The Bath Magazine November 2017

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thebathmag.co.uk

ISSUE 182 | NOVEMBER 2017 £3.95 where sold

CHORAL

SOCIETIES

A CITY IN HARMONY

LIGHT UP! THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN BEGINS

YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST: FILMBATH FEST PREVIEW

TRIP ADVISOR: FOOD REVIEWS – A SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

OLYMPIC STAR: WE CHAT TO RUNNER EMILY DIAMOND

THE ECO HOUSE DESIGNED FOR ZERO HEATING BILLS

THE CITY’S BIGGEST MONTHLY GUIDE TO LIFE AND LIVING IN BATH

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Georges Seurat, The Morning Walk © The National Gallery, London.

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Contents November 2017 5 THINGS

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The Woman in Black author Susan Hill: in her own words

Your essential events to look forward to this month

MY BATH

A WRITER ON READING

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BATH AT WORK

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Neil Menneer’s portrait of the month

Composer Jools Scott and librettist Sue Curtis talk about their favourite things to do and places to go

FOOD & DRINK

GUEST COLUMN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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Wine column, a Michelin star treat and a report on TripAdvisor

Psychologist Linda Blair on sibling relationships

INTERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 FACE THE MUSIC

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Olympic medallist Emily Diamond

Adrian and Annette Dolan of Bath Aqua Glass

THE WALK

FILM BATH FESTIVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Andrew Swift explores the countryside around Castle Combe

The movies that’ll make you want to leave the house

INTERIORS

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Inspiration for decorating and improving your home

Bath twinkles its way into the festive season

GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

WHAT’S ON

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Jane Moore visits Highgrove

A bumper calendar of cultural highlights

A GREEN HOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

CITY OF CHOIRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Father and son build a unique eco-friendly home

A celebration of the human voice raised in song

ART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 The latest exhibitions in the city’s galleries

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ON THE COVER

Bath Abbey by Heidi Laughton of Gallery & Barrow, Walcot Street

Horatio Nelson’s links to Bath explored

Even more great content and updates online: thebathmag.co.uk

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EDITOR’S PICKS A DIFFERENT VIEW: we’ve long been fans of Bath based artist Perry Harris, whose observant cartoons record events in the city (shared via his Twitter account @UhPerry). Now, after six years spent drawing cartoons of Bath Perry has changed direction. He’s now creating gentle watercolours of his adopted city and says that, while warming up with these small paintings, like this of the Kennet and Avon Canal at Bathwick, he’s planning to move up to larger scale work.

See more of his work: pinterest.co.uk/uhperry/ bath-cartoons

from the

EDITOR

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e are happy to sing a paean of praise to the people who make this great city the place it is – the people who work here, live here, or are regular visitors to Bath. One of the things I love about Bath is that I can go for a wander and nearly always meet someone I know. The aisles of Waitrose are possibly the best spot to pick up the latest ‘word on the street’ on the city’s ever-fruitful grapevine.

And so our November issue is packed with any number of good people. There’s musician and composer Jools Scott, who may be a familiar face if you’ve eaten at The Pump Room, as he’s a regular performer there. He and his musical partner Sue Curtis share their favourite things about Bath (Page 14). Bath based psychologist Linda Blair is often called on by the national press to talk about matters of the human mind and we’re fortunate to have her as a guest columnist, writing about siblings and how our place within the family determines who we are (Page 16). There are more local heroes in Face the Music, as Adrian and Annette Dolan, partners in life and business, talk about their busy lives together and why they think Bath is a great city (Page 20).

We move on to what is very much the Marmite of the city calendar, the shed-fest of Bath Christmas Market. Love it or loathe it, by the time those little chalets have been packed away in December, shoppers will have spent millions in the market and in other city shops, cafés and restaurants. This year the powers-that-be have ensured they’ve spread the love by encouraging and promoting other events around the city – for details of those see our countdown to Christmas, Page 30. While we’re in festive mood, dive into our celebration of local choirs (from Page 42) whose members raise the rafters in so many venues, lifting the spirits and soothing the soul.

Our hard-working team of freelance writers have been out and about researching stories. We’ve tales about Admiral Nelson’s links with Bath, a special report into TripAdvisor, the Bath Nepalese community who are helping the folks back home, a pair of lindy hop champions and a chat with Olympic medal winner Emily Diamond, who trains in Bath.

Andrew Swift’s walk takes us to beautiful Castle Combe, Jane Moore reports back on the jaw-droppingly lovely Highgrove gardens, I meet the father and son who have built an eco-friendly house that will have no heating bills and Neill Menneer’s portrait is of Bath engineer Claire Smith.

Last, but not least, please support the organisers of the 2017 FilmBath Festival, whose programme opens on 2 November, and the hard-working team at Komedia, who have launched a bid for a community buy-out.

Georgette McCready Editor All paper used to make this magazine is taken from good sustainable sources and we encourage our suppliers to join an accredited green scheme. Magazines are now fully recyclable. By recycling magazines, you can help to reduce waste and contribute to the six million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paper industry each year. Please recycle this magazine, but if you are not able to participate in a recycling scheme, then why not pass your magazine on to a friend or colleague.

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LIGHT A CANDLE: in the dark days of November comes the Bath Christmas Market and the chance for us to banish darkness with light. We love these handmade candles, wrapped in silk, by Bath textile artist Carole Waller, whose gallery with ceramicist Gary Wood, OneTwoFive, in Abbey Green is being re-branded as Waller and Wood Blessed are the local candlemakers: Page 31

Dottie boots, £160 DRAMATIC GESTURE: just as Dorothy clicked the heels of her red shoes together, I’m contemplating the purchase of a pair of eyecatching red boots for winter, like this vermillion pair from Duo, which has sensibly reverted to its original brand name

will satisfy something deep inside ❝ Moving pictures all the people in the world ❞ WILLIAM FRIESE-GREENE

Bath based pioneer of motion pictures (1855 – 1921)

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things to do in

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Listen A remarkable young performance poet from Bath is taking the world by storm with his powerful delivery of his work. Toby Thompson, who is 23 and doesn’t commit any of his works to paper, wowed the audience at the recent opening of the Bath Digital Festival, after being named Grand Slam champion at Glastonbury. The former St Gregory’s School student is bringing his unique, moving and theatrical spoken word production A Day to Remember, to commemorate the fallen in the First World War, at The Mission Theatre, Bath, on Saturday 11 November, 8pm. His piece is inspired by the huge loss of men from one town in the Battle of Aubers Ridge in 1915.

Tickets: £9.50 from: missiontheatre.co.uk or tel: 01225 463362.

Book The big Bath Firework display takes place on Bath Recreation ground on Saturday 4 November (gates open at 5.30pm). The spectacular show, which lights up the sky over Bath, is organised by volunteers from the Rotary Club of Bath for charity. Tickets: £5 (£6 on the gate) and £3 for children (£4 on the gate). They’re on sale at all branches of sponsors Bath Building Society, Bath Tourism Office and from: rotary-bath.co.uk.

Bath is preparing itself for what retailers hope will be a bumper selling period as the famous Christmas Market opens and the countdown to Christmas officially begins with the switching on of the city’s decorative lights on Thursday 16 November.

This year there’ll be more activities and events throughout the city centre.

For more details see our Countdown to Christmas READY, STEADY SHOP: the internationally famous Bath Christmas Market opens on Page 30. on Thursday 23 November, bigger and better than ever

View There’s a new name and a new look for Bath’s fabulous film festival, which kicks off as FilmBath Festival on Thursday 2 November with a ten-day programme of exciting films, many of which we’ll be able to see for the first time. Along with films starring big names such as Sean Bean, Annette Bening, Willem Dafoe, Rebecca Hall and Jamie Bell there are lots of previews and films that make the coveted F-rating. Glastonbury veterans will want to book to see Lost in Vagueness, on Friday 3 November, a documentary which explores the history of Los Vagueness, that gloriously alternative world-within-a-world at Glastonbury, sadly now disbanded. See more festival highlights on Page 22.

Support Be part of Komedia Bath’s community share offer and co-own a piece of Bath’s history so you can help keep audiences laughing, dancing and discovering new acts and artists for generations to come. Shares in what will be a democratically run Community Benefit Society start at £250 and offer a 3% return on investment along with a host of treats, including tickets and discounts on shows and lunches and coffees in the award winning café all set in the former cinema in Westgate Street. By buying community shares you’re helping Bath’s creative communities to thrive and helping to support one of the city’s venues which attracts touring bands but is also small enough to provide a stepping stone for emerging talent. To find out how to get involved visit: crowdfunder.co.uk/komediabath.

The venue only has until Tuesday 21 November to raise the necessary funds to hand over ownership to the people of Bath.

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Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

See more online thebathmag.co.uk

Contact us: Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Editor Tel: Email:

Georgette McCready 01225 424592 georgette@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Financial Director Email:

Jane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Web Editor Email:

Jessica Hope jessica@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Contact the Advertising Sales team tel: 01225 424499 Advertising Sales Email:

Liz Grey liz@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Advertising Sales Email:

Jake Horwood jake@thebathmagazine.co.uk

MC Publishing Ltd. is an independent publishing company and publishes The Bath Magazine and The Bristol Magazine.

The Bath Magazine is distributed free every month to more than 20,000 homes and businesses throughout Bath and the surrounding area. We also have special distribution units in the following city centre stores and coffee shops

2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Telephone: 01225 424499. Fax: 01225 426677 thebathmag.co.uk Š MC Publishing Ltd 2017 Disclaimer: Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Bath Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers.

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THE CITY THE BUZZ

We ask composer Jools Scott, and librettist Sue Curtis what they will be doing in November

Sign up You don’t have to be an athlete to take part in the annual high jinks and fun of the Santa and Elf Run held in aid of the Dorothy House Hospice Care charity. This year’s dash takes place on Sunday 3 December at 11am, setting out from the hospice at Winsley near Bradford on Avon. Choose from a 2.5k route or a 5k and take it at your own pace. It’s free for dogs and the under fives to take part, for five to 11-year-olds the entry fee is £7.50, which includes free elf accessories, while for over 12s it’s £12, to include a free Santa suit. Sign the family up at: santaandelfrun.org.uk.

Performance

Actor John O’Connor is bringing A Christmas Carol as a one-man show to the Rondo Theatre in Bath on 30 November, reprising the live readings and performances by Charles Dickens. This is part of a touring production by the European Arts Company, with money raised being donated to children’s charity Barnardo’s.

Support

Parents and teachers might want to be aware that the free, confidential service Off the Record, which offers counselling to people aged between 10 and 25 in Bath and North East Somerset has launched a new telephone support line. So far this year the service has handled 3,229 sessions of counselling to young people but not every young person is able or willing to visit an Off The Record centre in person. From 23 October a dedicated line will mean those in need of a supportive voice and, more importantly, a listening ear, can call: 0300 303 3661. This remains a free service.

Visit: offtherecord-banes.co.uk, or find on Twitter @OTR_Banes.

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What brought you to Bath?

Jools: I was born in Bath and attended Widcombe C/E school till junior school. After years of wandering in the wilderness (boarding school and university) I returned to the mothership.

Sue: I arrived to teach English at King Edward’s but soon managed to talk them into letting me open a drama department instead.

After many happy years running that I am now writing with Jools.

What are you reading?

Jools: I’ve just finished The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (a mind melting, metaphysical tale of the breakdown of the protagonist’s life) and I’m about to start Slaughterhouse Five.

Sue: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson, Conclave by Robert Harris which I devoured in a sitting, Alain de Botton’s The Consolations of Philosophy and I’m just about to tackle What Happened by Hilary Clinton.

What music are you listening to?

Jools: Being a composer and a narcissist, I spend an awful lot of time listening to my own music but I always try and find time to get inspired by other music. At the moment, my favourite is Taylor Swift Ready For It? From my music I’ve been mixing The Door, which I’m about to put up on Spotify.

Sue: I listen to our music a great deal of the time, otherwise, whatever is on the radio or Spotify.

Which café or restaurant takes your fancy?

Jools: I frequent the Pump Room on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday mornings (come and have Eggs Royal, I’ll play you a song). As a punter, nothing beats the fry-up at the Kingsmead Kitchen (what was Jazz Café), or a green curry at Yum Yum Thai.

Sue: Aside from the Pump Room I love Sotto Sotto and the Ring of Bells in Widcombe.

Which museum or gallery will you be visiting?

Jools: I am a big fan of local artist extraordinaire Georgia Cox, and hope to visit Brian Sinfield Gallery in the Cotswolds where she is exhibiting.

Sue: The last formal exhibition I saw was Brueghel at the Holburne but I also visited the open house weekend of the Bath Artists Studio. I particularly loved Caroline Waterlow’s work but the whole display was inspiring.

Your passions? What hobbies or interests will you be pursuing?

Jools: I may start playing the organ. Also tai chi on a Monday at United Reformed Church Hall is at the top of my wish list.

Sue: Most of my passion goes into my work. I suppose I ought to act my age and take up hang-gliding.

Film or play? What will you be going to see this month?

Jools: The only thing I can think about at the moment is Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi which opens on 14 December. I absolutely loved Bladerunner 2049 – thoroughly recommend.

Sue: I can’t wait to see Bladerunner 2049 or The Death of Stalin. I’m going to see Bristol Old Vic’s Jane Eyre at the National. Again.

Jools was in it for three months, and now Tim Delap is.

Tell us about your latest project?

The major event in the Scott and Curtis diary is a performance of The Cool Web: A Robert Graves Oratorio at the Wimbledon International Music Festival. We wrote the oratorio for the 2014 premiere in Bath Abbey, and this second all important performance is a major feat for a new piece of choral music.

The Philharmonia Orchestra and Sonoro will be conducted by Robin O’Neill, with Edward Grint as the soloist. The concert will open WIMF 2017 on Armistice Day, Saturday 11 November, at Sacred Heart Church, Wimbledon. Tickets are available via the WIMF website.

We have also just heard that The Cool Web will be closing the WW1 Centenary at St. Paul’s Cathedral in November 2018 which is an incredible honour. Watch this space, as they say! n

We’re following @BBiN the BBC Children in Need Twitter account. Every year thousands of people do silly and amazing things to raise money to help improve the lives of children and young people all over the world and in the UK. Follow the live action on BBC TV on Friday 17 November, from 7.30pm with presenters Graham Norton and Tess Daly.

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GUEST | COLUMNIST

GREATEST RIVALS: BEST OF FRIENDS Linda Blair, clinical psychologist and Telegraph columnist, on her new book which examines sibling relationships

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FOR LIFE: links with our brothers and sisters are the longest lasting relationships of our lives receives huge attention because they have an outstanding talent?

In addition to the many ‘special’ sibling situations, there’s also a section on what influences the nature of sibling relationships – age differences and gender distribution, how many children are in the family, parenting style, whether parents separate, whether the family moves home, and so on. I also describe the factors that make for a strong and positive relationship between any two people, and how siblings can learn to get on even when they’re incredibly different.

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Sibling relationships underpin our social skills, the way we subsequently relate to everyone else

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hat’s the longest relationship you’ll ever have? When asked this question, most people will tell you it’s with their parents, or perhaps with their children. But in truth, that’s almost never the case. The longest relationships we’re likely to have are with our siblings.

And not only are they our longest relationships. Because sibling relationships are usually established when we’re quite young, what we learn as we negotiate life with them lays down the foundations for our interactions with everyone else – classmates, friends, colleagues, partners – throughout the rest of our lives.

That’s why I think it’s high time we start thinking about sibling relationships as something much more than simply how to introduce a new baby to an older sibling or how to manage sibling rivalry in young children. Sibling relationships underpin our social skills, the way we subsequently relate to everyone else. Furthermore, our siblings know us better than almost anyone ever will – and nowadays, when many of us are living longer and life is changing faster than ever before, that longest connection gives us a sense of continuity, a way of understanding ourselves and remembering who we really are.

Finally, there are now many reasons why we’re likely to interact with our siblings not just as children, but throughout our lives – for example, when twenty somethings who have younger brothers or sisters come back to the family home as ‘returners’, or when as middle-aged or older adults we must come together to look after our parents for a time.

In my new book, Siblings, I discuss a number of situations that individuals in my clinics increasingly wish to talk through – not just how to deal with returners and their younger siblings or how to bring siblings together to care for elderly parents, but a number of other situations as well. For example, is harmony possible when siblings and step-siblings live together, and if so, how can it be achieved? Do twins really enjoy a ‘special relationship’, and how do their other siblings relate to them? How does everyone in the family cope when one child has a chronic disease? And how can bonds remain strong and positive between siblings when one

Here, then, as a taster, are some of the ways parents can ensure that their children have the best chance of getting on well – not just as young children, but for the rest of their lives.

1: BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL In comparison with what you say, what you do will influence your children’s behaviour far more in the long term. Show them how best to get along by trying always to treat others courteously and with respect. When they want to talk give them your full attention, and when you don’t agree, rather than becoming emotional and insisting on your own viewpoint, simply listen quietly.

When you do give an opinion, present it simply and calmly. There’s no need to elaborate.

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2: MAKE ‘TIME TO TALK’ A REGULAR PART OF FAMILY LIFE Children who grow up sharing what’s going on in their lives are likely to continue doing so as adults. Establish regular occasions when it’s natural to talk – for example, share a family meal at least twice a week.

3: SPEND MORE TIME SHOWING THEM WHAT ‘TO DO’ THAN REPRIMANDING THEM FOR WHAT ‘NOT TO DO’ Children aren’t born knowing how to behave appropriately. This is something they need to learn. When siblings quarrel, rather than simply scolding one or both, suggest and/or show them a better way of resolving their differences.

4: CALM DOWN FIRST, TALK LATER If we try to find a solution to our differences while we’re still angry or upset, logic is overshadowed by emotion and the solution rarely works or feels fair in the long run.

When your children are in the midst of a quarrel, simply separate them and ask them to calm down, without blaming anyone.

When all is calm, ask each to describe the problem from their point of view while the other listens, and then help them find a compromise.

5: ESTABLISH FAMILY TRADITIONS Celebrate Christmas and birthdays in the same ways every year, and try to have an annual holiday in the same place or same area. When they’re grown up, siblings will look back on these traditions (however much they trivialise them at the time) and enjoy reminiscing about what happened when.

Many will also take their own families on holiday together to their childhood spots, which allows the siblings to stay in touch and the cousins to grow up knowing one another, thus increasing everyone’s network of support. n

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up to £500 off

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AT YOUR CONVENIENCE Our roving reporter checks out the state of Bath’s loos

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t is a truth universally acknowledged that the queue for the Ladies is always much longer than the queue for the Gents. This is regularly the case for the wait for one of the few decent public loos in Bath, in the Podium above Waitrose as women stand patiently in a line which stretches out through the door.

If I had a penny for every visitor who’d asked me where the nearest public toilet was, I’d be a wealthy woman by now. Not that a penny is going to get you entrance to a municipal lavatory. The going rate to the loos in Charlotte Street car park, Monmouth Street and Royal Victoria Park is an eye-watering 20p. And you can’t pay with two 10ps, so bad luck if you’re not carrying the right coin.

You could always call in to a café or pub, order a drink and so legitimately make use of the facilities, but this isn’t always feasible.

So in light of this I thought it helpful to share with you some of Bath’s places of easement, as they used to be quaintly known. The Waitrose loos are undoubtedly the most popular, generally clean, papered and soaped. The public loos down on street level outside the Podium are less welcoming, but they’ll do if you’re desperate.

We used to dive into Waterstone’s to use the first floor toilets, but the bookshop got savvy to this and now you have to face the embarrassment of asking for a key at the café. Jollys’ loos on the top floor are pretty good, as long as you have the local knowledge to negotiate the Escher-inspired layout of stairs to the back and rear of the store. If you’ve a small child, or elderly relative in tow, it’s worth noting that Marks & Spencer has a set of ground floor conveniences, near the cafe, which are much easier to reach than the ones behind the men’s department upstairs.

Have you tried the new lavs in SouthGate, helpfully signposted with a large graphic of a white toilet? Once inside they’re taking no risks with the written word. There’s a slight pause as you work out which of the two symbols might represent your gender. On my first visit to the Ladies here I almost backed straight out again thinking I’d mistaken it for the Gents, thrown by the stainless steel waist height trough running along one wall. It looked like a urinal, or the she-pee enclosure I once tried at Glastonbury (for the record, it’s not that easy for women to pee standing up, but loads of us had a good laugh trying). Turned out the SouthGate trough is one of those state-of-the-art new washstands.

Very efficient for washing the hands as it turns out.

Among my favourites are the Ladies in the Pump Room, which are free to use when the tourist attraction is open. These are usually spotlessly clean and there’s rarely a queue. My top tip for cold weather visits, is take a few minutes to warm your hands on the metal radiator opposite the portrait of Charles Dickens – it’s easily and consistently the hottest radiator in the city centre. But now I’ve said that, Bath and North East Somerset Council will dispatch someone to turn the thermostat down as part of its enforced money saving exercise.

I confess to never actually locating the public toilets at the bus station, but then I have been unlucky in locating the right bus too. I still don’t understand why First Bus confusingly runs two Number 4 routes . . . but that’s another story.

I am, however, familiar with the grim Ladies at Bath Spa Station.

This could be described as a nostalgic experience for anyone missing the chemical tang of those old purple toilet blocks and a paddle through standing water of dubious origin. I’m sure this down to a case of customers behaving badly rather than a lack of cleaning by the management, but these cloakrooms could do with an upgrade.

Another disappointing experience is when you’ve had an enjoyable meal or a coffee and then visited the establishment’s loos, only to find them dirty, dingy and, frankly unappealing. Eaterie owners in Bath, would your places of easement pass as close inspection as your kitchens? It’s time our city’s smallest rooms lived up to the glory of our largest dining rooms. n

Luxurious, stylish and hand crafted with the highest quality of materials, dunhill is a classic British fashion brand, perfect for the cosmopolitan gentleman.

Ellis & Killpartrick Optometrists 18 New Bond Street, Bath, BA1 1BA Tel: 01225 466954

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FACE | THE | MUSIC

THE DYNAMIC DUO

Adrian and Annette Dolan of Bath Aqua Glass talk to Georgette McCready about their love of Bath, family and community as they pick their top ten favourite tunes

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ake one energetic, creative businesswoman, add one forward-thinking, positive businessman and you’ve got a helluva force to be reckoned with. Luckily for Bath, Adrian and Annette Dolan met and fell in love in the city, where they continue to be a power for good in both their family and the wider community.

The pair met in the mid-90s when Annette was getting her new artisan stained glass shop ready to open in Broad Street. She was up a ladder in dungarees wielding a paint brush when she caught Adrian Dolan’s attention. He was running adventure equipment shop Adrenalin High at the time, almost directly behind the new Broad Street Bath Aqua Glass.

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greatest chat-up line, but the pair soon became friends until that friendship blossomed.

“Do you know where we had our first kiss?” asks Adrian, smiling at the memory, “It was outside Stillpoint, between our two shops, on Valentine’s Day.” Both had emotional baggage and previous partners and three children between them, so were understandably reluctant to get married. Eventually they ended up running Bath Aqua Glass together with their business partner Themis, which currently has its theatre of glass studio, workshop and gallery in Walcot Street and a popular shop in Cheap Street overlooking Bath Abbey.

In 2011 something happened that made them change their minds about getting married. Annette’s mother, who had wanted the pair’s relationship to be formalised, had

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been diagnosed with cancer. The pair decided to make her happy by organising a beautiful country wedding.

Annette recalls that happy day: “It was a beautiful sunny day in February. We invited just close family and friends to the registrar’s office and the rest to a hand fasting ceremony in the paddock near our house. It was a very special day.”

Annette was born in Bristol but has happy memories of visits to Bath as a child. She recalls swimming in the waters of the Roman Baths before they were closed following a health scare.

Although Bath Aqua Glass is one of Bath’s best known and respected businesses, and brands, the journey has not always been an easy one.

Annette has written honestly and with humour about her struggles with dyslexia in her autobiography

HEART OF GLASS main picture, Adrian and Annette Dolan outside Bath Aqua Glass Opposite, The Proclaimers 500 Miles, Thin Lizzy, The Boys Are Back in Town and Leonard Cohen, Famous Blue Raincoat Inset one of Bath Aqua Glass’ hand blown baubles

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Dyslexia Rules KO. The book is available to buy from Bath Aqua Glass and it serves as an inspiration to anyone trying to succeed, but realising that the world doesn’t always understand their unique viewpoint. As a champion for other dyslexics she would like to see changes in the education system so dyslexics could be taught differently, to bring out their particular skills.

Annette and Adrian continue to be a dynamic duo, both in business and in the wider Bath community. They work tirelessly for the business and are known for always going that extra mile. Adrian has been known to don Regency costume, dressing up as Jane Austen’s Mr Darcy to entertain women visitors to the Theatre of Glass glassblowing workshop in Walcot.

Adrian is chair of the Walcot Traders Association and is currently working on setting up a Bath-wide network, the Independent Bath Organisation. Just as he worked all those years ago in a voluntary capacity to build up the Real Shops campaign, he now wants to bring together all areas of the city’s independent businesses to create a united voice that can get things done.

As I talk to them Adrian and Annette are helping to organise Walcot Winterfest, which takes place on Sunday 26 November and involves most of the traders in this most independent-spirited of streets. Shops, cafés and restaurants will be offering a suitable array of festive and seasonal goodies and activities and the day will finish with traditional festive children’s lantern procession starting at the Walcot Chapel and winding its way down to St Michael’s Church and the Hilton Hotel and finishing back at the chapel.

Look out too for the quirky alternative Christmas Tree trail and appearances by Santa Aqua and the

Elves of Walcotia.

Before I leave them I ask Annette and Adrian whether they belong to the school of thought that believes Bath is not what it used to be, or whether they think the city continues to build on its strengths. Both are adamant that ours is a creative city, constantly moving forward and evolving and that it is this energy, from the people who live and work here, who make the city today such a great, vibrant place.

ADRIAN’S TOP FIVE SONGS: NEIL YOUNG – Like A Hurricane I’ve got to have this track because I always say Annette’s just like a hurricane. A force of nature.

THIN LIZZY – The Boys are Back in Town I’m a Bathonian born and bred and have spent so much of my life here. This song reminds me of my teenage years and good times.

BLACK SABBATH – Paranoid This is a classic, also from my teenage years.

I’d have been 16 or 17 maybe, shaking my thing at the discos at the technical college (now Bath College). I came back to Bath after teacher training to teach at Beechen Cliff School. What’s really funny is now these middle aged guys, with kids of their own, come up to me in Morrisons and say: “Hello Mr Dolan, do you remember me?

You used to teach me.”

PINK FLOYD – Dark Side of the Moon This takes me back to a difficult time in my life in the 80s and early 90s. We all go through some tough times and I guess that makes the good times seem sweeter.

THE PROCLAIMERS – 500 Miles This is our song, mine and Annette’s. It reminds me of our wedding day in February 2011. It was a wonderful sunny day and we processed with all our family and friends from the paddock by our house up the lane to the local golf club. I was wearing an Irish kilt and bellowing out this song as we walked up the lane: ‘But I would walk 500 miles, And I would walk 500 more Just to be the man who walks a thousand

miles, To fall down at your door.’

ANNETTE’S TOP FIVE SONGS: LEONARD COHEN – Famous Blue Raincoat I have chosen this for two reasons. When I was a moody teenager I used to depressingly listen to Leonard Cohen – not that I think he’s depressing at all. The other reason is that this reminds me of my father, who I didn’t ever get to know really. It’s a vivid memory from my childhood of walking through the streets of Bristol in the dark, holding on to my dad’s hand. He always wore a long blue raincoat. I would look up at his handsome face and feel wonderful.

AMERICAN PIE – Don McLean This reminds me of the time my friend and I drove through Haslemere in an open top car – with the roof down and our umbrella up as it was raining – singing this song at the tops of our voices. I’d had a bad time with some fella and we were cheering ourselves up belting this out at the tops of our voices.

BEAUTIFUL SOUTH – I Need a Little Time This reminds me of happy times with my daughter Angelique. We’d be on the bed together, using our hairbrushes as microphones, singing along to this. She’s very musical, but as a girl she’d never let me sing the girl’s part, I always had to do the man’s voice. We still laugh about that now.

JACKSON BROWN – Song for Roadies This has to be the long version of this number please. It reminds me of the 1980s when I was bringing up my kids and working hard on various jobs to keep a roof over our heads and spend as much time with them as I could.

EDITH PIAF – Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien I had to have something that reminds me of my dear mum. When I was a kid she used to stick her head out of the kitchen window and sing out like an opera singer. It used to make us laugh when our neighbour called out to find out who the opera singer was. I think this sentiment, about regretting nothing, also applies to my life. Like writing my book, I’m so glad I did it. n

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YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST

As the 27th annual FilmBath Festival opens on 2 November, Georgette McCready looks at the way films can transport us to places and situations far removed from our own experiences

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in print and online, shows that 22 of the 43 feature films on offer have women directors.

In addition, a dozen of the films directed by women are written by and star women, too, so qualifying as triple F-Rated under the fastspreading classification system pioneered by FilmBath to challenge the film industry’s gender bias.

There are films in this programme that make us think about lives lived in places and ways very different from our own. Sitting in the darkness of a cinema or screening room we are transported by the film-makers to worlds and situations we might not ever have considered – and in a troubled world the medium of film can highlight issues for us to ponder.

So here are some of the films we think might make you view an issue or situation in a fresh light and having you talking about it with your friends afterwards. And that you can boast that you saw them here first. n Beach Rats, Friday 3 November, 7pm, at the Odeon.

Set in South Brooklyn, working class Frankie lives with his dying father, long-suffering mother and younger sister and spends his time hanging out with his ‘bros’. He’s living a double life as he keeps his attraction for men under wraps – but sooner or later the two worlds will collide. Directed by Eliza Hittman this coming of age LGBT movie has been described as

udiences in Bath will get a rare treat this month as the city’s annual film festival has lined up a record 32 previews, giving them the chance to see movies from all over the world before they go on general release.

The new re-brand for the south west’s oldest film festival – FilmBath Festival – wheels out some big names for its 2017 programme, which runs from Thursday 2 to Sunday 12 November. Among the previews organisers have managed to secure is Battle of the Sexes, in which Emma Stone plays tennis ace Billie Jean King. There’s also Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, about the fascinating story behind Wonder Woman and Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, with Jamie Bell (Billy Elliott) and Annette Bening. Angelina Jolie has produced Nora Twomey’s latest family animation The Breadwinner, while The Florida Project features what some critics say is Willem Dafoe’s best performance yet. There’s the added bonus of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which was the stand-out hit of the Toronto Film Festival.

The festival – now in its 27th year – also becomes the first mainstream film festival in the world with a programme that features more credits for women directors than men.

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dark, dreamy and entirely engrossing. n Ingrid Goes West, Saturday 4 November, 8.30pm at the Odeon.

Aubrey Plaza plays the young woman obsessed with Instagram and celebrity, who leaves a psychiatric ward to latch on to Taylor (played by Elizabeth Olsen), bewitched by her apparently perfect life. This savage and hilarious satire went down a storm at the Sundance festival. Critics said: ‘a neon candy heart dipped in asbestos.’ n Mountain, Sunday 5 November, 6pm at the Odeon.

Some films just cry out to be watched on a big screen, so you can lose yourself in the landscape. This documentary explores the art of mountaineering and uses specialist high altitude cinematography. n Hotel Salvation, Sunday 5 November, 6.30pm at the Odeon.

If you’ve ever spent time with an elderly relative, this family comedy drama set in India will chime with you. A father, nearing death, drags his workaholic middle aged son off to a hotel for the dying by the Ganges river. n Dark River, Monday 6 November, 6pm, at the Odeon.

Sean Bean, who showed in his recent quiet but powerful role as Father Michael in Broken that he doesn’t need a sword in his hand to grab our attention, plays the Yorkshire sheep farmer who bequeaths his farm. Ruth

THE MAKING OF AN ICON: main picture, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women Opposite page, Annette Bening and Jamie Bell in Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, Emma Stone plays Billie Jean King in Battle of the Sexes and a scene from Beach Rats

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Wilson (mesmerising in Luther, strong as Jane Eyre and compelling in The Affair) plays his daughter who comes home to find her brother struggling to keep the farm going. This is an absorbing battle for the land film which will resonate with fans of British realist drama, the female director is Clio Barnard. n Women of the Silk Road, Tuesday 7 November, 6pm, at Chapel Arts Centre.

This is a documentary about four women weavers, from Iran, Oman, Turkey and Tajikistan, countries which are all on the legendary Silk Road. The director, who will be at the preview, has said that she hopes her camera will act as a source of illumination

between the East and the West. n Thelma, Friday 10 November, 8.30pm at the Odeon.

Fans of the Nordic style of film-making and its beautiful landscape will be rapt by this ice-cold coming of age story, which has echoes of Carrie. It’s been described as monious, unnerving and strangely powerful.

Judge for yourselves. n Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, Saturday 11 November, 6pm at the Odeon.

Annette Bening puts in one of those memorable performances, as a faded Hollywood star who entrances a young man (played by Jamie Bell). He takes her back to his family in Liverpool, who are also

starstruck by her. n Journeyman, Saturday 11 November, 8.30pm at the Odeon.

The new Dr Who Jodie Whittaker stars alongside Paddy Considine, who plays an over-the-hill boxer who has been hit on the head too many times, and as a result his life, his marriage and his future hang in the balance.

To add appeal for younger film-goers FilmBath Festival 2017 has a ticket deal for those aged 25 and unders, with 50% off the ticket prices.

Visit: filmbath.org.uk.

Follow @FilmBathUK on Twitter. n

THE MAKING OF A FILM: BATH AUTHOR SEES HER STORY ON BIG SCREEN

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here’ll be one screening at FilmBath Festival where you may find the audience cheering a little louder, that’s because the film, We Can Be Heroes, was written by a Bath author.

I met Catherine Bruton, pictured, writer of children’s and young adults books and English teacher at King Edward’s School, Bath, and Bristol film producer Thomasina Gibson, to find out how Catherine’s critically acclaimed book, written in 2009, found its way on to cinema screens in 2017.

Thomasina said she had been looking for a film subject that would be accessible to all. Catherine’s book was singled out by Stella Paskins of Egmont Publishers, who sent it to Thomasina with a note which simply said: “I will wait for the phone call.”

The story behind We Can Be Heroes was originally inspired by an article Catherine wrote for The Times in 2008 about children who lost a parent in 9/11. It tells the story of 12-year-old Ben whose father

died in the terrorist attacks and goes to stay with his grandparents, where he meets 10-year-old Priti who is convinced her Muslim brother is a threat to national security. They decide, with Ben’s cousin, Jed, to do some detective work.

Catherine said: “It’s sad but true that what I wrote back in 2009 is just as revelant now, that young people do face issues surrounding terrorism, fear, hate and Islamophobia. I wanted to address these issues and I am delighted that this film says everything I wanted to say, with humour and pathos.”

One of the main characters is obsessed with drawing manga style cartoons and Catherine says this was inspired by a student at KES (now adult) who she gives a credit to in the book.

She and Thomasina talked about the core themes of the book then three writers, Claire Downes (also the director), Ian Jarvis and Stuart Lane, wrote the screenplay. Household names Alison Steadman and Phil Davis signed up to play Ben’s grandparents, with three unknown young actors taking the central characters.

Most of the film was shot in south Bristol.

We Can Be Heroes had its premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival earlier this year, where it was received with rapturous reviews – ‘a stunning, poignant mix of

comedy, tragedy, love and drama’ (The Edinburgh Reporter. It’s showing in Bath on Saturday 4 November, 10.30am, at the Little Theatre in Bath.

Thomasina is now busy working behind the scenes to get a distributor so that We Can Be Heroes can be widely screened at cinemas across the country. Could this small budget west country film – made for less than £700,000 – become the next Billy Elliott? Here in Bath, we hope so. n

BROUGHT TO LIFE: top left, photo of Catherine Bruton

by Linda Horne Pictured is Marissa Patel who plays Priti

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SILVIA GOLD PENDANT

BY VITA COPENHAGEN

LIGHTING SPECIALIST 8 BATH STREET, FROME. TEL: 01373473555 WWW.FIATLUX.CO.UK TUESDAY – FRIDAY 9.30AM – 5.30PM, SATURDAY 9.30AM – 5.00PM

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SPARKLING | CITY

FIT FOR A QUEEN

JEWELLED

Bath jewellery designer Nicholas Wylde, currently celebrating 30 years in the city, has created this 18ct white gold, emerald and diamond pendant, from £785.

Nicholas Wylde, Northumberland Place, Bath Tel: 01225 462826. Visit: nicholaswylde.com

DELIGHTS

Treat someone you love to a unique, beautifully designed piece of jewellery to treasure

SHINE BRIGHT 18ct white gold diamond swirl ring, £1,680. Jody Cory, Abbey Churchyard, Bath. Tel: 01225 460072. Visit: jodycory.co.uk

MAKE A STATEMENT Ball ring in 18ct yellow gold, set with cinnamon coloured diamonds and smoky quartz, £4,995 Designed by Tina Engell, 29 Belvedere, Bath.

Tel: 01225 443334. Web: tinaengell.com

NEW COLLECTION Oval pearl pendant, available in silver and gold, from £250. From the new Perla collection by Nicholas Wylde

PIECES TO COVET Top, black and white diamond pave set bracelet, £12,685 Below, black and white diamond set twist bracelet, 11,700.

Mallory Jewellers, Bridge Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 788800.

Visit: mallory-jewellers.com TURN HEADS

Tanzanite and diamond necklace in 18ct white gold, £1,670. Gold and Platinum Studio, Northumberland Place, Bath.

Tel: 01225 462300.

Visit: goldandplatinum studio.co.uk

Delicately hand-crafted earrings by Israeli designer Ayala Bar, £48 from a collection at Quadri of Bath, Milsom Place, Bath.

Tel: 01225 329212 Visit: quadri.co.uk

ONE OF A KIND Unique mandarin garnet ring in 9ct yellow gold, £1,195. Gold and Platinum Studio

FINE CUT Tanzanite and diamond halo cluster earrings in 18ct white gold, £1,780. Mallory Jewellers

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TRUE BLUE

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BATH | CHRISTMAS

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS Bath gets in the mood for Christmas as the city streets prepare to twinkle

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f you’re one of those people who groans at the mention of the countdown to Christmas or ‘how many sleeps till Santa comes’, you may want to turn the page now. If, however, you’re digging out your novelty reindeer sweater and knocking back the mulled wine almost as soon as the clocks go back, then this at-a-glance guide will help you keep up with the pre-Christmas markets and jollity taking place.

While the rest of the events are listed in chronological order, let’s start with the Big Daddy – the internationally renowned BATH CHRISTMAS MARKET. This year the little chalets will be filling the city centre streets from Thursday 23 November until Sunday 10 December. And, as promised, the 2017 market is bigger and better than ever. There will be more than 200 chalets, 30 more than last year and more than 60 of those will be new to the market. Residents of Bath will be able to enjoy a preview of the Bath Christmas Market on Wednesday 22 November, from 5 to 7pm when the stallholders will offer discounts and deals to people holding a Discovery Card (these cards are free for B&NES residents).

The market layout will be slightly different this year, to spread the Bath Christmas Market out into more streets and alleviate the bottlenecks that can build up on the busiest sections.

There’s no big Christmas lights switch on this year, but rest assured that Bath’s streets will be swathed in twinkling lights from Thursday 16 November. You’ll find the traditional, dressed Christmas tree outside Bath Abbey and another decorated tree in Southgate shopping centre.

There’s plenty more going on in Bath as the excitement builds for Christmas . . .

BATH BRUNCH MARKET Sunday 12 November, 9.30am – 3.30pm n Green Park Station, Green Park, Bath Enjoy a late leisurely breakfast at Green Park Station, followed by a pootle around the artisan, vintage and independent stalls in the afternoon. Visit: bathartisanmarket.com.

ARTISAN GIFT FAIR Sunday 19 November, 10am – 4pm n Queen Square, Bath A gift fair aimed at those living in and around Bath who would like artisan/designer-maker crafts, gifts and food before Bath Christmas Market starts.

There’ll be 70 stalls with hot food and drink.

A WHITE CHRISTMAS Thursday 16 November until Christmas Eve n Southgate, Bath The shopping centre is to get a South Pole

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makeover with snow guaranteed to fall every hour right through till Christmas Eve. St Lawrence Street North and South will be transformed into a wintry wonderland with icicle chandeliers suspended overhead to light your way. Other special attractions include a kissmas selfie love seat, Frosty the snowman and Frosty’s Bar serving festive drinks.

bookbinding, Tony produces lathe turned hardwood candleholders, dibbers and rolling pins, son Edmund mats and key rings in nautical ropecraft, and Ben handstitches leather wallets. There will be a visit from the Widcombe Choir and the social club will be serving bar drinks, tea and coffee, mulled wine and food. For children there will be keyring making with Denise who works with pressed flowers, and Jessica Palmer has created a Christmas card design for children to colour. Visit: widcombecraftfair.com.

BATH ON ICE Friday 17 November – Tuesday 2 January, daily 10.30am – 9.30pm n Royal Victoria Park, Bath Bath on Ice is back this year with a rink that’s 50% bigger. There’ll be skating fun for all ages and off ice entertainment and refreshments. The Moguls Alpine Bar serves drinks, snacks, pizza and chips. Alongside is Glow in the Dark Mini Golf as the adventure golf course is lit up alongside the rink. Prices from £7.75, including skate hire. To book visit: bathonice.com.

APRES SKI CHALET Thursday 23 November – Tuesday 12 December n The Abbey Hotel, North Parade, Bath A popular spot with revellers, who can leave the windswept streets for a break between Christmas shopping. Snuggle up and enjoy a glass of mulled wine and recreate those ski chalet parties of your mis-spent youth.

WIDCOMBE CRAFT FAIR WEEKEND Saturday 18, 10.30am – 5pm, Sunday 19 November 11 am – 4pm n Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe, Bath With nearly 40 stall holders – some doing both days, and some just one, you will find many well loved exhibitors and also new talent. The exhibitors are chosen to present a wide variety of work and because they are local: if not from Widcombe, they come from Bath or nearby. New to stallholding are the Hastings family from Widcombe. Annie does

A JAZZ AGE CHRISTMAS Thursday 23 November – Sunday 17 December, see website for opening times and admission prices n The American Museum, Claverton, Bath A Little Party Never Killed Nobody – enjoy a Jazz Age-inspired Christmas. Party through the ages in the period rooms and discover what Americans did to let their hair down.

The jewel in the crown is the Central Hall Christmas tree, bedecked in decadent decorations, glitz, and Gatsby-esque glamour

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THE LIGHT FANTASTIC: the mini golf course at Royal Victoria Park provides a glow in the dark game Below, mulled wine at Kingsmead Square’s food market

of the 1920s. Fabulous flapper ragdolls handcrafted by the museum’s volunteers, will be dancing through each room – can you spot them all?

Visit: americanmuseum.org.

STREET FOOD MARKET Friday 24 November, every Friday and Saturday until 9 December, noon – 9pm n Kingsmead Square, Bath The existing cafés and restaurants in this vibrant square will be joined by a bustling street food market. There will be covered seating, live music and a mulled wine bar.

WALCOT WINTERFEST Sunday 26 November n Walcot Street, Walcot, Bath The traders of Walcot Street, in partnership with the Hilton Hotel, Bath and North East Somerset Council and Bath BID, are hosting a day of festive fun. There’ll be stalls in the street, demonstrations of artisan crafts, pop-up events and a children’s lantern procession, due to leave the Walcot Chapel at around 4.30pm, and involving children from four schools and live music. Look out too for the Elves of Walcotia . . .

BONBON’S BAUBLES CHRISTMAS Thursday 30 November, 7.30pm n Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe Monsieur Ralph Le Bonbon will introduce a splendiferous line-up of

stars including the ineffable Widcombe Radio Players, The Widcombe Choir, musical maestro Matt Baker and stand-up headliner Martin Mor. No Bonbon Cabaret would be complete without the pickled egg raffle. Dress code: Rudolph. Prize for the best creation.

The Widcombe Christmas lights switch-on is at 6.15pm outside Widcombe Deli before the show.

Tickets: £15 / £12 concessions from: bathcomedy.com A DICKENSIAN CHRISTMAS Thursday evenings throughout December, until 7.30pm n Northumberland Place and The Corridor, Bath Charles Dickens’ time in Bath is celebrated as these two characterful city centre venues host a Victorian themed Christmas, with people in costume, music and maybe even a flurry of snow.

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS Thursday 7 December – Sunday 7 January, times vary n The Theatre Royal Bath Traditional panto fun return to Bath, featuring knock-about clowning with regular stars Jon Monie and Nick Wilton. Visit: theatreroyal.org.uk.

CHRISTMAS ARTISAN MARKETS Sunday 10 December and Sunday 17 December, 10am – 4pm n Green Park Station, Bath The artisan market, all under one roof focussing on Christmas, with music and original, local food and gifts.

THE CAROUSEL From Thursday 14 December until the end of December n Outside the Pump Room, Bath Back by popular demand. A favourite for so many families, is the traditional carousel with its brightly painted gallopers. Loved by all ages. n

HEAVENLY SCENTS: candles by Limelight Bath

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE The pre-Christmas markets on the streets of Bath provide plenty of opportunities for buying presents for others, along with a bit of sneaky self-gifting. And, while there are plenty of visiting artisans from other towns, we have some Bath producers making some lovely products.

I found Limelight Bath scented candles by chance at Bath Farmers Market. Made at home by Cathy Briggs, these beautifully packaged scented soy wax candles give the big brands a run for their money in terms of quality and prices, starting at £6 for a 15 hour burn. Fragrances range from classics such as lime, basil, bergamot and mandarin, to a Christmassy scent, Pomander, through to the wood smoky Hearth fragrance. Find Limelight Bath at Chalet 156 on Bath Street at Bath Christmas Market from Thursday 23 November – Sunday 3 December.

Also making 100 per cent soy wax fragranced candles is Lucy Simon, who runs Article in Bartlett Street. The Festive candle is a warming blend of orange oil, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg essential oils, while Herbs and Foliage scent lifts the spirits with eucalyptus oil as the central scent. Find Article at Bartlett Street and at the Bath Christmas Market, Monday 4 – Sunday 10 December, opposite the Thermae Spa and Little Theatre cinema on Bath Street.

Bath textile artist Carole Waller also has a range of candles made from organic plant wax and essential oils, the glass is wrapped in hand painted translucent silk which shimmers as it burns down the glass. They burn for 50 hours and are £35. There are two scents: bay laurel, basil and lime and orange clove and cinnamon.

You’ll find these and Gary Wood’s candle filled handmade stoneware bowls at the gallery OneTwoFive in Abbey Green.

HANDMADE: candles by Lucy Simon of Article Bath

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WHAT’S ON in November EVENTS ARE LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER NATIONAL SPA WEEK Monday 30 October – Sunday 5 November n Thermae Bath Spa, Bath Monday 30 October, 2.30pm – 4pm free spa-themed walking tour, Tuesday 31 October, 10am – 5pm Cross Bath open day, Wednesday 1 November, 11.30am – 4.30pm, free consultations in the Thermae Bath Spa shop, Thursday 2 November, 6pm – 7.30pm, music in the Minerva Bath. For more details visit: thermaebathspa.com.

EDITOR’S PICK Austentatious at Komedia

BATH VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE From early November n Bridgewater House, Terrace Walk, Bath People who like to buy their tickets in person from Bath Box Office – or who need to collect tickets for many of the city’s entertainments – now need to visit the Visitor Information Centre, which is moving from Abbey Chambers to Terrace Walk aka Bog Island. This is also the place to direct tourists to.

Twelfth Night at The Mission Theatre

Bangalore Dreams at the Wiltshire Music Centre

Oz Clarke will be the guest of Great Western Wine and Topping & Co

Roving Crows at Chapel Arts Centre

James Acaster at The Rondo

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CLOUDBUSTING: THE MUSIC OF KATE BUSH Friday 3 November, 7.30pm n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Bathonians should rejoice in this friendly arts venue that brings us such variety of entertainment, all on a not-for-profit basis. Radio2’s Simon Mayo has recommended this Kate Bush tribute act for anyone unable to get tickets to see the real thing. Tickets: £20, tel: 01225 461700, email: info@chapelarts.org, visit: chapelarts.org.

Also at Chapel Arts Centre this month HELLO I’M JOHNNY CASH Saturday 4 November, 7.30pm West End star Lars Young brings the voice of the Man in Black to life in a tribute that’ll have you walking the line right through to a burnin’ ring of fire. Tickets: £15 / £17 on the door.

ROVING CROWS Friday 17 November, 7.30pm Where Celtic sounds meet tribal rhythms, this lively band will have you up on your feet. Regulars to the west country, they’re also Artist of the Year in the 2017 Australian Music Awards. Tickets: £12.

THE ALTER EAGLES Saturday 18 November, 7.30pm A faithful tribute to The Eagles. Revisit all the hits from Hotel California to Lyin’ Eyes. Tickets: £17.50 / £20 on the door.

NEARLY DAN Saturday 25 November, 7.30pm Tribute band to Steely Dan, whose guitarist Walter Becker died recently. Standing gig. Tickets: £19 / £22 on the door.

BATH CHARITIES ANNUAL FAIR Saturday 4 November, 11am – 3pm n Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe Hill, Bath The fair supports seven branches of local charities. Free entry, refreshments and entertainment.

PHILIP PULLMAN Saturday 4 November, noon n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath Philip Pullman has two new books. Daemon Voices is a collection of essays, which will be the main focus of this talk, while The Book of Dust: Volume I revisits Lyra and her world. Tickets: from £20, redeemable against book purchase, from Topping & Co bookshop, the Paragon, tel: 01225 428111.

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Also at Topping & Co this month THE GREAT STORM: TAMSIN TREVERTON JONES Tuesday 7 November, 8pm The Great Storm of October 1987 is firmly etched in the national memory and in her new book Windblown: Portrait of the Great Storm, Tamsin weaves her own experiences with those of fishermen and lighthouse keepers, rough sleepers and refugees. Tickets: £7.

LAMA JAMPA Wednesday 15 November, 8pm One of the leading teachers of Buddhism in the west, Lama Jampa Thaye, is coming to Bath for the launch of his book Wisdom in Exile: Buddhism and Modern Times. Lama Jampa is a scholar and meditation master trained in the Sakya and Kagyu traditions of Buddhism. Tickets: £7.

OZ CLARK ON THE WORLD OF WINE Wednesday 22 November, 8pm Oz Clarke is the author of bestselling and award-winning wine books and a regular on television. Via wine tasting he will take his audience on a grand tour of the great wine regions of the world. In conjunction with Great Western Wine. Tickets from £20.

BATH FIREWORK DISPLAY Saturday 4 November, gates open 5.30pm n The Bath Recreation ground, off Pulteney Bridge, Bath The Bath Firework spectacular show, which lights up the sky over Bath, is organised by volunteers from the Rotary Club of Bath for charity. Tickets: £5 (£6 on the gate) and £3 for children (£4 on the gate). From branches of sponsors Bath Building Society, Bath Tourism Office and from: rotary-bath.co.uk.

TWELFTH NIGHT Friday 3 – Saturday 4 November, 7.30pm, matinee Saturday, 2pm n The Mission Theatre, Corn Street, Bath Sun and Moon Theatre presents Shakespeare’s comedy, with this production set in Christmas 1917. Tickets £12 / £10 concs, tel: 01225 463362. Online: bathboxoffice.org.uk Also at the Mission this month THE YEOMAN OF THE GUARD Tuesday 7 – Friday 10 November, 7.30pm, matinee Saturday, 2pm Bath Gilbert & Sullivan Society presents a fully-staged version of The Yeomen of The Guard set against the backdrop of the Tower of London during the Second World War. Tickets £12.

DEMOCRACY Tuesday 28 November – Saturday 2 December, 7.30pm, matinee Saturday, 2pm Next Stage Theatre Company presents Michael Frayn’s drama set in real events in mid-20th century West Germany. Tickets £12.50 £10.50 concs, tel: 01225 428600, email: nextstagebath@aol.com.

Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution Forthcoming Events: A.C Grayling on Humanism

7th November ● 7.30pm Bath Box Office

Immersive Panoramas and Virtual Reality 15th November ● 7.30pm

The Life and Work of Günter Grass 16th November ● 7.30pm

An Evening with the Ambassador of Poland 21st November ● 7.30pm Bath Box Office

The Remarkable Miss Breton:

Just one of the many publications available to buy at The Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution.

16 - 18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN 01225 312 084 www.brlsi.org reception@brlsi.org

KATHRYN TICKELL Friday 3 November, 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon Kathryn Tickell brings the evocative sounds of the Northumbrian pipes to Bradford on Avon, with an evening of spellbinding music and storytelling. Tickets: £19 / £9.50 under 18s and students, tel: 01225 860100 or visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk.

Also at the Wiltshire Music Centre this month BANGALORE DREAMS Friday 10 November, 7.30pm Following performances at WOMAD and the BBC Proms, leading Indian violinist Jyotsna Srikanth leads a programme of contemporary Indian music. Tickets: £16 / £8 u18s and students.

QUARTETTO DI CREMONA Friday 24 November, 7.30pm This internationally acclaimed quartet presents an evening of music

by Italian composers. Tickets: £20, free for under 25s.

FRIGG Saturday 25 November, 7.30pm A cool Nordic band whose jigs, reels and bluegrass tunes will have you tapping your feet, caught up in their infectious energy. Tickets: £17 / £8.50 u18s and students.

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WHAT’S | ON AUSTENTATIOUS: THE IMPROVISED JANE AUSTEN NOVEL Sunday 5 November, 8pm n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath This troup always goes down a storm when it comes to Bath, with its improvised, quick-witted Austen themed show. Tickets from £12, tel: 0845 293 8480, visit: komedia.co.uk.

Also at Komedia this month SIMON AMSTELL: WHAT IS THIS? Wednesday 8 November, 8pm The razor sharp observations of comedian Simon Amstell have meant his last international tours were all sell-out successes. Catch him in Bath. Tickets from £23.

ONLY FOOLS AND BOYCIE Sunday 12 November, 8pm Actor John Challis, who played Boycie in the classic comedy series Only Fools and Horses, talks about his time on the show, with anecdotes and backstage secrets. Tickets from £16.

HAZEL O’CONNOR Friday 24 November, 8pm Award-winning singer, writer and actress Hazel O’Connor, best known for her 80s hits Will You and Eighth Day is on a 13-date UK tour, with a five piece band. Tickets: £25.

JERRY SADOWITZ Thursday 30 November, 8pm The darkly adult comedian, magician and all-round scary man is back . . . Tickets from £19.50.

Kathryn Tickell at the Wiltshire Music Centre

Jerry Sadowitz at Komedia

Simon Amstell at Komedia

THE ICP ORCHESTRA AND FILM: MISHA ENZOVOORT Monday 6 November, film from 7pm, concert from 9pm n Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe Hill, Bath The Instant Composers Pool (ICP) Orchestra is a unique collective of Dutch composer-improviser-instrumentalists. The exact programme is a surprise, as the band decides just a few minutes before the performance what they will be playing. From ragtime to swing, bop to free jazz, classical to carnival, the ICP Orchestra is at the forefront of experimental music. Tickets from £8: brownpapertickets.com.

THE KITE RUNNER Monday 6 – Saturday 11 November, times vary n Theatre Royal, Saw Close, Bath Based on the moving novel by Khaled Hosseini, this stage adaption comes fresh from a run in the West End. A pair of friends growing up in Afghanistan have their childhoods dramatically altered. Tickets, tel: 01225 448844 or visit: theatreroyal.org.uk.

Also at the Theatre Royal this month PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 November, times vary Bath Light Operatic Group prepare to pull off another theatrical coup with this warm and witty tale of three performance artists.

Expect big numbers, including I Will Survive and It’s Raining Men – oh and a lot of glitter and sequins.

Mik Artistik at Widcombe Social Club

Steven Pippin at The Edge arts centre, the University of Bath

GO BACK FOR MURDER Wednesday 8 – Saturday 11 November, 7.30pm n The Rondo Theatre, St Saviour’s Road, Larkhall Playing Up Theatre Company presents an Agatha Christie murder mystery. A daughter finds a letter from her dead mother protesting her innocence, long after she’d been found guilty of murder. But can Carla clear her mother’s name? Tickets: £12 / £10, visit: rondotheatre.com.

Also at the Rondo this month MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Wednesday 22 – Saturday 25 November, 7.30pm The Rondo Theatre Company present Shakespeare’s comedy, which has been set in May 1945 among the Land Army women and the men coming home from fighting. Tickets: £12 / £10.

JAMES ACASTER: CLASSIC SCRAPES BOOK TOUR Wednesday 29 November, 8pm Popular comedian (as appeared on TV and radio), has written a book about awful and awkward experiences he’s had. Find out why he spent the night in a bush, while wearing a red dress . . . Tickets: £16.

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WHAT’S | ON CROWDFUNDING FOR INDIAN CREATIVE PROJECT Until Thursday 16 November n Bath Bath artist and designer Krishnaa Shyam has launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign for her Full Circle scarves. Working with the M.Rm.Rm cultural foundation in India, Krishnaa designs a range of limited edition cashmere modal scarves, woven by women artisans in Chettinad. The campaign helps raise funds to manufacture these scarves and support the women artisans. Visit: krishnaashyam.com.

LECTURE: THE SCULPTED HORSE Monday 6 November, 1.30pm n The tea room, Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, Bath Lecturer Viv Lawes will be exploring themes in equine sculpture, in which the horse is seen as ‘an emblem of nature in all her gentleness and cruelty.’ All welcome, £10 on the door. Visit: theartsoscietybath.com.

BATH YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR Tuesday 7 November, 7.30pm n The Pump Room, Bath This is the 30th year of the competition which celebrates local, talented young musicians. It features five musicians, all high achievers in March’s Mid-Somerset Festival, playing trumpet, cello, alto sax and violin and one is a a soprano singer. Tickets: £10 / £5 (u18s), tel: 01225 463362.

MIK ARTISTIK’S EGO TRIP AND THE BELLEFLEURS Thursday 9 November, 7.30pm n Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe, Bath Bath Comedy presents Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip, described by Radio6’s Shaun Keaveny as: “As mad as a wasp trapped under a pint glass” and Bath based trio The BelleFleurs who take songs from pop, metal, rock and punk and give them a damn good spanking with their tight harmonies and corsets. Tickets: £16 / £12 concessions, from: bathcomedy.com.

THE BATH COLOURISTS EXHIBITION Friday 10 – Saturday 18 November, 10am – 4pm n Bath Royal Scientific Literary Institute, Queen Square, Bath The Bath Colourists group is holding an exhibition and sale of their work. Enjoy the vibrant colourful creations of five local artists.

Exhibition includes paintings, sculpture and jewellery.

BATH MOZART FEST Friday 10 – Saturday 18 November n Various venues in Bath While this well respected and loved festival has Mozart at its heart, it offers a wide ranging programme encompassing Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, Dvorak and Debussy and featuring internationally acclaimed musicians. For the full programme visit: bathmozartfest.org.uk.

CHRISTMAS EVE Until Saturday 11 November, times vary n The Ustinov Studio, Bath Following national acclaim for The Mentor, starring F Murray Abraham, director Laurence Boswell has been reunited with writer Daniel Kehlmann and translator Christopher Hampton for this UK premiere. It all begins when a philosophy professor is unexpectedly bundled into police custody . . . Tickets: from £15. Visit: theatreroyal.org.uk or tel: 01225 448844.

BATH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON Saturday 11 November, 8pm, with pre-concert talk from 7pm n The Forum, SouthGate, Bath Bath Symphony Orchestra begins with Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 2 Resurrection. The orchestra will be joined by the Bristol Choral Society. Tickets: £17 adults, student/under 18s £7, tel: 0844 888 9991, visit: bathforum.co.uk. For more information visit: bathsymphony.org.uk.

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CONCERT: HARMONIUM Saturday 11 November, 7.30pm n Kelston Roundhill Barn, Kelston Su Hart has written a piece for women’s voices, blending wordless harmonies. Enjoy it by candle and firelight in this historic stone barn. Tickets: £14 from: harmoniumatoldbarn.com.

HISTORY TALK: FANNY MURRAY Monday 13 November 7.30pm n St Mary’s Church Hall, Bathwick, Bath The History of Bath Research Group welcomes visitors to this talk

by Barbara White, on Fanny Murray, the Bath girl who became England’s most famous 18th century courtesan. A donation of £2 is suggested.

ENGINEERED EQUANIMITY: STEVEN PIPPIN Friday 17 November – Saturday 3 February, open daily (check website for times) n Andrew Brownsword Galleries, The Edge, University of Bath One of Britain’s best and most inventive artists, Steven Pippin shows his skill in technological manipulation, which reveals the inter-relationship between objects, mechanisms and the universe.

Engineered Equanimity offers audiences new perspectives on everything from Newtonian mechanics to the production of renewable energy. Free admission. Visit: edgearts.org.

PUBLIC FORUM: RUNNING OUT OF STEAM? Saturday 18, November 9.15am – 1pm n Museum of Bath at Work, Julian Road, Bath In the 1960s an appreciation of our industrial heritage was encouraged by voluntary organisations – industrial archaeologists.

Since then much of the responsibility for this aspect of heritage has been adopted by local authorities, museums and professional organisations. What is the role for voluntary organisations in this changed environment? Can industrial archaeology be left to professional bodies? Speakers will give short presentations and the audience is able to submit its own views. Tickets £5, to include lunch and a glass of wine, tel: 01225 318348, email: mobaw@hotmail.com.

CREATE YOUR OWN SKINCARE PRODUCTS Sunday 19 November n Bath and Royal Literary Institute, Queen Square, Bath Join an organic skincare products workshop with Danish international skincare products creator, Anna Christensen. Become your own personal chemist, creating personalised skin-care products to suit you and your family. For more information and to book, visit: annachristensen.co.uk/workshops or call Anna on 07811 956685.

TALK: THE POLISH AMBASSADOR Tuesday 21 November, 7.30pm n Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, Queen Square, Bath The Ambassador of Poland Arkady Rzegocki’s will offer insights on Poland’s unique cultural position caught between the cultures of Eastern and Western Europe and how its proud and troubled history has shaped the modern nation it is today. Ambassador Rzegocki is a political scientist as well as a diplomat. He specialises in Polish and English political thought, the concept of national interest and the issue of soft power. Tickets: £6 / £4 for BRLSI members and students, from Bath Box Office tel: 01225 463362, email: boxoffice@bathfestivals.org.uk.

FERMENT FEST Friday 24 November, noon – 10pm n Green Park Station, Bath FermentFest is a fermented food and drink festival, full of the things you love and others you soon will. Offering an array of taste sensations from across the south west and Wales, with fun follies, competitions and entertainment throughout the day. All proceeds go to WaterAid, tickets £5 (u12s free).

Find out more at: b4l.org.uk/fermentfest.

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PSYCHEDELIC SCIENCE CAFE Friday 24 November, 5pm – 9pm n The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath To coincide with Seurat to Riley: The Art of Perception, join scientists and mathematicians from the University of Bath for a night of illusion and wonder. Discover the mind-bending illusions that artists such as Bridget Riley create, in a series of fun activities.

Challenge your perception of taste with Great Western Wine.

Sample a cocktail in the café and chill out to the psychedelic tunes of resident DJ, Pablo Tinte. Dress to impress: eye-popping prints and monochrome garb. Admission with exhibition ticket.

BATHAMPTON CHRISTMAS FAIR Saturday 25 November, 10am – 2pm n The Village Hall, Holcombe, Bathampton Santa will be in his grotto (£4 including gift) and there will be fun activities and stalls selling Christmas decorations, cards, stationery, crafts, gifts and sweets. Bacon rolls and hot drinks, sandwiches, cakes and gingerbread. Raffle to win a Christmas hamper. Tel 01225 335088. Proceeds to next year’s village show.

BATH CAMERATA: THE PASSING OF THE YEAR Saturday 25 November, 7.30pm n Holy Trinity Church, Bradford on Avon Bath Camerata celebrates the the passing of the year with a mixed programme of music including Jonathan Dove’s The Passing of the Year, Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Choir, and Ben Parry’s arrangement of It Don’t Mean a Thing as well as music by the current Master of the Queen’s Music, Judith Weir and young composer Tarik O’Regan. Tickets: £16, £8 under 25s, visit: bathcamerata.co.uk or Bath Box Office tel: 01225 463362.

AN EVENING WITH SPARKLECHILD Thursday 30 November, 6.30pm – 9.30pm n Spotty Herberts, Queen Street, Bath Join a hands-on session for adults to make their very own sparkly badge just in time for Christmas. Super sparkly Kristal of Sparklechild, London will run a workshop, to include materials, to make a unique badge. The event is free but there are only 12 spaces available, email kate@spottyherberts.com to reserve your place in the Kingdom of Sparkle. There’ll be 10% off purchases throughout the evening, with 10% of all takings to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

PLANNING AHEAD BATH SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY OPEN DAY Tuesday 5 December, 2.15pm n Manvers Street Baptist Church, Manvers Street, Bath Would you enjoy taking part in readings of plays by Shakespeare?

The society welcomes new members to join the Bath Shakespeare Society which meets on alternate Tuesday afternoons. Find out more at this drop-in open day, or contact the chairman, Dr Peter Davies, on 01380 830267, or the secretary, Diana Pidgeon, on 01225 858630.

A HANDFUL OF SINGERS Saturday 9 December, 5.45pm for mulled wine n Holy Trinity Church, Newton St Loe near Bath A concert of music for Christmas performed by Bath’s highly acclaimed chamber choir directed by its award-winning conductor, Christopher Finch. The concert which takes place in the delightful Holy Trinity Church in Newton St. Loe is supported by the Patrons of Bath Festivals. Mulled wine will be served before the concert. Tickets: £15, Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk. n

WANT TO SEE MORE? VISIT OUR WEBSITE – THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK Or follow us on Twitter: @thebathmagazine

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The Bath Welcome Choir

A SONG FOR ALL OCCASIONS Sing to your heart’s delight as The Bath Magazine reveals some of Bath’s best choirs and their forthcoming performances to look forward to over the festive period and beyond

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n Bath we are rather lucky to have such a variety of choirs, for all ages and genres, at our fingertips. Whether it’s an established group, founded decades ago, or a new choir set up for anyone who just wants to have a go, we can certainly say that the choral ensembles in this city have made a name for themselves.

With the festive period upon us, many choirs have set out their programmes of performances for Christmas and the new year. What better way to get into the festive spirit than with a glass of mulled wine and an uplifting carol service? Whether you’re into ancient works by the world’s bestknown and prolific composers, niche pieces by lesser-known geniuses or much more modern-day music, there is something for everyone to enjoy over the coming months.

And if you’re thinking about trying something new, or if you have a love of singing but haven’t tried it in a while, then some choirs are also looking for new recruits. Recent studies have shown that singing in a group can boost your mental wellbeing and lower your heart rate, as well as your social life, so why not give it a go?

Here’s a selection of Bath-based choirs and some of their forthcoming performances to look out for . . .

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THE BATH WELCOME CHOIR Web: bathwelcomechoir.org The Bath Welcome Choir has been singing for more than six years and the membership is now approaching 90 voices. The choir is led by music man Grenville Jones and meets on Wednesday evenings from 7.45pm at the Upper School Hall, Bath Community Academy in Rush Hill.

The Bath Welcome Choir will again be singing at the opening night of the Christmas Market in Orange Grove from 7pm on Thursday 23 November, and the choir’s Christmas concert is on at 3pm at St Michael’s Without, with free admission.

As the name implies, this is a choir where everyone is welcome. There are no auditions and the members come from across the area.

The repertoire is varied and includes arrangements of modern songs, as well as choral favourites.

“Everything from Snow Patrol and Billy Joel to John Rutter and Bob Chilcott. Come along and see for yourself, and bring a friend!” says Grenville.

Forthcoming concerts: - Christmas Celebration – Sunday 10 December, 3pm, St Michael’s Church,

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Broad Street, free admission, retiring collection to support local charities

BATH CHORAL SOCIETY Web: bath-choral-society.org.uk Email: registrar@bath-choral-society.org.uk Bath Choral Society was founded in 1887 and is now a lively choir of just under 100 voices which engages professional orchestras and soloists to perform a wide ranging sacred and secular repertoire.

This year’s Messiah performances will be at 7.30 pm on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 December, followed by Elijah on Saturday 21 April 2018.

The summer concert on Saturday 23 June will be the Duruflé Requiem. Bath Choral Society will also be holding a ‘Come and Sing’ of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle on Saturday 10 March. Tickets for all concerts are available from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362 or visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk.

Bath Choral Society offers a bursary scheme for singers under 25. The choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7.20 – 9.30pm at Manvers Street Baptist Church.

The choir welcomes new singers in all voice parts, and admission is through a simple audition.

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Bath Choral Society

BATH BACH CHOIR Web: bathbachchoir.org.uk Email: membership@bathbachchoir.org.uk This time last year, Bath Bach Choir was looking ahead to its 70th anniversary season – and what a wonderful year of musicmaking it has been. The choir has been honoured to give performances in Bath Abbey of works by Dvorak, Mozart and Bach. The choir is going on tour to Malmesbury Abbey this month, with a concert of remembrance that features a programme of 20th and 21st century pieces.

Bath Bach Choir’s busiest week of the year is coming up: three annual Carols by Candlelight concerts. This year the choir is taking the first night to St Michael’s Without in Broad Street, followed by two nights at the Pump Room. Among the repertoire of Christmas music old and new – with the usual audience participation led by conductor Nigel Perrin – the choir will be giving the first performance of a carol written by its vice-president Jonathan Willcocks and specially commissioned to commemorate the 70th anniversary.

The choir is also singing at the annual Rotary Club Carol Service in Bath Abbey on Tuesday 12 December.

Next year there’s the first west country performance of Christopher Wood’s Requiem to look forward to. Also on the menu is Rachmaninov’s Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Handel’s Dixit Dominus with authentic baroque orchestra, and David Fanshawe’s multi-media African Sanctus.

Bath Bach Choir

welcome. Contact: workshops@bathbachchoir.org.uk.

- Rachmaninov: Liturgy of St John Chrysostom and Christopher Wood: Requiem – Saturday 24 March 2018, 7.30pm, at Bath Abbey. Tickets from Bath Box Office (available from January 2018).

BATH CAMERATA Web: bathcamerata.co.uk Bath Camerata continues to light the way for exciting, innovative choral music under its inspirational musical director, Benjamin Goodson. Plans for the coming season feature some of the UK’s greatest soloists and composers.

After its recent appearance on BBC Four alongside historian Lucy Worsley and baritone Roderick Williams, Bath Camerata now looks forward to a major performance of Bach’s St John Passion with James Gilchrist at St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol

on Saturday 3 February 2018. Alongside Gilchrist, recognised as the finest Evangelist of his generation, Camerata is joined by a starry line up of the finest Baroque soloists and players to perform Bach’s dramatic masterpiece. Tickets for this special concert are available at a 5% discount for The Bath Magazine readers. Enter the code BATHMAG5 at: bathcamerata.co.uk.

Celebrating the choir’s 30th anniversary in 2016, Bath Camerata commissioned three outstanding composers to write a new piece for each decade of the choir’s history. The new works by Will Todd, Owain Park and Roderick Williams will receive their world premiere performances at Wells Cathedral on Good Friday, 30 March 2018.

In July 2018 the choir will head to the recording studio to record a disc for SOMM records, featuring newly commissioned works plus an exciting selection of music by Master of the Queen’s Music Judith Weir and other leading composers.

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Forthcoming concerts and events: - Concert of Remembrance – Saturday 11 November, 7.30pm, at Malmesbury Abbey.

Tickets £15 from Malmesbury Abbey Music Society, visit: mamsmusic.co.uk.

- Carols by Candlelight – Wednesday 13 December, 7.30pm, at St Michael’s Without, and Thursday 14 and Friday 15 December, 7.30pm, at the Pump Room, Bath. Tickets £18 and £22 from Bath Box Office.

- Annual workshop – Christopher Wood: Requiem – Saturday 27 January 2018 at St Michael’s Without, Bath. Tickets £25 inc score hire and tea and coffee all day. All

Bath Camerata

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Bath Community Gospel Choir

Bath Male Choir

Good Afternoon Choir

A Handful of Singers

BATH MALE CHOIR Web: bathmalechoir.org Bath Male Choir has built up an enviable reputation as one the west country’s leading groups. Started by Grenville Jones back in 2007 and shortly after it was invited to enter a new BBC One Saturday night light entertainment show entitled Last Choir Standing.

The Boys from Bath were dubbed “the wall of sound” by celebrity judge Russell Watson and the choir reached the final stages, singing to a UK wide audience every Saturday evening. Since that time the programme has been screened all over the world earning further massive recognition for the Bath choir.

The choir performs all around the UK and Europe. In 2014 the choir was invited to Japan where it received a standing ovation from an audience of 3,000 at a prestigious male choir festival.

This year the choir is supporting the British Heart Foundation in memory of former member Tony Pickett, on Sunday 10 December at St Michael’s with the Bath Chorus, the final BHF fundraiser.

Forthcoming concerts: - Christmas Celebration – Sunday 10 December, St Michael’s Church, Broad Street, 7.30pm, tickets: £15 from Bath Box Office, raising money for the British Heart Foundation - 2018 – All Saints’ Parish Church in Ryde, Isle of Wight

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local ensemble started by musical director and professional vocalist, Jo Sercombe, 12 years ago. The all-access choir has a mission to bring gospel music to everyone in Bath and beyond. From the popular Oh Happy Day to Michael Jackson’s Will You Be There, the choir’s extensive repertoire includes a wonderful array of uplifting gospel, thumping anthems, pop and RnB. This season you can see the choir at two festive concerts – Tuesday 12 December at St Mary’s, Bathwick and Thursday 14 December at St Paul’s, Chippenham. Both events start at 7.30pm and promise to be an enjoyable evening. Entrance is free and there will be charity donation buckets on exit.

If you’re looking for a fun choir to join, you'll find BCGC in The Ballroom at The Forum, Bath on Tuesdays, 7.45 – 9.30pm (term time only). Term fees are £48 (£40 concs). Go along for a free taster session from Tuesday 9 January 2018, no auditions required.

A HANDFUL OF SINGERS Web: ahandfulofsingers.org In 15 years the highly acclaimed chamber choir, A Handful of Singers, has developed from small beginnings into a choir of 24 singers, and has established a reputation in and around Bath for purity of tone, musical understanding and variety of repertoire.

Under its award-winning musical director Christopher Finch, the choir rehearses in Bath on Tuesday evenings in term-time, preparing for a programme of four concerts each year. The variety of repertoire is an attraction for members and in recent years has stretched from Purcell and Schütz to 21st century American and European music, via well-known major works by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Charpentier, Mozart, Fauré and

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Rachmaninov, and double choir Masses by Vaughan Williams, Frank Martin and Josef Gabriel Rheinberger.

The choir has also given several performances under the baton of Ben Hoffnung, including a concert in Marlborough College Chapel in the presence of the Duchess of Cornwall. In April 2017 the choir joined the Bristol Bach Choir’s 50th birthday celebrations for the south west première of James Macmillan’s beautifully written St Luke Passion in Bristol Cathedral.

In addition to concerts, the Handful is pleased to respond to invitations to sing for other occasions. These have included weddings, carol singing (both for charity and to mark the opening of a new housing development), and the annual Bath Roadpeace memorial ceremony. The choir’s first CD, Sing… Be… Live… See… (4-part Music 4PM/12174), features the works of contemporary American and European composers, was released in 2013.

The choir has a very friendly atmosphere, socialising when time permits. It undertook a very successful first foreign tour in Ireland in 2015, and has just returned from giving two concerts in Siena, Italy.

Forthcoming concerts: - Saturday 9 December – A celebration of seasonal music, supported by the Patrons of Bath Festivals, at Holy Trinity Church, Newton St Loe, mulled wine from 5.45, concert at 6.30 pm. Tickets £15.

- Saturday 20 January 2018 – St. Mary the Virgin, Bathwick.

- Saturday 10 March 2018 – St. Mary the Virgin, Bathwick.

- Saturday 16 June 2018 – Prior Park College Chapel.

Tickets for all concerts are available from Bath Box Office. Visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk.

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Noctis Choir

GOOD AFTERNOON CHOIR Web: goodafternoonchoir.org Grenville Jones has been conducting choirs for more than 25 years and is recognised as one of the most experienced choral leaders in the UK. Back in 2009 he realised that getting to evening rehearsals for some people could be difficult, especially on cold winter nights with the threat of snow and icy roads.

“I started the Bath Good Afternoon Choir on Thursday from 2 – 4pm in the centre of Bath, and now, eight years on we have nearly 100 members. There are no auditions and the accent is very firmly on having fun together through making music.”

The success of this project has led to Grenville starting seven other afternoon choirs in Bristol, Keynsham, Devizes, Frome, Yate/Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury and Wells. Grenville predicts that by the close of 2018 there could be over 20 across the south west with more than 1,500 happy afternoon singers. Grenville is supported by a talented music team.

Forthcoming concerts: - Christmas Celebration – Sunday 10 December, 3pm, St Michael’s Church, Broad Street, free admission, retiring collection to support local charities

BATH MINERVA CHOIR Web: bathminervachoir.co.uk Twitter: @Minerva_Choir Tel Joanna Wiesner: 01225 444190 or email: jmwmusic@icloud.com Bath Minerva Choir is one of the leading choirs in the city, with more than 100 members. This is a friendly non-auditioning choir and welcomes singers of all standards, making it an ideal choir to join whether you are just starting out or are a more experienced and confident singer.

Under the inspiring direction of conductor Gavin Carr, Bath Minerva Choir is taking on a challenging choral repertoire and has set the highest standards of performance.

This year has been a memorable year. For the choir’s spring concert, the members were lucky to be joined by an international team of soloists together with Bath Philharmonia, to perform the magnificent Verdi Requiem in

Bath Children’s Choir

Bath Abbey. It was a truly exhilarating experience.

On Saturday 25 November Bath Minerva Choir will be singing a collection of Purcell’s music in St. Swithin’s, The Paragon. Tickets £15 /under 16s £5 from Bath Box Office.

Noctis is now recruiting tenors and basses for the 2017-18 season so if you are interested in singing with one of Bath’s leading chamber choirs or would like to book the group for a workshop, contact Francis Faux on: francisfaux@hotmail.co.uk.

NOCTIS

Forthcoming concerts: - Durufle Requiem by candlelight – Saturday 11 November, at St Mary’s Church, Bathwick, tickets £12.

- Carols at Whatley Manor – Sunday 10 December, visit: whatleymanor.com for further details.

Web: noctischoir.com Noctis started the year with an educational workshop at Monkton Combe School where musical director Francis Faux and members of the choir worked closely with students on vocal technique, breath control, blend and other facets of choral singing.

In May, the choir performed music by Jussi Chydenius, Nils Lindberg and Ben Parry at The Bath Festival before heading to the glorious setting of the portrait gallery in the Holburne Museum for its summer concert, Northern Lights. Guest soloist Maria Garcia played music by Janacek and Ireland before accompanying the choir for an emotional finale by Ola Gjeilo as the choir bade farewell to one of their basses, Sam Young, who has since moved to London to pursue his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

The next concert is a candlelit vigil at St Mary’s Church, Bathwick on Armistice Day where the choir will perform the Duruflé Requiem, Palestrina’s Missa Aeterna Christi Munera, Tavener’s Funeral Ikos, and music

by Bairstow, Lobo, and Tallis as well as a setting of Lawrence Binyon’s poem For the Fallen, by David Terry.

BATH CHILDREN’S CHOIR Web: bathchildrenschoir.org.uk This is another of Grenville Jones’ choirs that welcomes children who love to sing, aged six – 10, and rehearsals take place between 10.30am to noon at Oldfield Park Baptist Church in Moorland Road on Saturday mornings.

“There are no auditions for joining the choir and parents and family members are always very welcome to sit in. There is no charge for the first rehearsal to find out about the choir and we sing all types of music,” says Grenville.

The accent on the Bath Children’s choir is on enjoyment and building confidence and leader Anna Bland would be delighted to welcome all interested children to a rehearsal. The children come from primary and junior schools all across B&NES and also perform at local concerts.

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Bath Minerva Choir

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Bath Spa University Choir

The Silver Ring Choir of Bath

BATH SPA UNIVERSITY CHOIR Web: bathspa.ac.uk Facebook: @bathspauniversitychoir Rossini’s humorous and anything-but-solemn Petite Messe Solennelle was one of a number of memorable choral highlights from the first half of 2017. Performed in its original incarnation for two pianos and harmonium, the Bath Spa University Choir filled the Wiltshire Music Centre with 90 minutes of quasi-operatic pleasure.

A riveting workshop by Ben Parry (director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and former singer and musical director with The Swingle Singers) soon followed with his atmospheric composition, Flame, opening the choir’s set at this year’s Bath Festival.

Soprano soloist Hannah Scott made sure there wasn’t a dry eye in a packed Bath Abbey during Esenvalds’ Only in Sleep while Matthew Tilley navigated the chorus with aplomb in a spirited preview of Stanford’s Songs of the Fleet.

This season, the choir will return to Bath Abbey for the autumn concert featuring Vierne’s seldom-performed Messe Solennelle as well music by Whitacre, Nystedt, Chesnokov, Casals and Rachmaninov’s Bogoroditse Dyevo.

The annual carol service will take place on Monday 4 December at 7pm and there will be an opportunity to celebrate the festive season with mince pies, mulled wine and a light-hearted medley of Christmas favourites at St Swithin’s Church on Tuesday 12 December.

THE SILVER RING CHOIR OF BATH Web: silverringchoir.org.uk The Silver Ring Choir of Bath is a mixedvoice choir which has been making music since 1951, when it was formed in Bathampton under founder-conductor, Kelvin Thomas MBE. (Kelvin celebrated his 98th birthday in September this year.)

Music has taken the choir all over the world, from New Zealand to the USA and many places in between. In recent years it has confined its tours to Europe, including Paris, the Ardennes and Germany.

Since 2015, conductor Philip Draisey has led the choir into a busy and exciting new period of musical versatility and ambition.

With a repertoire spanning over 500 years and many languages, the choir’s concert schedule continues to thrive and is always looking for new singers to join the increasing membership.

Forthcoming concerts: - Saturday 2 December – St John’s Church, Keynsham - Monday 11 December – Singing for Residents of Bridgemead Care Home - Wednesday 20 December – Carol Service at St Michael’s Without, Broad Street

THE BATH CHORUS Web: thebathchorus.org.uk Another popular choir, this time a mixedvoice group, and with more than 80 singers, led by Grenville Jones. The Bath Chorus meet on Monday evenings at St Bart’s in Oldfield Park and have established themselves as one of the area’s most popular choirs.

This is an auditioned group that performs around the west country. This year on Friday 1 December the choir will again support the National Osteoporosis Society at the annual carol service at St John’s Catholic Church, South Parade.

The Bath Chorus’ own carol concert, supporting the British Heart Foundation, is at St Michael’s on Sunday 10 December, and on Saturday 16 December the choir will travel to Ledbury Parish Church where they have been invited to perform a concert of Christmas music.

New members are always welcome. The choir regularly sings in eight parts. At present there are 28 sopranos, 26 alto voices, 15 bass and 12 tenors.

Forthcoming concerts: - Christmas Celebration – Sunday 10 December, St Michael’s Church, 7.30pm, tickets: £15 from Bath Box Office, raising money for the British Heart Foundation.

Forthcoming concerts: - Vierne Messe Solennelle Thursday 16 November at Bath Abbey, £5/£10 - BSU Carol service Monday 4 December at Bath Abbey, free admission - St Swithin’s Christmas Tuesday 12 December at St Swithin’s Church, Bath, £5/£10

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Bath Abbey Men and Junior Choir

LUCIS Web: lucischoir.com Since its formation in 2014, Lucis has gone from strength to strength. With an everincreasing membership, its reputation is being forged as a choir with something different to offer.

Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols kickstarted the 2016-17 choral season, followed by an open evening led by musical director, Francis Faux.

Prior to a very successful performance of his Jazz Missa Brevis at the Wiltshire Music Centre in May, Lucis hosted internationally renowned choral composer Will Todd for a very insightful workshop and Q&A session.

It was a privilege for the choir to perform for Will and wonderful to be able to receive his critique on their work.

Lucis Choir

The flagship event on Lucis’ calendar was a mini-Glyndebourne event at Prior Park chapel and grounds in July. Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas accompanied by the Lochrian Ensemble was the perfect repertoire for this magnificent setting. The evening could not have been more efficacious, with Lucis in fine voice, a line-up of high-class soloists, notably Esther Brazil (Dido) and Gwilym Bowen (Aeneas), and the chapel full to capacity.

The new choral year is already looking exciting. Tippett’s Five Negro Spirituals is the highlight of their forthcoming Out of Darkness concert, a new experience of performing at Westonbirt Arboretum as part of their Enchanted Christmas programme of events, and a much-anticipated return to Bath Abbey in 2018, featuring the music of Howard Goodall.

Forthcoming concerts: - Out of Darkness – Saturday 25 November, at St. Luke’s Church, Wellsway, £15.

- Enchanted Christmas – Monday 18 December, 5.45pm onwards, Westonbirt Arboretum. Visit: forestry.gov.uk/westonbirtchristmas for further information.

- Eternal Light, Howard Goodall – Saturday 12 May 2018, at Bath Abbey, ticket prices tbc.

- Choral Tour to Cornwall – Summer 2018.

- The Peacemakers, Sir Karl Jenkins – Saturday 10 November 2018, Bristol Cathedral, details tbc.

BATH ABBEY CHOIR Web: bathabbey.org Bath Abbey Choir continues a centuries-old choral tradition, which plays a vital part in the musical life of the abbey and the city.

Bath Abbey has four choirs: boys, girls, men and a junior choir, called Melody Makers.

The abbey has no choir school, which enables it to draw some of the most gifted young voices from a variety of local schools.

The 16 adult singers come from many different walks of life and live in and around Bath. The Abbey Choirs perform music at services every Sunday as well as a number special services throughout the year. They also undertake trips abroad, enjoying good relationships with churches in Bath’s twin cities and broadcast both on radio and TV, making regular appearances on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 3.

The abbey’s music department is currently run by director, Huw Williams. Applications from boys (aged seven – 10) and girls (aged 10 – 13) who enjoy singing, and have an appetite to work hard, are welcomed.

Contact: HWilliams@bathabbey.org or tel: 07985 923 365 to find out more. n

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BRIGHT NOTES FOR A DARK MONTH November may traditionally be a month without colour, but the city’s galleries will lift our spirits

ONE TWO FIVE GALLERY 4 Abbey Green, Bath Open: Wednesday to Saturday, 11am – 5pm, Sunday, 12pm – 4pm Tel: 07803 033 629 Visit: onetwofivegallery.co.uk AUTUMN/WINTER COLLECTION Throughout November Carole Waller has drawn on a number of threads to weave stories from her home city of Bath to create her new collection of clothing and scarves. The 1694 map by Joseph Gilmore of Bath with its charming drawings of hostelries and guest houses has inspired a new body of work.

Gentle curves of the Royal Crescent are recorded on scarves in the year it celebrates its 250th anniversary. Carole says “I love the idea of the fluidity and sense of movement of paintings on cloth which contrast with the stillness of architectural structures.”

The 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death is captured on silk scarves. These conversation pieces feature text taken from Northanger Abbey and Austen’s diaries focusing on her very entertaining references to clothes.Words merge into images of lace and Carole’s signature bold brush strokes. “I have tried to make the design of the scarf remind you of gossip – hardly heard and sometimes misinterpreted,” she says.

Abstract designs also feature in the new collection with blacks and brights like “firework colours in the dark sky”, says Carole. Sharp raspberry and emerald greens are favourites combined with graphic representations of old lace collars.

Softer shades of greys and golds also feature. Tactile velvet coats and jackets and shawls crafted from silk herringbone fabric are practical and warm for cool evenings. An Indian collective in Gujarat is piecing together off-cuts of Carole’s painted fabric and assembling them into coats using traditional kantha hand stitching and patchwork.

Each piece is unique, like all of Carole’s work, which is in effect wearable art. More tailored pieces can be commissioned to order.

44AD GALLERY

Golden Oak Bathampton by Ron Adams

Abbey Street, Bath Daily, 11am to 6pm, Sundays 1pm to 3pm Tel: 07753 378325 Visit: 44ad.net

RON ADAMS AND NICHOLAS WILLSMER Monday 6 – Sunday 12 November Ron Adams studied in Cardiff, Norwich and the University of Bath.

He is interested in colour, movement and stillness. This can be seen in a variety of subjects including skyscapes; landscapes with brilliance radiating from a golden oak tree in autumn or sheep peacefully grazing on the meadows at Bathampton, snowstorms over the valley; nocturnes in Greece; still lifes and geometrical, abstract shapes

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with heightened shadows painted in Porto Rafti, Greece.

Ron has shown and sold paintings through Imagianation Gallery Bath and in Greece.

He has paintings in private collections in the UK and abroad. He accepts commissions and can be contacted at ron@aetos.co.uk.

Nicholas Willsmer paints in his studio in Bath. He works are in monochrome and colour. Nicholas currently works at the University of Bath teaching a variety of subjects on sports undergraduate programmes.

He has always been fascinated by sport and the human body in numerous contexts, this is influenced by the sports he watches and has competed in, and also his travels around the world to surf and watch sport.

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LANE HOUSE ARTS 5 Nelson Place East, Bath Wed – Fri, 10am – 5.30pm, Sat 10.30am – 6pm Tel: 07767 498403 Visit: lanehousearts.co.uk ABIGAIL BOWEN Throughout November

City Edge by Catherine Beale

IMAGIANATION GALLERY 5 Terrace Walk, Bath Tel: 01225 312996 Visit: imagianation.com Open: 11am – 5pm CATHERINE BEALE Until Sunday 19 November An exhibition of new work by Catherine Beale who is celebrating 21 years of artistic practice. The contemporary watercolours spotlight Bath’s topographic hotspots – where buildings squeeze along vertical ridgeways, cascade down hillsides and sit tightly beside the river and canal as they wind together through the city. Catherine’s landscape techniques feed into her portraits. Her work sells to regional and international clients and at national exhibitions.

Brighton artist Abigail Bowen works on a large scale, creating emotionally informed abstract paintings. She tries to create fully autonomous paintings that evoke an emotional response in the viewer. She often starts with a word, feeling or passage of text and tries to visualise those emotions in colour, form and scale. Although some areas of the canvas may resemble water, clouds or sky, she tries to remove all references to reality in the hope that the viewer can respond to the paintings as unique objects in their own right. Her work explores love, motherhood, loss – drawing on personal experience to create beautiful paintings out of life’s difficult emotions.

This is her first exhibition with Lane House Arts.

THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM Great Pulteney Street, Bath Tel: 01225 388569 Open: daily, 10am – 5pm (11am Sundays) Admission is free, but for the special exhibitions there is a £10 entrance charge Web: holburne.org

The Morning Walk by Georges Seurat, courtesy of The National Gallery

Indian Tree by Howard Hodgkin

VICTORIA ART GALLERY

By Pulteney Bridge Open daily, 10.30am – 5pm Tel: 01225 477233 Visit: victoriagal.org.uk

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SEURAT TO RILEY: THE ART OF PERCEPTION Friday 20 October – Sunday 21 January The special exhibitions at the Holburne are always a pleasure and this carefully curated show highlights work from a 150 year history, exploring how the human eye sees and how the artist expresses that perception.

There’ll be work from pointillist Georges Seurat right through to the op and kinetic art of Bridget Riley, Jeffrey Steele and Peter Sedgeley. One of the nice things about visiting the Holburne is that you can spend several hours exploring a diverse collection of art and beautiful historic objects, always learning something new and enjoy a good cup of coffee and some cake in the cafe. The Art of Perception is accompanied by a programme of talks and events.

GALLERY AND BARROW 118a Walcot Street, Bath

HOWARD HODGKIN: INDIA ON PAPER Until Sunday 7 January Richly coloured images of India painted by a modern British painter over more than 40 years of visits to the country. He was an alumni of Bath Academy of Art, where he studied and taught. Some of the work here has never been shown before and some are from the publicly owned gallery’s own collection.

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open: Tuesday to Saturday, 11am – 5.30pm tel: 01225 311379 Visit: galleryandbarrow.com WINTER SCENES Wednesday 1 November – Sunday 31 December A collection of art featuring log cabins, skiers, snow covered silver birches, mountains and snowdrops. Artists include Rennie Pilgrim, Clare Cutts, Fiona Gray, Heather Power and Michelle Loa Kum Cheung. The gallery also has artisan gifts such as candles, lanterns, votives and vases.

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Apres Ski by Rennie Pilgrim

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nick cudworth gallery

Triple Glazing – oil on canvas and prints.

NEW HORIZONS

Lecture Series 2017/18

‘The Sculpted Horse’ Lecturer: Viv Lawes at 1.30pm

Until end of November An exhibition of paintings reflecting different aspects of Bath skylines through windows and reflected surfaces

5 London Street (top end of Walcot Street), Bath BA1 5BU tel 01225 445221 / 07968 047639

on

Monday 6th November 2017 at The Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street Bath visitors welcome £10 at the door (no booking required)

www.theartssocietybath.com

gallery@nickcudworth.com www.nickcudworth.com

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MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN ART Bennett Street, Bath Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 12 – 5pm Visit: meaa.org.uk DRESSED TO IMPRESS: NETSUKE AND JAPANESE MEN’S FASHION Saturday 4 November – 22 April 2018 The museum has teamed up with the British Museum for this exhibition featuring a selection of detailed netsuke and other traditional Japanese male dress accessories from the Edo period (1615-1868). Netsuke are a form of Japanese miniature sculpture, primarily functional, but which evolved into an important art form in Japan. They were used by men as toggles to fasten tobacco and medicine pouches to the belts of their kimonos.

This exhibition features netsuke chosen from the British Museum’s collection, with pieces from MEAA’s collection. Also on display will be a number of inro (a case for holding small objects), a sword, and smoking accessories. This is the first collaboration between the British Museum and MEAA after a partnership was formalised in 2013.

This exhibition is supported by the Dorset

Soft Light British Ocean by Gareth Edwards

DAVID SIMON CONTEMPORARY 3 – 4 Bartlett Street, Bath Tel: 01225 460189 Visit: davidsimoncontemporary.com Open: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm, and Wednesday, 2 – 6pm GARETH EDWARDS: AFTER THE RAIN Friday 3 – Monday 27 November Edwards’ work has slowly evolved from abstraction towards a more specifically landscape based approach. The paintings remain open and free with abstracted elements but are now more spatial, more elemental and evoke emotional weathers and poetic atmospheres. This exhibition debuts Edwards’ work at the gallery, following the artist winning the David Simon Contemporary Prize at the Royal West of England Academy in 2016.

Stoneware ceramics by Gabriele Koch accompany the exhibition. Gabriele Koch trained at Goldsmiths College, London and is internationally recognised and exhibited.

Chinese boy holding a mask for a lion dance. Mikawachi kilns (Saga prefecture), Japan, 1800s ©The Trustees of the British Museum

Foundation. Events: Talk: Dressed to Impress: Adornment in Early Modern Japan, Friday 10 November 7pm, with Dr Nicole Rousmaniere of Japanese Arts at the British Museum. Workshop: Japanese Textile Dyeing, Saturday 18 November, 11am – 4pm, with Mamiko Markham. Workshop: Netsuke exhibition family session, Sunday 19 November 2pm – 3.30pm.

BLACK SWAN ARTS 2 Bridge Street, Frome Open: Monday to Saturday 10am – 4pm (also open Sunday 5 November to coincide with the monthly Frome Independent Market which fills the town centre) Visit: blackswan.org.uk BLACK SWAN OPEN Tuesday 2 – Wednesday 29 November

Dear Diego by John Robinson

The annual open show has a reputation for attracting some of the very best contemporary artists and for selecting original artwork – all work is for sale, from painting, printmaking and sculpture to ceramics, textiles and multimedia work.

Pictured is Dear Diego by John Robinson, last year’s winner.

EMMA ROSE Upstairs at 78 Walcot Street, Bath (above Bath Sofa and Curtain Company) Visitors welcome Open: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm Tel: 07885235915 or 01225 424 424 Visit: emmaroseartworks.com AUTUMN’S FALL Throughout November Emma Rose explores the potential of negative space to represent light - often referencing ma, the concept in Japanese aesthetics that translates roughly as ‘gap’ or ‘pause’, and which in traditional practice helps balance the relationship between different areas of an image. This focus on the space between things lends her paintings an ethereal presence – summed up by Autumn’s Fall.

Original contemporary paintings, limited edition glicée prints and cards.

Autumn’s Fall by EmmaRose

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November 10 & 11 Nov 48 hr only Art Fair Preview Our Bath preview of the work going to this year’s Edinburgh Art Fair.

Saturday 11 Nov 2-4pm Roo Abrook will be here to answer your questions and have an informal chat.

Roo Abrook

ART Salon 21 Broad Street Bath BA1 5LN

Open Mon - Sat 10 - 6pm Sunday 12 - 4pm Or visit us online artsalon.co.uk

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13 Nov - 23 Dec The Christmas Show The unusual and affordable handcrafted British artworks and gifts. From brick vases to Dennis the Menace prints. With most work £20 - £150, do something unique this year and support British artists too.

Saturday 25 Nov A 1 day event with discounts and a glass of bubbly to say thank you for all your support this year. Many of our artists will be here to help celebrate.

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WALCOT CHAPEL GALLERY

Rooftops and Spires by Nick Cudworth

Walcot Gate, Walcot Street, Bath Open: 10am – 6.30pm Visit: justdrawing-bath.tumbr.com Tel: 07766005724 JUST DRAWING Saturday 2 – Sunday 10 December A group show of drawings by recent graduates: Daniel Blumberg, Tom Harrison, Joe Hoyt, Chaz Hughes, Samantha Marshall and Liam Walker.

Most of the artists have shown and won awards including the Jerwood Drawing Prize, Scottish New Contemporaries, Royal Drawing School and Yale School of Art. Stylistically diverse both in their work and backgrounds, a love of drawing unites these artists and their individual practices.

Tea set, Moonlight Black from Gallery Nine

GALLERY NINE 9b Margarets Buildings, Bath Open Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm Tel: 01225 319197 Email: info@gallerynine.co.uk Visit: gallerynine.co.uk

The gallery offers a show by British and European contemporary artists, ceramicists and jewellers. Phillip Lyons captures the ever changing light of the Cornish coastline in his work, while ceramicist Christiane Wilhelm creates modern ornaments with incised, painted and scored textures. Katharina Klug is inspired by the elemental colour and shape of ancient Korean pottery, while Ramp (Roop and Al Make Pots) treat each hand thrown piece like a painting so that everything becomes a uniquely hand crafted artwork. Maria Wodjat creates vibrantly coloured vessels and jewellers Ulli Kaiser and Robin Shelton also offer individual and unique pieces which would make great presents.

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London Street, top of Walcot Street, Bath Closed on Mondays. Tel: 01225 445221 Visit: nickcudworth.com NEW HORIZONS Until end of November Nick Cudworth, who has been painting Bath for many years, shows paintings and prints reflecting different aspects of Bath skylines through windows and reflected surfaces.

CHARITY ART AUCTION The Assembly Rooms, Bath PRINCE’S TRUST AUCTION Thursday 30 November This is the fourth year of this fundraising event, which raises money to support disadvantaged young people in Bath and throughout the south west. The event brings together art lovers to view and bid for exclusive art, which has been donated to the auction.

Artists who this year have given pieces include the highly respected Sir Peter Blake, best known for creating The Beatles’ album cover Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Bristol based Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit, printmaker Anita Klein, whose work is popular with collectors, and Daisy Sims Hilditch who was recently selected for the BP awards at the National Portrait Gallery and has had work exhibited at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. Previous art auctions organised by The

WALCOT CHAPEL

WINTER EXHIBITION Friday 2 November – Sunday 31 December

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Walcot Street, Bath Open: 11am – 6pm and 2 November and 9 November, noon to 9pm Visit: troymodern.co.uk A COLLECTOR’S HOME Thursday 2 – Sunday 12 November

This is a fully catalogued mixed exhibition, with prices ranging from £5 to £5,000, curated by Charles Troy, who runs Troy, which he describes as ‘design art for the curious.’ It’s a unique take of the domestic landscape of modernity and the new millennium, consisting of: 100 unique or rare design and graphic art pieces dated, c1870 – 2005, 20 contemporary paintings by Juliana Soto and 50 photographs, dated 1862 – 2007.

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Prince’s Trust have raised an impressive £231,000, which has been used by the youth charity to help young people get into work, training or education.

Tickets for the gala evening and auction Printmaker Anita Klein has donated a are priced at piece – not this one – to the auction £1,500 for a table of ten at the Assembly Rooms in Bath. This will include a Champagne reception and three course dinner.

For tickets email: jack.lewis@princestrust.org.uk or tel: 0117 943 4942

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ADAM GALLERY John Street, Bath Open daily tel: 01225 480406 Visit: adamgallery.com

DAN PARRYJONES: ABSORBED

Still life with earthenware pot and poppy by Jo Barrett

BEAUX ARTS York Street, Bath Open Monday to Saturday, 10am – 5pm Tel: 01225 464850 Visit: beauxartsbath.co.uk NEW WORKS Until Saturday 11 November New paintings by Sunday Times Watercolour award winner Akash Bhatt, new sculpture by Beth Carter and ceramics by Akiko Hirai.

Saturday 28 October – Saturday 18 November Dan Parry Jones is based in Bristol and his work has a strong urban element. Not unlike Banksy though his technique is quite different in that he uses screen printing, collage and painting, rather than stencilling etc. The Adam Gallery has been working with him for around six years and he is building up a following both in the UK and internationally.

Esperanza by Dan Parry-Jones

THE WEST BARN Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 5pm

JO BARRETT Monday 20 November – Sunday 24 December Jo graduated from Bath Spa University in 2000 and has had a series of solo shows.

She specialises in beautifully lit, calm still lifes.

JONATHAN MULVANEY Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November Jonathan is displaying his latest pictures of Bath and Bradford on Avon. He says of his work that his is a lifetime’s journey of exploration and that the trajectory is always upward.

Pictured is Town Bridge, Summer by Jonathan Mulvaney

AXLE ARTS Leighton Road, Weston, Bath Tel: 01225 461230 Visit: axlearts.com Email: info@axlearts.com Open: Moday to Saturday, 10am – 5pm by appointment

Summer by Jenny Cowderoy

44AD GALLERY Abbey Street, Bath Daily, 10am – 6pm Visit: 44ad.net JENNY COWDEROY Monday 30 October– Sunday 5 November

A new and striking collection of semiabstract, highly expressive paintings by Bath based artist Jenny Cowderoy. Jenny has developed a raw and emotional style using, as inspiration, all the things she has loved since childhood, from traditional Japanese art and the work of JMW Turner to the ever changing beauty of the river.

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RHIAN JONES CERAMICS Wednesday 1 – Friday 30 November Rhian Jones’ elegant ceramics draw inspiration from ancient Egyptian burial rites. She also references traditional tribal African art in the form of round bellied pots.

Jones builds each vessel by hand from earthstone clay using a form of coiling. Once leather-dry each piece is burnished using a stone to create a lustrous finish before being biscuit fired. In the next stage the vessels are carefully packed into a fire-pit and interleaved with a range of items, such as seaweed, dried cow-pats and banana skins.

Once lit, the fire burns for three hours before being sealed and left overnight. The resulting earthy colours come from the minerals released by the organic matter as it burns and penetrates deep into the ceramic.

Cracks and breaks are painstakingly repaired using the centuries old tradition of

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Japanese Kintsugi, translated as golden joinery. However, instead of finishing with gold powder Jones uses 24ct gold leaf. The resulting vessel is unique, imbued with the love and care demanded of its creator.

Rhian Jones graduated from Carmarthen School of Art in 2015 and is based in West Wales. Her work is available to view at Axle Arts by appointment.

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SINGING AND SPEECH LESSONS For performance, presentations and job interviews or simply for enjoyment

with professional actor/singer Lloyd Notice, from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. (credits include “Mufasa “in West End,” The Lion king.”

The Royal Shakespeare Company, film and radio.

Lloyd has taught voice for over 15 years and has helped clients in performance, win scholarships’ and job interviews through vocal training.

1:1 and group sessions in all aspects of voice training.

For more details contact Lloyd anytime: 07949 173 034 “Lloyd is a fantastic and encouraging teacher. He has helped me become a better singer, with the confidence to produce my own cd.”

Sybil Mansfield

“Lloyds infectious enthusiasm for voice, even my voice has filled me with greater confidence in public speaking.”

Dr Rick James MBA

MAGAZINE DESIGN / PRODUCTION / WEB ASSISTANT This is a superb opportunity for a bright and talented, creative person to become fully involved in all aspects of our magazine design and production process. An all-round role that includes everything from picture and copy research, working with clients on advertising artwork, liaising with editorial teams, to helping design and layout product pages, special features, as well as create, co-ordinate, and send the finished pages to press on The Bath Magazine and The Bristol Magazine You will also be involved in uploading content of our two websites; The ideal candidate will possess good office and administration skills, be well organised and able to work on own initiative as well being an integral part of our publishing team.

A knowledge of design software such as Quark Xpress, In Design, as well as Adobe Photoshop / Illustrator is a must.

A knowledge of web design, content upload and internet applications would also be desirable. Educated to a good standard, you will be highly personable, articulate and able to clearly communicate at all levels.

As well as all the above - an eye for detail, a flair for design, and a interest in print and magazine design is a must.

Please send your CV and covering letter to: Steve Miklos, MC Publishing Limited 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED email: director@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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SWEDISH HOUSE AT HOME

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CITY | HISTORY

WAR HERO TOOK THE WATERS Military historian Christopher Joll looks at Lord Nelson’s time spent in Bath and the legacy of this great Briton

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Her husband had been keeping his feet (and his other remaining body parts) warm on the voluptous form of Emma, Lady Hamilton

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n 21 October 1805, William Holburne, one of Bath’s greatest benefactors, was an 11-year old Midshipman on board HMS Orion, which was about to join battle with the French Fleet off Cape Trafalgar.

As Holburne’s ship closed with the enemy battleship, Intrepide, his Admiral’s wife, Frances, Viscountess Nelson and Duchess of Bronté, was on holiday in Bath, doing her best to avoid the pitying stares of Bath’s fashionable society, all of whom knew that, since 1798, her husband had been keeping his feet (and his other remaining body parts) warm on the voluptuous form of Emma, Lady Hamilton, wife of the British Minister at the Bourbon Court of King Ferdinand of Naples and Sicily.

Since 1781, the Nelsons had been frequent visitors to Bath starting when, accompanied by his father, the Reverend Edmund Nelson, the partially paralysed Horatio had boarded at the house of the apothecary, Joseph Spry, at 2 Pierrepont Street. It was from this address, now marked with a bronze plaque, that Nelson junior took the cure to help with his recovery from the malaria he had contracted on active service in Nicaragua the previous year. The upwardly-mobile sailor accompanied by his new bride, Frances, stayed with Spry again in 1788, while on a holiday to meet Fanny’s relations in Bristol, and returned once more in 1797, by which time the apothecary had moved to Argyle Buildings. On this occasion, Nelson was hoping that the waters would ease the pain of the stump of his right arm, which he had lost at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The last time that the Nelsons visited Bath as a couple was in early 1798, this time to attend to the Reverend Edmund who had taken to wintering at 9 Pierrepont Street.

The, by now, one-armed and one-eyed sailor, who started his affair with Lady Hamilton shortly after his victory at the Battle of the Nile later that year, never set foot in the city again. But, on and off until 1815, his wife Frances continued to spend time in Bath, caring for Nelson’s elderly father after the breakdown of her marriage until the man’s death in 1802, and it was in the city that she learned of the news of her husband’s victory at Trafalgar and her new status as a naval widow.

The story of Nelson’s death at Trafalgar is something that every schoolboy and girl used to be taught. As he laying dying below decks on the Victory, surrounded by his loyal crew, he famously said: “Kiss me Hardy” and

among his last utterances was: “Thank God I have done my duty.” News of his death spread like wildfire through England, reaching Penzance first, where the mayor of the Cornish town broke the news to townspeople from the balcony of the Union Hotel. Couriers carrying messages from the victory against the French, and the names of those killed, hurried from Falmouth to the Admiralty in London – now known as the 300-mile Trafalgar Way and marked in 2005 with a series of commemorative plaques along the route.

Although there is no evidence that Sir

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William Holburne ever met the Nelsons, there is a connection between the future philanthropist and England’s most famous sailor: a small wooden snuff box currently residing in a display case at the Holburne Museum.

Bath is a city remarkably uncluttered with the memorabilia of war. Its souvenirs of the Crimean War, a pair of large Russian cannons, were taken away in 1941 for conversion into munitions to drop on the Germans, whose retaliation in 1942 echoed down the years when a 500lb Luftwaffe bomb was found in 2016 in the grounds of Mary Berry’s alma mater at Hope House, Lansdown. But, like the Russian guns removed from the Royal Victoria Park in 1941, the bomb was taken away and destroyed, leaving Bath once again unencumbered with the material of war – providing one overlooks the Holburne’s wooden snuff box.

According to the inscription on a gilt metal plaque on the lid, the box was made from an oak companion ladder on HMS Victory down which the mortally wounded Vice

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CITY | HISTORY

A NATION MOURNED: main picture, Lord Horatio Nelson, by LF Abbott from the National Maritime Museum Above, crowds gathering in Pierrepont Street, Bath for the unveiling of a plaque in 1900 to mark the house where Nelson recuperated.

The tablet can still be seen today Picture courtesy of @BathinTime Top right, Lady Emma Hamilton by George Romney Bottom right, the HMS Victory snuffbox in the Holburne Museum, dated from around 1820. It’s inscribed: made from the companion ladder down which Nelson was carried on the glorious 21st October 1805 and HMS Victory in Portsmouth is now a tourist attraction

Admiral was carried at the height of the Battle of Trafalgar. While there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the snuff box’s provenance, there are almost as many relics of Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar as there are hooves of Napoleon’s charger at Waterloo and surviving fragments of the True Cross.

Indeed, it is a wonder that the famous 104-gun, First Rate Ship-ofthe-Line, which has been in a dry dock in Portsmouth harbour since 1922, has any original fittings left after the depredations of the French, termites, barnacles and souvenir hunters. Even Victory’s White Ensign, which was flown during the battle in 1805 and which covered Nelson’s coffin at his state funeral, did not survive the trophy hunters: it was torn to shreds by the Royal Navy bearer party, who – it is alleged – had previously consumed the spiced brandy from the barrel in which the Admiral’s body had been pickled after his death.

features on the houses which originally surrounded Trafalgar Square, not after the battle itself. n

How or why the snuff box was acquired by Sir William Holburne is not known, beyond the assumption that he wanted it as a souvenir not only of the battle in which he had fought, but also as a memento mori of his late Commander-in-Chief.

However, while Holburne’s legacy is omni-present in Bath, but largely unknown outside, the reverse is true of Nelson whose presence in the city is limited to the Holburne Museum’s snuff box, the brass plaque at 2 Pierrepont Street, and several buildings of varying age and quality, the very best of which are the magnificent early-19th century Nelson Place West, Nile Street and Norfolk Crescent named, respectively and in commemoration, after the late Admiral, his first great victory over the French and his home county.

On a footnote, sadly for Bath’s romantics and lovers of urban myths, the so-called Trafalgar iron balconies to be found on many buildings in the city are named after the architectural

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Christopher Joll is a Bath resident and a former officer in The Life Guards turned author of military historical fact and fiction who also writes, directs and produces military theatrical events for armed services charities. Recently appointed Regimental Historian of the Household Cavalry, he wrote Uniquely British: A Year in the Life of the Household Cavalry, published in 2012. He is also the author of the popular military-history actionadventure series, The Speedicut Papers. This article is adapted from a story about Nelsonian memorabilia to be published in 2018 in The Spoils of War: Treasures, Trophies and Trivia of the British Empire.

The author is grateful to the Nelson Society and The Holburne Museum, Bath, for assistance with this article.

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A WRITER ON READING...

Georgette McCready sought writer Susan Hill’s views on books, as the award-winning novelist releases a new memoir based on her reading habits

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ne of the great British storytellers of her generation, a writer who has made readers audiences jump out of their skins with her classic ghost story, The Woman in Black, who created the eligible detective Simon Serrailler and had the confidence to write a sequel to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Susan Hill has now turned her talents inwards to contemplate her own life as a reader.

Her latest book, Jacob’s Room Is Full of Books, reflects on a calendar year of her own reading habits. Her eclectic eye takes her from Edith Wharton to Alan Bennett, and from Virginia Woolf to the writings of 12th century monk Aelred of Rievaulx. She writes about the books she has read, re-read or returned to the shelf and charts the background of where she read them, whether it be sitting under a shady tree in a hot French summer, or in the warmth of a kitchen during an English winter.

Where does reading end and living begin?

This is one of the big questions she throws as a lifelong reader, and one which other avid devourer of books will also want to ponder.

The book follows her previous literary inspired memoir, Howard’s End is on the Landing. We learn about Hill’s own reading habits with interest. She has little time for Jane Austen, has never read Jane Eyre and receives a Beano annual for Christmas.

I sent Susan a set of questions about reading and books, which she has replied to in her own words and in a direct, forthright and honest manner.

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Do you get annoyed that bookshops and libraries like to display books under categories rather than by author, so, for instance, the Simon Serrailler books are filed separately, under crime, from the rest of your work?

Not at all. Many people who enjoy the Serraillers, and/or who only read crime find them whereas they wouldn’t look under Fiction. I think maybe the best one could hope for would be a sort of cross-over sticker on a shelf – ‘Susan Hill’s other novels are under Fiction’ – but that might result in too many stickers altogether.

Does displaying by category e.g. science fiction or historical novel, limit our exploration of fiction?

No. It doesn't mine anyway.

Why are people snobby about reading, for example it’s OK to like Jane Austen (which you have said you don’t) but it’s not OK to like say Jodi Picoult?

There is a serious point to be made here in that in the great scheme of things some novels are more serious and may become classic fiction, than others. Of course Mozart and Andrew Lloyd Webber are not equal.

They are not only different, Mozart is the greater composer. That has nothing to do with people enjoying ALW better – or enjoying both. Same applies to great novelists and the rest. There is also the ‘best of its kind’ for example the Best Historical fiction or Best Crime. Some authors demonstrably write better than others, have

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broader imaginations, greater depth of human understanding etc. than others.

Having said all that, you read what you enjoy and what is wrong with that? The only thing that makes me hopeful is that if people love reading, they will gradually expand their horizons. If you love chick lit, great but don’t let it stop you from exploring other and possibly better fiction.

Can a film or stage play ever be as good as the original book?

This is a non-question. It is simply DIFFERENT. A book is book shaped and a film is film shaped . . . different media. The point is that the adaptation into whatever media of a book should be as good OF ITS OWN KIND as possible. There is no such thing as a totally faithful adaptation that works because the two are not the same.

Is Jacob’s Room Is Full of Books a reliable guide to a good read in your opinion?

It’s MY reliable guide, or one of them, to a good read but I could write 100 more. I hope it leads people to good books.

Jacob’s Room is such a beautifully designed book, is that important? Do you ever read on a Kindle or do you always have to have the tangible book in your hand? I have refused to read books if I didn’t like the font used, do you have similar prejudices about the physical presentation of a book?

Yes. I started a Kindle, and disliked it. Gave up. So have many other people I know and I don’t know all the reasons.

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AUTHOR | PROFILE

YOU CAN JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER: main image, Susan Hill Above, her new book and right, Daniel Radcliffe starred in the film version of Hill’s classic gothic ghost story, The Woman in Black

I have a physical relationship with my books – I write in them and turn down corners and underline. I make them mine. I love the shape and feel and texture of a book and its paper.

So reading books on very cheap absorbent paper that yellows within a month is no pleasure.

I also loathe sans serif fonts and actually, if a whole book is printed in sans serif I can’t read it. But you will find that very few are. Covers matter enormously. I have bought many a book for its cover. And my Profile Books covers are among the best I

have ever been lucky enough to have – things of great beauty in their own right.

whole of John le Carré, which have all been re-jacketed and at the moment I’m on The Honourable Schoolboy, set in Hong Kong, which is terrific. In prose style alone, he teaches us all how to do it.

Susan Hill will be the guest of Topping & Co bookshop on Thursday 16 November, 7.30pm, at Christ Church, Julian Road, Bath.

Tickets from £7, from the bookshop on the Paragon, tel: 01225 428111.

Jacob’s Room is Full of Books by Susan Hill is published by Profile Books, £12.99. n

What are you working on now and can we expect another Simon Serrailler story?

Yes – as they say, by popular demand, I am doing another Serrailler book.

And something completely different too . . . but am not saying what.

Finally, what are you currently reading and are you enjoying it?

I am re-reading my way through the

Hans J. Wegner Elbow Chair, designed 1956. Dining Table, designed 1960

S annon F U R N I T U R E LT D

Contemporary Nordic furniture from Carl Hansen and Son, Fritz Hansen and Swedese.

Lighting by Louis Poulsen. Our homewares include Marimekko, Iittala, Rorstrand, with lots of Moomin mugs, fabric and throws from Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

68 Walcot Street Bath BA1 5BD 01225 424222 www.shannon-uk.com THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic.

Visit: capturethespirit.co.uk, tel: 01225 483151

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BATH @ WORK

Our series of photographic portraits by Neill Menneer shows Bath people at work. View a gallery of Bath@Work subjects at: thebathmag.co.uk

Claire Smith

Engineer at Buro Happold

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was brought up in Surrey and I went to Farnborough Hill Convent School, although both my parents were originally from Bristol. It was probably for this reason that I gravitated towards the west country and Bath when I chose to study at university.

I had originally wanted to study maths, physics and needlework at A level but my careers teacher wisely persuaded me to drop the needlework. She recognised that as well as a love of science I had a practical bent and suggested that engineering would possibly satisfy this creative urge. Ted Happold was the head of department in the engineering faculty in Bath when I went there in 1988. An inspirational character, Ted was a big influence in my engineering life. He encouraged team collaboration and was very skilled at drawing out people’s strengths. He was also an amazingly innovative engineer and often joked that the Pompidou Centre was designed on his kitchen table.

I have always wanted to learn new things and experience different approaches so after three years at Buro Happold I then went to work at Whitby Bird in Walcot Street followed by a further couple of years at Architen who were fabric structures contractors in Wrington. They specialise, as their name suggests, in tensile tent-like structures with canopies, like the covered stand at Bath Rugby. I gained valuable lessons and insights there and understood from the contractor’s perspective how disciplined and thorough one needs to be when specifying designs.

These lessons would help me enormously when I returned to Buro Happold in 2001. Since I’ve been with the company we have been involved in some exciting and world beating projects including the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, The Olympic Stadium and The London Cable Car Project. Locally we have completed the Hayesfield School expansion and the tree top walkway at Westonbirt.

We continue to work with Dyson in Malmesbury, on the Bath South Quays Project and the renovation of Newark Works (where Neill took the picture). As BH’s business development leader in the south west I am excited about the future in Bath. Major projects such as Bath North and South Quays, the redevelopment of the Mineral Hospital and the redevelopment at Bath Rugby are all poised to start in the coming year. This is incredibly positive for Bath building on the heritage of our city with high quality buildings to enhance our city. The Bath Quays projects will create a business area linked to the city centre via a new bridge. These multi-million pound projects will generate new river amenity space, start-up premises for small businesses and large office space for more established business wanting to move or expand.

On a more personal note I get involved in projects closer to my home in Camden. We have a beautiful landscaped garden nearby, the Millennium Green near St Stephen’s Church for which I am the treasurer. The land was purchased to save the allotments in 1998 and the trustees and friends run events to fund the maintenance of the gardens, a highlight of which is the Lansdown open garden day in May. You can fund-a-day for £20 to help with the gardening. I recently rejoined the Minerva Rowing Club (now in Newbridge) as we are introducing the sport to our children.

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perfectly personalised gifts and laser cut designs www.peppermintpig.co.uk Personalised gifts from as little as £3 –

free UK post and packaging

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FOOD | NEWS

FRIENDS, ROMANS LEND ME YOUR VOUCHERS

TITBITS

GASTRONOMIC EXPLORER: Olia Hercules

■ Food writer and chef, Ukrainian born Olia Hercules invites us to learn about the food culture and recipes of countries less explored. Her first book Mamushka, was a celebration of Ukrainian food. Now she’s coming to Bath (she’ll be at Topping & Co bookshop on Monday 13 November from 8pm) to talk about her new cookbook, Kaukasis, which is filled with stories and recipes, focusing on Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the Caucasian regions. There will also be the chance to sample some of the exciting tastes, such as chestnut plov with pumpkin crust or tarragon pie and mint adjika from regions bridging Eastern Europe and Asia.

■ The Scallop Shell fish restaurant in Bath has made the shortlist for the UK’s top 20 fish and chip restaurants and will now go through to a place in the final of the 2018 National Fish and Chip awards.

■ Following on from National Vegan Day, which takes place on Wednesday 1 November, the National Vegan Society is launching a new app this month to help vegans hit their nutritional goals, while eating an animal and dairy free diet. The new app is launched mid November and is called VNutrition.

Five real-life Roman statues took to the streets of Bath to mark the arrival of the new £35m Apex City of Bath Hotel, giving away Apex Oliver vouchers – named after the city’s historic local currency.

More than 500 Olivers valid for discounts at the bar were handed out in exchange for selfies with the statues.

Tim O’Sullivan, general manager at the Apex said: “We’re delighted to bring Apex Hotels to Bath, and want to invite locals to come and celebrate our arrival. And what better way to invite them in to visit than with our own troop of real-life Roman statues.”

The 177-bedroom Apex City of Bath Hotel in James Street West, is the city’s largest purpose-built hotel and has conference facilities for up to 400 delegates.

It also boasts a restaurant run by awardwinning chef Ben Abercrombie, a bar, gym FRIENDLY INVASION: Tim O’Sullivan, general manager of the Apex and basement pool.

Hotel with the living statues who were out and about in Bath

WINE TALK ABOUT TOWN

As the pre-Christmas party and drinks season kicks off we must expect to hear the chink of wine glasses as the city’s vintners encourage their customers to choose the finest wines for the festive feasting.

Great Western Wine is holding its annual November tasting evening at The Assembly Rooms on Thursday 2 November from 5.30pm, with more than 150 wines to sample. Wine critic and expert Angela Mount will be on hand to share her knowledge and visitors will be able to sample cheese, chocolate, craft beer and gin, along with the wine. Tickets are £20 a head from: greatwesternwine.co.uk.

Frenchman Yannick Loué, who founded Le Vignoble, is to open a branch of his wine

business in Milsom Place, Bath.

The awardwinning brand, which began in Plymouth, offers customers the chance to sample small EXPERT: Angela Mount plates, with glasses and bottles of wine to accompany the food.

There will be 30 different wines by the glass for tasting, using the Enomatic system of preserving the wine. The new venture is due to open early in the new year.

STAFF AT SPA HOTEL REWARDED FOR TEAM WORK

Congratulations to the team at The Gainsborough Bath Spa who won Hotel of the Year (England) at the 2017 AA Hospitality Awards.

The hotel restaurant, Dan Moon at the Gainsborough was also commended with three AA rosettes, confirming the restaurant’s place among the best.

The event at the Grosvenor House, London, recognises and celebrates excellence in the British travel industry, and was attended by world-renowned chefs, prominent hoteliers and restaurateurs, hospitality gurus, and media.

This year, as a result of head chef Dan Moon’s growing profile, the hotel renamed its restaurant as Dan Moon At The Gainsborough Restaurant. The AA has since awarded the restaurant three rosettes.

YTL’s vice president, Andrew Jordan, said: “I am hugely proud of the whole team at The Gainsborough as this award proves that their consistent hard work to make our hotel the absolute best of the best has paid off. The Gainsborough has always held significance as YTL Hotels’ first property in the UK, and this award has come at a time when we are preparing for further expansion, so this recognition feels all the more relevant for the exciting projects ahead.”

A leading hospitality brand in the UK, the AA Hospitality Awards have been recommending quality hotels since their inception in 1905.

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ACCOLADE: staff at The Gainsborough, with general manager Brian Benson and head chef Dan Moon holding the certificates awarded by AA Hospitality

The hotel has also received outstanding praise in the Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards 2017. It was placed tenth in the UK’s Best Holiday Hotels, third in the Top UK Spa Hotels, and 66th in the world’s top 100 hotels.

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CHRISTMAS AT COMBE GROVE £39 for three courses, including a pass to use our spa A welcoming glass of English sparkling wine from Camel Valley vineyard in Cornwall

STARTERS

Celeriac and Bramley apple soup with apple crisps and sage breadsticks Fresh figs with celery ribbons, toasted almonds, almond butter, pickled grapes, fennel fronds and seeds with verjuice dressing Woolley Park Farm free-range duck, potted with allspice and green peppercorns, served with duck fat toasts and plum chutney

MAIN COURSES

Butternut Squash roasted with cinnamon and ginger, chestnuts and sweet red onion.

Served with ruby chard, soft cheese and fresh pomegranate Enderby’s smoked haddock in a creamy leek and saffron sauce, under a Montgomery’s Cheddar gratin, served with steamed spinach and potatoes Kelly Bronze free-range turkey, roasted with lemon, parsley and sage stuffing, served with cranberry sauce, stir-fried shredded sprouts, carrot and parsnip purée, roast potatoes, gravy and bread sauce

DESSERTS

A Selection of festive sorbets.

Lychee and jasmine tea. Blood orange and cardamom. Chocolate and rosemary Brandy snap butterfly filled with dark chocolate and chestnut mousse with a nutmeg cream Winter fruit compote of dried apricots, figs, medjool dates and clementine, steeped in hibiscus tea, served with thick sheep’s milk yogurt and a crunchy granola topping Colston Basset Stilton served with celery, home-made chutney, crackers or breads * Spa pass worth £25 for each guest * Valid for two months after booking * Pool, sauna, steam and more * Parking * Limited dates available Call our friendly team to book your tailor-made party: T 01225 834644 | E hello@combegrove.com W combegrove.com | S @CombeGroveBath

RELAXING CHRISTMAS MARKET EXPERIENCE Stay with us during the Bath Christmas Market and let us help you relax and restore after a busy day of festive shopping.

You can enjoy ample free parking here when you arrive, and we will arrange your transport down the hill into Bath, to make your experience a breeze. Shop all days, then return to us for a fabulous Reflexology foot treatment in the evening - just bliss for tired feet – or an Indian Head Massage. Our in-house therapist will come to you, so that you can unwind in the comfort of your own luxurious Manor Room.

Spend the rest of evening enjoying some down-time, or venture downstairs for a nightcap by the real log fire. Then curl up for a comfortable night’s sleep, a glorious breakfast selection awaits you in the morning.

Prices begin from £299

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RESTAURANT | REVIEW

THE BYBROOK The Manor House, Castle Combe, Wiltshire, SN14 7HX. Tel: 01249 782206, Twitter: @TheManorHouse, visit: exclusive.co.uk

R E V I EW

OUT OF THIS WORLD

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can’t promise to take you to Narnia, but I can show you a place that’s like entering another, more wonderful, world than ours. Where wild animals and birds roam freely in the woods and inside the walls of a centuries-old country house log fires burn and feasts of exquisitely beautiful dishes are laid out before lucky guests.

Leaving the cynical city behind, we drive out into the Wiltshire countryside, the low autumn sun gold over the fields. A lone deer stares as we drive past. The lane drops down through the woods, we glide into the village of Castle Combe and turn left, where metal gates swing open, as if by unseen hands.

If you’ve never visited The Manor House, do make a point, whether it’s for afternoon tea, a cracking Sunday lunch or, as we were doing, joining head chef Rob Potter as he cooked a celebratory dinner to mark his retention of a coveted Michelin star.

The Manor is your proper authentic quintessentially English country house. The old house is everything you’d wish to stumble upon in an adventure story, sitting in a natural bowl in the Bybrook valley, surrounded by woodland, the river flowing just beyond the manicured lawns.

For me, one of the great assets of The Manor House hotel is its kitchen gardens and orchard. Head gardener, the Welsh wizard John Rowlands, raises all kinds of wonderful fruit, vegetables, micro leaves and herbs, which he offers, fresh as a daisy and with zero food miles, to Rob’s open kitchen door. We’re pleased to hear that John’s managed to pick the last of the sweet 74 TheBATHMagazine

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summer raspberries so Rob can create the dish that wowed the Michelin star judges . . . but more of that treat later.

We’re here for a seasonal tasting menu of eight courses (£89) with a wine flight (an additional £55) which is perfectly designed to bring out the best in both food and drink.

The service is as impeccable as you’d expect, executed with a nicely theatrical air as each dish is introduced and presented. Tiny little dollshouse sized canapés include exquisite crispy seaweed crackers with creamy cod roe, with lemon and dill, flavours redolent of the seashore. Our canapés are followed by a basket of fresh bread – the best warm rolls, with caramelised onions are like a hug from a friend. Careful not to scoff too fast, as we’ve the main attractions to come.

Rob opens with a hand rolled macaroni, with creamy white Cornish crabmeat shredded underneath, Exmoor caviar (the only English caviar, we learn) on top and swirling round it a gentle pink shellfish foam.

I could happily eat three of these. But then we move on to salmon with beetroot done four ways. As Rob talks us through each dish your mind is blown when you think about the time, the effort and the skills involved in each dish. It takes a very special kind of artist who can create three-D masterpieces, only to see them demolished under fork or spoon within minutes of their completion.

The guest sitting next to me says she loathes beetroot. But, guess what, she’s a convert after tasting Rob’s treatment of this earthy vegetable. I feel the same about foie gras. It’s not something I’ve ever fancied

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trying but after a couple of mouthfuls of its rich, complex flavour I begin to see why it’s prized as a delicacy.

Our palates are lifted by the clean, fresh halibut served with sea purslaine and the crispest, most delicious Chenin Blanc from the Loire valley.

You might think all these courses would leave you feeling over-stuffed, but each is served with such a deft hand that even the slenderest guest was able to enjoy the gastronomic journey.

I think the Herefordshire beef that followed may have been my favourite course, served tender and rare, with braised oxtail and mashed potato with Wiltshire truffle.

Before puddings we have a pre-pudding – as you would in any magical land – of whipped yogurt with iced muscat grapes.

And this, after a pause, is followed by a creamy slice of cheesecake on a beautiful plate, depicting a tree, on to which are figuratively hung tiny sweet/sharp blackberries and blackberry sorbet.

Finally we reach the dish that the Michelin judges raved about. And, yes it was worth keeping this back for the grand finale. Only lemons from Amalfi taste this intensely lemony and here Rob has created his signature lemon tart with English raspberries, topped with fresh basil leaves and accompanied by raspberry sorbet.

Much later we stroll out under a starry sky and agree that this was a meal made under an English heaven and that we were fortunate to catch a talented chef at the top of his game. n

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FOOD | HEROES

FOR THE FOLK BACK HOME Melissa Blease meets the food heroes behind Phat Yaks and Yak Yeti Yak whose charity is working to rebuild villages in earthquake-hit Nepal

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uch of Bath’s heritage may claim far-flung ancestry (hello, Romans!), but overall, the city steadfastly upholds a British reputation. A day tripper with just a few hours in which to soak up the city’s visitor experience could be forgiven for thinking that Bathonians live solely on afternoon tea.

But the reality reflects modern tastes, with a plethora of popular globally-inspired restaurants proving that Bath isn’t only about Ms Lunn’s buns, Dr Oliver’s biscuits or Mr Darcy’s, erm, beefcakes. One of Bath’s long-standing, best-loved restaurant institutions has its roots firmly based more than 4,500 miles away from Pulteney Bridge – in Nepal.

Yak Yeti Yak originally opened on Argyle Street in 2004. Three years later the people of Bath, visitors to the city, national critics and The Good Food Guide were so seduced by the momos, tamars and jhols (let alone the Freak Street Apples) that feature on the authentic Nepalese menu that the restaurant relocated to larger premises in the basement of three former 18th century town houses in Pierrepont Street in 2007.

“When we first opened, no one had attempted to open a purely Nepalese restaurant in the UK,” says Sarah Gurung, here acting as spokesperson for the family business which she runs with her husband Sera. “Despite our friends and family thinking we were crazy, we were determined to do things a little bit differently and I knew we were on the right track.

“Not long after opening the restaurant I went back to Nepal to buy spices. As I was making my way back from Maleku to Kathmandu, the road had been closed and I was stuck. I’d eaten in an unassuming highway café run by a lady called Didi several times, so went there to eat while waiting for the road to open. As Didi became busier dealing with all the people who were also stranded, I offered to help. While she was cooking she showed me how to make and serve all her dishes. The road was closed for eight hours. I was exhausted by the time it reopened but I learned a lot more than just recipes from Didi. You could say that she’s my own personal food hero.”

So Sarah’s leap of faith – and inspiration from Didi – paid off. Last year, the family opened Phat Yaks takeaway and café on Kingsmead Square – the perfect opportunity 76 TheBATHMagazine

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for Sarah and Sera’s son Arun to get involved with the business.

Phat Yaks specialises in traditional Nepalese tea house food on-the-hoof including perfect pakoras, seductive shekuwas (marinated Nepalese kebabs) and wallet-friendly mix’n’match Curry in a Hurry combos, alongside salads salacious enough to turn pickled cabbage into a sexy winter treat, and Sarah’s homemade cakes.

But there’s a more serious element adding further depth to the goings-on behind the scenes.

In April 2015, the Nepal earthquake killed almost 9,000 people, injured nearly 22,000 more and made hundreds of thousands homeless. Ancient buildings, temples and sutas at UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley were destroyed and an avalanche was triggered on Mount Everest, killing a further 21 people and making it the deadliest day on the mountain in history. In response to the disaster, Sarah – who grew up in England but, having developed a love of travel, worked extensively at Tiger Mountain and the Himalayan River Exploration in Nepal – and Armala-born Sera set up the YYY Foundation to bring relief to their family’s devastated region.

“At the start, it was simply a matter of asking friends, family and regular restaurant customers to pledge money to aid Nepal in a time of terrible crisis,” Sarah explains. “On from that, we started actively fundraising, and grew from there into a registered charity targeting help to the poorest and most marginalised castes in Nepal. Today, we aim to work in partnership with local communities, to help them to become self-

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sustained and avoid the aid-dependency trap, and we’re working on building schools and social housing. It’s a long, slow process though. Two years on from the earthquake, the majority of people in the villages that were most badly effected are still living in temporary shelters, some in semi-circular tin houses that are like ovens in the summer and radiate cold in the winter. Others are living in the ruins of their houses using tarpaulin for roofs. Many villages are still without a regular water supply – we know of one village where the people have to walk 2km to get water before they can cook breakfast.”

And it’s going to cost a lot of money, physical labour and effort – to relieve the situation.

Sarah and her family make regular trips to Nepal, combining their visits with buying spices. Sera’s older brother and sister still live in Pokhara, which make their trips across the world even more vital.

“I’m not entirely sure how we cope with running the restaurants and the foundation, but somehow we do,” says Sarah. “Our children are very supportive, we have a strong team of fantastic trustees without whom the YYY Foundation simply couldn’t function at all, and we’re lucky to have wonderful staff in both our businesses.”

In terms of how we can help, Sarah is keen to point us towards the interactive School Partner Scheme that schools in the UK can get involved in. “We give a presentation about Nepal to children at school in this country, and encourage them to organise engaging fundraising events. We support them with ideas and tips, but encourage them to target donations for things they

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FOOD | HEROES

FIRST IN THE UK: main image, the bar at Yak Yeti Yak, Britain’s first dedicated Nepalese restaurant Above, Didi’s café provided inspiration, Arun Gurung at work in Phat Yaks in Kingsmead Square and far right, joyful scenes as a new school is opened in Nepal with money raised in the south west of England

themselves have easy access to within their own classrooms, such as books, art supplies or sports equipment.

When we receive money from a school we follow up with progress reports from the Nepalese schools where the money will be spent. Once the rebuilding of a school is complete, we send news of what we have bought and pictures of the children back to the UK. But it costs between £10-£20,000 to rebuild a school. This is a daunting target for one body such

whole communities of folk 4,500 miles away will thank you for it. n

as a village primary school or community group, so we look for corporate sponsors to support their efforts via schemes such as match funding. It’s important to build direct relationships between our fundraisers and the schools we rebuild in Nepal, developing lasting legacies that extend beyond just donating money for bricks and mortar.”

Next time you choose to indulge your cravings for curry-with-a-twist in Bath, take the Nepalese route;

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Yak Yeti Yak, 12 Pierrepont Street, Bath BA1 1LA Tel: 01225 442299; web: yakyetiyak.co.uk.

Phat Yaks, Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AF Tel: 01225 571057; web: phatyaks.com.

For more information about the YYY Foundation visit: yyyfoundation.com.

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TRISTAN DARBY Pulls up a fireside chair to sample some wines for winter evenings

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adore the brisk, frosty-white nights of winter. They offer a perfect excuse to don a woolly jumper, pop a few of logs on the fire and open a bottle of wintry wine. So this month, I’ve chosen fireside quaffers for you with enough warmth, depth and palate-hugging satisfaction to help you relax and recover from the days of the pre-Christmas grind.

Oak-aged whites are ideal to drink in the winter months, with their extra depth, texture and spice. The problem is when the oak dominates, rather than supports the wine. Enter Howard Park Miamup Chardonnay 2015 (£15.95, Great Western Wine). It’s got just the right balance of oak character to give a subtle toasty depth, and is perfect for fireside sipping. A complex floral, citrus and slight honey-on-brioche nose, followed by a mouthful of creamy, spiced-peach flavour and a satisfying nutty – just eaten a handful of cashews – texture. The price point is spot on for the quality and it's worth stocking up on as a great alternative to white burgundy. Pop another log on, grab a glass and hunker down.

If oaked whites aren’t for you then try D’Arenberg’s excellent Money Spider Roussanne 2016 (£13.95, GWW), a scrumptious unoaked white that forgoes the bracing acidity of summer wines in exchange for more intensity and mouth-filling depth.

Intriguingly aromatic and fruity on the nose, it has a dreamy, creamy and mellow mouthfeel with a touch of spice followed up with a dry refreshing lemonycitrus finish. Turn off the phone, find a good book, nest on the sofa and enjoy.

The first reds I truly fell in love with were from France’s Languedoc region, where the best wines deliver huge value and pleasure for the money. Château Vieux Parc, La Sélection Corbières 2014 (£13.95, GWW) is a seductive and complex wine with a smoky spiced character that will weave its mellow magic on you in just one sip. If you can wait, open the bottle to breathe for an hour or so before drinking and you’ll find aromas of Mediterranean herbs, violets, smoky black pepper, red and black fruits, liquorice, and a whiff of meaty richness (nicer than it sounds). The palate is elegant and smooth for such a buxom wine and counters the wine’s dark fruits and smouldering chocolatey richness. A top buy that never fails to impress.

If you’re looking for a red with a more oak, fruit and flesh on the bone, but without becoming a meal in itself, you need to try Bogle, Merlot 2014 (£14.50, GWW). Boasting a complex but harmonious blend of blueberries, blackberries, plum jam, cocoa, and oaky smoky spice. Again, it’ll pay to be patient if you can get this open for an hour before you tuck in. A smattering of tannins and a touch of Christmassy spices make this a good wine to enjoy with hearty comfort food such as slow-cooked beef stews, shepherd’s pie or even posh sausages and mash. Cosiness in a glass.

Join Tristan for a Winter Warmers tasting at Great Western Wine on Wednesday 15 November from 7pm.

Visit greatwesternwine.co.uk/events for tickets. n

THE US DELICIO GUIDE LOOKING FOR RESTAURANT INSPIRATION? The Delicious Guide to Bath featuring all the fave eateries and foodie treateries is available online at our website www.thebathmag.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

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FOOD | & | DRINK

SUDDENLY EVERYONE’S A CRITIC

Melissa Blease tackles the big restaurant debate. Is TripAdvisor a handy way to pick a really good place to eat, or simply a forum for the spiteful diner to wield their own poison pen?

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can easily get around that.”

Perfectly proving Tim’s point, one anonymous south west restaurant owner admitted to me that he uses TripAdvisor to his own advantage by meddling with the system on several occasions and that he maintains the practise is widespread in the industry.

“Like many other people in the same business, we get friends, family members and staff to post great reviews about our restaurant all the time, especially if we notice we're dropping down the ratings,” he said, via an email from a generic web-based email address. “We know we’re good anyway, so we don’t see it as spreading any kind of fake news – we’re just playing the game.”

Various solutions to the fair monitoring of TripAdvisor include the work of the #noreceiptnoreview campaign instigated in the autumn of 2015 and backed by Observer restaurant critic Jay Rayner. The campaign urges open-forum sites to insist users provide a scanned receipt that proves they’ve actually eaten in the restaurant in question.

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I believe the whole system is totally fraudulent

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ripAdvisor, which was established in 2000, was one of the earliest adopters of unpaid, user-generated content for a website focused on publishing first-hand reviews of travel-related experiences written by members of the public. Today, it’s a multi-million dollar global conglomerate, home to over 500m reviews of hotels, tourist attractions, travelrelated businesses and, of course, restaurants.

Most of us probably couldn’t take issue with the Bath food businesses that are currently enjoying pole position on TripAdvisor’s highest ranking charts – although it has to be said there are, from the off, a couple of glaring omissions. There are also multiple inaccuracies. One restaurant at the top of the Best Breakfast charts doesn’t open until noon; one of the Best Cafés closed its doors over two years ago. And if a reviewer states that they’d eaten “the best burger in Bath” before going on to say that they don’t normally choose to eat burgers, or state: “unfortunately there were people drinking beer at the next table while we ate our meal” as part of a review of a Bath pub, how valid can their opinion really be?

We’re honestly not sure what to make of the person who reported that their server “fiddled with his intimate parts while taking our order” yet went on to rate their overall experience as “excellent, 11/10” – seriously, before you trust the rankings, I urge you to read the actual reviews.

Such anecdotes may, on one level, be viewed as funny. But there’s a far more sinister element to be read between the lines.

“TripAdvisor is great when it works well and brings in business as a result of genuine, honest, positive feedback,” says Tim Coffey, owner of Joya, The Herd, The Real Italian Pizza Co and the Real Italian Ice Cream Co. “But the system can be so easily played around with. It’s interesting to suddenly start attracting vaguely negative reviews for your own business if you’ve apparently started to threaten another establishment’s prized position on the site.

I wouldn’t even attempt to play that kind of silly game, but there are plenty who do.

TripAdvisor says it has many ways to control these issues, but anyone who is tech savvy

But TripAdvisor’s response to the campaign was uninterested, to say the least: “We believe that every experience counts, not just that of the person who paid the bill.

If four friends go out to dinner there will be four different opinions, but only the person with the receipt would be able to leave a review,” is all their spokesperson had to say on the matter. And while the company’s Content Integrity Policy makes all kinds of promises regarding their efforts to tackle fraudulent reviews, there’s actually very little a restaurant owner can do if they’ve been on the receiving end of bad practice.

“If you complain to TripAdvisor, all you get every time is ‘the review meets our guidelines and will remain on the site’,” says Tim Coffey.

Rob Allcock, proprietor of The Longs Arms in South Wraxall, has good reason to feel as frustrated as Tim does. “On Mother’s Day this year, we had a party in who, from the moment they arrived, we just knew would be trouble. The woman who’d booked

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the table was vile – obnoxious, rude to staff and complaining about everything, even though we did our very best to cater to her every need. She even kicked our dog. Two days later, she posted a really filthy, badlywritten review on TripAdvisor, full of lies and inaccuracies.

I complained to TripAdvisor, but you can’t deal with a real person there – everything is electronic. Eventually I called the woman who had posted the review directly, as we had her number from when she made the booking. She asked me to pay her £500 to remove the review. I refused point blank, and reported her response to TripAdvisor. Again: no response from them.

“I believe that the whole system is totally fraudulent. We’ve even been approached by a company who offered to sell us positive reviews on TripAdvisor – I reported that to TripAdvisor too, and they just sent an autoresponse saying that they’re investigating.

But they don’t, and they won’t.”

But Joe Cussens, managing director of the Bath Pub Company, which owns the Locksbrook Inn, The Marlborough Tavern, The Hare and Hounds and the Chequers, sees TripAdvisor as an influence that needs to be lived with rather than railed against.

“Managers at my pubs take full advantage of TripAdvisor’s right to reply facility, and it’s as important to thank somebody for a positive review as it is to politely offer a response to a customer who has decided they have cause to complain,” he says. “Negative comments can also be a useful way to discover areas that we can work on or develop.”

On a personal level, however, Joe has found himself trusting a TripAdvisor restaurant recommendation when on holiday only to find himself wishing he’d relied on his own instincts instead. Surely Joe and I can’t be the only two people who look for new eating out experiences the old-fashioned way, by reading menus and taking a peek inside?

“The best way to find a new place to eat is to ask a local to recommend somewhere to you,” says Joe. But if you still choose to rely on open-forum reviews for advice, be prepared to season your research with a hefty pinch of salt. n

ILLUSTRATION: Helena Adamova

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CITY | PEOPLE

CITYNEWS SUPPORTING A GREAT TEAM

News

n Bath Spa University has appointed Professor Susan Rigby as its next ViceChancellor.

Professor Rigby will join Bath Spa from the University of Lincoln where she is Deputy ViceChancellor with responsibility for student development. She is a palaeontologist and worked as an academic at Cambridge, Leicester and Edinburgh universities.

SPONSORSHIP DEAL: The Bath Magazine is the sponsor of a new kit – proudly emblazoned with our name – for the boys who play for Larkhall Athletic Under 14s. One of the young footballers’ squad coaches is Jake Horwood (pictured in the right hand picture, far left) who is part of The Bath Magazine’s advertising sales team.

COUNCIL’S AIM TO BE SELF-SUFFICENT

n American actress Kelly Doran, pictured, being congratulated by actor and Chancellor of Bath Spa University, Jeremy Irons, was the winner of the university’s Novel in 25 Words competition. Her entry will be included in an anthology, A Place in Words: 25 Years of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. The competition challenged people to submit a novel in just 25 words. The winning entry is: FYI by Kelly Doran: ‘Obviously I’m not judging Carl; I just think it would’ve been nice to know about the whole pineapple situation before I moved in with him.’

The leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, Cllr Tim Warren, has set out his vision for the future of the Council and the B&NES area, tackling the thorny issue of financial constraints alongside investing in the future of the city and surrounding area.

He said: “As a council we have been upfront about the challenges we face and the difficult decisions that will need to be taken to balance our budget in the years ahead.

“But alongside these challenges remain many opportunities, and we continue to have a strong and positive vision for how we can make Bath and North East Somerset an even better place to live and work. We have three clear objectives: a council which is efficient and well run; a council which invests in the future of our area; and a council which puts the interests of residents first. To deliver these objectives while meeting the financial challenge we face, our

aim is to make B&NES a council which is financially self-sufficient by 2020, thereby making us less reliant on changes to government funding in the years ahead.”

Some of the examples of successes the council has met towards these aims include: l Establishing a new council-owned housing company, that will both help provide new homes needed while also generating a return for the council. l New commercial investments that are generating an additional £1.7m income for the council this year. l Continued support for the Bath Quays and Somer Valley Enterprise Zones, which will create thousands of local jobs. l Securing the highest-value devolution agreement in the country, which will deliver millions of pounds of investment in local infrastructure to support the local economy and upgrade local transport networks.

BATH BUSINESS BAROMETER UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2017

High Street Footfall

provided for

(Month on month % change)

n Bath saw a footfall increase at the end of the month (+1.6%) as consumers made the most of the final September weekend. Decline in UK footfall and therefore spend is a consequence of wider economic conditions rather than localised issues. UK retail sales rose due to inflation, but the lower footfall is a strong indicator of consumers holding back on spend.

Unusually for September, Bath saw 18 days of rainfall compared to 3 last year, with the overall temperature remaining the same. With students returning to Bath, there was a 36% increase in the use of our Bath BID taxi marshal scheme.

As measured by Springboard’s sales index which tracks sales in brick and mortar stores

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Stellar Contribution – Reassuringly expensive.

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lients with their own businesses who have built up considerable wealth often ask how the court would treat that wealth on a divorce. Referred to as a “Stellar Contribution” is this something a court will take into consideration when deciding how to divide assets on divorce?

In 2000, the case of White v White involved a couple who farmed in partnership. This case found basing the wife’s share on her ‘reasonable requirements’ as opposed to equality was unfair. The case of White established that the roles of breadwinner and homemaker were equal, and this should be reflected in the division of assets. Prior to this case the spouse who had made the money was often awarded more than half. To counteract this presumption of equality, the special contribution argument began.

The stellar argument originated with Mr Cowan and his ‘truly exceptional’ contribution. His ‘entrepreneurial flair, inventiveness and hard work’ resulted in him being awarded 62% of the assets.

When is a contribution “Stellar”? In order to prevent couples detailing the ins and outs of who did what during the marriage, the courts have stated clearly that ‘a general rummage thought the attic… is not required’ and whilst it ‘is not easy to define what may amount to ‘stellar’ or really special contribution… rather like the elephant, it is not difficult to spot when you come across it’.

Before every high earning spouse looks at the wealth he or she has amassed and runs to the courts arguing they are entitled to more than a half share, they should heed the cautionary tale of one husband and his fortune of £2.7m. Huge costs were incurred in taking the case to court, only for the judge to say that while the husband had 'undoubtedly worked diligently and successfully and over a long period to amass the assets' he could ‘find nothing special, exceptional or stellar’ about his contribution. A ‘special contribution’ will only be recognised in the most unusual cases.

In another recent case involving the Chairman of Laura Ashley, the Court of Appeal tried to provide some guidance about contributions that may be considered “stellar”: • Only in the rarest of cases will a contribution be so special that one party will be entitled to significantly more of the assets than the other • The contribution must be “wholly exceptional” in that it would be unfair to disregard it.

• A “windfall” will not be enough. The party claiming a special contribution must themselves have done something remarkable to have built up the capital to be divided.

In summary, the starting point is an equal division of the assets built up during the marriage. The thinking behind this is that a marriage is a partnership of equals and equality of sharing produces fairness. There are bound to be exceptions to this rule where the parties have greater financial needs.

Such contributions are not going unrecognised but will be limited to cases involving very wealthy couples rather than those with just enough assets to meet both parties needs. The next question is how much the “stellar contributor” will be awarded should their argument succeed.

ocl A C C O U N TA N C Y

141 Englishcombe Lane, Bath BA2 2EL Tel: 01225 445507

www.oclaccountancy.com

Director dividends, salaries and perks With the recent changes to taxation of dividends and benefits in kind, it is important to check that you are still drawing funds from your company in the most tax efficient way.

A "basic" salary remains a standard approach and this will usually be around (and may in certain circumstances be somewhat above) the NI threshold (currently £8,164).

Dividends have been the obvious route for the next block of drawings, and although they are not as tax advantageous as they were, they remain a fundamental element of tax planning.

However, consideration should also be given to benefits in kind, with the understanding that these aren't "cash" but can effectively save money by covering a cost for you and giving your company a tax deductible expense.

Good examples of tax efficient benefits in kind are pensions contributions and pensions advice, childcare schemes, mobile phones, bikes via the 'cycle to work scheme' and what HMRC term 'trivial benefits' (costing up to £50). Such benefits are not profit dependent and so can provide early tax efficient rewards before a company is making the profits that it would need to pay dividends e.g. in start up situations.

For help & advice contact us – call Marie Maggs, Hannah Pettifer or Mike Wilcox on 01225 445507 for a no-obligation meeting.

We look forward to meeting you - and see our website for more, including FREE download guides.

What our clients say:

“Believe it or not, in the 25+ years that we have been trading, the meeting with you was the first one ever where we went through accounts - very refreshing” “For us, in our 30 years experience OCL Accountancy is the best fit we have found”

Boost your profits - Reduce your tax Maximise your wealth

Rebecca Silcock is a partner in the Family team at Mogers Drewett solicitors. Find out more at mogersdrewett.com or call 01225 750 000.

Call Marie Maggs, Mike Wilcox or Hannah Pettifer on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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BATH | IN BUSINESS

Allison Herbert BiD Manager, Bath Business improvement District.

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he Bath BID represents just over 700 levy payers whose contributions are used to make the city environment better for their businesses.

With over two thirds of levy payers from the retail and leisure sectors, Christmas is a key opportunity to make the most of being in a city which attracts so many visitors. We have been working behind the scenes with our partners, including VisitBath, SouthGate and Milsom Place to create a package of delights for visitors - to ‘Discover the Magic of Bath’ this Christmas.

The new Christmas market footprint will extend to Southgate Street, Union Street and Hot Bath Street encouraging visitors to explore more of what the city has to offer and enhance opportunities for shops in the city to benefit from the huge footfall which the market creates. Our Rangers will be providing support to visitors arriving for the by coach, making sure that people know where to go and offering a warm welcome.

Attracting around 429,000 visitors over the 18 day period, the market has a huge impact on our business community and is estimated to create an additional £16million spend. We would urge local people to make the most of the city during the quieter times of the market period. Why not treat yourselves to a delicious midweek brunch or a lunch from our city’s lovely cafes and restaurants. Added incentives for local residents include the exclusive preview night on 22 November and special offers for B&NES residents' discovery cardholders.

Bath’s glittering Christmas lights will herald the start of the festivities and late-night shopping on Thursday 16th November.

A new Kingsmead Square Festive Street Food market will see the area alive with food from around the world – look out for the lobster stall. (24th November until 9th December each Friday and Saturday) and the Square will be hosting a community open air carol concert on 21st December, led by St Michael’s Without.

Bath BID’s main focus is during the period either side of the market and this year will see an exciting new attraction in Northumberland Place and The Corridor. This will celebrate the area’s Victorian heritage stepping back to a Dickensian Christmas with costumed street performances, musical entertainment and traditional festive treats - 7th, 14th and 21st December from 5 pm.

All the family need entertaining to make sure their shopping trips remain enjoyable and we will see the return of Bath on Ice in Victoria Park and the much loved carousel, outside the Pump Room in Stall Street, as well as the Walcot Street Winter Festival and children’s lantern procession. Additionally, we eagerly await the transformation of SouthGate by their creative team, who always surprise and delight.

This year there is an inclusive approach throughout the city to provide a varied and extended festive programme, enabling visitors a little time to breathe, relax and immerse themselves in Bath. We look forward to an enjoyable festive season with you all. n To keep up to date with all of our news please sign up for our weekly newsletter: www.bathbid.co.uk/subscribe

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MOTORING | TEST DRIVE

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MOTORING | TEST DRIVE

UNVEILING THE VELAR

The 2018 Range Rover Velar is probably one of the best looking SUVs ever, and every inch the epitome of a luxury British automobile – inside and out. Words by Chris Lilly

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esponding to car buying trends for tall, off-road biased models, just about every car manufacturer you can think of is bringing out new crossovers and SUVs to keep up with demand. If your business is built on off-road vehicles to start with though, it might seem as though there is nowhere else to go; no new areas to expand into. A company like Land Rover might seem a little bit stuck, then. But you’d be wrong.

As everyone else is building road cars that look more like an SUV, Land Rover has decided to expand into SUVs that look more like road cars, which is how the Range Rover Velar has come into existence.

The stylish Velar looks like a concept car, and is about as far away from a traditional Defender in terms of design as it’s possible to get while remaining recognisably a Land Rover.

Aiming to fill in the gap between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport, the Velar is clearly aimed at the design conscious. Its headlights are flush with a clamshell bonnet and prominent grille, and while the large surfaces might look slab sided, they are in fact far more sculpted in the metal than they might seem from photos.

And if you’re wondering where the door handles are, they’re hidden in the doors until someone might need them when they pop out; all very clever and sleek.

The rising shoulder line hints at the car’s sportiness and gives the Velar a hunched forward stance, while the low roof line (for a Range Rover, that is) has been created to make the Velar appear squatter than it is.

This visual trickery is aided by thin, wraparound light clusters that help fool the onlooker too.

The same design-led theme continues inside, with an interior that will set the tone

for the next generation of Range Rover models. The centre console has plenty of touchscreen glass to it – two separate systems to be precise – creating comparisons with smartphones and tablets. The supporting graphics are crisp and smoothly rendered, while the functions are easy to use and find.

The upper screen tilts forward from the dashboard when in use, and those physical controls that do exist – two larger dials and one small one to complement the rotary gear selector – feel beautifully made. It is one of the finest cabins in its class, and a modern, British interpretation of the excellent work Volvo is doing on its interiors at the moment.

So the styling inside and out is some of the best around, but how does the new ‘roadfocused’ Range Rover drive? Tested was the 2.0 litre, four-cylinder diesel engine, producing 240 hp and 500 Nm of torque.

Those figures are good for a 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 135 mph.

It’s on the fast side of sprightly then, if not shockingly quick. For those wanting more power, there are 3.0 V6 units available in both petrol and diesel versions, with up to 380hp on tap which brings the sprint time down to a rather rapid 5.7 seconds.

Back to the engine tested. It’s not the most powerful in the range – there are lower powered units, however – but the benefit is that it does offer some decent economy figures. The official 49.7 mpg isn’t at all bad for a large SUV with a sporty focus and good performance times. The downside of the smaller engine is that it obviously lacks the power of its beefier bigger brothers. The 2.0 litre Ingenium engine has a decent amount of punch, but you can initially feel the Velar’s fairly significant weight when you stamp on the throttle. If you need a sharper throttle response though, there is a Dynamic mode to keep the engine on song.

The smooth changing eight-speed automatic gearbox is very good and works nicely with the engine’s considerable torque.

The combination provides a very refined driving experience at speed too, with the initial clatter from the diesel settling down nicely when warm for a quiet drive.

The driving dynamics equal the engine’s performance. The Velar might look sporty but it can’t match the Porsche Macan as the best-driver’s car in its class. That said, it’s a fine handling car with a comfortable ride when cruising, but with a poise and agility to it that makes things fun when driving. This multi-faceted ride quality has much to do with the air suspension which keeps things flat and level no matter if you’re barrelling along at motorway speeds, or thrashing the Velar down a B-road.

The only real fly in the ointment is the cost, with prices coming in higher than a comparable Macan, or even the similarlysized F-Pace from Land Rover’s stablemate Jaguar. Neither of those models can match the premium experience offered by the Velar though – an unusual thing to say about names such as Jaguar and Porsche. The Velar feels more like a sleeker and more agile Range Rover than a pumped-up Discovery, justifying its higher price tag a little. Plus, should you really want to head off road, you can rely on the fact that Land Rover simply doesn’t make a car that can’t tackle the rough stuff – and the Velar is no exception to that rule.

The Velar might be a little more style over substance then, but only just. There is more than enough about the driving experience to appeal, while the design and interior are right at the top of its class. ■

• landrover.co.uk/velar

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GOING | FOR GOLD

SPRINTING TO VICTORY Jessica Hope talks to Bristol-born, silver medalist sprinter Emily Diamond about her successful career and gives her advice to athletes of the future

F

ollowing the impressive results from the IAAF World Championships in London over the summer, no one can deny the talent the Great British athletics team has when it comes to running. As well as securing six medals, the squad also achieved five fourth places, demonstrating the sheer talent coming up through the ranks – there will certainly be some British athletes vying for medals in future competitions that other countries will be attentively looking out for.

One of the stand out championship moments, in my opinion, was watching Britain’s 4x400 metres women’s team sprint with determination to silver medal victory on the final night of the competition in front of a roaring British crowd. The athlete whose job it was to run the final leg of that relay, with the pressure of the Polish team right on her tail, was Bristol-born Emily Diamond.

Cool, calm and collected, the 26 year-old ran a clear leg, gaining distance on the runners behind her to secure second place for herself and her team mates Eilidh Doyle, Zoey Clark and Laviai Nielsen.

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I asked Emily about the victory and how she felt being the last one on the team to run in the race. “It’s a pressure leg to run last in the relay. You really have to be able to hold your nerve and have to be able to hold people off. If you have a bad leg earlier on in the race, there are people after you who have to make up for it. But running last means there’s pressure to get over the line, and you don’t want to have a bad last 100 metres,” she says.

“I didn’t want to loose the opportunity for the silver medal. I just had to make sure that there was a big enough gap to get away from the Polish runners.”

Born in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, Emily spent the majority of her childhood living in Clifton. She grew up with the influence of athletics around her, with both her mother and grandmother being competitive long jumpers, and her grandad was a sprinter. “Mum’s parents started off the athletics love in the family, and they all love that I am carrying on athletics. Both my grandparents won English Schools’ Athletic Association medals when they were young

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and I think they met while competing, so they are very proud and supportive that I have gone down the same route,” says Emily.

So how did Emily first try her hand at athletics? “My mum took me along to Whitchurch Athletics Running Track when I was really young, I think I was probably still in primary school. I was too young to be involved in the outdoor training sessions, so I started doing indoor sessions and I also played a lot of tennis.

“It was when I moved to Bristol Grammar School where I had so many opportunities to try new sports. BGS got involved in lots of inter school athletics competitions, which I loved, so I swapped from tennis to athletics,” she says.

Aged 15, Emily began considering a career as an athlete. “Mum took me to the University of Bath and I began doing long jump sessions a couple of times a week, just because that’s what mum had trained to do. The coaches there then saw my ability to do sprinting, so I began to do some running as well.”

How did Emily make the change from

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GOING | FOR GOLD

CROSSING THE LINE: Opposite page, Emily Diamond celebrating after coming second in the women’s 4x400m relay at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London. Image: Mark Shearman / British Athletics This page, left, Emily Diamond with athletes Paul Blake and Eilidh Doyle following their medal success at the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics in Rio Right, Emily being handed the baton during the World Championships relay.

Image: Mark Shearman / British Athletics

long jump to running? “I used to take part in long jump at school athletics competitions and then just rock up at the sprinting races and try my hand at that. And, like anybody, if you’re quite successful at something then you tend to enjoy it more, so I started to focus more on sprinting.”

After finishing school Emily was awarded a scholarship to read sports and exercise science at Loughborough University. “The university was an amazing support.

The scholarship system helped me financially, and we had mentors for university work if we were struggling,” she says.

It was while she was in her final year that Emily found out that she had been picked for the Great Britain team for the London Olympics in 2012. Despite only running the 400 metres competitively a handful of times, Emily was chosen to be a reserve for the women’s 4x400 metre team.

“At the time, the Olympics wasn’t really even in my sights, so I was just in awe of everyone there,” she says. “I met lots of my idols, like Jessica Ennis-Hill and Nicola Sanders, and I just took in how everyone else worked and carried themselves.”

With this experience under her belt, this drove Emily to great success in 2016. After winning the gold medal in the 4x400 metre relay at the European Championships in Amsterdam, just a few weeks later Emily was on the podium again – much to her surprise after a dreadful bout of food poisoning – this time winning bronze in the same event at the Olympics in Rio. “We knew we had an opportunity to grab the bronze medal and we thought we were more than capable in getting it. Once it happened, it was one of the best nights of my life,” she says.

And this success didn’t stop for Emily and the relay team when they competed in the IAAF World Championships in London earlier this year. What was it like to compete and get a medal on home soil? “The noise the crowd produced was something I’ve never experienced before. The arena is like a fishbowl, so all of the sound goes down on to the track and it is like a Mexican wave of noise as you run,” she says.

“When I got to the final 150 metres, I wasn’t sure whether the crowd were shouting because the runner from Poland was catching me up or cheering because we were so close to finishing second. Not many people get the chance to do a lap of honour in front of a home crowd, so that was an amazing experience.”

In order to get these incredible results Emily trains at the University of Bath six days a week for two to three hours a day. “The university has been excellent in helping with

providing facilities and coaches,” she says. Emily is coached by former European Championship gold medallist sprinter Jared Deacon, who she commends for having helped guide her to medal success.

“He’s put together a great programme of training for me and knows what it takes to win medals. The main challenge of having him as a coach is that he works in Scotland. So we keep in touch as much as possible and I video my training sessions and send them to him.”

As well as a gruelling training programme, many athletes do not receive enough funding to train full-time and so take on extra jobs. Up until March Emily worked at Prior Park College in Bath as an administrator in the sports department. “The school was so supportive in letting me have time off for competitions and training. I loved that job, especially because I love organising things, and the staff were amazing. But I knew that I needed to leave in order to get to the next part of my career.”

Away from the track, Emily enjoys visiting schools and local clubs, including her former training club Bristol and West Athletic, to meet young people and inspire them to become professional athletes.

“I spoke to some young athletes last week and showed them my medals. I talked to them about how I’ve been in their shoes, and told them that if they carry on with their training then they could win some of their own medals in the future,” she says.

Does Emily have any advice for young people who are considering going into athletics? “Just give it a go. Try not to focus on just one event, and do as many different events as possible and see what you enjoy. Your abilities in different sports can change over the years, so it is good to try a variety. Also listen to your body – learn the differences between bad pain and good pain, and make sure you take an extra rest day if your body needs it.”

And what about the parents and carers of children who have athletic potential? “Parents need to learn how to speak to a child after they’ve had a bad performance. And they need to understand how to listen to the child and work out how they can deal with these situations. I would recommend reading The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management by Professor Steve Peters – it is a great book that can help parents learn the psychology of how to help a child with training and dealing with bad results.”

With her sights set on the Commonwealth Games in Australia and the European Games in Berlin and Glasgow next year, Emily will certainly be one to watch for more medal glory in 2018. n

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FAMILY | EVENTS

FAMILY DIARY IDEAS FOR THINGS TO DO WITH THE CHILDREN THIS MONTH GREAT ODDS Friday 3 – Sunday 5 November, times vary n The egg Exploring ambition, communication and friendship, the story follows the Great Odds; Marco, Grouch and Jewels, on an exciting and sometimes wobbly journey . . .

Dreams change shape, unexpected things are uncovered and success comes through surprising discoveries. This production integrates visual storytelling, sign language, live music, sound and puppetry. Tickets: £8.50 adults, £7.50 children. Suitable for ages six and above. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Visit: theatreroyal.org.uk or tel: 01225 823409.

Also at The egg this month APPLE JOHN Friday 10 – Sunday 12 November, times vary A woman sits on a train. As the gentle rocking wakes the baby inside her, she starts to eat an apple and finds that its seeds have already started to sprout. She throws the core out of the window. A jolt and the baby is on its way. John is born. That night, out by the railway, an apple tree starts to grow.

Apple John tells the stories of John and the apple tree side by side. Both are full of the usual stuff – blizzards, bicycles, rock’n’roll, train sets, love, blossom, hurricanes, babies and false teeth. It’s a tale about growing up, finding your roots and adding rings to the trunk. Tickets: £8.50 adults, £7.50 children.

Suitable for ages five – 11.

LEAF Friday 17 – Sunday 19 November, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3pm Half Moon and Tam Tam Theatre tell the story of a very special leaf in this warm, intimate and playful new production for little ones, inspired by nature and the seasons. Framed within an evocative soundscape, this is the perfect introduction to theatre for the very young. At the end of the performance, children are invited on to the stage to play among the leaves and explore a landscape created by the changing seasons. Tickets: £8.50 adults, £7.50 children. Suitable for ages up to three.

TODDLER TAKEOVER: FANTASTIC FEAST Friday 3 November, 10am – 5pm n We The Curious, One Millennium Square, Anchor road, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5DB The popular science centre At-Bristol recently relaunched as We The Curious in Bristol. Toddlers and pre-schoolers will take over the centre at this session, explore food textures in the pop-up toddler restaurant, 92 TheBATHMagazine

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BIG FISH, LITTLE FISH: take the whole family along to a daytime rave at Komedia create a delicious fruit and vegetable salad, go shopping in the toddler supermarket, enjoy story time, and visit the stars in the Space Explorers Planetarium show. Prebooking is highly recommended. Suitable for families with children aged up to five years.

Tickets: £8.95 adults, £6.95 for children three and above, free for under twos. Visit: wethecurious.org or tel: 0117 915 1000.

GRANDPARENTS AND GRANDKIDS Saturday 4 November, 11am – noon n Victoria Art Gallery Grandparents and grandchildren can enjoy making art together in this special session.

Included in admission price, no need to book. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Visit: victoriagal.org.uk.

SATURDAY ART CLUB: MINI MEMENTOS Saturday 4 November, 10.30am – 12.30pm n Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street Children can discover the museum’s collection of miniature portraits and paint their own keepsakes on pebbles and stones to take home. £10 per child. This is a drop off session, so parents and carers can explore the museum for themselves or enjoy a cup of coffee in the café while they wait. Visit: holburne.org or tel: 01225 388568.

Also at the Holburne this month ART MASTERCLASS: ACRYLIC JEWELLERY Saturday 25 November, 10am – 4pm Older children and teenagers can learn how to design, cut and form acrylic sheet into gorgeous jewellery inspired by the museum’s exhibition Seurat to Riley: The Art of

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Perception. Participants will be able to create at least one finished piece to take home or give as a Christmas gift. Suitable for 11 – 18 year olds. £30 per person, all materials included. Pre-booking advised.

ANIMAL ZOO WITH MINI BSO FAMILY CONCERT Saturday 4 November, 3pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1DZ A fun-packed interactive concert for all the family with musicians from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Come for a walk with Hairy McClary and get to know the big brown bear who lives in the wood, as Mini BSO uses animal stories to introduce plenty of tuneful and rhythmic fun. The group offers a relaxed introduction to music and instruments for little musiclovers of the future. Tickets: £8 adults, £4 for under 18s. Visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk or tel: 01225 860100.

Also at Wiltshire Music Centre this month SATURDAY JAZZ Saturday 11 November, 10am – 1pm Explore the world of jazz improvisation, rhythm and ensemble playing at the centre’s new jazz workshop for young musicians.

Suitable for ages 11 – 18, Grade 5 standard or equivalent, open to all big band instruments. £12 per person.

BONFIRE NIGHT Saturday 4 November, 6.30 – 9pm n Bath City Farm, Kelston View, Bath, BA2 1NW Get all the family together, wrap up warm, gather around the crackling bonfire and

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FAMILY | EVENTS children must be accompanied by an adult.

Suitable for five – 11 year olds. Pre-booking advised, limited spaces.

watch the spectacular firework displays from across the city on the hillside of Bath City Farm. Refreshments available to purchase.

Free entry, all welcome. Visit: bathcityfarm.org.uk or tel: 01225 481269.

MORE MAGIC FOR KIDS! MORGAN AND WEST Saturday 11 November, 12.30pm n The Pound, Pound Pill, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 9HX Time-travelling magicians Morgan & West fill the stage with a marvellous magic show full of crazy capers. Expect the unexpected, believe the unbelievable, and don’t miss the tricks and flicks of Morgan and West.

Suitable for ages five and above.

Tickets: £10 adults, £8 concessions.

Visit: poundarts.org.uk or call: 01249 701628 / 01249 712618.

Also at The Pound this month PUB QUIZ FOR KIDS Saturday 25 November, 2pm A fun family quiz hosted by comedian Patrick Monahan. Expect lots of laughs and prizes. Suitable for ages five and over.

Tickets: £8 adults, £7 cons, £28 family.

NETSUKE EXHIBITION FAMILY DAY Sunday 19 November, 2 – 3.30pm n The Museum of East Asian Art, 12 Bennett Street, Bath, BA1 2QJ Visit the museum’s netsuke exhibition

Animal Zoo family concert at Wiltshire Music Centre Dressed to Impress and experience Japanese culture with a variety of fun activities.

Includes a family-friendly exhibition tour, kimono dressing-up, samurai paper helmet making and a Japanese Trail around the museum’s collections. £3 per child, free for accompanying adult. Visit: meaa.org.uk or tel: 01225 464640.

CREATE: ART Saturday 25 November, 10.30am – 12.30pm n The Edge, University of Bath Spend some quality time together developing your artistic skills and learning some top tips for making art at home. Takes place in the Fine Art Studio. £5 per child, £3 per adult,

Also at The Edge this month CREATE: TALES FOR TOTS Saturday 25 November, 10.30 – 11.15am and 11.30am – 12.15pm Bring stories to life through dance, arts and crafts in this interactive workshop, where little ones will be introduced to new books or celebrate their much-loved favourite characters. Suitable for three – four year olds. £7.50 for parent and child (additional children or adult £4). Pre-booking advised.

PLANETARY INTERGALACTIC FAMILY RAVE Sunday 26 November, 1.30pm n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath This is something a little different to do on a Sunday afternoon – Big Fish Little Fish is hosting a rave featuring DJs, multi-sensory dancefloor, music, glitter cannons, bubbles, balloons and a giant parachute where all the family can join in. The theme is Planetary Intergalactic – so go along in your best space themed fancy dress. There will be a licensed bar, transfer tattoos, glowsticks and freebie treats. The event is standing/dancing with limited seating. A max of three children per adult. Tickets: £7.50 per adult and child, free for infants. Visit: komedia.co.uk/bath or tel: 01225 489070. n

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Beechen Cliff

Sixth Form Applications Applications to Beechen Cliff Sixth Form are now open.

Beechen Cliff is a state day and boarding school close to Bath city centre. Our large mixed Sixth Form of over 400 male and female students offers an unpretentiously academic curriculum of over 26 A levels and EPQ. Academic results are excellent with a quarter of students gaining AAB grades or better in the core A levels.

A well developed Oxbridge and Medicine programme enables a high proportion of students to gain places at Oxford, Cambridge and Russell Group universities.

There is an unrivalled range of super-curricular, extra curricular and leadership opportunities along with an exceptional careers and higher education programme.

A strong tradition of sporting excellence includes Bath Rugby’s AASE partnership programme.

Applications for the Sixth Form close on Friday 15th December 2017.

SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING Thursday 30th November 2017

For more information, please contact the Sixth Form Office on 01249 766036 or email sixthform@sheldonschool.co.uk

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THE

6.30-9.00pm

ROUTE to your

future success

P95.qxp_Layout 23 20/10/2017 15:50 Page 1

Holiday Revision Courses:

11th December – 22nd December 12th – 16th February 2018

January to June A Level Re-sit Courses

For more information please contact Henry Pike on: 01225 334577 | revision@bathacademy.co.uk www.bathacademy.co.uk 27 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HX @BathAcademy

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• Co-educational day school for pupils aged 5-13 with

dyslexia and other specific learning/language difficulties.

• Located in Wiltshire between Bath and Chippenham.

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• Fully qualified specialist teachers with maximum class size of eight - reducing to one-to-one as required.

Call 01225 743 566 or visit www.CalderHouseSchool.co.uk THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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HEALTH | BEAUTY

IT’S A MAN THING As Movember dawns Hannah Newton scours Bath’s beauty shelves to find the very best in male grooming products

S

hould we thank our post-modern visual world, the selfies of Instagram and Facebook for the proliferation in skin care products aimed at men? The booming male grooming industry, worth a reported £14.8bn worldwide, is sophisticated and successful.

Leading beauty brand Maybelline New York has appointed American YouTuber, Manny Gutierrez, as its first male make up ambassador. Manny, a 26-year-old make-up vlogger, has more than three million fans on his YouTube channel and yet another four million followers on Instagram. Alongside a raft of pictures of him beautifully and flawlessly made-up and hanging out with the likes of Victoria Beckham and Ryan Seacrest he also features on the glossy pages of Teen Vogue.

But why should men not want to look their best? Why can women pluck from an infinite plethora of paraphernalia to plump lips, hide spots, whiten teeth, bleach hair and moisturise skin but men cannot? Is their skin any different to a woman’s? Or their sense of vanity?

I think not – they may well be hairier in some areas, but let’s face it women’s chins also need regular plucking. Many men will use products that have been created for women and why shouldn’t they?

However, marriage and motherhood has taught me that men prefer less faff and flourish but crave, and expect, more candour and reason from the products they select.

So, with the wisdom of some of the finest beauty brands to be found in Bath, and bearing in mind that we have arrived in Movember, we’ve selected the best male grooming products in the city.

Neal’s Yard herbal naturopath, Tipper Lewis, said: “Exfoliate regularly, men’s skin is prone to congestion and can be up to 30

times thicker than women’s. Your complexion becomes brighter by removing the build-up of dry and dead skin cells, so exfoliating enables other products to penetrate easily and therefore be more effective.”

Tipper recommends changing our skin care routine in the colder months to ensure skin stays healthy and hydrated. He suggests using the Rejuvenating Frankincense Firming Mask and for added moisture Frankincense Intense Lift Cream, which has nourishing butters and oils to protect skin from winter’s loss of moisture and is used by none other than Benedict Cumberbatch.

Meanwhile, coming in at a more affordable price, handmade and cruelty-free cosmetic brand, Lush, have a literally delicious range of products for the boys.

They recommend the Ocean Salt SelfPreserving Face and Body Scrub. Made from limes steeped in vodka, fresh grapefruit juice and plenty of salt: it is practically a cocktail in cleansing form and therefore perfect when you have a hangover and must shower. This invigorating face and body scrub is rich in minerals and is excellent for scrubbing and buffing – just don’t be tempted to add tonic and ice.

Lush also advocate all-in-one beard and facial wash: Kalamazoo and a man perfume named: Dirty body spray, which, despite looking like something to clean the shower with, is actually intended for spritzing and is made up of energising spearmint, sandalwood and essential oils to refresh and revitalise.

Australian skin care brand, Aesop, looks like a remnant from an age when apothecaries and independent chemists were found in every town. Minimal and exacting, the brand, which can be found at SpaceNK and online, is expensive but is vegan and

BRAND AMBASSADOR: Manny Gutierrez is the first male face of the Maybelline New York beauty brand

100% organic, and, despite high street rival, Kiehl, purporting to be similar in brand styling and substance, Kiehl’s is actually owned by conglomerate L’Oreal.

Interestingly, Aesop products, like Neal’s Yard, are all unisex – which makes life much easier all round doesn’t it? Aesop’s deodorant is zinc-free and apparently helps to: “reduce and mask underarm odour” – certainly no frills here. The mouthwash also does exactly what it says on the bottle: “a breathfreshening, romance-enhancing, alcohol-free formulation to maintain impeccable oral hygiene without disturbing the mouths natural balance.”

Over at SpaceNK they have a raft of no frills men’s products and recommend Mauli Beard Oil and Anthony Conditioning Beard Wash.

For the ultimate in physical and sensual grooming luxury, Bath’s very own contemporary beauty brand, LittleLab in Broad Street, offers a facial created especially for men. Designed to exfoliate, deeply cleanse, refresh and revitalise – it will help them face the ravages of winter.

Alongside its men’s range of moisturiser, beard oil and aftershave, exported exclusively from Prospector Co in the USA, it will leave even the toughest 007’s demeanour, and skin, fabulously relaxed and beautifully energised. n

MALE GROOMING: Neal’s Yard Rejuvenating Frankincense Firming Mask, £31, Aesop personal care deoderant, £23, Lush Kalamazoo beard and facial wash, £7.50, Neal’s Yard Remedies Frankincense Intense Lift Cream, £65, Lush Dirty body spray, £20

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Lucinda Ellery fp.qxp_Layout 1 17/10/2017 11:56 Page 1

P98.qxp_Layout 22 20/10/2017 16:47 Page 1

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We think outside the lines in every way, all services are personalised to you. We pride ourselves on being one of the most fashion forward and creative salons in the area.

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B Hairdressing 11 Claverton Buildings, Bath, BA2 4LD Tel: 01225 311332 • bookings@bhairdressing.co.uk • www.bhairdressing.co.uk – you can even book online

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The Orangery fp November.qxp_Layout 1 19/10/2017 16:25 Page 1

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CITY | DANCE

AS NATURAL AS WALKING Naomi Price joins the twice holders of the UK Lindy Hop Dance Championships, dance duo Hoppin’Mad at one of their Bath sessions

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n a village hall bedecked with VE Day flags somewhere between Bath and Bristol, there’s a dodgylooking GI on wartime leave, his jacket concealing a spiv’s selection of knock-off watches. In his arms is a woman with high hair and a polka-dot dress who may or may not be his wife. There’s a couple in 1920s character – she with a shingled hair-cut and shockingly above-the-ankle flapper dress, he with the spats and Oxford bags. Most others are in 1930s mode. In time to big band sounds, all of them are ripping round the dance floor performing larger-than-life lindy hop, the dance that spans the eras between the 20s and the 50s.

On the sidelines are organisers Graeme and Ann in their respective trademark dress of bright, fishtail-waisted check trousers and vermilion pinafore culottes. This is the duo unique to Bath – and the whole country – being winners twice over of the UK Lindy Hop Championships and gifted teachers of this extraordinary dance. No-one here tonight would be there without them.

But because tonight is a social occasion, not a dance class, they’re off duty. They hang back for a bit out of deference to other people, but can’t help themselves. To watch this couple – by nature self-effacing couple, in performance electric – is exhilarating.

They hop, they leap, they flip (over each other), pivot, jink, swivel, they kick out from the hip like a naughty horse. As with the best art, it all looks completely spontaneous and natural. Which, in a way, it is – when you know how.

What is lindy hop? In its purest form, it is the impure, hybrid result of many influences. At its core is the wild panache of the Charleston with its syncopated rhythms.

Then there’s the reaction to the stilted conventions of the American ballroom – where black dancers were refused entry.

Out of racial segregation came the free, infectious exuberance of the traditions of African influences. And in 1927 Charles Lindburgh made his hop over the Atlantic.

Thus was born the lindy hop, which hit Europe faster than you can say ‘No You Tube, television or (very little) radio’.

When Graeme and Ann first came across lindy hop in the 1980s, they introduced it to a jive class they’d been attending. Instructors were progressively mystified, intrigued, then defeated. Like those contemporaneously rediscovering lindy hop, they’d gone back to the essence of this wild, spontaneous dance.

They studied Hellzapoppin’, the 1941 film featuring the lindy hop and jitterbug dance sequences of supercharged elastic athleticism. They’d made friends with Frankie Manning, the leaping, 100 TheBATHMagazine

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DANCEFLOOR KING AND QUEEN: main image, Hoppin’ Mad aka Graeme and Ann in full lindy hop flip and opposite page, in Charleston mode

somersaulting, aerial-flipping, prebreakdancing charismatic star of the whole thing almost a century ago. And they decided to excel.

Why can’t I do that? Reader, I tried. Back at the dance class just off Pulteney Bridge, Graeme and Ann teach social lindy hop by demonstrating sequences, then breaking them down into separate elements which you then practise in a continuous loop of alternating partners. In its social form, it’s as natural as walking, and this approach is the basis of their tuition. The rest is all a combination of variations. Or so I’m led to believe. With a bit of application, you might even begin to be passable at it. And that’s you, and not me.

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Like all the most interesting people, Graeme and Ann have backgrounds in different disciplines. Ann was a photographer, though from an intensely musical family. For Graeme, an illustrator, dance was a completely blank canvas. An elegant couple with a sea-grey gaze that’s inscrutable in professional mode, sparkling to blue in the acrobatic fun of high-level performance, what they don’t know about lindy hop may be written on the sole of a two-tone dance shoe.

Does it ever happen that you come across people who are better than you? Well, no, not really, is the answer. No. It all goes back to the days when the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem was the only non-

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segregated venue around. Hired by the agent Herbert White, Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers were a constant presence (when they weren’t booked for Hollywood gigs including sequences for the Marx Brothers’ movie A Day at the Races) occupying the central space within the 10,000 square feet of floor while competitive hopefuls circulated round long-range circuit, known as the Track. Around the perimeter dancers fox-trotted casually (the dance was by no means the strait-laced formula we think it was) or, from the 30s, did the elegant, fast balboa with its close hold that had developed by virtue of having to jostle round the confined space, with a capacity of 4,000 patrons.

When lindy hop began its revival in the 1980s, finding someone to teach it, let alone perfect it, was almost impossible. London and Edinburgh were virtually the only venues. From a Bronx telephone directory, aspiring hoppers tracked down Frankie Manning, then retired and in his seventies, along with other Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers Pepsi Bethel and original exponents Mama Lu Parks and the Parkets. When quizzed on his steps with reference to hard-won footage from the film, Frankie

couldn’t provide any (though he ended up teaching it): it was all instinctive and immediate, and, as with the individual components of all fast sport, probably never the same in any sequence.

Now things have gone in completely the opposite direction.

Ann says: “When ballroom dancing became standardised, they knocked the stuffing out of all the style that had gone before. Because it’s now formally recognised competitively, it’s often contrived and overworked.”

Once upon a time, you just got with the beat and didn’t obsess about who puts which foot where and when.

Graeme and Ann teach a balance of something in between.

Lindy hop conventions are big all over the world. If you like it enough you could be a dance tourist: “It doesn’t matter what country you go to if you don’t speak the language,” says Ann, “It’s a language in its own right. Your partner understands what you’re going to do and reacts to it.”

Parlez-vous lindy hop? Me, I’m still on the ABC . . .

Graeme and Ann hold weekly classes in the scout building at Grove Street, just off Pulteney Bridge.

Booking isn’t necessary. Beginners’

times are between 7.45pm and 8.45pm. Practice is from 8.45pm to 9.15pm and higher level between 9.15pm and 10.15pm. Visit: hoppinmad.co.uk or tel: 01225 332942. n

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ENGLAND’S PRETTIEST VILLAGE Andrew Swift takes a walk around the woods and valleys surrounding historic Castle Combe village

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Bybrook, which powered the mills on which its prosperity relied. The reason for this is unclear, but it may have been connected with a steady increase in the number of mills along the brook, built by those eager to make their fortunes.

Whatever the reason, Castle Combe sank into a torpor, unchanged and unchanging, from which it was only awoken by the rise of mass tourism and the cult of picturesque antiquity.

When it was declared England’s prettiest village in 1962, the glory days had well and truly returned.

Continue past the market cross, which incorporates an earlier preaching cross. On the left is the halftimbered Court House where the local court leet sat in the middle ages. The cottages on the right date from the 16th century and contain many original features – look out for a timber mullion window and a studded oak door.

Follow the road as it crosses the Bybrook and carries on alongside it.

After passing a small bridge, the lane curves away from the brook and starts to climb. After another 100m, follow a footpath sign up a steep path on the right to head up through woods (ST840767).

After 500m, when you come to a stile, cross it and turn left along a road for a few metres before crossing another stile on the right (ST839762) and bearing right down a track. After 350m, you come to a clearing, with a seven-bar gate over to the left

his is a lovely walk for autumn, starting in Castle Combe, before heading off in search of wooded valleys, old coach roads, packhorse trails and half-forgotten weaving villages.

Among Castle Combe’s charms is an almost total lack of parking. There is, however, a large free car park, signposted off the B4039 to the north of the village (ST845777).

Having parked the car, head down a flight of steps to the road and turn right. Bear right at a T junction and, 100m further on, turn right up a drive with a footpath sign to Nettleton Shrub. Walk past the old school and carry on through gateposts. When the drive bears right, follow a footpath sign along a narrow track straight on.

After 200m, when you emerge at the edge of a golf course, carry on beside a wall to follow a track downhill between trees. At the bottom, go through a gate on the left (ST840773).

Head down steps, go under a bridge and follow a lane as it curves downhill and through an archway into Castle Combe’s market square.

Castle Combe was founded by the Normans, along with the castle – half a mile to the north – from which it took its name. By the 15th century, it had grown rich from clothmaking, outstripping even nearby Chippenham.

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(ST836764). Go through it and head up a broad and muddy track. After 250 metres, when the way ahead is blocked by a gate marked private, bear right.

After 400m, go through a gate, past Truckle Hill Barn (ST833759), and through another gate which opens onto a panorama over a wooded valley. The stream that flows through it is an unnamed tributary of the By Brook.

Bear right, keeping to the upper track, and after 300m a cattle grid leads onto a lane. After 1500m, when you come to a T junction, turn left towards North Wraxall. Turn left at a T junction by the church and follow the lane as it curves down through the village, before crossing that unnamed tributary and climbing the other side of the valley.

After the lane levels out and bears right, turn left by a bungalow called Nutstock along the Old Coach Road,

UNSPOILED BY TIME: main image, Castle Combe village centre, with the market cross glimpsed on the right of the picture and, inset, the market cross in the 19th century Opposite, an ancient packhorse bridge over the Bybrook

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once the main road from London to Bristol (ST822747). As you carry on, it becomes muddier – an approximation of what it would have been like before its abandonment in the 18th century. After 1,400m it starts to head down a steep hill – the reason for a new road being built with a gentler gradient to the south. The lane leads down past the Old Malthouse to the village of Ford. At the main road, if you fancy calling in to the White Hart Inn, cross over and head down a flight of steps.

To carry on with the walk, don’t cross over but turn left along the pavement. Carry on past Park Lane, but take the next left by Bybrook Barn. After 325 metres, go through a stile on the right (ST845750) and follow a well-trodden track across a field. When you reach a stile, cross it and carry on alongside a barbed-wire fence.

After going through a six-bar gate, continue down a packhorse trail between moss-covered walls. The building at the bottom is Lower Long Dean Mill, built as a paper mill in 1635.

In 1867, three people were killed when a boiler burst. It later became a corn mill.

Cross the Bybrook and carry on through Long Dean. When the lane forks by a cottage with a post box, bear left (ST850757). A little way up the lane is Upper Long Dean Mill, originally believed to have been a cloth mill before being converted to a corn mill.

Carry on up the lane, and, when it forks,

bear right uphill. A little further on, cross a stile by a seven-bar gate, then a step stile by a six-bar gate, and continue along an old packhorse trail across Rack Hill, its name derived from the racks on which cloth from nearby mills was stretched to dry.

A clearing in the woods reveals a superb view over the valley, with the 17th century house at Lower Colham below. As the path descends, look out for Colham Mill through the trees on the other side of the brook.

Carry on, ignoring a path branching off up to the right, go through a kissing gate, cross the Bybrook on the three-arched bridge you passed earlier and turn right along the road towards Castle Combe and the car park. n

FACT FILE ■ Length of walk: 8 miles ■ Approximate time: 3 – 4 hours ■ Map: OS Explorer 156 ■ Refreshment stops: White Hart Inn, Ford, pubs and tea rooms at Castle Combe Andrew Swift is the author of On Foot in Bath: Fifteen Walks Around a World Heritage City and co-author, with Kirsten Elliot, of Ghost Signs of Bath.

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STYLE: ‘WE’VE GOT IT COVERED’ Two leading interior designers have combined their talents and established reputations to create Etons of Bath

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here is something magical when two leading interior design firms in their own right join their creative and project management forces together. Luckily residents in Bath and across the south west can now enjoy the benefits of the newlyformed Etons of Bath based at 108 Walcot Street.

Etons of Bath was created by the merger between local Bath interior design and curtain specialist Eton Design with Georgian interiors specalist Latham Interiors. The newly expanded business focuses on classically inspired interiors of all shapes and sizes.

Peter Higgins, who has over 20 years of interior design experience, founded Eton Design, a renowned interior design practice, showroom and curtain workshop in Bath seven years ago. Peter prides himself on his meticulous attention to detail, contacts with specialist suppliers and bespoke design service.

Latham Interiors, founded by Sarah Latham in 2010, was well known and respected for being specialists in Georgian and Regency interiors.

Sarah’s in-depth knowledge of period architecture, listed consent coupled with her versatility as an interior designer won the Guildford Design Award for best refurbishment and was also shortlisted for an Royal Chartered Institute of Surveyors award. Furthermore, she qualified as an associate with BIID, the prestigious trade body for interior design Now Sarah and Peter have merged their experience and expertise, bringing Sarah’s unique flair for Georgian and Regency style together with Peter’s incredible wealth of design experience, to create Etons of Bath. Sarah Latham now leads an enlarged team of ten interior designers and project managers in the Walcot Street site and Surrey-based studio, while Peter has taken on the role of creative consultant.

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classically inspired interiors – classic period interior spaces and architecture mixed with a contemporary twist, as demonstrated in the newly-opened showroom.

Etons of Bath achieves its unique style by respectfully working with the period features of each property, specifically Georgian, to enhance the look for both traditional and contemporary interiors, resulting in elegant comfortable homes for modern day living, while maintaining a true sense of place.

Recent projects include a Georgian country house near Bath, where a complete renovation was undertaken,

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sympathetically ensuring that the rooms set off the graceful Georgian architecture while meeting the modern needs of the family who use them. Etons of Bath has also transformed a Georgian townhouse in one of the city’s most famous crescents, working with the owners to combine Georgian interior design with a contemporary twist, with particular attention to the smaller decorative touches such as art and accessories.

THE INTERIOR DESIGN TEAM The interior design team based in Bath and Surrey includes Libby Crew,

SUMPTUOUS: above the De Gournay covered walls in the showroom, painted with gold Opposite, clockwise, a bathroom by Latham Interiors, a drawing room at Somerset Place, Bath, another interior from Somerset Place and, the welcoming entrance to the Walcot showroom

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THE SHOWROOM The new Etons of Bath’s flagship studio in Walcot Street with its extensive showroom and curtain and upholstery workshop, officially opened in September with The Mayor of Bath Councillor Ian Gilchrist, cutting the ribbon. The re-launch was a huge success after the premises underwent an extensive refurbishment during the summer.

The showroom houses are as well as a selection of products from Etons’ own Curated Collection. One of the showroom standouts and a reason to visit has to be to see the beautiful De Gournay covered walls painted in 24 carat gold.

ETONS OF BATH CURATED COLLECTION Etons of Bath now has its own Curated

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The showroom has the largest selection of fabrics and wallcoverings in the south west, from more than 50 internationally acclaimed suppliers

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Vicky Nind, Dawn Pirie, Eva Escribano Sotomayor and Simon Pike. They provide services for residential, commercial and hospitality customers including full interior design from initial design concepts, planning, procurement and installation. They can also provide a mentoring service for those want some guidance and experienced advice

Collection, available to view online and in the Bath showroom. The Curated Collection consists of a wide range of over 600 timeless and well-crafted pieces from renowned designers across the globe. From 1940s inspired drinks cabinets to classical floorlamps that are sure to be a welcomed addition into any style of interior, there are hundreds of products to choose from. The philosophy of Etons of Bath is to provide furniture, lighting and accessories to their clients that showcase their own unique, classically inspired style, which is manifested through the curation process. For the full collection visit: etonsofbath.com

THE CURTAIN AND UPHOLSTERY WORKSHOP In addition to a showroom and studio, there is a professional curtain and upholstery workshop on site at Walcot Street, where all curtains, blinds and soft-furnishings are created in-house from start to finish, bringing design provenance and authenticity to each handcrafted piece.

Led by production manager Jess Lee, the upholstery production team of four work closely with designers, giving them the best possible advice on dressing a room. The highly-skilled team are experienced in working with luxurious fabrics to create beautiful, timeless window dressings, upholstery, cushions and soft furnishings that will complement other features in people’s homes. n Etons of Bath is at 108 Walcot Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 639002. Open: Monday to Friday, 10am – 5.30pm, Saturday 10am – 5pm, closed Sunday. Drop-ins very welcome.

Visit: etonsofbath.com, which includes a blog with advice and tips on decorating and sourcing for period homes.

Follow on Twitter @etonsofbath.

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USE EVERY SURFACE: top, shelves and hooks over Artworks vintage tiles by Original Style

SPICE UP A SMALL KITCHEN Bath based interior designer Clair Strong shows you how to make more of your space, so cooking will become a pleasure

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f your small kitchen feels cluttered and claustrophobic, it’s time to make some changes. If an extension or a full kitchen refit isn’t on the cards, there are other ways to use the space more efficiently and create a functional kitchen you’ll love to cook in. Here are some clever tricks to make your kitchen look bigger and work harder:

OPTIMISE EXISTING STORAGE SPACE Keeping cupboards and drawers meticulously organised is the first thing you can do to create a more efficient kitchen. Decluttering is an important step. There’s no room for extraneous items here so donate anything you haven’t used in the past six months.

Then fit cabinets with internal organisers such as plate racks, hooks and wire baskets to really optimise the space. Make sure you use every inch of cupboards and drawers, including the inside of doors.

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inspiration. Peg boards, hanging racks and open shelving can add much-needed storage space without compromising square footage.

Even the smallest kitchen will have some untapped vertical space you can use to hang utensils and cookware. As an added bonus, wall-mounted storage removes some of the clutter from counters, giving you room to work.

You can also look to the top of kitchen cabinets as a place to store larger items. Keep everything in baskets to create a streamlined look.

CHOOSE SMALL APPLIANCES A small kitchen is no place for a huge range cooker. Be sure to choose appliances that suit the size of your space. This goes for things like the toaster and microwave too. Most appliances can be bought in smaller sizes (including the dishwasher) so you don’t have to go without. Just don’t clutter your worktops with so many gadgets there’s no space to cook.

As for the washing machine and tumble

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dryer, consider if there’s somewhere else they can live. Removing them from the kitchen makes room for more cupboards.

INVEST IN A KITCHEN TROLLEY A kitchen trolley is a small kitchen lifesaver.

Choose one with multiple shelves and a butcher block top so it can serve as both storage and work space. Buying one with

Bramante Kitchen Island by MADE

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CITY | INTERIORS wheels adds another layer of practicality, since it will be easy to move around the kitchen as needed. Some kitchen trolleys, such as the Bramante Kitchen Island from MADE.com, even double as breakfast bars.

LIGHT IT UP A dark and dingy kitchen feels small and uninviting. Fortunately, good lighting is

transformative and can turn a cramped, dull space into a bright, open one. One overhead light isn’t enough. You need several light sources, all serving different areas of the kitchen. For example, task lights over the work surface, hob and sink, recessed lighting under the wall cabinets and downlighters or an alternative in the ceiling. These all need to work on separate circuits so they can be switched on and off independently.

DECORATE MINIMALLY When it comes to decorating your tiny kitchen, a modern, minimalist scheme is ideal. Too much detail can make a space feel cluttered and untidy, so opt for sleek units in light colours and plain tiles, (or keep decorative tiles to a minimum – a feature wall for instance .

I recommend neutrals or fresh, uplifting colours such as pale blue, or light green for the walls. Use light-reflecting materials such as glass and stainless steel where possible.

The idea is to create the illusion of space, and all of the above decorating tricks can help you achieve just that. n

SHAKER STYLE: Hübsch oak peg rail by Printer and Tailor

Clair Strong Interior Design is a small, friendly, creative business based in Bath and London, providing services for residential and commercial clients. Visit: clairstrong.co.uk or contact: clair@clairstrong.co.uk.

DECLUTTER: get rid of anything you haven’t used for six months, to make more space on worktops. Mosaics Herald on wall by Original Style (originalstyle.com)

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A RIGHT ROYAL LABOUR OF LOVE A guided tour of Prince Charles’ gardens at Highgrove impresses Jane Moore

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have been to Highgrove twice.

The first time was remarkable only for a couple of stand-out moments. It was some 20 odd years ago when HRH the Prince of Wales only opened the garden for special visits and I went there with a Britain in Bloom contingent in my previous life as a gardening journalist.

At that time I was staggered at the sheer scale and expense of the place. It was quite early days then and the garden was only some 10 years in the making and I was more in wonder at the cash spent than the garden itself.

Now it’s been 35 years since HRH began gardening at Highgrove. This spring when I visited again I was bowled over once again by exactly the same things and I’ve seen a lot of very big, expensive gardens in the meantime. Highgrove is still a wildly expensive garden to create and keep, but this time I realised just what a labour of love it has been for Prince Charles. He’s a real gardener.

bulbs nestled between the paving underfoot. Not a weed in sight.

Throughout whole sections of the garden there’s a delightfully intimate feel which contrasts with the grander avenues and sweeps of meadow. The Cottage Garden has just this cosiness with its soft clouds of golden philadelphus catching the dappled sunlight filtering through the majestic trees which predate the garden.

Dotted here and there are benches in muted shades of blue, green and terracotta. These individual elements are everywhere, as well as odd little quirky items and objects which all go to remind you just how much a personal project this garden is.

THE WOW FACTOR Don’t be misled by that artful dishevelment, there’s some intricate and involved management going on here, fuelled by a top notch head gardener and a veritable phalanx of gardeners all of outstanding calibre.

No surprise then that everything looks in superb health, beautifully pruned and cultivated with neat hedges and lawns to set off the elegant planting.

It’s everything one could wish for and all managed organically to boot.

The really wow parts of the garden are spectacular: the Stumpery, the glorious meadows and the Kitchen Garden are outstanding. Everywhere you look there are beautiful pots and statuary, interesting gates and architectural touches. There are gazebos, rustic cottages and even a

FIRST IMPRESSIONS Working at The Bath Priory I am very familiar with the shabby chic ethos.

Our owner likes things to look not new but not worn out, slightly lived in and dishevelled in a charming, artfully careless way. The whole of Highgrove is like this and it takes an awful lot of work.

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‘wall of gifts’ created from presents given to the Prince over the years by all sorts of people. He gets given stumps for the Stumpery too.

SENSE OF PLACE When I visited before I don’t remember really noting how well the garden sits in its landscape but then the garden wasn’t as complete as it is now and I was less experienced. These things really do matter, especially with a ‘nature perfected’ style such as Highgrove, where the garden needs to seep and permeate into the surrounding fields and trees. HRH has a light touch with his gardening and while any formal areas are always softened with gentler planting, it’s the natural style which abounds.

There are gnarled fruit trees with hens pecking about happily beneath them and a couple of meadows. Drifts of acers and hydrangeas sprinkle through the Arboretum while the Stumpery is a dingle dell of damp ferns, mosses and shade loving plants.

The fact that he loves to arrive at Highgrove along the drive with the meadow literally brushing against the car and the grass growing along the middle like a country lane says it all.

He told his head gardener that he sees enough tarmac and concrete in his duties and wants Highgrove to feel like the countryside as soon as he arrives. We all know what he means.

MY FAVOURITE BITS Highgrove is simply one of the best

ARTLESSLY CHARMING: main picture, The Carpet Garden at Highgrove, which is some 20 miles north of Bath Opposite page, a long border filled with delphiniums and, far right, the wildflower meadow

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gardens I’ve visited in a long time and it’s hard to pick the stars of the show, especially as you don’t get a great deal of time in each garden as you are chaperoned around. The headline grabbing Stumpery is outstanding in every way from its shady twisting paths bounded by the gnarled grotesques of stumps to the dripping water feature in its green pond that looks like something from a lost civilisation. It’s very Alice in Wonderland meets Indiana Jones and I love it.

Another eye-catching water feature lies in the Kitchen Garden, a centrepoint to the radiating paths lined with fruit trees and filled with vegetables. Highlights include the wall trained fruit as well as the glorious apple tunnels.

The Arboretum must have been on fire this autumn as there are so many acers and cherries there. In spring there are carpets of dainty daffodils underplanting the flowering cherries, as well as the scent of countless azaleas. Prince Charles has been planting specimen trees in this area for 30 years, gradually building a collection many of which he has planted himself.

And doesn’t that strike a chord with all gardeners: that need to collect and hone our collection, to make our garden look and feel like a special place that we have crafted within the world.

experience, including vouchers for 2018 garden tours (£27.50) or a unique Champagne Tea Tour experience (from £79.95), boxed with the official Highgrove guidebook.

All profits from the sale of Highgrove products, tours and events are donated to The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation, which was founded in 1979 as a grantmaking body that supports a wide range of causes.

Gift experiences can be purchased online at: highgrovegardens.com. n Jane Moore is the award-winning gardening columnist and head gardener at The Bath Priory Hotel. Twitter: @janethegardener.

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DARK SKIES: main picture, Tiley Towers occupies an enviable rural spot with no light pollution Far left, the kitchen, left the second bathroom Bottom left, an aerial view of Tiley Towers and bottom right, the living room opens via bifold doors on to the stone terrace outside Opposite, the idyllic setting and, inset, thoughtful detail in the master bedroom Pictures by Lucy Sturges Aerial photography by Martin Crawley of The SkyCam

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JUST THE COWS FOR COMPANY William Sturges and his son Tom have built a unique eco home in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside.

Georgette McCready went to visit the newly completed Tiley Towers near Marshfield

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illiam Sturges has been building homes for more years than he cares to admit. His decades of experience and attention for detail have been teamed with the designer eye of his son Tom, who honed his skills building wooden chalets in Switzerland.

Father and son have created a remarkable contemporary three bedroom home just outside the village of North Wraxall, half an hour’s drive from Bath, tucked away on a private site overlooking fields and open countryside. There’ll be no electricity or heating bills to pay for the new owner as, thanks to a combination of solar panels, a heat exchange pump and insulation – the triple glazed Austrian windows are all fitted with a heat recovery system which warms and filters fresh air as it comes in – the single storey building is as near to a passive energy house as you can get.

The Sturgeses have dubbed the new house, designed in partnership with Jacques Partnership architects, Tiley Towers, in tribute to Mr Tiley a former minister, who presided over the old Methodist Congregational Hall, which used to stand on this spot. The nearest neighbours, if you don’t count the cows peacefully grazing directly outside the garden, are a scattering of farms.

The house has been clad in cedar boards, which will gently mellow with age. Two sets of bi-fold doors open out from the living room on to a stone terrace outside. On a sunny day we step straight through the bifold doors into the large living space, with a woodburner at one end and the kitchen at the other end. ‘Thoughtful’ appears to be the Sturgeses’ middle name. The attention to detail is remarkable. The induction hob, from Nikola Tesla by Elica supplied from Coopers of Bath, has an extractor fan set in it, taking the steam off pans almost as soon as it emerges. Next to the hob, to avoid cluttering up the work surfaces, is a neat pop-up system which releases a set of plug outlets for food processor or blender. Under the picture window is the sink, so you can daydream while you wash up, and, because the window opens internally the tap is telescopic. The kettle and toaster are in an alcove, so you don’t immediately see them when you walk into the room. The fridge is a large double doored affair, with a huge slideout single drawer freezer underneath and there are two ovens.

Next to the well equipped kitchen is the utility room with a long wooden work surface and the beating heart of the house, controlling the heating and hot water – all of which can be operated remotely by phone. If

one of the three bedrooms, for example, needs to be really warm, the system can allow the extra heat to be on in just that room.

A long sunny hall stretches along one side of the house, flanked by tall windows which fill the building with natural light. Every room, each doorway and the hall are all accessible by wheelchair. Low voltage LED lighting highlights have been used to pick out architectural detail.

The master bedroom at the far end has an en suite bathroom, with big bath and spacious shower. The bathroom has been sound proofed and there’s an option to turn

on a low level light, for use at night. In the shower three little alcoves in the marble neatly stow shampoo and soap.

The remaining two bedrooms are also double and share a bathroom. Tiley Towers has 160 square metres (or 1,722 square feet) so it all feels very spacious. William takes great pleasure in unfolding the loft ladder – pleasingly wooden – so I can view the big, well insulated attic. This space, while not tall enough to stand in, will take any amount of camping gear, skis, musical instruments, or whatever else you might need to store.

All the appliances, including the lavatories, have been fitted to allow easy access for maintenance. The gardens have been left as a blank space for the new owner to choose whether to leave as lawn, or start growing their own produce, thereby adding to the property’s ethical status.

Tiley Towers is on the market with Tim Bennett estate agent and Knight Frank, with a guide price of £775,000. n

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the directory

to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

Chauffeur/Private Hire

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

We provide Bath Airport transfers to and from all major airports in the uk. We use only HI spec vehicles and give a near on chauffeur experience at less than regular taxi prices.

Airport transfers • City to city travel • Hi spec vehicles 1-8 seat vehicles available • Account work considered • Free Wifi in selected vehicles Card payments taken with Izettle • Prices start from as little as £37 Call or email us for a quote now!

@Romanbathprivatehire

Web: romanbathprivatehire.co.uk Email: Info@romanbathprivatehire.co.uk Tel: 01225 484346

Electricians

House & Home

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

ONEMagazineONECiTYONEMOnTh • T 01225 424 499

KEIKO KISHIMOTO Holistic Treatments for Wellbeing

Aromatherapy • Reflexology/Facial reflexology Japanese Cosmo Facelift • Deep Tissue Massage For more information, please visit:

www.keikokishimoto.co.uk 07739 827186 contact@keikokishimoto.co.uk

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Pritchard PIF Nov 17.qxp_PIF Full Page 20/10/2017 17:44 Page 85

PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

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umber 4 Cambridge Place is an elegant, romantic looking detached Grade II listed property, perfectly located within a few minutes walk for the train station and city centre and its position on Widcombe Hill allows panoramic views across Bath. There are two floors of well proportioned accommodation which is decorated in a bright neutral style with lots of period features including fireplaces, cornicing, shutters etc. Ground floor layout: Sitting room, drawing room, dining room, study, kitchen/breakfast room. cloakroom. Upper floor: Five bedrooms, bathroom, shower room, cloakroom. In addition there is a good sized conservatory as well as a substantial green house, outbuilding and cellar all of which provide plenty of options for storage and will be appealing to gardeners and growers. At the front of the house is a terraced landscaped garden and a garage. To the rear, a level walled garden bursting with trees, shrubs and flowers, a level lawn, pond and lovely areas for alfresco dining and enjoying the magnificent views. This beautiful period property is sure to appeal to lots of potential buyers and so an early viewing through agents Pritchards is advised.

Pritchards, 11 Quiet Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 466225

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4 CAMBRIDGE PLACE WIDCOMBE HILL • Elegant, romantic, listed property • Conveniently located and easy walk to train station and city centre • Spectacular panoramic views • 5 bedrooms • Period features • Outbuildings

Guide price: £1,750,000

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pritchards-bath.co.uk

Northanger Court

Marlborough Buildings

A delightful ground floor 2 bedroom purpose built apartment forms part of a most successful development of apartments located in the heart of Bath.

Secure underground parking space. No onward chain. Internal area approximately 775 sq ft / 72 sq m. Lift access to parking and street level.

A beautifully presented 2 bed ground floor apartment with a wealth of period charm and features. Views over mature gardens and allotments to Royal Victoria Park and the Approach Golf Course.

Sought after location with a level walk to the city centre.

Int area approx 793 sq ft/73.7 sq m.

Guide Price: £495,000

Guide Price: £475,000

Connaught Mansions, Great Pulteney Street

Brunswick Place

A 2 bedroom lower ground floor apartment within an impressive GI Listed building in one of Bath’s most prestigious streets, just a short level walk to all of the Georgian city’s amenities. Good sized drawing room, kitchen & bathroom. (Lift in the building but does not cover the lower ground floor).

Allocated secure parking for one vehicle. Int area: 810 sq ft/75.2 sq m

A spacious 3 bedroom garden apartment situated in the heart of the City offering flexible accommodation. Delightful private south facing garden to rear. Useful communal storeroom. Int area: 1020 sq ft/94.7 sq m.

Guide Price: £450,000

Guide Price: £349,500

11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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Luxury development

N

orwood Dene is a development of seven luxurious apartments situated just off Bathwick Hill, a highly sought after residential location within Bath. The apartments are set in mature, secluded and extensive grounds.

Each apartment offers spacious, lateral living on a single level, with lift access to the first floor and with every apartment having some form of outside space, be it either a garden at ground floor level or a terrace at first floor level.

Ashford Homes, a much renowned local developer, have been building luxury homes for over 25 years throughout the region and are well known for creating developments that uphold local tradition and are renowned for their build quality and high specification throughout. The apartments have individual luxury fitted kitchens with granite or quartz worksurfaces, fabulous bathrooms with Villeroy & Boch sanitary ware together with Hansgrohe chrome fittings. Ashford Homes provide a sophisticated home network/audio entertainment infrastructure which supports the distribution of television, data and telephone to multiple locations within the apartments.

All of the properties have two private parking spaces, some of which are within parking barns with an integrated storage area.

Norwood Dene is conveniently located at the top of Bathwick Hill, with a regular bus service to the City centre and local shops located nearby. Also close at hand is the Bath University with its sports superb facilities, local Co-op, bank and restaurants. Combe Grove country club, Bath Golf Club and the circular Bath Skyline walk are all within close proximity and allows you to walk through National Trust land affording magnificent views down over the city of Bath.

These apartments provide an opportunity to live in a quiet and peaceful location with lateral living, lift access, parking and outside space, surrounded by tranquil woodlands and National Trust land but with convenience of the city of Bath being close at hand.

Cobb Farr, 35 Brock Street, Bath BA1 2LN Tel: 01225 333332

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RECEIVE THE BATH MAGAZINE BY POST NEVER MISS OUT We deliver to over 20,000 addresses every month, and there’s plenty of pick up points around town. But if you live outside our distribution area or would like us to send a copy to friends or family, we offer a magazine mailing service.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS FROM JUST ÂŁ30 SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT www.thebathmag.co.uk/subscribe or call: 01225 424 499

St. John’s Road A stylish and contemporary semi-detached house with four bedrooms and three spacious reception rooms arranged over four floors.

Recently refurbished to a very high standard, the property also benefits from an attractive courtyard garden and off-street parking. Located in a highly sought after residential area within easy walking distance of Bath city centre, the house offers convenient access to Bath Spa railway station and several excellent schools.

Rent: £2,250 pcm* bright & spacious living room | handsome drawing room | fully fitted contemporary kitchen | sizeable dining room | 3 large double bedrooms (1 en-suite) | single bedroom | family bathroom | attractive courtyard garden | allocated off-street parking Reside Bath | 24 Barton Street Bath BA1 1HG | T 01225 445 777 | E info@residebath.co.uk | W www.residebath.co.uk

*An administration fee of £420.00 inc. VAT applies.

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Crafting beautiful homes in stunning locations Bath | Somerset | Wiltshire | Cotswold | Dorset

01225 791155 ashford-homes.co.uk

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Wentworth November.qxp_Layout 2 17/10/2017 17:17 Page 1

NEW INSTRUCTION

Bear Flat, Bath

Guide Price ÂŁ1,350,000

A rare opportunity to purchase a stunning Grade II listed Georgian Townhouse in the highly desirable location of Bear Flat, to the south of Bath city centre. Found in the select terrace of Devonshire Buildngs, the property offers immaculately presented, generous accommodation throughout, spread over four floors. View early to avoid disappointment.

25 Monmouth St, Bath BA1 2AP

T: 01225 904 904 for a free valuation www.wentworthea.com

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Accidental landlords reap the rewards of Bath’s rental market Peter Greatorex, managing director of The apartment Company

D

espite a good sales market in the last couple of months, as anywhere, there are occasions when sellers can’t attract the price they hope for. In this situation, homeowners either relaunch to market at a later date, or reduce the price. However, for those who HAVE to move and can do so without selling up, there’s another option proving popular… letting their home out instead.

Such owners are known as ‘accidental landlords,’ moving due to a change in circumstance such as relocation or moving in with a partner. This option allows them to take advantage of strong rental and house price growth in Bath, whilst using the rent to pay their mortgage repayments.

As the lettings market continues to deliver excellent results for our landlord clients, it’s a great alternative. We've recently let a number of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments between £850 and £2,000 that fall into this bracket, including a very smart Bath Riverside apartment that let for £1,700 per month on the very first viewing.

Housing reports tell the same story. A quarter of UK households are expected to be renting privately by the end of 2021. All of Rightmove’s rental reports so far this year note landlords continue to reap the rewards. In Q1, Bath claimed second place for annual rental growth (+11.7%), whilst being the second best area choice for tenants in Q2. The City again made the top five for rental growth in Q3, ranking third place. Whilst I eagerly await the Q4 report, I’m confident our area will continue to impress given our rents at The Apartment Company have increased approximately 5% over the last three months, some by 10%.

We deliver to over 20,000 addresses every month. But if you live outside our distribution area or would like us to send a copy to friends or family then we are able to offer a mailing service for only £15.00 (6 issues) or £40.00 Euro zone; £30.00 (12 issues) or £70.00 Euro zone World Zone 1 £95.00 World Zone 2 £120.00 To subscribe to receiving the magazine go to our website; www.thebathmag.co.uk and scroll to the bottom of the page where you can click to an instant link Alternatively send a cheque payable to MC Publishing Ltd 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED or Telephone 01225 424 499 for card payment

Subscription FORM Mr/Mrs/Ms ................Forename ..............................................

Surname ..............................................................................

Address ............................................................................ ..........................................Postcode ............................

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Advice I always give landlords, particularly new ones who haven’t done it before, is to really try and build trust with your tenants to avoid any problems in the long run. Tenants expect appreciation from their landlords so you need to be the best possible kind if you’re to attract those who will pay on time, look after your property and stay for a while. A few things to think about to ensure you are seen as thoughtful, respectful and most importantly, trustworthy include… provide reassurance they can contact you about anything, handle any tenant queries or issues quickly and efficiently, don’t do botch jobs, ensure the home has good security systems in place and give plenty of notice if you are to raise the rent.

If this sounds like an alternative option for you, do get in touch.

As managing agents, we would do everything for you and update you with what’s happening in the sales market for when you’re ready to sell again too.

The Apartment Company Pg@theapartmentcompany.co.uk or call 01225 471144.

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Central Andrewsonline.co.uk

Morris Lane, Bath, BA1 £925,000

01225 809 571

An exceptional family home situated in Batheaston just 3 miles from Bath city centre. The home is presented to a high standard with far reaching views. Three receptions, five bedrooms and four bathrooms. There is both extensive parking and large gardens with studio.

Energy Efficiency Rating: C

central@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Newbridge Andrewsonline.co.uk

Newbridge Road, Bath, BA1 £550,000

This beautiful period home has a wealth of character coupled with modern lines and style. Set back from the Newbridge road within the popular western outskirts of the city. This property benefits from four bedrooms, bathroom, sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, garden and parking.

Energy Efficiency Rating: E

01225 809 685 newbridge@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Andrews - Bath - November V2.qxp_Layout 3 17/10/2017 14:37 Page 2

Camden Andrewsonline.co.uk

Seymour Road, Bath, BA1 £550,000

A wonderful three bedroom period home in a fantastic Camden location. This light and well presented Victorian property is a 0.6 mile walk to the city centre. Views to the rear from house and sun terrace with further garden from decked steps.

Energy Efficiency Rating: E

01225 809 868 camden@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Bear Flat Andrewsonline.co.uk

Bloomfield Road, Bath, BA2 Guide Price £500,000

A beautiful double fronted period cottage with accommodation over three levels and a private rear garden. Two reception rooms, three bedrooms, bathroom and a kitchen breakfast room. Vendor not buying on.

Energy Efficiency Rating: F

01225 805 680 bearflat@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Fine & Country November.qxp_Layout 1 17/10/2017 14:38 Page 1

TADWICK, Bath

ÂŁ850,000

Charming detached period cottage located in the hamlet of Tadwick on the edge of the city of Bath with fantastic rural views.

Accommodation includes kitchen/dining room, sitting room, study, downstairs W.C., four bedrooms (two with en-suite), bathroom, double garage, parking and gardens.

EPC Rating: F

Fine & Country November.qxp_Layout 1 17/10/2017 14:38 Page 2

THINGLEY, Corsham

ÂŁ850,000

Detached period house dating from 17th century, located in a rural position just 1.7 miles from the centre of Corsham. Comprises five bedrooms, three reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, conservatory, gardens, garage and parking.

EPC Rating: D

®

Millenium House

£2000 pcm

Leopold House

£1700 pcm

Unfurnished · Two Double Bedrooms · Two EnSuites · Private Parking · Landscaped Gardens Superb Finish · Council Tax Band: TBC · Agency Fees £420 inc VAT · Available Now

Modern Apartment · Two Bedrooms · Unfurnished · Far Reaching Views · Secure Parking Council · Tax Band: F · Agency Fees £420 inc VAT · Available now

Marlborough Buildings

Caxton Court

Marlborough Buildings

£1500 pcm

Unfurnished · Well presented · Three large double bedrooms · Two luxury bathrooms · Council Tax Band: D · Agency Fees £420 inc vat · Available Now

·

£1250 pcm

£1200 pcm

Northampton Street

£1000 pcm

Unfurnished · Two Double Bedrooms · Stunning views front and rear · Central location · Adjacent Royal Crescent · Price Range £1250 - £1450pcm · Council Tax Band: E · Agency Fees £420 inc VAT

Unfurnished · Ground floor · Beautifully presented · Two bedrooms · Riverside location · Spacious living · Council Tax Band D · Agency Fees £420inc VAT · Available 18th November

Unfurnished · One Bedroom · Free wi fi and fortnightly clean · Under floor heating · Council Tax Band: C · Agency Fees £420 inc VAT · Available 2nd of November

Henrietta Street

Catharine Place

Brock Street

£875 pcm

Unfurnished · One Double Bedroom · First Floor · Period Features · Residents Permit Parking · Close to Henrietta Park · Council Tax Band: C · Agency Fees £420 inc VAT

SALES

01225 471 14 4 The Apartment Company November.indd 1

LETTINGS

£825 pcm

Unfurnished · One bedroom · No pets · Sought after location · Central close to shops · Agency fees £420 inc VAT · Council Tax Band: C · Available Now

01225 303 870

£800 pcm

Grade II Listed · Prestigious address · Openplan living area · One bedroom · Pretty courtyard garden · Residents Permit Parking · Council Tax Band: B · Agency Fees £420 inc

sales@theapartmentcompany.co.uk

20/10/2017 12:58

®

Johnstone Street

GUIDE PRICE £1,250,000

Great Pulteney Street O.I.E.O £625,000

Sydney Place

Georgian Maisonette · Grade I Listed · Garden maisonette · Four double bedrooms · Central location · Recently renovated · Holiday lets permitted · Pets allowed · Approx 2255 sq ft

Grade I Listed · Georgian apartment · First floor · Period features · Private sun terrace · Prestigious address · Two double bedrooms · Approx 790 sq ft

Grade I Listed · Georgian apartment · Top floor · Fabulous far reaching views · Four double bedrooms · En suite & bathroom · Spacious kitchen · Central location · Approx 1,422 sq ft

20 Green Park

Portland Place

Abbey Court

O.I.E.O

£530,000

O.I.E.O

£500,000

O.I.E.O

O.I.E.O

£550,000

£450,000

Grade II Listed · Georgian townhouse · Three bedrooms · Second floor · Beautifully refurbished · Far reaching views · Private parking · Large communal garden · 930 sq ft

Grade II Listed · Georgian property · Two bedrooms · Private garden · Newly refurbished kitchen · Beautiful period features · Central location · 812 sq ft

Modern property · Top floor · Lift access · Three double bedrooms · Prime location · Stunning views · Large Garage · Approx 871 sq ft

Grosvenor Place

Darlington Street

Rivers Street

O.I.E.O

£375,000

Georgian garden maisonette · Grade I Listed · Two bedrooms · Two bathrooms · Private south facing garden · Viewing highly recommended · Approx 1085 sq ft

O.I.E.O

£300,000

Grade II Listed · Open plan living area · First floor · Central location · Resident permit parking · Period features · 430 sq ft

O.I.E.O

£295,000

Georgian apartment · Prime central location · Period features · Spacious sitting and dining room · Large bathroom · New kitchen · Highly recommended · 631 sq ft

www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk

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