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brings his 'Bit Much' tour to The Forum Award-winning comedian, Josh Widdicombe, We chat to the proud Devonian inside, as part of this years Bath Comedy Festival. on April 18th. plus you can win two tickets to see the show

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As we count down the days thisayear's Our music section continues to to take look Bath gethappening the latest around news on at theFestival, best livewe music actscity. that are performing and how you the can guarantee your tickets.

Along with details of Michael Buble's exciting We preview theRoyal spring seasoninatJuly, thewe concnert at the Crescent Wiltshire Music Centrenephew, and showcase the speak to Eric Clapton's Will Johns Bath Phil's 'The Four Season Recomposed' about touring and being part of a very featuring Laura van der Heijden on cello miusical family.

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what's on what's on

The city comes alive this spring with a

food and drink and drink Our food and drink section will take a

The new year brings with it some fantastic number of fantastic events, including the shows and events in Bath. We highlight Bath Half and Bath Comedy Festival. everything from comedy to music, exhibitions to festivals within our what's on We speak to Josh Widdicombe and section.

Seann Walsh as they perform their new We get the latest our fantastic museums shows, there arefrom previews of shows and galleries, as well speak at to Josie at The Egg, the newasseason Bath Long as she brings her 'Tender' show to Komedia.

Racecourse, plus our usual competitions Finally, are two competitions from for youthere to win.

Theatre Royal Bath to win.

If you've given your stomach enough time look at the best places to take afternoon to digest the festive fayre, then you will be tea across the city, we also give you a glad to hear that this issue sees some more brief history of how this 'obsession' began. fantastic gastronomic events that will tempt your tastebuds.

With Mother's Day on March 22nd, we Along with the likesofofthe Valentine's and Burn's showcase some best places to Night on the horizon, we take a look atwe spoil that special someone.

Finally, eating healthier, with a focus on plant-based speak to Matt Gillard, No.15 Pulteney foods and how a 'good gut' can play a Street's new Head Chef, about his career. major role in all round health.

health and wellbeing easter days out

property

The start first chance a few off is here The of a newfor year offersdays up an and it couldn't comeonsoon enough. opportunity to reflect the year just passed Having braved horrendously cold and focus on thethe year ahead. and wet weather at the beginning of the year, Easter offers up an opportunity We take a look at Health and Wellbeing,to pack the car up and get out andtips about asking local experts to give us their in some, slightly more clement and advice on how to make 2020weather. a year

As many of usis have considered a The new year an opportunity to take lifestyle overhaul the year, stock of all aspectsat ofthe yourstart life, of and your It mayshould well come a bit ofWith lightsome reliefof home be noas different. to know that many of the new interior the issues that may have held that 'dream' trendsback for 2020 focus lengthy move nowdon't resolved, weon take a look at reconstructions, creating a striking some of the areasbut beston new developments statement transform a room. to give you that a feelcan of where your future may Weintake lookwe atspeak the main areas lie 2020.aPlus, to some of of thethe home and find out how you too can cities respected voices to hear what their make a statement. predictions are for the housing market.

Get closer to history. Explore the treasures beneath the Roman Baths.

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InBath is published by CVM Publishing Ltd M: 07966 041054 Twitter: @InBath Instagram: inbathmag Editors: Craig & Victoria Maplesden

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for positive change. We also take a look at We take awith look manyChatterjee, of the areas wellbeing Drat Ragan whobest museums, and attractions. talks about galleries his new book.

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Tony Law

Arabella Weir: Does My Mum Loom Big in This?

what's on 5 Mar Madama Butterfly The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk One of the world’s most popular operas, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly tells the heart-breaking story of the beautiful young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant – with dramatic results.

Time: 7.30pm Prices vary, see website for details 8 Mar Tony Law Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Homo Sapiens, Neanderthal, IndoEuropean horse tribesman, an Englishman a Canadian a norn iron man and a Trinidadian and a Tobagonian. A dog, a dog owner, owned by a dog a surrealist an absurdist and an artist who is comedy of person. A parent a thrower a catcher a reader and a farmer.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: £ 10.00 9 Mar Bathe & ‘The Art of Finding Rest, Relaxation and Rejuvenation in a Busy World’ No15 Great Pulteney www.no15greatpulteney.co.uk/events.

While the wellness world whirs with the latest treatments and practices, the humble bath has stood the test of time.

Leading wellness writer, Suzanne Duckett – and author of Bathe – is just the person to expand on the pleasures and benefits of bathing. Come along for an evening

4 inbath

of chat, insight and recommended bath-time routines from Suzanne who is a former editor of theTatler Spa Guide and writes regularly for the likes of The Times, Wall Street Journaland The Telegraph.

Time: 6.30-8pm Prices: £29 per person (including glass of fizz, canapés and a copy of Bathe).

Tickets available via the website.

9 Mar Harry Baker Komedia www.komedia co.uk MathematicianturnedWorld-Slam-Champion Harry Baker turns 10,000 days old, celebrating numbers, words and life itself.

Time: 8pm Prices: £ 12,00 10 - 14 Mar Legally Blonde The Musical Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society explodes onto the stage with this upbeat, high energy show bursting with memorable songs and dynamic dances.

Based on the novel by Amanda Brown, and the smash hit 2001 movie, this stage version won three Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, following its West End debut in 2011.

Times and prices vary, see website for details 11 Mar Tommy Tiernan: Tomfoolery Komedia www.komedia.co.uk

Bath Half Tommy Tiernan’s brand new show TOMFOOLERY sees the now 50 year old comedian back onstage with an exhilarating mix of the highly personal and flamboyant storytelling that audiences have come to love.

Time: 8pm Prices vary, see website for details 12 Mar Daliso Chaponda Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Daliso shot to fame on Britain’s Got Talent and has gone on to amass over 100 million YouTube views, write and star in his critically acclaimed Radio 4 show Citizen of Nowhere, and appear on QI, The Apprentice: You’re Fired, News Quiz and The Now Show.

Time: 8pm Prices vary, see website for details 13 Mar Arabella Weir: Does My Mum Loom Big in This?

Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Does My Mum Loom Big In This? is for everyone who’s had a mother or been a mother, featuring hair-raising hilarious true stories from Arabella’s dysfunctional childhood and her life as a single working mother.

Time: 8pm Prices vary, see website for details 15 Mar Bath Half www.bathhalf.co.uk One of the longest established and most popular city centre road races in the UK. 16 - 21 Mar Band of Gold Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk Band of Gold was the ground-breaking

Ed Byrne crime drama that captivated over 15 million viewers each week when it aired on ITV. The stories revolved around a group of women – Carol, Rose, Anita and Gina. At times both heartbreaking and humorous, Band of Gold tells the story of how a young mother is drawn into the notorious red-light district. With a killer on the loose, it’s a battle to survive!

Times and prices vary, see website for details 19 Mar Ed Byrne: If I'm honest The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Join Ed as he takes a long hard look at himself and tries to decide if he has ANY traits that are worth passing on to his children.

Time: 8pm Prices vary, see website for details 23 - 28 Mar What’s In A Name?

Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk You are invited to take a seat at the table for a riotously funny evening that questions whether a person’s name truly reflects who they are.

Times and prices vary, see website for details

The Joe & Dianne Show 30 Mar - 19 Apr The Bath Comedy Festival www.bathcomedy.com 20 days of exciting events guaranteed to get you laughing from stand-up to workshops - see pages 16 - 19 for details.

30 Mar - 4 Apr Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk This sensational multi award-winning West End show opened in 1989 and has been thrilling audiences around the world ever since.

Times and prices vary, see website for details 4 Apr The Joe & Dianne Show The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Together for their first ever joint tour, The Joe & Dianne Show will give audiences a fantastic evening of performance, full of glitz, magic and plenty of laughs, guaranteed to leave fans of all ages spellbound. dramatic results.

Time: 7.30pm Prices vary, see website for details

29 Mar Only Fools and Boycie Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Enjoy an intimate evening with John Challis, one of the nation’s greatest comedy actors, best known as Boycie in BBC1’s Only Fools and Horses.

7 - 11 Apr The Tempest Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk One of Britain’s best-known classical actors, Michael Pennington, returns to Bath to play Prospero in Shakespeare’s final play.

Times and prices vary, see website for details

In this one-off show the national treasure will reveal secrets from the set with stories and anecdotes from his dazzling career.

Time: 8pm Prices vary, see website for details

14 - 18 Apr Jayne Eyre Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk A gothic masterpiece of tempestuous

passions and dark secrets, JANE EYRE tells the thrilling story of an orphan girl and her journey from a childhood of loneliness and cruelty to a life at Thornfield Hall and an unlikely relationship with the mysterious Mr Rochester.

Times and prices vary, see website for details 18 Apr Dusk Memory Walk Dorothy House, Winsley BA15 2LE www.dorothyhouse.org.uk/events/duskmemory-walk-2020/ Join hundreds of others in a gentle 5km walk to celebrate life, remember a loved one and raise money for Dorothy House.

Time: 7pm Prices: £12 for adults, £5 for anyone under the age of 18 and free for children under 2 years. A family ticket costs £30 (two adults and two children).

18 Apr Josh Widdicombe The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk A show that will change your life and how you perceive your place in the world. Bit much? Fine, it’ll be a very funny night of grumbles and jokes in which Josh will finally tackle the hot comedy topics of advent calendars, pesto and the closing time of his local park.

Time: 8pm Prices: £20.00 / £25.00 (+ Booking Fees) 19 Apr David Baddiel Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk David has stories to tell of the dark, terrible and hysterically absurd cyber paths that interacting with trolls has led him down when he has responded to their abuse.

Time: 7.30pm Prices vary, see website for details

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what's on

Kiri Prticahrd-McLean 20 - 25 Apr Thriller - Live Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk Direct from London’s West End where it is now in its record breaking 11th year, THRILLER LIVE is a spectacular concert created to celebrate the greatest music ever written.

Times and prices vary, see website for details 26 April Kiri Prticahrd-McLean Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Kiri thinks that we live in a time where empathy is seen as a weakness like asthma or being first to pull away from a handshake. But why is that? Surely what we need in these divided times is more empathy? So Kiri is off on a search to find a group of people who she struggles to empathise with, what could this mean…..?

Time: 8pm Prices vary, see website for details 26 Apr Balletboyz Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk There’s a treat in store for Spring; BalletBoyz are back! Get ready to meet Joey, Ben, Harry, Liam, Sandi and Will, the six exceptional young dancers who star in this feast of mesmerising and sublime dance, cleverly fused with the BalletBoyz trademark use of film and behind-the-scenes footage.

Time: 7.30pm Prices vary, see website for details 27 Apr - 2 May The Habit of Art Theatre Royal www.theatreroyal.org.uk In The Habit of Art, Alan Bennett gives us a play about a meeting between two of the twentieth century’s most remarkable artists, the poet WH Auden and the composer Benjamin Britten.

29 Apr 100% Simon Brodkin Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Time: 8pm Prices vary, see website for details 1 May Seann Walsh: Same Again?

Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Seann wanted to be a stand-up comedian from the age of 10. In this show, he tells us how he got here, from growing up in Brighton to gathering a slew of TV credits and glowing reviews, to becoming a tabloid villain. See our interview with Seann on page 10.

Time: 8pm Prices vary, see website for details

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Kids' Lit experts launch year-round programme of children’s book events in Bath, Bristol and beyond Bath-based kids' lit experts Gill and John McLay have launched a brand new not-for-profit venture – Wonder (www.eventsofwonder.com) - a year-round series of entertaining and inspiring children’s book events in Bath, Bristol and beyond.

Capturing imaginations and inspiring future storytellers, Wonder’s aim is to not only bring some of the biggest selling children’s authors and illustrators on the planet to our cities, but also to celebrate emerging talent, offer workshops and clubs that centre around hobbies, favourite characters and games, and to bring the magic of stories into creative spaces that spark kids’ imagination.

On Sunday, 8 March, illustrator and suffragette descendant Kate Pankhurst will be celebrating International Women’s Day with a special event at Bath’s Royal High School. On Saturday, 28 March – in a special collaboration with Bath’s Historic Venues – historian and TV presenter Lucy Worsley will be giving a special talk about her new book, The Austen Girls, at The Assembly Rooms in Bath.

Working with many of Bath’s brilliant booksellers – including Waterstones, Mr B.’s Emporium of Reading Delights and Topping & Co. – more Wonder events are to be announced soon.

From 10 to 18 October, the first Wonder festival will be staged in Bath across a variety of the cities’ modern and classic venues.

Events large and small, for public and schools, will see some of the world’s most amazing authors, artists and storytellers for families come together for a new, exciting and distinct celebration of story, imagination and creativity.

Tickets for all Wonder events are on sale via The Bath Hive (www.thebathhive.co.uk), a ‘What’s On’ of children and family events created by Wonder to make life easy for parents and guardians, and to support venues that encourage creative learning.

To be the first to hear about new Wonder events, sign up to Wonder’s newsletter here: www.eventsofwonder.com, and follow Wonder on Twitter @eventsofwonder, and on Instagram @eventsofwonder.

EXCLUSIVELY YOURS

Cross Bath at Thermae Bath Spa

Located in the heart of Bath,you can experience exclusive use of the historic Cross Bath as a couple or group of up to 10 friends and enjoy a glass of Prosecco whilst bathing in the natural thermal waters.

Open daily from 10.00 – 20.00 01225 33 1234 www.ThermaeBathSpa.com

D

orothy House invites local families to take part in their 5km sponsored Dusk Memory Walk from the beautiful Hospice grounds in Winsley from 6pm on Saturday 18th April 2019. The Dusk Memory Walk is a special way of remembering loved ones at the same time as supporting the Hospice to continue providing its outstanding palliative and end of life care for patients and families.

The walk consists of a gentle stroll through stunning countryside and is open to all the family as well as dogs. It follows a circular route along footpaths, fields and the Kennet and Avon canal as well as featuring a hill at the end. Walkers are invited to arrive from 6pm and the walk starts at 7pm.

raise £5 more. Why not join us on 18th April.”

Sharon Frost from Chippenham said: “I’m taking part in the Dusk Memory Walk because Dorothy House has given wonderful compassionate support to some people very close to my heart. My lovely friend Sophie spent her last days at the Hospice and died peacefully on Boxing Day 2018. My dear Mum received palliative care at home until passing away on 5th February 2019. Being able to die with dignity and peacefully in a place that feels safe, is a reassurance to both the person receiving care and the family and friends watching their loved ones go through this. Being able to spend every last moment with my Mum was so very precious.”

The Dusk Memory Walk is a special way of remembering loved ones at the same time as supporting the Hospice to continue providing its outstanding palliative and end of life care for patients and families. at the Hospice in November 2019. We wanted to get involved to help raise vital funds for the Hospice as everybody who helped us and Dad there was absolutely amazing and we wanted to give something back. We can't thank Dorothy House enough.”

Entry for the sponsored Dusk Memory Walk is £12 for adults, £5 for children or a family ticket for two adults and two children is £30.

To enter visit www.dorothyhouse.org.uk/ events/dusk-memory-walk-2020 or call T: 01225 721 480.

All walkers are given a dedication label to wear and a candle bag to decorate with pictures and personal messages to their loved ones. On returning to the Hospice after the walk visitors can spend time with friends and family while enjoying some refreshments. As dusk falls all the decorated candle bags are lit up in the Hospice garden for walkers to view.

Emily Knight, Event Fundraiser at Dorothy House said: “This event is a special opportunity to get together with friends and family, remember loved ones and support the Hospice. Last year the walk attracted over 200 walkers and this year we hope to increase this as for every £1 we receive from the NHS we have to

“The Dorothy House bereavement team have been a lifeline since losing Sophie and Mum, their counselling, Writing Through Grief course, mindfulness and walking group have all been a huge help to find healing through the pain of loss. I have also met some wonderful people that have been through similar experiences. The Hospice has a huge heart and it has been a privilege to be held in the loving arms that make up Dorothy House.”

Lucy Bees from Keynsham said: “I’m doing the walk with my husband, two children, my Mum, my two sisters and four of my nieces and nephews and our dog Bella. We are walking in memory of my Father, Mark Dyer, who was a patient

komedia interview

What was the comedy scene like growing up in Brighton?

Very different to how it is now. There were only a couple of new act nights and now there are loads, one on every night I think.

It was a wonderful time though. There was a bunch of us and we all supported each other and got very very drunk.

Who were your biggest comic influences growing up?

Stand-up wise; Lee Evans, Jack Dee, Lee Hurst and Jeff Green - Loved them! I got to be in a sitcom with Jack, which was a dream come true.

Are there any particular styles of comedy you enjoy more?

What I would say is I prefer to watch stand-up live. You really have to be there to experience it completely.

You’ve received a number of plaudits for your recent comedy Short ’The Drunk’, where you wrote and acted the ’silent’ comedy part. Is this something you would like to do more of?

'The Drunk' was a self-funded thing to learn how to direct. Making it a silent comedy was to make the process simpler and also because I’d been watching a lot of silent comedy at the time. I love Chaplin.

Seann Walsh Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Seann Walsh is heading back out on tour this spring with his hotly anticipated new show Same Again?

Fresh for 2020, this show mixes some of Seann’s best loved routines with new candid stories from the last ten years. Craig Maplesden caught up with Seann ahead of his Komedia show on May 1st to talk about his new show, doing stand-up in the playground at primary school and cage fighting.

Thank you for taking the time out to chat to me ahead of your Bath show at Komedia. The new tour is called ‘Same Again’, what do you cover in the new show?

It's called that because it’s a sort of 'Greatest Bits' show, but It’ll be a mix of new and old.

Simply. No. So could 'web-based' comedy be where future comedic talent gets themselves recognised?

It’s a far cry from doing the pub and club scene!

I think that’s the future. The now even. I don’t understand it all. You’re meant to put up clips with subtitles but I can’t work out how to do it. I think I missed all that.

Have you always wanted to be a comedian?

After the tour, what does the rest of 2020 hold for you?

As far back as I can remember, I used to do what was essentially stand-up at lunch time in the playground in primary school. I was trying to get encores so I didn’t have to go back to lessons.

Cage fighting

"As far back as I can remember, I used to do what was essentially stand-up at lunch time in the playground in primary school. I was trying to get encores so I didn’t have to go back to lessons."

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Do you think ‘The Drunk’ could become a regular character of yours - bringing the silent comedy era back to a new audience?

Seann Walsh 'Same Again' is at Komedia, Bath on Friday 1st May, 8pm.

For tickets, please call the Box Office on 01225 489070 or go online: www.komedia.co.uk/bath

what's on

Taking a peak at what The Egg Theatre’s Alumni get up to At the egg, we are constantly creating art that challenges, inspires and delights children, and we are thrilled to announce that our very own I Wish I Was A Mountain has won the People’s Choice Victor Award at the IPAY Showcase in Philadelphia!

Toby Thompson and Kate Cross MBE, Artistic Director of the egg.

Photography by Ashley Smith of WideEyesStudios.com.

Having been incubated by the egg and then co-produced by the egg and Travelling Light Theatre, I Wish I Was A Mountain inspired audiences on its 2019 tour and has now gone on to win the hearts of the delegates at the International Performing Arts for Youth showcase.

Toby Thompson stars in I Wish I Was A Mountain.

Set design by Anisha Fields.

Photography by Jack Offord.

The success of I Wish I Was A Mountain is of particular pride to us at the egg, due to its home-grown nature. The egg has a long history of engaging young people in theatre, not only as audience members, but as theatre-makers in their own right – from the Theatre Royal Bath Theatre School to Bath Theatre Academy, our partnership with Bath College, to countless workshops and outreach programmes. Toby Thompson, writer and performer of I Wish I Was A Mountain is one of those such people that we have watched develop and grow into an outstanding theatre-maker.

“For many years, Kate Cross [Artistic Director of the egg] and all the people involved with the egg have been a huge source of inspiration and support in my life,” Toby says, “I had a Front of House job at the egg for almost 10 years too; it’s a very comfortable space for me, it feels like my second home.”

Over a hundred theatre companies and artists apply each year to showcase their work at the IPAY showcase, to an audience of 450 delegates from across the world; 14 are selected following a rigorous selection panel made up of industry experts. This year, I Wish I Was A Mountain was selected to be showcased, and then proceeded to be chosen by a people’s choice vote to win the prestigious Victor Award.

I Wish I Was A Mountain first introduced itself to the world when the egg invited Toby to be a part of our idea development programme, The Incubator. Initially, it was a speculative idea, presented as a showcase (a “scratch” performance) to Incubator delegates and industry professionals. It was incredibly well received and the egg decided to develop the show further, and produce it, having received funding from the Arts Council England National Lottery. Fast-forward two years, and Toby is onstage in Philadelphia accepting the Victor Award, as voted for by the delegates in the IPAY Showcase.

And backstage lays another story of home-grown pride in the form of Becky Vowles, Production Manager for I Wish I Was A Mountain. Becky first stepped foot into the egg at the age of 14, joining the Young People’s Theatre (now called the Theatre Royal Bath Theatre School), and being given the opportunity to work alongside other young theatremakers in a professional environment.

She soon had moved on to teaching the group, alongside many other design and technical professionals, and was selected as the Egg Apprentice for her year. Working throughout the egg, from Front of House, to stage managing, to designing shows, Becky continued to grow and grow in front of our eyes. Most recently, she stage managed our 2019 Christmas show, Rapunzel, before flying out to Philadelphia, where she accepted the Victor Award alongside the rest of the I Wish I Was A Mountain team.

Toby Thompson accepts the IPAY Victor Award. From left to right, Becky Vowles, Lee Lyford, Kate Cross MBE, Tim Bell, Toby Thompson.

Photography by Ashley Smith of WideEyedStudios.com.

In any situation, it is a joy to be recognised for the work that you do in such a prestigious environment, but to know that the talent for which you are being awarded is something that has been nurtured and developed right in front of your eyes brings a whole new level of pride. It is not uncommon at the egg for us to be astounded by the successes of those who started among us – every year hundreds of stories start at the egg through our Theatre School, our Theatre Academy, and our outreach programmes. So many of our current staff members, practitioners and creatives began within these walls where we’ve watched them developed from shy, but

enthusiastic children, to headstrong and bold adults. Our aim is to ignite the minds of young people, be that as audience members or as those creating the work they want to see, and as such I Wish I Was A Mountain’s victory for us was not in its award, but in its mere creation.

For more information about how you can be involved with the egg, visit theatreroyal.org.uk/take-part

COMING SOON TO THE EGG THEATRE Fri 27 – Tues 31 March

ROMEO AND JULIET A CHRISTMAS CAROL Box Clever returns with these thrilling adaptations of classic texts, designed to bring revision to life and to make these iconic stories accessible to all.

ROMEO AND JULIET Fri 27 Mar 7.30pm Sat 28 Mar 11.30am & 3pm Tues 31 March 10am & 1pm £9/£8 children

A CHRISTMAS CAROL Sun 29 Mar 11.30am & 3pm Mon 30 Mar 1pm & 7.30pm £9/£8 children

To book or for more information visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk/the-egg or call us on 01225 823409

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what's on

Picnic Proms and the hugely popular Young Artists Concert punctuate the season all offering the opportunity to explore the secret gardens and winding paths of the 18th Century gardens of Grade 1 Belcombe Court that are rarely open to the public.

Dates:

Belcombe Court, Bradford-on-Avon

The Merry Widow

The Banqueting Room, Guildhall Bath Sung in English Sat 23 May & Sun 24 May Tickets: Sat £85 (including champagne reception with musical surprises) Sun £59 Under 18s go free*

Carmen

Iford Arts produces an acclaimed summer season of opera, proms and classical concerts in the West Country near Bath.

Book Now for the Iford Arts Festival 23 May – 19 September Iford Arts is well known for its acclaimed summer season of opera, picnic proms and concerts set in glorious venues. This year is no exception and sees the Festival return to the breath-taking banqueting room of Bath’s Guildhall in May; the 18 century gardens of Grade 1 listed Belcombe Court in August/September and new for 2020, venture into the inspiring space of Holy Trinity Church which has recently undergone a £2million refurbishment in the heart of Bradford on Avon.

Three opera productions segment the season starting with Franz Leháh’s hugely popular The Merry Widow. This fully-staged and costumed salonstyle production of the greatest of all operettas, is a witty new version by Simon Butteriss and of course features Merry Widow Waltz and a spectacular Can-Can from Maxim’s world-famous Grisettes. The Banqueting Room of Bath’s Guildhall, a venue recently described by Radio 3 as ‘the most beautiful concert hall in the country’ hosts this glamorous performance fully sung in English.

The second opera is Bizet’s Carmen presented for the first time in Iford Arts’ history. Carmen, the brazen and indomitable seductress, lives in the fast lane, avid for existence. When she sets her sights on a man, he doesn’t stand a chance… But then Carmen meets a famous matador and dumps Don José in a heartbeat. This time, though, she has finally pushed a man too far.

Iford’s new Artistic Director, Oliver Gooch, takes to the podium and James Hurley, whose inventive staging of The

14 inbath

Elixir of Love last year garnered great reviews, makes a welcome return. Our stunning geodesic dome hosts this new production in the round.

And finally, Iford Arts is truly delighted to welcome again Christian Curnyn and the Early Opera Company who trail an awesome reputation for their many national and international award winning performances, for Handel’s Acis and Galatea for the first time in Holy Trinity Church. The stunning cast for this staged concert performance features several Iford favourites: Mary Bevan is Galatea, Nick Pritchard is Acis and Lukas Jakobski reprises his role as Polyphemus.

Clare Teal

Belcombe Court, Bradford on Avon Sung in English Aug 29, Sept 1, 2, 4 Tickets: £130-£145 Under 18s go free* Picnics are welcome

Acis & Galatea

Holy Trinity Church, Bradford on Avon Sung in English Sept 19 Tickets: £29-£79 Under 18s go free* *T&Cs apply.

Please visit ifordarts.org.uk for more info

Clare Teal and her Trio Fri 28 Aug Tickets: £38 Picnics are welcome

Iford Arts New Generation in Concert with Oliver Gooch Sun 30 Aug £25 Picnics are welcome

Season finale with Classico Latino

Sat 5 Sept Tickets £38 Picnics are welcome. There will be fireworks at this event BOOK NOW: ifordarts.org.uk Bath Box Office: 01225 463362

IFORD ARTS FESTIVAL 2020 Celebrating great music in extraordinary places

OPERA The Merry Widow Guildhall Bath 23/24 May Carmen Belcombe Court Bradford-on-Avon 29 Aug, 1, 2, 4 Sept Acis & Galatea Holy Trinity Church Bradford-on-Avon 19 Sept PICNIC PROMS & CONCERTS Belcombe Court Bradford-on-Avon New Generation Artists Concerts 30 Aug Clare Teal and her Trio 28 Aug Classico Latino 5 Sept

BOOK NOW 01225 463 362

Ifordarts.org.uk

Bill Bailey

Expect to be entertained by Bill's trademark blend of satire and surrealism, stories and dismantled jokes, crowd singalongs, weird instruments and musical showstoppers.

Thing' Act have sold out theatres in London, New York and around the UK. Don't miss their brand Jess Robinson - quadruple new show!

Price: £22 / £18

A glittering array o award-winning celebration of the comedy impressionist, classically-trained delightful musical In addition tosinger their ownand live shows Radio 4 and screen. Spotstar and of stage series, they have written for Tracey Breaks The Starring: on celebrity impressions, musical comedy News (BBC1), Numtums (CBeebies), and The The Vogueabond stunning vocal gymnastics.

Mash Reportand (BBC2). ridiculous, from th Fri 29th March

smutty, The Vogue several years of e

"Her talent and showmanship is stunning" songs of Dillie Kea

Tracey Collins - Chortle& Friends

Aida, along with s Widcombe Social Club Chris Dickins, in a Doors: 6.30pm for 7.00pm show Price: £10 John Moloney (MC) - a consummate lasciviousness!

After a five star run at The Edinburgh Fringe for atover Festival and professional sell out performances The 20 years, John is Paul 'Silky' White a master craftsman of intelligent and guitar-playing stan Museum of Comedy in London, award winning with audiences ma character comedian Tracey Collins (Tina original stand up. T'urner goes" - Guardian Tea lady) returns along with some new and old characters including Audrey Heartburn and Milk Jagger for a "High night of laughter, andsharply surreal qualitysong stuff, observant Ronnie Golden comedian who's c cabaret. and carefully constructed. Not a wordChuck is Berry to Da Jones to Barry Cr unnecessary or(as out of place, every pause New Act of The Year Finalist 2019 Audrey Express Heartburn), Best Newcomer Winner at the

timed to the millisecond... A deeply

London Cabaret Awards, Nominee for Best enjoyable, hilarious evening relaxing inDaniel Cainer - "T Comedy at the Wilma Awards and Musical theFinalist sure (as hands of a Tea total professional" voice is powerful a Comedy Awards Tina T'urner like Robin William Lady). ***** Theatre Bath and rhymes" - Jew Fri 29th March

Swear along with Geoff Withnail & I Norcott

Taking Liberties

Widcombe Social Club Doors: 8.30pm for 9.00pm show Price: £8 Friday 3rd April, 2020 Back by popular demand! You've sung-along-a Widcombe Social Club Sound of Music, Mamma Mia, even Frozen but Doors: 7.30pm for 8.00pm show now, for another glorious night, you can Duration: 1hr50 SWEAR-ALONG-A WITHNAIL & I. incl interval

Price: £13.50

Rory Bremner

Join fellow fans for a very special screening of the most quoted cult classic film, Withnail & I, and get to shout along with all the sweariest moments!

Special guest introduction, and prize for the best dressed character from the film!

Our reasonably priced bar will be open throughout the show..."two large gins, two pints of cider, ice in the cider"

Mark Olver (MC) comedian, televiso club headliner.

Sun 31st March

Daniel Cain Fish & Chip

Widcombe Socia Doors: 6.00pm fo Price: £10 Stories-in-Song F

Smart, warm, funn irreverent, multi-a here with his ever in-song.

Most of the human and intelligently de wordplay, great m you'll find hard to ever wrestled with their heart.

Geoff Norcott's unique brand of provocative stand-up is hitting the road

Sat 30th March

Principal Sponsor

Festival Director Nick Steel saysperforming "This year seesat Bath Comedy With more than 300 comedians well overFestival 100 events enter its 11th year, boasting a wide and varied programme over 20 days, across 21 days, Bath Comedy Festival 2020, now in its 12th year, will including more larger scale events, with two Gala shows at the Apex have The Citytwo ofheadline Bath roaring laughter thisdeco spring.

Hotel, events atwith Bath’s fabulous art Forum, plus an

Festival Opening Weekend again in the Spring, continuing with Gala Show - Stand-up and Musical Comedy Showcase Geoff Norcott Apex Hotel Conference Suite Doors: 7.00pm for 8.00pm show Swear along with Withnail & I

Opening Night show and party. There’s something for everyone with a

fantastic core programme and"This expanded affordable festival Festival Director Nick Steel says is the festival’s 12thtoo!” year and With support andnames surprises (TBC).

26thbest March line-up yet. From household we haveTues our like Bill Bailey, After the show, stay and dance the night away to Night Show & Party Marcus Opening Brigstocke, Barry Cryer and- Josh Widdecombe to up and tunes from the best DJs in town! starring Rory Bremner coming Walcot talent like Janine Harouni and The Delightful Sausage, there is House Thurs 28th March Doors: 8.30pm show something to7.45pm suitforeveryone’s tastes." Croft & Pearce - Double Take Price: £15 / £12 Join us to celebrate the Opening Night of the Festival with Britain's best-loved satirical impressionist, who tonight brings a one-off special show: "Last Brexit Before The Motorway"!

Bill Bailey, Jess Robinson, John Moloney (MC) A man who needs no introduction, Rory has April Fools' Gala enjoyed a prolific television career of over 30 Wednesday 1st April, 2020 years, winning numerous awards including 3 Bath Forum BAFTAs. Doors: 7.00pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 2.5hrs Price: £20-£25 MarApr19.indd 106-107

A star-studded line-up to kick the Festival off in style, headlined by the amazing Bill Bailey!

Bill Bailey - multi-award-winning British comedian, songwriter, musician, actor, presenter and animal welfare

16 inbath

Widcombe Social Club Doors: 7.30pm for 8.00pm show campaigner.

His extensive career ranges Price: £14 / £10 from stand-up comedy Stars ofinternational BBC Radio 4's 'The Croft & Pearce Show' and 'Sketchorama', of the Mervynfilm and tours to performingwinners on television, Stutter Spirit of the Fringe Award, recipients radio, duetting at HRH Prince Charles' of the official Edinburgh Fringe 'Total Sell-Out 60th with Robin Comedy Williams, and Show' birthday laurel and WhatsOnLondon Award nomineesat 2017.

This BBC 'Next Big Hall with performing the Royal Albert

a full BBC Concert Orchestra. He played Manny in the BAFTA award winning Black Books, and he was for many years team captain on the popular BBC music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

He is a regular panelist on the hit BBC panel show QI, along with writing and presenting numerous TV wildlife documentaries and has recently filmed the comedy drama 'In The Long Run' created by Idris Elba.

Sun 31st March

Paul 'Silky' The Family Backwards

Widcombe Socia Doors: 8.15pm fo Price: £10 He doesn't know i something plausib show and concep you've never hear

The Audience are irrelevant, answer surprising directio

Mon 1st and Tue

Only Fools Dining Exp

Abbey Hotel Doors: 7.00pm fo Price: £57.50 incl Only Fools The (c - it's the show the by the people beh Faulty Towers The Fools The (cushty the UK in Septem winning fans.

Simon Evans The Work Of The Devil

Saturday 4th April, 2020 Widcombe Social Club Doors: 7.30pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 1hr50 incl interval Price: £15 / £13 concs

of fantastic comedic talent in Festival, featuring a mixture of comedy and stand-up.

Simon Evans' last show, Genius 2.0 (***** "A Masterclass" - The Scotsman) provided an hilarious analysis of the departure of any visible sign of intelligence from modern life.

ds - From the sublime to the he elegant to the downright eabonds return to Bath after exile, to bring the wonderful ane and Fascinating some original material by a joyous riot of larks and

Ginster's is a holiday camp unlike any other. Offering the hard graftin' folk of Yorkshire the opportunity to kick back, relax and forget the stresses of everyday life. As the new Salmon Coats, Chris and Amy's job is to keep the guests entertained, medicated and obedient.

There's no need to ask questions or start poking around - you wouldn't want to upset Colonel Whippy!

His new show raises the stakes, with his usual excoriating views of a world on fire given a perspective shift from personal revelations that turned his world upside down this year.

e - A "massively engaging nd-up whose instinctive rapport akes him welcome wherever he Guide (Pick Of The Week)

Virtuoso rock guitarist and career has seen him work with avid Bowie, and tour with Tom ryer. "Funny as hell" - Daily

Charlie Partridge Bingiddy Bongiddy

Tremendously entertaining. His and versatile, and his lyrics are ms rants with delightful rhythms wish Currents New York

- Ever popular stand-up on warm-up artist and comedy

A surreal sketch comedy nightmare that'll tear your soul apart.

Maisie Adam

Wednesday 8th April, 2020 Venue: RIng O Bells Doors: 7.15pm for 7.30pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £10

Sonic Transporting guests to The Nags Head for Comedian, Tues 2nd April Clown, Vocal Looping, some wheeling, dealing and eating, this fully Surrealism and Smut.

Dirty Smut.Hackney George Rigden: immersive, highly interactive theatre show makes Act ofWith the Year Spooning Uri Finalist 2020 for a t'riffic night out – you'd be a plonker toEmpire New O Bells Awards Finalist 2019 miss it! ner - More Gefilte MusicalRing Comedy Doors: 8.45pm for 9.00pm show ps Price: £5 or pay what you feel* The Trotters want to drum up some cash and al Club "PackedForwith laughs and great energy 2 years as a child, George Rigden (Leicester make a cheeky saving on the side in this funor 6.30pm show Mercuryyou Comedian the yearbut nominee filled knees upSimon that hasEvans everyone stopping by – throughout, can'tof help root2017) for was friends with Uri Geller. This is the bizarre but including fanfavourites like Cassandra, Trigger, From a Master Songwriter the hero" Guru true**** storyFringe of that friendship.

Uncleacclaimed Albert and more. Mayhem the success of hisMarlene, critically rules from start to finish as deals are brokered, ny, timely and only slightly show, 'Taking Liberties'.

Whatever the In the wake Operationwell Yewtree and the schemes are hatched and quizzes quizzed."A little force of of nature, worth going award-winning Daniel Cainer is #MeToo movement, this is a tale that is as contentious subject – he'll be honest r-evolving collection of storiesto see" **** Broadway Baby relevant as it is profitable (TBC).

Mon 1st April

and blunt without being a dick. Mostly.

Criminal As seen on The Mash Report, Live at the Bells n condition is here, lovingly Apollo and MockRing theO Week.

Doors: 7.00pm for 7.30pm show epicted: brilliant rhyming and

"It's be in a travelling circus" **** Edinburgh

Tuesday 7th April, 2020 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 8.56pm for 9.00pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £10

Delightful Sausage Ginster's Paradise

Middle age has hit Mick hard. It's a new world and Mick is terrified of upsetting people.

true story about friendship, autographs and wild.Acutlery.

It's colourful, it looks like it should

Price: £10 Guide Wed 3rd April Welcome to Criminal, where aon lineup of appeared frequently Maisie Adam wonderful comedy talents solve a murder in front Question Time and can be regularly seen Ring O Bells of your eyes.

Doors: 6.30pm for 7.00pm show putting the cat amongst the pigeons Price: £8 Tonight the hideous You crime may that needs solving is on UK political debate shows.

Winner of Amused Moose National New Comic the murder of Gareth Watkins. Strolling around also heard the him on his own Radioour4detective must White -have ZIUQ! 2018 and So You Think You're Funny 2017, supermarket of deception, TuesdayMaisie 7th Adam April,presents 2020 an hour show including comedy special head or popping up onof The straight to the aisle resolution and cram y-friendly-ish progress the tins of truth into the trolley of justice. Venue: work RIngin O Bellsof her second Edinburgh show.

Now Show.

musicianship and haunting tunes forget. For anyone hasalso Geoffwho has h their home, their heritage and

s Comedy Quiz

Doors: 7.15pm for 7.30pm show Her debut hour, 'Vague', earned her a nomination Tonight's improvisers are Phil Whelans Duration: 1hr Newcomer at last year's Edinburgh for Best ("Genuinely and utterly original" - Three Weeks), He's written for shows ranging from Have Comedy Awards and this work in progress Frankie Evans (***** Oxford Mail), Alexander Price: £10 I Got News it all, but Silky can make up For You and C4's Alternative promises more witty observations delivered with Fox ("Excellent" - Jack Dee), and Richard Vranch ble really quickly...

Brand to newJudge Romesh, Roast Battle Election her signature charm, hilarious physicality and ("Impressive display" - Chortle). pt from the best comedian Delightful sharpSausage wit. and JFL's Katherine Ryan Stand up show. rd of.

Produced by Ralph Jones and Joel Gatehouse, As seen on ITV2's 'The Stand-Up Sketch Show', Criminal is a comedy night and podcast e the teams, Geoff questionswon are an operational medal for his BBC Three and Sky Arts 'Urban Myths'. ('Criminal Casebook') recorded in front of a live rs come from all sorts of audience ons. Differentfive everytours time! performing to British troops in Wed 3rd April Afghanistan.

Tues 2nd April Sex.. with Pete Searles es 2nd April Darren Walsh - Massive Punt Ring O Bells The (cushty) Ring O Bells Doors: 8.15pm for 8.30pm show Doors: 7.00pm for 7.30pm show Price: £8 perience Price: £8 After his much younger girlfriend leaves him for Join Darren (ITV's 'Out There', UK's first Pun a better looking, richer, more successful friend or 7.30pm show Saturday 4th April, 2020 Champion, Winner of Dave's Joke of the of his, Searles dissolves into a gibbering, chainl 3 course meal & cocktail Widcombe Social Club Edinburgh Fringe, BBC Edinburgh Presents') smoking, suicidal-insomniac! cushty) Dining Experience Doors: 5.30pm foron6.00pm show flight, pun-packed with a Round-The-World ey were all asking for, and it's in-flight entertainment, video sketches, 1-liners, In desperation he resorts to the latest new-age hind the worldwide smash hit, Duration: 1hr jingles and general nonsense. self-help healing therapy E.F.T. (emotional e Dining Experience: Only Price: opened £12 / in £10 concs freedom technique) regressing him into a voyage y) Dining Experience Find out if we can all land back in Bath in one of self re-discovery - where buried memories of mber last year and it's already piece. past relationships, one-night stands and a very The award-winning Scottish Falsetto Socks

al Club or 8.30pm show

Mick Ferry

Mick Ferry Walking On Egg Shells

Winner of the Comedians Comedian of the year. Winner of joe.co.uk club comedian of the year. Fosters Edinburgh prize winner.

Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre - ROLL UP!

bring their sellout Edinburgh show ROLL UP! to Bath for the first time.

Earth's funniest footwear - winners of Bath Comedy Festival's Lovehoney Best Joke Award 2018 - are back with their hit show of Comedy Magic Variety & a Bit On The SideShow.

The roar of the greasepaint and the smell of some socks.

19/02/2019 12:49

stellar bill of the funniest musicians and the most musical of comedians.

Featuring the best of the comedy circuit and surprise star guests!

Fresh from the Phoenix, Cavendish Square in London, expect a musical comedy showcase second to none!

Frank Sanazi & the Iraq Pack Live from Das Vegas Friday 10th April, 2020 Venue: Walcot House Doors: 8.30pm for 9.00pm show Duration: 1hr30 incl interval Price: £15 / £12 concs

Frank Sanazi, the Dark Prince of Cabaret, brings his all singing Comedy War Machine to town for a one off comedy attack.

Tim Brooke-Taylor

Stand Up With Janine Harouni (Please Remain Seated) Wednesday 8th April & Thursday 9th April, 2020 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 8.45pm for 9.00pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £10

Janine's father is a lifelong New Yorker and son of Middle-Eastern immigrants.

He’s also an avid Donald Trump supporter. Attempting to reconcile those things makes for one tense Sunday dinner.

Catch multi award-winning newcomer Janine Harouni in her debut show about standing up for what you believe in, even if you have to do it really nicely.

"GRAB A TICKET WHILE YOU STILL CAN – THIS GIRL IS CLEVER AND FUNNY AF." Aisling Bea Janine Harouni

Seen/heard on Comedy Central, Comic Relief, BBC Three, and BBC Radio Four.

1/3 of award-winning sketch trio Muriel.

Directed by Adam Brace.

WINNER: BBC New Comedy Award 2019 WINNER: Amused Moose Best Show 2019 WINNER: 99 Club Comedy Bursary 2019 WINNER: Laughing Horse New Act of the Year 2018 NOMINEE: Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2019 – Best Newcomer

Mitch Benn & The Distractions Musical Comedy Showcase Thursday 9th April, 2020 Venue: Komedia Doors: 8.30pm for 9.00pm show Duration: 1hr40 incl interval Price: £17 / £15 concs

Mitch Benn and The Distractions - Kirsty Newton and Ivan Sheppard - present a

Frank together with Dean Stalin & Sadami Davis Jnr will croon extreme renditions like 'Strangers On My Flight', 'Third Reich' and 'I'm Stalin' as well as 'You've got me Under Berlin'.

Frank and his Iraq Pack, together with his lovely daughter Nancy Sanazi singing 'Jack Boots are made for Walking', and a host of outrageous special guests, will rock their audience into a frenzy.

Certainly not for the faint-hearted. Please leave all PCs by the door...

"Brilliantly stupid, fantastically wrong and ridiculously funny" - Scotsman "Comedy gold" - Evening Standard "It's a guilty pleasure , but a pleasure uber alles" - Chortle "He will leave you in stitches. The Jokes are relentless" - Edinburgh Festivals Magazine

I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again...

Again - with Tim BrookeTaylor Thursday 16th April, 2020 Komedia Doors: 8.00pm for 9.00pm show Duration: 1hr45 incl interval Price: £12.50 The classic BBC radio series returns...on stage... Roll up, Roll Up! Angus Prune OBE is back, with the Custard Pie of Radio Comedy.

Performed on stage in classic radio comedy style with live music and sound effects, The OFFSTAGE Theatre Group recreates the anarchic and deliciously surreal cult comedy show that laid waste to BBC Radio in the 1960s and 1970s.

Following on from their criticallyacclaimed first tour, this second Greatest Hits compilation of original material and songs by Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie is a knockabout show celebrating the radio series that gave birth to The Goodies and Monty Python's Flying Circus - not to mention I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

Stand by for wicked parodies, glorious puns and silly ditties. It's full-frontal radio,

live on stage - with the unmistakeable strains of the Angus Prune Tune (and the unavoidable smells of sing-a-long-agibbon-stuffing).

This is a chance to meet - or happily catch up with - much-loved characters first created by Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Cleese, Graeme Garden, Sir David Hatch, Jo Kendall and Bill Oddie. There will be a cameo from Tim Brooke-Taylor, one of the original cast members, at this performance.

Susan Murray - How Not To Die In A Plane Crash Friday 17th April, 2020 Ring O Bells Doors: 7.15pm for 7.30pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £10

Fasten your seat belts for a darkly hilarious and deliciously bumpy ride.

How Not to Die in a Plane Crash is the antidote to boring, life-affirming, feelgood motivational comedy.

Come and listen to Susan's sweet dark soul as she makes you laugh and cry at the same time with her useful death defying survival tips, all wrapped up in fantastic jokes. Come and have a listen if you think you're brave enough.

Alan Francis - Fat Cyborg Friday 17th April, 2020 Venue: Ring O Bells Doors: 8.45pm for 9.00pm show Duration: 1hr Price: £10

When H. G. Wells wrote 'The Shape of Things to Come', did he imagine the shape we have become? Well this outof-shape comedian wants to know.

Can we come together and explore the stars? Or do we just order another pizza?

Alan Francis asks what happened to the bright future science was supposed to bring.

Josh Widdicombe - Bit Much Saturday 18th April, 2020 Bath Forum Doors: 7.00pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 2hrs incl interval Price: £20-£25

The guy everyone can do an impression of is back with a brand-new stand-up tour. A show that will change your life and how you perceive your place in the world. Bit much? Fine, it'll be a very funny night of grumbles and jokes in which Josh will finally tackle the hot comedy topics of advent calendars, pesto and the closing time of his local park.

Widdicombe is best known for the twice BAFTA nominated and multiple Broadcast and RTS award-winning show The Last Leg, as well as his critically acclaimed sitcom JOSH, Insert Name Here, QI, Have I Got New For You, A League of Their Own and his hit podcast Quickly Kevin Will He Score.

Bath Comedy produces events all year round as well as during the Festival. Look out for two weeks of Edinburgh Previews in July, but before then, next up will be..

Pete Searles - Hey Gringo!

Bolivia & Beyond Friday 22nd May, 2020 Venue: Rondo Theatre Doors: 7.30pm for 8.00pm show Duration: 1hr50min incl interval Price: £14 / £10 concs

Join Pete Searles on the second leg of HEY GRINGO! his internationally acclaimed trilogy.

Marcus Brigstock

Rondo Theatre programme featuring luminaries such as Fern Brady, Jen Brister and Tom Stade 10th April – Veteran godfather of comedy and Festival Patron Barry Cryer to perform live with Colin Sell, at Widcombe Social Club

Other things to look out for:

11th April – Famously Grumpy Old Man Arthur Smith leads a hysterical historical walk around some of the finest of Bath’s Georgian and Regency architecture… what you never knew will amaze you!

Affordable Festival centred on Bath Brew House and St James Wine Vaults with many “pay what you feel” events featuring the likes of Sally-Anne Hayward, Robyn Perkins, Edd Hedges and President Obonjo

13th April – Jazz and comedy combine at Widcombe Social Club in a performance from internationally acclaimed jazz singer and pianist Ian Shaw

5th April – Top immersive experience The Wine Arts Trail (TWAT), hosted by mystery guest clippie, always a sell-out

New venue The Barley Mo to host all the New Act Competition heats plus a programme of special events including drag queen bingo and a comedy quiz Shows in other venues around town including The Mission Theatre and The Bell Inn 16th April – Marcus Brigstocke brings a Work-in-progress show to Widcombe Social Club 19th April – New Act Competition Final with Principal Sponsor Lovehoney Awards for Best Newcomer, Best Joke and Best Show For more information please see: www.bathcomedy.com or check out the What's on pages, which are correct at time of going to press.

Follow BCF on www.facebook.com/ BathComedyFest | Twitter @bathcomedyfest |Instagram instagram.com/bathcomedyfestival

Josh Widdicombe

inbath 19

Win two tickets to watch

at the

starring

Joe Thomas Bo Poraj Louise Marwood Alex Gaumond

'

Audiences can catch the first UK tour of the international hit comedy What’s In A Name? at the Theatre Royal Bath from Monday 23rd March to Saturday 28th March starring Joe Thomas (The Inbetweeners, Fresh Meat), Bo Poraj (Miranda, Musketeers), Louise Marwood (Emmerdale) and Alex Gaumond (Company, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Matilda). This comic masterpiece is adapted by British theatre director, writer and translator Jeremy Sams from the award-winning French film and stage sensation Le Prenom.

What’s In A Name? hilariously captures a particularly awkward family gathering.

Father-to-be Vincent and his partner Anna are invited to dinner by his sister Elizabeth and her husband, Peter. They are joined by childhood friend Carl for a mature and sophisticated evening.

The meal is lovingly prepared, and

22 inbath

wine carefully selected. The friends are prepared for the usual humorous exchanges they’ve come to expect. But tonight, a startling revelation about the name chosen for Vincent’s and Anna’s expected child becomes the catalyst for a destructive argument which spirals hysterically out of control. Tonight no one is holding back! Egos, childish resentment and unspoken feelings are relentlessly and hilariously exposed for the first time.

This witty and razor-sharp production has played over thirty countries and now makes its first visit to Bath where the scene is set for a riotously funny evening that questions whether a person’s name truly reflects who they.

To book tickets for What’s In A Name? call the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 or visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk

win

Two tickets to watch 'What's In A Name' at the Theatre Royal Bath on Monday 23rd March at 7.30pm.

For a chance to win, simply send your name and contact details, on e-mail, to: competitions@inbath.net Subject: Name Closing Date: Wed 18th March Usual Ts and Cs apply See www.inbath.net for more details on competitions and our privacy policy

Remembering The Oscars

Starring AljaĹž & Janette Friday 14 February

bathforum.co.uk

Van der Graaf Generator Thursday 7 May

0844 888 9991

Charlie Chaplin In Concert

Joker Live In Concert

Saturday 20th June

Tuesday 30th June

Win two tickets to watch

Jane Eyre at the Theatre Royal Bath

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will” Blackeyed Theatre is set to bring a brand new adaptation of one of the greatest works of English fiction, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre to the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 14th April to Saturday 18th April.

“One of the most innovative, audacious companies working in contemporary English theatre” - The Stage A gothic masterpiece of tempestuous passions and dark secrets, Jane Eyre tells the thrilling story of an orphan girl and her journey from a childhood of loneliness and cruelty to a life at Thornfield Hall and an unlikely relationship with the mysterious Mr Rochester. Falling in love, she gradually uncovers a hidden past to the gloomy, forbidding Thornfield Hall, a

24 inbath

terrible secret that forces her to make a heart-wrenching choice.

Captivating, brooding and intensely powerful, Jane Eyre is a moving and unforgettable portrayal of one woman’s quest for equality and freedom, and lives as one of the great triumphs of storytelling.

To book tickets for Jane Eyre call the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 or visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk

win

Two tickets to watch Jane Eyre at the Theatre Royal Bath on Tuesday 14th April at 7.30pm.

For a chance to win, simply send your name and contact details, on e-mail, to: competitions@inbath.net Subject: Eyre Closing Date: Tues 7th April Usual Ts and Cs apply See www.inbath.net for more details on competitions and our privacy policy

April 01 04 07 16 18 29 30

B i l l ba i l e y - a p ril fo o ls ga l a t h e j o e & dia n n e s h ow ba r e n a ke d l a dies w h i t n e y - q u een o f th e n igh t j o s h w i d d ic o m b e wa r d t h o mas t h e h o l l i es

May 02 04 07 08 12 14 16 22 30

r e me mb e r in g th e o s ca rs - a l ja z & ja n ette n at h a n i e l ratel iff va n d e r gra a f gen erato r h e l l o aga in n eil dia m o n d n i c k m as on 's - sau c erfu l o f s ec rets t h e i l l e ga l eagl es j o h n gr a nt pat t i s mi th ca r p e n t e rs sto ry

June 06 12 20 27 30

a n s e l l' s - l es m u s ica l shalamar c h a r l i e c h a p l in - in c o n c ert s o u n d s of th e 60 's - to n y b l ac k b u rn j o ke r - l iv e in c o n c ert

* *CALLS COST 7P P/M + CALLERS CHARGE

Sing, Dance and Everything this Spring with The Forum It’s exciting times here at the Bath Forum!

We’re delighted to announce an eclectic selection of excellent events here at Bath’s biggest venue.

We’re kicking things off with a brilliant night of laughter on April Fool’s Day, thanks to the Bath Comedy Festival.

National Treasure Bill Bailey headlines a night of funnies along with Jess Robinson and John Moloney. Seats are hot property, so snap up your tickets for The Bath Comedy Festival’s April Fool’s Gala on Wednesday 1 April.

Strictly fans unite again: The Joe & Dianne Show is joining us on their tour. Expect music, comedy and of course a little bit of dance in this never-before-seen variety show from Strictly Come Dancing finalists; Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell on Saturday 4 April.

Brilliant band Barenaked Ladies have sold over 15 million albums and will be stopping by the Forum on their 2020 tour. The multi-platinum pop-rock band is made up of vocalist/ guitarist Ed Robertson, drummer Tyler Stewart, keyboardist Kevin Hearn, and bassist Jim Creeggan. They’ve recently completed a hugely successful summer tour of North America.

You can see them with us on Tuesday 7 April.

The Joe & Dianne Show

Bill Bailey

Taking us on a magical rollercoaster ride through three decades of classic hits we have an exciting evening of the music and life of one of the greatest singers of our time: Whitney Houston.

This award-winning production features a sensational line-up of musicians and artists, and together with a powerhouse and breath-taking performance in the spirit of Whitney, delivers a show that exceeds expectations on every level.

Whitney - Queen of the Night is on Thursday 16 April.

One of the most bankable talents in UK comedy is touring with his new stand-up show Bit Much. Josh Widdicombe brings a show that will change your life and how you perceive your place in the world. Bit much? Fine, it’ll be a very funny night of grumbles and jokes in which Josh will finally tackle the hot comedy topics of advent calendars, pesto and the closing time of his local park. Join us on Saturday 18 April.

Following the release of their acclaimed UK top 10 albums, ‘Restless Minds’, and being awarded the prestigious ‘Global Artist Award’ at the CMA Awards earlier this year, country-pop duo Ward Thomas has announced an intimate acoustic tour for spring 2020. We’re delighted they have chosen to join us on Wednesday 29 April.

One of Britain’s best-loved bands, The Hollies, are back on tour. With their

soaring, distinctive harmonies, brilliantly crafted songs coupled with The Hollies extensive back catalogue of memorable hits has ensured the longevity of one of the greatest groups to emerge from the early 1960’s British Rock revolution – a time when British Music began to shake the world. See them on Thursday 30 April.

Fresh from their sell-out tour with their highly entertaining and innovative Remembering The Movies, Aljaz and Janette, will be returning with their brand new show Remembering The Oscars. Get ready to celebrate the Oscar-winning songs in this exhilarating new dance spectacular with Strictly’s favourite couple, Aljaz and Janette on Saturday 2 May. In support of a forthcoming solo album, Nathaniel Rateliff returns to his early acoustic days with the And It’s Still Alright tour. The show will feature many facets of Rateliff’s musicianship—ranging from stripped-back moments with just his voice and an acoustic guitar to the accompaniment of a full band on Monday 4 May. Van der Graaf Generator 2020 are Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton & Guy Evans: the three surviving members of the original group that formed in 1968.

VdGG continues to push forward despite many members leaving over the years; acknowledging that they’re a group with a certain history, but also stating the case that they’re an emphatically modern one. Join them at the Forum on Thursday 7 May. Enter Brooklyn Creed & The Salvation Band, dubbed The Voice of Diamond, Brooklyn carries huge expectations on his shoulders. Born with an uncannily similar timbre to his idol and an exceptional guitar player, Brooklyn soon sends any competition running home to their mothers. Hello Again Neil Diamond is on Friday 8 May.

Shalamar

Following acclaimed sold-out tours, Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets are back on the road. This 2020 tour will see the band further expand their repertoire and will play songs from Pink Floyd's early catalogue up to the 1972 album ‘Obscured by Clouds’ on Tuesday 12 May. The World’s Official No.1 Eagles tribute returns in 2020 for another outstanding show promising more of their trademark musical prowess, acute attention to detail, and incredible showmanship. The Illegal Eagles are here on Thursday 14 May. Carpenters Story - Goodbye to Love Tour is the highly acclaimed production that continues to captivate audiences across the UK with its spectacular celebration of the classic songbook that made The Carpenters a legend in the world of popular music, selling over 100 million albums and singles. You’re guaranteed to enjoy a night of top music on Sunday 30 May. Ansell's Les Musicals Live Concert Tour is the ultimate celebration of Musical Theatre. Jonathan Ansell (G4 Frontman) and Jai McDowall (Britains Got Talent - Winner) have joined forces to create a dramatic and spine-tingling concert.

This vocally dynamic evening showcases even more smash-hit songs from the greatest musicals of all time and is here on Saturday 6 June.

We’re delighted to welcome Shalamar who had sold over 25 million records until the classic line up split in the mideighties. They are acknowledged as one of the best funk and soul groups of their generation. Reformed in 2001 - Howard, Jeffrey, and Carolyn have been performing live with a sevenpiece backing band that has brought energy and a major injection of funk

The Joker

to audiences worldwide and join us on Friday 12 June.

Experience the magic of Charlie Chaplin’s onscreen comic masterpiece, The Gold Rush (1925) on the big screen with an orchestral performance of Chaplin’s own score live! Hosted by silent comedy admirer Actor, Director, and Writer Simon Callow. Charlie Chaplin In Concert is on Saturday 20 June.

Due to the phenomenal success of BBC Radio 2’s Sounds Of The 60s LIVE, DJ royalty Tony Blackburn brings the show to The Forum. Featuring songs, stories and memories from the golden decade of pop with music performed live by the Sounds Of The 60s All-Star Band & Singers on Saturday 27 June.

And to wrap-up June we have Todd Phillips’ ground-breaking, award-winning film Joker being screened with the accompaniment of a live orchestra playing composer Hildur Guðnadóttir’s brilliant score for the first time ever, for a limited engagement. Joker Live In Concert - The Film with Live Orchestra is on Tuesday 30 June.

Stay tuned to our social media channels for all of the latest show announcements and discover our website for more information on upcoming events including Michael Buble, Collabro, Status Quo, The Hairy Bikers, David Essex, Jools Holland, Billy Ocean, Jason Donovan, Gabrielle, Il Divo and many more!

inbath 27

cover interview

Josh Widdicombe Josh Widdicombe, the guy everyone can do an impression of, is back with a brand new stand up tour.

A show that will change your life and how you perceive your place in the world. Bit much? Fine, it’ll be a very funny night of grumbles and jokes in which Josh will finally tackle the hot comedy topics of advent calendars, pesto and the closing time of his local park. Ahead of appearing at The Forum on April 18th as part of this year's Bath Comedy Festival, the proud Devonian talks about being a Plymouth Argyle fan, the absurdity of stand-up and the prospect of being the next James Bond.

Interviewing Josh Widdicombe – acclaimed stand-up, serial panelist and star of shows including The Last Leg, Hypothetical and his own sitcom Josh – means a chance to tackle the big questions. So here’s one of those questions – Josh, what’s the biggest misconception people have about the county of Devon?

Widdicombe – a proud Devonian and Plymouth Argyle fan – laughs and ponders. “The biggest misconceptions people have about Devon? I think that it’s far away is one. It’s only two hours away from London, people talk like it’s Alabama.” In some ways, he says, the stereotypes about the south-west being the back of beyond are way out of date. “Exeter has an Apple store. Let’s be very clear about that. On the other side of the coin, I did go to a school where there were four people in my year. I did live in a village where there was one post office, and it’s now closed down.”

Gigs in Exeter and Plymouth (“it feels like a homecoming”) are among the highlights for Widdicombe of his current UK tour. It’s his first in a while – whereas the early days saw him packing his diary with stand-up dates like any other aspiring comic looking to make their name, it’s been a couple of years now since he’s been regularly working live, and he’s enthusiastic about getting back into the habit.

“For the first time since I started doing stand up, I had some time off,” he explains, “and I absolutely needed it. I’d been doing stand up for eight years, and I’d kind of forgotten why I was doing it and why I enjoyed it.” Now he’s rediscovered his love of the artform, and wants to make the new show a distillation of the very best he’s capable of. “I wanted to do the best ‘pure me’ stand up show, and see if I could do eighty minutes that was just – “unremitting” is probably the wrong word,” he laughs. “But I like the idea of a show being almost relentless. I think when you watch Michael McIntyre, it feels relentless.”

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What that has meant is a laser-like focus on eliminating mediocrity, dumping any joke that doesn’t come up to scratch before he takes the show out on the road. “In the warm ups if I’m not loving anything, I just drop it straight away. You know that Marie Kondo woman who says get rid of everything that doesn’t spark joy? I think that’s a really good way of writing a stand-up show. It’s like getting rid of the album tracks.” So if it was a record, everything that’s left would be good enough to be released as a single? “That’s what the aim is.”

While he’s focused on quality control, Widdicombe isn’t reinventing himself on this tour – if you like what he does, then rest assured that’s what you’re going to get. Premium quality observational comedy, served up with an incredible eye for detail and an inexhaustible capacity for indignation.

Don’t expect him to be banging on about Trump or Brexit – Widdicombe’s much more exercised by the smaller things in life, the everyday annoyances that drive us all to distraction. “That’s what makes me laugh, do you know what I mean? It’s different strokes for different folks, but I’d much rather watch Frank Skinner or Sean Lock than I’d watch a highly politicised hour of stand up, just because that’s what I’m into really.”

Is it more difficult, playing these big theatres than the comedy clubs where you started out? “Oh, it’s a lot more fun these days,” he says. “The absurdity of stand-up is that when you start you’re at your worst, and the gigs are the toughest! It’s just gets easier, because you’ve got people that want to come and see you now, and you know what you’re doing. That first two years, it’s about getting over that.”

So now that he’s made it, what kind of glamorous life does a touring comedy star enjoy? According to Widdicombe, there’s precious little excess and debauchery. “It’s a lot of sitting in a car with my tour manager and the support. Let me put it this way – last time on tour, the most extreme it got was we would have a running five pound wager on what the next band playing on Radio X would be.” Still, there are occasional perks. “I’m obsessed with the hotel breakfasts. That’s the real excitement. I’m already excited about staying in the Lowry in Manchester because the last time I was there I saw Ian Rush.

That’s the kind of thing I’m into.”

On TV, Widdicombe’s well-known for his contributions to panel games – as a regular on Mock The Week, a captain on Insert Name Here, and a co-host (alongside James Acaster) of Dave’s Hypothetical. Why does he thrive in that kind of environment?

“I just really enjoy it. Mainly, it’s having a laugh with your mates.

My favourite panel shows are the ones where you’re all having a laugh and you’re just in the moment. Reacting in the room rather than trying to get your jokes out. And it’s a lovely way to earn a living, it’s as simple as that.”

Hypothetical saw Acaster and Widdicombe bending the panel show formula into bizarre new shapes – it was a show where daftness was far more important than rules or gameplay. The pair are now working on a second series and, Widdicombe says, “We’re asking ourselves, how can we make this more loose, and more off the wall, and more…” Silly? “That’s the word – silly!”

Widdicombe does admit to being “very competitive” and the clearest example of this is his extraordinary run of success on Taskmaster – winning the first series and then the “Champion of Champions” contest between the first five winners. What’s the secret of his success? “I think I really throw myself into it.

And I do take it too seriously. So that would be why.” Will he ever go back? “I’ve retired. If they made enough Taskmaster for a Champion of Champions’ Champion, they’d need to do twenty five series.” But would you do it? “No, I’m quitting while I’m ahead. They don’t know that. But I am. But then I’m sure I’ll backtrack!”

It’s certainly a packed life – when we spoke, Widdicombe was en route to another of his TV commitments, Channel 4’s The Last Leg. It’s a show that started out as late night filler during the 2012 Paralympics, and has gradually become one of the network’s comedy heavyweights. How does something like that happen? “I think the first secret of the show’s success is that it had no pressure on it at the start.” Instead, the format and the chemistry between regulars Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and

Widdicombe was allowed to develop organically. “It was just a late night show that was allowed to – it sounds as though I’m looking for a pun – it was allowed to find its feet.” The result is a warm show that tackles big issues without ever losing its sense of fun. “I think people like to spend time with the three of us,” Widdicombe says. “And I think also we take Brexit, or whatever, and we’re trying to understand it as much as other people are trying to understand it.”

“The absurdity of stand-up is that when you start you’re at your worst, and the gigs are the toughest! It’s just gets easier, because you’ve got people that want to come and see you now, and you know what you’re doing. That first two years, it’s about getting over that.”

While The Last Leg has featured A-list politicians like Al Gore and Jeremy Corbyn, Widdicombe’s favourite moments on the show all concern comedians – and especially those who are prepared to roll up their sleeves and muck in with the creative process. “I’ve really enjoyed it when we’ve had big comics who’ve said they want to come in for the writing day and look at how the show’s planned. Like Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and Harry Hill coming into the office on the Wednesday and talking through what they’d like to do. As a comedy nerd, that’s the sort of thing that gets me far more excited than having a big movie star on.”

If it seems like a career that rarely pauses for breath, that suits Widdicombe. “I think I’m really easily bored,” he says. “I think if I just did stand up I’d go mad, or if I just did The Last Leg I’d go mad. The great thing about what I do is I can do different things and not get bored of it.” He says his plan from now on is to try and do something new every year – something he hasn’t tried before, and that scares him. But right now, he doesn’t know what those things are. So often in his career – with The Last Leg, or with his cult 90s football podcast Quickly Kevin Will He Score – the biggest successes have been unlikely propositions that suddenly caught fire with the public.

So he doesn’t have a bucket list of career ambitions. “I don’t think I’ve got any kind of weird dreams. Like, I wouldn’t suddenly go, ‘Yeah, actually, my dream is to be in EastEnders.’ Or ‘my dream is to present Location, Location, Location.’ I don’t want to be the next James Bond or anything like that.” You say that, but it’d be quite something to see. “Oh,” he says, “if it was offered, I would take it.”

win

two tickets to see Josh Widdicombe's 'Bit Much', as part of this years Bath Comedy Festival, at The Forum on Saturday 18th April.

For a chance to win, simply send us your name and contact details, on e-mail, to: competitions@inbath.net Subject: Josh Closing date: Friday 10th April Usual Ts and Cs apply See www.inbath.net for more details on competitions and our privacy policy

I predict a day of great racing and world-class music as the Kaiser Chiefs come to Bath Racecourse In 2020, Kaiser Chiefs are on track for a show unlike any they’ve played before...

On the Friday 5th June, the indie titans will be headlining a very special show at Bath Racecourse.

This unique show will invite audiences to enjoy an entire day of racing at one of the UK’s most vibrant local racecourses, with the added bonus of a full Kaiser Chiefs set late into the evening.

Established as one of the best loved guitar bands to emerge this century, the Kaiser Chiefs will be heading to the races with a winning set-list of bona fide indie belters in their arsenal.

Over the last 15 years, the Kaisers have become a real household name. They have seven critically acclaimed and Top 10 charting albums selling multimillions worldwide; made memorable performances at some of the biggest events in recent history, including Live 8 and the 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony; and won innumerable awards, including ‘Best Live Act’ at both the Brit Awards and Q Awards. With top 10 hits like ‘I Predict A Riot’, ‘Ruby’, ‘Oh My God’, ‘Never Miss A Beat’, and ‘Everyday I Love You Less & Less’ all cementing the band’s penchant for penning contemporary pop classics like few of their peers, the many highlights to be found on their acclaimed #3 charting 2019 album ‘Duck’, illustrate a band that have no intention of slowing down soon.

With a reputation as one of the best live acts in the biz, if there’s one safe bet to place all day, it’ll be on a hit-packed set from the Kaiser Chiefs.

Whether you’re a music fan, a racing fan or both, it’s horses for courses – The Kaiser Chiefs live after racing on Friday 5 June really is the event that promises something for everyone.

Maddie Wright, Acting General Manager at Bath Racecourse commented: “Everyone at the racecourse is really excited to have the Kaiser Chiefs performing here! We’ve been privileged to host a number of highly-acclaimed, chart-topping acts here in recent years and we think the Kaisers will put on a

performance our customers will love.

Bath Racecourse continues to go from strength to strength to deliver vibrant events and experiences for the local community and 2020 is looking like it will be another exciting year to look forward to.”

Alongside the Kaiser Chiefs’ performance on Friday 5th June, other highlights at Bath Racecourse in 2020 include Ladies’ Day on 13 June and annual Super Cider Saturday with The Wurzels on 15 August.

Kaiser Chiefs Live @ Bath Racecourse, Somerset Friday 5th June Kaiser Chiefs tickets are now on sale and available from www.bath-racecourse.co.uk

Tickets are priced at: £40 Advance £25 Children under 18’s (Under 5’s free admission) Doors 3pm Racing Starts 5.40pm Show Starts 9.20pm

J O I N B AT H ’ S B I G G E S T B A N K H O L I D AY B A S H

VE DAY 8 MAY

Book tickets in advance & save bath-racecourse.co.uk *Under 18s receive general admission to the racecourse free of charge.

inbath 33

food and drink

the birth of afternoon tea

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.

Traditional Afternoon Tea at The Royal Crescent Hotel

Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Woburn

How a Duchess turned a 'sinking feeling' into a fashionable pursuit We have a lot to thank Catherine de Braganza for, for bringing tea to England as part of her dowry. But, there is another lady to thank when it comes to one of the nations tea 'obsessions'.

During the mid-nineteenth century it was usual for people to take only two main meals a day, breakfast and dinner.

The Blue Drawing Room at Woburn Abbey

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.

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

During the late nineteenth century, afternoon 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.

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 the cities best to whet your appitite as well as offer up some recipe ideas for you to try at home.

food and drink

The Regency Tea Room

40 Gay St, Bath BA1 2NT 01225 443000 | www. janeausten.co.uk

Looking for a truly elegant afternoon tea in Bath?

Then the Regency Tea Room at The Jane Austen Centre is not to be missed! Our tea rooms have a lovely period atmosphere a special afternoon tea in Bath and very friendly staff, contributing to our ‘Trip Advisor’ Certificate of Excellence.

Located immediately above the exhibition, the comfortable rooms provide the perfect backdrop to an Austen-themed trip to Bath. The staff are dressed in full regency regalia, allowing you to step back in time as you enjoy a delightful range of loose leaf teas, coffees, sandwiches, snacks and sweets.

We serve 15 varieties of loose-leaf-tea, Belgian hot chocolate and fresh coffee as well as a selection of luscious cakes, sandwiches, scones and toasties. Especially popular are our ‘Tea with Mr. Darcy’ and ‘Lady’s Afternoon Tea’, or why not try a slice of victoria sponge or Crawford’s crumpets? Whatever you choose, you can be sure it will be delicious!

Dan Moon at The Gainsborough Bath Spa Beau Street, Bath, BA1 1QY 01225 358888 www.thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk

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).

Sally Lunn's The Canvas Room offers the perfect place to relax and socialise in style. Its character and charm are quintessentially British and irrefutably modern with an understated elegance where guests can feel at home.

Choose from the extensive drinks menu, including Champagnes, fine wines and cocktails whilst enjoying the welcoming ambience and society atmosphere.

Our all-day dining menu and indulgent Afternoon Teas are also served by our dedicated waiters in the comfort of The Canvas Room.

Opening Hours: 10am - 11pm (3:00pm - 5:30pm for Traditional and Champagne Afternoon Teas) Bookings can be made by calling 0800 5298 000.

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4 North Parade Passage Bath, BA1 1NX 01225 461634 | www.sallylunns.co.uk

Located in the oldest house in the city (circa 1482) and home to Solange Luyon (more commonly known as Sally Lunn), the young Huguenot refugee found work in a local bakery and laer would develop the world famous 'Sally Lunn Bun' - part bun, part bread, part cak.

Now a world famous eating house, Sally Lunn's Historic Eating House is the perfect place to sample an outstanding selection of afternoon teas. Options include; 2 course High Tea £13.48 The World-Famous Sally Lunn Cream Tea £7.88, Queen Victoria’s Tea £7.98, The Bath Cream Tea £7.98. Cornish Cream Tea £7.88 and a Wheat and Dairy Free Tea £7.88.

In order to make your experience even more special, you can add a glass of Champagne for £7.48, or if you are feeling even more indulgent, a bottle of Champagne £39.98

The Bath Priory Hotel

Weston Road, Bath, BA1 2XT 01225 331922 | www.thebathpriory.co.uk

Treat yourself to a full afternoon tea including a selection of delicate finger sandwiches, delicious homemade cakes and warm scones served with clotted cream and homemade preserve.

Choose from a vast selection of teas and coffees or, enjoy a fine glass of Ruinart Champagne with your tea. Afternoon tea at The Bath Priory is available daily from 3–5pm and is £34 per person; Champagne Afternoon Tea is £46 per person.

Afternoon Tea is served in the hotel's lounges, Pantry or terrace.

Each area is a tasteful nod to the historical heritage of the building, with many walls in the hotel featuring the private art collection of Andrew and Christina Brownsword. Guests can enjoy views of four acres of award winning, mature gardens from The Pantry or the garden terrace.

BrownsRoom Bath Pump Old Police Station, Orange Grove, BA1 1LP

13 Abbey Churchyard, Bath BA1 1LZ 01225 444477 461199 | | www.romanbaths.co.uk www.browns-restaurants.co.uk 01225

Lucknam Park

Fresh from Room a magnificent new refurbishment, Brasserie & The Pump Restaurant is one of the city’sBrowns most elegant Bar occupies a prime location in Bath Bath while city centre. places to enjoy afternoon tea in listening to the Pump Room Trio at the elegant Pump Room Restaurant.

The historic listed building was a former police station, with an imposing entrance large enough for a Tea horse-drawn carriage.

The Traditional Pump Room Afternoon menu features Taking inspiration from thesweet 1920s,and the savoury new interior has art deco a selection of delectable delights such styling, luxurious furnishings and opulent finishes. of herb as salmon mousse and toast, finger sandwiches

Where better to indulge in a traditional English afternoon tea than at Lucknam Park Hotel, an 18th century Palladian mansion set amidst 500 glorious acres of beautiful gardens and unspoilt parkland. Afternoon Tea at Lucknam Park has always been a firm favourite, whether it’s for a special occasion or just a treat after a long day shopping in Bath which is only 6 miles away!

cream cheese and cucumber, coronation chicken and ham Alongside the high ceilings and huge windows overlooking and tomato - to name a few.

The Pump Room pastries are the Abbey, the refurbished brasserie and barbyprovides a simply accompanied on the savoury selection homemade fruit and beautiful backdrop to Dorset enjoy the seasonal British traditional buttermilk scones with clotted cream andmenu, jam, and can afternoon and extensive cocktail list. be enjoyedtea with a pot of loose leaf tea or hand roasted coffee.

If you are feeling extra indulgent then you can upgrade to include a glass of Champagne Afternoon Tea Served everyday, 3pm - 5pm

Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 8AZ 01225 742777 | www.lucknampark.co.uk

From just £30.00 per person you will be able to enjoy a traditional afternoon tea served in Restaurant Hywel Jones, our Michelin starred restaurant, or if it’s fine weather on the terrace.

Available Monday to Saturday 1.30pm - 5.00pm, Sunday 3.00pm - 5.00pm. Reservations for afternoon tea are recommended, please call 01225 742 777. Please note that a discretionary service charge of 12.5% will be added to your food and beverage bill.

Pump Room Afternoon Tea Packages: Afternoon tea For 2

Savouries: Prawn cocktail brioche roll, smoked salmon & cream Traditional Pump Room Tea

cheese whisky & thyme oat cake.

Enjoy ouron sumptuous interpretation of the ritual that began in the 1800s, when the 7th Duchess of Bedford found way to fill the Sandwiches: Copper Maran heritage hen egg a mayonnaise; ‘hungry’ gap between lunch and supper!cheese. £27.00. Home baked coronation chicken; cucumber & cream scones; clotted cream, black cherry jam, strawberry jam. Mini cakes and puddings: Lemon tart, Victoria sponge, whisky Champagne Pump Room Tea marmalade bread & Room buttertea pudding, profiterole The traditional Pump servedsalted with acaramel glass of Searcys Champagne, £36.50. £ 35.90

Beau NashTea Cream Afternoon for 1Tea £17.95

A tasteful tribute to the celebrated dandy and promoter of polite manners, Richard ‘Beau’ Nash, who transformed Bath’s Afternoon Tea for 1 GF 16.95 social scene and reputation, £27.50.

Mother's Day Somerset High Tea special Browns Mother’s Day menu on Treat mum to our extra

From county, renowned for its lush, green farmland and 22nd our March. abundance of apple orchards, indulge in a selection of local specialities, £19.50.

Choose from freshly carved meats with all the trimmings, or enjoy our thoroughly delicious Mother’s Day specials: Pan-Seared All tea packages includeRoast a potHalibut of loose leaf tea or hand White roasted Scallops, Rack of Lamb, and our indulgent coffee with Sphere. complimentary refills. To see what's included in the Chocolate afternoon tea packages download the afternoon tea menu here. note: Menus are subject to change. like our Moët With aPlease fine selection of cocktails and Champagne, et Chandon Impérial Rosé, we’ll make it a truly special occasion.

Book a table online or call 01225 444477. Walk in tables are available Please seedaily. website for Mother's Day menu.

food and drink

afternoon tea

Little bites of heaven – in a location to die for Picture this: warm fluffy scones, delicate finger sandwiches and an array of sweet or savoury bites, all elegantly arranged on a classic tiered afternoon tea stand. All you need to complete the scene is a glass of bubbling Champagne - and of course a truly unforgettable location. All of the above can be found at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa.

Charming cakes, perfect pastries – and the very best buns!

The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa’s pastry chef Catherine spends hours developing her marvellous sweet and savoury creations to ensure they’re as Instagrammable as they are devourable.

Each mouthful delivers the perfect balance of flavour, texture and colour.

They’re almost too pretty to eat!

Catherine also bakes fresh scones and classic Bath Buns, which are served with Devon clotted cream, cinnamon butter, and strawberry preserve.

There are three different menus on offer, so you’re sure to find something to suit your particular tastes. Beware: the finger sandwiches and cakes may be light and delicate, you’ll soon fill up! Not to worry though, you can ask the friendly restaurant team for an elegant carry-box to take away any of your leftovers.

A setting like no other

The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa effortlessly blends old world heritage with new world luxury, making every experience there an unforgettable one.

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You can enjoy your afternoon tea inside in the comfortable restaurant, or outside in the sunshine and birdsong. Our friendly resident squirrel might even make an appearance if he senses that crumbs might be forthcoming…

Reserve your afternoon tea table today.

Perfect for a special occasion - or simply a well deserved treat!

Reserve your afternoon tea on 01225 823333, or e: info@royalcrescent.co.uk.

Experience every stay in a different way

The ultimate indulgence of Afternoon Tea

H OTEL & SPA

So much more than a Hotel 16 Royal Crescent, Bath. BA1 2LS Tel: +44 (0)1225 823333 Email: info@royalcrescent.co.uk www.royalcrescent.co.uk #MyRoyalCrescent

a celebration of tea

his best to counter the growth of tea with several acts forbidding its sale, but these laws became so unpopular that they were impossible to enforce.

Despite this early setback, governments continued to try and control, or at least profit from the popularity of tea in Britain.

Tea had become so popular in the mid 18th century that duty had reached an absurd 119%, resulting in a new industry – tea smuggling.

It wasn't until the mid-18th century that the East India Company capitalise on tea's popularity bringing it to these shores.

As large ships from Holland and Scandinavian countries reached the shores of Britain, smugglers (often local fishermen) would unload the tea into smaller vessels and sneak them inland through underground passages and hidden paths to special hiding places.

One of the best hiding places was in the local parish church!

Even smuggled tea was expensive, however, and therefore extremely profitable, so many smugglers began to adulterate the tea with other substances, such as willow, liquorice, and sloe leaves.

Used tea leaves were also re-dried and added to fresh leaves.

Catherine de Braganza

How your morning 'cuppa' became a national obsession Often described as the most quintessential of English drinks, the custom of drinking tea was a relative late comer to British shores in the mid 17th century. Origins of our nations favourite drink date back to the third millennium BC, and it took until 1560 for tea to reach Europe, by way of Venice, from its Asian origins.

Some 50 years later in 1610, Portuguese and Dutch traders became the first to import tea to Europe, with regular shipments. Despite this being a popular past time in these countries, it wasn't until the mid-18th century that the East India Company capitalise on tea's popularity bringing it to these shores.

It may pain a devoted tea drinker to know that we need to thank coffee houses, and one on particular, for introducing tea to England. Thomas Garraway was a coffee house owner

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Finally, in 1784 William Pitt the Younger introduced the Commutation Act, which dropped the tax on tea from 119% to 12.5%, effectively ending smuggling.

Adulteration remained a problem, though, until the Food and Drug Act of 1875 brought in stiff penalties for the practice.

Tea drinking became even more popular throughout England in the 1660's due to the Portuguese Infanta Catherine de Braganza's (wife of King Charles II) love of tea.

By the early 1830's the East India Company was given a monopoly on the tea trade. Previously, it would take ships almost a year to make the unrelenting journey from Asia back to our shores.

One of the first things this forward thinking company did was to introduce the first "clippers", to cut down journey times.

These streamlined, tall-masted vessels cut through the oceans at the speed of todays ocean liners. The most famous of the clipper ships was the Cutty Sark, built in 1868 in Dumbarton. It only made the tea run eight times, but for its era it was a remarkable ship.

Popularity grew quickly in the coffee houses, and by 1700 over 500 of them sold tea. Not everyone, however, was pleased to see this particular drink thrive.

With tavern owners witnessing a drop in the sales of ale and gin, coupled with the government of the day seeing a drop in revenues from the taxes earned on liquor sales, it wasn't long before a taxation was placed on tea. Ironically, Charles II did

Today, there are 51 million tea drinkers in the UK with the tea industry worth some 530 million pounds. Black tea accounts for 450 million pounds worth of trade, followed by fruit and herbal teas coming in at 78.7 million pounds. With these new tea products gaining ground as consumers seek the health and wellness benefits, the nations love of tea drinking shows no sign of declining.

and merchant in Exchange Alley, near the Royal Exchange, in London. He sold both liquid and dry tea to the public as early as 1657 stating that its virtues included "making the body active and lusty", and "preserving perfect health until extreme old age".

Koffmann and Mr. White's

North Parade, Bath, BA1 1LF 01225 461603 | www.abbeyhotelbath.co.uk

The Abbey Hotel is proud to be home to the first joint venture between culinary legends, Pierre Koffmann and Marco Pierre White. The brasserie-style eatery serves a mix of English and French classics for diners in search of good quality, affordable food in a relaxed and stylish environment.

There is something wonderfully indulgent about afternoon tea and a visit to Bath would not be complete without dedicating a couple of hours to sampling a selection of sweet treats, warm scones and delicate sandwiches.

Served daily from 12noon until 5pm, our afternoon teas combine all your favourite teatime classics. Opt for a pot of quintessentially British loose leaf tea, or make a break from tradition and enjoy a glass of fizz or one of our bespoke cocktails.

No15 Great Pulteney

15 Great Pulteney Street, Bath, BA2 4BR 01225 807526 | no15greatpulteney.co.uk

The well-loved tradition of afternoon tea has long been a popular pastime in Bath, which is why No.15 have made it a speciality.

Served in both The Sitting Room and The Dispensary, we’re staying faithful to the classics in many respects, with delicate sandwiches, glorious cakes and warm scones with clotted cream and homemade jam, while there are also a few smileinducing flavour pairings in the mix. Meticulously-matched tea, of course, is central to the offering, though we do also highly recommend a glass of our AR Lenoble champagne.

Monday – Sunday, 12noon - 5pm in The Sitting Rooms and in The Dispensary on a Saturday also, 1pm - 5pm Classic £30 per person, Champagne £38 per person

Ston Easton

Ston Easton, Nr Bath, BA3 4DF 01761 241631 | www.stoneaston.co.uk

Afternoon tea is a beautifully British way to spend a leisurely afternoon with friends and family. Sink into a comfortable armchair in one of our drawing rooms, or take a seat on the sunny terrace, and tuck into an array of sweet and savoury treats served on beautiful tiered cakes stands. Champagne afternoon teas and lighter cream teas are also available.

Our superb Somerset Afternoon Tea is extremely popular with residents and non-residents alike. The tiered cake stands are quite the talking point amongst patrons. Somerset Afternoon Tea is served daily between 12pm and 5:00pm.

Ston Easton provides a variety of Afternoon Tea options, including some which have discounted offers on their website, including:

Cream Tea for One

A traditional cream tea including two deliciously indulgent scones with a generous helping of clotted cream and homemade jam, served with a choice of classic or fruit tea or coffee £ 10.50

Full Afternoon Tea for Two

A traditional afternoon tea including delicious scones with a generous helping of clotted cream and homemade jam, a selection of finger sandwiches, cakes and sweet treats, served with a choice of classic or fruit tea or coffee £ 50.00

Ladies Tea for Two

A traditional afternoon tea including delicious scones with a generous helping of clotted cream and homemade jam, and a selection of finger sandwiches, served with a choice of classic or fruit tea or coffee £ 33.00

Gourmet Afternoon Tea for Two

Gourmet Champagne full afternoon tea including delicious scones with a generous helping of clotted cream and homemade jam, a selection of finger sandwiches, cakes and sweet treats, served with a glass of house Champagne £ 69.00 For more details on these and other offers, go to the website www.stoneaston.co.uk, call 01761 241631 or email reception@stoneaston.co.uk.

afternoon tea - recipes

Mary Berry's

Chocloate Reflection Cake A dazzling cake that's perfect for any celebration. The cake itself is easy to make, so you can put your efforts into the icing glaze.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/ Gas 4.

Line the base of two 20cm/8in loosebottomed cake tins with baking paper and grease the sides with baking spread.

Ingredients

50g/1¾oz cocoa powder 6 tbsp boiling water 3 large free-range eggs 50ml/2fl oz full-fat milk 175g/6oz self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 100g/3½oz baking spread, plus extra for greasing 275g/9¾oz caster sugar

For the icing

7 sheets (11g) leaf gelatine 225g/8oz caster sugar 75g/2¾oz cocoa powder 5 tbsp double cream 50g/1¾oz dark chocolate, chopped into chunks 2 tbsp apricot jam, sieved

To decorate

300ml/10fl oz double cream, whipped until stiff peaks form 10 strawberries

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Method:

Sieve the cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the water and stir until you have a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients. Whisk together using an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Spoon into the two tins and level the tops.

Bake for 20–25 minutes, until well risen and coming away from the sides of the tins. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To make the icing, put the gelatine leaves in a shallow bowl of cold water for 5 minutes until soft.

Put the sugar, cocoa powder, cream and 125ml/4fl oz water into a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until melted, then bring up to the boil and stir until smooth.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Squeeze any liquid from the gelatine leaves and stir into the chocolate mixture until dissolved. Pour through a sieve into a bowl and leave to cool and thicken in the fridge for about an hour, until it reaches the consistency of thick mayonnaise.

Slice each cake in half horizonatally.

Put one cake half on a wire rack and smooth a layer of whipped cream on top. Continue this process so you have four layers of cake and three layers of cream. Press the cakes down between

each layer so the cream comes right to the edges and the cakes are level at the sides. Smooth around the edges with a palette knife so the excess cream very lightly covers the sides and gives a smooth edge.

Gently warm the apricot jam and brush lightly over the cake, covering the sides and top. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Put about 100ml/3½fl oz of the icing in a heatproof bowl and gently melt over a pan of simmering water. Dip half of each strawberry in the melted icing. Put on baking paper to set.

Once the cake has finished cooling in the fridge, transfer to a wire cooling rack placed on a large baking tray to catch any excess glaze as you pour it over the cake. Pour the remaining icing over the cake and smooth over the top and sides.

Be very careful doing this, you want a smooth shiny icing. Leave for an hour or so to set. Arrange the glazed strawberries around the bottom edge of the cake.

Source: Mary Berry Everyday.

Published by BBC Books.

Hardcover RRP: £ 23.99

Classic Victoria sponge sandwich recipe Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.

Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper.

For the sponge

200g caster sugar 200g softened butter 4 eggs, beaten 200g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp milk

For the filling

100g butter, softened 140g icing sugar, sifted drop vanilla extract (optional) half a 340g jar good-quality strawberry jam icing sugar, to decorate

Method:

Paul Hollywood's

In a large bowl, beat 200g caster sugar, 200g softened butter, 4 beaten eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp milk together until you have a smooth, soft batter.

Lemon drizzle slices

Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4.

Line a 20 x 20cm square baking tin with baking parchment.

Bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed.

For the cake

Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

70g softened unsalted butter 120g caster sugar 2 medium eggs 140g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder finely grated zest 1 lemon 1 tbsp lemon curd 2 tbsp full-fat milk

For the drizzle topping 30g granulated sugar juice 1 lemon

For the feather icing

250g icing sugar 3 tbsp water splash of yellow food colouring

Method:

Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix again. Add the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, lemon curd and milk, and mix with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.

Mix the sugar and lemon juice together and pour over the hot cake. Leave to cool in the tin. You can eat the cake as it is, or for a fancy finish, try making this feather icing.

Mix the icing sugar with just enough water to give a runny, but not watery, icing. Put a small amount of icing in a separate bowl. Add a few drops of the food colouring to the icing until pale yellow. Spoon into a disposable icing bag.

Remove the cake from the tin and peel off the baking parchment. Sit the cake on a wire rack over a baking tray.

Spread the white icing over the top. Pipe thin lines of the coloured icing across the width of the cake. Use a cocktail stick to drag through the lines in opposite directions to create a feathered effect. Leave to set before cutting into slices.

Source: BBC Good Food

To make the filling, beat the 100g softened butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in 140g sifted icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extract (if you’re using it).

Spread the buttercream over the bottom of one of the sponges.

Top it with 170g strawberry jam and sandwich the second sponge on top.

Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.

Source: BBC Good Food

food and drink interview

Matt Gillard Expect ‘Wild British Food’ from No.15 Great Pulteney’s new Head Chef, and enthusiastic forager and fly-fisher, Matt Gillard. Returning to the region after two years as Sous Chef at Surrey’s Wentworth Golf & Country Club, it’s very much people and places in the south west who have shaped the career of Bristol-born Matt. We got to chat to the hotel's new recruit about his style of cooking, what we can find on the new menu, as well as future plans at No.15.

Congratulations on your new role as Head Chef at No.15, can you tell us a little about your career so far?

Thank you - it’s great to be working in Bath and at the heart of the city’s lively food scene. After two years as Sous Chef at Surrey’s Wentworth Golf & Country Club, arriving at No.15 is a return to this part of the country for me.

I was born in Bristol and it’s very much people and places in the south west who have shaped my career. Before Wentworth, I had been Head Chef at Guyers House Hotel (gaining 3 AA Rosettes), Senior Sous Chef at Bristol’s Berwick Lodge under former Roux Scholarship winner, Paul O’Neill and part of Giles Stonehouse’s brigade at the Macdonald Bath Spa. I first entered the restaurant world via work experience in Bristol and Cheltenham as well as during my travels to France, Switzerland and Slovakia. I then was a Chef de Partie with Nathan Muir - at both The Robin Hood’s Retreat

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Although my mother was not a great cook and I failed my school cookery exam, I was always very interested in food. It was a washing-up job in a professional kitchen that first opened my eyes to the possibilities ahead for me.

Who has been the biggest influence on you becoming a Chef and at what age did you want to pursue this as a career?

(as it was then called) in Bristol and The New Inn at Backwell - working with him for three years from late 2005, at the height of the gastro pub boom.

My career path then took a turn in a completely different direction for the next five years when I entered the army, serving in the infantry.

I was in my early teens when I first realised I wanted to be a chef. Nathan Muir was the one who really set me on my way and gave me the helping hand I needed.

What was it about the opportunity at No.15 that appealed to you?

Have a thick skin and stick at it. When you start working in a kitchen you will make mistakes and be open to lots of criticism but you will learn from this and improve. If it’s really what you want to do, work hard and persevere.

It’s the quirkiness of the hotel and its interiors: the visual surprises, bold use of colour and flamboyance. Such a backdrop calls out for food of the same temperament, providing me with the cue to deliver characterful twists on my menus and in my dishes.

What are your first memories of food?

Attempting to make my grandmother a banana split when I was six years old. It was her favourite dessert but the scoop of Neapolitan ice-cream that I added to a banana was a total flop.

What advice would you give anyone wanting to become a chef?

How would you describe your cooking style and ethos?

I am an enthusiastic forager and flyfishing is another passion of mine so ‘Wild British Food’ is a good way to describe the style of dishes that appear on my menus at No.15. I am inspired by what grows freely in nearby areas such as Warminster and Sally in the Wood or further afield in Surrey’s Sheerwater and Monmouthshire.

our afternoon tea comes with a number of twists that are very much in keeping with No.15’s typical flourishes and dashes of colour. For example, a three-tier stand hangs from a branch of a bronze, tree-like carrier that’s first planted on the floor beside the table.

Our sandwich selection includes the classics: Smoked salmon with chive crème fraiche; Coronation Chicken and Egg & Cress with rye, white and brown bread respectively. Yet there are also added savoury treats wth a Chorizo sausage roll and a Feta & red pepper tartlet. Alongside scones with clotted cream and homemade jams there’s lemon curd too. Dainty cakes and mini-puds include such treats as Opera Cake and Salted caramel banoffee pie. Matching the menu, there are 11 selections of tea – including No.15’s own blends of English Breakfast and Earl Grey – and each guest will have their choice served in an individual style of retro silver teapot. To raise the bar higher, I would highly recommend adding a glass of AR Lenoble champagne.

You’ve already started a Supper Club at the restaurant, will this become a regular event and what other treats do you have in store for us?

Championing either a specific food type or a spotlighted country’s cuisine on each occasion, The Supper Club was actually been well-established in June 2017 and held more or less on a monthly basis. The consistent high level of accomplished menus and matching wines - at great value for money - has attracted a loyal local following over this period. It’s a great concept for me to be inheriting and I am excited about exploring new and wide-ranging possibilities that will tempt those keen to discovering new food experiences and fresh ways of treating firm favourites.

Our theme on Monday 20th April, for example, will be a tour around Italy as standout dishes from Liguria, Tuscany, Campania, Lombardy, Treviso. Cremona and Sicily are showcased. Keep checking the hotel’s website for further dates and themes being lined up.

If you had a chance to cook for 5 people (dead or alive) who would they be and why?

Sir Winston Churchill – he remains an absolute legend to this day: as a former soldier and then as a leader of our nation, bringing us through WW2 and doing so much for Europe.

Without him, our lives might have been very different today. I’m sure he would tuck into a really hearty meal and much enjoy the accompanying wines.

How much do both the setting of the hotel and the local produce available have on planning a menu?

Everything. Not only does food at No.15 draw on all that Bath has to offer in terms of the city’s vibe but we are also blessed in being well-located for the New Macdonalds Farm on the Neston Estate in Bath. First-generation farmers, Matthew and Louise Macdonald practise honest, small-scale farming here and they’re my ‘go-to’ supplier for sourcing local and seasonal ingredients. The eggs, for instance, define ‘free-range’; hens are surrounded by acres of land and natural water and they’re fed on a natural diet. What I can source here is a major factor in the shaping of my menus.

We have a focus on Afternoon Teas within the Easter issue. What do your Afternoon Teas consist of and what makes them stand out?

Served in The Sitting Room (daily) or downstairs in The Dispensary (perfect for private afternoon tea parties and on Saturdays),

My Nan - she played such a large part in my life as a child but sadly died when I was still quite young. I just hope it was nothing to do with that banana split.

Marco Pierre White – his book White Heat was one of the first books I bought. He is the ‘god-father’ of so many of the outstanding British chefs of today, paving the way for them and being such an influential force.

HRH the Duke of Edinburgh – again, another legend! He fought in WW2, has served the country ever since and done so much to support our troops. He has a great sense of humour and I understand he’s something of a foodie too so it would be an honour to cook for him.

Miss Thayer - the cookery teacher who failed me for my GCSE. I had to make a peach cobbler but my mother sent me in to school with pears instead. Undaunted, I saw the way back then to take a recipe and give it a twist! I’d love to show her that I am a far better cook now than she is ….and point out to her the other guests eating at my table!

mother's day 22nd March 2020

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 a 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 Rome. Romans celebrated their own spring festival, called Hilaria. During this festival, Cybele – a mother goddess – was honoured. This festival was celebrated on the Ides of March (15th of March) by making offerings in the temple of Cybele.

The celebrations continued for three days and included parades, games and masquerades.

Connections to the church 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, 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 as a gift hence why a Mother's Day meal has also become popular in modern times.

Modern Day Today, Mother's Day is celebrated all over the World and although the celebration can take on a variety of guises, the celebration of the Mother and motherhood is always at the forefront.

Image: James Foreman, Executive Head Chef, Homewood Bath Image courtesy of Dan Moon at The Gainsborough

food and drink

The Griffin Inn

The perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life

Treat Mum to a three-course meal this Mother's Day Escape the hustle and bustle of city life and visit us at The Griffin Inn. Located only a few minutes from beautiful Bath’s city centre, you will find our welcoming inn with rooms – perfect for a treating your Mother to a delicious three-course meal this Mother’s Day. This 300-year old inn has a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and is oozing with charm. From our outdoor award-winning floral displays to our cosy cushioned corners inside, it is the ideal place to be day or night.

Our walls are glistening with an impressive collection of spirits and liqueurs, consisting of 100 gins and 100 tequilas, from familiar brands to single village producers. Tequila is usually enjoyed as a shot, but we prefer it served with tonic!

We have a wide range of Fevertree tonics to choose from and we will help you find the perfect one to compliment your Tequila or Mezcal.

Our knowledgeable bar team will walk you through the world of spirits, but if cocktails are more your thing then we’ve got you covered! We have added our own unique twist on traditional favourites to create a delectable cocktail list.

However, if you can’t spot your favourite cocktail on our menu, ask our talented mixologists and they will endeavour to make it for you.

We take pride in how charming The Griffin Inn is inside and out. Last September we were so chuffed to receive a Silver Bath in Bloom award for our outdoor floral display and we cannot wait to compete this year! As vibrant as our flowers are outside, inside is a different story. Think softly lit corners with upholstered seats, a saffron glowing restaurant area and open stone walls.

Everyone is welcome here, even your four-legged friends!

Relaxed, friendly atmosphere and oozing with charm

With famous attractions on our doorstep, our inn is the ideal place to stay after a day of exploring. We are only a short walk from the Thermae Bath Spa, Roman Baths and The Jane Austen Centre. Finish your day in comfort and reside with us.

We have eight tastefully decorated rooms and one of them is dog-friendly!

To view our room availability, please visit our website or call 01225 420919.

Whether you are dining in our restaurant, staying with us or popping in for a Mother’s Day tipple, we welcome you to our home away from home.

The Griffin Inn

Monmouth Street | Bath | BA1 2AP Tel: 01225 420919 www.thegriffinbath.co.uk

food and drink book releases

The Vegetarian Kitchen Author: Prue Leith Publisher: Bluebird RRP: £16.18 Hardcover Marco Pierre White

Perfect recipe for making memories this Mother's Day A lingering memory of his beloved mother that inspired, lifted, drove him on and pushed him forward to become the UK’s greatest ever chef is why Marco Pierre White is underlying to families from across Bath to make sure their own mothers are made to feel special on 22 March.

a household name during his culinary heyday, the famed restaurateur has devised a special three-course menu that has been inspired by memories of his mother at Koffmann & Mr White’s at the Abbey Hotel in Bath which he hopes will delight and surprise in equal measure on Mother's Day.

With happy recollections of holidays with his mother, Maria Rosa Gallina, in Genoa where he picked fruit from the trees, fished in streams and made early morning walks to collect goat’s milk from a nearby farm, memories of sitting in the kitchen at home, watching her cook simple but delicious pasta dishes (throwing in olive oil, sweating down onions, adding tomato puree and creating comforting scent of those combinations), Pierre White knows all too well the need to make the most of having someone special you can love, appreciate and have around as a guiding light.

Josh Watts, general manager at the Abbey Hotel said: “Marco has been very specific and has devised a menu that is the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing family meal out and mums will also receive a delicious Lillet Spritz.

But having lost his mother when he was just six, the famed chef wants families to make sure their own mothers know how much they mean.

He said: “Mums are always running around after everyone else and often don’t take any time for themselves. So looking after your mum and showing how much you appreciate her on 22 March will mean so much while giving her a day to remember.”

Understanding that not everyone will be able to replicate dishes that made him

Discover 100 delicious, heartwarming vegetarian and vegan recipes in The Vegetarian Kitchen by Prue Leith.

This gorgeous cookbook features simple, meat-free family dishes that bring delight to the extended Leith family table, time and time again. Recipes include Black Bean Chilli with Lime Salsa, Blackberry and Lemon Pavlova and Lemon and Bing Cherry and Almond Cake. Forty-two of these recipes can be made vegan.

“Marco said in his book ‘The Devil in the Kitchen’ that it wasn’t until he was 31-years-old before he could analyse the tremendous impact of his mother’s life, and death, upon his own.

“Treating your mum to a nice meal out in a relaxed environment is a lovely way to show how much you care and is a great way to get the whole family together allowing everyone to sit back, relax and enjoy the day.

“We’re in the business of feeding people in a great environment where the service is of the highest standard. That’s why we’ll be pulling out all the stops so that from the moment guests arrive they are made to feel special, especially the mums.”

For further information or to book please visit www.mpwrestaurants.co.uk/ourbrands/koffmann-and-mr-whites/bath

James Martin's Islands to Highlands Author: James Martin Publisher: Quadrille RRP: £15.79 Hardcover

This new celebration of the unique food of the British Isles sees James travel from islands to Highlands, cooking and eating everywhere from Cornwall to Scilly, Jersey and Guernsey, Isle of Man to Shetland, the Peak District, Lake District and Yorkshire Moors, and from Wales to Skye. He takes advantage of the best ingredients the country has to offer.

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Dan Moon Crowned ‘Best Chef’ At The Food Reader Awards 2020 The Gainsborough Bath Spa is proud to announce that Head Chef, Dan Moon, has been crowned the winner of the Best Chef Category at the 2020 Food Reader Awards.

"It’s always great to be recognised among a line up of fantastic talent from across the region and to know that these awards are voted for by the public is even better."

The Food Reader Awards crowns the best of the region’s chefs, restaurants and retailers based on the foodie insights and votes from readers. After amassing over 100,000 votes for this year’s awards, the winners were announced on 12th February at Darts Farm, Devon. With close competition from Nicholas Hack – The Cadeleigh Arms; Oliver Certain – The Swan Bampton; Philip Verden – Lord Poulett Arms, Dan Moon was announced as the winner of the 2020 Best Chef category.

Dan says: “I am honoured, shocked and incredibly excited to have taken home the Best Chef award this year. It’s always great to be recognised among a line up of fantastic talent from across the region and to know that these awards are voted for by the public is even better. I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to vote and show their support, 2020 is set to be an amazing year with lots coming up for our guests to enjoy.”

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ate y ia For more information on Dan Moon at The Gainsborough Restaurant, please contact marketing@ thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk

50 inbath

Where to spend Mother’s Day in Bath Fashion Museum and Fizz Tea at the Assembly Rooms Sparkling Brunch, Lunch and Champagne Afternoon Tea at The Pump Room

This Mother’s Day, Searcys will be pulling out all the stops to help us show Mum what she really means to us, with unforgettable experiences on offer at both the Assembly Rooms and The Pump Room. Delights include a tour of Bath’s iconic Fashion Museum, followed by Afteronn Tea at the Assembly Rooms, or a special meal within the stunning Georgian setting of the Pump Room.

Celebrate Mother’s Day in true style with an exclusive Fashion Museum and Fizz tea at the stunning Assembly Rooms.

Start the day exploring the worldclass collection of contemporary and historic dresses at Bath’s famous Fashion Museum, before enjoying a delicious afternoon tea in the Assembly Rooms Café. The special Mother’s Day menu, priced at £25, includes a selection of savoury treats, pastries and freshly baked homemade scones, served with Dorset clotted cream and jam, alongside a glass of Greyfriars Cuvee Brut NV. For those looking for an extra special treat, the Georgian treasure of The Pump Room will be serving a selection of special Mother’s Day menus to celebrate throughout the day. Built in the 1790s, with its glittering chandeliers and ornate spa fountain, The Pump Room provides the perfect ambience for special occasions. Menus have been created

by Searcys Executive Chef Mark Pearson, utIlising the best of seasonal British ingredients in the West Country.

For early risers, guests can enjoy a Mother’s Day brunch, with a choice of classic brunch dishes, a glass of English fizz, plus tea or coffee, all available for £15. Alternatively, enjoy a leisurely lunch, with one, two or three courses available at £17.50, £23.75 or £30 respectively.

Add a glass of English fizz for only £7.50, or take a look at the elegant menu of classic cocktails available, all with an English garden influence.

Afternoon tea traditionalists can dive into the Mother’s Day Champagne afternoon tea, perfect for a shopping break or after a tour of the Roman Baths. Priced at £36.50, the tea includes a selection of classic sweet and savoury bites, along with warm homemade fruit and buttermilk scones, paired with a glass of Searcys own champagne, Searcys Brut Cuvée NV. Dedicated to sustainability, all Searcys menus at both the Assembly Rooms and The Pump Room champion the finest producers from Bath and the surrounding area, including Bakers of Bath, Pensworth Dairies and Bath’s family butcher, Bartlett & Sons. All jams are produced by family– run food producer The Cherry Tree, from Dorset, while the coffee is hand-roasted

by Extract Coffee Roasters in Bristol, who source the beans directly from an organic cooperative of farmers in Peru and a pioneering family-run estate in Colombia.

To book or for more information, please call 01225 444477 or email events.bath@searcys.co.uk

MOTHER’S DAY AT

Celebrate Mother’s Day in fabulous fashion!

Explore the world-class collection of contemporary and historic dress at Bath’s famous Fashion Museum, followed by a sumptuous afternoon tea and a glass of English fizz

£25 per person A glass of Greyfriars Cuvee English Brut NV, Surrey, England A selection of savoury treats Homemade fruit and buttermilk scones with Dorset clotted cream and jam A selection of cakes and pastries A pot of English breakfast tea or locally hand-roasted coffee

BOOKING REQUIRED Please call 01225 444477 or email Events.Bath@Searcys.co.uk to book

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

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

@PekingBath Peking Restaurant Bath

MayJune17.indd 15

10/03/2017 12:52

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

Mother's Day Bookings now being taken visit our new website for more details www.rusticobistroitaliano.co.uk

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The Old Crown Inn A traditional pub with breath-taking views and a passion for food Nestled in the Cotswolds countryside, The Old Crown Inn is a traditional country pub with a contemporary twist. With log fires, comforting food, and friendly faces to greet you, we promise to deliver an unforgettable experience. Whatever the occasion, everyone is invited (even those with four legs!).

With the Cotswolds Way, Kelston Roundhill and its breath-taking views on our doorstep, we are a great escape from the city and are popular with walkers, cyclists and families. Visit us this Mother’s Day after a stroll up the Roundhill for a delicious three-course meal or tipple in front of the open fire.

Our passion for food and a unique combination of flavours is something to shout about and we take pride in our ever-growing menu. Our menus are designed to be accessible, including dishes that are vegan, vegetarian and free from gluten. We serve a selection of pub favourites using fresh, seasonal ingredients that are sourced locally, where possible and we are so excited for new dishes to feature in our Spring menu.

We are just a hop, skip and a jump from the city and have been pouring pints for centuries. Although we are a village pub, we are also a destination pub and have customers visit us from Bath and Bristol

The award-winning gardens are perfect for a social gathering

Relaxation is the order of the day to relax away from the hustle and bustle of city life. During the renovation of the 15th-century inn, we lovingly maintained its historic charm and kept lots of original features – wooden beams, flagstones and log fires. You will often find locals propped up by the bar with their fourlegged friends by their feet and couples cosied up in the corner by the fire whilst families are tucking into a delicious Sunday roast.

Over the past few years, our garden has seen many changes and last year we introduced a cosy garden lodge, complete with an outdoor bar and log burners. If the sun is shining we throw open the sides, if not we have plenty of blankets so you can enjoy your drinks alfresco whatever the weather! We are very proud of our garden and have won numerous awards for it over the years – last year we were over the moon to receive a Silver Bath in Bloom award for the second year running. Fully enclosed and with room for up to 150 guests, our garden is available to hire for weddings, parties and corporate events all year round. The beautiful setting makes the perfect space to celebrate any big occasion surrounded by family and friends.

If you are interested in hosting an event in our idyllic garden or wish to treat your Mum this Mother’s Day, we would love to hear from you.

Please contact us on 01225 423032 or email info@oldcrownkelston.com, or better yet, pop in!

The Old Crown Inn

Kelston Road, Kelston, Bath, BA1 9AQ Tel: 01225 423032 www.oldcrownkelston.com

food and drink book releases

The Beaujolais renaissance Stephen Barrett's Wine Review

The Ice Kitchen

Author: Shivi Ramoutar Publisher: HarperCollins RRP: £13.59 Hardcover

Step into the clever world of The Ice Kitchen – maximise convenience, cut down on waste and save money and time without sacrificing flavour.

The recipes are designed so that half can be eaten at once and the rest stored away in the freezer and recooked straight from frozen. Unlock your freezer’s potential with freezer filing, ice cube butters, salvation sauces, and Shivi’s magic no-cook Ice Kitchen Jam.

The Daly Dish

Author: Gina and Karol Daly Publisher: Gill Books RRP: £17.59 Hardcover

Like many of you Beaujolais was amongst the first known French wine region to make an impression on this young wine taster! As a young waiter in St Ives in Cornwall I noticed this easily-pronounced wine was prominent on all wine lists and off-licences. At that time it had hardly made inroads into Supermarkets and dedicated wine shops but all was about to change towards the 1980’s as the Beaujolais Nouveau phenomenon was about to burst.

But first, my sojourns to Paris in the 1970’s opened up this colourful world of Beaujolais as I trawled the back-street Bistros scooping up the atmosphere, food and wine! Along with Paris Bistro staples Muscadet, Cotes du Rhone and Sancerre my early thirst for knowledge had began with gusto as I learned about village styles, vintage variation and (best) drinkability.

Beaujolais had hit a nerve with me and my quest, noting Beaujolais Primeur (later Nouveau) piled high in the local Supermarkets and Wine Merchants, I bought some. Supple, huge fruitiness and light/easy to drink it was a revelation.

Offered lightly chilled (as in Beaujolais) and served with rustic Lyonnaise cuisine (Pate de Campagne, Jambon, Boeuf Bourguignon and Fromage) it opened up a whole new world of flavours. This cuisine is tailor-made for young Beaujolais wines and was instrumental in my becoming a Bistro Chef!

Gina and Karol Daly have always been larger than life, there just isn’t as much of them anymore. Together they’ve lost almost ten stone, and they’ve done it while eating food that looks like it could have come straight from the local takeaway.

Eventually visiting, tasting and embracing Beaujolais culture led me to discovering the truly delicious Beaujolais Blanc was also available! The only two grapes allowed when creating Beaujolais are Gamay for the red (and a little Rose) and Chardonnay for the white. The defined styles of ‘up front and juicy’ for the reds, and ‘lean and elegant’ for the whites are still very evident to this day.

Just over a year ago they started sharing their recipes on Instagram and have since garnered over 100,000 followers

The Appellation regulations for the reds are based on the village destinations, 10 villages are allowed to place their

54 inbath

names firmly to the fore on the bottle’s label. As you would expect with different village locations, different styles of wine are evident in the final presentation. With a new eagerness evident for younger wine tasters discovering Beaujolais now is the perfect time to take the plunge and embrace (for many) a different style of wine.

Wines labelled (simply) Beaujolais or Beaujolais Village are also worth a search for as quality and price points are also in harmony. The current vintage of 2018 is now on the markets and as with most of European vineyards it was an exceptional year for winemakers with the wine keeping well over the next few years.

I have recently discovered that new well-travelled family winemakers in Beaujolais are now making their wines with the use of oak (like the Pinot Noir’s from neighbouring Burgundy) which adds complexity enabling the wines to develop over a greater number of years. These wines are sought after and represent excellent value in today’s market.

Like me you might wish to embrace Beaujolais as one of your wines of choice.

Take my tip and ask the professionals they are the ones in the know…

Stephen Barrett is a Wine, Food and Travel Writer based in Plymouth Stephen welcomes correspondence via his website stephenbarrett.com LinkedIn and Facebook as Stephen Barrett or @bistrowineman on Twitter and Instagram.

Mot h e r ’s D ay Show mum what she means to you with a special treat this Mother’s Day

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH £15.00 per person 1 course with a glass of English Fizz, a pot of loose leaf tea or hand-roasted filter coffee

MOTHER’S DAY LUNCH 1 course £17.50 2 courses £23.75 3 courses £30 Add a glass of English Fizz £7.50

CHAMPAGNE AFTERNOON TEA £36.50 per person A selection of sweet and savoury bites, our homemade fruit and buttermilk scones and a glass of Searcys Champagne

To book: thepumproombath.co.uk 01225 444477 | events.bath@searcys.co.uk

food and drink The pub is open from 12:00 noon every day with fresh coffee available and lunch food being served till 2:15pm Monday to thursday and all; day Friday, 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 or restaurant

The Cross Keys, Midford

With free Wi-FI, BT Sports channels, a regualr charity quiz night on Sundays, annual beer festivals, BBQ's and live music, you'll find plenty of fun, laughter and conversation. Plus, on May 8th a Family Picnic Ramble and Fun day in aid of the British Legion - a day of Remembrance and Reconciliation.

Café Rouge launches their new menu collection

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

Captivating Catalonia

Your Inn......our home

With the better weather 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 The autumn afternoon sun shone as I arrived region) of Emporda perhaps little known in restaurant in Bath, but you’ll find a great selection of home made in Barcelona and headed for my downtown the UK but full of promise and quirky quality. pub food, freshly prepared in house with lots of fine wine real ale and hotel. Easily finding my bearings I headed for Our first of many treats was to experience the cider. the first event of many planned for a Wine and architectural genius of Celler Brugarol at the

Food and Wine Tour of Catalonia: part one

Newly redeveloped beer garden offers Food orientated experience in this Spanish Mas Bell-lloc (beautiful place) cut into the red WithMediterranean a fabulously outpost redeveloped you will find gazeebos, all something for everyone at the known asgarden, Catalonia. soiled landscape withCross huge staves Keys. of linked

weather surfaces, and with an extended play area forrusting the children which I navigated the trams ease and headed steel inviting you down its mysterious With Summer just around the corner, The Cross with fresh coffee available and lunch food being means that the younger are showing entertained whilst you into cana relax in winery situated mainly downtown to the annual ones Wine Fair pathway modern Keys in Midford have been working hard to make served till 2:15pm Monday to Friday.Then from overwith 200 wines in the middle ofhome the square to food.underground. It was a cross between middle thesure sun a drink and some made that the whole family is catered for.

6pm evening meals are served ,perfect for all the head of the magnificent Arc del Triomf in the

earth mystery and a giant Richard Serra the family. sculpture (Guggenheim, Bilbao) extolling form and texture amongst indigenous flowers, shrubs and Bath, but you’lland find great a greatSunday Special With a restaurant range of in daily specials roasts, you’ll Families were dominant within the carnival and trees. IOffers couldn’t help thinking how it might selection of spoilt home for made pub food, freshly sit down to dine at the Cross definitely be choice when atmosphere of the grand show.

Mixingyou and into the landscape -melt Daily 'specials board'. in future years. As we prepared in house with lots of fine wine ,real ale Keys.milling All the food is afreshly and cookedmarvelled on site, so youinnovative can about with sort ofprepared free Mediterranean at this winery the wine and cider. be sure be getting some of thetasting freshest and-was pub food inoffered 2tastiest &being 3 course special forto Sunday roasts spirit,you’ll the seniors of the families were opened anddeals our tasters.

Ask about our reduced portion sizes andand the South West. and buying from whoever they fancied. It would The grapes were grown in selected soils Having spent the Winter redeveloping their children's meals. be hard to imagine a nicer event for me to kick climes as the undulation of the estate enabled garden, you will now find new gazeebos, all off with as I tasted Cava, Costers del Segre an eclectic mix to be planted. Malvasia, Xarel-o weather surfaces, and a new extended play area - Buy two meals from the specials board and (red, white and rose), Tarragona and the fabled and Muscatel grapes were for the whites plus for the children which means that the younger get the cheapest at half price!! between 6pm Priorat with true abandon.

Cabernets, Monastrell, Grenache and Carinena ones are entertained whilst you can relax in the and 7pm, 7 days a week. for the reds. The wines offered for tasting were sun with a drink and some home made food.

But it was the next few days that were to open made with minimal handling allowing the plots of More thanthe just a pub my eyes to what Catalonia really had to offer. soil to express terrior of the or estate. Needles Traditional madeinpub For those of youhome with an interest food, wine, to say the wines had real character, depth of restaurant With a range of daily specials and great Sunday historic monuments plus a myriad of stunning flavour and wi-fi, quality Do search this With FREE BTabound!

Sports channel, a out regular roasts, you’llvistas definitely spoilt when and varied this be might justforbechoice the new estate for annight ethereal glimpse of winerybeer very charity quiz on Sundays, anaannual you sit down to dine at the Cross Keys.

All the place in your gastronomic itinerary? close toand, nature. festival with the newly redeveloped garden, food is freshly prepared and cooked on regualr BBQ's and live music (please see our site, you can be sure be getting some Ourso journey started withyou’ll a walking tour of On to our (Hotel Terraza) aboutof 70k east website forhotel details), you'll find plenty fun, ofBarcelona the freshest and in tastiest pubstun foodand in the taking sites that theSouth to the town Roses was aatbeach Spa hotel laughter andofconversation The Cross Keys, West. corners of the city that surprise and delight as situated a curve of a huge bay allowing us the homeonfrom home. the daring and colourful modern architecture to trace our coastal journey with the twinkle of nestlesfrom alongside classical baroque styles village lights alongwww.crosskeysbath.co.uk the way. Regional dishes Open 12.00 noon everyday For more details: withpub a sprinkling of Roman thrown in forday good were wheeled out including Mussels, lovely The is open from 12:00 noon every or call 01225 849180 measure. It’s all here within close proximity of salads and delicate desserts. Our long day was the blue Mediterranean Sea. fading and we retired. free late afternoon.

You won’t just find a warm welcome Traditional home made foodat the pub

Café Rouge unveils their new menu collection, inspired by this season’s flavours and tastes.

Their Executive Chef Bruno Balle has travelled across France, from Calais to Corsica, sourcing the best ingredients and suppliers to create their new à la carte and set menus.

Traditional home made food at The Cross Keys

You won’t just find a warm welcome at our pub Beloved Frenchinclassics and newfind seasonal and restaurant Bath, but you’ll a great flavours are atmade the heart the freshly menus, which selectionand of home pub of food, are the culmination of the traditional recipes and prepared in house with lots of ales, beers and techniques thattoo. the Executive Chef experienced wines to drink on his travels. Embracing the French way of life, the menu welcomes families and friends to Traditional home made pub sit down and enjoy great French food and drink With a range of daily whether they’ve got aspecials little timeand or agreat lot. Sunday roasts, you’ll definitely be spoilt for choice when you sit down to dine at the Cross Keys.

Celebrating the fresh, in-season produce and springtime flavours, Café Rouge have introduced Allnew our Spring food is Set freshly prepared and cooked a Menu from £10.95 for twoon site, so you sure you’ll be such getting courses.

Youcan canbeexpect starters assome Terrine of the freshest and tastiest pub food in the South de Jambon, a ham hock, pea and mustard West. terrine with shallot and raisin chutney, to mains

Award Winning, Family Run like Farm Shop Steak Frites and Tarte de Printemps, a Open from 12.00 noon shortcrust party everyday tart with confit Established for over 30homemade years Our pub is open from 12:00 noon dayand shallots, Emmental cheese, goats’every cheese with freshtomatoes. coffee available and lunch Selling Quality Local Produce sundried The delicate and food zingybeing served till 2:15pm to Friday with food Lemon Posset withMonday an almond tuile would be a Open Daily 9am – 6pm (9.30am – 5pm on Sundays) served day Saturday. from for 6pm we£3 perfect all finishing touch to Then the meal, just

begin serving our evening meals and specials, more. perfect for all the family.

The set menu can be enjoyed from lunchtime More just amaking pub orit arestaurant throughthan until close, great choice for We like bite to think that we offer more than just a quick at lunch, pre-theatre dinner or a your big average pub or restaurant.

With FREE BT family celebration.

And, if you have the wi-fi, time to Sports–channel, a regular charityjoin quiz night on linger please be their guest…

Café Rouge Sundays, an annual with and from 7.30pm and thebeer tablefestival is yours forBBQ the whole live music, you'll find plenty of fun, laughter and evening. conversation at The Cross Keys, the home from home.

Continuing their passion for food, the much-loved restaurant group have evolved and welcomed new dishes to their à la carte menu menu.

Discover the rich tapestry of French provenance in their new Charcuterie et Fromage – a curated selection of artisanal products from suppliers in different regions of France: potted pork rillettes, which are produced to an age old traditional recipe in Lambersart, Lille by the Pourbaix family since 1976; delicate jambon de Bayonne dry-cured with salts from nearby Abour marshes for at least 210 days; flavoursome Barbary duck breast smoked the traditional way over beech wood shavings, and rich and creamy Camembert from Brittany – all accompanied by shallot and raising chutney and crusty baguette.

HOME & LOCALLY REARED FRESH MEAT, POULTRY & GAME HOMEMADE SAUSAGES, BURGERS & FAGGOTS Easter Orders now being taken

inbath

July/Aug

The atmosphere was everywhere as we joined in the wonderful bustle of this major InBath city; streets www.inbath.net ath small and@InB mysterious to fast-paced boulevards and the ubiquitous trams zig zaging to the outskirts of the city.

mer Sum in the city

Be part ourand annual Up early with ourof colleagues eager to get on the road to sample wines at La Vinyeta winery Alfresco Dining and app. 22k to the North East of the coast.

This is the base of the Pyrenees showing different soils Beer Gardens focus and climate pointing to different styles of wine.

On arrival we were invited to venture into the

to to see how the poor soils were tamed Dovineyards you prefer dine under the stars enjoying the LOCAL CHEESES & HOME COOKED MEATS by the vines, olive and fruitortrees enabling surroundings of a groves nice courtyard garden? seasonalVEGETABLES, bounty to be harvested. La Vinyeta was LOCALLY GROWN FRUIT & SALADS aWell comparatively new winery producing winesit)of if the answer is yes (and why wouldn't

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Museums and restaurants were our quarry as we were expertly guided to places that were a feast for the eyes. Suddenly it was 2pm and lunch called! We were directed to the Hotel Cotton House that had just undergone a complete restoration turning it into a major gastronomic venue of sumptuous proportion.

It was certainly reminiscent of great and grand dining but with a casualness that indicated sheer professionalism.

exceptional ranging fromof rich whites then Bath has quality an embarrassment riches for to you HOMEMADE CAKES PIES This lovely country reds with the addition of brilliant& dessert tofull-on experience.

Whether your inclinations are for wineslate all offered individually crafted bottles, those summerwith evenings or lazy afternoons, inn has open fires and a LOCALLY MADE CHOCOLATES colour and to stylistic throughout. it's easy find a presentations picturesque location at a Impressive and confident, were impressed reputable restaurant orwe bistro to all satisfy great atmosphere! There & FUDGE Café Rouge’s new à la carte menu and seasonal with this modern winery the hills. your everyinwhim.

Springis SetaMenu the new season great menu and a FINE WINE, LOCAL ALE & CIDERbringing guests thecelebrate perfect choice for both lunch After lunch it was onward to the eastern coastal Stephen is adetails Wine, about Food and To findBarrett out more this Travel years specials board.

The food and dinner, whilst always providing a welcoming region known as Costa Brava our journey PRESERVES Writer based in Plymouth.

Stephen welcomes July/August contact: &issuse, CHUTNEYS and relaxed ambiance. showing us just what to expect as we hugged correspondence via his website was excellent and well the coast for 100k to taste wines at Palamos. www.stephenbarrett.com, craig@inbath.net GIFT HAMPERS Forpresented more detsails: www.caferouge.com by super staff!

This is a region in the DO (authoritative wine Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter BistroWineMan

+

What's On, Gardens Ping Coombes, Beer Alfresco Dining, and much more...

Days Out, Property

www.allingtonfarmshop.co.uk TEL: 01249 658112 Allington Bar Farm, Chippenham, SN14 6LJ 23/05/2016 14:24

30 inbath 56 inbath JulyAug16Draft.indd

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

Visit our family 18thcentury century alehouse and restaurant.

Visit our family runrun 18th 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.

Over 300 years old and recently refurbished -look outandforcontemporary.

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

With a newspecial chef and new throughout menu coming realsuch firesas and look out for our events through spring and suchquiz as our annuallook beer festival.

With special a large family garden andsummer regular nights out for our

What's on this summer!

Come and enjoy our newly refurbished Beer Garden. special events throughout the spring such as ourfor Family Picnic Ramble and Fun day.

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

A host of acclaimed writers will be visiting Bath’s beautiful venues, including Atonement author Ian McEwan (in conversation with DJ and author Simon Mayo), Claire Tomalin and Michael Frayn and Joanna Trollope. Emily Eavis will be talking about 50 years of the Glastonbury Festival, skincare queen and beauty blogger Caroline Hirons will be giving advice on how to have beautiful skin, while Nicholas Coleridge will be sharing witty insights about his years as head of the Conde Nast magazine empire.

Jane Austen fans will be able to hear former controller of BBC2, Janice Hadlow, talking about her novel The Other Bennett Sister, a re-imagining of the life of Mary from Pride and Prejudice, with historical novelist Helen Moffett who has written Charlotte, about another character from this much-loved classic.

Bath Festival Orchestra, made up of talented young players, is revived for this year’s festival and its concert at the Assembly Rooms will be recorded for broadcast by BBC Radio 3. The orchestra was originally founded in 1959 by international violinist Yehudi Menuhin when he was director of The Bath Festival. James Runcie, a former literature director at Bath Festivals, is returning to the city to talk about his Granchester series of books which are now a successful TV series.

KT Tunstall

There Will Be Cake

The Bath Festival 2020 is a ten-day celebration of music and books in unique buildings and open spaces of our beautiful city This year’s festival runs from Friday 15 May to Sunday 24 May, with a diverse number of events, ranging from the elegiac and heart-breaking Sorrowful Songs performed by the Paraorchestra beside the Roman Baths, to a witty romp through the Sunday papers over breakfast with comedian Marcus Brigstocke. Enjoy the chance to be in at the beginning as we hear from debut novelists Abi Dare, Paul

Mendez and Naoise Dolan, while at the same time paying tribute to the classics, Charles Dickens and William Wordsworth.

Festival organisers have tuned in to the zeitgeist, scheduling talks that tackle the big issues of our time, including mental health, death as the last taboo, the state of modern politics and the issue of climate change.

The Bath Festival Finale Weekend

There’s music for all tastes at The Bath Festival. Legendary queen of punk Patti Smith is playing at The Forum, Bath’s largest venue, musician John Grant who recently got a five-star review in The Times will also be starring, and film critic Mark Kermode is returning with his skiffle band The Dodge Brothers after a sell-out gig at last year’s festival.

The Bath Festival always features internationally renowned talent from the classical music world and this year is no exception. Scottish guitarist Sean Shibe, winner of the Royal Philharmonia Society Young Artist Award and many more accolades will be giving a concert at St Swithin’s Church. Look out too for

Kate Abbey, literature producer at The Bath Festival, said: “The festival provides a wonderful opportunity to listen to and engage with experts, to provoke discussions that go beyond bite size David Lammy pieces of information or attention- grabbing headlines. 2020 includes David Lammy MP a concert in Bath Abbey by the vocal group The tackling identity, philosopher AC Grayling Gesualdo Six, whose voices have been described considering democracy, award-winning journalist as angelic.

Camilla Cavendish contesting the ageing taboos and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks exploring morality.”

There’s a special intimate series of performances of La Voix Humaine. Ticket holders will be invited There will be a lot of fun too, starting with the free to a secret location in a Bath Georgian residence Party in the City on Friday 15 May, with live music where they’ll witness an extraordinary solo piece of all kinds playing in dozens of venues across of opera in which a woman can be heard in the city centre. Bring the whole family and enjoy the throes of her relationship falling apart in listening to bands and choirs on outdoor stages an unrestrained phone call to her lover. This at Queen Square and Parade Gardens. Also free production is rarely staged and this will be an to Discovery card holders is the Family Arts Day in evening which will linger in the memory of those Parade Gardens. This year it’s on Sunday 24 May who hear it. and there will be activities from having a go on The singer Nina Simone is the inspiration for Woke, a powerful piece of theatre. Set against a powerful musical soundtrack this award-winning show tells the story of two women, 42 years apart, in their struggle for civil rights.

Jazz afficionados will be excited to hear that Bristol-based Get The Blessing four-piece will be bringing their own brand of genre-bending music, while the trail-blazing outfit Empirical (currently 2020 Nimmo artists in residence at the Wiltshire Music Centre) will be setting up a unique pop-up jazz lounge in an unexpected venue, from where they’ll be playing their award-winning music over six days of the May festival.

a musical instrument to craft workshops and a treasure hunt.

Prepare to laugh out loud at the all-star improv comedy group There Will Be Cake, featuring Pippa Evans, Rachel Parris, Paul Foxcroft and Marcus Brigstocke, experience the world as seen through the eyes of comedian, writer and podcaster Adam Buxton, while comedian Richard Herring will be offering hilarious advice for awkward social situations from his new book Emergency Questions. Poetry and the spoken word events include a performance by the three times World Poetry Slam Champion Buddy Wakefield.

The festival closes in style with the Finale Weekend on Bath Rec over the bank holiday weekend, 23 and 24 May. The line-up includes McFly, Scouting for Girls and KT Tunstall on the Saturday and UB40, featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, Billy Ocean, Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Seth Lakeman on the Sunday. Day and weekend tickets are available now.

Tickets for The Bath Festival go on general release on Thursday 5 March. Book at: www.thebathfestival.org.uk or tel: 01225 463362.

Why not become a festival member?

Visit www.bathfestivals.org.uk/support-us where for £25 a year you can sign up for membership and support this local arts charity. You will be informed about festival events ahead of official announcements and qualify for priority ticket sales ahead of general booking, so you’ll never miss out.

Seth Lakeman

THE BATH FESTIVAL 2020

Emily Eavis

music Blossoms

3 Mar Joanne Shaw Taylor Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Joanne Shaw Taylor is embarking on her most unique UK tour to date! Playing ‘Reckless Heart’ in its entirety in track order combined with songs from her extensive back catalogue, voted for by the fans.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: £29.50

13 Mar Frank Turner (Solo) With Special Guests The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk No Man’s Land, Frank Turner’s most original project to date and is dedicated to the women whose incredible lives have all too often been overlooked by dint of their gender.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: From £28.50 (+ booking fees*)

6 Mar The King Is Back - 2020 The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Ben Portsmouth -The World’s Number One Elvis Tribute Artist. Ben, a multi talented musician, singer and songwriter had Elvis's DNA in his blood from an early age. His father was an avid Elvis fan and Ben grew up on a diet of Elvis songs.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: From £28.50 (+ booking fees*)

14 Mar Jon Hopkins Polarity Tour The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Polarity traverses different musical territory to Hopkjns' previous work, tethering together “the two disparate elements of harsh and fragile in [his] music."

Time: 7.30pm Prices: £30.00 (+ Booking Fees)

12 Mar Blossoms The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Blossoms have revealed the details of their new album, Foolish Loving Spaces.

Set for release on January 31, 2020, Foolish Loving Spaces is the follow up to the band’s 2018, top 5 album Cool Like You and features recent single Your Girlfriend, released earlier this year.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: £26.00 (+ Booking Fees)

60 inbath

18 Mar Palace plus special guests Komedia www.komedia.co.uk With their sublime second album, Palace have pulled off a rare pop trick.

Songs steeped in darkness emerge in to light, from bleak situations spring fresh starts. Bathed in the band’s atmospheric alt-rock, the future feels brighter and more optimistic.

Time: 7:30pm Prices: £14 Advance

Patti Boulaye

19 Mar The George Michael Story Komedia www.komedia.co.uk The only touring show to perform George Michael’s hits in chronological order.

The George Michael Story tells in detail the career of George and his 100 million record selling history.

Time: 7.00pm Prices: £ 23 Advance 20 Mar Clannad The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Having sold 15 million records worldwide and with eight Top 10 U.K. albums to their name, multi-award winning Clannad today announce their ‘In a Lifetime’ The Farewell World Tour.

Time: 7.30pm Prices vary, see website for details 20 Mar Patti Boulaye ‘Billie & Me’ Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Award-winning singer and musical theatre star showcases her one woman jazz show featuring the music of Billie Holiday.

Times: Doors 7.30pm. Starts 8pm. Ends 10.30pm.

Prices: Advance £18. Door £20.

20 Mar Absolute Bowie Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Absolute Bowie, awarded the UK’s ‘Best Tribute Band’ and ‘Best Bowie’ act, would like to come and meet you and they might just blow your mind…

With an electrifying performance from our main Starman, and theatrical midset costume ch-ch-ch-anges, Absolute

Paul Carrack

Jahméne

Bowie will take you on a musical journey through the greatest hits of David Bowie with their huge stage show.

Time: 7.00pm Prices: £ 15.00 Advanced 21 Mar Jahméne plus support Louis Vann Johnson Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org A powerhouse vocal talent with a unique blend of soul, gospel and R’n’B. Times: Doors 7.30pm. Starts 8pm. Ends 10.30pm.

Prices: Advance £15. Door £17.50.

21 Mar Paul Carrack - The 20/20 Tour The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Nicknamed ‘The Man with the GOLDEN VOICE’ in a BBC documentary about his phenomenal 50 year career Paul, whose vocals have graced million selling songs such as ‘How Long’ by ACE, ‘Tempted’

by Squeeze and the Grammy Award nominated ‘Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics is now firmly established as one of the hardest working, independent musicians on the scene.

Time: 7.30pm Prices vary, see website for details 26 Mar Ultimate Eagle Komedia www.komedia.co.uk Ultimate Eagles are definitive devotees to the music of The Eagles, performing songs from every album and every era, delivering more than forty years of brilliance with both accuracy and reverence. The band is comprised of seasoned International professionals who have spent their time performing alongside Queen, Paul Young, Roger Daltrey, Lulu, Van Morrison, The

Whitney - Queen of the Night

Commitments, Cliff Richard, John Legend and Thunder. The Ultimate Eagles have performed to over 500,000 people worldwide, and have had over 10,000,000 online media views, securing their place as the world’s premier Eagles show.

Time: 7.00pm Prices: £ 25.00 Advance 28 Mar I Can’t Believe It’s Not Buddy Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Spencer J & the Copy-Cat Crickets create the sensational feel of a Rock’n’ Roll concert, straight from the fifties.

Times: Doors 7.30pm. Starts 8pm. Ends 10.30pm Prices: Advance £17.50. Door £20.

2 Apr Hannah White and The Nordic Connections Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org She is the arresting and wholly believable singer-songwriter now joining forces with a Norwegian super group.

Times: Doors 7.30pm. Starts 8pm. Ends 10.30pm.

Prices: Advance £10. Door £12.

3 Apr The Kopycat Killers - Killers Tribute Komedia www.komedia.co.uk The Kopycat Killers attention to detail is intense, featuring authentic tones and sequenced studio sounds to emulate ‘The Killers’ own, backing musicians, along with the stage wear, the instruments, set choice and decoration (including the Killers own famous ‘K’ keyboard stand), it’s all present and correct.

Time: 7.00pm Prices vary, see website for details

3 Apr The Lynne and McCartney Story Theatre Show Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org ELO Beatles Beyond performing the greatest hits of ELO, Paul McCartney and Wings, The Beatles and more.

Times: Doors 7.30pm. Starts 8pm. Ends 10.30pm.

Prices: Advance £16. Door £18.

7 Apr Barenaked Ladies The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Joining Barenaked Ladies in the UK will be their friend and touring colleague, Boothby Graffoe.

Times: 7.30pm Prices vary, see website for details 10 Apr Look-A-Like Tribute Festival Komedia www.komedia.co.uk We are bringing together the UK’s FINEST tribute bands for a huge indoor festival to celebrate a whole era of music and culture.

Time: 3.00pm Prices: £ 16.90 16 Apr Whitney - Queen of The Night The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk A stunning celebration of the music and life of one of the greatest singers of our time. This award-winning production features a sensational line-up of musicians and artists, and together with a powerhouse and breath-taking performance in the spirit of Whitney, delivers a show that exceeds expectation on every level.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: £26.00 (+ Booking Fees)

music

The Hollies

Nathaniel Rateliff

Ward Thomas

16 Apr The Paperboys Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Mexican Son Jarocho, Irish Jigs and Reels and a good dose of Country and Bluegrass plus Ska, Soca and African Highlife.

Times: Doors 7.30pm. Starts 8pm. Ends 10.30pm.

Prices: Advance £12. Door £14.

29 Apr Ward Thomas The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk Following the release of their acclaimed UK top 10 album, ‘Restless Minds’, and being awarded the prestigious ‘Global Artist Award’ at the CMA Awards earlier this year, country-pop duo Ward Thomas have announced an intimate acoustic tour for spring 2020.

17 Apr The Frankie Valli Story Working My Way Back To You Tour 2020 Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org ‘As close to Frankie Valli as you can get without seeing the man himself…’ The Telegraph.

Times: Doors 7.30pm. Starts 8pm. Ends 10.30pm.

Prices: Advance £17. Door £20.

The tour sees the twins take in an array of beautiful venues across the UK, in a stripped back light, allowing them to really showcase their incredible harmonies in an up close and personal setting. Across the dates the duo will play fan favourites from their chart topping album ‘Cartwheels’ and 2019’s ‘Restless Minds’, as well as some new tracks.

Times: 7.30pm Prices: £22.50 / £24.00 (+ Booking Fees)

22 Apr Biff Byford - School of Hard Knocks Komedia www.komedia.co.uk The show will take an “evening with” format and will be split into two halves.

The first half will feature a spoken word show where Biff will be quized on all aspects of his life and career. The second half will consist of a live show with Biff and his band.Knocks!

Time: 7.00pm Prices: £32.50 - £45.00

30 Apr The Hollies The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk The Hollies are one of Britain’s bestloved bands. Their soaring, distinctive harmonies, brilliantly crafted songs coupled with The Hollies extensive back catalogue of memorable hits has ensured the longevity of one of the greatest groups to emerge from the early 1960’s British Rock revolution – a time when British Music began to shake the world.

Time: 7.30pm Prices: From £29.50 (+ booking fees*)

25 Apr Zoë Schwarz Blue Commotion Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org A progressive and provocative 21st Century blues band with powerful, edgy vocals and scorching guitar solos.

Times: Doors 7.30pm. Starts 8pm. Ends 10.30pm.

Prices: Advance £14. Door £15.

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1 May What’s Going On: A Celebration of Marvin Gaye feat Nate Simpson Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org An 8 piece band with backing singers brings you all the hits from the Grammy

award winning ‘Prince of Motown’ Times: Doors 7.30pm. Starts 8pm. Ends 10.30pm.

Prices: Advance £25. Door £27.50.

2 May Danni Nicholls Trio Hear Your Voice Tour 2020 plus support Rhiannon Scutt Chapel Arts Centre www.chapelarts.org Smoky soul, folk-pop and heartwrenching alt-country, all in a rich voice.

Times: Doors 7.15pm. Starts 7.30pm. Ends 9.30pm.

Prices: Advance £12.50. Door £14.

4 May Nathaniel Rateliff And It’s Still Alright Tour The Forum www.bathforum.co.uk "Rateliff is an exuberant, unguarded story-teller, sharing personal details in conversation as openly as he does in his songs.”

Time: 7.30pm Prices vary, see website for details 4 May Bird On The Wire Komedia www.komedia.co.uk A 10-piece collective of outstanding musicians interpreting the music of one of the greatest songwriters of our time, Bird on the Wire has already received rave reviews.

Pauline Scanlon and The Whileaways will celebrate many of Cohen’s bestloved life works. They lead a masterful collective including Will Merrigan on bass, Dave Clancy on keys, Beoga legend, Eamon Murray on drums, together with strings and brass sections.

Time :7:30pm Prices: £ 22.00

Now firmly established as Bath’s alternative arts venue and operating as an independently funded arts centre presenting an eclectic array of events for all the performing and visual arts in the heart of Bath.

With a superb Oak sprung floor, 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 a well stocked bar with many local and organic drinks and a choice of excellent wines.

Jahmene

Situated under the auditorium, our Cafe serves a plant-based menu. Organic coffee and single estate Sri Lankan teas are available all day with morning pastries, home-made cakes and ice creams to accompany. Our lunch counter is open from 12.00 11.30 to 3pm 3.30 serving a weekly changing selection of hot main courses and mouthwatering salads. We are also fully licensed in the cafe so you can escape the city centre madness and enjoy an organic wine, beer or perhaps a kombucha in our pretty courtyard.

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Tickets www.chapelarts.org .01225 463362

St James's Memorial Hall Lower Borough Walls Bath BA1 1QR

JulyAug17.indd 35 JulyAug17.indd 35

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music

Laura van der Heijden

The South (featuring members of The Beautiful South) announce 2020 UK Dates coming to Frome's Cheese & Grain on Saturday 21st March!

Having celebrated their 10th year anniversary and 30 years since The Beautiful South released ‘Song For Whoever’ in 2019’, The South are back with a 2020 UK Tour.

The South are an impressive 9 piece band who feature former members of The Beautiful South including singer Alison Wheeler and lifelong sax player Gaz Birtles. Since Dave Hemingway, the original singer, left the group at the end of 2016, Gaz has moved across to front the band with Alison and taken on vocal duties. They play the songs made famous by The Beautiful South and bring back the full flavour and arrangements with this exciting live band.

Bath Philharmonia perform Max Richter’s The Four Seasons Recomposed There are some pieces of music that stay in your consciousness forever. There are few opportunities to hear such pieces of music upfront and live.

Two leading British soloists, Sophie Langdon (violin) and Laura van der Heijden (cello) join a live and unplugged Bath Philharmonia string orchestra for an intimate, soulful and mindful experience.

We’re taking over The Lansdown Suite at the City of Bath Apex Hotel to enable you to sit as close to the musicians as possible and be totally immersed in the music.

In The Four Seasons Recomposed, Richter’s dreamlike minimalism references the original score with surprising modernisation propelled by driving basslines and insistent rhythmic repetitions.

After a successful year of touring the theatres and festivals of the UK up and down the country, The South are keeping alive all those timeless songs - A Little Time (the number one single), Perfect 10, Rotterdam, Song For Whoever, Old Red Eyes Is Back, Good as Gold, Don't Marry Her plus many more singles and album tracks as well as a few choice South originals. All performed again live, these songs span an impressive 20 year career starting way back in 1989!

The South are; Alison Wheeler (Vocals), Gaz Birtles (Vocals), Phil Barton (Guitars), Steve Nutter (Bass), Dave Anderson (Drums), Karl Brown (Percussion), Gareth John (Trumpet), Su Robinson (Sax), Andy Price (Keys)

Almost 300 years ago, Antonio Vivaldi composed a set of four violin concertos that musically described the four seasons of the year. Taking this masterpiece, Vivaldi’s La Quattro Stagioni, as his starting point, Max Richter (whose film score credits include Shutter Island, Arrival and Ad Astra) reinterprets Vivaldi’s music with a 21st century accent; an accent that expresses present day society’s anxiety and concern regarding climate change, deforestation and pollution. In The Four Seasons Recomposed, Richter’s dreamlike minimalism references the original score with surprising modernisation propelled by driving basslines and insistent rhythmic repetitions. In perfect counterpoint, Vivialdi’s Cello Concerti are full of grace, wit, simplicity and yet, unbelievable excitement.

Come on! Let’s Carry On… Regardless!

The South

Saturday 21st March Cheese & Grain Box Office No: 01373 455420 www.solidentertainments.com/presents.htm#SOUTH-TOUR Doors – 7.00pm

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Join us on Friday 17 April 2020, 7.30pm Tickets £25 (£5 for under 18s) available from Bath Box Office 01225 463362 www.bathboxoffice.org.uk

music International Make Music Day on Sunday 21st June sees WMC open its doors for the Big Family Music Day: a chance for all ages to discover music, learn from expert tutors and perform together with family and friends. This jam-packed intergenerational event includes musical workshops, instrumental taster sessions, crafts and live performances, and culminates with a group performance.

Wiltshire Music Centre classically cool

Swan Lake screening from the Royal Ballet in London

In addition, the Centre’s season of Royal Opera House opera and ballet screenings streamed as live from Covent Garden are an excellent way to see top-class productions in high definition.

Perfect for introducing children to the delightful world of the stage with scintillating scores and stunning set designs.

Big Family Music Day

WMC changes perception of classical music concerts with a series of relaxed and informal interactive events for all.

Throw out your preconceptions as Wiltshire Music Centre (WMC) in Bradford on Avon - just 20 minutes from Bath City Centre - makes classical music more approachable this season.

On Saturday 25th April, the City of London Sinfonia will perform a “Comfortable Classical” afternoon concert inviting audience members young and old to experience live classical music in a relaxed and informal way. The 50-minute concert will take audiences on a journey into the woods with music by Bach, Vivaldi and Mozart inspired by soaring birds, mighty trees and buzzing bees. It’s also a fun and informative afternoon for families and anyone who might never have been to a classical concert before, with a free session introducing the audience to the players and instruments of the ensemble.

'Big Family Music Day: a chance for all ages to discover music, learn from expert tutors and perform together with family and friends'

Relaxed performances aim to create an informal environment for everyone, including people with autism, dementia and sensory impairments, so that audience members can enjoy music in a way that suits them and enter or leave the concert hall as they choose. You are also invited to take part in other relaxing activities such as dancing, drawing, colouring and knitting while enjoying the music!

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City of London Sinfonia 'Comfortable Classical'

Head online to the WMC website to explore the full season of concerts and events, as well as varied workshops and community activities which are guaranteed to inspire you with the power of live music.

Find out more: www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk

WHAT’S ON AT WMC @wiltshiremusic @wiltshiremusiccentre

Explore a world of music at Wiltshire Music Centre, just 20 minutes drive from Bath City Centre

Sun 15 Mar 3pm WILTSHIRE YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA / EMPIRICAL Thrilling jazz collaboration between youth ensemble and experimental Artists in Residence

Sat 2 May 1pm / 7.30pm INNER VISION ORCHESTRA / BALUJI SHRIVASTRAV OBE Find your own inner vision in a workshop for people with visual impairment, followed by a concert with master sitarist

Fri 27 Mar 7.30pm LONDON SINFONIETTA TURNING POINTS West meets East in this showcase of contemporary classical music

Sun 3 May 7pm NICK HART LIVE IN THE BAR Explore the English folk tradition with musical storytelling

Wed 8 Apr 7.30pm TASMIN LITTLE British violinist returns to Wiltshire for her farewell performance

Wed 9 May 7.30pm STACEY KENT Vocal jazz iconoclast presents a musical self-portrait

Sun 19 Apr 3pm MINI BSO ‘UP IN THE AIR’ FAMILY CONCERT Come fly away with this popular programme and introduce children to classical music

Wed 20 May 7.30pm OAE / ALINA IBRAGIMOVA Discover the music of Michael Hayden with the premiere ensemble and award-wining soloist

Sat 25 Apr 2pm CITY OF LONDON SINFONIA COMFORTABLE CLASSICAL Relaxed concert of orchestral pieces inspired by nature

Fri 29 May 7.30pm FOFOULAH Shapeshifting sonic landscapes from London-based afro-dub group

BOOK NOW wiltshiremusic.org.uk / 01225 860100

films

Military Wives Released : Genre: Est box office: Director: Film cast:

Peter Rabbit 2 Released : Genre: Est box office: Director: Film cast: Certificate: Distributor:

March 27th Family, comedy £ 35,000,000 Director: Will Gluck Margot Robbie, James Corden, Domhnall Gleeson, TBC Sony Pictures Intl.

Synopsis: Despite his efforts, Peter can't seem to shake his reputation for mischief among the other rabbits. Once he adventures out of the garden Peter finds himself in a world where mischief is appreciated, but soon his family come to bring him home.

Certificate: Distributor:

March 6th Family, drama, comedy £ 35,000,000 Peter Cattaneo Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan, Teresa Mahoney 12A Lionsgate Films

Synopsis: Following a group of women in England whose partners are away serving in Afghanistan. Faced with the men's absences, they form a choir and quickly find themselves at the centre of a media sensation and global movement. Inspired by global phenomenon of military wives choirs, the story celebrates a band of misfit women who form a choir on a military base.

Mulan Released : Genre: Est box office: Director: Film cast: Certificate: Distributor:

March 27th Live action family adventure £ 25,000,000 Niki Caro Yifei Liu Donnie Yen Gong Li TBC Walt Disney Studios

Synopsis: When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Chinese Army to defend the country from Huns, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father.

She is spirited, determined and quick on her feet. Disguised as a man by the name of Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her innermost strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation… and a proud father.

The Secret Garden

Onwards Released : Genre: Est box office: Director: Film cast: Certificate: Distributor:

March 6th Family £ 25,000,000 Dan Scanlon Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Octavia Spencer TBC Walt Disney Studios

Synopsis: Set in a fantastical world, where the populace once had magic, two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, receive a wizard's staff as a prearranged gift from their father, who died before Ian was born and when Barley was too young to remember him.

The staff came with a spell that will bring him back for only 24 hours, so his sons can meet him.

No Time to Die Released : Genre: Est box office: Director: Film cast:

April 3rd 2020 Thriller, action £ 90,000,000 Cary Joji Fukunaga Daniel Craig Ana de Armas, Rami Malek,

Certificate: Distributor:

TBC Universal

Synopsis: Some time after the capture of Ernst Stavro Blofeld,James Bond has left active service. He is approached by Felix Leiter, his friend and a CIA officer, who enlists his help in the search for Valdo Obruchev, a missing scientist. When it becomes apparent that Obruchev was abducted, Bond must confront a danger the likes of which the world has never seen before.

Released : Genre: Est box office: Director: Film cast: Certificate: Distributor:

April 10th Family, adventure £ 8,000,000 Mark Munden Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Maeve Dermody TBC StudioCanal

Synopsis: A girl discovers a magical garden hidden at her uncle's house.

Trolls World Tour Released : Genre: Est box office: Director: Film cast: Certificate: Distributor:

April 17th Family £ 20,000,000 Walt Dohrn, David P. Smith Anna Kendrick, Sam Rockwell, Justin Timberlake TBC Universal Pictures

Synopsis: Poppy and Branch discover that there are different Troll tribes scattered over six different lands, each devoted to a different genre of music.

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easter days out Good Friday 10th | Easter Sunday 12th Bank Holiday Monday 13th April 2020

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 style, the breathtaking views - not to mention its rugby team.

We take a look at the many family friendly events, activities and attractions that are sure to keep your young ones occupied and educated over the Easter break.

Plus, we highlight some Bath's outstanding museums and galleries.

Š National Trust 2019. Registered Charity no. 205846. Photography Š National Trust Images /James Dobson

The joys of spring made at Lacock Abbey Lacock Abbey, cloisters and grounds are open daily between 10.30am and 5.30pm As the spring flowers bloom and the days get longer, escape the busyness of modern life at Lacock Abbey. From meditative gong baths in the cloisters to mindful moments out in the grounds, Lacock is the perfect place to reconnect with nature and yourself this spring.

The joys of spring

made at Lacock Abbey Social icon

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easter days out

Spring into a new season of wellbeing, mindfullness and a little bit of Chocolate at Lacock Abbey

While the garden team are busy mowing, weeding, repairing the woodland paths and working on the herb bed in the Botanic garden, in the Abbey, the furnished rooms are open from Saturday 15 February to explore.

Springing forward at the end of March, the clocks are all being wound and the new spring cookbook is launching in the tearoom and café.

Main Image: Easter at Lacock Abbey © National Trust Images / Oskar Proctor

We’ve got mindfulness in mind with meditative gong baths in the cloister, and a wellness trail in the grounds. In April we look towards Easter and running to find bunny’s clues.

Don’t miss the delicate snakeshead fritillaries in the grounds, or the smell of wild garlic in the woodland garden. Check the website for opening times. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lacock or contact Visitor Reception on 01249 730459.

Gong baths in the Abbey cloister Sat 25 April and Sat 16 May, 9am-10am

Gong baths are a form of sound therapy designed to encourage meditation. This wellbeing session gives you the chance to relax, reconnect with yourself, bask in soothing gong sounds and enjoy exclusive early-morning access to Lacock's beautiful medieval cloister.

Please bring a yoga mat and wrap up warm (bring a sleeping bag for extra cosiness).

The £30 ticket includes a light vegetarian breakfast (gluten and dairy free options available) which will take place after the gong bath. Booking essential.

Lacock Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt Sat 4 – Sun 19 April, 10.30am-4pm

How many sounds, sights and smells can you find on this sensory spring hunt around the Lacock abbey grounds? Once you've finished hunting for all of the sounds, sights and smells of spring, you can pick up a Cadbury Easter treat. Please note that there is a charge of £2.50 per trail, this is in addition to our normal admission charge in to the grounds.

Put a spring in your step with family fun at

Prior Park Landscape Garden Spring is one of our favourite times in the garden with new sights and smells beginning to bloom and spring up. Exploring the garden at this time means there’s lots of outdoor fun to be had and activities to join in.

It’s a time of change in the garden as the snowdrops give way to swathes of daffodils across the Summerhouse Glade, there are patches of primroses along the paths and cuckoo flowers delicately speckle the banks of the lakes. Wild garlic carpets the woodland filling the air with its delicate scent and the pretty white flowers burst open throughout the season. This is a great chance for visitors to forage for the best leaves and pick up some recipe cards for kitchen inspiration.

During half term, there are trails sure to keep little ones busy and creative.

There will be spotter trails looking for signs of nature, brass rubbing trails and the annual Cadbury Easter egg hunt with a tasty prize as a reward.

Prior Park is currently restoring the Georgian dams this year and there will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this grand restoration project in action during weekdays. Visitors will get a good overview of what it takes to restore Prior Park’s lakes back to its 18th century glory. At the weekends, diggers will fall silent and allow for peaceful wanders and mindful moments in some of the hidden parts of the garden.

During half term, there are trails sure to keep little ones busy and creative. There will be spotter trails looking for signs of nature, brass rubbing trails and the annual Cadbury Easter egg hunt with a tasty prize as a reward.

Take your visit at your own pace. A quiet mid-week wander, a guided walk to learn more about the garden and the ongoing Dams Project, or a weekend family visit with plenty of discovering, and ice creams, or hot chocolates, depending on the weather.

Prior Park image courtesy of James Dobson

The weather is fresh and the air is getting warmer. Here at Lacock Abbey, tulips are appearing in the Botanic garden, and snowdrops are giving way to swathes of daffodils.

Chocolate and cake, what more could you ask for this spring at Dyrham Park Dyrham, Chippenham SN14 8HY Tel: 0117 937 2501 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dyrham-park This Easter's trail at Dyrham Park will be a celebration of nature and some of the animals cared for by the National Trust.

Find out about some of the animals that were around in the seventeenth century in an Easter trail around the 270-acre ancient parkland. On completing the trail you'll be able to claim your chocolate treat. Each trail is £2.50 on top of normal entry.

Come along and get a taste of the past with us this Mother's day weekend. Create a died flower wreath for a lady special to you, sample some 17th century Lady's Day cake and plant some 17th century herbs to take home. There is a small charge for some of the activities. Wreath-making £3 and herb planting £1.

A variety of events for all the family, this spring, at Stourhead Stourton, Warminster BA12 6QF Tel: 01747 841152 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead

21 - 22 Mar Treat Mum to a special lunch and relaxing stroll at Stourhead.

Paint a beautiful stone as a gift or souvenir to remember your special day together at these drop-in workshops. Our volunteers will be on hand to offer inspiration.

4 - 19 Apr Stourhead's golden eagle has hidden her egg in the garden.

It's no ordinary egg and could be anywhere! Follow the sensory clues to find its location and win a prize.

22 Mar Whether you're training for a challenge or looking for a sociable jog in the fresh air, join us on the fourth Sunday of every month with an 8.30am registration for a 9am start.

© National Trust 2020. Registered Charity no. 205846.

Photography © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey.

Cadbur y Easter egg hunt

at Prior Park Soak up the signs of spring and find out the latest about the Dams Project.

Follow the trail to complete garden creator Ralph Allen’s vision and get a Cadbury Easter treat as your reward at the end.

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15 Feb – 26 May 2020 Tickets £6 | Victoria Art Gallery, Bath victoriagal.org.uk/toulouselautrec

Celebrating more than 100 pairs of shoes from the 1600s to the present day.

From 28 March 2020 fashionmuseum.co.uk

easter days out

From Paris to Rome

F

rom the flamboyant art world of 19th-century Paris to show-stopping shoes and late-night treats Bath and North East Somerset Council’s attractions have a lot to offer this Easter. Come face to face with history at the Roman Baths where audio guides, projections and Roman characters bring the ancient site to life.

Our free children’s audioguides are narrated by Michael Rosen and feature 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.

This Easter’s family event will take place on Monday 6 April and is all about ‘Animal Magic’. Make your own fridge magnet to take home. There is no extra cost and no need to book for this drop-in event.

between 45 - 60 minutes. Further information at romanbaths. co.uk/romanrescue (please note the Roman Rescue experience does not include a ticket to the Roman Baths).

2020 is the Year of the Shoe at the Fashion Museum. A stunning new display feature, Shoephoria!, showcases some of the highlights and curiosities of the Museum’s world-class collection.

Demonstrating the creativity of shoemakers throughout history, more than 100 pairs of shoes and boots will be displayed, over half of which have never been on show before.

Come face to face with history at the Roman Baths where audio guides, projections and Roman characters bring the ancient site to life.

For the grown-ups the Roman Baths will also be open until 8pm (last entry 7pm) over the Easter weekend (10-13 April). Watch the sun set by flickering torchlight, discover the magic of the museum at night, and indulge in a drink at our pop-up bar. Our after-hours evenings are the perfect chance to unwind and discover history in a whole new light.

From the oldest shoes in the collection to shoes belonging to Her Majesty Queen Mary, from trainers and sneakers to designer shoes by Vivienne Westwood, Versace and Jimmy Choo, the Museum’s shoes on display will document the evolution of shoe style over the last 300 years.

Running on selected dates throughout 2020 is Roman Rescue, the Roman Baths' take on an Escape Room. Help free our resident Roman slave by solving the clues and puzzles locked away inside the chest he is guarding. The experience can be enjoyed by up to six people. The session costs £ 60 and lasts

Shoephoria! will be interspersed with the fashions on display as part of the A History of Fashion in 100 Objects exhibition, celebrating fashion from the 1600s to the present day. The latest addition is the 2019 Dress of the Year by Giambattista Valli for H&M.

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Come face to face with history this Easter at some of Bath's celebrated attractions The much-loved dressing up area allows fashionistas of all ages to try on replica dress from the Georgian, Regency and Victorian periods. On Tuesday 7 April there will also be the chance for younger visitors to learn all about French Knitting (free with admission).

on the celebrated stars of the stage, and the styles and fashions of the time.

Experience the sights and sounds of 19thcentury Paris at a major new exhibition, Toulouse-Lautrec and the Masters of Montmartre, at the Victoria Art Gallery until 26 May.

Toulouse-Lautrec and the Masters of Montmartre is kindly supported by Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants, 131 Art Happens with Art Fund* donors, and the Friends of the Victoria Art Gallery.

For the first time in the UK, Lautrec’s complete collection of posters are exhibited together. More than 80 iconic posters, many of them rare and seen here for the first time, are on show. They are displayed in their full colourful glory, many in giant format from floor to ceiling, recreating how they were originally seen on the streets of Paris.

The exhibition includes 32 posters by Toulouse-Lautrec along with works by other celebrated poster artists of the day such as Alphonse Mucha, Pierre Bonnard and Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen.

Beginning in Montmartre in the 1880s, the exhibition examines Toulouse-Lautrec’s work as a printmaker and shines a light

The drop-in family event on Wednesday 8 April, Top Hats and Brilliant Bonnets, looks at the elaborate headwear on display in this exhibition.

Admission to the Roman Baths, Fashion Museum and Victoria Art Gallery is free with a Resident’s Discovery Card. Visitors can save 10% by booking in advance online and a combined Saver Ticket to all three attractions is available.

romanbaths.co.uk fashionmuseum.co.uk victoriagal.org.uk

Iain R Webb

Holburne Museum Putting things into perspective this spring Grayson Perry: The Pre-Therapy Years Until 24 May This highly acclaimed and exciting exhibition brings together for the very first time a broad range of Perry’s early works, including from the artist’s own collection and many works not seen publicly before. One of the most eagerly anticipated shows of 2020, The PreTherapy Years brings a new perspective to the 2003 Turner Prize-winner’s influential and inspiring outlook.

Iain R Webb image courtesy of © David Hiscock

New Acquisition: Bow Porcelain

Until 28 June This special display celebrates the recent acquisition of almost 300 pieces of Bow porcelain.

In Conversation

Iain R Webb, Christine Binnie and Princess Julia

Friday 13 March, 7–8pm £12 (Garden Café open 6–7pm) To complement Grayson Perry: The Pre-Therapy Years, fashion writer Iain R Webb, Neo-Naturist founder member Miss Christine Binnie and DJ/ writer Princess Julia explore the 1980s post-punk counter-cultural explosion, centred on clubs like Billy’s, Blitz, Hell, and Taboo and captured in magazines like BLITZ and i-D.

78 inbath

Iain R Webb has been fashion editor of BLITZ, The Evening Standard, Harpers & Queen, The Times and Elle.

Concert

John Law’s Renaissance: A new birth of old meets new.

Fri 20 March, 7.30–8.30pm £15 (Garden Café open 6.30–7.30pm) In partnership with no_place_arts

An evening of music and art with composer John Law, saxophonist Jon Lloyd and acclaimed visual artist Patrick Dunn. Expect a night of ambient, minimalist music played over electronic loops of sacred vocal scores (including samplings of Byrd, Tallis, Palestrina, Victoria, Josquin and Ockeghem) and paired with synchronised and expressive light-art. Enjoy ethereal, ambient improvisations with subtle jazz undertones.

Free drop-in event

Creativity Coffee Morning

Wed 20 May 10.30am–12 noon Come to the Holburne for coffee, cake and creativity to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week. Make something beautiful inspired by the collection and find out more about mental health and wellbeing through engaging with arts and heritage.

Up Late Fridays 5–9pm Join us on the last Friday of every month to experience the Museum after-hours and enjoy an eclectic programme of pop-up talks, art demos, installations, performances, DJ-sets & cocktails. See our website for full listings.

Common Salt

Fri 27 March Performance Art @ the Holburne exploring international trade, race and culture

Clay workshops

Fri 24 April Inspired by Grayson Perry

Mindful May

Fri 29 May Creativity for wellbeing For further information & to book www.holburne.org

Common Salt

easter days out

24 JANUARY TO 25 MAY 2020

Claire as a soldier, 1987 Courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro © Grayson Perry

Tuning Up: Musical amusement in the Eighteenth Century 4 April 2020 - 3 January 2021 www.no1royalcrescent.org.uk No.1 Royal Crescent cordially invites you to join the preparations Sharmanka Sharmanka Travelling Travelling Circus, Circus, Robin Robin Mitchell Mitchell for a musical party. Menus need writing, instruments need tuning and decisions made about who will perform.

Visit the house as we reveal how from piano lessons to private concerts, the fashionable home in Georgian England was filled with music. Free with normal admission to the museum.

Main image: The Pic-nic orchestra by James Gillray 1802

John Herschel and the Royal Astronomical Society

Spring Springhighlights highlightsatatthe theVictoria VictoriaArt ArtGa G Sharmanka SharmankaTravelling TravellingCircus Circus

2323 February February - 7- 7 May May Sharmanka, Sharmanka, from from the the Russian Russian word word forfor barrel barrel organ, organ, is is aa performing performing mechanical mechanical theatre theatre that that will will delight delight young young and and old old alike. alike.

Sound Sound and and movement movement combine combine with with striking striking images images toto make make forfor aa humorous humorous and and atat times times slightly slightly macabre macabre experience. experience.

The The sculptures sculptures are are the the work work ofof artist artist and and inventor inventor Eduard Eduard Bersudsky, Bersudsky, who who left left Russia Russia

forfor Scotland Scotland inin 1993.

1993.

Collaborating Collaboratin director director Tatyana Tatyana Jakovskaya Jakovskaya and and lig sound sound designer designer Sergey Sergey Jakovsky, JakovskyE producing producing hishis kinetic kinetic sculptures sculptures inin 1 protest protest against against the the prevailing prevailing Sovie Sov

Glitz, glamour, and the Hollywood The The works works incorporate incorporate pieces pieces ofof old o metal scrap scrap and and grotesque grotesque carved carve dream. Dance down themetal red carpet Performances Performances take take place place every every hou h to the American Museum this spring. minutes. minutes.

This March the American Museum & Gardens is delighted to announce the arrival of its most glamourous exhibition yet, Night and Day: 1930s Fashion & Photographs, organised by the Fashion and Textiles Museum, London. Presented thematically, the exhibition will take visitors on a journey through sumptuous city tableaus featuring a range of glamorous eveningwear.

Nightclub, cinema and bustling street scenes are filled with floor-length gowns, created in satins, velvets and crepes and adorned with diamante. Dennis Nothdruft from the Fashion and Textile Museum, London explains:

Bath BathPostal PostalMuseum Museumdelivers deliversaafifirst rst From couture to classic, there is something for every class classhistory historyof ofcommunication communication fashionista. Not only will there be dresses and outfits galore,

now - January 3, 2021 www.herschelmuseum.org.uk

Did Did you you know know that that the the postal postal system system asas wewe know know itwhich today it today has has itsits origins origins inin but also fabulous 1930s photography, encapsulates 18th 18th century century Bath.

Firstly awill a national national delivery delivery service using using horse horse riders riders (known the era.Bath.

TheFirstly visitor be taken onservice a journey through the(known asas Post Post Boys) Boys) was was organised organised byby Ralph Ralph Allen Allen (pictured) (pictured) which which hehe ran ran from from hishis decade, passing art deco architecture, visiting wild parties offi offi cece in in Bath.

Bath.

He He was was also also a a major major participator participator in in the the building building of of Georgian Georgian and basking in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Chief Curator at Bath.

Bath.

Later Later John John Palmer Palmer introduced introduced a a network network of of mail mail coaches coaches connecting connecting the American Museum & Gardens Kate Hebert says: every every city city and and town town inin Great Great Britain Britain which which later later became became the the Royal Royal Mail.

Mail.

Did Did “Night and Day: 1930s Fashion & Photographs will showcase you you know know that that before before the the introduction introduction ofof postage postage stamps stamps the the cost cost ofof sending sending the most influential day and evening fashions of the decade. post post was was borne borne byby the the receiver receiver and and the the cost cost varied varied dependent dependent onon the the distance distance Withand fashion as the lens, this exhibition will bring the period travelled travelled and the the number number ofof sheets sheets sent sent . .

On 12 January 1820 John Herschel sat down to dinner with a of great social change that was the 1930s into sharper group of friends; by the end of the meal the Royal Astronomical focus.

I Postal can’t wait toyou help transport ourmore visitors back to thatofof the Bath Bath Postal Museum Museum you can can find find out out much much more about about the the history history Society had been formed. In 2020 we celebrate the bicentenary AtAtthe glamourous decade”. the the postal postal system system and and view view part part ofof our our extensive extensive philatelic philatelic collection. collection.

Current Current of the RAS and how the Herschels helped to create the exhibits exhibits include include aa fascinating fascinating collection collection ofof letters letters lost lost onon land land due due toto wrecks wrecks organisation that has been encouraging people to explore and and crashes crashes and and later later recovered recovered - compiled - compiled byby the the late late former former Mayor Mayor ofof Bath Bath Complementing the exhibition, the Museum’s 2020 events astronomy for 200 years.

- Adrian - Adrian Hopkins.

Hopkins. features fabulous 1930s and fashion-themed programme activities, including a Hollywood Ball and a lecture from Main image: Portrait of John Frederick William Herschel Visit Visit our our website website bathpostalmuseum.org.uk bathpostalmuseum.org.uk details ofof opening opening times. times. fashion historian Amber Butchart. forfordetails ©TheRoyalSociety We We hope hope toto see see you you there there soon soon ! !

Image: Copyright Fashion and Textile Museum

“We’re so excited to be working with the American Museum & Gardens again. This new show continues the story of the now grown up flapper girl from the 1920s. The new silhouettes of the 1930s played with the hard-edged chic seen in the Art Deco and Moderne styles. Structure can be seen infiltrating the relaxed shapes of the 20s, with the bias cuts and complicated construction, pioneered by Madeleine Vionnet and Elsa Schiaparelli, heralding a new era of sophistication and maturity”.

Endangered and Extinct

(Creative recycling by Val Hunt) 23 February – 7 May, Free With inspiration, ingenuity, humour and skill, artist Val Hunt has created a fascinating selection of large and small sculptural pieces which are both appealing and informative.

Animals, exotic birds, fish, dinosaurs and species of flora, all on the edge or now extinct, have been made from a selection of throwaway material, especially Val’s favourite medium, drinks can metal. Most works are available for purchase.

Free talks at the Guildhall

Wednesdays, 1.10-1.45 Ralph Allen

6 March Bath Postal Museum delivers a first Birds of Prey and Conservation class West history of communication Country Falconry

Did you know that the postal system as we know it today has 13 March its origins in 18th century Bath. Firstly a national delivery service using horse riders (known as Post Boys) was organised by Ralph Julie Doherty, Wildlife Allen (pictured) whichAvon he ran fromTrust his office in Bath. He was also a major participator in the building of Georgian Bath. Later John Free Events for Adults Palmer introduced a network of mail coaches connecting Artist-in-Residence, 11.30am-4pm every city and town in Great Britain which later became the Royal Saturday Mail. Did23you know Saturday that before the introduction of February, 16 March, Saturdaythe 6 April, 18 May, postage stamps costSaturday of sending post was borne by the receiver and the cost varied dependent on the distance Join classically trained Bath based artist travelled and the number of sheets sentportrait .

My Wild City

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Harriet Dahan-Bouchard as she draws from a model.

Free, just bring a sketch pad.out much more At the Bath Postal Museum you can find with theatre Harriet is available for interview if you want to history of the postal system and view part of our ght and about thetalk to her. Harriet is a very interesting and extensive philatelic collection. Current exhibits include a display Eduard began talented rising star of portraiture.

1974 ascelebrating a the various activities of the Postal Worker with a et ideology. particular reference to Wartime and long service"

Nicholas Poussin’s The Triumph of Pan.

d furniture, Visit our website bathpostalmuseum.org.uk for details of opening figures. times. We hope to see you there soon !

This masterpiece will be on display from 11 April ur and last 25 to 7 July

China on a Plate at the Museum of East Asian Art

Until 8 May www.meaa.org.uk Many beautiful artefacts that are classified as Chinese ‘art’ were originally made for daily purposes and were not meant to be displayed in a museum or collected by enthusiasts as they are today. In fact, a large percentage of objects within the MEAA’s collections were originally used as food or drinking vessels. This exhibition explores the culture of food and drink in China through a wide range of vessels made of different materials and used by various social classes over centuries.

Discover how Bath played a vital role in establishing better communications throughout the empire Visitors can see the fascinating story of the post from clay mail to email.

Learn about the most famous Postal Pioneers, and how they shaped worldwide communications.

27a Northgate Street, Bath, BA1 1AJ Tel: 01225 - 460333 www.bathpostalmuseum.org

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Volunteer at the American Museum in Britain

Al Lo

The exhibition is the result of a joint research project between the Museum and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

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Contact: 01225 823017 coordinator@americanmuseum.org www.americanmuseum.org July/Aug'114Draft.indd 40

By 012 ww Da

inbath 81 10/06/2014 15:11

Get active this Easter If you are struggling to get your children away from their phones or tablets this Easter, here are just a few places around the city that will get them active and enjoying being out in the fresh air.

BathBikeHire.com | Bath Exit Bath Boating Station | Original Wild Better Bath Lesiure Centre

Bath Boating Station

Forrester Road, Bathwick, Bath, BA2 6QE 01225 312900 | www.bathboating.co.uk

A charming Victorian Boating Station where Thames Skiffs (rowing boats), Canadian Canoes & Kayaks, Punts & Rowing Punts for hire by the hour or day which can all be used to explore the River Avon.

You can row as far as Bathampton and moor up at The Bathampton Mill, a lovely pub some two miles up the river through the countryside, keep an eye on your boat!

Most of our boats are wooden & some are over 100 years old. The Boating Station offers pretty lawns where you can picnic after you have been boating.

BathBikeHire.com

Sydney Wharf, Bathwick, Bath, BA2 4EL 01225 447276 | www.bath-narrowboats.co.uk

We are perfectly placed on the River Avon, within easy flat walking distance of the City Centre.

Exploring the city, canal towpath or just the area around Bath is ideal on a bike. Part of Bath Narrowboats and operating from the boating base at the bottom of Bathwick Hill, just ten minute's walk from the city centre and Bath Spa railway station, BathBikeHire.com have a full range of adult and children's mountain bikes available to hire for full or half days.

They offer suggested routes to try, from passing through Bathampton and to Claverton along the canal, to heading to the famous Dundas Aqueduct towards Bradford-on-Avon.

If you want a more relaxing leisurely cruise along the canal then why not hire one of the small narrowboats available? Starting from Sydney Wharf, just ten minutes stroll from the City Centre, you'll find yourself cruising gently past such gems as Sydney Gardens - Bath's Victorian pleasure gardens with its ornate bridges and tunnels - Claverton Pumping Station, the Dundas and Avoncliffe Aqueducts and Bradford-on-Avon, a historic woollen town with its Saxon church and medieval Tithe Barn.

Bath Exit

07456 932 423 / 07930 602 019 www.bathexit.co.uk

Want to have fun? Play our live interactive escape game! Use nothing but your logic and imagination! The first live escape room located in the center of Bath!

You’re to find yourself racing the clock, trying to solve clues to reveal the combination of a lock that opens a chest that hides another clue that contain hints on how to read the next that leads to another mystery within another mystery within another mystery…

You will find our clues, in no particular order, so you must figure out how they go together to help you escape! The team must work together in order to complete the escape. The assignment must be completed in 60 minutes. The game is ideal for families, friends and for team building. The time is ticking… Are you ready?

Original Wild

01225 582181| www.originalwild.com

Original Wild offers high-quality adventure experiences in the heart of Bath, from private stand-up paddleboarding and kayak city tours to their fun Code Break Bath Challenge.

All activities enable you to experience a unique view of Bath and the surrounding countryside alongside their Adventure Experts. With second-to-none safety and quality standards, you can be happy in the knowledge that you’ll be in safe hands with their expert guidance.

An adventure with Original Wild is perfect for individuals, couples, families and friend groups, plus hen and stag parties, charity groups and children's parties. If you're also looking for the perfect corporate team building activity, look no further than Original Wild.

inbath 83

5 things to do with BETTER this Easter!

Trampoline Park Dodge, dunk and dive into a heap of fun. The unique bounce arena has a mix of fun features including 59 trampolines, dodgeball courts, basketball hoops, toddler bounce area with foam pit, wipeout zone, trapeze and selfie wall!

It’s fun for the whole family, so no matterwhat age you are, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Prices start from £8.50, so what are you waiting for, book now and get bouncing!

Book by visiting – www.extreme.better.org.uk/bath

Bowling

Pst.......

Whether you simply want to strike it lucky in a standard game or branch out with our all new Angry Birds game, you’ll be defi nitely left bowled over! Prices start from £6.50 so there's no excuse not to give it a go.

The perfect way to give your child that extra boost in swimming, or simply to find out whether Better swim lessons are for them.

Book by visiting – www.better.org.uk/bath-bowling

Find out more by visiting www.betterlessons.org.uk

The boutique, eight lane bowling alleys will keep the whole family entertained over the Easter break.

Did you know that Better also run Intensive Swim Courses over the holidays too?

Swimming pool There’s nothing better that a decent family splash session at any of our swimming pools in Bath. Kids and grown up kids can enjoy the fun features in the leisure pool as well as embracing the screams as you hurtle down the flume!

Not only are you having fun together as a family, it’s great to know they’re keeping active at the same time!

Book by visiting – www.better.org.uk/book

Cycling Come rain or shine, the 3G pitches and cycling track at Odd Down Sports Ground are a great way to get some fresh air and blow out those holiday cobwebs!

Soft play Little ones will get lost in play when they head over to the fully enclosed five storey soft play facility in Bath.

You can both sit back and watch your kids climb, crawl, hang and do all the other stuff they love in complete safety, or join in with the fun in our designated baby play area.

Book by visiting – www.better.org.uk/play-bath

Drop in sessions for these activities are available for just £1, an affordable and fun option for your Easter Holiday break.

No need to book

property

Make a

statement

Neutral walls and a statement piece of furniture will be 'on trend' in 2020.

So what will the home of 2020 look like?

Last issue we took a look at how many of us are moving into a new year, and a new decade by giving our lifestyles a major overhaul.

It may well come as a bit of light relief to know that many of the new interior trends for 2020 don't focus on lengthy reconstructions, but on creating a striking statement that can transform a room. We take a look at the main areas of the home and find out how you too can make a statement.

Living Room:

Last year, the Nordic Retreat look that offered a stripped back style created a chilled-out space to relax in. The abundance of grey palletes that adorned living room walls has been replaced by warmer tones, such as oatmeal, natural buff, beige and the Dulux 'Colour of the Year' for 2020 Tranquil Dawn (see below).

Nature is still at the heart of the living room of 2020, with natural sun-drenched wood furniture, botanical prints and living plants complimenting the calm, comfy feel. In order to break up the serene Scandi theme, look for statement pieces that create a talking point and brings out a bit of your personality.

In recent months, many retailers have been showcasing curved or fluted sofas which give a contemporary take on traditional luxury. Look out for these oversized statement pieces in upholstered velvet or linen finishes.

Carpet is still a favourite with those creating a new look in the living room as there are so many patterns and finishes that can completely transform a room. However, if you want to keep your natural flooring then maybe an adventurous rug with bright stripes or geometric shapes may give you that statement piece.

Wall art is still a great way to break up the neutral colours of a room, look out for abstract artwork that can offer bold Dulux 'Colour of the Year' - Tranquil Dawn.

blocks of colour that can create a mood.

This theme can also be complimented with the addition of cushions on your curved sofa.

Clair Strong is a Bath-based Interior Designer (www.clairstrong.co.uk) and believes 2020 will see a greater emphasis on sustainabilty. ""I think one of the key trends for 2020 will be refined luxury. Refined luxury is all about high quality materials and thoughtful design choices. It’s a rich colour palette, tactile textiles, fine cotton bed linen, and gorgeous tableware – things that add luxury to your every day. It’s not opulent or over the top – it’s something everyone can adopt.

This trend leans into the sustainability movement because its focus is on quality not quantity and choosing pieces that will last a lifetime."

Clair Strong

property

Plywood cabinets

Finally, if you want to make the ultimate statement of opulence in the kitchen then look no further than marble.

Strongly veined marble is making a comeback and the busier the better.

Complement your white marble kitchen with brass taps and pendant lighting and the contrast of natural materials such as wooden bar stools and flooring.

Back to Black:

Kitchen: Over recent years, the kitchen has become one of the most important rooms in the home. A hub for entertaining, work and relaxaiton; this multi-practical room will see trends in 2020 that are many and varied.

Last years grey palletes (as with the living room) are still holding their own, but don't be surprised to see far more bolder colours take their place as the 'statement' theme continues.

If you still prefer your kitchen to have a natural feel, then your white or grey wooden tables, or cream or terracotta slate floors could benefit from an adventurous addition of colour on the walls. This years popular pallettes have included light sea greens, moody peacock blues or even clay as they all compliment a natural feel as well as add warmth.

For those who prefer lighter walls but still want to make a statement, then consider the contrast of all black kitchen units. Black has become one of the most popular choices for kitchens in 2020, adding in some natural elements such as wooden breakfast bars and counters.

To break up the contrast between light and dark, look at accessories that can add colour or texture to the room. Brass, copper and gold were massively popular last year and continue to be present in detailing such as handles, taps and lighting. It's these elements that can really add a bit of personality to a room.

Other notable additions to the kitchen of 2020 include the popularity of 'raw' looking materials. Exposed wood, concrete flooring, cork walls and plywood cabinets are eco-friendly and offer a longevity as we become ever more concerned about our global footprint.

This years popular pallettes have included light sea greens, moody peacock blues or even clay as they all compliment a natural feel as well as add warmth.

88 inbath

Moody blues

Introducing the Bathroom Trends of 2020

Shapes Curves

If you do anything this season be sure to introduce a curve or two to your bathroom décor. Mirrors and furniture are where it’s at, curved doors and oval mirrors are a great way to bring a small update on your bathroom as opposed to a complete makeover. Plus, you’ll love seeing a renewed look everyday with some added curvaceous character.

Material Fluted Glass

Step-aside Crittall craze, it’s fluted glass that’s taking centre stage right now.

We’re particularly fond of this style as it enhances the shower space, with strong lines and texture. And, if you like a little added layer of modesty this the answer.

However, this look isn’t limited to shower glass, take it to lights and cupboard doors too, it can add a beautiful soft impression to an otherwise hard space.

with Neil Curtis, Senior Designer at Ripples Bath

Experts in bathroom design, with 13 UK showrooms showcasing the possibilities for your en-suite, cloakroom or bathroom.

"Sandy shades, terracotta tones and dusky greens are on the list, all set to grace your bathroom palette this year."

Patterns Maximalist Mix Neil Curtis

Colour Earthy Neutrals

As our lives go back to nature so we go back to natural. With increasingly sustainable lifestyles, we are looking for a reflection of that in our homes and in the colours we use but don’t be fooled, it won’t be a boring mix of beige. Sandy shades, terracotta tones and dusky greens are on the list, all set to grace your bathroom palette this year.

Jewelled

Contrastingly, vibrant jeweled tones are making ground in the bathroom and particularly in small, compact spaces like cloakrooms and guest en-suites.

No holding back here, grab hold of those treasure-inspired tones with colours such as emerald green, sapphire blue and citrine yellow and channel this trend through towels, tiles or even a shower frame.

Tackle patterns with more patterns. This year it’s all out maximalism so choose one style of patterns, for example geometric shapes or decorative motifs and carry this throughout the room. Why not choose patterned wallpaper and carry the pattern throughout your tiles but in a complimenting colour.

Lighting Luxury lighting

Creating the right mood with your lighting is so important in the bathroom and as we spend more time dwelling in these spaces, it’s crucial to nail the lighting with task and ambient options. This is easily achieved when you meet with a Ripples designer who can create a unique lighting plan for you.

When choosing your lighting, remember those all-important buzzwords this season; special-finish and statement. Fluted, frosted, and olive bronze – all of these will make your bathroom look that bit more luxe – visit a Ripples showroom to take a look at some of our displays for inspiration.

Chelsea House, London Road, Bath, BA1 6DB ripplesbathrooms.com

property

‘Our young people need our support’ Kevin Gray, Chief Executive, Bath Building Society

I was recently discussing mortgages with my youngest child Lucy. I mentioned to her that ‘interest only mortgages’ had lower monthly payments than ‘capital and interest mortgages’. I quickly realised by her blank stare that she didn’t have a clue what I was on about. After a quick explanation, Lucy stated that these ‘kind of financial things’ should really be taught in school. For a rare moment in our father/daughter relationship, we actually agreed with each other!

Bath Building Society has recognised that there is a general need for our young adults to learn more about useful financial and legal matters such as how to create a basic budget, how loans and mortgages work, and how to obtain and organise a rental property with friends.

As such, we have prioritised the financial education of local school children within our social responsibility programme.

In conjunction with WizeUp, a not for profit organisation that specialises in the delivery of seminars to sixth form students, I am proud to say that over 500 pupils in Bath state schools benefitted from our initiative in the 2018/19 academic year.

We are encouraged by the reception that our initial programme of seminars received and have extended the programme to work with seven schools in the current academic year.

Although it is always nice to do good things, the Society does not aim to just be a ‘do gooder’ organisation. It has greater ambitions. We are in the business of changing people’s lives for the better by giving them security through promoting saving and by facilitating the means of them achieving home ownership. This is our social purpose and we intend to focus our energies towards doing things that are compatible with it. Although not specifically stated, our social purpose does lead us towards assisting the age group that is in most need of help i.e. the young. Let’s take a closer look at what we’ve been doing.

In common with many other Building Societies, the majority of our savings balances are held by people aged over 50. More worrying is the fact that

many pre middle-aged adults have no savings whatsoever. We intend to try and do something about this. In order to encourage the habit of saving amongst our young adults, we will shortly be launching a regular savings accounts that will be made available to anyone aged between 16-25 who lives, works or studies in the BA post code areas. The interest rate of 5% variable (5% AER) per annum will compare very favourably with anything available elsewhere. The Society is also planning to launch a Lifetime ISA product later in 2020 with the aim of encouraging those under 40 to save towards a mortgage deposit.

First time buyers have to overcome many hurdles. Expensive rents make it hard for the young to save for mortgage deposits.

House price inflation makes the scale of required deposits continually grow and the regulatory requirement to stress test mortgage payments makes affording a mortgage more difficult. It is remarkable that any first time buyers ever get a home of their own. I am delighted to say that, via our pioneering Buy for University Mortgages and Parent Assisted Mortgages, approximately 40% of our lending already goes to first time buyers.

First time buyers have to overcome many hurdles. Expensive rents make it hard for the young to save for mortgage deposits. House price inflation makes the scale of required deposits continually grow and the regulatory requirement to stress test mortgage payments makes affording a mortgage more difficult.

Your local Building Society wants to do better still and as such we are looking to expand our range of inter-generational support mortgages in 2020. This will include a Family Assisted Mortgage where family members can significantly reduce the monthly mortgage payments of another family member by foregoing interest on their savings balances. But what if the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ cannot offer any help? The Society will also be looking at introducing an innovative new product that will reduce the need for large deposits and also reduce the size of loans that need to be borrowed. This will increase affordability and with it the likely number of new first-time buyers.

As I approach the end of my second year as Chief Executive, the thing that I am most proud of to date is our unilateral decision to pay minimum starting salaries that are in excess of the ‘Real’ Living Wage as set by the Living Wage Commission. This measure predominantly helps our young employees and is the fair thing to do.

Bath Building Society wants our young people to better understand the basics of personal finances, it wants them to save for their futures and it wants them to get homes of their own. If we can be of any assistance to you or your family, why not give us a call on 01225 423271.

For my part, now that my Lucy understands how mortgages work, perhaps she’d like to take over mine? I’m not holding my breath!

Foxhill residents benefit from Curo community grants Curo has awarded over £33,000 to projects making a positive contribution to Bath’s Foxhill community. They’ve also announced they have a further £3,000 available until the end of March for any community projects or groups in the area that need a helping hand.

The Bath-based housing association awarded 20 grants over a two year period from 2017 to 2019. Curo calculate over 1,900 Foxhill residents have benefitted from Community Chest grants they’ve given to local projects and initiatives.

A variety of projects have benefitted from Curo’s support.

Including play sessions, family theatre shows, exercise and dance classes, craft workshops, over 50s activities, community fetes and holiday camps.

Curo helped a professional animator living in Foxhill host workshops for young people at The Hub in Mulberry Park.

Angela Frankham has worked for Wallace and Gromit filmmakers Aardman Animation and on Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, Pingu and Bob the Builder.

Curo’s grant also allowed Angela to offer work experience to a recent graduate and employ a freelance artist. Angela’s workshops at The Hub have been a great success and are always fully booked.

Carlos Abreu, team coach with Bath Arsenal Juniors said, “Curo helped us with £720 for new team kit for a trip to Barcelona.

The trip was a great success. The players felt a great sense of belonging and a real sense of achievement. They made new friends and had a unique experience they could share with younger players back home.”

£3,000 available for more community projects

Curo have got a further £3,000 available for any projects or groups based in Foxhill and are calling for residents to contact them if they need any financial support to get a project off the ground.

The Regular Saver has a deposit limit of £10-50 a month and a withdrawal limit of 2 withdrawals per annum. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Vanessa Collier, Community Development Manager at Curo, explains: “We’ve got £3,000 available until the end of March.

We want Foxhill residents with ideas to get in touch. If anyone is putting on an event, needs a piece of equipment or just some cash to make something happen – we can help!”

For our Buy for University and Parent Assisted mortgages, we require a collateral charge over a parental property and/or for the parent(s) to act as guarantor.

Vanessa added, “It’s really easy to apply for funding. Go to the Curo website for more information on applying for our community grants.”

inbath 91

property

new homes

Freshford Mill

Long-awaited show home unveiled

at Freshford Mill Little has changed in the village of Freshford, near Bath since it was depicted as the quintessential English village in a blockbusting movie in the 1950s, so the opening of a newly-built show home there is a rare event.

Few new homes are possible in Freshford as it sits at the southernmost tip of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Beauty and within a conservation area and was voted among the most desirable communities in England.

This is the first chance for people to see inside an exclusive development of the former Freshford Mill, which has a history dating back to the Domesday Book.

Freshford was the village of Titfield in the 1953 British comedy The Titfield One of the stunning interiors at Freshford Mill

Thunderbolt, about villagers battling to save their railway service – and it still boasts a train station today from which people can commute into Bath, Bristol or London.

For centuries the mill alongside the river was a centre for the clothing industry, but in the 20th century it served as a storage base for aircraft parts in the Second World War and after the war became a rubber works where tennis balls, among other goods, were manufactured.

Extensive work has been carried out to convert the former industrial land to an environment for quality living and Rackham Court is a terrace of threebedroom townhouses, each with unique features, that overlook a newly created pond and natural woodland.

Francine Watson, New Homes Associate at Knight Frank, said: “The opening of the Rackham Court show home is the first opportunity that people will have to take a look at these stunning three-bedroom homes.

“As they are low-maintenance, these units would be perfect for small families and downsizes, or for those seeking a second home near Bath. Freshford, which sits within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is a highly sought-after location, and we are confident these beautifully designed and excellently finished homes will be extremely popular.”

The first phase being completed is all new build with prices ranging from £680,000 for a three-bedroom townhouse in Rackham Court to £1.7 million for Perkins Court, a stunning six-bedroom family home.

Ben Lovell from real estate advisor, Avison Young, who is overseeing the completion of the development, said: “In truth the mill, as an industrial site, has been an eyesore at times in its history and a lot of work has had to go on to get things to the stage where a fantastic environment has been created in the wooded valley alongside the river.

"This first phase features newly-built properties and further stages will include converting the former mill buildings into unique places for people to live. The village has fantastic facilities, including an award-winning shop, a notable 16th Century village inn gastropub as well as being in a great location as it is close to Bath, the motorway network and has a railway station.”

The Rackham show home can be seen by appointment by calling agents Knight Frank on 01225 325999 and further details can be found at www.freshfordmill.com.

A UNIQUE

& EXCLUSIVE PLACE TO CALL HOME R ackha m Court - Contempor ary 3 Bedroom Houses with Stunning Views Prices from ÂŁ680,000

Show Home Available to View Every Saturday Bet ween 10a m & 4pm To arr ange a viewing please call 01225 325 999

Freshford Mill is a unique residential development situated on five acres of land surrounded by the charming English countryside. Phase 1 at Freshford Mill consists of 8 houses and 2 apartments with each dwelling designed individually and to the highest specification.

www.knightfrank.co.uk

www.freshfordmill.com

James Dredge James.Dredge@knightfrank.com 01225 325 999

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