downstairs!

Our in-house Historic Buildings Team appraised and reviewed the viability of bringing the basement back into use. Having considered the impact on local residents and the grand building itself, we obtained the required planning consent and began a 6 month project to bring the property back into use.

The result is a beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with the perfect synergy of original features and contemporary additions. The openplan living and kitchen area retains the original range and dark stone floor. Beautiful stone steps lead to the hallway with original stone floor and the remains of the servant bells.

We continue to look at our properties to identify suitable conversion opportunities. If you would like further details and to register your interest in renting one of these beautiful properties, please contact us on 01225 366000 or email rentahome@curo-group.co.uk. Our Lettings Negotiators, Lauryn and Marie will be happy to help.

These wonderful buildings were here long before us, and will be around long after we’re gone.

People travel from far and wide to see the Georgian buildings our wonderful City has. We are privileged to be Custodians and will continue to restore these empty spaces, creating homes for the future.

Curo owns more than 550 historic properties in our world heritage city.

To rent your dream home contact us today. £895 PCM £925 PCM £795 PCM TO LET TO LET TO LET COMING SOON COMING SOON COMING SOON

The Paragon - 1 bed refurbished apartment (EPC Listed)

Norfolk Buildings - 2 bed maisonette (EPC E)

Belvedere Place - 1 bed refurbished apartment (EPC Listed)

£1,350 PCM TO LET Give our COMING SOON Lettings team

£995 PCM TO LET COMING SOON

The Paragon - 3 bed maisonette (EPC E)

Great Pulteney Street - 2 bed refurbished basement apartment

a call today

LET

£895 PCM

Lansdown Place East - 1 bed apartment (EPC D)

LET

£1,050 PCM

LET

Russell Street - 2 bed apartment (EPC Listed)

Great Pulteney Street - 1 bed apartment (EPC C)

www.curo-group.co.uk/curolettings 01225 366000 @curolettings

rentahome@curo-group.co.uk

£825 PCM

LET

£1,200 PCM

Sydney Place - 2 bed apartment (EPC Listed)

new homes

£866 million investment for local housing projects

Help to Buy scheme now on offer at Bath’s new Holburne Park Prospective home-owners can now benefit from the government’s Help to Buy scheme to secure a classically-designed house at Holburne Park, the new residential neighbourhood being created in Bath.

Offering financial support for people wanting to get onto the property ladder, the Equity Help to Buy scheme offers buyers a government loan of up to 20% of the cost of the property so people only need to raise a 5% cash deposit and take out a 75% mortgage. The government loan is interest and fee-free for the first five years of owning the home.

This new support, recently secured for Holburne Park, is expected to increase interest in the already popular development, where 75% of the homes in the first phase have already been sold.

The Help to Buy scheme is available on the ‘Beckford’ three-bedroom, mid terrace homes which offer modern, mews-style living with beautiful architectural features and generous living spaces.

The meticulously-designed homes benefit from an open-plan kitchen diner, a terrace leading out to the garden, two designated parking spaces in front of the property, a Bath stone facade and natural slate roof.

Holburne Park is set in a secluded location below Warminster Road, with its grounds bordering the picturesque Kennet and Avon Canal. It offers magnificent panoramic views and is within easy walking distance of Bath city centre.

Vicky Dudbridge, a director at Savills said: “We are delighted to have secured this vital financial support from the government’s Help to Buy scheme. We are enormously proud of the heritage design, craftsmanship, and community feel that makes Holburne Park such a special place to live.

“Taking part in the scheme will help bring these beautiful homes within the reach of even more

86 inbath

young families and young professionals ensuring a vibrant and mixed community alongside other buyers, including newly retiring downsizers.”

Two of the major attractions of Holburne Park are its location, within 15 minutes easy strolling distance of central Bath, yet close to the open countryside, and the fact it provides a rare opportunity to own a brand new, classicallydesigned home in Bath.

A newly opened, fully-furnished show home offers prospective buyers the chance to see and feel first-hand the uniquely classical design and features, whilst being fully fitted out and equipped for modern living.

Robert Adam, whose firm designed the Duchy of Cornwall’s Poundbury in Dorset, is the acclaimed architect who has created the homes at Holburne Park, whilst the interiors have been designed by luxury interior designers Sims Hilditch, renowned for their fresh take on the English country house look.

There are currently just four 3-bedroom Beckford homes remaining for sale at Holburne Park, starting from £545,000. Also available are 4-bedroom Coates three-storey town houses, starting at £955,000.

For more information and to register your interest in the homes at Holburne Park, visit www.holburnepark.co.uk, call 01225 302888, or visit The Marketing Pavilion, Warminster Road, Bath, BA2 6SF from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, or on Sundays, 10am to 4pm.

As mentioned in our earlier piece, the government has committed to building 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s. As part of this commitment, Housing Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor Philip Hammond announced, early February, that 133 council-led projects across the country will receive funding to support local work that will make housing developments viable and get much-needed homes built quicker.

Up to 200,000 new homes are set to get green light as £866 million will be invested in local housing projects as part of the first wave of funding from the £5 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund. This funding will go towards local infrastructure projects ( including new roads, cycle paths, flood defences and land remediation work), all of which are essential ahead of building new homes.

Without this financial commitment, projects would either take years to start or not start at all. Ultimately, lack of affordable housing stock increases the price of available homes, which in turn, perpetuates the current issue. Together with the government’s Industrial Strategy, the funding will provide high-quality infrastructure to support economic growth.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, who had announced plans to help repair Britain's broken housing market in the Autumn Budget 2017, stated: 'This fund finances vital infrastructure such as roads, schools and bridges, which will kick-start housing development in some of Britain’s highestdemand areas. This support will help us meet our ambitious plan of building 300,000 new homes each year and ensure we have enough housing in areas which need it most'.

The fund is divided into 2 streams: 1 - a Marginal Viability Fund to provide the final or missing piece of infrastructure funding to get additional sites allocated or existing sites unblocked quickly 2 - a Forward Fund for a small number of strategic and high-impact infrastructure projects The Strategy sets out how we are building a Britain fit for the future – how we will help businesses create better, higher-paying jobs in every part of the UK with investment in skills, industries and infrastructure.

Beckford Gate houses just four large luxury apartments with scale of Georgian grandeur and a high specification you would expect in a property of this calibre. Apartments 1 and 2 are maisonette apartments with openplan kitchen/dining areas and private terrace on the lower ground floor with master bedroom suite complete with sweeping bay window and two further bedrooms on the ground floor. Apartment 3 occupies the entire first floor whilst Apartment 4 with roof terrace occupies the second floor.

With off-street parking, secure entry system and lift access to Apartments 3 and 4 on the upper floors, the apartments are the epitome of convenience and luxury.

Georgian grandeur on Lansdown Road

Situated on the upper slopes of Lansdown on Lansdown Road, Beckford Gate is in a highly sought-after residential neighbourhood of Bath and brings a welcome addition to the housing market in Bath.

The new-build Georgian-style building occupies a prime position, set back from Lansdown Road and is complete with secure residents parking at the front and landscaped garden to the rear.

Beckford Gate houses just four large luxury apartments with scale of Georgian grandeur and a high specification you would expect in a property of this calibre.

With fantastic local amenities such as Lansdown Golf Club and Lansdown Squash and Croquet Club on your doorstep and excellent transport connections into the city of Bath and beyond, Beckford Gate is perfectly positioned for the best of both worlds.

This latest development from Bath-based developer Kersfield is likely to be in high demand and is currently on the market with joint agents Knight Frank 01225 325 999 and Savills 01225 474 591.

According to new statistics realesed by the National House Building Council (NHBC) in Feb 2018, home builders and developers registered plans to over 160,00 new homes in the UK in 2017, up 6 per cent from 2016 and the highest number since the start of the financial crisis in 2007.

Of these new builds, the private sector grew by 3% with 118,825 new homes registered, with the affordable sector increasing by 14% to 41,781.

This figure of 160, 606 homes registered are the highest yearly total for the sector since NHBC electronic records began 30 years ago.

New home completions also increased in 2017 by 4% to 147,278, from 141,685 in 2016. As these figures are regarded as a leading indicator of the new homes market, could this be a good indicator that the governements targets can be reached?

Home builders and developers registered plans to over 160,00 new homes in the UK in 2017, up 6 per cent from 2016 and the highest number since the start of the financial crisis in 2007.

UK new homes construction hits ten year high

You may remember, Prime Minister, Theresa May, dedicate her premiership to fixing Britain's broken housing market, during her ill-fated conference speech in October 2017. Her commitment to building 300,000 new homes each year, to make up the shortfall of new homes available to buy, was described by her as a 'personal mission'.

‘Our figures show the market has delivered strong growth resulting in the highest new home figures for a decade and growth across the majority of the UK, including London for the first time since 2014,’ said NHBC chief executive Steve Wood.

‘Looking ahead, NHBC will continue to work with the industry to help raise the standards of new homes. With 6% growth in the quantity of new home registrations, the focus on delivering quality for consumers remains critical,’ he added.

Mr Wood continued “If the economy is sound, the housing market is sound.

I know there is a bit of an argument about whether we are going to lag behind global growth. But if we are still going to get growth, we will get growth in housing as well.”

inbath 87

new homes

RIVERSIDE APARTMENTS PROVIDE IDEAL ENTRY LEVEL FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS

Contrary to what many people perceive as being a chronic shortage of new housing in Bath, the reclaiming of land that had stood derelict for well over 20 years is providing opportunities for house hunters to buy a new home close to the centre of the world heritage city.

Including a mix of property types, the range of one and two-bedroom apartments at Bath Riverside now provide the perfect entry point for those keen to get onto the property ladder.

take a closer look, as many first time buyers have done already, you realise that with Crest Nicholson’s help you can buy your dream first home.

Add in the fact that the Government’s Help-toBuy scheme is available plus Crest Nicholson’s current offer to pay £500 per month* towards the mortgage, suddenly makes buying a first home a distinct reality.

“There are also many advantages to buying something new and is a major attraction for those looking to buy their first home as they tend to have lower running costs and don’t have any expensive decorating bills.

Jonathan Shaw, sales advisor at the development said: “Many people think that because they are brand new means they will be out of their price range. However when you

“To step into your new home and have a complete blank canvas to start from is also a big draw.

“The development’s proximity to the city centre is also a big attraction as residents here can walk there in under 15 minutes. That’s really handy for those who work in Bath or if they are going out for a meal, to do a bit of shopping or just to meet friends.

“For first time buyers, getting onto the property ladder can sometimes feel like a giant leap, however our current offer plus the Help to Buy scheme can make the move much more affordable. Also, it’s worth noting that by using Help to Buy, buyers only need to put down a five per cent deposit.”

The properties currently available at the first time buyer entry level, can be found in the very latest phase called Sovereign Point which is located right next to the River Avon and next to what will be one of the many open parks at the development.

Jonathan added: “Offering ample living space and high-quality fixtures and fittings throughout, the apartments currently for sale are ideal for young couples or single professionals looking to secure their dream first-home in the city.

“The large, spacious apartments offer couples room to grow and with the city centre so close, residents will not be short for options when it comes to evenings out. I encourage anyone interested to come in and meet our team to talk through the options available.” *Offer applies to selected two-bedroom apartments only. Terms & conditions apply.

Please speak with a Crest Nicholson sales advisor for more information.

For further information please call 01225 463517 or visit www.bathriverside.co.uk.

The Bath Riverside marketing suite on Victoria Bridge Road is open daily from 10 am to 5pm.

88 inbath

DISCOVER WATERSIDE LIVING

A collection of 1 & 2 bedroom waterside apartments overlooking the River Avon are available now with a 5% deposit through Help to Buy *.

Enjoy unrivalled views of Bath, just a short level walk from the city centre.

Prices from £340,000 Book your appointment to view today.

75-76 Palladian | Victoria Bridge Road | Bath | Somerset | BA2 3FL

www.bathriverside.co.uk

01225 979021

Terms and conditions apply. Please speak to a Sales Advisor for further details on Help to Buy. Photography of Royal View, by kind permission of Hundven-Clements Photography. Pricing correct on 14.02.18.

Crest Nicholson Regeneration, a division of Crest Nicholson Operations Limited, Crest House, Pyrcroft Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 9GN. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE OR ANY DEBT SECURED ON IT

*

new homes

WHY WAIT: THEhomes RISE AND Unique new in RISE a parkland setting exclusively at Hope House, Bath OF THE OFF PLAN PURCHASE

W

Giles Harlingithin from Savillsdistance Bath discusses the reasons why city of Bath, Hope House walking of the heart of the beautiful more peopleisthan ever before are now willing to purchase a prestigious development of one to four bedroom luxury apartments and a home thathouses. has yetNestled to be built. within six acres of private parkland these new properties Historically, British buyers don’t like purchasing benefits are considerable, present a unique opportunityThe tofinancial benefit from a home in the city yet with the outlook property they haven’t seen. Unlike a second particularly in areas where property values are surroundings found outside handand purchase, where a buyer can rarely walk around continually on therural rise, aslocations. buying off plan allows and touch and feel their prospective home, an off-plan sale relies on the vision to see something which won’t appear in the ground for months, or sometimes even years, to come.

people to get ahead of the market, by securing a price early on.

The new homes have been meticulously designed inside and out. These stunning Those who buy early enough in the build properties feature wonderful programme views across the city, a sumptuous and sophisticated can choose the best layout and the But, with a plethora of sophisticated marketing best plot, based on what is of most importance to specification, lift access, under croft parking and the convenience of a concierge service. tools that go beyond the traditional brochure them and their lifestyle. For example, we recently brought Hope House, a collection of luxurious new apartments and townhouses, to the market.

Set within six acres of private parkland, the development features the refurbishment of the historic, Grade II listed Hope House, which enjoys an elevated position to the north of the city, commanding exceptional views over Bath and beyond. A series of new houses and But, even with all this at a buyer’s disposal, apartments will sit to the south and east, with why buy off plan when you can purchase a many benefitting from private gardens, balconies, second hand property that you can see, touch terraces or roof terraces. Hope House has and explore in the here and now? Well, there already attracted a number of early reservations, are some real advantages to buying into a with those buyers having taken the opportunity to AN ACORNoffLED DEVELOPMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITHsecure their favourite orientation and view. development plan. and price list, buyers now have so much more to go on, giving them the confidence they need to bite the bullet and make the purchase. Buyers can expect floor plans, projected rental yields and detailed local knowledge, all of which come together to help them make decisions that are well-informed and timely.

Prices from £340,000 to £1,750,000 Lansdown Road, Bath BA1 5ES

For sales enquiries contact:

Savills on 01225 474 591

Another key reason buyers are attracted to off plan developments is that, as opposed to a second hand property purchase, which often requires a level of maintenance and repair to bring it up to scratch, modern developments are, by nature, designed and equipped for 21st century living.

Hope House is an excellent example of the sophistication, quality and convenience now available in an off plan development. Here, the devil is in the detail, with the interiors specification including such features as underfloor hearing, granite kitchen worktops, engineered oak flooring and timber sliding sash windows. Aspects, such as lift access, under croft parking and a five day a week concierge service, provide a level of comfort and convenience that is hard to beat.

The financial benefits are considerable, particularly in areas where property values are continually on the rise, as buying offdifferent plan allows people to get ahead of the acornpropertygroup.org by design market, by securing a price early on.

Buying off plan is by no means for everyone, but for growing numbers of prospective buyers, it can be a savvy move.

Prices correct at time of print. Images shown for illustrative purposes only.

90 inbath

For more information on Hope House, contact the residential development sales team at Savills Bath on 01225 474591.

Unique new homes in a parkland setting exclusively at Hope House, Bath

W

ithin walking distance of the heart of the beautiful city of Bath, Hope House is a prestigious development of one to four bedroom luxury apartments and houses. Nestled within six acres of private parkland these new properties present a unique opportunity to benefit from a home in the city yet with the outlook and surroundings rarely found outside rural locations.

The new homes have been meticulously designed inside and out. These stunning properties feature wonderful views across the city, a sumptuous and sophisticated specification, lift access, under croft parking and the convenience of a concierge service.

Prices from ÂŁ340,000 to ÂŁ1,750,000 Lansdown Road, Bath BA1 5ES

For sales enquiries contact:

Savills on 01225 474 591 AN ACORN LED DEVELOPMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

different by design Prices correct at time of print. Images shown for illustrative purposes only.

acornpropertygroup.org

new homes

SHORT COMMUTE CAN LEAD TO SAVINGS

Brand new homes in Beckington near Frome are increasingly in demand, as more people working in Bath recognise the benefits of living outside the city.

David Wilson Homes says it’s seen a rise in enquiries at its De Cheney Gardens development, less than 25 minutes out of the city, in particular from city workers looking for a more rural home setting. It comes as the average price for homes in Bath has soared by £87,000 in three years according to research from Halifax Bank.

Louise Ware, sales director at David Wilson Homes, said: “Buyers are switching onto the fact that they can get a lot more for their money by moving 20-30 minutes outside of the city. They can get a lot more space on the same budget. What’s more, they can enjoy a more rural setting with countryside right on their doorstep.”

De Cheney Gardens, an exclusive community of just 31 new homes in the village of Beckington, near Frome. The small but perfectly formed community is all about quality, not quantity, with a collection of two, four and five bedroom homes.

Among the properties available is the fivebedroom Glidewell style home. The detached property is perfect for families, with a dining room, study, spacious lounge and show-stopping open plan kitchen providing plenty of space for entertaining on the ground floor.

Upstairs, there are four double bedrooms and a single bedroom, the master with its own en suite and dressing area. The second bedroom also has an en suite shower room and a family bathroom serves the other bedrooms.

The family home comes with parking and a double garage, meaning there’s plenty of space for multi-car families.

De Cheney Gardens is within walking distance of a range of facilities and has been a hit with families as well as commuters working in Bath, which is less than 25 minutes away by car.

Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Beckington Church of England First School is close by, as is a doctors surgery, farm shop and local pub.

Buyers are switching onto the fact that they can get a lot more for their money by moving 20-30 minutes outside of the city.

They can get a lot more space on the same budget. What’s more, they can enjoy a more rural setting with countryside right on their doorstep.

94 inbath

To find out more about De Cheney Gardens, where prices start from £340,000, visit www.dwh.co.uk or call 01373 597 062

new homes

Climb the property ladder with Help to Buy at Crest Nicholson’s Vicarage Fields Nestled in England’s smallest city of Wells is Crest Nicholson’s rural haven, Vicarage Fields.

Vicarage Fields offers a traditional collection of two, three and four-bedroom homes perfect for both first time buyers and those looking to move up the property ladder in this picturesque location.

With views of the rolling Somerset countryside, Vicarage Fields is well placed for residents to enjoy the great outdoors in rural Wells. Keward Brook runs through the development and a wildlife corridor winds across the site, home to otters, kingfisher birds and greater horseshoe bats.

Two-bedroom homes at Vicarage Fields are available now from £270,000 and can be bought using the Help to Buy scheme. Under the initiative, you could be eligible for an interest free equity loan for up to 20% of the property value enabling you to secure your dream home with just a 5% deposit. The remaining 75% is covered by a mortgage, allowing you to purchase your dream home for less. Available on new build homes worth up to £600,000, Help to Buy is not just for first time buyers and can also be used by second-steppers looking to take a bigger step up the property ladder.

Vicarage Fields benefits from superb local amenities just a short walk away. Residents can wander into nearby Wells in ten-minutes, a city home to several excellent schools.

Vicarage Fields homes offer luxurious comfort, whilst remaining architecturally mindful of the rural surroundings. Each home is fitted with a beautiful Moores Definitive Kitchen, complete with integrated Bosch appliances. The interior décor is impeccably designed, with sleek, sophisticated features ideal for modern living.

Wells Cathedral School, Stoberry Park and St Cuthbert’s Church of England Infant and Junior School are all close by, making this a fantastic area for growing families.

The charming city of Wells has a brilliant community feel, and is a popular tourist attraction due to its historical character. With a magnificent Cathedral, a medieval palace and traditional narrow cobbled streets, Wells has an abundance of attractions to keep the family entertained.

The bustling city centre, just a short walk from Vicarage Fields, has a wide range of shops, restaurants and other amenities.

Under the initiative, you could be eligible for an interest free equity loan for up to 20% of the property value enabling you to secure your dream home with just a 5% deposit.

96 inbath

Vicarage Fields is ideally located just off the A39 Glastonbury Road, with excellent road links to nearby cities such as Bristol and Bath, both located under an hour away. It also benefits from regular public transport with a bus stop at the front of the development - perfect for relaxing day trips.

Two-bedroom homes are available at Vicarage Fields now from £270,000. Pop in to the Sales and Marketing Suite to visit one of our show homes, open daily 10am to 5pm for more information, visit www.crestnicholson. com/developments/vicarage-fields, email Vicaragefields@crestnicholson.com or call 01749 600864.

Time to buy with Help to Buy Make your next step on the property ladder count and let Help to Buy* make owning your dream home a reality.

The scheme enables you to buy a new home with a 5% deposit. You’ll need to take out a 75% mortgage on your new home and the remaining 20% will be funded by a Government loan.

Our stunning homes on the edge of historic Wells in Somerset are just a short level walk from the City Centre and many are available to move into now.

VICARAGE FIELDS WELLS , SOMERSET

www.crestnicholson.com/vicaragefields * Terms and conditions apply. Please speak to a Sales Advisor for further details on Help to Buy. Pricing correct on 19.02.18.

Crest Nicholson South West, a division of Crest Nicholson Operations Ltd, Crest House, Lime Kiln Road, Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8ST. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE OR ANY DEBT SECURED ON IT.

01749 600864

tea time teasers win a £50

sudoku - evil 3

6

2 3 1 8 9 5

wordsearch

L T I U C S I B Y

A N P L A U L A C

B I U Y R G O G H

R M C R R A G U S

E A Y E N O L Y C

Answer the following trivia questions, taking the first letter of each answer, to spell a word associated with this issue.

Send your answers to each question along with the 'secret' word, on e-mail, to: competitions@inbath.net subject: 'Next Voucher' for a chance to win!

Closing date: 1st April

3 5

7 4 8 5 2

5

8

6

1 4

2

Next Voucher

H F E S D M I L K

3 9

T N A L P L E T L

6 7 O N L E S M A O I

K E T T L E T P S

Words associated with Tea Cup, Pot, Kettle, Bag, Leaf, Herbal, Mint, Iced, Green, Milk, Sugar, Plant, Biscuit

98 inbath

1, Denotes a substance or spiritual energy "exteriorized" by physical mediums.

Said to be associated with the formation of spirits. (9).

2, American rock band, sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston". Hits include 'Walk this Way', 'Amazing" and "Crazy" (9) 3, Capital of the Republic of Macedonia.

It is a center for metalprocessing, chemical, timber, textile, leather, and printing industries.

(6) 4, 1998 American satirical science fiction film directed by Peter Weir and starring Jim Carrey. The _ _ _ _ _ _ Show (6) 5, Also known as _ _ _ _ _ _ Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots. King of England from 1272 to 1307.

(7) 6, Constantino _ _ _ _ _, Italian golfer with 5 European tour wins and a secondplace finish in the 1995 Open Championship (5)

Last Issues Answers:

1. Harlem 2. Edric 3. Arachnoid 4. Lithography 5. Tavare 6.Happy SECRET WORD - Health

EST. 1980

the experience from design to completion We have a comprehensive range of products & services designed to suit all individual home improvement requirements.

Call in to our fully stocked Oldfield Park showroom and enjoy a relaxed, pressure-free experience while considering the huge choice of options available to you.

We are with you every step of the way.

Flush-fit casement windows, an approved

www.clearglazewindows.co.uk

solution for Heritage & Conservation use

Solid roof replacements for warm winters and cool summers

We are the South West’s largest installer of solid core composite doors by Solidor

32 Shaftesbury Rd Oldfield Park Bath, BA2 3LJ 01225 425211

Showroom opening times: Monday - Saturday 9AM - 5PM