English Riviera Magazine February/March 2020

Walks • Local Food • Heritage • Nature • People • Events • Arts

EnglishRiviera February/March 2020

103 Great Reasons

magazine

History & Heritage Nelson's Admirals Charles Seale Hayne Victorian Vegetarians

to get out & about

Conservation Champions

at Clennon Lakes

Walk...

from Little Dartmouth

MEETING ARTISTS, MAKERS & MUSICIANS Sarah Strachan, Isabella Day & Barney Dine

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About us...

Welcome

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Created and Published By Devon Magazine Company Limited Julian Rees julian@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk Telephone 01803 842893 Mobile: 07455 206470 Anita Newcombe anita@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk Telephone: 01803 850886 Advertising sales sales@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk Advertising Copy copy@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk Editorial editorial@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk Website englishrivieramagazine.co.uk ISSN (Print) 2052-8515 ISSN (Online) 2052-8523

Next issue 27 March Write to us at: ENGLISH RIVIERA MAGAZINE 69 DAVIES AVENUE PAIGNTON TQ4 7AW © 2018 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form without prior permission of the publishers. All material is sent at the owner’s risk and whilst every care is taken, Devon Magazine Company Ltd will not accept liability for loss or damage. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of our content but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any omissions, errors or alterations or for the consequences of any reliance on these details; neither can they vouch for the accuracy of claims made by any advertiser.

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February and March are alive with signs of spring and, as well as celebrating the joyful blue tit on our cover, we look at a few inspiring local conservation stories. Our features on: The Friends of Clennon Lakes; Tor Bay’s Underwater Forests; and The Theatre of the Extinct are all about local people caring for nature and the environment.

For heritage lovers, we’ve got articles on Charles Seale Hayne who transformed Dartmouth during his lifetime and left a large bequest for the creation of Seale Hayne Agricultural College. We look at how Torquay was way ahead of the times on vegetarianism, and hear how Bishopsteignton became popular with some rather discerning Nelsonian admirals.

We also chat to: Isabella Day, English Artist Goldsmith at Cockington; Richard Leaman-Grey, retired Rear Admiral, now CEO of Tall Ships Trust; and Barney Dine, musician and new Music Lecturer at South Devon College. There’s lots of other stories plus our usual bumper: What’s On, Theatre and Arts sections. Once you’ve finished reading, we really hope that you will take the time to complete our 2020 Reader Survey. It really helps us learn what you’re enjoying and what you’d like to see in the magazine.

And you might win dinner for two at the gorgeous Brasserie at the Meadfoot Bay Hotel.

Happy reading and stay local!

englishrivieramagazine.co.uk If you would like to ADVERTISE your business in English Riviera Magazine Call 01803 850886 or email sales@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

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February/March 2020 3

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Key features include large balconies, terraces and surrounding gardens, on-site parking and an unbeatable location next to the cliff railway.

Phone ahead and book a tour on 01803 424 019 Address: Higher Downs Road, Babbacombe, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 3LD Visit www.renaissanceretirement.co.uk to see the gallery, and view the apartment floor plans.

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2nd - 31st March | 11 am - 3 pm Renaissance Retirement Limited: Compliant With The Consumer Code For New Homes Prices published correct at time of print

Part of

Free National Mov ing Serv ic e& Part Exchange Available

In this issue | February & March 2020

Contents

6 Openers

Local news snippets

10 Local Conservation Champions The Friends of Clennon Lakes

15 Theatre of the Extinct

Meeting artist Sarah Strachan

20 Charles Seale Hayne

A real visionary unequalled in his time

22 Torquay’s Vegetarians

Torquay, as ever, ahead of its time

25 Bishopsteignton’s Admirals

Naval history with local historian Jenny Ridd

Clennon Lakes 13

28 Give It A Go - Fitness

Join the gym at Devon Hills

31 The Great Big Brick Safari Lego comes to Paignton Zoo

32 Tor Bay’s Underwater Forest

Tor Bay’s Underwater Forest

32

Out of sight but not out of mind

35 Riviera Weddings

Local artist goldsmith Isabella Day

41 Riviera Beauty

Biotech Facial review

41 Riviera Interiors

Get the latest look for your home

45 2020 Reader Survey

Tell us what you think and win!

48 Walk

Little Dartmouth to Gallants Bower

52 What’s On

Our selection of local events

64 Arts Round-up

Creative events around the Bay

67 Arts

We meet Barney Dine

69 Arts

An exhibition of mosaic art

70 Theatre

Who’s treading the boards?

72 Gardens

Mr Fox’s Garden

74 Charities and Volunteering

Dementia befriending with Marie Curie

77 Social Diary

Local people at local events

80 Business Snippets

Local business news in brief

englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

Torbay’s Vegetarians

22

On the cover

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) on blossom © Jill Wellington February/March 2020 5

Openers... Openers... Openers... O Torbay Rotary’s VE75 Torbay’s Rotary Clubs are hosting an evening packed with nostalgia, remembrance, plus 1940s entertainment and dancing at the Riviera International Centre on 9 May to celebrate 75 years since VE Day. It’s part of a threeday international celebration of the day guns fell silent at the end of the war in Europe. The evening is held in aid of The Royal British Legion and SSAFA charities.

Tickets cost £45 per person and include welcome reception, sumptuous three-course dinner and coffee.

There will be a keynote speaker and entertainment throughout the evening including The Elaine Davies Jazz Trio, the 15-piece Carlton Big Band and Manhattan on the Grand Piano. Dress code is black tie, uniform and medals. Tables/tickets can be booked by emailing: info@ conroycouch.co.uk or calling 07787 527149. Cheques should be made payable to: Rotary Club of Tormohun and posted to: David Rowe, Conroy Couch Jewellers, 128 Union Street, Torquay TQ2 5QB. ¢  rotaryve75.com

Sharpham Rewilding The Sharpham Trust has been awarded £177,400 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to make more space for wildlife and take action for nature.

The funding will help the Sharpham Estate become organic, rewild parts of its historic landscape and help more people engage with it. The money will go towards a new approach to managing the 18th century parkland landscape of the Sharpham Estate, which Capability Brown is thought to have created.

Habaitats, flora and fauna – from rare plants, beetles and butterflies to starlings, cirl buntings and otters will be supported and restored. The three-year project, called Wild for People, will enhance the biodiversity of the historic 550-acre estate, which stretches along the River Dart outside Totnes, South Devon. The management of the landscape will change from a conventional chemical approach to organic farming, less intensive grazing (rewilding) and a 6 | February/March 2020

restoration of the wood pasture habitat that would have originally characterised the park. ¢

Bijou’s 65th Anniversary Show Bijou Theatre, based at the Palace Theatre in Paignton is celebrating its 65th Anniversary with a showing of Arnold Ridley’s The Ghost Train (April 15-18).

Originally launched as a private members’ theatre club

by Greta Huggins in 1954 Bijou has survived against the odds and is now beloved by many. The original Royal Bijou Theatre (albeit named without royal approval) was located in the Gerston Hotel in Paignton. The Ghost Train was chosen by Bijou’s Jill Farrant, Wendy Caplan and Sarah Caplan to mark the anniversary as it was the very first show they put on after Jill Farrant inherited Bijou from Greta in 1983. Over the years, membership and public attendance has grown and Bijou stages four plays per year plus running a highly popular annual Agatha Christie season. Arnold Ridley’s classic drama was first produced in 1925 and filmed no less than three times. A very silly young man accidentally strands six passengers at a small Cornish wayside station. Despite the psychic stationmaster’s weird stories of a ghost train, they decide to stay the night in the waiting room. Soon they regret this rash decision. facebook.com/Bijoutheatreproductions Tickets via palacetheatrepaignton.co.uk ¢

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.. Openers... Openers... Openers...

Rolling Rhino

Greater Horseshoe Bats

Paignton Zoo’s one-tonne female black rhino Sita has been photographed joyfully rolling about in the mud.

She’s 29 years old, she’s the mother of a grown-up daughter but still likes to mess about and have fun. This amazing sequence of photos, taken by Paignton Zoo regular and keen photographer Miriam Haas, shows Sita rolling around like a puppy – a very, very large puppy.

Paignton Zoo’s Phil Knowling said, “Lots of people do something to mark the New Year – a swim in the sea or a sponsored run. Sita decided to go outside and get filthy! An all-over mud-pack is actually good for her skin, though it’s easy to think she was rolling around simply for the sheer joy of it.” Sita is a black rhino, though she looks decidedly brown here. She lives at Paignton Zoo with male Manyara. Her calf Zuri was born in 2007 and moved to Chester Zoo in 2011. The black rhino is a Critically Endangered species. ¢

The Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE) has celebrated pioneering work to protect Greater Horseshoe Bats by local authorities across the South West. The special commendation went to South Hams Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Greater Horseshoe Bats Steering Group. This collaborative group comprises representatives from Dartmoor National Park Authority, Devon County Council, South Hams District Council, Teignbridge District Council, Torbay Council and Natural England. It was recognised as an excellent example of collaborative, cross authority working in order to deliver a better approach for the conservation of Greater Horseshoe Bats within an area of high development pressure. The group has developed a new evidence-based guidance document to help planners and developers to assess the potential impact of proposed building works on protected bats. Brixham’s National Nature Reserve at Berry Head is home to a designated Greater Horseshoe Bat roost that is integral to the survival of Torbay’s bat population. ¢

Rainbow Ball The Rainbow Ball held recently at the Riviera International Centre raised an incredible £20, 065 for Elton John Aids Foundation, Rowcroft Hospice and the launch of Diversiteen Torbay. Billed as Torquay’s Most Outrageous Night of the Year, the Rainbow Ball was revived in 2017 in memory of Dr David Sinclair who set up the HIV service in Torbay in 1996 and ran it for almost 20 years. It was an important part of his considerable achievements at Torbay Hospital. The next Rainbow Ball will be held on Saturday 5 December at the Riviera Centre and tickets to include: reception, dinner, cabaret, charity auction and dancing are already on sale via rainbowball.org.uk ¢

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February/March 2020 7

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The Friends of

Clennon Lakes The Friends of Clennon Lakes is a small but hard-working group of local volunteers who are determined to preserve and restore this important wetland area in Paignton. These stalwart, local nature lovers have now won a big award for their wonderfully successful project.

T

he Friends of Clennon Lakes has been recognised as a truly exceptional group helping Paignton to achieve a Gold Award in this year’s Britain in Bloom competition.

The Friends were also honoured with the prestigious London & Manchester trophy for ‘Outstanding Environmental Initiative.’

To win, this hardy group of local volunteers was judged in competition with all groups in the South West Region. The trophy recognised and applauded its success in bringing the sadly overgrown lakes back to life and in encouraging people to visit. Many local people now regularly enjoy the nature and tranquillity of these beautiful lakes.

Chairman of the group Mike Langman says, “Our

10 | February/March 2020

group of volunteers has achieved so much in just four years and it is fantastic that our efforts have been recognised on a regional level. It’s incredible looking at some of the comparison photos of the site from just five years ago to today; they show the transformation that benefits both wildlife and visitors.”

Most of the volunteers are serious wildlife enthusiasts and much of their motivation is to enhance and improve the lakes for wild species, some of which are found nowhere else in Torbay. But they also want people to enjoy the lakes and its wildlife. They’ve improved the footpaths, added new benches, a bridge and information sign; all help to enhance the visitor experience at the lakes.

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The lakes are now a firm favourite with local walkers, dog owners and photographers and the group’s Clennon Lakes Facebook pages are testament to the stunning scenery and variety of wildlife to be found here. You’ll see beautiful images of kingfishers, herons, snipe, Torbay’s only breeding little grebes and an incredible variety of dragonflies and other invertebrates.

A wildflower meadow next to the lakes where you can see some of Torbay’s last Southern Marsh-orchids is also maintained by The Friends of Clennon Lakes.

However the group is still very concerned about the future of the lakes and its wildlife. Mike tells us, “We englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

still have a long way to go, which includes the long term desilting of the lakes – without which the lakes will disappear one-by-one, and all of the wildlife that goes with them.” However, funds that had been expected to enable the desilting to go ahead are currently not being made available to the group.

February and March might seem like quiet times of the year for nature but the lakes at Clennon can really come to life, particularly if we have a cold snap or another ‘Beast from the East’. During these cold spells, wildfowl can arrive in good numbers from more frozen areas of the UK. Tufted duck and teal numbers usually peak in February and more unusual ducks like gadwall, wigeon February/March 2020 11

IMAGE: © Kingfisher - Marc Millman

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and perhaps something even rarer like a scaup or even smew might seek refuge on the lakes.

The rare and secretive bittern, a small brown and streaky heron, has also been found at Clennon Lakes in February, always during very cold weather. Usually hidden in reed beds, the cryptically camouflaged plumage

makes the bittern a very difficult bird to see.

Torbay’s generally frost-free or limited winter frosts means that small, insect-eating birds like goldcrest, firecrest and chiffchaff can survive the winter. These birds would probably starve in colder parts of the UK when their insect prey either hides away or dies in the cold.

The middle weir today and above, as it was in 2014

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February/March 2020 13

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14 | February/March 2020

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Riviera People The group is keeping its fingers crossed that wintering kingfishers will use the artificial kingfisher bank that they erected in late March last year. The birds have regularly been seen perched on the structure, using it as a good vantage point to catch the local three-spined sticklebacks and young rudd or roach. Kingfishers can start nest prospecting in early March. If they do use the artificial kingfisher bank it will be the very first time kingfishers have bred in Torbay in decades.

The Friends of Clennon Lakes volunteers meet at 9am

on the first Sunday of every month at their container near the bottom of the lakes. The work party lasts for three hours finishing around midday. New volunteers are always welcome to come along. Bring a hot drink and snack; wear wellington boots and a pair of gardening gloves. You can also become a member and donate much-needed funds.

Clennon Lakes is located on the south side of Clennon Valley Playing Fields and is a stunning haven of tranquillity in the heart of Paignton. ¢  clennonlakes.org

Firecrest

IMAGE: © Firecrest - Mike Langman

IMAGE: © Kingfisher - Marc Millman

Kingfisher

Members proudly displaying their awards englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

February/March 2020 15

THEATRE OF THE EXTINCT and other things Sarah Strachan is a Totnes-based artist and puppet maker who has worked at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop making magical things for TV and films including Harry Potter. Her latest exhibition at Torre Abbey focuses on the climate crisis.

F

rom Saturday 8 February to Sunday 23 February, Torre Abbey will be hosting a Sarah Strachan exhibition designed to encourage people to change the way they live in a bid to avert mass extinction. There’s an installation called GHOST, which is made up of hundreds of second-hand plastic animals painted a chalky white, and arranged as a herd.

Sarah explains, “It occurred to me that these secondhand, plastic animals will last for hundreds of years and will almost certainly outlive many (if not all) of the animals they are modelled on.” Many of the animals are already on the endangered list including rhinos, giraffes, orang-utans, gorillas, turtles, elephants, tigers, the blue whale, dolphins and more.

Also featured in the Torre Abbey exhibition will be The Theatre of the Extinct, a cornucopia of illustrations cut from vintage nature books and arranged directly on the wall. It’s overlooked by three skeletons and represents the bounty of nature, which we stand to lose if the climate crisis is ignored. It imagines a future where nature can only be viewed as a form of entertainment, as theatre or virtual reality.

Sarah’s family were artists and artisans. Grandpa was

16 | February/March 2020

a set painter – he worked on the 1948 film Red Shoes (voted 9th Greatest Film of All Time) and Cleopatra with Liz Taylor. He flew to Egypt to work on Cleopatra and thus became the very first family member to fly on a plane. Mum taught Sarah to sew and Grandma taught her to paint. Dad was an antiques dealer who took Sarah on buying trips. Mum also helped in the business and was particularly effective at spotting gaps in the market.

They had up to 40 staff and were very successful. All this gave Sarah a real appreciation for “good, old stuff” and working for herself.

She took a degree in fine art at St Martins, Exeter University and the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. Subsequently, looking for work in London, she undertook jobs like making a resin strawberry for a Ski yogurt ad and a life-size hedgehog puppet for a chemical lawn product ad.

Then she got a job at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in Camden were she worked on Dr Doolittle. Her first challenge there was making a cow with an extending neck.

She says, “No-one tells you how to do it – you just have to figure it out for yourself – it was very intimidating.”

However, she ended up learning a lot from the amazingly

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Riviera People talented people who worked there and realised that there was no set way to do things. She recalls, “The best thing was that Henson’s gave you plenty of time to invent things – other places didn’t offer that.”

Sarah also learned how to work with a wide range of materials, fabrics and glues and loved being in Henson’s old Victorian building. She says, “It was really inspiring there were creatures from films sitting around in cabinets.”

During this time Sarah worked on the first Harry Potter movie (she was tasked with figuring out how to reinforce the trolls’ legs) and saw the owls and Scabbers being created.

Sarah and husband Derryck (who runs a copyright agency) moved to Totnes in 2002; her parents were already living here and she liked the area. She tells me, “I never really settled in London – I love the countryside.”

She stopped working when her children Louie and Darcy were little but she still made lots of things with them. She set up a children’s puppet show with friend Kate who’s a comedian and Jade from Doorstep Arts and co-wrote a play for it called Jumble, The Most Magnificent Dog in the Universe. She did three plays altogether and threw

“

herself into being a Mum doing “lots of nice things”.

During the last few years Sarah has been running her own business. Her main income comes from taking commissions for puppets, and making small dolls and dogs. Many of her regular customers are from China and Taiwan plus the US and the UK. She found that her business really took off when she started promoting her work via Instagram. In 2018 she worked with Irish fashion designer Orla Kiely, making art dolls for display, wearing miniaturised versions of her distinctive designs.

The dolls were exhibited as part of her retrospective show, A Life in Pattern.

More recently, Sarah went along to a climate change protest with her daughter Darcy in Exeter. She found it a very emotional event feeling very upset and tearful. Many of the older people present were really sad, but younger people she met there were angry rather than distressed.

She had been making tiny dolls with fluffy hair for a

It occurred to me that these second-hand, plastic animals will last for hundreds of years and will almost certainly outlive many (if not all) of the animals they are modelled on

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February/March 2020 17

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Soak up the blooms at Greenway’s Spring Festival Saturday 21 – Sunday 27 March 2020 With banks full of snowdrops and flowering camellias, now is the perfect time to celebrate the arrival of spring with a festival of garden walks and talks. nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway Social icon

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Riviera People while and wasn’t really sure herself what they were about.

Now she has realised that they are protesters and she calls them Mini-Activists, giving them placards with climaterelated slogans. She has made a protest installation, which includes young eco-warrior Greta Thunberg and other young people who are currently demonstrating around the world.

You can order a Greta Thunberg or other MiniActivist from Sarah and can choose the hair, skin and clothing colours; you can even suggest what you’d like on the placard. These tiny protesters all have heads made out of pistachio shells (she invented them after eating pistachios). Sometimes Sarah will make a Mini-Activist tableau with a range of protest signs. The Mini-Activists are all numbered and signed and £5 from each sale goes to Greenpeace.

As well as her creative work, Sarah loves to swim in the River Dart above Totnes. She goes regularly with a group of friends who communicate via WhatsApp. She doesn’t wear a wetsuit and swims all year round; only staying in for three or four minutes at the very coldest times. She

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tells me, “I actually come out bright pink and not cold – a dip like that gives you a high that lasts all day (although it does take a while to get used to it).

When looking for a little treat, Sarah and her family head to the Almond Thief in Totnes, which she highly recommends for their wonderful pastries. She also loves walking over to Dartington’s Green Table. She says, “We are so lucky to live here in Totnes.”

If you’d like to see some of Sarah Strachan’s work, why not head over to Torre Abbey to see her exhibition this February? Visiting the exhibition is included in the Torre Abbey normal admission fee and it’s open from 10am5pm daily (except Mondays) from 8-23 February.

To donate plastic animals (natural wild animals, sea creatures insects and reptiles but not farm animals or extinct creatures), leave them at Torre Abbey Reception or contact Sarah directly). ¢  sarahstrachan.com torre-abbey.org.uk

February/March 2020 19

Charles Seale Hayne

PICTURE: © University of Plymouth

Having inherited huge wealth and returned to Kingswear, Charles Seale Hayne became a real visionary unequalled in his time. Over 31 years the number of diverse developments he undertook was literally mind-blowing.

Ian Handford of Torbay Civic Society tells us more.

C

harles Seale-Hayne was born in Brighton in 1833, the son of Charles Seale-Hayne (senior) and grandson of Sir J Seale former Member of Parliament for Dartmouth constituency. The family estate, which he would inherit, comprised the 400 acres of the Nethway Estate, two major farms at Higher and Lower Brownstone, Kingswear, plus an 86-acre rabbit warren.

He spent his youth at the family homes in Brighton, London and finally at Fuge Dartmouth before going to Eton, and later entering the South Devon Militia in 1853. He rose quickly rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and for years served as a musketry instructor at Plymouth and Waterford until in 1857 he was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn. The title Lieutenant Colonel was retained as he served the 2nd Devon Volunteer Artillery right up to 1885.

It was in 1854 that Charles inherited the massive family fortune, and although a practising barrister he chose to return and live at the Brownstone Estate in Kingswear. In 1857 he sought election as a prospective candidate for Parliament. He failed, yet he tried again, this time as the Liberal candidate for Dartmouth in 1860. He lost again. It would be twenty-five years before he once again stood for Parliament.

Dartmouth was an unprogressive riverside town. This was due to its leaders refusing to have the town or its medieval road system developed. Lower and Higher Street were still linked by pedestrian steps and the centre needed change. At the time Charles, with his visionary outlook, decided to try and help redevelop the town, while still looking after his huge estate.

He firstly restored the vessel Dart, which helped re-establish the defunct Totnes steamboat service and in 1855 he commissioned the renovation of Kingswear Castle. A year later he sponsored the construction of

20 | February/March 2020

Dartmouth Lighthouse. The following year, the River Dart was chosen as the departure port for vessels going to the Cape and he helped the Calcutta Packet Company convince the local authority that development of the harbour and town was long overdue.

He then helped the Dartmouth Harbour Commission get established while his plans for the embankment area and new roads first surfaced. By 1858 he was promoting the Dartmouth and Torbay Railway and had even established a Steam Packet Railway Company. He launched the area’s first ‘pilot ship’ (a steam tug) and was instrumental in forming the Dartmouth Harbour Commission in 1863. Meanwhile, at Kingswear, new wharves and quays were created, while our amazing entrepreneur also commissioned the construction of The Daymark at Kingswear, a navigation guide, which can still be viewed not far from the entrance drive to the Coleton Fishacre estate.

As if all these achievements were not sufficient, Charles next established a railway ferry from Kingswear to Dartmouth using the boat PS Perseverance and witnessed the first sod turned at his Torbay-Kingswear railway project, which would not be completed until 1864. The first train terminated at Kingwear Station on August 10th 1864 a time when he was planning to establish what was to become the Dartmouth and Kingswear Hotel Company. He now commissioned another vessel

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PICTURE: © University of Plymouth

Riviera Heritage future PPC’s should, “Put money in your purse and go PS Éclair, which would serve as a cross channel ferry link to Devon”. The reputation of Dartmouth was tarnished from Kingswear to St Malo. and Parliament eventually sought to remove its Charter But his ideas for the large-scale development of Dartmouth’s South Embankment were totally opposed by his of Independence ‘awarde’ from way back in 1298. Now uncle the formidable Sir Henry Seale, Conservative Mayor at the town became part of Torquay Constituency, although today it is within the South Hams District boundary.

Dartmouth for sixteen terms. He had of course watched his Charles experienced huge opposition to his new plans nephew a Whig/Liberal lose the Dartmouth election twice. for the new South Embankment between 1879-1885, Now Sir Henry was accused of securing his latest victory for although ultimately new roads and hotels were established the Conservatives by refusing to allow the Townstal voters to be registered. The Queens Bench condemned his actions and and even a Dart Yacht Club emerged. Desperate to build on his success, Charles now fought one more highly the case cost the local council £800. controversial election but again he lost by just two votes.

However, meanwhile Charles had become involved This time it was just too much and having resigned in a far greater scandal, which saw his uncle intervene. the Harbour Commission, he next stood as a PPC at It seems that Charles had decided to step aside as Ashburton where in 1885 he was successfully returned.

Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) in favour of He retained that a Mr Schenley who As Chairman of the railway company, seat for many years promised to purchase Charles was implicated and today those until the Liberals lost £3000 worth of power. During that shares in the Torbayactions would have resulted in him being time, Prime Minister Kingswear railway taken to court with a jail sentence likely William Gladstone project provided he appointed him Paymaster General and made him a Privy won. He did win and in 1857 Sir Henry immediately Councillor. alleged bribery and requested a Parliamentary Committee Charles had wide interests abroad as a major investor in investigation. They soon discovered that Schenley had the Buenos Aires Railway Company and Chairman of the distributed £1400 in sovereigns and £20 notes to local Bank of Texas in America. Then on November 20th 1903 voters. These were deemed bribes and the committee he experienced apoplexy and one day later on Sunday immediately ordered a new election.

November 22nd at age seventy-one, he died, having never As Chairman of the railway company, Charles was married.

Instructions were left for his executors to create a implicated and today those actions would have resulted large trust fund after private bequests, as he wished to leave in him being taken to court with a jail sentence likely. a College of Science, Art and Agriculture in the “immediate However, as the Parliamentary Committee chose to neighbourhood of Newton Abbot” which would be order a new election, which the Conservatives then won, available to all Devon students.

Th at institution was built Charles survived. The case became a national issue and with strong covenants attached; at fi rst it was established the Illustrated Times of 1858 wrote sarcastically - that as the Seale-Hayne Agricultural College, before later being used by a charity helping entrepreneurs. ¢  torbaycivicsociety.co.uk

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February/March 2020 21

Torquay’s Victorian Vegetarians In the heady days when Torquay was the richest town in England, it was also the home of many committed vegetarians. Kevin Dixon tells us more.

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uring the nineteenth century visitors to Torquay could stay at ‘Tardeo House’ on Avenue Road and be served “good vegetarian cookery”, enjoy “good vegetarian apartments” on the Higher Terrace, or “excellent vegetarian cooking” in rented rooms on Warren Hill.

It wasn’t just our tourists – such as the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley who visited in 1815 – who favoured a meat-free diet, however. Torquay was the richest town in England, was open to new ideas, and so became home to a committed and active vegetarian subculture.

In the early days, vegetarians were catered for by temperance hotels and dining rooms, but by the 1890s a thriving vegetarianism supported dedicated vegetarian restaurants across Britain. These restaurants offered cheap and nutritious meals in respectable settings where patrons were invited to enjoy elaborate banquets. Many vegetarian cookbooks were published describing recopies such as: vegetable goose; stuffing minus the bird; lentil cutlet with tomato sauce; steak-pie in a vegetable form; rump-steak from pot herbs; and macaroni.

Of course, vegetarianism wasn’t a new thing. The sixth century BC Greek mathematician Pythagoras promoted non-violent vegetarianism – a diet without any animal products was actually called a ‘Pythagorean’ diet until 1944.

22 | February/March 2020

In Britain a tiny Christian sect in Salford was the birthplace of the modern meat-free diet. In 1800 the Reverend William Cowherd demanded his congregation – the Cowherdites – abstain from meat. He believed that God inhabited every animal and so it was a sin to consume them. The bizarrely-named Beefsteak Chapel then became a working class institution – providing education along with free vegetable soup. After William’s death in 1816, Joseph Brotherton became the minister and, along with other Cowherdites, helped form the Vegetarian Society in 1847.

Local vegetarian associations were then set up to promote the idea, and by 1851 the Oxford English Dictionary found it necessary to define a new concept, “Vegetarianism: a modern term, employed to designate the view that man ought to subsist on the direct productions of the vegetable kingdom and totally abstain from flesh and blood.”

Torquay’s Victorian vegetarians were a small but highly motivated group. Many believed in a simple life, ‘pure’ food, humanitarian ideals and strict moral principles.

Consequently, vegetarianism was frequently linked with other local radical and reform movements, such as the opposition to alcohol and tobacco, the right to vote and

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Riviera Heritage for the destruction of animal life, still when not necessary even nudism. As with other campaigning groups, women for the sustenance of man it was an act of wanton cruelty.” were well represented though, as was usual at the time, Activists such as Knight saw the treatment of animals their proportions in the rank and file were not reflected in the leadership. Perhaps inevitably, the movement attracted as barbaric. Vivid descriptions of slaughterhouses were presented to the Torquay meeting which suggested that a colourful and eccentric leaders and supporters. path to true morality could only be achieved if “wholesale Promoting a vegetarian lifestyle in July 1849, a Mr murder and brutality” were abolished.

Knight delivered a lecture at Torquay’s Temperance Victorian vegetarians were largely from the educated Hall. The title of the lecture was ‘Vegetarianism, or middle class and claimed the higher moral ground the advantage of a strictly vegetable diet’. Yet, Mr there was then a tendency to look down on meat-eaters, Knight’s ‘vegetarianism’ was more what we would know particularly those of a lower social class. Specifically, today as veganism – from the 1840s onward, British they believed that it was a lack of self-control among the ‘vegetarianism’ had prohibited any animal by-products, poor that contributed to violence and crime and so, as including milk and cheese, that could have resulted from carnivorous animals were ferocious, eating no meat would an animal’s confinement or slaughter. calm the most aggressive person, or even country -“The Health was one of the great obsessions of the influence of animal food upon the character was to excite Victorians. In Torquay there were frequent and the savage passions, devastating as evidenced in outbreaks of disease Vegetarianism: a modern term, employed to and so Mr Knight designate the view that man ought to subsist on different nations.”

Unfortunately, began by stressing the direct productions of the vegetable kingdom attitudes such the health benefits and totally abstain from flesh and blood. as this may have of a meat-free diet: contributed to Torquay’s working class remaining largely “The first benefit is medicinal”, he argued. “A diet which immune to the many appeals directed at them, despite excludes meat is better for the health and more likely to a meat-free diet being inexpensive -Victorian workers help in the avoidance of certain types of disease as well as were also suspicious as they suspected a covert excuse for having curative properties. Animal food is less wholesome lowering their wages. and less nutritious than many kinds of grain, fruits, and By the end of the nineteenth century, vegetarianism vegetables”. As evidence of the dangers of meat-eating, Mr had become less popular. This may have been due to Knight provided, “frightful proofs of the extent to which meat having become cheaper, but could also be the disease was produced amongst the poor by the use of consequence of a hostile media who saw vegetarianism as unwholesome meat.” naive, sentimental and utopian. It was also claimed that As a Victorian Christian, it was not surprising that he a vegetarian diet was unhealthy. For example, Torquaylooked to the Bible for support in his argument that man should not eat ‘flesh’ (Genesis 9.3). God was in everything resident George Bernard Shaw was famously told by a team of doctors that he needed to eat meat or starve – he and so to kill anything was like ‘killing a little bit of lived until the age of 94.

God’. Knight, therefore, put his regard for animals into Nevertheless, the vegetarian tradition continued and a ‘historical’ Biblical setting: “Man at his first creation when in a state of perfection, and during the Antediluvian it’s now estimated that - in a revolution in the UK’s eating habits - 7% of the population is vegan with 14% being period when life was of tenfold duration, was exclusively a vegetarian. Although permission was subsequently given vegetarian. ¢

“

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Bishopsteignton

Home to Nelson’s Admirals Torbay has a fascinating naval history and many families of naval men lived in the area. Bishopsteignton, with its stunning estuary views and close proximity to the Bay, became home to some rather discerning Nelsonian admirals. Historian, writer and speaker Jenny Ridd tells us more.

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ear Richard, I am now going to tell thee a piece of news as will astonish your bowels”. This is how Henry Smith, crewman, began a letter to his brother, telling him that Napoleon was on board his ship, HMS Bellerophon, in Torbay in late July 1815 (Napoleon having lost the Battle of Waterloo). Thousands turned out in small boats to see the Frenchman and for a brief moment Torbay was at the centre of national interest.

Torbay’s legacy is naval. Ships based at Plymouth guarded the southwest approaches during the Napoleonic Wars, and during rough weather the Navy used Tor Bay for shelter. The naval men knew the area well and naval wives rented, bought or built houses in Torquay, Teignmouth, Dawlish and Exmouth to be near their spouses. The quiet fishing village of Teignmouth became a lively seaside resort for the wealthy, but the more discerning chose rural Bishopsteignton, with its stunning estuarine views, curative air, and convenient proximity to Torbay.

In Bishopsteignton’s churchyard are three railed tombs of Georgian admirals. At first glance the names are unknown, but research reveals their exciting connections with Nelson.

The village became a hub for retired admirals, thanks partly to Admiral Sir Edward Pellew of Teignmouth spreading the word. The admirals built grand Georgian houses along the length of Forder Lane to the west, most of which survive today. A village builder, Thomas Boone, became a property developer extraordinaire, and together they changed the village forever.

Admiral Sir Edward Thornbrough is the most famous.

Born in 1754, he had a 60-year career. He and Nelson were contemporaries, but fought in different battle zones. He was asked to “show the ropes” to Prince William Henry (later William IV) on board HMS Hebe.

Thornbrough gained a patron for life. In 1798 he became a national hero by successfully protecting Ireland from invasion by French soldiers off Ulster. He later became

The church of St John the Baptist, Bishopsteignton

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February/March 2020 25

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Riviera Heritage Bishopsteignton, but lived there for 23 years. Born in Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom, the second most 1774, he joined the Navy at 13. He was serving on board powerful position in the Navy.

HMS Agamemnon in the French Revolutionary Wars in In 1813 Thornbrough built a ten-bedroomed, 1795 under Nelson when he was hit in the throat by a neoclassical Georgian mansion named Bishopsteignton musket ball. He survived and minimised the incident in Lodge, of 77 acres, with adjoining farm, later demolished his later autobiography. However, two years later he was in 1985. He was a village benefactor, attended society seriously injured while serving with Nelson and Hardy on functions in Teignmouth, befriended maritime artist board HMS Minerve. Nelson loved and respected Noble Thomas Luny, and in 1825 commissioned Teignmouth’s for his fighting spirit and was mortified. lithographer and publisher, Ernest Croydon, to produce After a brief spell in the Sea Fencibles in Folkestone, a print of his house. Thornbrough’s son erected a Noble retired from active service in his mid-20s. monument to his father in Exeter Cathedral and a small He married Sarah Lamb of Rye and they moved to plaque commemorates both in Bishopsteignton church.

Bishopsteignton to be with his aunt, Jane Wheelock, Admiral Samuel Granston Goodall retired to Teignmouth renting Clanage, at the in 1801 and quickly centre of the village. chose his burial plot They had two children in Bishopsteignton in Rye: Horatio Nelson churchyard. He Noble, to whom had served in the Nelson was godfather, West Indies, the and Jeffrey Wheelock Mediterranean and Noble. They had Turkey. He was on another eight children the panel of the court in Bishopsteignton, martial of Captain but Sarah died after William Bligh for his the birth of their tenth part in the mutiny child. James Noble left on the Bounty, and Bishopsteignton in acquitted him. In 1823. He married twice 1795 he colluded with more, and died in 1851, Nelson to persuade The graves of Admirals Quinton, aged 77. He is buried at Admiral Hotham to attack the Goodall, and Thornborough Kensal Green Cemetery.

French in the Mediterranean.

Other Nelsonian admirals connected with Frustrated by Holtham’s diffidence, Goodall took off his own hat and kicked it around the deck of his ship! He retired Bishopsteignton are Ekins, Gardner and Parker, plus other Captains and Lieutenants. Ekins fought with shortly afterwards and died four months later, being buried Nelson against the French and distinguished himself in the magnificent railed tomb that survives today. at the Battle of Algiers with Admiral Pellew in 1816, Admiral Cornelius Quinton was a 24-year old where he killed or wounded 92 men. He rented the old Lieutenant on board HMS Leviathan in 1794, in the vicarage, now St John’s House, in 1833. Admiral Alan Glorious First of June campaign that included Nelson.

Gardner served with Thornbrough and although he Leviathan’s commander was Admiral Lord Hugh did not live in the village, his family did, and they put Seymour, whose heroic deeds during that battle caused up a small brass plaque to him in the church. Admiral Quinton to idolise him forever. Quinton made good William Parker of Delamore, Cornwood, Ivybridge, prize money and in 1811 bought an old property in served on board Victory with Nelson during the Battle Bishopsteignton, which Thomas Boone renovated in of Trafalgar in 1805. His son, Admiral George Parker, the cottage orné style popularised by John Nash. Nash built Delamore, Bishopsteignton, again with Thomas had worked at Luscombe Castle, Dawlish, and Boone Boone, a beautiful Georgian villa, which still exists. possibly met him and gained inspiration. Quinton asked These were all admirals who played centre stage in Ernest Croydon to produce a lithograph, which appeared their day and, with renewed interest in their story by the in Croydon’s 1817 guidebook and was admired by village, it is hoped that their saga will be preserved for thousands. Quinton had named it Seymour Cottage after posterity. St John’s Church, Bishopsteignton is open daily his hero. It is now Friston House. and welcomes visitors. ¢ Admiral James Noble was not buried in englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

February/March 2020 27

Head for the Hills...

For those of us struggling to lose some of that Christmas weight gain or who just want to improve their fitness, then Devon Hills Fitness is a real find.

Richard Newcombe gives it a go!

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ituated on the outskirts of Paignton on the Totnes road and forming part of the Devon Hills Holiday Village, Devon Hills Fitness has both the advantage of being close to the heart of Torbay yet far enough away to have a real rural feel - not to mention free car parking.

Devon Hills Fitness was established 15 years ago and was formerly known as The Paignton Racquet & Fitness Club or Collaton Gym. It has now evolved into a high-tech centre for personal training, guided classes and general fitness. The complex features an 18-metre swimming pool, sauna and steam room, great for those wanting a more social environment as well as those who find the pool and the heat a good recovery from a training session.

I am meeting Myrianthe Pantelis, the Customer Services Manager and she introduces me to Nikola Reynolds the Membership Consultant and Personal Trainer. After I’ve completed the essential health questionnaire Nikola gives me a guided tour of the facilities.

I warm up for 5 minutes on the Vario machine, a hybrid cross and step trainer. Nikola shows me the range of pre-programmed exercises and how to set up my own targeted workout. Equally important, I now know where to plug in my headphones to access the personal TV and video functions of this machine. One of my pet gym dislikes is blaring music, but this technology allows each 28 | February/March 2020

William, Nikola & Alicia

user to access their own brand of motivational music (or to listen to the Archers in comfort as Nikola points out).

Having a damaged meniscus in my right knee, I quickly discover that Nikola is not only demonstrating the equipment but she has become my personal trainer for the day. She is able to demonstrate some exercises and stretching routines on the mat that I find extremely helpful and that will go a long way to preparing me for my forthcoming ski holiday in France. She is now using all the equipment to target the weakness in my knee including the formidable BOSU which I discover means ‘both sides up’. It provides a complete, almost random, range of movement for the knee. This promotes core body strength, improving balance and stability in both legs.

Hopefully next time I use it I won’t rely on holding my trainer’s hands quite so much.

The gym houses a very impressive array of cardiovascular machines including treadmills, cross trainers, upright and recumbent bikes as well as two spinning bikes. As a cyclist I am keen to try the spinning bikes. They give me the nearest impression of cycling I have ever experienced without the wind and the rain of course!

The range of resistance machines is formidable. I have visited gyms on many previous occasions and frankly some of the machinery I’ve encountered has resembled apparatus of torture. However here, under Nikola’s watchful eye, I am able not only to set up correctly for my height and stretch but by pulling or pushing in a particular way I am able to feel the benefits at almost individual muscle level.

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Give it a Go! Fitness

Other resistance machines target shoulder development and chest muscles, and all can be adjusted by a discreet location pin so that anyone watching need not know that there is in fact very little weight being moved.

For the more advanced gym user, Devon Hills Fitness has a free weights room with a very impressive range of dumbbells and barbells. Some are pre-loaded with a range of weights. Both single and double cable machines are available for resistance training. There are also medicine balls (memories of Tavistock Comprehensive come flooding back to me), sand bag weights and battle ropes, but I’ll keep those for another visit.

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After my workout I take to the pool where, under Alicia’s watchful eye I swim and stretch before a 15-minute sauna session - well millions of Scandinavians can’t be wrong can they?

The Fitness Studio runs a range of classes, all of which are included in your membership rates but are also available to non-members for a small fee. These include various circuits, mobility and core, boxing, Pilates, Zumba and yoga. Pool-based fitness classes are also provided.

Membership also includes access to table tennis and an outdoor tennis court.

A range of membership options is available over three months or twelve months. These offer either unlimited access to all facilities or off-peak access only.

For full details visit the website or call in and have a look around. If you do pop in ask Nikola to show you the amazing BOSU. As a more mature fitness aspirant I find that the level of guidance and advice given by Nikola as we tour the centre is extremely informative and reassuring. I really feel that undertaking a journey to better health and fitness could not be carried out in better hands. As advertising standards would stress, many other fitness centres are available in Torbay, but frankly, I’ve had such an enjoyable day at Devon Fitness that I’m sure to be back. Why not give it a go? ¢  devonhillsfitness.co.uk Richard gives the cross-trainer a go!

February/March 2020 29

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The Great Big Brick Safari

Out & About

It’s more than just another brick in the wall at Paignton Zoo. From the end of March 2020, Paignton Zoo will be home to over 80 giant wild animal models created from over 1 million Lego bricks.

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rom a giant gorilla, a jumbo size elephant and a majestic lion, to marvellous macaws, beautiful butterflies and a cool crocodile, these stunning Lego brick animals will form The Great Big Brick Safari Trail for visitors to follow around the zoo.

A team of experienced professionals from Bricklive designed and produced these magnificent models. Say hello to Cressida the crocodile, who is 3.1 metres long and made from 19,000 Lego bricks. She took 144 hours to make and weighs 350 kilos. And then there’s Ormond the ostrich – nearly 2 metres tall, made out of 45,000 bricks; he took 200 hours and is 493 kilos.

Meanwhile, Wilford and Waldo the warthogs are made of 63,000 Lego bricks and took 160 hours of work.

Wilford uses 28,000 bricks and weighs in at 77 kilos, while Waldo consists of 35,000 bricks and tips the scales at 112 kilos.

The most poignant model is the elephant. She’s been named Duchess, of course, in memory of the much-loved matriarch of Paignton Zoo who died in 2019. She stands at 2.5 metres tall, is 3.7 metres long, contains 271,739 bricks, took 6 builders a total of 1,600 hours to create and weighs in at 1,210 kilos – not as much as the old girl herself, but pretty heavy all the same!

In addition to all of these, there will be an armadillo, a condor, scorpions, panda cubs and hyenas. And look out for the vampire bats…

The 1 million bricks being used would cover over 20 miles if laid out and the sculptures took over 258 days to build. You’ll find some great photo opportunities with these wonderful animal models.

The Great Big Brick Safari will also feature a fun Interactive Zone, including brick pits for all ages, so that visitors can let their imaginations run wild. Here, you can build your own zoo animals or design an enclosure for the big build table. There will also be the opportunity to win some exciting prizes in the Great Big Brick Safari competition.

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As part of this event, Paignton Zoo ran a brick amnesty (which ended in January) for any brand of plastic toy brick. These are being cleaned ready for the start of the event and once it’s over they will be donated to play groups, schools and scout/guide groups.

The Great Big Brick Safari runs from Saturday 28 March until Tuesday 1 September. Of course you can also visit all Paignton Zoo’s real animals during your visit.

The Zoo’s Phil Knowling told us, “It’s a special treat for our guests, something huge that’s in addition to all the amazing animals and plants we have here. You can see all the things you’d expect to see at a top zoo – lions, tigers, gorillas, orang utans and lots more besides – and then you get all of this as well!” ¢  paigntonzoo.org.uk February/March 2020 31

TOR BAY’S

UNDERWATER FOREST

The Bay’s wonderful underwater seagrass meadows are vital for the protection of vulnerable species like short-snouted seahorses and are great at capturing carbon, helping combat climate change.

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taff members from Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo, supported by seagrass project diver volunteers, have had a successful year caring for the Bay’s seagrass meadows.

Seagrass is a flowering plant that forms dense underwater meadows in shallow, sheltered, coastal areas.

These meadows capture carbon at a greater rate than tropical forests, making them important in combating climate change. Like coral reefs and rainforests, these underwater gardens are full of life. And like those betterknown habitats, they are under threat.

Global estimates suggest the planet loses an area of seagrass around the same size as two football pitches every hour. Protecting what is left is vital – and that’s where Living Coasts comes in.

Curator Clare Rugg said, “People wonder why seagrass 32 | February/March 2020

is important to Torbay when they can’t even see it – but not everything that’s worth protecting is obvious.

For several years we worked with the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth on the Community Seagrass Initiative. Living Coasts is now leading the project this is local people working to save a local habitat with international significance. This is the Bay’s very own rainforest habitat.”

The project has had a good year – the numbers speak for themselves. Over the summer months, 22 local volunteers completed 16 dives on 6 seagrass sites (all in the Tor Bay Marine Conservation Zone), clocking up 90 individual dives. They assessed a total of 450 quadrats on the seabed, identifying 90 species.

Seagrass project diver volunteer Sue Watson-Bate said, “I joined the seagrass survey team 5 years ago. It has been

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Conservation Planet Trust, the charity behind Living Coasts said: “Our a massive learning curve for me as a diver, to not only role in UK seagrass conservation ranges from awarenessacquire new underwater skills but also learn about how raising to underwater surveys, research into ways of important the seagrass beds are. “ growing seagrass in aquariums, care for local seagrass beds Volunteer diver, Catherine Williams explained, “I and partnerships with people who use the Bay – promoting have noticed the decline of our beautiful oceans and things like seagrass-friendly wanted to do something.

Not only do I now have This is local people working to save moorings for boats.”

The key areas of work for a family of seagrass divers a local habitat with international the project are ecological but I have learnt so many significance. This is the Bay’s very monitoring; the protection of new skills, including species own rainforest habitat. vulnerable seagrass sites with identification.” buoys to prevent anchoring; This year the project and the cultivation of seagrass plants in tanks that they secured grants to support a paid position to provide hope will lead to trial restorations. The focus for 2020 is marine expertise and verify data. More financial support likely to be on the main seagrass beds plus monitoring of is in place for next year. Seagrass Project Assistant Nadine the advanced mooring system, which uses eco-friendly Hanlon said, “The results show just how diverse the buoys. The project is funded by charitable trusts the seagrass beds are, and how important they are for many Garfield Western Foundation and the Wakefield Trust. ¢ commercial and protected species.”

Dr Tracey Hamston, UK Conservation Officer for Wild  livingcoasts.org.uk

“

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February/March 2020 33

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Isabella Day

Riviera Weddings

English Artist Goldsmith

Isabella Day runs classes where couples can make their wedding rings together.

She also creates star map rings of the heavens at the exact time of a wedding or proposal. Anita Newcombe visits her studio at Cockington Court.

I

sabella has a large studio in Cockington Court’s Stable Yard Studios. Here the bride and groom can pop in and chat about what makes their relationship special and how they could have a unique pair of rings created specially for them.

There are some truly divine pieces to admire here. Isabella tells me that she originally worked in promotional filmmaking before treating herself to a taster jewellery course. She loved it so much that she progressed onto an HND jewellery-making course and then continued her studies with a Master Goldsmith in Birmingham.

Initially she worked on a market stall selling silver bangles. This went so well that she subsequently opened a studio in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter (the Hatton Garden of Birmingham).

Working on an appointment-only basis, Isabella was soon creating mainly commissioned pieces. She also started selling her jewellery via Etsy and Not on the High Street.

After 15 years developing her skills and her customer base in Birmingham, she made the big decision to move lock, stock & barrel to Brixham.

She tells me, “My partner and I wanted to live by the sea; it was either Brixham or the Isle of Arran.” Partner Ford Hallam specialises in fine art

metalwork in Japan’s ancient tradition. He has pieces in the V & A (noted as the world’s leading museum of art and design). Isabella found his studio online when she wanted to learn to work with shakudo, an alloy that patinates purple.

She loved it and went on to do many more courses. She says, “There are so many different Japanese techniques to learn.”

Eventually she got together with Ford and the couple made the decision to move to Brixham together.

Isabella was concerned about how to manage the studio move from Birmingham because she had a big workload and commissions coming in. When she heard that there was an opening at Cockington Court she jumped straight into her car to make a visit. It was perfect for her so she started moving everything from her Birmingham studio; completing the move in just 4 days. She tells me, “I had to move fast as I needed to keep fulfilling all my orders.”

Cockington Court has proved to be a wonderful place for Isabella. She says, “It’s the perfect spot to meet people for commissioned work; footfall is very good, especially in the summer and it’s a great place to work.” She has found that she has to make a range of special pieces for the shop.

She says, “People tend to go for the higher value items in the shop; it’s also a great location for wedding ring sales as there are lots of weddings at Cockington Court and Cockington Church.”

She runs Wedding Ring Making Classes on Fridays and Mondays so couples can make their rings together,

Isabella Day

February/March 2020 35

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Call us now to place your order 01803 555004 or buy online at www.baysbrewery.co.uk 36 | February/March 2020

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Riviera Weddings combining the course with a long weekend in the area. The flat cost for the classes includes silver rings but many of the couples will upgrade to gold. She also makes star map rings, which are very popular in the US. I take a look and they really are very beautiful and unusual.

She explains, “We don’t sell many in the shop as you have to read up on them and understand what they are about.

The rings include stars mapped at the place, time and date of a very special occasion such as an engagement or wedding and I make them in all metals.”

She also makes baby birthstone rings; these are worn by the mother, and the baby’s name is engraved inside. Quality is the most important thing for the Isabella Day brand.

Isabella tells me, “I’ve got to be found in a sea of options that are available. It’s hard for a bespoke maker to be noticed.

Here at Cockington Court, people can see the quality and how the pieces made – it makes such a difference.”

She loves working on commissions. There will be a consultation to discuss ideas and she can also remake existing jewellery pieces, a speciality of hers. This is a great idea because you only pay for her work – there is no cost for the materials. Isabella works with fine recycled gold, melting it down and mixing it with palladium, copper, silver or zinc among others, to make beautiful high quality alloys. These give more durability (pure gold is very soft) and will also give a distinctive colour. For example, the inclusion of copper results in the soft tint of rose gold.

She can make any caratage (this is a way of representing the purity of gold jewellery). She tells me, “In the 90s and 2000s platinum and white gold were the most popular.

Now rose gold, peach gold and yellow gold are top of the wish lists. Isabella has samples so people can see a wide range of colours including white gold.

The studio has become so busy that Isabella has taken on Jo. Initially Jo just packed up orders and dispatched them but now she has learned to make pieces such as the star map rings. She also does some of the finishing work and has just started working in gold.

Isabella now shows me some of the equipment that she uses in the studio. She melts gold using an oxygen and propane torch. A crucible is used to hold the gold while it is melting (a different crucible is used for each type of gold) and then it is poured into an ingot mould. A rolling mill makes sheet or wire gold, from which Isabella’s creations will eventually emerge. She explains that most jewellers buy in their sheet or wire

Wedding ring makers workshop

gold ready-made. However, she prefers to make her own so that she can be quite sure she knows exactly what’s in it. To make her unique jewellery, she uses fine chisels and a range of special Japanese tools (with many techniques learned from her partner Ford).

Isabella clearly loves her work but she does occasionally escape and enjoys rowing with Brixham Gig Club. She also loves to explore the countryside, the South West Coast Path and particularly Man Sands. She says, “I can’t believe I get to live here – in Birmingham I used to yearn for the sea.”

And of course Cockington Court is set in a beautiful country park where there’s so much to see and enjoy – why not pop in? ¢  isabelladay.co.uk Rose gold waves wedding ring

February/March 2020 37

Torquay Escape and take some time for yourself at the Aztec Spa

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38 | February/March 2020

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Try a Biotech Facial at Aztec Spa

Riviera Beauty

The Elemis Biotech Facial is one of the most popular treatments on offer at TLH Leisure Resort’s Aztec Spa. Anita Newcombe gives it a try.

remember the order of everything but I do remember a thick paste mask going on, which is soon after peeled off, no doubt to lift any remaining impurities. Then a soothing cool mask is applied, which feels nice and refreshing.

More creams are applied and this time it’s combined with a lovely neck and shoulder massage – this feels really park in the Aztec Spa’s carpark on Falkland Road and head good. There are pads over my eyes but I can still see red down the steps to the Aztec Leisure complex, which in and blue lights wafting about. I ask Natalia what these addition to the treatment area, has pools, a sauna, Jacuzzi are and she explains that light therapy is very beneficial. and steam room. I check in at the spa’s reception and after She’s using a combination of anti-bacterial blue light and filling out a health questionnaire I am issued with a robe and re-energising red light therapy. slippers and settled in the tranquil relaxation area.

But we are not finished yet, there’s a tool, which Natalia Vaplaka, Head Therapist comes out to find me delivers positive and negative polarity from galvanic and I am soon lying on a comfortable treatment table currents to open pores and allow impurities out. covered with a towel. Relaxing music is Microcurrent and galvanic therapy playing quietly in the background and all sounds terribly technical but it the rather meditative sounds include seems that the use of currents in birds gently tweeting away; it’s very cosmetics goes back to the end of soothing. the 19th century. This was nearly a Natalia tells me that she is from Riga hundred years after Luigi Galvani in Latvia and has 19 years experience discovered that electricity could make as a beautician. She used to work with the muscle in a frog’s leg twitch. The Guinot products back in Latvia but therapeutic effects are believed to here they use Elemis, which she also include tightening and contouring of loves. Natalia is 37 but looks younger the face.

Natalia Vaplaka even though she’s wearing no makeup The final part of today’s treatment Head Therapist except a little mascara. The products are is O2 Infusion. Cooling oxygen obviously doing their work. blasts are used to plump and hydrate The one-hour treatment begins with the skin, targeting fine lines and some cleansing. My eyes are closed and but I feel hot signs of dryness. The whole experience has been very towels being applied to my face and cool wipes on the enjoyable and quite a revelation to me. eyes. A series of different creams are being applied; each Natalia brings me a glass of water and, after chilling one smells different – quite delicious but I can’t quite in the relaxation area at the spa for a little while I head identify any of them. Now Natalia is using an ultrasonic home. Even though I am now stripped of any makeup, device. It uses a ceramic plate that vibrates 2700 times per my husband says that my complexion is looking fabulous. second to lift dead skin and stimulate production When I tell him about my amazing treatment he tells me of collagen (like a mini hoover but much that I look twenty years younger but I think he is now pleasanter). just trying to score Brownie points!

Next she uses a microcurrent to My skin does feel really warm, healthy and glowing; lift and firm the skin. I’m feeling the whole spa experience has been a real treat. Of course super relaxed and I can’t there are many other treatments available. Check the website for details including regular, pretty generous special offers. ¢  tlh.co.uk/aztec-leisure/aztec-spa

I

February/March 2020 39

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OPEN PLAN KITCHEN PERFECTION

Riviera Interiors

The open plan kitchen is a trend that is here to stay for 2020. We love them because they create sociable living spaces. They maximise the space by combining the living and dining rooms and are usually straightforward to build and install by simply removing a wall.

When designing your open plan kitchen here are some things to consider:

Flow

Think about how you use your kitchen. Do you love cooking and need lots of food prep space and a wellstocked pantry? Are you a minimalist and like everything to be out of sight and hidden in cupboards, or do like everything within reach on open shelves? Are you a coffee lover and want a fantastic coffee machine that is a key feature of the kitchen?

Layout

Your kitchen will most likely fit into either L-shaped, U-shaped or Galley. The space you have will lend itself to one of these layouts best, but you can achieve a different layout by reworking the area, knocking through or adding in walls. A good interior designer can help you with this.

The kitchen island is still the must-have element to any substantial kitchen. You may want to include a breakfast bar area with stools to make it really sociable and consider if you plan to use this area for food prep or for relaxed meals and display. For smaller spaces adding a breakfast bar or peninsular is a way to get the same feel to the space if there is not enough room for an island.

You may even want a flexible space with a screen that can close off a dining area or open it up as one large room.

Louise Hart is an interior designer at Fruition home in Torquay.

Contact Fruition to chat to a designer and book your home consultation.

01803 295959 • studio@fruition-design.co.uk Louise Hart englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

February/March 2020 41

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Riviera Interiors Technology

feel to any room. Matt finish doors rather than gloss are a must. Handleless all the way if you can, as it’s all about the details. Recessed handles will not be noticeable to the untrained eye but will function perfectly, make the space much more streamlined and reduce fuss.

Go dark for drama. Don’t be afraid to be bold with black or very dark grey units. You could even have a combination of colour or materials across units or worktops for a more interesting look.

Any appliances you choose will determine the layout of the units and how much cupboard space, so choose carefully. Also, consider how smart you want your kitchen to be. These days you can get so many automated appliances including an oven that you can turn on remotely so that it’s ready to use when you get home, a fridge that will automatically order items when you run out and a boiling tap that renders a kettle unnecessary.

Finishing touches

Once you have perfected your layout, with the help of a designer, you can then start choosing materials. Start by asking yourself what look you are after. Modern sleek with clean lines and simple colour? Country vibes with Shaker doors and that bespoke joinery look? Retro style with pops of color and unusual materials or simple Scandinavian with light wood and natural materials?

The trends for this year still have a strong theme of stone and marble, which can instantly bring a high-end quality

Tiles could be small in size if you want a retro or country vibe, otherwise opt for large format tiles, the bigger the better. You could even go for a stone or stone-effect splashback panel that would really add the wow factor and create impact.

Wall colours can be matched exactly to the kitchen units for a really “now” look.

Don’t forget to finish your room with some carefully chosen accessories. Here we have selected a few items that will add to the luxury and style. ¢

Colour & Materials

Volare Italian kitchen, 3C Interiors

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February/March 2020 43

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Exploring Little Dartmouth Need to know Distance: 4 miles Exertion: Moderate with some steep sections.

Time: Allow 2 hours Terrain: Coast path of varying quality - can be muddy. Not suitable for pushchairs.

Dogs: Under close control where livestock is Refreshments: Bring a snack or pop down to the tearooms at Dartmouth Castle.

Start Postcode: TQ6 0JP Grid Reference: SX874491

W

ith spectacular coastal views of the Dart Estuary and Start Bay, Royalist civil war earthworks to explore plus a detour to a pretty secluded cove, this walk has plenty to see as well as a trip on the Dartmouth ferry which always keeps the children happy!

1From the National Trust car park at Little Dartmouth head downhill towards the coast on the newly metalled path until you meet the South West Coastpath at Warren Point. Views extend in either direction here, to the right, 8 miles away to Start Point lighthouse, and to the left the distinctive navigation feature known as the Day Mark above Kingswear.

2 Follow the coast path eastwards passing Western Combe Cove and the gorse-covered outcrop of Combe Point. Keep an eye out for grey seals basking on the rocky shores below.

48 | February/March 2020

3 Follow the coast path uphill, through a gate then steeply downhill. At the bottom of the hill you can detour to the right down to the secluded but pretty Compass Cove, once the site of a cable house which was the end point to a 67-mile cable connecting Guernsey to the mainland. The cove is frequented by fur seals so dogs should be kept under close control here.

4 Continue along the path around Blackstone Point and up into the woods until you reach Compass Cottage and the road which leads up to the old coastguard cottages.

5 Turn right on the road. After a short distance take the path uphill on the left to Gallants Bower. Follow the path up through the woods and through the gate into the open area - the site of the fortiďŹ cation. Take the path westwards staying below the fort. Then back through a gate and down through the woods and on to the lane 6 Follow the lane uphill and past the rear of the old coastguard cottages.

7 Join the public bridleway that will return you to the National Trust car park.

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February/March 2020 49

Tall Ships

Fundraising Dinner

The Tall Ships Youth Trust, the UK’s oldest and largest sail training charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged youngsters, is holding a fabulous 1920s-style fundraising dinner at the legendary Royal Britannia Naval College. The charity’s CEO Richard Leaman-Grey tells us more.

R

ichard Leaman-Grey has strong links with Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), having studied there after leaving Torquay Boys Grammar School. He tells me, “I was absolutely hopeless at school – my academic prowess was virtually nil.”

But this was no bar to succeeding in his naval career.

Richard explains, “I was active, gregarious and keen to take responsibility – I just didn’t see the point of academic learning where I couldn’t see any practical application.”

Britannia Royal Naval College taught the reluctant scholar about navigation, radar and a wide range of practical and leadership skills. He was obviously seriously inspired to reach his potential by BRNC, because after commanding 3 warships, and then the UK Task Group of Ships (during Mr Blair’s adventure into Iraq), he ended up retiring as a Rear Admiral.

50 | February/March 2020

Richard then became the CEO of Guide Dogs for seven years, and is now the CEO of the Tall Ships Youth Trust. He tells me that Tall Ships’ beneficiaries are young people who have had the most dreadful start to their lives. They include disadvantaged and disabled young people from highly diverse backgrounds; young offenders - including those involved in knife crime youngsters excluded from school, orphaned migrants, and those who have been sexually abused, or have abused substances themselves.

The Tall Ships Youth Trust takes these young people to sea under sail and literally transforms their lives.

The Trust does circumnavigations of the UK with their fleet of Challenger yachts. In in August last year a yacht crewed by carers from Torbay and from Young Devon sailed from Portsmouth to Brixham. Here they

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Out & About hosted an open day on the quay and Brixham’s Harbour Master organised a barbeque for the young crew.

Youth Groups and Youth Offending Teams recommend disadvantaged young people they think will gain valuable confidence and motivation from the trips. A recent study showed that 97% of the voyagers went on into Employment, Education and Training – a quite remarkable result. The Trust also offers sail training to youngsters with learning disabilities, hearing, sight loss and autism.

In order to carry out his duties as CEO of the Tall Ships Youth Trust, Richard has become rather an itinerant. He spends two days a week working at the Trust’s HQ in Portsmouth, two days a week fundraising in London and the other three days with his wife Dr Jacqui LeamanGrey in Ascot. He has never forgotten how getting afloat changed his own life so dramatically.

The Trust is always looking for volunteers either as Watch Leaders, Youth Mentors or Shore-based Volunteers right around the country. Torbay, in particular, is close to Richard’s heart as he still comes here regularly to visit his 92-year-old mother who lives in Watcombe.

Richard Leaman-Grey Adults can also get involved by booking one of the Trust’s wonderful sailing trips in the UK and the Caribbean, which raise funds for the charity. You an also donate online. ¢  tallships.org

Booking Now! Tall Ships Youth Trust 1920s Fundraising Dinner Saturday 14 March Britannia Royal Naval College Tickets are £90 per person including: Delicious 3-course dinner Live 1920s music A guest speaker Dress: Black Tie Book via: tallships.org/Event/tsyt-ball englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

February/March 2020 51

February and March AROUND THE BAY

Dartington Deer Park Discovery Trail 1 February- 29 March (Saturdays & Sundays)

Winter Warmer Walk, Noss Marina 2 February

A unique experience helping to feed the Deer Herd at Dartington. Learn about the deer’s ecology in close proximity of these magnificent animals. Learn about their life-cycle and seasonal behaviour inside the deer park, and how they fit into the conservation model at Dartington.

Book online. Time: 3-4pm, cost: 16+ £7, under-16s (accompanied) £3.

Join the National Trust’s Active Outdoors Officer Lucy on a free guided walk at Noss Marina near Greenway. The walk takes in the marina and Longwood plantation; it is approx 4.5km. Please note there are no toilet facilities available. Time: 11am-1pm. Free event, no booking, accessible walk, dogs on leads welcome, children welcome when accompanied by an adult. Meet Noss Marina Carpark.

Dartington Deer Park, Dartington Hall, Totnes TQ9 6EL 01803 847070 dartington.org

Noss Marina Carpark, Bridge Road, Kingswear TQ6 0EA 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway

Royal Photographic Society Exhibition On till 22 March

Wild Food Maker Series 5 February or 25 March (6 weeks each)

An exhibition of works by the Royal Photographic Society: South West Region Biennial Exhibition. The SW Region (Devon & Cornwall) of the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) has 502 members and holds an exhibition of members’ work every two years. The exhibition covers a wide range of images. Entry included with normal admission.

Torre Abbey, The King’s Drive, Torquay TQ2 5JE 01803 293593 torre-abbey.org.uk

52 | February/March 2020

This course will give you the skills and confidence to safely gather and transform your hedgerow bounty into delicious spring wild food products. You will develop the confidence to identify seasonal wild plants, where to find them and how to prepare a range of products with techniques including; lacto-fermentation, infused vinegars, wild plant powders and dehydration techniques, oxymels and elixirs.£150 for six sessions. Book online. Times: 10am-1pm (February course), 6-9pm (March course)

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Riviera What’s On Chicken Shed Craft Studio, Dartington Hall, Totnes TQ9 6EL dartington.org /event/wild-food-maker-series

Shadow of a Doubt, Torquay Museum 6 February

Torquay Museum continues its Winter season of Classic Film Club movies with the classic Hitchcock thriller, Shadow of a Doubt (1943). Time: 2pm, cost: £4 film only, £9 film and lunch. Lunch bookings essential telephone for menu.

529 Babbacombe Road, Torquay TQ1 1HG 01803 293975 torquaymuseum.org

Volunteering at Greenway 8 February

Find out about volunteering opportunities at Greenway, Coleton Fishacre, Bradley Manor and Compton Castle at this special event at Greenway. You’ll meet staff and

current volunteers from different areas, and have the chance to find out more over a cuppa and a biscuit.

Time: 1.30-3.20pm, booking not needed, meet at isitor Reception. Event not suitable for dogs.

Greenway Road, Galmpton TQ5 0ES 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway

Winter Warmer Walk, Greenway 9 February

Join National Trust Active Outdoors Officer Lucy on a free circular walk around the Greenway estate, taking in the river views. The walk is about 3km. Please note the property will be closed so there will be no toilet facilities available. Time: 11am-1pm. Free event, no booking, accessible walk, dogs on leads welcome, children welcome when accompanied by an adult.

Greenway Road, Galmpton TQ5 0ES 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway

Brixham Sunday Market 9 & 23 February, 8 & 22 March

Brixham Chamber manages the Sunday Market, which takes place on the second and fourth Sunday of every month from 10 am-4 pm. It specialises in fresh local foods including breads and buns, cheeses, meats, pasties, gluten-free baked items, honeys, uices and preserves plus hand crafted items such as ewellery, cushions, paintings, prints and garden ornaments. There are also speciality hot foods of local and international origin.

Fore Street, Brixham TQ5 8AG brixhamchamber.co.uk

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February/March 2020 53

Valentine’s Afternoon Tea, The Imperial Torquay 10-16 February

Enjoy a Valentine’s-Day-themed afternoon tea with stunning panoramic views across Torbay and the South Devon coastline. Savour warm fruit and plain scones with clotted cream and seasonal preserves, delicious savouries and sandwiches, and a selection of homemade cakes. Cost: £18.50 per person. Pre-booking essential.

Park Hill Road, Torquay TQ1 2DG 01803 294301 theimperialtorquay.co.uk

RNLI Fundraisers Talk, Brixham 11 February

bookings essential – telephone for menu.

529 Babbacombe Road, Torquay TQ1 1HG 01803 293975 torquaymuseum.org

Valentine’s Dinner, Cary Arms 14 & 15 February

En oy a five-course tasting menu with a Strawberry Bellini in the cosiness of the Cary Arms’ charming AA Rosette Restaurant. Live music with the resident pianist Pete on the Friday and Dawn Fallon on the Saturday evening. Cost: £60 person. Valentine’s Spa Day Experiences with lunch also available.

Cary Arms & Spa, Beach Road, Babbacombe TQ1 3LX 01803 327110 caryarms.co.uk

Join the Torbay Lifeboat Fundraisers for an entertaining talk

by Robin Springett on the History of Morris dancing. Time: 2pm, cost: £4 on door - tea & biscuits included. It’s a great way to support the Torbay Lifeboat.

Brixham Rugby Club, Astley Park, Rea Barn Road, Brixham TQ5 9ED 07716 117875 torbaylifeboat.co.uk or email rnlitlf@gmail.com

Valentine’s Dinner, The Imperial Torquay 14 February

Offering breathtaking views across the English Riviera, The Imperial Torquay is a truly romantic setting in which to savour an outstanding three-course dinner with your loved one. Celebrating fresh, local produce, each course has been crafted especially for the occasion. Cost: £35 per person includes 3-course dinner & glass of Champagne. Prebooking essential.

Park Hill Road, Torquay TQ1 2DG 01803 294301 theimperialtorquay.co.uk

Valentine’s Dinner & Dance, Berry Head Hotel 14 February Treat your loved one to a candlelit 4-course romantic dinner with bubbly & canapés on arrival and a red rose for the ladies plus dancing to live music. Tickets £36 per person.

Also 3-course Valentine-themed menus in the Brasserie and restaurant on 14 & 15 February.

Torquay Central WI Meeting 11 February

Author Stephanie Austin will be speaking about her book Dead in Devon. Time: 2.30pm. New members will receive a warm welcome with tea and cake. There will also be a lunch at The Belgrave Hotel at 12.30pm on 25 February.

Torquay Central Church Hall, Tor Hill Road, Torquay TQ2 5RF facebook.com/TorquayCentralWI

Singing in the Rain, Torquay Museum 13 February

Torquay Museum continues its Autumn/Winter season of Classic Film Club movies with the musical materpiece Singing in the Rain (1951) starring Gene Kelly.

Time: 2pm, cost: £4 film only, £9 film and lunch. Lunch

54 | February/March 2020

Berry Head Road, Brixham TQ5 9AJ 01803 853225 berryheadhotel.com

Fossil Festival, Torquay’s Dinosaur World 15-23 February

Brave explorers can discover amazing fossils, you can sit on deadly dinosaurs, and even put your head inside the jaw of a fossilised T-Rex skull. There’s also a Family Fossil Festival Quiz, Fossil Excavation and a Fossil Workshop.

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Riviera What’s On Torquay’s Dinosaur World, Victoria Parade, Torquay TQ1 2BB 01803 298779 torquaysdinosaurworld.co.uk

Cockington Heritage Spotter Trail 15-23 February

This half term, follow the trail and discover how animals in the garden build their homes. From anthills to wasps nests, find out which animals have made their home in Coleton Fishacre garden. To finish, why not have a go at building your own den in the wild play area Free event but admission applies for the venue. Dogs on leads welcome.

Spot some of Cockington’s finest heritage features whilst exploring the park. Listen out for some familiar sounds too.

Cost: 50p per spotter sheet, suitable for 5 years+, times: 10am 4pm. No booking needed. Managed by Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust.

Coleton Fishacre, Brownstone Road, Kingswear. TQ6 0EQ 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre

Cockington Village Visitor Centre, Cockington Lane, Torquay TQ2 6XA 01803 520022 countryside-trust.org.uk

Why not oin the garden team at Greenway for a free walk and talk through the glorious woodland garden Time: 2-2.45pm, free event but normal admission applies for the venue, children and dogs on leads welcome. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Parking must be prebooked.

Join the Tribe, Kents Cavern 15-23 February

Delve into a half-term adventure on a guided tour of ents Cavern, a place that was once home to your prehistoric ancestors and extinct animals. Learn about skills needed to survive the Stone Age Trail, en oy shelter building, make your own craft mammoth, try spear throwing, dig for gemstones, choose your tribe and use face paints to look the part.

91 Isham Road, Torquay TQ1 2JF 01803 215136 kents-cavern.co.uk

Daily Garden Walk, Greenway From 15 February

Greenway Road, Galmpton TQ5 0ES 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway

Winter Warmer Walk to Froward Point 16 February

Join Active Outdoors Officer Lucy on a guided walk to Froward Point, taking in the National Coastwatch station and military coastal defence. The walk is approx 3km long.

Please note there are no toilet facilities available. Time: 11am-1pm. Free event, no booking, accessible walk, dogs on leads welcome, children welcome when accompanied by an adult. Meet Brownstone Carpark.

Coleton Fishacre, Brownstone Road, Kingswear. TQ6 0EQ 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre

Nature’s Builders, Coleton Fishacre 15 February

Meet the Animals, Occombe 17 & 21 February

Discover Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust’s farm animals at Occombe and even get the chance to feed some of them. englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

February/March 2020 55

Time: 10-11am, booking essential, suitable for: all ages, cost: £3 per person. All attendees must pay and all children must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Occombe Farm, Preston Down Road, Paignton TQ3 1RN 01803 520022 countryside-trust.org.uk

Britannia Royal Naval College Tours, Dartmouth 17, 19, 24, 26 February & 2, 4, 9, 16, 18, 23, 25 & 30 March

With an intriguing heritage spanning over 150 years, Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth is a splendid and fascinating place to visit. The Monday sessions are at 10am and the Wednesday sessions at 2pm. Cost: £13 adult, £6.50 child, senior citizen or student £11.25. Britannia Royal Naval College is a working military establishment and photographic identification (photocopies not permitted) is required for access.

College Way, Dartmouth TQ6 0HJ britanniaassociation.org.uk

Mini Architecture Talk, Coleton Fishacre 18 February

Would you like to learn more about the architectural features of Coleton Fishacre when it was created in the 1920s? At each session, a staff or volunteer team member will do a ten minute talk on one feature in the house. The talk will vary according to availability of team members on the day. Please ask on arrival of you would like to know more. ncluded in normal admission fee. Children (accompanied) and assistance dogs are welcome. Time: 3-3.10pm.

Coleton Fishacre, Brownstone Road, Kingswear. TQ6 0EQ 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre

The Sound of BlueNote, Churston 19 February

The Sound of BlueNote consists of five of the most prominent musicians in the south paying tribute to the legendary jazz record label BlueNote Records. Focussing on the iconic period of the 1950s and 60s, the band plays tunes by BlueNote legends Hank Mobley, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, Horace Silver and others. Time: 8.30-10.30pm, cost: £12.

Churston Golf Club, Dartmouth Road, Brixham TQ5 0LA 01803 898570 fougoumusic.com

Tails on the Trails Adventure, Occombe 17-21 February

Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust has found lots of nests and dens around our nature trail, but can you identify who lives where just from their tails? Everyone is welcome to participate with this special fundraising event. However,free access to the nature trail and orchard will be restricted to those taking part during the event. There is one prize per trail sheet. Time: 10am – 3pm, cost: £2.50, suitable for: all ages.

Wild Wednesday, Coleton Fishacre 19 February

Occombe Farm, Preston Down Road, Paignton TQ3 1RN 01803 520022 countryside-trust.org.uk

Coleton Fishacre, Brownstone Road, Kingswear. TQ6 0EQ 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre

56 | February/March 2020

The ranger team will lead a ‘50 Things to Do Before You’re 11¾’ activity in the garden. Time: 2-4pm, booking not needed, free event but normal admission applies for the venue. Dogs on leads welcome. Check in with Visitor Reception on arrival.

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Riviera What’s On Garden Landscaping Walk & Talk, Coleton Fishacre 19 & 26 February, 4, 11, 18 & 25 March Would you like to find out more about the unique landscape design of the garden Why not oin a member of the garden team for a 15-minute walk and talk Time: 2-2.15pm, children (accompanied) and dogs on leads welcome. Free event but admission applies for the venue.

Coleton Fishacre, Brownstone Road, Kingswear. TQ6 0EQ 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre

Mothers Who Make, Torre Abbey 20 February & 21 March

Mothers who Make is a grass roots, national initiative, dedicated to supporting mothers that hold the dual roles of mother and artist. Every kind of mother is welcome biological, adoptive, step, surrogate, foster, bereaved, grand, great grand, to-be. Children of any age are encouraged to attend too and are integrated into the meeting. Time: 10.30am-12noon. Cost: donations of £3-5 requested.

The Learning Lab, Torre Abbey, The King’s Drive, Torquay TQ2 5JE 07788 346816 torre-abbey.org.uk

Indian Night, Berry Head Hotel 20 February

En oy an all-you-can-eat ndian-themed buffet for £16.50 per person.

Berry Head Road, Brixham TQ5 9AJ 01803 853225 berryheadhotel.com

paperwork completed. Cost: £36, Suitable for: 7-12 years, pre-booking essential.

Occombe Farm Cookery School, Preston Down Road, Paignton TQ3 1RN 01803 520022 countryside-trust.org.uk

Double Indemnity, Torquay Museum 20 February Torquay Museum continues its Winter season of Classic Film Club movies with the film noir Double ndemnity (1944).

Time: 2pm, cost: £4 film only, £9 film and lunch. Lunch bookings essential telephone for menu.

529 Babbacombe Road, Torquay TQ1 1HG 01803 293975 torquaymuseum.org

Ranger-led Country Walks, Coleton Fishacre 20 February & 20 March

The National Trust ranger team will be leading countryside walks from Coleton Fishacre to Pudcombe Cove, along the South West Coast Path to vy Cove, and back to Coleton Fishacre via Coleton Camp. On the way they’ll be talking about the wildlife that thrives on this stretch of coast, and the work that the National Trust does to care for it. Time: 11.30am-2pm, booking not needed. Accompanied children and dogs on leads welcome. Free event but admission applies for the venue.

Coleton Fishacre, Brownstone Road, Kingswear. TQ6 0EQ 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre

Ranger-led Country Walks, Greenway 21 February & 19 March Kids Winter Warmer Cookery, Occombe 20 February Cook up some warming winter recipes with Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust at Occombe. Learn to make a spicy Mexican bean soup with yummy chilli corn bread. There’s apple pie & custard muffins and gingerbread biscuits too.

All ingredients are provided. Children can be left once englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

Why not oin one of National Trust’s countryside rangers for a walk through Greenway garden out to part of the estate Time: 11.30am-1pm. Free event but admission applies for the venue. Children welcome when accompanied by an adult.

Dogs on leads. Meet outside shop. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Parking must be pre-booked.

Greenway Road, Galmpton TQ5 0ES 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway February/March 2020 57

Charity Beer Festival, Dartmouth 21 & 22 February

Park Hill Road, Torquay TQ1 2DG 01803 294301 theimperialtorquay.co.uk

Enjoy Dartmouth Rotary’s annual Charity Beer Festival in aid of Dartmouth Caring.

Artisan, micro and major breweries are represented by a fantastic riot of avour and strength ales accompanied by local and lovingly produced ciders. Michael Sutton’s Cellar will be serving Prosecco and great still wines. There will be a superb selection of locally sourced food, which will include vegan options. There will also be quality live music from the very best local musicians throughout the event and a raf e with great pri es. Entry fee: £10 to include: a souvenir festival pint eco glass, tasting notes, 4 drinks tokens. Times: Friday 6-11pm, Saturday 12 noon-11pm.

The Flavel Arts Centre, Flavel Place Dartmouth TQ6 9ND 01803 839530 theflavel.org.uk

Valentine Skate, Torquay 22 February

Revolution Skate are holding their LoveSkate Valentine’s Special.

Times: 3-5pm and 6.309pm, cost: £5 (£18 for 4 people), Skate hire is 50p per person, safety gear is available and recommended. Suitable for: all ages and abilities; marshalls can help you learn to skate.

Riviera International Centre, Chestnut Avenue, Torquay TQ2 5LZ revolutionskate.co.uk

Wedding Showcase, The Imperial Torquay 23 February

Winter Warmer Walk to Man Sands 23 February

Join Active Outdoors Officer Lucy on a free guided walk to Man Sands beach, taking in the wetlands and learning about the marshland project. Waterproof footwear is advised.

Please note there are no toilet facilities available. Time: 11am-1pm. Free event, no booking, accessible walk, dogs on leads welcome, children welcome when accompanied by an adult. Meet: Man Sands Carpark.

Coleton Fishacre, Brownstone Road, Kingswear. TQ6 0EQ 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre

Trust 5K & 10K Trail Run - Coleton Fishacre 23 February & 22 March

Whether it’s the perfect dress, owers, suit or entertainment for your guests you can find it all at the Imperial’s Wedding Showcase. Enjoy a complimentary welcome drink and a special bridal catwalk by Brides of Waterfields at 12noon and 2pm. Arrive early for a chance to receive a goody bag containing wedding maga ines, only available for the first 75 brides grooms through the door. Free entry. Time: 11am-3pm.

58 | February/March 2020

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Riviera What’s On A free monthly National Trust 10k trail run along the rugged South West Coast Path and through Coleton Fishacre garden. Free, fun, informal, forever and for everyone. The run is two loops so there is the option for a 5k or 10k run.

Torquay TQ2 5LZ rivieracentre.co.uk/events

Coleton Fishacre, Brownstone Road, Kingswear. TQ6 0EQ 01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre

Tots Go Wild, Occombe 26 February

Wild Coasts Networking Lunch 4 March

Occombe Farm Yurt, Preston Down Road, Paignton TQ3 1RN 01803 520022 countryside-trust.org.uk

Living Coasts, Torquay Harbourside, Torquay TQ1 2B paigntonzoo.org.uk/plan-your-visit/whats-on/events

Tots! Head along to the farm for a morning of discovery, with winter crafting and fun games, you can even help feed the animals their breakfast. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Due to space restrictions in the yurt, each child should be accompanied by a single adult only. Children need to be dressed for outdoor weather. Time: 9.30-11am, cost: £5 for toddlers to 5 years, baby siblings free.

Torquay Museum Society Readers’ Group 27 February Join a friendly, informal group of book enthusiasts to share in the delights of the best of classic and contemporary literature. This month’s book is Lost City of Z by David Grann. Time: 2.30pm. For information on how to join the group, contact Clare Shepherd on: clareeshepherd@ btinternet.com

529 Babbacombe Road, Torquay TQ1 1HG 01803 293975 torquaymuseum.org

Riviera Wedding Show 1 March

This is a one-stop wedding fair for all your wedding needs.

Offering a huge variety of exhibitors, a catwalk show by Brides at Waterfields and entertainment. Free entry.

Riviera International Centre, Chestnut Avenue, englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

Join the Paignton Zoo team for a great networking opportunity at their sister site, Living Coasts. Network over drinks and lunch before hearing more about the charity’s important work in protecting our wild coasts. Cost includes entry to Living Coasts for a walk around after lunch.

Non-members £25, SOS Club Members and Gold Level Corporate Supporters £20.

RNLI Fundraisers Trash or Treasure, Brixham 6 March

Join the Torbay Lifeboat fundraisers at an antiques valuation evening with John Prestige. Time: 7pm. Only one item per person for valuation, cost: £5 per item, spectators £2. It’s a great way to support the Torbay lifeboat.

Berry Head Hotel, Berry Head Road, Brixham TQ5 9AJ 07716 117875 torbaylifeboat.co.uk or email rnlitlf@gmail.com

The Male Trail, Torquay 7 March

Rowcroft is calling upon the men of South Devon to do their bit to support their local hospice involving pints, pasties and watching the 6 Nations with their mates – all in the name of charity. This eight-mile charity walk starts at 11am with a Hakka warm up, ready for an 11.30am start from Torquay February/March 2020 59

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breakfasts & hearty lunches, seasonal specials, snacks & treats.

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Riviera What’s On Rugby Club. The Male Trail takes in some stunning views of Torbay from the South West Coast Path. Cost: £28 adult, £20 child (8-17 years). T-shirt supplied on arrival. Souvenir, pasty and cold pint from Bays Brewery plus England vs Wales 6 Nations match on a 65-inch screen at the finish.

Torquay Rugby Club, The Seafront, Torquay TQ2 6NX 01803 210800 rowcrofthospice.org.uk/events/male-trail

Spanish Night, Berry Head Hotel 12 March

Enjoy an all-you-can-eat Spanish-themed buffet for £16.50 per person.

Berry Head Road, Brixham TQ5 9AJ 01803 853225 berryheadhotel.com

Torbay Tornado Dinghy Regatta 21 March

Approximately 40 adult dinghies will be racing off Torquay.

The event starts with a 90-minute pursuit race by three sprint races split into eets (double and single handers).

Participants will enjoy Easter cake and tea onshore whilst awaiting the results.

Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Beacon Terrace, Torquay TQ1 2BH rtyc.org

Glamrock Charity Dinner & Boogie, Torquay 7 March

Get glammed up with your glitter & sparkle, zip up your booties & strut your funky stuff to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK and The Purple Angle Dementia Awareness Torbay. Features The Solid Gold Show, one of the South West’s top bands. Tickets: £27 per person to include hot fork buffet with dessert.

Livermead Cliff Hotel, Seafront, Torbay Road Torquay TQ2 6RQ tickettailor.com/events/glamrocknight

Torquay Museum Society Readers’ Group 26 March Join a friendly, informal group of book enthusiasts to share in the delights of the best of classic and contemporary literature. This month’s book is A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman. Time: 2.30pm. For information on how to join the group, contact Clare Shepherd on: clareeshepherd@btinternet.com

Torquay Central WI Meeting 10 March

Jal White will be showing members how to make a bracelet and giving a talk on beadwork. Time: 2.30pm. New members will receive a warm welcome with tea and cake.

There will also be a tea at The Belgrave Sands Hotel on 24 March at 2pm.

Torquay Central Church Hall, Tor Hill Road, Torquay TQ2 5RF facebook.com/TorquayCentralWI englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

529 Babbacombe Road, Torquay TQ1 1HG 01803 293975 torquaymuseum.org

Scabbacombe Beach Clean 28 March

Help the National Trust rangers litter pick at one of our most special places; the secluded, remote and beautiful Scabbacombe Beach. Quarter-mile walk to the beach on steep, uneven and possibly slippery tracks. Time 10am-12 noon, meet Scabbacombe Car Park. Booking not needed, free event. Children must be accompanied by an adult and dogs on leads welcome.

February/March 2020 61

EST D 1904

R EDCLIFFE H OTEL PAIGNTON

Hamiltons

Redcliffe Hotel From light bites to a main meal, the Redcliffe Hotel offers everything you need for a perfect luncheon treat.

Enjoy the superb views from our sea view terrace overlooking the beach and choose from our extensive lunch time bar menu. On Sundays a 3 course traditional sunday lunch is available in our Paris Singer Restaurant, which again enjoys panoramic sea views.

The Redcliffe is also an ideal venue for all types of functions.

The Redcliffe Hotel 4 Marine Drive Paignton TQ3 2NL 01803 526397 www.redcliffehotel.co.uk

Located on Babbacombe Downs, our stylish and elegant restaurant provides a sophisticated space to catch up with friends over coffee, or simply indulge in our great selection of food and drink. Hand-crafted with fresh local ingredients our menu includes breakfasts, lunches, refined dinners and a delicious Sunday roast. With private function suites and a dedicated team, we can create unique events for small and large parties alike. For bookings and enquiries, please contact our reservations team.

63 Babbacombe Downs Road Torquay TQ1 3LP 01803 316300 www.hamiltonsclub.com

Occombe Farm Café Family-friendly café set on an organic working farm. Famous for farmhouse breakfasts, hearty lunches, seasonal specials and Sunday roasts. Enjoy free parking, an outdoor adventure play area and why not explore the farm and walk the 2km nature trail after lunch? All profits from the café go to local charity Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust. Open daily from 9am – 4:30pm.

Occombe Farm Preston Down Road PaigntonTQ3 1RN 01803 520022 info@countryside-trust.org.uk

Consistently named one of the best independent food retailers in Devon, we’re more than just a fantastic farm shop...

There’s also a fully stocked garden centre and restaurant serving great locally produced meals - we’re famous for our farmhouse breakfasts!

Open 7 days a week with ample free parking Hand car wash on site - have your car washed while you shop!

Treat the family this Easter! NEW SEASON SPRING LAMB From our very own Churston Farm FIND US just before the Cayman Golf Dartmouth Road, nr Brixham TQ5 0LL FIND OUT MORE 01803 845837 churstontraditionalfarmshop.org.uk 62 | February/March 2020

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Riviera What’s On Scabbacombe Carpark, Grid reference SX911522.

01803 842382 nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre

Wedding Open Day, The Imperial Torquay 29 March

Guests will be welcomed this special Wedding Open Day event with a glass of bubbly as the hotel opens its doors to showcase the beautiful wedding options and help inspire your perfect wedding day. See the beautiful Haldon Room set up for a wedding reception, meet with members of the events team and explore the hotel as you plan your big day.

Free entry. Time: 3-6pm.

Park Hill Road, Torquay TQ1 2DG 01803 294301 theimperialtorquay.co.uk

Vivaldi and Handel Concert, Wellswood 28 March The Torbay Singers will be presenting Vivaldi Gloria, and Handel’s Coronation Anthems at 7.30pm. Tickets £12 via, phone, website or on the door.

St Matthias Church, Babbacombe Road, Wellswood, Torquay TQ1 1HW 01803 782677 torbaysingers.com

Reptile Ramble, Paignton Zoo 31 March

Experience a guided tour of the Reptile Tropics and Crocodile Swamp exhibits; watch the crocodiles jump out of the water to receive their food and see the beautiful Komodo dragon, Khaleesi, the only dragon in the South West. From chameleons to turtles, you will also find out more about the many reptile species at the zoo. Refreshments included, time: 6.30-8.30pm, cost: £25 person (8+years), booking essential.

Totnes Road, Paignton TQ4 7EU 01803 697500 paigntonzoo.org.uk

Holding an event in April or May?

E-mail us at editorial@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

and we’ll list it in the next issue

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February/March 2020 63

ArtsRoundUp

We bring you a roundup of arts events and workshops happening locally.

Latest from Torquay’s Artizan Gallery

2020 Relaunch Exhibition – Torbay Guild Selected Artists 14-29 February Artizan Gallery welcomes winners and runners-up of the Artizan Award from the Torbay Guild of Artists’ 2019 showcase. The work of winners Alan Gregory and Allan Poxton will be in the main gallery and a supporting showcase of runners-up can be viewed in the Garden Gallery.

Stanza Extravaganza 24 February & 30 March Doors open 7pm for a 7.30pm start Monthly poetry at Artizan Gallery welcoming a wealth of local talent and national headliners, Stanza Extravaganza is one of the highlights of the Torbay poetry calendar. With regular hosts Robert Garnham and Becky Nuttall at the helm, these events are always guaranteed to be a night of wonderful whimsy!

Mosaic Magic Workshops 16 February & 15 March 10am-4pm Enjoy a fun beginners’ day of mosaic making led by local artist Janet Ventre, where you will design and make a mirror to take home. Booking is essential as places are limited.

Tickets: £70 to include refreshments and light lunch can be booked via janetventre@sky.com

Trio Allan Poxton

The above are held at Artizan Gallery & Café, 7 Lucius Street, Torquay, TQ2 5UW artizan gallery.co.uk

Artizan Collective Gallery Exhibitions & Events

March Exhibitions

Visual Storytelling Photographic Exhibition

Throughout March Artizan Gallery has a full programme of exhibitions featuring contemporary South West artists. With sculpture and ceramics from Jo Myerscough, Gesche Buecker and Elizabeth Hadley, stunning oils from Richard Slater R.I. and the renowned linocuts of Arthur Homeshaw RWA there’s a wealth of collectible artwork and affordable gifts to be discovered.

9-26 February 11am-4pm Thursday-Sunday The exhibition by the South West Collective of Photographers features six core artists who are industryrecognised student and graduate fine art photographers, each documenting key domestic and global social issues.

Supported by additional events, artist talks and workshops, the exhibition space will also be used to educate and inspire members of our local community, offering insight into the industry from those working in the sector.

Contemporary Showcase 2-8 March 11am-5pm Monday-Saturday, 11am-4pm Sunday Join Artizan Gallery for a showcase of contemporary art providing an opportunity to view new works from leading and emerging artists based here in the South West.

Melting Snow, Sidmouth Gap Arthur Homeshaw RWA

64 | February/March 2020

The Design Room 14 March-13 April Open daily 11am-5pm To promote your business to our readers email sales@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

Arts Arti an Collective presents the English Riviera’s first open submission print, design and urban arts exhibition welcoming local, national and international artists.

The exhibition will include printmakers of all mediums, traditional and digital graphic design, and urban artforms and will combine works presented in their raw and polished forms. With a small showcase of gallery-quality framed work, the dominant feature of the exhibition will be unframed works on paper displayed in a “clothes-line” hang across the space for audiences to explore.

Workshop Development Space – Open Evening 25 February 6pm-8pm Artizan Collective Gallery invites artists, producers and creative partners to view the exhibition space and facilities and welcomes approaches for project work at the high street location. This relaxed evening event welcomes you to view the current exhibition, tour the venue facilities and hear about opportunities to use the space.

Please RSVP to: juliebrandon@artizangallery.co.uk

Live Speaking Event: Some Torquay Legends 12 February 6.30-7.30pm Tickets: £2.50 Dr Kevin Dixon discusses local legends and more in this fun and informative talk on the weirder side of Torbay. Did Napoleon have a Torbay baby? Is Torquay built on seven hills like Rome? Did Hitler want to live in Torquay? Did the Bay have an Abbey dedicated to the worship of Satan?

Was Corbyn Head named after the pirate Captain Corbyn who was hanged there? You will also be able to view The South West Collective of Photography’s exhibition Visual Storytelling. Light refreshments will be provided.

South West of England.

The above are held at Artizan Collective Gallery at Unit 5 Fleet Walk, 74 Fleet Street Torquay TQ2 5EB For more information contact: juliebrandon@artizangallery.co.uk 07522 509642 artizan gallery.co.uk Also check out art-hub.co.uk

Other Great Arts & Crafts Events

Vision of Art, Torre Abbey 7-28 February Tuesday-Sundays 11am-4pm A showcase of stunning images by the Torbay Guild of Artists held in Torre Abbey’s beautiful Spanish Barn. Entry to the exhibition is free.

The King’s Drive, Torquay TQ2 5JE torre-abbey.org.uk

The Arts Society Talks, Babbacombe 13 February & 12 March In February, Julian Halsby presents a talk entitled, The Pre-Raphaelites - Years of Achievement 1848-1860. In March, Tim Mirfin an opera singer presents The Opera Singer’s Phenomenon and answers our questions: How do they make that noise? Why do they make that noise? Time: 2.15pm, visitors welcome, Cost: £8 per event.

St. Matthias Church, Babbacombe Rd, TQ1 1HW at 2.15p.m.

01803 298440 or 01803 200703 theartssocietytorbay.org.uk

Robert Darch – Artist Talk 20 February 6.307.30pm, tickets £2 (students £1.50) British Photographer Robert Darch will discuss the importance of autobiography in his work and the relationship between his photographic practice and the englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

February/March 2020 65

2020 Art Programme Launch

Artizan Gallery reopens February 14th with a full 2020 programme across it’s three exhibition spaces. Discover work from highly collectable South Devon artists including Richard Slater RI and Arthur Homeshaw RWA amongst many others at the English Riviera’s destination for contemporary art.

Welcome to Art on the English Riviera 7 Lucius Street, Torquay, TQ2 5UW 01803 428626 | artizangallery.co.uk

66 | February/March 2020

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Barney Dine

Arts

Musician & Lecturer

Barney Dine is the new Music Lecturer at South Devon College. If you’ve got any serious interest in the local music scene, you will have heard of this man. If you’ve not heard his name, you may well have heard of his bands. Tom Davey tells us more.

I

t is with great honour that South Devon College can welcome Barney Dine to be the new Music Lecturer. Barney has had a successful and thriving career in music for many years; a career that boasts of many experiences and opportunities that few musicians across the country can claim to have exceeded or matched. n 1992, Barney performed with his first band called Dr Frank. They played around Devon for a couple years and even beat Muse in a battle of the bands. They then moved to London where they played the acid jazz scene and collaborated with members of Jamiroquai, the Brand New Heavies and the James Taylor Quartet. But in the end, the band split up in 1996. Barney subsequently enjoyed various projects and different bands in London and secured many session jobs in London with producers of Boy George and Sonique, as well as creating jingles for Sky TV. In the year 2000, Barney started another band called Daddy Mango. It enjoyed much success around the South West for five years. At this point, Barney went travelling, came home, had kids, got married and started the band 3BF. 3BF was successful across Devon for over eleven years.

After this band split, Barney formed his new and current band, Buried Hedz, starting teaching at South Devon College not long afterwards. With all his history of success, I sat down with Barney to find a bit more about what inspired him to put all that experience into teaching.

What inspired you to start teaching? englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

“I come from a family of teachers and to be honest it’s the last thing I imagined doing but, as time’s gone by I began to feel it was the natural way forward. I’ve had a lot of experience working with young people through my recording studio and always enjoyed the enthusiasm and energy that they bring to the table. Moving my experience into South Devon College seemed like a natural progression.”

What do you do outside of teaching at the college?

“I run Ocean Recording Studios in Paignton where we record all sorts of local talent from rock bands to Frank Sinatra tributes, school productions, rap artists, and everything in between. I really enjoy engineering and producing. You never know what’s gonna come through the door next. Aside from the studio work I play in a number of bands. I have two of my own bands, ‘Buried Hedz’ and ‘Sea Eagles’ in which I sing and play guitar, and I play bass for another band ‘New Daze’ and banjo for another, ‘Hoarse’. I also do a lot of solo work for a company called Belvedere Vodka which involves getting own all over the place to play at international drinks industry events. When get a spare five minutes I also write jingles and incidental music for TV, radio and online companies.”

If you’re interested in studying Music or Performing Arts at South Devon College, contact the College Helpzone team by emailing enquiries@ southdevon.ac.uk or calling 08000 380123 ¢  southdevon.ac.uk February/March 2020 67

NEW… COMING SOON Thursday 12 March Jon Culshaw: The Great British Take Off

Sunday 16 February Dance to the Music: UK 2020 Tour

Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 April Dracula: The Bloody Truth

‘side-splittingly funny’

Saturday 25 April Waiting for Godot Samuel Beckett’s ‘masterpiece’

For more information call 01803 665800

.CO.UK 68 | February/March 2020

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Arts

Picking up the Pieces An Exhibition of Mosaic Art

Over 20 mosaic artists from the South West will exhibit together for the first time at the Kitchen Gallery, Cockington Court in Torquay from 29 February to 26 April 2020.

I

f you’re thinking Roman palaces and lots of cubes of marble, Picking up the Pieces will be a revelation. The exhibition will showcase the immense diversity of style that exists in this ancient, but constantly evolving, art form, where traditional meets contemporary in both 2D and 3D work, and the accepted rules, like the materials, have been broken in a thousand different ways.

Mosaic, in its broadest sense, is the assemblage of small pieces of material to create a larger image or object. The artists picking up the pieces for this exhibition have taken this very simple definition to surprising and exciting levels.

Two exhibitors with very different styles work at Cockington Court Craft Centre itself. Janet Ventre takes inspiration from the Devon countryside and seascape and she makes mosaic pictures, mirrors and other decorative art and craft using ceramic and glass. She was recently a wildcard on Sky Arts’ Landscape Artist of the Year programme when she was shown teaching Dame Joan Bakewell how to make mosaic. ita Sumeiko runs a ower studio at the centre, and produces mosaics of preserved moss, foliage and owers. Among her favourites are reindeer moss, bun moss, dried craspedia owers, lavender, preserved ferns and forest moss.

The Totnes area is home to several of the exhibiting artists. Ali Soper loves making mosaics by recycling materials. She enjoys the excitement englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

of searching jumble sales, charity shops and car boot sales, and finding the perfect plate or bowl for her next project. Jan O’Highway, on the other hand, works mainly in fused glass sculpture, though she often includes reclaimed and found objects in her work too. And Corinna Barrell takes recycling one step further by breathing mosaic life into bull and sheep skulls; her studio is bursting with life’s leftovers: crockery, beads and glass.

Artists from the whole of the South West region, including Bristol and Somerset, East and North Devon, the South Hams and Cornwall, have all made stunning and remarkable work for this exhibition. You will see pictures, panels, jewellery, sculptures and more, all made from carefully selected and shaped fragments, pieces and shards in a kaleidoscope of material, colour and form. Be prepared for surprises; mosaic can be addictive, and you may well want to come back for a second look. ¢

Picking up the Pieces is at: Kitchen Gallery, Cockington Court Craft Centre Cockington, Torquay TQ2 6XA 29th February - 26th April 2020 10am to 4.30pm daily Admission free Facebook and Instagram: @SouthWestMosaicArtists February/March 2020 69

Treading the boards... the editor’s pick of local theatre

Babbacombe Theatre

Box Office 01803 328385 Editor’s pick SUPERSTARS 11 February-21 October (Tues & Weds) Enjoy this fast-moving family variety show with lots of favourite songs from show soundtracks like Les Miserables, 9-5, Jersey Boys and The Blues Brothers plus popular songs from the superstars like Nina Simone, Tina Turner, Tony Christie, the Spice Girls and Dolly Parton.

There’s also lots of side-splitting comedy and wonderfully choreographed dance routines.

Olivia. But when a local woman goes missing and rumours in the press of a murder surface among the household, fingers begin to point towards the dashing hotel porter. A Bijou Theatre Productions performance.

Also worth seeing…

The Freddie & Queen Experience – 14 March Chicago – 21-25 March

Also worth seeing…

The Elvis Years – 28 February Jethro – 20 March & 28 August

Little Theatre, Torquay

Box Office 01803 299330 Editor’s pick THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE 12-15 February Things are looking up for orphan Sylvia. She’s just been invited to go and live with her rich cousin Bonnie at the family’s ancestral home of Willoughby Chase, yet things are not as they appear.

Also worth seeing…

Ira Levin’s Death Trap – 16-21 March Alice in Wonderland – 28 March

Palace Theatre, Paignton Box Office 01803 665800 Editor’s pick NIGHT MUST FALL 19-22 February

It’s frightening to think what a face can hide… When Dan, a charming, smooth-talking hotel porter arrives unexpectedly at old Mrs Bramsom’s remote woodland home, he soon ingratiates his way into her life and that of her beautiful niece 70 | February/March 2020

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Theatre

Princess Theatre, Torquay Box Office 0844 8713023 Editor’s pick

ENTERTAINING Y OU

SIR RANULPH FIENNES: LIVING DANGEROUSLY 19 February Named by the Guinness Book of Records as ‘the world’s greatest living explorer’, Sir Ranulph Fiennes has spent his life in pursuit of extreme adventure, risking life and limb in some of the most ambitious private expeditions ever undertaken. In Living Dangerously, Sir Ranulph offers a personal journey through his life, from his early years to the present day.

Also worth seeing…

Puccini’s Madama Butterfly – 14 February Beyond the Barricade Concert – 28 February

Brixham Theatre

TUESDAYS & WEDNESDAYS 11th February - 21st October 8.15pm.

MATINEE: Wednesday 19th August 2.30pm Tickets: £22/Seniors £21/Children £11

Friday28th February 7.30pm Tickets £22/£20

Box Office 01803 415987 Editor’s pick TAKE A CHANCE ON US ABBA TRIBUTE 6 March

Friday 13th March 7.30pm Tickets £25/£23

An evening with

A lively ABBA tribute band that will get you tapping your feet.

Also worth seeing…

Treasure Island – 20-23 February

Flavel Arts Centre, Dartmouth Box Office 01803 839530 Editor’s pick ROHLIVE FIDELIO 17 March

Beethoven’s only opera is a masterpiece, an uplifting story of risk and triumph. In this new production, conducted by Antonio Pappano, Jonas Kaufmann plays the political prisoner Florestan, and Lise Davidsen his wife Leonore (disguised as Fidelio) who daringly sets out to rescue him.

Also worth seeing…

NTLIVE: Cyrano de Bergerac – 5 March Shazia Mirza Live – 21 March

Celebrating 60 Yearss in showbusines

Monday 30th March 7.30pm Tickets £25 + Meet & Greet £75

Thursday 9th April 2.00pm Tickets £14

DAVID BADDIEL TROLLS NOT THE DOLLS Friday 17th April 7.30pm METRO

TICKETS £27

Sunday 19th April 3.00pm “genius” “wildly funny” Tickets £20

Babbacombe Downs, Torquay www.babbacombe-theatre.com £2 booking fee per ticket applied online

Box B ox Office (01803) 328385 February/March 2020 71

englishrivieramagazine.co.uk £2 Booking Fee Per Ticket Online

Mr Fox’s Garden

In this issue Mr Fox contemplates the joys of winter gardening, the poetry of Robert Browning and some February & March favourites.

H

allelujah! January’s over; we can finally ditch those New Year resolutions and at least feel like we did it, sort of.

Christmas seems like a distant memory and the wait for summer seems like forever.

February’s actually one of my favourite months for gardening. Yes the weather can be sketchy, not much is in flower and it goes dark at six, but we can work away safe in the knowledge that the effort we put in now will pay dividends in the summer.

I don’t think there’s anything better than standing in a garden layered up and scarf-clad, watching my breath curl away and disappear into the air on a bright and fresh sunny morning with a head full of thoughts of optimism as we slowly race towards the spring.

There’s very little foliage around this time of year so we can see the soil in all its glory and really get in there with a fine-toothed comb. All those problem areas that are otherwise hidden can be dealt with and reclaimed from the likes of the dreaded ivy and ground elder. All those jobs that you’ve never had the time to do, fixing the leaking water butt, sharpening those tools, the squeaky shed door that won’t close properly... can be sorted out too.

Then along comes March, the month for mulching.

The mulched look isn’t to everyone’s taste but the benefits are huge, as long as you have ‘fine-tooth combed’ those beds, mulch will work wonders at keeping the weeds at

bay. The slugs hate mulch; it’ll rot down and feed the plants and, most importantly given the drought of the last two summers, mulch with save on your water bill by preventing evaporation and water runoff.

Please whatever you do, stay away from that horrible red dyed stuff or anything along those lines, in a world full of artificial grass and concrete we don’t need that.

And after March comes of course April...

I’ll leave you with the opening lines of one of my favourite non-life poems: Home Thoughts from Abroad by Robert Browning.

Oh, to be in England Now that April’s there, And whoever wakes in England Sees, some morning, unaware, That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf, While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough In England—now!

(There’s a blue plaque dedicated to Robert’s wife Elizabeth up on the Terrace and of course the rest of the poem can be found on Google just in case it is snowing this April.)

We are James and Catherine (Mr Fox’s Garden). We provide a garden maintenance and landscaping service around the Bay but the main part of our business is making plant supports, garden art and sculptures - and it’s all made right here on the English Riviera. After our display garden won the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 Tavistock Garden Show, we can now happily say we are ‘award winning gardeners’. We’re also proud to say that this year we have pieces on permanent display at RHS Rosemoor and Buckfast Abbey.

mrfoxsgarden.com 72 | February/March 2020

Mr Fox

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Gardens February Garden Jobs...

1. Prune wisteria now, cutting back summer sideshoots to 2 or 3 buds.

growth for next year’s blooms. Cut back the previous year’s growth to 5cm from the old wood.

2. Cut back shrubs, such as cornus and salix cultivars,

7. Prune winter-flowering heathers and shrubs that

down to their bases.

have finished flowering

3. Prune summer-flowering clematis towards the end

8. Divide bulbs, such as snowdrops and

4. Cut back the old foliage from ornamental grasses before growth begins. Clip them to within a few centimetres of the ground.

9. Prepare vegetable seed beds, start

of the month, before active growth begins.

5. Prune overwintered fuchsias back to one or two buds on each shoot.

6. Prune winter-flowering jasmine ( Jasminum

nudiflorum) after flowering, this encourages new

plant those that need planting in the green sowing some undercover and chit potatoes

10. Put out bird feeders, not forgetting fresh water. Encouraging birds into the garden will help reduce the number of insects and slugs.

Mr Fox's February Favourites The Snowdrop, Daphne and Camelia Snowdrops are extremely hardy, despite their delicate appearance. They will be out in force in February. Growing in most soil types, their preference is light shade to full sun. Large drifts of naturalised snowdrops create a real impact, resembling a carpet of snow on the ground and can brighten up dark soil under trees.

The snowdrop is known by several different names; it was officially named the Galanthus in 1753, by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus. There are more than 2,500 varieties of snowdrop that are divided into approximately 20 species.

The snowdrop isn’t native to the UK. They became fashionable in the Victorian era but due to being known under several different names, no one knows for sure, when they were first introduced to the UK. The first records of plants in the wild, date from 1778 – but botanist John Gerard is said to have described the snowdrop in his writings from 1597. englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

Daphne odora

Camellia Japonica

Daphne plants have the most amazing scent and will thrive in any fertile, free-draining soil. They are also happy in containers. However, they do not like to be transplanted, so choose your site carefully.

Plant it somewhere you will fully appreciate their intense fragrance. Two species are used to make paper.

Camellias are queens of the winter flowers; they are attractive evergreen shrubs that are highly prized for the beauty of their blooms. Camellias are ranked as one of the very best flowering shrubs, there are about 250 species but the main varieties used in gardens are: Camellia Sasanqua and Camellia Japonica, then hybrids from these. Camellia sinensis is usually called ‘tea plant’, as it is the most common plant in the world to be used to make tea, usually from young leaves that can be made into green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea and other types of tea.

February/March 2020 73

Dementia Befriending Anneka Rice talks to us about a new Dementia Befriending service now looking for volunteers right here in the Bay.

B

roadcaster Anneka Rice, who recently appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, is supporting a new initiative in South Devon for people living with dementia. Launched by the charity Marie Curie, the Dementia Befriending service in Torbay and South Devon will offer companionship and a helping hand to those living with dementia through a network of specially trained volunteers.

There are currently around 850,000 people with 74 | February/March 2020

dementia in the UK and this is set to rise to 1.6 million by 2040. Whilst the charity Marie Curie is better known for providing care to people with terminal cancer, the charity also supports people living with any other terminal illness, including dementia.

Anneka Rice, who has family based in Devon said, “This new service will provide a huge benefit to people living with dementia in the South Devon and Torbay area. I have seen for myself the daily struggles

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Riviera Charity someone living with dementia can face. So often it’s the smallest of things that can prove the trickiest and most problematic – a little help really can go a long way.

“I volunteer as a befriender at home in London myself and it’s something I would strongly recommend to anyone. I genuinely enjoy the time I spend with the ladies I support and have formed lasting bonds with them. Just a couple of hours of your spare time can make the world of difference to those needing a small amount of help, support and general good company.”

The charity is currently looking for volunteers who can give a couple of hours a week to help make the service a success.

Anneka added, “Devon is close to my heart. I have close family living there and I am always bowled over

Marie Curie Community Engagement Manager Julia Bearne explains what becoming a befriender involves: “Living with dementia can be isolating, simply having a companion for a couple of hours a week can make a huge difference. We urgently need to recruit volunteers, so we can provide this service to the people that need it within your local community.

“You’ll be matched with someone who has similar interests to you and given full training and continuous support. Maybe you’re a Torquay United fan who could spare 90 minutes to watch a match or a musician who could play the piano, an artist who could share your skill and knowledge or a keen gardener who could help someone reconnect with that special joy being outside and working in a garden can bring.

“Volunteering is extremely rewarding, an excellent way to give back to your community and a great way to meet new people.

“I would like to ask members of the South Devon and Torbay community to consider volunteering three hours a week to spend time chatting over a cup of tea or taking part in activities and hobbies.” ¢  mariecurie.org.uk

Get involved: by the amazing sense of community and support in the area.”

The service is the first of its kind for Marie Curie who already offers Helper volunteers across Devon in addition to their overnight and day nursing services. englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

To find out more about becoming a Marie Curie Dementia Befriender contact Julia on 0800 3047 400 or email Julia.Bearne@mariecurie.org.uk. To get help from the Marie Curie Dementia Befriending Service please call 0800 3047 412.

February/March 2020 75

Dementia Befriending Service South Devon and Torbay We’re looking for volunteers, aged 18 or over, who can give three hours each week to chat to people, help them get to an appointment or just be there as a friendly ear.

iStock

Phone: 0800 3047 400 Email: southwesthelper@mariecurie.org.uk Online: mariecurie.org.uk/dementia-helper

Volunteer with us

Be there for someone living with dementia Charity reg no. 207994 (England & Wales), SCO38731 (Scotland) E075

E075_Dementia befriending service_LandscapePoster_v06.indd 1

Be a u t i f ul & F unc t ion a l

16/01/2020 11:12

Help perennials and climbers reach their full potential Create stunning floral arrangements in your flowerbeds Add visual interest over the winter

• Plant Supports • Flowerpot Stakes • Garden Art Unique & Handmade in Torquay

Buy online or contact us for bespoke or in-situ designs mrfoxsgarden.com | 07514 342766 | 01803 612370 76 | February/March 2020

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Club Championship Evening Local running club Riviera Racers held their annual awards evening over dinner at Bistrot Pierre in Torquay.



Lucy Nelson (Runner-Up Female Championship), Anita Newcombe (Female Champion) and Amanda Holley (3rd Place Female Championship)

 Chad Nelson (Junior Champion) and Adam Cliff (Run Leader)

 Jessica Perriss (Female Trail Runner of the Year), Jenny Mansell (Run Leader) and Chris King (Male Trail Runner of the Year)



Maria Muzaffer (Highest Age Graded Female Runner) and Anne Roberts (Run Leader)

 Julian Smith (Male Road

Runner of the Year) and Adam Cliff (Run Leader)

 Preecha Intamart (Runner-up Men’s Championship), Anne

Roberts (Run Leader) and Malcolm Nelson (3rd Place Men’s Championship)

 Jenny King (Most Improved Female Runner), Lucy Nelson (Run Leader), Connor Thompson (Most Improved Male Runner)



Natasha Barlow (Treasurer & Membership Secretary) and Alby Alexander Walters (Club Person of the Year - members’ vote)

englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

February/March 2020 77

Promote your business in the lifestyle magazine for Torbay Walks • Local Food • Heritage • Nature • People • Events • Arts

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Super Summer Events Meet

Illustrator Extraordinaire

Paul Barclay

Sailing Special

TORBAY ROYAL REGATTA PORT OF DARTMOUTH ROYAL REGATTA JOIN THE TILLER GIRLS AMERICA'S CUP WINNERS MEET COMMODORE KATE BROWN

Give It A Go!

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Salty Sheep Riviera Heritage Dr Herbert Chilcote Brixham Battery New! Heritage Trail

Face Your Fears at Virtual Jet Centre

CHEERS TO 10 YEARS OF BEERS!

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Request our info pack anita@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk 01803 850886

Royal British Legion The Paignton branch of the Royal British Legion held their annual Christmas lunch at the Redcliffe Hotel in Paignton.

10/10 for Christmas jumpers!

 Jane Blewitt-Owen, Brian Jeffery, Kevin Jeffery (RBL County Chairman) and Keith Risby

 John Michell, Major Ron Goodwin MBE (RBL President), Marina Holmes and Tony Heasman  Colin Fortune,

Clare Hannon, Donna Fortune and Ged Sarsfield

 Kim & Dave Sproston and Marilyn & Don McKechnie

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Meet Abbey School's

SYLVIA GREINIG

Broadsands Road, Paignton TQ4 6LL

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• Nature • People • Events • Arts

October/November 2017

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Fore Street, St Marychurch TQ1 4PR

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Walks • Local Food • Heritage

EnglishRiviera & New Rowcroft CEO

MARK HAWKINS William Scoresby

Autumn 125 Activities Give It A Go!

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WIN! Theatre tickets Smugglers! in our 2017

Readerthe Survey Watch wall and let the gentlemen pass views by... of Stunning autumn

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DARTMOUTH FOOD FESTIVAL

Torquay's Naval Architect

William Froude SHAKESPEARE GOING UNDERGROUND FOR THE TENTH YEAR

English Riviera Magazine for Residents

by Residents DELIVERED FREE TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES

THROUGHOUT THE BAY

February/March 2020 79

BusinessBreaks... BusinessBreaks... Bu Breakfast Launch

Torquay United AFC will be launching its new partnership with Your Partnerships Torbay & Teignbridge at an Open Breakfast Club meeting at its No.10s restaurant at Plainmoor on 12 February. Torquay United will be playing an integral role in assisting businesses to work together as one community to deliver the best for the Bay. This networking event will begin with a glass of juice on arrival at 9am, with a full English Breakfast served at 9.30am. Following introductions from Torquay United’s Sharon Cox and Your Partnerships’ Lee Randall-Pybus, there will be a presentation from The Wine Box, before the morning is brought to a conclusion with a raffle, with the winner receiving a Limited Edition Blackout Torquay United shirt. Cost for the breakfast is £7.50 and open to all Torbay businesses; booking is essential; contact Sharon Cox sharonc@torquayunited.com or 07949 005832. ¢

increase on spending in 2019, which is expected to top out at £25 billion. The number of overseas visits to the UK is forecast to rise in 2020 to 39.7 million, the highest ever, and up 2.9% on 2019 which is expected to see about 38.5 million visits by year end. Carolyn Custerson, Chief Executive of English Riviera BID, which supports the Bay’s tourism sector, said that this trend was strongly reflected in notably increased visits to the English Riviera website. She said, “Visitors from the US are showing the biggest growth because of all the marketing that has being taking place in the US to promote Mayflower 400 with the English Riviera partnering Visit Plymouth in a threeyear US Connections Marketing project that clearly has paid off.” ¢

Celebrate Local Art at The Cavendish

Positive Tourism Forecast Forecasts from VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, indicate that 2020 is set to be a record year for inbound tourism to the UK. Spending by overseas visitors is predicted to reach a record £26.6 billion in 2020, a 6.6%

80 | February/March 2020

Throughout March 2020, Renaissance Retirement is hosting a pop-up art exhibition at The Cavendish in Babbacombe, bringing together and celebrating an eclectic mix of artistic talent across the English Riviera.

Members of the community are invited to visit the exhibition and vote for their favourite piece of art in the collection. The artist with the highest number of pledges at the end of the month will win a cash prize from the later-living housebuilder to donate to a local charity of the winner’s choice. Refreshments will be available throughout the exhibition and there is also the opportunity to tour the development. To register your interest in attending the exhibition or for those local artists wishing to showcase their work, please call 01803 424 019. The exhibition is running from 2nd-31st March, excluding weekends, from 11am – 3pm.

The Cavendish, Babbacombe, Higher Downs Road, Torquay, TQ1 3LD ¢

To promote your business to our readers email sales@englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

.. BusinessBreaks... BusinessBreaks...

2020 ERBID Tourism Exhibition The English Riviera BID Company is holding its hugely popular Annual Tourism Exhibition at the Riviera International Conference Centre from 10am to 1.30pm on Wednesday 18th March. It’s a free B2B trade event to delegates, which has been promoted to 1000+ ERBID partners. Exhibition stands are available at £125 plus VAT to include parking, complimentary bacon roll, tea & coffee; a pay buffet will also be available.

Sponsorship can be arranged at an additional £250 plus VAT to include the display of company banners at strategic display points throughout the exhibition hall and reception area. This event is also forming part of ERBID’s 2020 Groups Showcase and from 10am, Group Tour Operators will be attending the exhibition from across the UK. The key objective will be to encourage them to include the English Riviera in their future programmes to help support the shoulder seasons in particular. To book a stand email angela@ englishrivierabid.co.uk ¢

Networking Directory Get involved with Torbay business!

Torbay Business Forum First Tuesday of every month 7.30am RICC Chestnut Avenue, Torquay TQ2 5LZ Contact: Angela George 07717 316641 info@torbaybusinessforum.org.uk torbaybusinessforum.org.uk @TorbayBusiness Paignton Chamber of Commerce Second Thursday of every month. (check Facebook page for venue) Contact: Dean Kelly 07399 611643 c paigntondistrictchamberofcommerce Torbay Business Network Last Friday of every month 7.30am Pierpoint Restaurant Torbay Road, Torquay, TQ2 5HA Contact: Anthony Blackaby 01803 299935 events@torbaybusinessnetwork.co.uk @TorbayBizNet

Want New Clients in 2020?

English Riviera Magazine Readers are looking for local products and services right now. Advertising campaigns from just £140 plus Vat per bi-monthly issue. Full design service included to get your message across.

Call Anita on 01803 850886 for a friendly chat about advertising options or email anita@ englishrivieramagazine.co.uk for a media pack. englishrivieramagazine.co.uk

Brixham Chamber of Commerce Every 2 months Berry Head Hotel Berry Head Road, Brixham, TQ5 9AJ Contact: chair@brixhamchamber.co.uk @lovebrixham Business Support Group Every Wednesday at 7.00am The Restaurant Churston Traditional Farm Shop Brixham Road Brixham TQ5 0LL Contact: admin@businesssupportgroup.org.uk

February/March 2020 81

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