The Bath Magazine April 2023

Poet, movie star, rock star, TV and radio presenter, comedian, social and cultural commentator

JOHN COOPER CLARKE

…tells us why he’s not a legend

TIMELESS INTERIORS

Design once, design well with Sims Hilditch

TECH MATTERS

How schools use technology within the curriculum

RUGBY FORWARD

John Hall: from fierce player to club heritage promoter

ROUSING MUSIC

Three orchestral concerts from Handel to Sibelius

FROM THE EDITOR

Somebody up there likes me. It ain't like I've followed a well-trodden trajectory.” These are the words of our very favourite anarchic punk performance poet John Cooper Clarke who is appearing at The Forum in June. He absolutely isn’t putting up with the ‘legend’ label suggested by Melissa Blease, however –he prefers ‘bone idle’, ‘vain’ and ‘opinionated’. Judge for yourself on page 16.

This month also brings memorable and uplifting musical performances of an orchestral type –we have West End numbers from Lucie Jones with the Fulltone Orchestra, Handel’s SolomonOratorio with Bath Recitals and Sibelius’ Violin Concerto with Jennifer Pike and Bath Philharmonia. See page 26 to read about them. Our world is dominated and defined by technology and it’s ever-evolving. So what impact does it have within education and are there moments in the classroom when more traditional teaching methods still hold sway? We ask some of our local schools how technology feeds into the curriculum on page 54. It can bring rich learning experiences, we gather, but it also needs to be used wisely and for a specific purpose. We were honoured to be given a diary account from local ex-fireman Rob Davis about his trip to Türkiye to assist with the help and rescue operation in the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquake in parts of Türkiye and Syria. This is a local story of one disaster volunteer stepping up with courage and humanity and making a difference in the middle of a chaotic and overwhelming human tragedy. See page 48. There’s also an insight into the timeless interiors of Sims Hilditch (page 62); a review of the award-winning musical Lion King, soon to grace the stage of the Bristol Hippodrome (page 28); and an insight into the specialist magazine business (page 42).

John Cooper Clarke once said that the poet’s greatest enemy is indifference. Well, there’s no reason for there to be any of that this month.

Emma Clegg, Editor

Bring your lawn to life

The Wildlife Trusts and Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are calling on gardeners to reimagine their lawns with their ‘Bring your lawn to life’ initiative for the benefit of wildlife and the environment. They are inviting people to raise the blade on their mower and cut their grass less regularly, and embrace daisies, dandelions, clovers and other naturally flowering plants. Lawns left to grow long help mitigate flooding by better soaking up rainwater, counter the heat island effect through their cooling properties, and capture pollutants. They are also better at resisting browning during dry spells than short grass, owing to their longer roots. wildlifetrusts.org

ON THE COVER

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John Cooper Clarke, photograph by Pip. See page 16 for our interview with John.

THINGS TO DO IN APRIL 5

Have a laugh

Take a trip with the star of Dead Ringers, Spitting Image, The Imitation Game and Bad Girls, as Debra Stephenson hurtles through time in a multiverse of musical icons from Billy Holliday to Billie Eilish, Shirley Bassey to Kate Bush, with live musical accompaniment.

And, with Debra's trademark comedic impressions of well-known politicians and celebrities, there's plenty of fun and laughter along the way. The many voices of Debra Stephenson is at Wiltshire Music Centre on Sunday 30 April, 7.30pm. Tickets £22, available at wiltshiremusic.org.uk

Go shopping

Blow away the winter cobwebs and indulge in a bit of eco-friendly retail therapy at The Vintage Bazaar. You’ll be able to buy from some of the country’s best dealers in vintage textiles, decorative antiques and French brocante, as well as a hand-picked selection of designer makers. Plus, you’ll have the chance to explore Frome: a busy town packed with independent shops, vintage haunts and galleries. The bazaar will take place at The Cheese and Grain in Frome on 22 April, 9am–2pm. thevintagebazaar.com

Expand your mind

Pay Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution a visit over the next month and learn something new. On 24 April, BRLSI will team up with Bath

Shakespeare Society to celebrate the 400th anniversary of one of the most important books ever, Shakespeare’s First Folio; and on 27 April, Professor Mark Brosnan and Dr Tom Arthur will consider autism, with their talk addressing how research could be used to boost independence and wellbeing within the autistic community. For tickets and further information, visit brlsi.org/whats-on

Celebrate Easter

As we approach Easter, experience one of the most moving Christian works ever written, by one of the greatest composers who ever lived: St. John Passion by J.S. Bach. Featuring Ruairi Bowen as Evangelist, the Abbey Girls and Lay Clerks will perform alongside baroque specialists Rejouissance. This event will take place at the Bath Abbey Churchyard on 5 April at 7.30pm. Tickets from £10 (16s and under half price) from Bath Box Office. You can also celebrate the holidays with the Abbey’s Family Easter Trail (until 16 April). Pick up a free trail sheet at the Welcome Desk, track down the answers, decode the mystery message and celebrate with a free mini egg! bathabbey.org | bathboxoffice.org.uk

Travel back in time

Visitors to the Roman Baths can enjoy the ‘Royal Roman Quest’ spring trail from 1 April to 31 May. The whole family can help in the search for the Roman Emperor’s new crown; for younger visitors, crowns will be hidden to spot as they explore the ancient site, while older kids will be encouraged to look out for headwear suitable for an Emperor within the collection. The trail is included in Roman Baths admission. Discounted family tickets available. Book online at romanbaths.co.uk

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The cityist

BITES

THE BUZZ

Maps, sorcery and murder

Garth Nix, who wrote The LeftHanded Booksellers of London (2020), has just published a follow-up called The Sinister Booksellers of Bath. This young adult fantasy novel is a wintry return to the alternative 1980s England of the first book.

The booksellers who police the Old World keep a careful watch there, particularly on the entity who inhabits the ancient hot spring. Yet it is not from Sulis Minerva that trouble starts. It comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger.

A desperate rescue is attempted by his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, and their friend, art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to deal with her own recently discovered magical heritage.

The map takes them to a place separated from this world, guarded by monstrous living statues of Purbeck marble. But this is only the beginning, as the booksellers investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths and try to unravel the secrets of the murderous Lady of Stone.

Garth Nix is an Australian writer who specialises in children's and young adult fantasy novels. He is visiting Bath and appearing at Topping & Co. on 3 April at 7.30pm. The Sinister Booksellers of Bath is published by Gollancz, £20.

Donna Moore

From skidding down BMX tracks at Wansdyke Playing Fields as a child to exploring all the natural magic the countryside has to offer as an adult, Carer Support Wiltshire trustee and marketing expert Donna Moore has always felt connected to her hometown of Bath.

I grew up in Bath and spent the early years of my childhood racing around on my bike at the BMX track in Wansdyke Playing Fields – I’m sure I still have gravel in my knees from falling off! During my teenage years, I was a member of Bath Sea Cadets learning to kayak, powerboat and row, making friends who I’m still close to today.

I live in Bathwick and love its proximity to the city centre and green spaces. I feel like I have the best of both worlds on my doorstep. There is also excellent community spirit in Bathwick, a real feeling that people are looking out for you and there’s always someone willing to stop and say ‘hello’.

When I started work in 1997, I had the good fortune of joining Future Publishing. As an 18-year-old it was an excellent introduction to working life – fun, great people, and lots of ambition to grow. I quickly moved into the IT department and became the voice of the helpdesk for a few years.

I fell into marketing by accident. After returning to work after my daughter Emma was born, my employer thought that my technical background would make me a good fit for a role in SEO (search engine optimization), and my marketing career started there. Over the years I expanded my knowledge and have worked in Bath, London and Bristol in various roles.

Right now I’m working for an American company called Welocalize, heading up their marketing team. I moved to this role three years ago after the marketing agency I worked for (SearchStar) was acquired by them. One thing I really enjoy is speaking to people across the globe, finding out about where they live and their culture, and adding to my never-ending list of places to visit!

I first got involved as a trustee for Carer Support Wiltshire in 2019. I was looking for a new challenge – a different way to use the skills I’d built up as well as giving something back. I’ve volunteered throughout my adult life and I was keen to find a local charity to work with as a trustee, and caring was close to my heart having been a teenage carer for my terminally ill father.

I’m a member of the board of trustees at CSW and the subcommittee Chair for the Fundraising and Publicity Committee. As a trustee, I’m there to provide support, governance and use my experience to steer the charity as it progresses and grows.

CSW offers carers support when they need it most, or they’re not sure who can help and what support is available. This includes practical help navigating life as a carer, emotional and well-being support from other carers, or specialist carer provision.

Loneliness is a problem across society. Combine that with having less personal time available to meet with others, and not wanting to burden others, it’s easy to see why our Here to Talk service is so valuable. Here to Talk provides a safe space for unpaid carers to talk about their lives – the highs and lows –with an experienced befriender. It’s an opportunity to get guidance, have someone listen, and feel understood.

I love getting outside after working all week. Usually, I’m walking parts of the Bath Skyline, cycling along the canal as the days get warmer, or meeting up with friends. Most of my activities are combined with a meal or coffee. Blue, my Miniature Schnauzer, usually comes along to join in the fun. He loves going for long walks at the weekend and meeting other dogs, and this summer he’ll be making his debut at dog agility shows!

I love spending time in Society Coffee –it’s my happy place to watch the world go by, drink great coffee, enjoy a delicious cookie, and spend time with my family.

I’ve just come back from a whistlestop tour to Madrid, taking in the city and enjoying some excellent tapas. In the summer I’m visiting the South of France for the first time and am looking forward to visiting vineyards, eating alfresco and exploring towns on the French Riviera. ■

If you are interested in being a volunteer for Carer Support Wiltshire, contact admin@ carersupportwiltshire.co.uk; carersupportwiltshire.co.uk

Donna’s Miniature Schnauzer, Blue

City updates

Inspiring architect

Geoff Rich, Managing Partner at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios in Bath, has been appointed a Visiting Professor at the School of Architecture and Environment at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). Geoff will be working with the University to help inspire the next generation of architects, sharing his expertise through masterclasses, lectures, and reviews of student work.

At Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Geoff takes a leading role in creative reuse work. He is passionate about the benefits of retaining and reusing historic and existing buildings, conserving and celebrating heritage, and weaving new with old to make sustainable, joyful buildings for contemporary life. He is interested in international heritage issues, having worked on projects and initiatives in Africa, China, USA and the Middle East. He lectures on sustainable design, conservation and reuse at a number of universities, and sits on the Historic England Historic Places Panel, the Design West Review Panel, and is a Design Council Expert.

Geoff said: “I look forward to getting involved with the UWE Bristol architecture courses and working with students and staff to help deliver relevant, exciting and contemporary degree programmes and future-ready graduates.” uwe.ac.uk

CitySound Voices are 10!

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, CitySound Voices is holding an Anniversary Concert on 22 April. This small, dynamic, mixed-voice choir entertains its audiences with a wide variety of traditional and modern music, sacred and secular, classical, folk and pop. The concert includes music by Verdi, Fauré, Lauridsen, Billy Joel and Queen as well as a medley from Les Misérables CitySound Voices sings mainly in and around Bath, but it has also sung at Wells Cathedral, the Aldeburgh Maltings, and the Minack Theatre in Cornwall. A talented and enthusiastic Musical Director, William Stevens, has recently joined them. Performing with the choir will be two choirs from King Edward’s School –KES Senior Singers and KES 24 Chamber Choir. Anniversary Concert, 22 April, 7.30pm at St. Stephen’s Church, Lansdown. Tickets from Eventbrite, via the website, or at the door. citysound.org.uk; eventbrite.co.uk

‘Dreaming the Land’ BRLSI talk

Painter and printmaker Fiona McIntyre will be giving a talk at BRLSI on 10 May, called ‘Dreaming The Land’.

Fiona recently finished a six-month residency at the Sidney Nolan Trust and a solo exhibition at The Rodd called Dreaming The Land. Fiona will talk about her residency and the inspiration behind this unique body of work which includes Sidney Nolan’s paintings, the landscape of borderland Wales and England, and Nolan’s fascinating collection of objects and books. Fiona is interested in the idea of wilderness and anamorphic forms within nature which express underlying ideas about mortality and mass extinction of species.

McIntyre trained in Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art followed by an MA in Barcelona at Winchester School of Art studios. She is an elected member of the Royal Society of PainterPrintmakers, and a founding member of The Arborealists. Fiona has exhibited in more than 40 exhibitions in the UK, Sweden, Norway, Gibraltar and France. Fiona is represented by sandrahiggins.art. Tickets £2–£5. 7.30pm. brlsi.org

The Bath Festival is coming!

The cultural jewel in Bath’s crown, The Bath Festival, is poised to take over the city next month with ten days and more than 130 events celebrating music and books. Between Friday 12 May and Sunday 21 May, discover the rising stars of classical music with a series of sublime concerts, hear the Bath Festival Orchestra and Bath Camarata in Bath Abbey performing Mozart’s Requiem, and classicist Natalie Haynes (Stone Blind) talking about Medusa against the backdrop of the Roman Baths.

There will be guided walks, including one which explores William Beckford’s legacy led by Dr Amy Frost of the Bath Preservation Trust, and No.1 Royal Crescent will host the Jane Austen Dancers as part of a Party Like It’s 1779 evening. Visiting big names include Booker prize judge and author Tan Twan Eng, designer Kaffe Fassett, journalist Jeremy Bowen, author Joanne Harris, comedians Fern Brady and Cariad Lloyd and politician Vince Cable. Memoirist Cathy Renzenbrink and campaigner Dr Rachel Clarke return by popular demand.

The annual Concert for the People of Bath at The Forum will see Bath Philharmonia joined by violinist Esther Yoo and Schools’ Voices, a choir of singers from 11 local secondary schools. To buy tickets visit: thebathfestival.org.uk

Photograph by Raphael Neal

Fern Brady

Don’t miss the Bath Comedy Festival

Running until 16 April, the Bath Comedy Festival has already started to treat Bath to performances from some of the biggest names from the world of comedy, including Reginald D Hunter, Julian Clary, Fred MacAulay, Spencer Jones, Elf Lyons, Emmanuel Sonubi, Patrick Monahan and Zoe Lyons, alongside circuit stalwarts and the best of the up-and-coming generation of comedians. Venues span the length and breadth of the historic city, including Bath Forum, Walcot House, The Ring O Bells, The Hop Pole, Widcombe Social Club, The Bell, Komedia, Rondo Theatre and Bath Cider House. Highlights include the April Fools’ Gala on 1 April with names including Reginald D Hunter, Ronnie Golden, Rowland Rivron, Helen Lederer and Cerys Nelmes (MC) at Bath Forum. The Ring O Bells is hosting 16 shows from the likes of Chris McGlade, Anuvab Pal, David Eagle, Aideen McQueen, Carl Carzana and Adele Cliff. Walcot House also plays host to circuit legends such as Matt Price, Elf Lyons, Spencer Jones, Alan Francis and Patrick Monahan.

There is a new creative kids’ programme called Junior Jokers with activities, competitions and familyfriendly comedy shows for all ages. And for the first time the Forum hosts the Bath Comedy Festival New Act Competition Final on 14 April. Julian Clary and Ian Shaw have a headline event at Bath Forum on 15 April and Zoe Lyons plays Komedia on 16 April to round off the festival programme. bathcomedy.com

New home for fashion collection

The Fashion Museum Bath’s world-class collection has found a temporary home at luxury glovemaker Dents Headquarters in Warminster while it works to create a new museum at the Old Post Office in the centre of Bath.

The Fashion Museum closed its doors at the Assembly Rooms at the end of last year and the curatorial team have since packed up the collection and moved its 100,000 objects into the storage facility. The building provides the museum with a large storage area that meets the high environmental and security standards required for preservation of a museum collection as well as space for the curatorial team to work.

The curatorial team is continuing its active programme of loans to museums around the world and objects from the collection will feature in four major exhibitions opening this spring, including Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace.

Established in 1777, Dents is one of the UK’s leading heritage fashion brands with a long tradition of making hand-crafted luxury leather gloves. The firm has supplied handmade gloves to royalty, celebrities and the film industry including the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation glove, worn as part of the ceremony in 1953. fashionmuseum.co.uk/collection. Dents: dentsgloves.com

Deborah Moore (Dents) and Rosemary Harden (Fashion Museum)

Helen Lederer, photograph by Steve Ullathorne

Silk Road Rugs

NOTES ON A SMALL CITY

Richard Wyatt

The Guildhall Bath was conceived on an imperial scale, its design demonstrating Bath’s prosperity and confidence at the end of the 19th century. There are plans afoot to reinvent the spacious reception area, says columnist Richard Wyatt, and he has some additional suggestions...

Come the end of May, Bath’s Guildhall –the Grade I listed 18th-century municipal building that is perched majestically to one side of the High Street –is getting a makeover.

Let me quickly say that this has nothing to do with who comes out on top in the forthcoming local elections, but more about making alterations to the reception area and updating the building’s security measures. So the Council has given itself planning permission to “create an inviting and accessible entrance area for all users of the building.” The reception desk will be moved to one side, digital display units will be introduced and the place generally lightened up.

I don’t want to hurt the feelings of those who have been doing security duties on the front entrance, but it’s true that people have been finding the ‘purpose of your visit’ check a bit off-putting. In its place will be a ‘lockdown’ security system that can be activated via a button below the new, white faux-stone reception desk.

According to Michael Forsyth, editor of the Pevsner Architectural Guide to Bath, the Guildhall’s facade is the best in Bath and its huge Banqueting Hall the best interior. Forsyth wonders if the tradespeople of Bath at the time –before its construction between 1775 and 1778 –who were barred from attending the Upper Assembly Rooms used by the city’s rich visitors –decided to make a gesture (involving a finger) and build their own. One that also contained a Council Chamber and Law Court. This is why the figure of Lady Justice is on the roof, a rare un-blindfolded lead sculpture holding her sword of punishment and the scales representing weighing facts and the evidence to decide on a verdict.

Or maybe councillors were just fed up with the cramped and draughty Jacobean-built meeting place which previously occupied this space, and didn’t want to be outdone by all the private Georgian architecture going up around them.

I recently met with local historian David Stubbs who is currently researching this Georgian building. He told me, “My research has led me to conclude that the Guildhall, or Town Hall as it was then called, must have been a bustling place. While court hearings were taking place on the ground floor, the

town clerk and his many staff were busying themselves with Council business and the councillors themselves were meeting on the first floor. Meanwhile food was being prepared in the Great Kitchen in the basement, ready for a municipal dinner in the evening.

“During my time with the City Council in the 1980s I remember it was a bustling place and regarded as the heart of the city. How great it would be to see the Guildhall once again opened up to the citizens of Bath and its visitors by using it as a Tourist Information Centre and offering regular guided tours, alongside a small museum telling the story of Bath. How fantastic it would be to bring our incredible Record Office out of its basement accommodation and on to the High Street.”

I’m with David on this because –with Council business moving elsewhere –there is a fair bit of empty space in a building that deserves to have more of a central community focus. Obviously, the Council Chamber and Mayor’s office must stay, as must the Register Office and the countless wedding ceremonies which contribute to the Council’s financial income –but there’s scope for change.

The Record Office IS bursting out of its basement home where every inch of space appears occupied. Even the old Banqueting Hall kitchen is now filled with files. The room still has its original oven, a record in itself. Further along a corridor that links the whole building I was shown the old prison cells –linked by a staircase to the courtroom above –and now also full of the city’s history. Remember that the ‘past’ is being constantly added to –and today is tomorrow’s yesterday!

Some have suggested moving the Record Office to the old KES School in Broad Street, but that would be costly and the building is not suitable in terms of room size or capacity. There is definitely scope to extend the Victoria Art Gallery and maybe create more space for its significant art collection stored in the basement to be put on show.

There is even a space tucked away in the corner of the ground plan where the gallery meets the north wing of the building that was recently considered suitable to be covered and used as a gallery cafe.

Time for a more user-friendly and bustling City Hall! What do you think? n

Rendered image of the proposed reception desk

Richard Wyatt runs the Bath Newseum: bathnewseum.com

Remember that the past is being constantly added to –and today is tomorrow’s yesterday

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REPAIRS AND REMODELLING

Introducing the Bard of Salford

“Boy in the backroom that’s my handle... living in a vacuum that’s my angle... ninety degrees in my shades... ninety degrees in my shades.” He’s a legend, says Melissa Blease. John Cooper Clarke is having none of it...

Britain’s best-loved, most recognisable and arguably most successful performance poet, John Cooper Clarke is a national institution whose word-based career spans five plus decades and takes in multiple stints as a TV and radio presenter and social and cultural commentator along the way. He’s headlined line-ups featuring seminal UK punk and post-punk bands including the Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello, The Fall and Joy Division, several of his poems are on the GCSE syllabus... and he always, always steps into the spotlight in his very own fine, contemporary dandy style, hair bouffanted to the max, rock star sunglasses firmly in place; all in all, he’s a bit of a legend, right?

“Legend? LEGEND? I’m not a bloody legend, I’m just on telly a lot!” he says, in that distinctive, deadpan Manchester ‘twang’ so closely associated with the rock’n’roll bard. “Anyway, the definition of a legend is something that may not be real, or true, and I’m a flesh

and blood person.” Oh crikey; I seem to have got into an etymology tangle with a master of the art of vocabulary. “Words are my bloody job!” he cackles; “they’re supposed to be yours as well, so pull your bloody socks up!”

Clearly, this chat isn’t going to be one of those dry Q&A sessions where stock questions are responded to with stock answers that have been bandied around in hundreds and hundreds of previously published interviews. But still, there are questions that I can’t help asking, even if he’s been asked them many times before. As in: where is John talking to me from? “I’m only gonna say my home in Essex ’cos if I say exactly where, I’ll just get loads more people hammering on the door. But we’re all fans of somebody, aren’t we? And we’re all nosy parkers, if we’re honest about it!”

And I’m prepared to be very honest about my nosy parker ways... hence my next (shallow) question: I have to know what John – a man as known for his unique, trademark sartorial elegance as he is his

Credit Gerald Jenkins

way with words – is wearing as we chat. “Oh, I’m quite monomaniacal when it comes to my clothes,” he says. “Every day, I dress exactly like I dressed in 1965 so every few years, I look fashionable again. But how I look is important to what I do; if you’re the only person on stage, you owe it to the public to look pleasant, at least. Before he left the house, James Brown always used to look in the mirror and ask of his reflection, ‘do I look like the kind of man somebody would pay to see?’ – that’s kind of my schtick as well.” What, even when you’re doing a telephone interview? “Why let your standards slip?” he guffaws. “Right now I’m wearing a semistructured dark blue blazer with three working cuff buttons over a candy-striped, button-down Oxford shirt from Brooks Brothers, who invented this garment – pretty casual, right? But the pale blue loafers are the thing that differentiate my look from the one I take to the stage. Flatties – I’m wearing flatties! But I can still do what I do, you know what I mean?”

tell me they’ve never written a poem are either lying or in a very small minority!” he says; “they’ve done it, but they just haven’t stuck at it. Most people, though, probably haven’t done an oil painting, or learnt to play an instrument, or gone to RADA, because all those other art forms – painting, or music, or acting, or any other means of artistic expression – require a financial commitment, and the acquisition of tools and skills that you don’t already possess. But all poetry requires is a blank sheet of paper, and who’s going to stop you? People go on a lot these days about poetry being ‘accessible’ but it always has been accessible – in fact, it couldn’t be more so! To be a ‘successful’ poet, you’ve just gotta work hard at it, that’s all.”

And John’s hard work indemnifies again and again and again; on the very day I conducted this interview, his whimsical and uniquely moving 1982 poem I Wanna Be Yours – a poem that celebrates the polar opposite of playing hard to get (and also happens to top the world’s most popular wedding poem charts) – clocked up its one billionth stream on Spotify, thanks in part to the Arctic Monkeys’ adaptation of the poem on their 2013 album AM. Is this most recent landmark something that John is particularly proud of? “I don’t think I’m the sort of person that has pride,” he says; “I don’t necessarily understand the meaning of the word. Having said that, selling out a Sunday night gig at the London Palladium was the apex of my career professionally, and personally. I can remember my late dad saying, “and where are you going to read this poetry, then –Sunday night at the London Palladium?” And that’s what I did! I wish he’d lived to see that, and I hope he’s laughing in heaven!”

Ah, let’s go beyond that, and say that John Cooper Clarke’s dad would be very proud of his son indeed – and so say all of us. Might John perhaps concede at this point, and admit that he is indeed a legend?

Which stylishly brings us on to... why does John do what he does?

“For money,” he says, without missing a beat. “Money is very important. And if you’re one of the proletariat – which I very much am – the issue of money is never far away.” But surely a career in poetry is pretty much the last career we think of if we’re focusing on cold, hard, cash? “Oh, I agree with you there,” he readily concurs. “Poetry has never been regarded as a reliable engine of wealth. And loads of people tried to put me off at every step of the way, especially my dad; y’know, ‘get your hair cut and get a proper job’. But he was just being a good dad, protecting me from what he saw as potential failure, and disappointment, and all the sadness that comes with that. And let’s face it, in most cases he would have been right. But becoming successful at what I do took me a very long time, and I’ve certainly put the hours in; I was very bullheaded about making it in showbiz world.”

But what if John hadn’t ‘made it in showbiz world’ – would he still have written poetry, even if he’d ditched the idea as a money-making career? “I most certainly would, because it’s the only bloody thing I’m any good at!” he cackles. “And also, poetry could also be called a work avoidance venture, ha ha ha! But I’ve got this theory about work, okay? To me, work is the big cut-off point between the working class and the bourgeoisie – I hate using terms like that, but a working class person is somebody who sacrifices a third of their life to do something they hate because they’ve got to do it, for one thing and one thing alone: money. So when these bourgeois professionals bandy terms like ‘job satisfaction’ around, it’s meaningless to this country’s real work force. Back in the day, dreams of making it in sport and showbiz were the twin roads out of the grindstone of the working week – oh, and a pint at the pub.”

John may have joked about work avoidance in order to hammer a larger philosophy home but in reality, his work ethic is stronger than the hairspray that keeps his bouffant in place. “I try to work in the way that I believe Nick Cave works, which is like, start at 10am every single day and don’t let yourself finish until teatime – or dinner time, in posh world,” he says. “You’ve gotta put the hours in no matter what your job is, and inspiration is for amateurs – inspiration, shminspiration! That’s what I say.”

But surely you can’t write poetry without being inspired to write poetry – which is why so few of us do it successfully? “People who

“Bone idle, vain, and opinionated – yes! But legend? That’s for other people who don’t understand the meaning of the word to decide!” he laughs. John Cooper Clarke: the nation has decided on your status.

John Cooper Clarke visits the Bath Forum on Friday 2 June at 7.30pm. Bath Forum, 1A Forum Buildings, Bath; bathforum.co.uk

Photograph by Michael Wharley

I can remember my late dad saying, “and where are you going to read this poetry, then –Sunday night at the London Palladium?” And that’s what I did!

Credit Jody Hartley

WHAT’S ON

MUSIC AT GREEN PARK BRASSERIE

n Green Park Brasserie, Green Park Enjoy live jazz/funk/soul/swing at Green Park Brasserie on Weds and Thurs from 6.30–8.45pm and Fri and Sat from 6.30–9.45pm. Music includes dynamic duos, modern trios and a Hot Club style quintet. greenparkbrasserie.com

EXHIBITION: AMERICA IN CRISIS

Until 4 July

n The American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Down

The American Museum & Gardens are hosting a major American photography exhibition on its first and only showing outside of London. The exhibition features over 80 photographs from 39 top American artists – both contemporary and historic – as well as an interactive immersive experience that explores image classification and consumption. americanmuseum.org

BATH BACH CHOIR: PLAINCHANT REIMAGINED

1 April, 7.30pm

n St Mary’s Church, Darlington Street, Bathwick

This concert presents three composers from the mid-20th and early 21st centuries whose music was shaped by medieval plainchant. Plainchaint was the only form of music used by the Christian church until the 9th century, and it remains embedded in the identity of Christian sacred music to this day, creating a beautiful, sonorous architecture that rarely fails to transport its listeners. Tickets from £5, available at bathboxoffice.org.uk

RICHES OF THE EARTH: THE BEAUTY OF MINERALS

1 April –7 October

n Bath Royal and Literary and Scientific Institution, 16–18 Queens Square, Bath

Riches of the Earth reveals the beauty of minerals through the astounding forms and vibrant colours of more than a hundred carefully selected specimens from the BRLSI collection. The exibition is free to attend. brlsi.org

THE ARTS SOCIETY BATH APRIL LECTURE: PORTRAITS AND SELF-PORTRAITS BY REMBRANDT

VAN RIJN

3 April

n Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe Hill, Bath

This talk by Justin Reay concentrates

on Rembrandt’s revealing portraits and painfully honest self-portraits which helped forge his reputation as one of the finest artists of any era. To book a place as a guest (£10 in venue or £7 on Zoom) and for payment details please contact the society on bath@theartssociety.org by Friday 31 March. theartsocietybath.com

BRITISH MATHEMATICAL COLLOQUIUM

2023: THE N MOST IMPORTANT SYMBOLS IN MATHEMATICS

3 April, 7.15pm

n The Guildhall, Bath

Join mathematician Katie Steckles on a journey through the huge array of symbols and notation we use to communicate mathematical ideas. Learn about the history of some familiar characters and find out how truly ingenious notation can be –helping us to communicate and understand complex abstract structures. Accessible to school pupils from Y9 upwards. Bring a pen and paper. Free. eventbrite.co.uk

RENGEN HOUSE | HER SPACE

4 April, 5.30–7pm

n Rengen House, 4 Argyle Street, Bath

Contribute, create, connect: after the sell-out success of the launch of the monthly ‘Her Space’ event at Rengen House, the team are delighted to be welcoming, in collaboration with Radio Bath, a panel of wonderful experts to talk all things menopause. Book now at rengenhouse.com

U3A TALK: FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN ARCHITECTURE BY CHRIS MACKENZIE RIBA

6 April, 10.30am

n Bath Pavilion, North Parade Road

Many national and global trends impact on the built environment in UK cities and countryside; architects face a range of challenges. The drivers for change that they have to manage include sustainability, technology, politics, patronage, and climate change. This talk will explore these challenges from a UK perspective, and how architects are responding to them. Find out more, including information on u3a memberships, at u3ainbath.uk

THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA

9–10 April, 11.30am & 2.30pm

n The Theatre Royal Bath, Saw Close

The doorbell rings just as Sophie and

Continued page 20

‘Jane Austen: Dining Room Dynamics in Abbey’s and Castles’ at BRLSI

American Museum & Gardens Sculpture Trail

Fire and Rain & American Pie at Chapel Arts Centre

her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don’t expect to see at the door is a big, stripy tiger! Join the tea guzzling tiger in this delightful family show; packed with oodles of magic, singalong songs and clumsy chaos. Don’t miss this stunning stage adaptation of the classic tale of teatime mayhem. Tickets £19, available at theatreroyal.org.uk

n Bath Royal and Literary and Scientific Institution, 16–18 Queens Square, Bath Through dining, lunching and breakfasting with the Tilneys, the heroine of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey becomes increasingly aware of the subtle pressures, masquerading all too often as hospitality and politeness, with which the all-powerful male head of the family gratifies his appetite not only for ‘fine dining’ but for power over his children, guests and servants. This talk will examine tensions at the table in Jane Austen’s personal experience and writing. Tickets £2–5, available at brlsi.org

YOGA & WELLBEING MORNING

17 April, 10am–1pm

n The American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Down

Join the team from YMCA Bath Health & Wellbeing for a seasonal morning of yoga and wellbeing in the spectacular grounds of the American Museum & Gardens. Yoga and Wellbeing Mornings are once a month, with a different seasonal focus and theme for each session. americanmuseum.org

CHARLIE HAWKES: FROM TOKACHI TO CHELSEA

18 April, 7.30–9pm

n University of Bath Gardening Club, East Building, Room 1 Level 1

n Bath Abbey

Bath Recitals is delighted to commemorate the upcoming Coronation with a performance of Handel’s oratorio Solomon This is likely to be the first professional performance since the eighteenth century; it was only performed four times in Handel’s lifetime. Daniel Robert Cushing will conduct the Abbey performance. Tickets £15–35, available at bathboxoffice.org.uk

WOMEN’S HEALTH EVENT

25 April, 6–8.30pm

n The Oak Room, Combe Grove

Myth-busting, perimenopause, menopause and issues around pelvic pain – discover the truths. A woman’s body undergoes many changes throughout her lifetime. Too many women are told, “That’s just part of having children, getting older, and hormone fluctuations.” Do not brush aside your health needs; discover more about treatment, management, risk factors, and prevention tips from Sulis Hospital’s Women’s Health Specialists. sulishospital.com

JENNIFER PIKE & BATH PHILHARMONIA

26 April, 7.30pm

n The Forum Bath

JONATHAN SIMONS: PRINTED BOOKS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

13 April, 7pm

n Magalleria, 5 Upper Borough Walls, Bath

Jonathan Simons is the publisher of The Analog Sea Review, an unusual and popular literary miscellany celebrating ‘offline culture’. As part of a nationwide tour Jonathan will give a talk that asks us what it means to have human librarians, booksellers and professional writers working within a community, and what the impact of their disappearance might be. Free entry, but advance booking required.

To book, call 01225 259602 or email magalleria@icloud.com store.magalleria.co.uk

FIRE AND RAIN & AMERICAN PIE

14 April, 8pm

n Chapel Arts Centre

A heart-warming, musical homage to the great U.S. singer-songwriters of the late 60s and early 70s, featuring beautiful timeless songs from James Taylor; Carole King; Simon & Garfunkel; Joni Mitchell; Don Mclean; Bread; Crosby; Stills; Nash & Young; America; The Byrds; Mamas and Papas and Carly Simon. Advance tickets £18 (£20 on the door) available at chapelarts.org

JANE AUSTEN: TENSIONS AT THE TABLE –DINING ROOM DYNAMICS IN ABBEYS AND CASTLES

15 April, 3–4.30pm

Charlie and his wife Alice will be talking about their time at the Millennium Forest. They will discuss how they translated the key themes of a native Japanese forest into a Chelsea idea, and how the principles used at Tokachi can applied to any area of any size.Open to all; Membership £20, Visitors £6. ubgc.org

GARDEN SCULPTURE TRAIL

19 April –31 May

n The American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Down

The Garden Sculpture Trail features 40 unique sculptures from British artists and designers. The contemporary abstract sculptures are made from a range of stone, metal and glass, and will be artfully arranged in the beautiful spring gardens. Curated by Andrew Illingworth. americanmuseum.org

BATH RECITALS PRESENT: HANDEL’S SOLOMON

22 April, 7.30pm

In an orchestral concert that focusses on the power of the human spirit to struggle over adversity, the composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Jean Sibelius loom large, but important figures continue to emerge including Isobel Waller Bridge and Joseph Bologne, Chavalier de St George. Tickets from £25, available at bathboxoffice.org.uk bathphil.co.uk

BATH DRAMA PRESENTS: JULIUS CAESAR

26–29 April, 7.30pm

n The Rondo Theatre

In a near-future dystopian society where corporate interests hold political power above all, conspiracy runs rampant as those closest to Caesar plot against him. As factions rise and propaganda floods the streets, can Rome pull back from the brink of chaos or will all out war set in motion the end of order? Bath Drama’s Julius Caesar tells the age-old Shakespearean saga of power struggles between elites at untold cost. Tickets from £12, available at rondotheatre.co.uk

Continued page 24

‘The Beauty of Minerals’ talk at BRLSI

Handel’s Solomon presented by Bath Recitals

IFORD MANOR GARDENS, CAFÉ & KITCHEN

Internationally renowned Grade 1 listed gardens

Food from Multi-Award Winning Head Chef Matthew Briddon

Just 15 minutes from Bath

OPENING TIMES:

Wednesday to Sunday

Garden: 11:00 - 16:00

Café: 10:00 - 16:30

Restaurant: 11:45 - 14:30

JAZZ FESTIVAL | GARDEN TOURS | SUPPER CLUBS | WORKSHOPS & MORE

LOOKING AHEAD

U3A MONTHLY TALK: DROPPING THE HABIT | A NUN’S STORY

4 May, 9.45am

n Bath Pavilion, North Parade Road, Bathwick

As a young girl, Marion Dante always knew she would be a nun. In 1959, at the age of 14, Marion entered the Salesian Sisters Convent in Surrey. In 1965 she took vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. But Marion left the religious order –and this talk is about the how and why of the new life that she built. Admission is free for members but a donation of £2 for nonmembers. If you join U3A in Bath at the meeting then your admission fee is refunded. u3ainbath.uk

A ROYAL CELEBRATION CONCERT

5 May, 7pm

n Bath Abbey

A concert celebrating the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III including Parry’s I was glad, Let the people praise thee by Mathias, and Handel’s Zadok the Priest. The Melody Makers join the Abbey choirs of Boys, Girls and Lay Clerks in a glorious evening of Royal music. Tickets £22, £17 and £10 (16s and under half price) from bathboxoffice.org. Visit the Abbey website to discover more coronation events. bathabbey.org

CORONATION SPECIAL SUPPER CLUB

5 May, 7.30pm

n Iford Manor Estate, near Bradford on Avon

A wonderful evening full of delicious food and music to be enjoyed with friends. Seven-course tasting menu comprising favourite foods of King Charles III. To include a welcome glass on arrival. A list of accompanying wines by the glass or bottle will be available on the night (separately charged). Homemade and sustainably sourced from the Iford Manor Estate | £75 per person. Visit the Iford Manor website for the full menu, timings and to book. ifordmanor.co.uk

HOLBURNE MUSEUM PLANT SALE

7 May, 10.30am–2.30pm

n Holburne Museum, Bath

Enjoy teas, coffees and homemade cakes, as well as specialist stalls selling plants and related products. There will also be expert advice from the Friends Plants Stall. holburne.org

THE ARTS SOCIETY BATH | THE EXPLOSIVE WORLD OF CORNELIA PARKER

15 May

n Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe Hill

Lecturer: Rosalind Whyte. Contemporary sculptor and installation artist Cornelia Parker is best known for her largescale installations like Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View where she took a typical garden shed, had it blown up then installed the debris around a light bulb with the effect of an explosion frozen in time. To attend as a guest, (£10 in venue or £7 on Zoom) a place must be reserved by emailing bath@theartssociety.org by Friday 12 May. theartssocietybath.com

IFORD JAZZ FESTIVAL

29 June –2 July

n Iford Manor

Iford Manor Jazz Festival 2023 is open for bookings! A series of jazz events over four days.Visit the Iford Manor Jazz Festival below for more information. ifordmanor.co.uk

For more events and happenings visit: thebathmag.co.uk or subscribe to receive our weekend e-newsletter.

We organise friendly small-group tours of exceptional gardens & landscapes

Concerts in April

The thrill of orchestral manoeuvres is definitely in the air this month as Bath is treated to three stirring concerts: a programme from Lucie Jones and the Fulltone Orchestra; a performance of Handel’s Solomon with Bath Recitals; and Jennifer Pike and the Bath Philharmonia playing Sibelius’ Violin Concerto

Lucie Jones and the Fulltone Orchestra

Something very special is happening at The Bath Forum on 29 April. The incredible actress and vocalist Lucie Jones is performing with south west-based The Fulltone Orchestra and the evening is going to be sensational.

Lucie and conductor/MD Anthony Brown have worked closely together over quite a few months to put together a programme of music that will raise the roof of the Forum. With West End orchestras getting smaller and smaller, the treat of having over 50 musicians as the backdrop to one of the best voices of our age is not one to be missed.

Fulltone has been performing in Bath for a few years, having hung on with great gusto throughout the pandemic. Their most recent appearance was during their sell-out Karl Jenkins tour at the Abbey, so they’re not unknown to local music lovers.

For this event Fulltone brings a really special evening of music with one of the biggest stars of the West End, including numbers such as I Dreamed a Dream (Lucie is currently performing as Fantine in Les Misérables in London) – through to some fun numbers with fellow Waitress the Musical star David Hunter such as Anything You Can Do. Helen Woolf, who played alongside Lucie in Wicked, is also appearing. It’s going to be one of those evenings that will leave you bouncing out of the theatre and most definitely wanting more!

Handel’s Solomon oratorio in Bath Abbey

As we approach the crowning of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey, Bath Recitals commemorates the Coronation with a performance in Bath Abbey of Handel’s oratorio Solomon. This is likely to be the first professional performance since the 18th century; it was only performed four times in Handel’s lifetime.

Bath Recitals in various guises has been promoting young professional musicians in the early years of their careers since 1981. Founded by Tom Clarke who had an international career as a Baroque specialist, the charity has given over 600 concerts and has helped innumerable musicians progress in a difficult and challenging profession.

The Artistic Director is now Daniel Robert Cushing who will conduct the Abbey performance. Known for his directing of evocative and articulate performances, his career has developed rapidly and he now works with a wide variety of leading young musicians. He is a passionate advocate for the next generation of musicians which has particular significance at a time when the classical arts need advocacy.

The performance of Solomon marks the beginning of the 2023 season. It is followed on 26 August by a Georgian Gala of music by some of the great composers of the era with Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate, Handel’s aria Eternal Source of Light Divine sung by Eleonore Sian Cockerham of Voces8 and Purcell’s Birthday Ode to Queen Mary Come Ye Sons of Art Away

On 21 October the Brandon Hill Chamber Orchestra will be joined by pianist Ignas Maknickas in Mozart’s sparkling Piano Concerto No.9 known as ‘The Young Man.’ Symphonies by Haydn and J.C. Bach will be performed along with an overture by Thomas Arne who is known for writing the music of Rule Britannia

There will also be a Christmas Concert on 20 December. Find out more at bathrecitals.com.

Handel’s Solomon will be performed by Bath Recitals in Bath Abbey on Saturday 22 April at 7.30pm, Tickets £15–£35 from Bath Box Office: bathboxoffice.org.uk.

T: 01225 463362

Lucie Jones and the Fulltone Orchestra are at the Forum on 29 April at 7.30pm. Tickets £45 from www.fto.org.uk/lucie.

Bath Recitals Artistic Director and Conductor Daniel Robert Cushing

Photograph by Danny Kaan

Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto at the Forum

Bath Philharmonia invites you to attend their next concert on Wednesday 26 April at the Bath Forum featuring super-star violinist Jennifer Pike, who has played in every major concert hall in Europe, performing Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto. With music by Ludvig van Beethoven, Isobel Waller-Bridge and Joseph Bologne there is so much music to discover.

Bath Philharmonia plays in the premier league of British orchestras and brings world-class soloists to the centre of Bath. They are a family of professional musicians dedicated to making orchestral music part of life for many people. Established at the turn of the millennium, they have over 20 years’ experience of bringing people together musically to enjoy live performance.

Bath Philharmonia is a charity and when not on the stage, they’re busy working with young people in schools and community halls across the south west. With a 12-year track record in enabling young carers to make and perform their own music, Bath Phil was nominated for the RPS Award in 2019 for the category of Impact. The Bath Phil Creative Learning Team are experts in supporting young people who don’t yet think of themselves as musical to create their own music and to perform it with the orchestra.

Through the #BathPhilforFree scheme, Bath Phil is openingup the concert hall to people that may have never heard a live orchestra perform or want to try something new by gifting tickets for their concerts to local residents.

Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto will be performed by Jennifer Pike and Bath Philharmonia at the Forum on 26 April at 7.30pm. Tickets from £25 from bathboxoffice.org.uk Details about #BathPhilforFree can be found at bathphil.co.uk/bathphilforfree.

Credit ARNO

A roaring success

As Disney’s The Lion King prepares to take the stage at the Bristol Hippodrome on 18 May for a six-week run, we experience director Julie Taymor’s kaleidoscopic production in London to see what’s in store...

The Lyceum Theatre has been home to Disney’s multi award-winning musical The Lion King for 24 years. Visionary director Julie Taymor’s rich reimagining of the beloved film has redefined people’s expectations of theatre and the screen-to-stage franchise has become the highest-grossing show in history, attracting more than 110 million people to theatres worldwide. Now, much to the delight of local audiences, the production is set to go on tour, arriving at the Bristol Hippodrome on 18 May and running until 1 July, allowing fans to experience the spectacle closer to home.

Since it first hit the London stage in 1999, TheLionKing has been famous for its visibly manipulated puppets, glorious colours, and enchanting music. As we took our seats at the Lyceum Theatre this month – as over 15 million people have done before us – it was clear within moments of the curtain parting that, after two decades, the show has retained its visual majesty.

As evocative beats of the Serengeti hushed the chatter like a charm, the theatre teemed with African life. Huge numbers of animals ambled forward through the stalls and from the wings, coming together in perfect choral harmony for a jaw-dropping rendition of Elton John and Tim Rice’s CircleofLife at the foot of Pride Rock – an engineering masterpiece in itself. Wherever you were sitting, there was something to admire. The giraffes teetered on four stilts and the gazelles – with each performer holding one puppet in each hand and balancing one on their head – bound in from the auditorium, the sight was just as magical for the adults as it was for the children.

From thereon, Garth Fagan’s choreography and Taymor’s design took us on a spell-binding journey as we watched Simba the lion cub grapple with his father’s death, seize back his crown from his vicious uncle and step into his destined role as King of the Pridelands.

As Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi’s storyline unfolded and we were introduced to the characters, the sheer talent of the cast members was instantly evident, each with a singing voice that could shake the Lyceum’s foundations. With 50 actors and more than 232 puppets not only taking up speaking roles but bringing the scene to life as a living,

Injected with joyous comedy moments while dealing with dark matters of death, grief and betrayal, the show is bursting with warmth...

Photographs by Deen Van Meer

The animals come together for a jaw-dropping rendition of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Circle of Life at the foot of Pride Rock

Rafiki’s role in the story is narrator. She is the only one who breaks the fourth wall...

breathing landscape, the audience was catapulted from its surroundings and transported to the savanna desert right until the closing curtain.

The ingenuity of the costume, set design, sound, lighting and puppetry was impressive throughout, but specially remarkable during some of the most moving scenes. Take the stampede, for instance. The thundering herd of wildebeest charging towards young Simba was created with such skill. The large, fast-moving rollers of wildebeest coupled with the burnt orange hues, instrumental sound effects and seamless choreography conjured just as much emotion as the animation.

Perhaps what was most striking about Taymor’s acclaimed translation of the film, however, was the ‘double event’ approach, allowing the audience to see both the animal traits of the puppets as well as the human emotions of the puppeteers. Zazu is a wonderful example of the ‘double event’. While the puppet is operated using two hands –the beak moving for the dialogue and the eyelids blinking in time –Zazu has an essence of the bird he is, as well as a beautiful sense of humanity.

It took the team 37,000 hours to build the original puppets and masks and there is certainly beauty in the stage craft, watching the actors make it happen. You often get lost admiring the inner workings of the cheetah or the size of the elephant standing at 3.5 metres tall, while toe-tapping to the irresistible soundtrack.

The level of detail that has been considered is, at times, hard to take in. From the beaded corsets inspired by the clothing of Maasai warriors to the lionesses’ headpieces replicating the urns carried on the heads of women in African tribes, to the rich tapestry of songs and compositions from film composers Hans Zimmer and Mark Mancina, record producer Jay Rifkin, South African composer Lebo M and lyricist Tim Rice, everything is intricately layered.

Ultimately, this production is staggering in its ambition and

wholly successful in its execution. Injected with joyous comedy moments while dealing with dark matters of death, grief and betrayal, the show, like the film, is bursting with warmth, humour and heart. With a combination of quick wit for the adults and unique eccentricity for young imaginations, The Lion King, we’re sure, is set to stand the test of time. n

The Lion King will be showing at the Bristol Hippodrome from 18 May –1 July. Book your tickets at: atgtickets.com

by Michael Wharley

Mufasa’s mask is circular and symmetrical with rays coming out of it like the sun

Royal Knickers for sale…

A rare pair of Queen Victoria’s hand sewn knee length knickers (or bloomers), with a single button and draw string 40-41inch waist and embroidered with a Royal Crest are to be sold at Lawrences of Crewkerne on the 19th April.

The knickers were inherited through the Oakden family line to the present owners. Their relation was a chambermaid who worked for Queen Victoria and presumably were given to her.

Also included is Queen Victoria’s chemise or nightdress, embroidered with a Royal Crest, and a pair of associated leather slippers, with satin bows and cut steel buttons, with a makers label for ‘Gundry & Sons, Makers to the Queen, The Princess & The Royal Family, 17 New Bond St, London’.

The bloomers were featured on an episode of the Antiques Roadshow and the lot carries an estimate of £5000-7000.

FREE Valuations are available with specialists at the Crewkerne and Westbury salerooms. Also available Online | Email | WhatsApp

Home visits are also available without charge or obligation.

Entries are invited for our Spring auctions to include:

Silver | Vertu | Pictures | 19th/20th Century Design | Ceramics

Oriental Works of Art | Jewellery | Watches | Furniture | Clocks | Rugs

Militaria | Coins | Medals | Collectors | Sporting | Textiles | Wine | Spirits Books | Maps | Manuscripts | Photography

South Street, Crewkerne, Somerset TA18 8AB. T: 01460 73041 E: enquiries@lawrences.co.uk

Lawrences

WESSEX

ARTS & EXHIBITIONS

Beaux Arts Bath, 12-13 York Street, Bath, From the Mountains to the Sea, 1 –29 April

Beaux Arts welcomes in spring with an inspiring collection of landscape painters. Jenny Pockley’s Alpine oil paintings share wall space with Stewart Edmondson’s Dartmoor scenes. Stormy seascapes from Shetland and Sussex are courtesy of Janette Kerr and Mark Johnston. A calmer mood is engendered by Andrew Crocker, Tom Homewood, Miranda Brookes, Gill Rocca, Kate Sherman, Celia de Serra, Akash Bhatt and Anna Gillespie. Ceramics are by Lara Scobie and bronze sculptures by Nichola Theakston.

beauxartsbath.co.uk

KETTLE ON, 21–29 April, The Berdoulat Shop, 8 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath

Open Tuesday to Thursday 10am5.30pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-6pm

Marq P. Kearey at sandrahiggins.art

Sandra Higgins Art is delighted to exhibit new works by artist Marq P. Kearey.

Constructed from visual fragments, bent rivers, broken moons, tumbling rooftops and the damaged steps of London tower blocks, Marq creates powerful, dysfunctional landscapes in flat, abstracted forms.

Visit Sandra Higgins’ online gallery to view Marq’s latest work or email Sandra for the latest exhibition news.

sandrahiggins.art; sandra@sandrahiggins.com

The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath

Illustrating the World: Woodcuts in the Age of Dürer, until 23 April

A rare opportunity to view the complete set of woodcuts known as The Great Passion, produced by Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528). He was the first artist to devise, create and publish an illustrated book, pushing the limits of a linear art to create vividly animated scenes.

Alberta Whittle: Dipping Below a Waxing Moon, until 8 May

This major exhibition, Whittle’s first museum show, combines sculpture in the form of limbo dancers, poetry and film. Barbadian-Scottish artist Alberta Whittle explores themes including hospitality, relaxation and postcolonial healing. holburne.org

An exhibition of art, architecture, furniture, fixtures and fittings, in a tribute to Kettle’s Yard. The exhibition features paintings and sculptures from modern British artists set within a Kettle’s Yard inspired interior. Works are availble for purchase from such artists as Henry Moore, John Nash, Katherine Church, Keith Vaughan and Eric Ravilious.

thomasspencerfineart.co.uk berdoulat.co.uk

David Ringsell: Contemporary Art Prints and Paintings of Classic Bath Architecture

“I aim to present a contemporary perspective on some familiar places. I often focus on the darker side of Bath architecture with peeling paint and stained stonework.”

David’s work is being exhibited at The Claremont Pub, 5 Claremont Road, Bath; and at The Old Crown, Weston, Bath. Custom prints are available online in a range of sizes – see the website: real-images.com

Image: The Long Journey, A2 framed giclée print by David Ringsell. This painting is of the GWR line into Bath from Sydney Gardens.

RIGHT: Difficult Door, gouache collage on paper, 21 x 14cm

The Shallows by Mark Johnston

IMAGE: Lobster Pots and Masts, Stonnington, CT, Katherine Church, 1952, watercolour on paper

Maker vs Monarch

CYNTHIA WIHARDJA Partner, Beau Nash Bath

Ioften think of Mrs Woodard when I work in my furniture shop. She was my high school history teacher, who brought western European history to life with entertaining stories & anecdotes. Because of her, I am fascinated by antiques and how they reflect the life of people in those times.

Many moons ago, on one of my earlier sourcing trips, I noticed pieces that were named after the maker instead of the monarch. Instead of calling them Georgian, for example, I found terms like “Chippendale period… Sheraton style… Hepplewhite chairs.” As an ex-marketing consultant, I was intrigued by this shift in branding. For the first time, the reputation of the maker became more important than that of the monarch. Why and how did this happen? Off I went to find out more.

Apparently, English furniture started being named after the maker instead of the monarch during the 18th century with the rise of the middle classes. As people used furniture to display wealth and status, they started acquiring pieces from famous craftsmen. Names such as Chippendale, Sheraton, Hepplewhite, Adam, and Gillows became more important than the reigning monarch. This practice continued into the 19th century, with many furniture makers becoming famous for their distinctive designs and high-quality craftsmanship.

Here are the “Big Three” of the 18th century: Thomas Chippendale, the most famous of them all, designed in rococo and neoclassical styles. His book of furniture designs titled The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director created a mass market for furniture. Interestingly he died in poverty due to his lack of business knowledge. I’ll save that story for another day.

Thomas Sheraton was known for a feminine refinement of late Georgian styles and became the most powerful source of inspiration behind the furniture of the late 18th century. George Hepplewhite created distinctive light and elegant furniture that was fashionable between about 1775 and 1800.

These are just a few of the many talented furniture makers who made their mark in Georgian times. Their work continues to be highly prized and enjoyed by home owners and enthusiasts today. n

beaunashbath.com; info@beaunashbath.com; 01225 334234 @beaunashbath

Spring Exhibition

Gallery Nine, 9B Margaret's Buildings, Bath, 10 April –31 June

The exhibition features Jewellery by Susie Hines and Zsuzsi Morrison, and a mixed print show including works by Phil Greenwood, Paul Cleden and Merlyn Chesterman.

Zsuzsi marks fine silver, 22ct gold and glass, through fire, to create modern relics. She uses traditional techniques of enamelling and is fascinated by blurring the boundaries between materials, styles, times and thinking, values and perceptions. Working with diamonds, gemstones, gold and silver, Susie Hines’ work explores the surface through a range of experimental etching and other surface techniques using contrasting patination. galleryninebath.com

Coronation Exhibition, Grey-Harris & Co, 12 Princess Victoria Street, Clifton, Bristol 26 April –6 May, 10am–4pm

Silversmiths and jewellers Grey-Harris & Co. are celebrating the coronation of King Charles III. The works in the exhibition are all linked to English coronations, including a lifetime collection of royal souvenirs and artworks spanning 400 years. One item is the 30ft hand panorama that depicts the coronation procession of King George IV (r.1820–1830). The procession is presented in 133 numbered scenes in etching and aquatint with handcolouring and dates to 1821. Another item is the remarkable William IV cut-glass sceptre surmounted by a cross pattée, hallmarked William Neal, London 1833.

There will also be displays of heraldry in silverware and jewellery along with a collection of portrait miniatures.

grey-harris.co.uk

North Somerset Arts Week, 28 April –8 May, various venues

North Somerset Arts Week is celebrating its 21st anniversary. Over 200 local artists will be opening up their homes and studios or gathering in shared venues to show you their latest work. Come and experience a huge variety of contemporary and traditional art, from ceramics and textiles to painting to sculpture. You will also find talks, workshops and cakes.

Watch out for the distinctive pink flags leading you to over 38 locations across the county. Pick up a copy of the Arts Week brochure from local shops and libraries to find out which artists are taking part and to find maps of the venues. Opening times vary for each venue, so check the website. Explore North Somerset, meet new artists, connect and have conversations –and most of all be inspired! northsomersetarts.org/nsaw23

Bathampton Art Group Spring Exhibition

Bathampton Village Hall, Holcombe Lane, Bathampton, BA2 6UL Saturday 15 April, 10am-4pm

This famous local art exhibition takes place again this year where you’ll find many artists displaying a wide range of work. Subjects range from still life to landscapes and seascapes to portraits… including pets.

Well-known Bradford-based artist Steve Hall will be on hand to judge the winners in each category. Refreshments are available all day. bathamptonart.com

What on Earth! by Wessex Contemporary

Arts

25–30 April, 44AD Artspace, 4 Abbey Street, Bath BA1 1NN

14 Wesca (Wessex Contemporary Arts) artists are exhibiting a wide range of responses to this title at 44AD artspace. Some pieces are political, some are about the Earth or planet and some are just very surprising... Wesca artists are well known for the rich variety of their work, and this show is well worth a visit.

Open from 1–6pm. Artists’ talk at 3pm on Sunday 30 April –all welcome. wesca.co.uk

Ceramic piece by Heather Stone

Mineral Baths in the Snow by Jane Riley

Ring stack by Susie Hines

Bronze rampant lion from the 1880s

Painting by Joan Hudson

What is ‘Huanghuali’ –Classical Chinese furniture

Elegant, stylish, hand-crafted pieces of furniture produced in China have furnished domestic spaces from homes to Imperial Chinese palaces for hundreds of years. A wide range of styles and pieces have been made through the Ming and Qing dynasties, from the end of the 14th to the early 20th century. Such pieces include chairs, tables, beds, and stools to smaller items such as mirror stands, pots and frames. These pieces are made without glue or nails and held together by expert joinery and craftsmanship, creating seamless transitions through the furniture. For example, these classic ‘horseshoe-back’ armchairs, Qyanyi. The top horseshoe shaped rail is made from five separately carved sections of wood and joined perfectly to create one flowing arch, supported by caved supports leading into the rectangular seat.

Although the style and manufacturing process is a reason for purchasing such pieces, it’s the wood type that really gets collectors going. Classical Chinese furniture can be made from a variety of woods, from hardwoods to softwood. But it’s only a couple varieties of hardwoods that can turn a typical piece from hundreds of pounds into multi thousands of pounds – One of these types being ‘Huanghuali’.

Huanghuali literally translating to ‘Yellow flowering pear wood’ or yellow rosewood (not to be confused with typical ‘rosewood, huali’ –which was used to mass produce antique style furniture in the latter part of the 20th century in Hong Kong). Huanghuali is native to Hainan Island in the South of China and to areas of Vietnam. It’s the Chinese variety which is of better quality and can be characterised by the oily yellowish-brown tones and dense grain with dark swirling markings referred to as ‘Ghost faces’ or ‘Ghost eyes’ by Chinese collectors and dealers. Being very durable, impermeable to water and insects and with a sometimes ‘sweet fragrant smell’ it made this wood a favourite for very high-ranking officials and important palace habitants.

The above pair of 20th century Huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs sold in our recent February sale for £16,120. The top price for huanghuali furniture sold via auction was at Sotheby’s Hong Kong 2022. An Imperial folding horseshoe-back armchair from late Ming dynasty (1368-1644) hammered at HK$106 million (£11 million), setting an auction record for a Chinese chair and becoming the second most valuable piece of Chinese classical furniture sold at auction.

If you would like to learn more about any items – Contact us for a free appraisal.

Leon Ma Ma San Auction in Bath 01225 318 587 | www.masanauction.com

The bluebells of Workman’s Wood

This month’s walk by Andrew Swift takes us a few miles north of Stroud to a glorious beech wood on a steep-sided valley –it is here in late April to mid-May that the woodland treats its visitors to an intense showing of bluebells.

Each spring, from around St George’s Day (23 April) to midMay, many of England’s woodlands are transformed as bluebells come into bloom beneath the budding trees. The azure haze of this brief annual spectacle is one of the most beguiling natural sights this country has to offer, and you’ll find numerous lists online recommending the best places to see it.

One spot that never seems to feature on these lists is Workman’s Wood, a few miles north of Stroud, yet this glorious beech wood, clinging to the slopes of the steep-sided valley of the Sheepscombe Brook, is among the hidden treasures of the Cotswolds. The National Trust (NT), which owns and manages the wood, admits as much on its website, telling us that it ‘is quiet and peaceful all year round, since it is not near a main road and access is not obvious, so it doesn't receive many visitors’.

Although access may not be obvious, the tracks that thread the wood make for relatively easy walking – albeit with occasional steep and muddy stretches – and there is little in the way of stiles or other obstacles to worry about. Best of all, perhaps – which makes the lack of visitors even more puzzling – the easiest place to begin and end a walk through Workman’s Wood is by one of the finest traditional pubs in the Cotswolds.

The only problem – if it can be regarded as a problem – is that, although the wood is threaded by a multitude of paths, and although there are numerous sets of waymarks, information on the trails they indicate is seemingly non-existent. On top of which, no map – not even the Ordnance Survey – shows all the paths. So, while I have suggested a

circular walk that takes in its varied landscapes and habitats, there are many other options, and, should you find yourself heading along the wrong track, all you need do is to head back roughly the same way you came to return to the starting point.

Sheepscombe lies five miles north of Stroud, and the network of lanes leading to it takes you through Slad, immortalised by Laurie Lee in his book Cider with Rosie. He lived in Slad until his death in 1997 and was a familiar face not only at the Woolpack there, but also at the Butcher’s Arms in Sheepscombe, where our walk starts (SO891104: GL6 7RH). There is limited parking in the lane near the pub, and at busy times you may need to park across the valley on the lane leading up to the church.

To the left of the pub (opposite the gates to the vicarage) head up a steep lane which soon degenerates into a rough track. Carry on through a gate, continue uphill, and, when you emerge on Sheepscombe Common, bear left up a well-walked track curving diagonally uphill through an area scarred by quarrying.

Over to the right you will see Sheepscombe’s cricket ground. Laurie Lee loved village cricket and was a great friend of Sheepscombe’s demon bowler and local poet Frank Mansell. Laurie bought the ground in 1971 in memory of his uncles who were founder members of the club, and the club still owns it today.

After 125m, a gate leads into Lord’s Wood. Carry straight on (ignoring two turnings to the left) following bridleway signs, and, after 300m, you will see an ivy-covered wall ahead (SO892110). A left turn here would take you into Lady’s Wood, on the edge of the escarpment, and also carpeted with bluebells at this time of year. We, however, will

A show of bluebells in Workman’s Wood

be turning right, along the path less taken, to Workman’s Wood.

After 200m, after the track goes through a wide gap in the wall, carry straight on, with a fence over to your left, for another 150m. When you come to a gate, cross a slab stile – little more than a high step – beside it and fork left along a broad track (S0896108).

Carry on as the terrain grows increasingly dramatic, shelving steeply away through the trees below you. The range of buildings which appear high on the ridge ahead after 600m belonged to Ebworth House, which was demolished in the late 20th century. They are now used by the NT as a base for forestry and conservation operations. A little further on, as you curve round the contours, ignore waymarks pointing up a steep path on the left, and carry on along the broad track (SO900112). A few metres further on, when it joins another track, carry straight on uphill. At a crosstrack with a wood carving of the head of a green man, carry straight on downhill, following a green oak-leaved NT waymark.

Carry on following NT waymarks for 600m, until you come to a fork (SO904115). Below you on the right you will see a large hut with a corrugated-iron roof. It houses a pumping station, and was part of an extensive system of pumps, rams and ponds which supplied water to Ebworth House.

Instead of following the NT waymark here, fork right downhill. After 250m, when a track joins from the left – and the NT waymarks resume – carry straight on, but a little further on turn sharp right to

double back downhill (ignoring the NT waymark pointing ahead).

When a track joins from the left, carry on, but a few metres further on turn left down a track doubling back downhill alongside a spring.

When you come to a track running along the bottom of the valley, turn right along it (SO906113). After 100m you come to a shelter with benches, an ideal place to stop and soak in the atmosphere of this hidden valley. Old maps show that it was once known as Slade Bottom. It’s only been known as Workman’s Wood since 1989, when it was renamed after John Workman, who oversaw the transfer of the Ebworth Estate to the NT.

Follow the track as it runs alongside two large ponds, and continue on in the same direction past another pumping station (SO902109). After another 250m, when the track forks, don’t follow the bridleway sign but bear right uphill.

At a T junction, bear left, and at a crosstrack carry straight on uphill. When the track forks, continue uphill, but at the next crosstrack turn left along it, following a public footpath waymark.

This leads through a gate into St George’s Field, owned by the Guild of St George, a charity for arts, crafts and the rural economy founded by John Ruskin in 1871 (SO896107). Take a track branching right across the field, and on the far side – faced with two handgates – go through the one on the left. Carry on in the same direction, crossing a broad path, and, after going through the gate you came through at the start of the walk, head back down to the Butcher’s Arms.

Many more walks can be found in Andrew Swift’s Country Walks from Bath published 4y by Akeman Press; akemanpress.com

FACT FILE

Starting point: Butcher’s Arms, Sheepscombe (SO891104: GL6 7RH); butchers-arms.co.uk

Length of walk: 4 miles

Approximate time: 2–3 hours

Accessibility: Some steep sections but mostly along good paths; one low slab stile.

Map: OS Explorer 179

The path beside the ponds

The Butchers Arms

FOOD & DRINK NEWS

Great British Kitchen at The Royal Bath & West Show

The Royal Bath & West Show returns on 1–3 June 2023 with the Great British Kitchen, first launched in 2022, hosting another exciting line-up of chefs. This year’s extravaganza of free-to-attend cooking demonstrations will be hosted by Lisa Cadd, the ‘Fuss-Free Foodie’, accompanied by cocktail mixer Andy Clarke. Matt Tebbutt of Saturday Kitchen Live (see below) and Food Unwrapped fame kicks off the foodie fun on 1 June, followed by ITVX This Morning’s Phil Vickery on 2 June. The final day will have a Caribbean feel when Wilfred EmmanuelJones MBE, ‘The Black Farmer’, comes to Somerset.

The Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset; bathandwest.com

Edible cups, bowls and plates

Refillable in Bath is offering an amazing sustainable solution in the form of takeaway cups, bowls and plates that have the added benefit of being delicious.

These edible takeaway containers are a great substitution for the standard recyclable paper cups. You can use them for any food item where you’d use takeaway containers –but the difference is that you can eat them. Fully biodegradable and vegan they are made of bran wheat and eating them means you will be helping to reduce waste from recyclable containers.

The cups will hold a hot or cold drink for up to 40 min and the plates and bowls up to 1 hour. The Edibles, as Refillable calls them, are a great addition to any kid’s party, or adult party too, as they make such an interesting topic of conversation.

Visit Refillable Shop on London Road or visit refillable.shop; @refillable.shop

Take three new food and drink venues

Bottomless Brunch Bath has welcomed three new food and drink outlets to the city.

A lazy day brunch is always one to look forward to and The Pieminister Bottomless Brunch is back every Saturday (and bank holiday Sundays) from 8 April–29 July.

There are two sittings to choose from: 12.30pm or 3pm, so it’s wise to plan the one that will suit you best and book it in. Then you’ll have an hour and a half to enjoy a brunch pie meal with bottomless drinks including any cocktails from the menu, draught beers from Freedom Brewery, cider, prosecco, or the classic brunch staple: mimosa. All for just £29 per person.

Visit pieminister.co.uk to take a look at the sample menu and to book; Pieminister, 24 Westgate Street, Bath

Rosa’s Thai, the popular restaurant group founded by Saiphin Moore in 2008, is renowned for its fresh, vibrant cooking, signature Thai hospitality and Bangkok café vibes –and it is now open at 4 Cheap Street, Bath.

Craft beer and bottle shop Grog showcases the best breweries and distillers from across the south west. Located at 16 Margaret’s Buildings, the offerings include a range of carefully selected rum, vodka and other spirits alongside local and guest craft beers, real ales, Belgian beers and curated ciders.

Finally we welcome Naturally Fast Food brand LEON to 40 Stall Street, opposite the Roman Baths. Favourite LEON options include Rice Boxes filled with Italian brown rice, fresh herbs and a protein of choice; Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets; Grilled Khobez Wraps; and Baked ‘Criss-cut’ Waffle Fries. grogshop.co.uk; rosasthai.com; leon.co

PLATE at The Bird

18–19 Pulteney Road, Bathwick, Bath BA2 4EZ; Tel: 01225 580438; thebirdbath.co.uk

The County Hotel in Pulteney Street was bought in 2018 by hoteliers Ian and Christa Taylor, and it opened 18 months later in a very different guise, as The Bird. This was an energetic, dashing and imaginative creative rebrand of an old-style, grand, all-rooms-the-same Victorian hotel resulting in an ultra boutique experience jostling with colourful, edgy design statements, upmarket luxuries and all-round artistic panache.

In 2020 the restaurant PLATE followed; a large space on the lower ground floor subtly divided with glass partitions into more intimate subsections. It’s a flamboyant, low-light space and the bold combination of terracotta and cobalt blue walls intensifies the snug vibes of the dining experience. Balancing this is a transformative influx of light from a large doorway that leads to the terrace and garden. The avian theme of the hotel is picked up in the restaurant with a central illuminated bar serving bird-themed cocktails such as Greenfinch and Chacalaca, and Toucan and Flamingo mocktails. The restaurant’s name is also reinforced with swarming mini groups of wall-mounted plates in contemporary designs. And the upside-down rowing boat attached to the ceiling that’s set with lights and dried foliage is another good talking point.

PLATE was relaunched in March this year after welcoming new General Manager Amy Gleadow and ex-Chequers Head Chef Kieren Ballam who has crafted and introduced a fresh menu. We were here to experience the restaurant’s new Sunday lunch offering. You cannot escape the fact that Sunday lunch is a family, traditional

experience, so in a hotel and restaurant that specialises in unique concepts and styling, what was in store?

As we considered the course options we enjoyed an apéritif, a gin and tonic with the Kaleidoscope Gin created specially for PLATE, which features home-grown hibiscus, and a Robin cocktail enchantingly served in a bird-shaped glass with gin, prosecco, citrus shrub and lemon, with Tiki Bitters nestling rosily on the breast of the bird/base of the glass. Good start, we thought. Next we shared a platter of Bertinet sourdough with butters and Nocellara olives from the Nibbles menu. I was adamant it was not appropriate to eat all the freshly baked sourdough, but this policy failed as we were overcome by its airy texture, sweet tang and the trio of butters. For the main dish I had Roast Chicken with Duck Fat Roast Potatoes with glazed carrot, maple parsnip, buttered greens and Yorkshire pudding. The chicken arrived perched on the crispy roast potatoes, with the other elements to each side and a jug of gravy to pour at leisure, a good thing as everyone has their own gravy serving preference. Our other main was

Pan-fried Fillet of Sea Bream with leek gratin, rosemary salted fries and sautéed winter greens. Both were winning lunch combinations – undiminished by the over consumption of sourdough earlier – with the vegetable produce sourced from the no-dig kitchen garden at Homewood in Freshford, The Bird’s sister hotel (both part of Ian and Christa Taylor’s Kaleidoscope Collection). Other menu choices included Roast Rump of Somerset Beef or Roast Pork Belly with the classic accompaniments, or the vegetarian Butternut Squash and Smoked Applewoods Cheddar Wellington with confit leeks, rapeseed roast potatoes, glazed carrots, buttered greens and maple and mustard parsnips. There is also a Gastro Children’s Menu – for those who need simple combinations of pasta and sauce or fish and chips – so it can be a full family experience.

We concluded our meal with a Dark Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Ice Cream and Apple and Rhubarb Crumble Tart with Vanilla Anglaise, both elegantly presented but with enough substance to fulfil that sweet yearning, even though room was at that stage in short supply.

The dishes arrived swiftly, looked beautiful, more than fulfilled taste expectations and the service was relaxed but exemplary. What more can be asked from a Sunday lunch? n

Our meal for two at PLATE, without drinks, totalled £80.

There’s a new menu offering at PLATE at The Bird as it welcomes its new Head Chef Keiren Ballam, says Emma Clegg

The restaurant’s name is reinforced with swarming mini-groups of wallmounted plates in contemporary designs

Innovative magazines

Retail and online magazine store Magalleria has an extensive range of independent, specialist and luxury magazines from around the world, with close to 2,000 individual titles. Here, Daniel McCabe talks about the Bath store and the specialist magazine business

We think of a magazine as something published in more than one issue, but it can be a deliberately finite project – we’ve had trilogies and many six and ten-part series dealing with a single theme. The contemporary magazine is a very agile thing (nimbler than a book) and it’s still arguably the most effective way to access established facts and thinking around almost any topic. Bi-monthly, quarterly and biannual releases in particular are well-geared for putting you right at the hub of things. Magazines have improved enormously in production quality to a point where most of the exciting innovations in the print industry are seen in this area. Even if circulations are down from what they were, the number of new magazine titles is rocketing, and over the last eight years Magalleria has become the go-to place to find them. It’s also not just about having the latest issue but also making back issues available. Often this means having to import stock from all over the world.

Established by myself and Susan Greenwood in 2015, Magalleria moved to Upper Borough Walls in 2021. Fortunately our customer base appears to have followed us, and with the store at the heart of the city many more people have found us here as well. Our shop is almost three times the size of the previous one in Broad Street, with the retail space packed with back issues. There is also a spacious and airy ground floor and a downstairs area with an office and workspace for our online operation.

Magazine-buying customers

There is no typical Magalleria customer. They’re all ages and from all walks of life, but I’ve formed a theory that they fall into two categories: those who come in and know exactly what they want, and those who come in with a completely open mind. Many of the latter enter the shop unaware of any upswing in interest or a ‘print renaissance’ and are astonished that so much non-book print matter is still published and available to buy in this digital age. For many others it’s all new. They often say to us, ‘I’ve never been in a shop like this before.’ And they mean it in a good way. We have many sessions with university and higher education class groups from around the south west who arrange trips to Magalleria because teaching staff recognise what a useful resource it is – not just for information but for inspiration.

Most of our customers are local but we’ve seen a huge spike in sales to tourists, both from around the country and from overseas. More and more people tell us that they’ve come to Bath on a mission to visit us, even from outside the UK. When we first opened someone said to me about our magazines “I’ve only ever seen these on the internet. It’s amazing to see them for real” and this interest has been building ever since.

Popular magazine genres

Interior design has been our consistently strongest category and I’m sure this is connected to being in Bath. There’s a very strong and enduring interest in renovation

and decoration – so much so that we’re often the sole supplier for certain titles because we were forced buy up the entire UK allocation just to meet local demand. At the moment we’re finding increased demand for design/graphic design titles, not just from students but because more people are self-employed or freelancing in this kind of work. Fashion, too, remains very popular with us. At the other end of the spectrum there’s suddenly huge interest in the likes of British folklore, folk horror, neo-pagan lifestyles and ‘New Nature’ publishing. This covers everything from the occult and ancient stone formations to natural textile dying and living in a tree house. It really is something of a phenomenon.

Magalleria, 5 Upper Borough Walls, Bath; store.magalleria.co.uk

The Analog Sea Review

This pocket-sized journal of essays, stories, poems and pictures has been a word of mouth sensation. It’s rooted in offline culture to offer readers shelter from what it regards as a non-stop bombardment of noise from everyday digital culture. It has no social media presence, and the TASR website reveals nothing but their street address. The editor and publisher, Jonathan Simons, argues that by integrating so many digital channels into our lifestyle we’ve fragmented our thinking so much that no one individual thing commands our attention long enough for us to properly understand it. So The Analog Sea Review aims to restore more meaningful and rewardingly complex reading £14.99

There is no typical Magalleria customer; They’re all ages and from all walks of life

Hellebore

Hellebore is named after a tribe of beautiful, perennial plants which happen to be poisonous and with links to occult belief – that it has the power of altering perception and is known for opening up portals to the Underworld and the subconscious. The magazine is a cleverly assembled collection of writings and essays devoted to British folk horror and the themes that inspire it: folklore, myth, history, archaeology, psychogeography, witches and the occult. It’s also beautifully designed and, dare we say it, addictive. £7.50

Cabana

We’ve seen Cabana described somewhere as gloriously opulent and that describes Martina Mondadori's wondrous interiors magazine perfectly. Wrapped in designer fabric or wallpaper and constructed from sumptuous contrasting paper stock, Cabana is something of a precious object in itself. Reading the magazine can feel like accompanying an obsessive collector as they trawl through undiscovered houses and buildings around the world to uncover unique and unusual design treasures. £27

46PGS

46PGS describes itself as ‘a magazine with a graphic heart’. This fascinating, dense and immersive magazine is an international collaborative effort created out of what it calls a ‘virtual guerrillagallery atmosphere’. Contributors take something they’re passionate about –a song, a movie, a a poem, a book or anything at all – and design it. The work embraces the distressed, collagistic grunge/trash aesthetic pioneered by the likes of 90s giant David Carson, which is now being reconsidered and re-energised by a new generation of graphic artists. £23.99

John Hall: rugby forward

Bath Rugby veteran John Hall has taken on the role of Chairman of Bath Rugby Heritage. He played for the Club for 14 years and his historical connections with the game go back two generations. He may be the best one for the job, says Emma Clegg

John’s early career statistics were eye-watering. A tall, powerful back row forward with amazing speed, he averaged a try every three games throughout his club career, a remarkable achievement. Allied to those creditable qualities, John was imposing physically, a fierce tackler, a feared competitor, ever ready to go toe-to-toe with the toughest opposition.”

These words from Patrick J. Lennon describe the Bath Rugby legend that is John Hall – who has recently extended his Club Presidency and taken on a new position as Chairman of Bath Rugby Heritage. Born in Bath, John had a 14-year rugby career as a blindside flanker for Bath Rugby from 1981 to 1995, captaining the club and representing them on 277 occasions, widely acknowledged to have been the best forward that Bath Rugby has produced. “I just refused to lose a game”, says John.

This, and the fact that his teammates shared the same driving competitive urge, was a winning formula for the Bath team in the 1980s and early nineties. In this era just before the professional game Bath dominated the rugby scene under head coach Jack Rowell. Bath was arguably the strongest club side in the world during this period, and won 18 major trophies including 10 Domestic Cups and six League titles, and it was the first English side to win the European Cup in 1998.

In the amateur era, when there was no risk of promising local players being picked off by other clubs, Bath had a solid flow of young players coming up through the ranks under a scouting system led by clubman and coach Dave Robson, with high-calibre, international-quality players including John, alongside others such as Graham Dawe, Stuart Barnes, Tony Swift, Nigel ‘Ollie’ Redman, David Edgerton, Gareth Chilcott and Jeremy Guscott.

John, however, didn’t need much scouting because his association with Bath Rugby started when he was just six or seven: “Most of my childhood I lived about 300 metres from the Recreation Ground in Lime Grove, literally around the corner.

“As children we’d be on the Rec most nights of the week kicking a ball around. We weren’t supposed to be there and the park-keeper would come and kick us off regularly, but it would be like shooing off sheep because we’d just go back again five minutes later. On the Saturday when Bath was playing we used to go down in the morning, kick a ball behind the flowerpot stands and play touch rugby for hours. And when the game started, we’d jump into the stands and watch the game. Even then we used to get big crowds of between 5,000 and 8,000 people.”

Several generations of John’s family also had a passion for rugby. “My dad Peter Hall played for Bath Rugby in the fifties and my granddad used to play in the twenties and just before the First World War. My granddad on my mother’s side, Harry Vowles, was a club captain in 1923/24. My father also met my mother through the club because he was stationed here during his national service at RAF Rudlow Manor.”

In the amateur days at the height of John’s playing career –including an international career from 1985 – all players held down full-time jobs, which meant a demanding schedule to fit in training, travel and playing the games. “During the season I probably spent four days working each week and for three mornings I would be in the gym at 6.30am or 7am, train for an hour and then for two, sometimes three evenings we’d train for two hours. It was tough, really tough. We had less time than the guys playing now because we had to hold down full-time jobs. We did it because we loved it and we wanted to win as a group.”

The playing career of the rugby power that was Hall was repeatedly hampered by injury. He travelled with the 1987 England World Cup team – in the company of Chilcott, Redman, Egerton and Richard Hill – but did not play a match as he was injured in training. He also missed the 1991 World Cup and 1989 British and Irish Lions Tour due to further knee problems. After retiring in 1995 as rugby league became professional, John became the club’s first Director of Rugby, led them to a League and Cup double in season 1995/96 and helped the club transition to the professional era.

“For the club and me personally it was a really difficult time because there was no blueprint; it was like the ‘Wild West’. I was a young man who had no idea what professional rugby meant, but nobody else did, and if you went round the clubs at that time nobody knew how the game was going to shape itself over the next few years. Bath had been so far ahead of other clubs that the gap was inevitably going to close. Professional rugby had little structure and brought a lot of uncertainty in its early days.

“At that time I focused on ensuring we had a backer that would enable the club to transition into the professional era and allow me and the playing management team to retain our premium players. At the time they were getting targeted by the other clubs –players like Mike Catt, Jerry Guscott and John Callard were all getting huge offers elsewhere. We just pulled together as a team and sat down with each person to negotiate terms to make sure they didn’t move on. The players at the time wanted to stay, but they were getting offers of £50,000 per annum more than we were offering… so it was a player’s market. My main objective was to secure those players and thankfully for the most part we did.”

Hall’s new Chairman role has been introduced as the club focuses on bringing forward proposals for the redevelopment of The Rec, following the Supreme Court decision in October 2022 that the 1922 Covenants are not a barrier to redevelopment. Hall is looking to recruit and manage a team of volunteers to support the historic elements of the stadium project team in bringing to life the club’s heritage as part of the redevelopment, while continuing to drive the alumni network through the 1865 Club membership, for those who have played for the club.

“We want to build a team of volunteers to help sort, catalogue and find new ways of making the archive material available through the website.” Bath is one of the oldest rugby clubs, set up in 1865, and there is a rich array of digital and physical archives.

“There are plans to show a selection of archive material in a new stadium, where we want to tell the story about the ‘People’ and the ‘Place’ that has formed our long history. There are so many outstanding achievements and great people that have played

John’s early career statistics were eye-watering. A tall, powerful back row forward with amazing speed, he averaged a try every three games in the first few seasons...

a part in Bath Rugby over the past 158 years, and we want to honour and detail our heritage in ways that makes it open and available to all,” says Hall.

“Many have a huge affection for the club both with its role within in the city and the effect it has had on people’s lives. Exploring our heritage is vital to continue our connection with our past, our present and to enhance our future.”

A new rugby stadium will bring an improved pitch, better facilities, changing rooms, seating areas and hospitality, and an architectural design that complements the city. “We want a statement that Bath can be proud of, one that is in line with a Premiership Rugby club of Bath’s stature.”

Bath Rugby will be submitting a new planning application for the stadium this year and will then share news of the development details with its supporters.

Bath Rugby would welcome donations of material relating to the Club’s history and would like to hear from any potential

volunteers interested in helping to organise the archive. For more information contact: heritage@bathrugby.com; bathrugby.co.uk

Photograph by Michael Wharley

We had less time than the guys playing now because we had to hold down full-time jobs. We did it because we loved it...

CITY NEWS

New director appointed

Former head of Accounts and Business Services, Rachael Rackham has been appointed to the board of Richardson Swift. Rachael has worked with the Bathbased firm of chartered accountants and tax advisers for over seven years after moving from Haines Watts, in Bristol, where she was an associate director.

Here comes the Safe Bus

The Bath Safe Bus is a new initiative to tackle safety at night and help night-time revellers stay safe while reducing pressure on local emergency services. Introduced by the Bath Business Improvement District (BID) it launches on 31 March to provide first aid, psychological support, and a safe place for anyone in the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights. Safe Buses run successfully in dozens of cities and major towns in the UK. Bath’s Safe Bus will be staffed by medical specialists, volunteers, and security staff, helping anyone that feels vulnerable, requires first aid or needs some form of emotional support. People will be able to come to the bus and ask for help if they’ve lost their friends, misplaced their phone, or need somewhere safe to wait. Bath Safe Bus will operate a Friday and Saturday night service between 10.30pm and 4.30am. Additional dates such as for Bank Holidays and Bath Rugby matches will be added. bathbid.co.uk

Managing director Debbie Boulton said: “Rachael has already become a valuable addition at board level. Her great strength is developing client relationships and working with the team to ensure continued high standards of service delivery. She brings energy and great people skills to the board.” richardsonswift.co.uk

Breakfast for businesses

The Breakfast Exchange, co-organised by accountants Richardson Swift, publishers The Business Exchange, and Thrings Solicitors, is a new initiative focusing on the challenges currently faced by businesses, bringing together different sectors at breakfast events.

The launch event in March saw more than 60 businesses and charities sharing coffee and pastries and comparing notes on the obstacles and opportunities faced by those trying to grow a business in recent years. Providing expert advice were Debbie Boulton from Richardson Swift and Ramona Derbyshire from Thrings.

said, “The Breakfast

is all about... sharing experience, knowledge and skill sets to help our community survive and thrive.” contact smb@richardsonswift.co.uk if you would like to attend the next event

Founder of The Business Exchange Anita Jaynes

Exchange

A boutique co-working space in the heart of Bath; a community to co-work, host meetings, events and relax with clients or colleagues. With high-end finishes and a cool, relaxing vibe, Rengen House offers a refreshing change to the “traditional office” environment.

Don’t lose your capital losses

On the disposal of an asset, a capital gain or a capital loss may arise. Capital losses arising in the same tax year as capital gains must first be offset against those capital gains. Consequently, this means you may lose your ‘tax free’ annual exempt amount for that tax year.

Capital losses remaining after that offset can be carried forward indefinitely to offset against your future capital gains, until they are used up.

Capital losses carried forward can be used tax efficiently in part, unlike in-year capital losses, to ensure your annual exemption is utilised and not wasted.

Importantly, carried forward losses can only be offset against future gains if they are considered allowable capital losses.

A capital loss is not allowable unless it is notified and quantified to HMRC. The time limit for this notification being within four years of the relevant tax year.

If you prepare personal tax returns annually, these losses can be included on your tax return, for the year in which they arise, to notify HMRC of them. Otherwise, HMRC generally require loss claims in writing, for them to be considered allowable.

To avoid capital losses being lost, ensure HMRC are notified of them within the time limit and keep hold of the records that support them.

For tax saving tips contact us – call Tristan Wilcox-Jones, Samantha Taylor or Lucas Knight on 01225 445507

Saving for School Fees

Attending private school is a privilege that comes at a high financial cost, but with the right planning in place, it could be an achievable investment.

With school fees on average £5,132 per term, and due to rise by 3% over the coming year, it is important to plan ahead and establish a sizable savings pot to help pay fees when they become due.

How much do I need to save and when should I start? Cash flow modelling can help answer these questions by projecting the future cost of the education, modelled against savings accumulated to date.

Take an example of a couple who wish to send their five-year-old child to a private secondary school in Southwest England. Assuming fees rise at an annual average of 4% per annum, when the child starts secondary school, the fees would be £17,465 pa. Cash flow modelling projects that a sum of £79,297 today would be sufficient to cover the school fees, assuming average net investment returns of 5% per annum.

Are there tax-efficient ways of saving towards school fees?

A simple way to save for school fees is within a Stocks and Shares Individual Savings Account (ISA), within which an adult can save up to £20,000 each tax year. By using ISAs, a couple can save up to £40,000 pa completely tax-free.

Are grandparents able to contribute?

Each grandparent can make annual gifts of up to £3,000, being immediately exempt from Inheritance Tax (IHT). Larger sums can be gifted free from IHT provided the grandparent survives the gift by seven years.

Grandparents could also benefit from ‘normal expenditure out of income’ rules. Essentially, any income surplus to their needs can be gifted away. However, the rules are strict and it is essential that specialist advice is taken.

Grandparents can also set up a ‘bare trust’ to hold assets gifted for the payment of school fees. This has the benefit of the income or gains being taxed in the grandchild’s hands rather than the grandparents.

What else should be considered?

It would be worthwhile looking into establishing suitable protection cover to ensure that school fees can continue to be paid in the event of death or inability to work.

Get in touch

If you are interested in learning more about how the team at Mogers Drewett can help you please call Daniel Gornall on 01225 308333 or email Daniel.Gornall@mogersdrewett.com.

Call Tristan Wilcox-Jones, Samantha Taylor or Lucas Knight on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting

Local hero in Türkiye

Bathonian Rob Davis recently retired from the Fire Service and now works as a Disaster Management Consultant for the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office and in the Army Reserve (Royal Signals). Rob was one of the original members of Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters (SARAID) when it was created in 2003, and before that he was a member of another disaster response team. He was deployed to the Mozambique floods in 2000, the Sri Lanka tsunami in 2004, the Pakistan earthquake in 2005, the Haiti earthquakes in 2010 and 2021 and the Beirut explosion in 2020. Here Rob tells us about travelling to Türkiye with SARAID in February this year to assist with the help and rescue operation.

At approximately 4.20am local time on Monday 6 February a massive earthquake hit southern Türkiye and northern Syria. Shortly afterwards, my phone started ringing at 2.20am here in Bath. It rang twice before I realised who was trying to contact me, a colleague on a humanitarian course in the USA had just seen on the news a 7.8 magnitude earthquake had hit southern Türkiye and with all his experience he knew this was likely to be catastrophic.

Within hours myself and my team –Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters (SARAID) a United Nations (UN) recognised and classified disaster response team –were on standby to fly to the disaster-affected area to provide search and rescue support. SARAID is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and charity, which receives no government or DEC funding and has responded to most of the major disasters around the world for the last 20 years. Its members are from all walks of life –including firefighters, paramedics, structural engineers and business owners, with all volunteers on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

With all the necessary paperwork and permission to deploy via the UN and Turkish government, SARAID was mobilised on Tuesday 7 February, and due to lack of flights arrived in the country on the Wednesday 8 February where we got straight to work. Part of our UN role is to provide coordination if there is a need and we started with a coordination centre being set up at Adana Airport, the nearest to the disaster-affected communities. Here we left two SARAID coordinators to assist with a German and Swiss team to book and manage international search and rescue teams into the country and get them on to the ground as quickly as possible to undertake search and rescue.

The rest of the team made their way by bus to the city of Kahramanmaras, tasked with search and rescue within the city. Early reports indicated that severe damage had been caused within the 400,000 populated city and that many multi-storey tenement blocks of flats of over eight floors had been completely destroyed.

After a seven-hour road journey, due to the damaged bridges and roads leading to Kahramanmaras, we eventually started to see

the city at the foot of some impressive mountains, and the scale of the destruction was shocking. My team members on the bus fell silent as we started to make our way into the city centre and locate one of our partner agencies from Germany. The scale of congestion and local communities on the streets because of the fear of going back into their homes, was very upsetting, a humanitarian disaster unfolding in front of our eyes.

Our first search in the city involved working with the German team and locating a 33-year-old mum and her six-year-old daughter under a six storey block of flats that had completely ‘pancaked’ into the ground. After a about six hours of work we were able to rescue both safely and thankfully our medic confirmed that neitherof them were physically injured in any way. After a through medical check-up, both were placed in an ambulance and taken to hospital.

Twenty four hours later and after many technical searches undertaken by the team in the city we were called to another multifloored building collapse where there were reports of people missing and knocking heard. Here we deployed our DELSAR sound location equipment and called for a K9 search and rescue unit. After deploying the sound location equipment onto the rubble pile and calling for complete silence, we detected a faint but positive knocking on the sound location equipment. Our plan was to use a heavy mechanical excavator to lift a floor slab very carefully and explore underneath. Once the floor slab was lifted, to our relief we found a 15-year-old young lady trapped in a small void. After a few hours of digging and securing the scene we rescued this young lady, again without any injuries.

SARAID successfully rescued three people from the ruins of the Kahramanmaras and instigated coordination in Adana airport and the city of Kahramanmaras, along with dozens of technical searches within the city. The team spent six days searching the city and demobilised on Monday 13 February.

For further information and to learn more, visit the SARAID website –saraid.org.uk –where there is a Justgiving link where you can make a donation to support the charity’s vital work.

Successful, well-established year-round language school in the centre of Bath requires HOMESTAY HOSTS IN BATH

to host both short-term and long-term students.

We teach adults and teenagers, and need both single and twin-room accommodation.

For further details, including rates of payment, please contact our Student Services Manager:

Sarah Wringer

Kaplan International Languages Bath, 5 Trim Street, Bath, BA1 1HB

Direct Line (01225) 448840

Email: sarah.wringer@kaplan.com

Chris May

Chris May is the founding director at Bath-based Mayden, a health tech company which specialises in designing and building insightful software for healthcare.

Q. Where did you grow up and how did this define you?

I was born and raised in a Manchester suburb in what was considered to be a middle-class street. But it was an area in decline; I recently sold our family home for £80,000. We weren’t poor but neither did we have a lot of disposable income. I didn’t get all the toys my neighbours got, but I think that was instrumental in developing my imagination.

Q. What is your training and background?

I did an undergraduate degree in engineering at Leicester followed by a postgraduate in manufacturing at Cambridge. My first job was designing automated production lines at Cadbury’s. Tough gig for a chocoholic, but someone had to do it.

I later went on to work as a manager in a hospital trust and then as a consultant developing business cases for new hospitals, which is where my fascination with healthcare came from.

Q. Did you always know what you wanted to do as a career?

There was definitely some trial and error but I was always purpose-driven. I remember having the thought at Cadbury’s that my career wasn’t having the societal impact I sought, but I’ve since reflected on that –after all, Hogwarts’ infirmary prescribed chocolate for everything!

Q What was the draw of the healthcare sector when you set up Mayden?

I think a part of me was always drawn to healthcare but I wasn’t cut out to be a medic. The eventual attraction was realising how

technologically behind healthcare was compared to the rest of the world. Ultimately, Mayden was founded from a core realisation that the healthcare sector was collecting huge amounts of data –and then not using it to do anything useful. Mayden was established with the foundational purpose of solving that problem.

Q. You were named as one of the LDC [Lloyds Banking Group] Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders of 2022. What makes you a good leader?

My driving purpose, I discovered, is really just to help people thrive and live their best life. That feeds into my ambition to make healthcare better, but it also extends to the kind of company I wanted to build. At Mayden, innovation in healthcare technology goes hand in hand with innovation in ways of working. A few years ago Mayden embarked on a new way of organising the business that saw our directors devolve the leadership and delivery of projects into the hands of the staff themselves.

My ambition for Mayden was to make the company the best possible place for staff to collaborate, innovate and be happy at work. Our annual surveys tell us that 100% of our staff are proud to work at Mayden, and that means a lot to me as a leader. It means that my colleagues are thriving, and that is ultimately going to benefit our customers.

Q. Mayden is described as: ‘an agile, open working culture, a flat structure with shared responsibility and reward for our success’. How does this work in practice? Change always brings challenges. But we have an incredible team of really talented people, and we knew we could work through those challenges together. Ultimately it was worth it to give those same people autonomy and empowerment to do their best work. We don’t have middle management making the decisions. That responsibility now lies with the experts that are in the best place to make them, the people closest to our product and our customers. It makes so much sense, I wonder why more organisations don’t adopt it. Some of the biggest challenges we faced related to making sure we had all the right frameworks in place to support people as they took on more responsibility. For example, we introduced coaching. In lieu of a manager that people may go to with a work problem, we have coaches that work with people to help them come to their own solutions.

Q What was the idea behind setting up the iO Academy to offer coding courses and why did it make sense for the business?

We were finding it increasingly difficult to recruit talent to our tech teams. In the end we founded a software training academy in Bath to get the talent we needed. The iO Academy is now an independent enterprise in its own right supporting the Bath and Bristol tech sector. Being in Bath has also enabled us to engage with a wider network of tech businesses, forge strong links with the University and Bath College, and get involved in supporting many of Bath’s charities.

Q. You have co-written a book Made Without Managers. What is the idea behind it?

When we embarked on our own organisational change, we found there wasn’t much literature to draw on, that was based on lived experience. We wanted to address that imbalance in the hope that others could learn from our journey. Organisations don’t need to settle for traditional structures that hold them back. By sharing what we have learned, it is our hope that readers will see how a less hierarchical structure can unleash creativity and innovation, make it easier to respond to opportunities and threats, as well as boost productivity. We hope our story provides clear, practical insights rooted firmly in reality, as well as advice and guidance gained through experience, that will help to make any organisation’s transition easier.

Q. What plans do you have for the future?

For me this is about staying true to my purpose of helping people thrive. As a team we will continue to build a company we all love to work for. We will continue to provide our healthcare customers with a system that helps support them in the vital work they do.

But ultimately, Mayden exists because we can see the role that technology and data will play in helping healthcare services to continually learn and improve, and ultimately to improve outcomes for patients. And that is why I started Mayden in the first place. n

What quote reflects your approach to life?

“As long as there is chocolate, there will always be happiness” by Wayne Gerard Trotman.

mayden.co.uk

Made Without Managers by Team Mayden, Alison Sturgess Durden, Chris May and Dr Philippa Kindon, published by Right Book Co, £16.95

Family fun

BATH COMEDY FESTIVAL | JUNIOR JOKERS

Until 16 April

n Locations across Bath

There are lots of laughs to be had in the Bath Comedy Festival’s new creative kids’ programme: performance workshops, a cartoon competition and three brilliant, affordable, family-friendly comedy shows for all ages to enjoy. Find out more at bathcomedy.com/juniorjokers

EASTER EGGSPLORERS

1–16 April, 10am–4pm

n Wild Place Project, Blackhorse Hill

Bristol

Discover amazing animals (including Wild Place’s new ostrich) and learn eggstraordinary facts on a cracking Easter trail. Plus, say hello to the giraffes, lemurs, cheetahs, zebras, wolves and bears – recently awake from their big sleep. It’s a guaranteed egg-ceptional day out. Trail included in admission (child ticket £9.50) | wildplace.org.uk

MAKE YOUR OWN PLANET SUNCATCHER

1–16 April (excluding 3 and 10 April), 10am–5pm

n Herschel Museum of Astronomy

As spring emerges, make the most of the sunshine with a fabulous planet suncatcher to hang in your window and fill your room with colour! Free for children (accompanied by a paying adult) throughout the Easter holidays | herschelmuseum.org.uk

AN EGGCELLENT EASTER ADVENTURE

1–16 April

n American Museum & Gardens

Get your wellies on and prepare for a cracking good time. Follow an outdoor trail to hunt through the gardens and enjoy free creative activities at the museum’s crafting station. Normal admission plus £2.50 for the trail (optional) americanmuseum.org.uk

RED ARROWS EASTER HOLIDAYS

3–16 April

n Aerospace Bristol, Hayes Way, Patchway, Bristol

Get ready for an Easter of Red Arrows themed fun at Aerospace Bristol as the museum introduces its new Red Arrows Experience. You can fly with the Red Arrows in the museum’s new simulator, meet a

former Red Arrows Pilot –and on 3, 4 and 5 April. Younger visitors can pilot their own pedal planes. 10am–4.30pm | aerospacebristol.org/easter

THE WILD ESCAPE AT VICTORIA ART GALLERY

4–6 April, 10.30am–12.30pm; 11–14 April, 10.30am–12.30pm

n The Victoria Art Gallery

VAG is taking part in The Wild Escape, a nationwide project that invites children to find nature in museums.There will be free drop-in craft sessions for families, where kids can make colourful fish collages and pond collages. Advance booking is not required. For more information visit victoriagal.org.uk

MARK THOMPSON’S SPECTACULAR SCIENCE SHOW

15 April, 12pm

n Komedia, 22–23 Westgate Street, Bath

If you think science is boring, then think again: this is science like you have never seen it before. Designed for children and adults alike, Mark’s Spectacular Science Show explores the strange and magical properties of matter with exploding elephant’s toothpaste, vortexgenerating dustbins and even howling jelly babies! Tickets from £15, available at komedia.co.uk

BRILLIANT BEASTIES

18 April, 23 May, 20 June, 10.30–11.30am

n The American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Down, Bath Brilliant Beasties is a wonderful hour of fun and creativity for preschoolers and their parents or carers. Sing songs, listen to stories, share rhymes and get crafty, while learning about ‘Brilliant Beasties’: our lovely animal friends. Members £3.50, non-members £10 (includes garden entry) | americanmuseum.org.uk

HEY DUGGEE THE LIVE THEATRE SHOW

20–22 April (20–21 April 10.30am and 2pm; 22 April 10am, 1pm and 3.30pm)

n The Forum, Bath

Everyone's favourite big lovable dog HEY DUGGEE is touring for the first time ever! Join Duggee and the Squirrels in this vibrant interactive production bursting with music, puppets and barrels of laughs. Tickets from £19, available at heyduggeelive.com

KING EDWARD’S SCHOOL BATH PRE-PREP & NURSERY SUMMER OPEN MORNING

17 May, 9–12pm

n King Edward’s School, North Road, Claverton Down, Bath

Chat to staff and pupils whilst exploring the inspiring learning environment of King Edward’s Bath. For ages 3–7. Pre-registration is essential | kesbath.com

The Red Arrows

Mark Thompson’s Spectacular Science Show Image credit: Steve Ullathorne

Hey Duggee The Live Theatre Show

Technology in schools

During lockdown new ways of teaching emerged to support remote learning. But this way of working has also become absorbed and has permanently transformed the way that children and young people are taught in the classroom. We talk to some of our local schools about how they use technology within their curriculum

Schools are now using a variety of technology in the classroom, from interactive whiteboards to game-based software as well as pre-created content. A recent report called Capabilities for Success: What’s Working in EdTech Today established that the UK education system is a world leader in the adoption and use of technology in the classroom, with almost three-quarters of schools embedding tech in everyday teaching and learning practices. The report explains that many schools are reporting better outcomes as a result of their use of technology.

In the report Jim Knight, Director of Suklaa and former schools minister, says: “While the pandemic changed the day-to-day execution of teaching and learning across the world, it also accelerated the evolution of technology adoption, curriculum, and other key elements of learning. The data here suggests that technology like collaborative software and game-based activity supports increased levels of student engagement and leads to improved outcomes holistically.”

As digital natives young people respond well to tech initiatives, but is technology always the way? How can schools achieve the right balance between technology and more traditional ways of interacting and communicating? Some of our local schools give us some insights.

Pupils at Prior Park Ccollege

Kingswood School

JOHN DAVIES SENIOR DEPUTY HEAD AND VICE PRINCIPAL

At Kingswood, we take an evidence-based approach to teaching and learning in the classroom, including how we seek to use technology. We try not to pursue initiatives just because they seem like a good idea; we need to know that our use of time and resources will make a meaningful difference.

Monkton Combe School

Design students at Monkton Combe School are increasingly using 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software to complete their projects.

The software allows our students to create complex 3D designs and models for a wide range of products and structures for projects ranging from architecture, engineering, product design, fashion and manufacturing. These can be manipulated and tested in real-time, with no need for expensive physical prototypes, allowing the students to test ideas, edit, and manipulate objects in a virtual environment. This has helped to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application and has also helped to reduce material costs and improved the speed and accuracy of the design process.

The software has also had a significant impact on how we deliver Design education through improved collaboration between our students and teachers as it provides a common platform for sharing designs and providing feedback.

The visualisation of ideas and creating models of complex 3D objects through CAD opens up creative opportunities for our

Wells Cathedral School

Year 5 pupils at Wells Cathedral Prep School produce an ‘Around the World’ immersive educational project, which incorporates a range of technological approaches and skills. Pupils firstly write their own informative script by researching online information about a range of countries’ or continent’s world music. As well as discussions about seeking reliable information

We feel great affinity with the guidance published by the Educational Endowment Foundation on technology use, particularly the idea that ‘to improve learning, technology must be used in a way that is informed by effective pedagogy’; in short, educators must use technology wisely and for a specific purpose, not just because it is there. There is no robust evidence that suggests that the more we use technology, the better the learning; indeed, the opposite can also be true, where too much technology can lead to inhibited learning.

That said, we are very keen that our teachers and pupils leverage wisely the best and most effective technological tools to enhance learning, such as AI-informed quizzing programmes or online collaboration software. These tools are useful and can certainly enhance the learning process. Of course, we, like many schools, made a very effective switch to online learning during the nationwide lockdowns. Whilst we were able to harness the power of Teams, OneNote and the whole suite of Microsoft apps, and continue to do so, this period of online learning demonstrated the power of the teacher-pupil personal relationship.

Most importantly, we believe that our young people need to learn to think about technology philosophically. Technology will play a significant role in shaping our children’s futures – it remains our priority therefore to help young people develop the human qualities that technology will never be able to fully replicate or replace: creativity, compassion and critical thought.

kingswood.bath.sch.uk

students to reach innovative outcomes of excellence and prepares them for university and careers in industries where 3D CAD is widely used. Universities are recognising the skills that our students are achieving in this field, with them gaining confidence in software such as Fusion 360. monkton.org.uk

online, there is a cross-curricular (English) element, with pupils considering how to summarise information effectively. Then, using the online music production software ‘Soundtrap’, pupils develop their technical skills by collating audio examples of music, editing them, and recording their own scripts to accompany the musical extracts. The nature of technical skills then become more creative, as they employ Podcast-style production techniques such as ‘ducking’ (attenuating music so that dialogue can be heard), along with enhancing the global journey with aeroplane sound effects that pan from left to right - one country to the next!

Again using Soundtrap, Year 6 pupils complete a ‘Found Sound’ project, in which they record everyday sounds around the school and, following traditional rhythmic conventions, produce unique tracks with these sounds. Facilitated by technology, children really appreciate the notion of ‘with fewer resources we have to be more resourceful’. This project is another example of how Music Technology is an excellent subject that enables children to develop an array of IT-based technical skills, from process-based to creative.

wells-cathedral-school.com

JOSH FULLER HEAD OF DESIGN

MARK WHITE HEAD OF MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

Mark White

King Edward’s School

DAVID MIDDLEBROUGH, DEPUTY HEAD (CURRICULUM AND DIGITAL STRATEGY)

At King Edward’s School we recognise the importance of equipping our pupils with the digital skills that they will require throughout their education and later careers. The appropriate use of ICT is at the heart of our curriculum and co-curricular activities and developing our pupils’ confidence and adaptability is key to them being able to

flourish in a world full of rapidly advancing technology.

The recent opening of a new Creative Media Suite in the Senior School is one such example of our digital intent. Through our partnership with Lenovo and Microsoft, and with it the installation of 26 Lenovo Legion T5 desktop systems, we’ve been able to fully embrace the opportunities for creative digital media work across a range of activities and subjects. The new facility is widely used across the curriculum, as well as within our co-curricular activities which includes a flourishing esports programme. Pupils can now easily bring more digital media work into their studies, and there are obvious benefits to being able to work with better quality photo and video editing facilities in subjects such as ICT, Drama, Art and Photography. We have also been able to support pupils who want to use these skills in all subjects – whether it is filming a video for a History assignment, putting together an e-news report in English or using Minecraft for Education to explore the world of materials science in Chemistry.

ICT is embedded across the curriculum in our Junior and Pre-Prep Schools. Pupils use apps to enhance their learning, with computer animation becoming an increasingly valuable tool to present complex ideas. Tablet devices are part of the standard toolkit for pupils as they film and construct animations in a range of subject areas, such as illustrating fairy tales in English or explaining volcanic processes in Geography. Our younger pupils are also proficient coders, winning the latest Raspberry Pi competition with their design of a recycle bin that rewarded pupils with house points each time it was used and gave an alert when it needed emptying. kesbath.com

Prior Park College

At Prior Park College digital technology is used to quietly support its students. Each student is provided with a Personal Learning Device, not to replace pen and paper, but in support of outstanding teaching and learning. Our Personal Learning Devices, or PLDs as they are better known, facilitate a close working relationship between students and their teachers as they explore their academic curiosities. Full access to the Microsoft 365 package enables students to seek support and feedback from their teachers outside of lessons using Teams.

In class, gone are the days of endlessly copying notes from the board –Microsoft OneNote provides a platform for teachers to capture rich discussion, share editable notes with the students, provide live feedback, and embed screen recordings of worked examples. This digital technology support makes learning, and indeed revising for exams, a smoother, organised process, and one that all our students greatly benefit from. priorparkschools.com

The Paragon

At The Paragon School technology is used in everyday teaching and learning. We teach a bespoke computing curriculum which commences in the pupils’ earliest years when they are in Squirrels Pre-School. Our ethos is that teaching children to think computationally is essential and should begin as soon as a child embarks on their educational journey with us.

Formal computing lessons commence in Year 1. Pupils are taught to use the key Microsoft packages, as well as coding and programming. Other creative skills such as Podcast production and creating a stop-frame animation using tablets are taught from Years 3–6. Throughout the school each classroom has its own Interactive White Board. Pupils from Year 5 are provided with their own Personal Learning Devices to maximise and enhance their learning opportunities, such as researching and word processing, not only throughout their school day but also at home.

Implementing the use of technology in daily life at school supports our long-term approach to ensure that our pupils are knowledgeable and excited about the fast-evolving technological world around them. Our ambition is to foster independent learners, who will leave us in Year 6 as confident digital citizens.

priorparkschools.com n

NAT CORDEN, ASSISTANT HEAD TEACHING AND LEARNING

GEORGIE MARTIN HEAD OF COMPUTING

The Creative Media Suite at King Edward’s School

A great discovery

to life the history of the building

charge, and will continue to be offered access to areas for private prayer and pastoral care from chaplains. Regular prayers throughout the day will remain, as will the current roster of services, details of which can be found on the Bath Abbey website.

The stories shared in the Discovery Centre acknowledge Bath Abbey’s importance within the local and wider communities. Ensuring that this integral part of English heritage is preserved for future generations is a key consideration in the life of the Abbey. From its roots as a Benedictine Monastery, through the Saxon, Norman and Tudor eras, Bath Abbey recognises it has a duty to share this awe-inspiring building with future generations.

Every visitor can now contribute to the preservation, conservation, and continued work of an important site of living history within the city of Bath. With the Discovery Centre and guided tours offering an enriched experience and understanding, Bath Abbey can continue to fulfil its mission of ‘Living and Telling the Good News of Jesus with the City of Bath and its visitors’. n

Bath Abbey’s recently opened Discovery Centre is a unique heritage space that allow visitors to look behind the scenes of life at the Abbey and delve into the building’s history. The opening hails the final phrase of the Abbey’s Footprint Project, a £21 million programme of work that received over £11 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Discovery Centre is an accessible space that is designed to bring the Abbey’s history to life. Objects from the Abbey’s archives are on display in this custom-built area constructed within the ancient vaults beneath the Abbey building. Fascinating videos, replica period costumes and exciting interactive exhibits, including one that allows you to explore all parts of the Abbey’s dramatic facade, immerse visitors in the history of the building and discover the stories of people connected to the Abbey.

Alongside an extensive timeline of the Abbey’s history, visitors can also see historical artefacts. These include Anglo-Saxon crosses; Medieval carved stone fragments; historic silver; and the Benefactors’ Book, a record of money and materials given to the Abbey for its reconstruction after the Reformation.

The Discovery Centre is adjacent to the Abbey’s new Learning Room, which is regularly used by visiting primary and secondary schools to learn about subjects ranging from ‘Bath Abbey through the ages: over 1000 years of fascinating history’ to ‘a day in the life of a Medieval Monk’. This room is currently being used as part of the

‘warm spaces’ initiative across the city of Bath and for the provision of English lessons for Ukrainian refugees.

Nathan Ward, Manager of the Footprint Project says: “Opening the Discovery Centre is a huge achievement. It is the result of many years of hard work, and we are very pleased to be welcoming people into these new spaces where we can display important artefacts for the first time and provide our visitors with a new ‘interactive’ perspective on the history of the Abbey.”

The Abbey has also introduced free 30-minute guided tours for visitors throughout the day. These are distinct from the popular Tower Tours, which are paid guided tours to the top of the Bath Abbey tower. Bespoke guided tours for school pupils can also be booked, and these are ideal for Key Stage 1-4 classes.

To maintain its high standard as a leading local heritage attraction and to remain a sustainable place for worship, the Abbey has introduced a new business model to cope with the demands of enhancing and maintaining the building for current and future generations of visitors, and to help with the adverse impact that the pandemic has left upon the tourism industry. The Abbey has moved from its suggested £5 entry donation to a £6.50 admission fee. Local residents and those visiting to pray, worship and attend services do not need to pay.

Bath Abbey remains primarily a dedicated place of worship for its congregation and the international Christian community. Those who visit to worship will be welcomed, at no

bathabbey.org

The Abbey’s ambitious Footprint Project has culminated in the opening of its Discovery Centre within the ancient vaults beneath the Abbey building. It’s an elegant space with interactive exhibits that bring

ABOVE LEFT: Illuminated panels in the Discovery Centre; BELOW, from top: An interactive display allowing visitors to explore the front facade of the Abbey; Remembering the Abbey’s time as an Anglo-Saxon Monastery, visitors have the chance to write like a monk

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• Cryotherapy for wart, skin tag and pigmentation removal

• Ipl for permanent hair reduction, skin rejuvenation and facial thread vein treatment

• Vaginal tightening

• Body treatments for fat loss, toning, skin tightening and cellulite

• Dr led wrinkle reduction treatments, fillers and non surgical face lift

• Diet and nutrition advice

• Food intolerance, hormone testing and menopause advice

Mockridge Bespoke Carpentry

Cory Mockridge –founder of Mockridge Bespoke Carpentry –has been creating bespoke furniture for homes in the Bristol and Bath area for the last five years. Here we take a closer look at his creative designs, innovative solutions and how his team are taking every project from concept to completion...

We then finish every item by hand, whether it be a sprayed, oiled or lacquered finish. This is when we would confirm an installation date with the customer. It would generally be two weeks from the day we start the finishing process.

Due to the carefully planned design and manufacturing process, our installations for most projects typically take two to three days. At this point, our customers can sit back and enjoy their new piece of bespoke furniture.

What are some of your most favourite creations to date?

Perhaps the most satisfying achievements come when a customer’s expectations are exceeded. One that springs to mind was an understairs wine store where we had free rein to get creative. We came up with a design that would ultimately become one of the main selling points of the property years later. We were able to completely transform a large entrance hallway into a breathtaking entrance. Nothing compares to seeing our customers happy with their brand-new builds.

Equally, there have been projects where the customer has had a very strict brief, where they’ve sent us a design and asked to match the style to existing furniture. We were able to exactly match the stain and handle details to create a bespoke piece that couldn’t be told apart from the original. When we say bespoke, we really mean it!

Tell us about your background in carpentry and how you came to found Mockridge Bespoke Carpentry...

I inherited my love of carpentry from my father. He taught me skills and techniques while I worked alongside him in his business, operating mainly in and around the Bristol and Bath area. He still supports what we do today and is one of our highly skilled tradespeople.

I knew that I wanted to produce individualised, bespoke pieces –pieces that I would be proud to own myself. I felt that the best way to achieve that would be to offer my customers a personal service, which was when Mockridge Bespoke Carpentry was born. Our family of local customers have helped the business grow into what it is today.

Tell us about your design and build process, how you take each project from concept to completion and create exactly the right bespoke design and finish...

From our experiences of working with both professionally qualified and personally invested people over many years, we’ve developed a process that enables all parties to achieve the very best outcome. After receiving initial contact from our customers via our website, email or telephone, we book in a free consultation to discuss their project. This would start as a phone call where we would discuss the basics of their project and book a home survey at a convenient time. During this home visit, we would take them through some of our current samples and finishes, answer any questions they may have and create a design brief.

The next step would be to send the brief to our 3D designer, who would create drawings of the project. The drawings would include the customer’s desired materials and colours. The design can be revised as many times as necessary to ensure they’re 100% satisfied with the design concept.

The workshop team then starts crafting the bespoke piece, taking everything directly from the 3D model to ensure every detail is identical to the computer-aided design plan.

Working predominantly with natural wood products is a joy and keeps us true to the world we live in

Where do you source your materials?

We source our panel products from two suppliers local to the south west, and we’ve worked well with them over the last five years. This ensures we have the ability to hand-pick the boards we need for our customer’s product and can guarantee that they are of the highest quality. We support and utilise local trades, which means we give a personal service from our 3D designer through to our spray finishing.

Tell us about your sustainable practices...

Working predominantly with natural wood products is a joy and keeps us true to the world we live in. We recognise our responsibilities here and have started planting trees to replace those used in producing our pieces. By doing that, we hope that our customers will also feel that they are part of that process.

How can customers submit their commissions?

Initial contact is usually made either by email or telephone. We’ll marry up our brief with a choice of options that our customers can shape and adapt to work towards making their dreams come true. That might sound a bit grand but that’s exactly what we work towards. n

For more information about Mockridge Bespoke Carpentry visit: mockridgebespokecarpentry.co.uk

Bath Painters and Decorators are here to take care of your project!

Whether in Bath or the surrounding areas, Bath Painters and Decorators is dedicated to delivering a professional service achieved through excellent customer service and top quality results.

We welcome all projects, residential or commercial, contemporary or traditional; no job is too big or too small. We have completed work on a range of contemporary flats and houses and traditional Georgian and Victorian residences, including Pitt House, the former residence of Prime Minister William Pitt.

Whether a front door, windows, bespoke furniture, kitchen cabinets or a complete refurbishment, we can provide the service you need!

What we do:

Painting and Decorating • Wallpapering • Carpentry

Plastering • Flooring • Plumbing

Contact us on 01225 690039

Email

“Have you seen our quoting vehicle around town? In a bid to reduce our carbon footprint we use our eye catching, all electric Citroen Ami to get around town!”

“We came up with a design that would ultimately become one of the main selling points of the property”

Modern country house

Sims Hilditch believe that good design can make people happy. Here we ask Design Director Louise Wicksteed about the design ethos of the company set up by Emma Sims-Hilditch in 2015, and how it manages to combine a classic style inspired by historic interiors with a modern, light and fresh sensibility.

Sims Hilditch was launched in 2009 by Creative Founder Emma Sims-Hilditch. Its headquarters is located in the heart of the countryside, a Grade II-listed former coaching inn just five miles from Bath. Renovated and decorated by Sims Hilditch, it encapsulates the company’s signature modern country-house aesthetic. Emma has built an expert team of interior designers, interior architects and procurement managers led by Design Director Louise Wicksteed, who here explains more about the company and its design ethos.

Q. Can you explain Sims Hilditch’s ‘design once and design well’ philosophy? Timelessness and quality design are at the heart of everything we do at Sims Hilditch. We champion fine craftmanship and work with the highest quality materials, often using English and local suppliers. It is our belief that a home should be built to last for many generations, enduring both physically and aesthetically. To achieve this, we use a blend of antiques and contemporary finishes in our interiors, creating designs that are functional and suitable for modern living, while still in keeping with the property’s heritage. We also take careful note of our clients’ requirements, understanding how they wish to live in their home and planning the design accordingly.

Q. What are the advantages of a classical English style in the interior, and why was this Emma Sims-Hilditch’s vision when she set up the company?

Emma Sims-Hilditch has grown up immersed in creativity inspired by the English countryside. Her mother was a keen amateur decorator and her father kept bees and was fond of weaving on a loom. This creativity endured into Emma’s adult years when – after moving on from a career in the film industry with Ridley Scott – she began making curtains from her kitchen table at home in Wiltshire. It was from here that Emma started advising friends on the interior design of their homes, which ultimately developed into the Top 100 interior design business that she has today.

Q. What made Emma set up Sims Hilditch following her career working in films?

Emma was able to hone her organisational skills while working with Ridley Scott – something that has been hugely beneficial when managing large scale interior design projects over the years. She and her husband John decided to leave London and their careers to start a family in Wiltshire. It was from here that they both launched their respective successful businesses – Sims Hilditch interior design and Neptune.

Q. I understand that Sims Hilditch like to take a holistic approach to projects, inspired by the building and its surroundings. Why is this approach important?

A home should be a harmonious space in which our clients can relax and decompress. This is difficult to achieve if the interior jars horribly with the property’s existing fabric and the surrounding landscape. When working with a historic home we look at its bones and try to retain as much of the existing materials as possible, incorporating it into the newer elements of the design. This might include retaining the Cotswold stone and wooden beams of a derelict former coaching house (as we did with our studio The White Hart) – and bringing it up to date by installing Critall doors and skylights to let in plenty of natural light. If working on a new build, we consider how we can curate a layered interior that seems to have been collected over time. Incorporating antique artwork and furniture into the design works well here, as does using reclaimed wood and bricks where possible to add character.

A room in an English Country estate

Bedroom in an Oxfordshire farm

Q. The projects that Sims Hilditch take on vary from big city homes to much smaller homes in the country or by the coast. Do you have a favourite type of building to work on? Of course we love to work on properties that are steeped in history such as the more than 500-year-old English Country estate that we completed recently. It is fascinating to uncover the stories that a building holds and to use this knowledge to inform the interior design. However, it is also a delight to breathe character into a new-build property through the use of texture, colour and intelligent architectural design.

Q. What working relationships do you have with your clients and how does the consultation process work?

We take great care to get to know our clients and to understand the way that they live in order to incorporate this knowledge into their interior. This is the first thing we do when we begin working with our clients and we welcome them to have input into their project as much as possible.

Q. Is it possible to maintain that beautifully curated House & Garden style where everything has its place? Can a well-planned interior design make it easier to do this? Life is messy and we certainly don’t advocate trying to live life in a show-home like environment. A home is made to be lived in, but a good interior designer can put measures in place to help minimise the chaos and maximise organisation. This might include intelligent storage solutions such as a hidden boot room under the stairs, recessing shelving into walls or creating bespoke pigeon holes to store the post.

Q. You have a design collaboration with George Smith furniture – how does this work? We worked with the expert George Smith design team to create a capsule collection made up of three pieces: The Emma Armchair, The Emma Ottoman and The Emma Sofa. The Sims Hilditch team were instrumental in planning the design for the pieces and the expert makers at George Smith create them in their workshop using the finest materials.

Do you think the timeless English look will always have a place in the interior? Absolutely! Timeless English style is just that – timeless. The beauty is that it can be adapted to work well in a city or country home, both old and new. The key is to use high-quality natural materials, champion the use of antiques and refurbishing existing family heirlooms, and take inspiration from the property’s heritage and the beautiful English countryside in terms of colour and texture. n simshilditch.com

A home is made to be lived in, but a good interior designer can put measures in place to help minimise chaos and maximise organisation

The Emma Chair

Bedroom in an Oxfordshire farm

Simply beautiful floors you’ll love for a lifetime

Room for hypnotherapy

If you need a private, self-contained space as an office or consultation room, then consider building a dedicated room in your garden. Vicky Sutherland did just this for her hypnotherapy practice, with the help of Garden Affairs

Vicky approached Garden Affairs to discuss a permanent space for her hypnotherapy practice in Corsham. With previous experience building various therapy rooms and understanding the need for a private, quiet space, the company set to work designing and creating a two-room solution to sit at the back of the garden, which has separate access for Vicky’s clients.

The Prima, a solid timber building, measures 4.2 x 2.4m and is finished with 44mm thick walls, roof and floor insulation and a durable EPDM rubber roof. It also includes a WC and full-length narrow, vented windows.

Garden Affairs checked in with Vicky a few months after installation to see how the garden room had impacted the hypnotherapy practice.

Q. Where did you practice your hypnotherapy before?

“Before the garden room, I practised my hypnotherapy in my living room and online. I also used to travel to my client’s houses. It wasn’t ideal in the living room as I had photos of the children in there and I had to keep tidying the house every time I saw a client! I do still sometimes see clients online as this works well, but now I’ll be able to conduct the online sessions in the garden room.”

Q. What made you decide to choose a garden room for your practice?

“As a hypnotherapist I help clients to overcome a range of problems such as anxiety, depression, stress, confidence, weight management and phobias. We spend the first half of the session having solution-focused discussions, and for the second part they lie down on my sofa or reclining chair for some lovely, guided relaxation.

“I loved the idea of a garden room as it meant that I would have a confidential space separate from the house to see clients. As I have two children it was essential to separate my business from the house and provide a more professional space for clients.

“I wanted to have somewhere that I had access to all week. I had looked into renting a space in town but there wasn’t much availability, and the rooms I did find were expensive. Renting a therapy room also meant that I would need an allotted time to see clients, which is tricky when just starting up a business and not knowing when clients would be available or how much demand there would be. By having my own space in the garden room I can offer more flexibility in terms of times and days, and even see clients after school hours as they won’t need to come into the house.

“I also liked the idea that when I wasn’t using the garden room for hypnotherapy, it could still be enjoyed by my family and friends. It’s a nice quiet space where you can relax if you need some time alone, or in the summer we can open up the doors and enjoy socialising in it with friends and family. We also felt that it will add value to our house in the future if we did ever sell, and it could even serve as an extra bedroom if we had friends or family staying over and couldn’t all fit in the house.

Q Why did you choose a Garden Affairs building?

“Garden Affairs was the first comapny to come up in my search, and then I discovered that my friend, who is also a hypnotherapist, had just ordered a garden room from them. She also knew of a couple of other people who had been really happy with their garden rooms and the customer service. I liked how professional the website was, I liked that it was local to us and that they had great reviews.

I loved the idea of a garden room as it meant I would have a confidential space separate from the house to see clients

“Garden Affairs were reasonably priced and they had a variety of buildings. After visiting the shop in Trowbridge we were sold. Anna was so friendly and helpful and provided all the reassurance we needed that this would be the perfect option for my hypnotherapy.”

Q. What influenced your choice of building?

“We were influenced by a number of factors: cost, size (so that it would fit nicely at the top corner of our garden), and insulation so that it was possible to use it all year round. The way it looked was also crucial as we wanted it to blend nicely in our garden, and we wanted it to be of a quality that would have a long life in all weather conditions.”

Q What are the benefits of using the garden room for your hypnotherapy?

“For hypnotherapy to be effective, it’s important that the client feels relaxed and at ease, and the environment plays a key role in this. The garden room is therefore a key selling point for my hypnotherapy business as it’s so cosy, inviting and warm and clients can be put at ease knowing that it’s a confidential and safe space. They use my back gate to enter the room so they don’t need to come near my house, and I’ve put up blinds and curtains so no one can see in. I even had a toilet and sink fitted, so clients don’t need to worry about that either!

“I think the other main benefit is the flexibility it affords me. I can see clients when I want to, which is great and allows me to work with a larger range of people. My husband also uses it sometimes as he works from home a lot. And when I’m not using it, my children enjoy relaxing in here with a book or use it as a refuge to do their homework in peace.”

Q And lastly... what do you like most about using it?

“I love how peaceful, cosy, comfortable and relaxing it is. I like to be able to provide such a warm and friendly environment for my clients which is all part of the experience, and I’m not answerable to other people in terms of planning ahead and having to book a space in town.” n gardenaffairs.co.uk

Vicky Sutherland Hypnotherapy: vickysutherlandhypno.co.uk

Red House Farm, Broughton Gifford

A collection of six beautifully designed homes ranging from two to four bedrooms, including five bungalows and one detached house.

Only one plot remaining – Plot 5 is a superb detached bungalow on a 1.68 acres plot

MASSAGE & ROLFING YOGA THERAPY IN BATH & STANTON PRIOR

Do you suffer aches, pains, stiffness, difficulty walking or making simple movements?

Structural bodywork will release strain patterns, change postural alignment & ease chronic pain

Yoga Therapy will tailor make a practice to encourage correct movement patterns & neuromuscular re-education A GREAT COMBINATION OF MAKING CHANGES AND GROWING INTO THEM

Madeleine Zagni 0778 6066434 www.mztherapy.com

Colbourne Clipper

Asubstantial 3 bedroom mid terrace period family home with a separate 2 bedroom garden apartment and plenty of scope to modernize and add value, located in the fashionable Widcombe area of Bath, within 5 minutes-walk of Bath Spa Station.

This excellent family home offers generously proportioned, flexible family accommodation arranged over 3 floors with plenty of scope to modernize and add significant value. At ground floor level there is a large bay fronted formal drawing room along with a spacious kitchen and breakfast room which is linked to a pretty conservatory to the rear.

On the first floor there are 2 large double bedrooms, the master has en suite and dressing area facilities and the bedroom to the front has a pretty first floor balcony. In addition, there is a generous family bathroom. The loft has been converted to provide a further double bedroom which benefits from plenty of built in storage and eave space.

Significantly there is a pretty 2 bedroom independently accessed apartment which has been successfully let for 5 years.

To the rear there is an attractive well stocked ornamental garden and sun terrace along with a small timber framed studio and hot tub.

Prior Park Road is perfectly placed for easy access to a triangle of good state and independent schools which include Widcombe Infants School, Prior Park College and The Paragon School on Prior Park Road, along with Monkton Combe and Ralph Allen Schools on Bradford Road.

Cobb Farr, 35 Brock Street, The Circus, Bath; Tel: 01225 333332

Prior Park Road, Widcombe

•3 large double bedrooms

•2 bathrooms

•Formal drawing room

•Large kitchen / breakfast room

•Conservatory

•Separate 2 bedroom garden apartment

•Fashionable residential area

OIEO £900,000

Brock Street, Bath

Guide Price £450,000

An elegant, spacious and light first floor apartment situated in this most sought after location, benefiting from open plan living space and a private sunny roof terrace to the rear.

• Elegant triple Venetian window

• Engineered wooden floors

• Period fireplace with marble surround and hearth

• Rear sun terrace

• Kitchen with slate flooring

• Ideal holiday let

01225 333332 | 01225 866111

Is setting up a limited company the right choice for you as a landlord?

Things to consider.

Setting up and running a limited company can be more complex than managing your properties as an individual, but there are several resources available to help you navigate the process. You'll need to register your company with Companies House, set up a business bank account, and file annual accounts and tax returns. You may also want to consult with an accountant or solicitor to ensure that you are setting up the company correctly and meeting all legal requirements.

When you sell a property under a limited company there is no personal capital gains tax, whereas you have an allowance when you sell a property as an individual. One of the main things you need to consider is the property transfer costs, transferring your existing portfolio into a limited company will incur stamp duty, legal costs and possibly capital gains.

Privacy

One thing is for sure the last few years have been challenging for landlords, with so many changes we know that you may be looking at options. Setting up a limited company to manage a rental portfolio is becoming increasingly popular in Bath as it could be a way to grow your property portfolio while minimizing your tax liability. Before you take this step, is setting up a limited company the right choice for you as a landlord?

Limited Company

First, let's define what a limited company is. A limited company is a separate legal entity from its owners, meaning that the company can own assets, incur debts, and conduct business in its own right. As a landlord, you can set up a limited company and transfer your rental properties into it. The company would then become the legal owner of the properties, and you would be a shareholder and director of the company.

We always advise that you seek for advice from professionals as they are in the best position to assess your portfolio and also your future plans. By working with tax and independent financial advisers they help you grow, and run your portfolio in a financially efficient way. With all the changes and options available to you we can recommend such professionals if you are looking for a rental portfolio health check.

Managing your portfolio as an individual means that you retain some privacy, the accounts for your properties and tax documents are between you HMRC and your accountant. Once you switch to a limited company your accounts have to be published and as such are available online at companies house. We know that privacy is very important to some of our landlords, and this is certainly one of the concerns for switching to a limited company.

Pros and Cons

As with all major decisions when it comes to operating your rental properties through a limited company there are pros and cons. At The Apartment Company we always talk through any big decisions you wish to make to your portfolio as there may be things you are not aware of that need to be taken into account. While setting up and running a limited company can be more complex than managing your properties as an individual, there can be benefits. Always seek professional advice before you make the move.

If you could like to explore switching your portfolio to a limited company, please contact Nicola and the Lettings team on 01225 303870.

Nicola Wilkes. Lettings & Property Investment Manager

Why rightsizing is on the rise with those looking for a unique home

Finding the dream

Rightsizing is also about realising ambitions. We find many city buyers long for quieter surroundings and space, and living in the country has been a long-term goal. For others, there is a passion for a particular architectural style, and as we know, Georgian properties are in abundance throughout this region.

When it comes to looking for a home in this area, we find buyers know what they want but not the property they need. Every unique home offers something special; they all have that fascinating feature, a range of garden designs and come in a wealth of sizes. As each is individual, it would be impossible for a buyer to envision exactly one of these homes, which is why the expertise of our team is so essential.

Perfect match

Not all of our unique homes are advertised online, and we also know of properties where the sellers may only decide to move should the right buyer be found. This is why the high-end property market works in a very different way to the more familiar residential sales. We understand the importance of not just finding the ideal home for a buyer but we also know that it has to be the right size too.

When it comes to property, most of us have heard of upsizing and downsizing, but are you familiar with rightsizing? Rightsizing is a term often used in business; in this scenario, instead of downsizing by reducing a team for financial benefits, rightsizing is about adjusting the workforce to one that is an appropriate size for the company. Life is about balance, and we want to make decisions that we hope will improve our future. Rightsizing is one way that you can embrace a change in lifestyle but finding the one that is appropriate for your future plans.

Post pandemic

We would be amiss if we didn’t address the impact that the pandemic has had on people’s decision making. The major shift in work patterns has seen a rapid rise in the number of remote and hybrid roles, and according to the 2022 Google Community Mobility Report, there has been a drop in the number of people searching for workplaces in Somerset, and this shift in work patterns is most likely the reason.

Buyers are needing homes that serve as a workplace also. This often includes studio spaces or even an extra kitchen or space to house one. Our homes are more than a place to live: they need to fulfil a multifunction role and yet still be warm, welcoming and relaxing.

It isn’t just workspaces. Many of our buyers are wanting land, space of their own to enjoy, whether that just be for walks, for a small holding or for horses. In many cases properties also need to bring in an additional income, such as places to rent, allowing the business to be homebased, which is often on top of existing work commitments.

Families are still seeking multigenerational properties, homes that can bring a family together, whether the move is now or in the future. This future-proofing of a purchase for multigenerational living is something that has seen a clear shift during and post pandemic.

We don’t just push homes that we have listed at present but seek to find that perfect match whether that is on the market or not. This is only achieved by listening intently to why the buyer wishes to move, what they need out of their rightsized home, but also those little comments that often get missed and end up being the key to their search.

Why on the rise

Rightsizing isn’t just about moving home. It is popular with all age groups combining a property search with requirements for their lives, work, lifestyle and future goals. Whether you have had the desire to move to the area for many years or are currently reassessing your needs, we have the expertise and experience to challenge your thinking and ascertain what is really important to you. If you’re looking for your own unique home, contact our team today.

Scan here and see what the market is like for your home

TOLET

Dinder, Wells - £7,950 pcm

A beautifully renovated, detached barn conversion with 8 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms, 3 bath/shower rooms and a separate studio/gym with shower room, set in idyllic countryside featuring a beautiful walled garden with swimming pool, courtyard/driveway and plenty of parking. Council Tax Band F, EPC rating: D. Available mid July 2023.

Peter Greatorex Unique Homes 01225 904999

www.petergreatorex.co.uk

Georgian · Top floor · Opposite The Circus · Double bedroom · Separate kitchen · Stylish and modern interior · Central · Close to local amenities · EPC Rating E · Approx 508 Sq. Ft

COMINGSOON

Georgian · Listed · Beautiful period features · High ceilings · Ground floor · Spacious double bedroom · Stunning views · Short walk to city centre · Chain free · EPC Rating E · Approx. 662 Sq. Ft.

COMINGSOON

Detached Victorian mansion apartment ·

Ground floor with private entrance · Two double bedrooms · Village location ·

Canal walks close at hand · Lovely views · EPC Rating D · Approx 747 Sq. Ft.

COMINGSOON

Georgian · Listed · Beautifully decorated throughout · Two double bedrooms · Period features · Bright and airy · Central location · EPC Rating D · Approx. 547 Sq. Ft.

Spread across two levels · Spacious sitting room · Beautiful views · Central location · Close to local amenities · EPC Rating E · Approx. 893 Sq. Ft.

Georgian · Listed · Central location · Top Floor · Lift access · Spacious double bedroom · Bicycle storage · EPC Rating D · Approx. 629 Sq. Ft.

Heather Rise O.I.E.O £400,000 Bladud Buildings O.I.E.O £375,000

Modern Build · Two double bedrooms ·

First floor apartment · Private front door ·

Two allocated parking spaces · Gated community · Close to local amenities · EPC Rating B · Approx. 900 Sq. Ft.

Newly renovated to a high standard · Holiday lets allowed · Georgian · First Floor · Bright and spacious · Share of freehold · No chain · Central location · EPC Rating C · Approx. 517 Sq. Ft.

Great Stanhope Street O.I.E.O £285,000

Top floor apartment · Modern interior · Two bedrooms · Central location · Lift access · No chain · EPC Rating C · Approx. 473 Sq. Ft.

Bedford Street £1,150 pcm

Unfurnished · One bedroom apartment · First floor – Own entrance · Immaculate throughout · Gas central heating · Suitable professionals · Council Tax Band C ·

EPC Rating C

Rivers street £1,250 pcm

Available now · Fully furnished · Spacious living room · Prime village location · Superb communal garden · Sharers considered – No students · Council Tax Band D ·

EPC Rating D

Unfurnished · Double bedroom · White high gloss kitchen · First floor apartment · Prime Location · Central Zone Parking Permit · Council Tax Band C · EPC Rating C

Part furnished · One bedroom · Excellent order throughout · Prime location · Georgian features · Suitable professionals · Council Tax Band B · EPC Rating E

Bartletts Court,

£1,900 pcm

Fully Furnished – Top Floor · Three bedrooms · Gas central heating · Immaculate décor · Garage available · Sorry no students · Council Tax Band E · EPC Rating C

Available now · Two double bedrooms · Communal garden terrace · Furnished (except bedroom 2) · No students · No pets · Council Tax Band C · EPC Rating C

pcm

Available May 2023 · Stunning Georgian apartment · One bedroom · Study/dressing room · Fully furnished · Set over two floors · Close to city centre · Council Tax Band B · EPC Rating E

Margarets Buildings £1,500 pcm

Unfurnished · Two double bedrooms · Top floor maisonette · Central location · Immaculate throughout · No pets · Council Tax Band C · EPC Rating E

Cavendish Lodge £1,750 pcm

Part furnished · Three double bedrooms · Communal gardens · Lift access · Allocated parking Space · Approx 1119 sq ft · Council Tax Band G · EPC Rating C

The Grange, Freshford £1,900 pcm

Widcombe

Belmont £1,200 pcm St Lawrence House, Southgate £1,400 pcm

Rochfort Place, Bathwick £1,300